Naina's P.O.V.
"You look so lovely!" Ananya gushes as she curls the last part of my hair. (Naina's look is above.)
I scowl at her. "I hate this. Ishaan has my parents wrapped around his finger."
Priya sighs. "Look at it this way. You're not getting married to an old man and your in-laws already love you. I don't see what the problem is."
"My problem is that I'm getting married to Ishaan. I hate him so much," I complain.
"Naina, we all know that he did something stupid but you need to move on from it. I mean, it's been 6 months!" Ananya says. "You're getting married to the man you love."
"I don't love him anymore," I snap at her. "My love for him died when he did what he did."
Priya looks at me pointedly. "So you are telling me that you just fell out of love with the man you loved for almost your whole life?"
"Yes," I tell her. "Any girl would fall out of love when the one she loves does what he did."
"You know he only means to do good," Ananya informs me.
"But he ended up doing so much bad," I scoff at her words. "Listen, I just don't want to talk about this anymore."
Ananya and Priya sigh. "Fine. Now, come on. Everyone is waiting for you to come down."
Someone knocks the door. "Can I come in?" An older woman's voice speaks out.
"Ji, Aunty," Priya says as she goes to open the door.
"Aunty, what are you doing here?" I ask when I see Ishaan's mother at the door.
"I wanted to give you this." Aunty holds up a a gold set. "And I wanted to talk to you a bit."
Ananya and Priya take that as a hint and they leave the room to give us some privacy. Aunty opens the box and I gasp at the jewelry.
"It's beautiful," I compliment in awe. I didn't particularly like gold jewelry, I was more a silver person than gold. Yet, this necklace was beautiful.
"Do you like it?" Aunty questions with a smile on her face and I nod eagerly. "Good, this is our family heirloom and I promised myself that I would save this to give to my Bahu."
"Thanks, Aunty." I smile at her as I take the box from her hands.
"I want you to wear this on your wedding day," she tells me.
"I will," I promise her.
"Now, there's something else that I wanted to talk to you about," Aunty says.
I give her my full attention. "What is it, Aunty?"
"I don't want you to call me Aunty anymore, I want you to came me Amma," Aunty informs me. "I know that I could never replace your mother but I hope that I can be like a mother figure in your life."
"You've already became a mother figure in my life. My own mother doesn't believe in me, but you do. I couldn't ask for a better mother-in-law, Amma," I say.
"I'm sorry for what my son did," Aunty apologizes. "When I first heard about the news, I knew that you wouldn't do that. I asked Ishaan and he told me the truth and I was so upset with him. That was not what I taught him."
"Aunty, please don't apologize," I tell her. "This isn't your fault."
"Thanks, Naina." She strokes my hair. "But I am proud that he is owning up to his actions."
I frown at what she has to say, but still nod.
"I know that what he has done is wrong but I hope you can forgive him one day," Aunty says.
"I don't know if that's possible, Aunty," I tell her, truthfully. "He was my best friend and he spread lies about me. That's why it hurt so much. That someone I trusted backstabbed me."
"I know, I understand." Aunty smiles at me sadly.
• • • • •
"I'm so glad that we are becoming relatives, Geetha," Amma gushes as she hands over the shagun that the groom's side brought to Ma.
Shagun was something that the bride and groom's families have each other to establish that the bride and the groom are going to get married. It was like a low-key engagement ceremony.
"I know. Best friends turn into relatives," Ma says, excitedly as she takes the shagun and gives our shagun to Amma.
Ma and Papa were over the moon ever since Ishaan said he would marry me. I only agreed to marry Ishaan for their happiness. I couldn't stand to see them upset and tensed over my future.
"Do you want to drink some tea?" Ma questions the guests.
"I definitely want to drink some tea. But, I want to drink the tea that my future daughter makes." Aunty winks at me.
"Of course, Amma. I'll go make some right now," I tell her as I get up from the sofa to go make some tea.
"Amma?" Ma questions Amma.
"I told her to call me that. She is my daughter, so I thought it would be appropriate," Amma explains as I head to the kitchen.
I get out a huge pot for the tea and pour some water in. I turn on the stove and let the water boil as I reach for the tea powder.
The tea powder is in the top shelf and I couldn't reach it. I stand up in my toes and stretch myself to get the tea powder.
A hand beside me reaches above me and hands me the tea powder. "Here you go."
I was about to thank the person but then stopped myself when I saw who it was. "What are you doing here?"
"Amma and Aunty told me that I should help you in the kitchen," Ishaan tells me and I glare at him.
"I don't need your help," I snap at him.
Ishaan sighs but still stays in the kitchen. He leans in the kitchen counter as I get the milk out to pour unto the pot. I mix the tea with a spoon and add some sugar in.
I feel a gaze on me and I look to see Ishaan staring at me, intensely. I can't concentrate when Ishaan is looking at me. "What are you looking at?"
"You," Ishaan says and I blush at his comment. But then I glare at him. "Your beautiful in this dress."
"I don't get what you are going to achieve by getting me to marry you," I say.
"I don't want to achieve anything." Ishaan sighs.
"I hate you and I don't want to get married to you," I tell him. "I'm stuck in this marriage because of my parents."
"I know, but this is my way of apologizing to you, Naina. I want to fix my mistakes and this is the only way I can do so."
I shoot him a glare. "You could've just left me alone." I turn off the stove and pour the tea into multiple cups.
"I couldn't just leave it alone," Ishaan says, frustratedly. He combs his hair with his fingers.
"Why?" I question.
"Because....because I lo-."
"It doesn't even matter anymore," I interrupt him.
I take the tray with the tea cups and leave to serve the guests.
I'm sorry this is such a short and crappy chapter. I will do better the next chapter but I won't be updating for another week cause I have summer assignments to do. Comment. Vote.