Note: In Blue italics the song 'A thousand years' by Christina Perri
~A Thousand Years~
The day we met,
Frozen I held my breath
Right from the start
I knew that I'd found a home for my heart
Beats fast
Colors and promises
The blinking bright lights and the colorful shawls spread all over the wedding venue made his mind wander to the day he first met her coming up from the stairs. She had taken his breath away. He had promised then and there that nobody but her would be his wife. He might not have filled her forehead that day but in his heart, he was already her husband. He had surrendered himself completely to her without asking for anything. Not even her heart. He gave a little smile thinking of how silly it all sounded on paper. To love a girl who knew nothing of your existence for 26 long years seemed nothing short of foolishness.. but today he felt happy. Happy that he had stayed true to his foolishness even through the dark days of loneliness. His heart raced just as it had the first time he laid his eyes on her, at the thought of seeing her as his bride... his wife... his everything.
How to be brave?
How can I love when I'm afraid to fall
But watching you stand alone?
All of my doubt suddenly goes away somehow
The bridal attire looked beautiful on her. She knew just by the sight of it that it was him who had designed it. She made up her mind to thank him in a special way that made her blush at the mere thought of it. She looked at herself one last time at the mirror. Her reflection took her back to another day when she had dressed up a lot like this. Her eyes had been full of dreams for the future. Her face had looked like an angel or a princess. She couldn't remember what it was exactly that her brother had commented. She didn't know then that her to be husband was not the prince Charming she had often dreamt of. Though 27 year had passed, the thought of her innocent dreams still brought tears to her eyes. She had dared to dream again today yet the 27 year old scar resurfaced again and with it a strange sense of unease settled in her heart. She shook her head trying to fight away her insecurities. As the fear refused to leave her, she felt herself succumbing to it. Silently she whispered a prayer for strength. A gust of wind pushed the curtain away and as she looked up, her eyes fell on his handsome figure. She ran to the window to get a closer look. He was looking at the mandap and suddenly he looked around. Seeing no one around, he did a quick happy dance. She felt a giggle erupt within her and her heart swell with pride for the man who had always been hers. As a knock broke her thoughts, she rushed to the door, her insecurities forgotten.
One step closer
I have died everyday waiting for you
Darling don't be afraid I have loved you
For a thousand years
I'll love you for a thousand more
The white orchids adorning the mandap brought memories of a stubborn orchid plant back in the US. The one that refused to bloom for so long that he had given it to Devika stating how just like hopeless heart that refused to budge an inch from her, the plant was really hopeless. She had said nothing but had silently taken the plant from him.
"Admiring the orchids?"
He nodded and turned around to see their best friend looking at him intently.
"Care to know where they came from?"
He raised his eyebrow.
"From the hopeless plant you gave me..."
"Huh?"
"Don't look at me like that. 15 years back when you gave me that plant, I brought it to India and gave it to Anu. Told her it was a gift from someone special. She nurtured it and now there is a little patch in the backyard dedicated to these orchids. So, you see... it was not that hopeless... love does miracles..."
He smiled and pulled her into a hug.
"When with the right person.... it does. Thank you for making love reach where it's meant to be..."
Time stands still
Beauty in all she is
"Here comes the bride"
Screamed Mukku and he looked up to see Samar bringing her to the mandap. The veil that covered her face swayed in the wind and he caught a glimpse of her and gave a gasp. She looked ethereal. He had dreamed a million times of her walking in the outfit but none of the dream had ever been even a little close to what his eyes was seeing right now. He had always found it difficult to keep his eyes off her. He remembered how when they had met again at the reunion, he had a hard time looking anywhere else but at her. She was not his then but now she was his. His to love... his to stare... his to care... his. Unable to control himself, he let the tears so long contained flow freely. His dream was a reality now.
I will be brave
I will not let anything take away
What's standing in front of me
Every breath
Every hour has come to this
"Huh... all this is for a day... won't last a month"
The snide comment of her ex husband reached her ears as she walked towards the mandap with her son. She looked up to see her Anuj's eyes devotedly on her. She remembered how on the first night he spent at her house she had sat beside his bed on the floor for a long time whispering prayers for his happiness that had been snatched from him. He had been so tired that he hadn't noticed her by him. In his sleep he had mumbled how like always he was alone with no one but her love by his side. That day she had vowed she would always protect their love. She had stayed true to the promise fighting every adversity, every foe that had dared to stand in the way of their love. She turned around to once again put up a fight when her son let go of her hand and moved away from her suddenly.
"Mr. Shah, if you cannot keep your mouth shut, can you please leave now. If you insist on passing snide comments then be warned that I have already called a bunch of my friends who would be more than happy to safely escort you out."
Giving a satisfied look at his stunned reaction, he went back to his mother and took her arm in his.
"Don't worry Mummy... I am here..."
She smiled as her eyes filled up. He had always been there.
One step closer
I have died everyday waiting for you
Darling don't be afraid I have loved you
For a thousand years
I'll love you for a thousand more
As he tied the mangalsutra around her neck, her eyes looked into his and together they reminisced the night she had finally confessed. They remembered every whispered promise, dream and wish. His dream, her prayers, his passion, her desires all had finally reached the state of fulfillment today. Her eyes lit up as they met his, silently she mouthed the words she had longed to for so long
"Your wife..."
He smiled, lifted his hands and brought it to her face. Holding her chin with his index and thumb, he gently pulled her cheek close to his lips. Planting a kiss, he answered proudly
"My wife... Anupama Anuj Kapadia..."
And they lost themselves in each other oblivious to the loud hoots and whistles around them.
And all along I believed I would find you
Time has brought your heart to me
I have loved you for a thousand years
I'll love you for a thousand more
She felt cozy and warm as he sat beside her on their bed and wrapped his arms around her engulfing her in his embrace.
"You look beautiful, wife..."
She smiled at the word 'wife'. It looked like he couldn't stop using it ever since the marriage.
"All because of your choice of lehenga, husband..."
"Do you know when I got this design done?"
She nodded in negative. He got up and opened his cupboard. He took out his little red notebook, opened it, turned few pages and gave it to her. The page had a rough sketch of the lehenga she was wearing.
"I drew that the day I set my eyes on you... I got this done when I received my first paycheck... I never thought that I would ever see you in it... but destiny has been kind to me...."
"Thank you... Thank you for keeping it safe just like our love... All the women in the wedding were floored by the lehenga... so thumbs up for the design..."
"They were floored because YOU were wearing it... This lehenga looks so dull in front of you my beautiful wife..."
She blushed prettily at his compliment.
"You do know how to please a woman... don't you?"
He wrapped his hand around her waist and pulled her close to him. He tipped her chin and rubbed his nose with hers. Placing soft kisses all over her face except on her lips, he let his fingers carelessly roam her back. He pulled back to see her eyes shut and a tint of red spread all over her face as her body arched forward in anticipation. Satisfied by the effect he was having on her, he leaned in and placed his chin on her shoulder. Bringing his lips close to her he placed a gentle kiss on her earlobe and whispered,
"Oh I know very well how to please MY woman... Do you want to know how?"
She inserted her fingers in his hair and pulled him away from her shoulder. Bringing his face close to hers, she slammed her lips on his. As they broke apart for breath, she muttered
"Show me..."
The night belonged to them.
~la fin~
A/N: A tribute to MaAn on the occasion of their wedding.The song 'A Thousand Years' is by Christina Perri. Here is the song.
Hope you like it. Let me know if it came out OK.
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