#2 Safe in His Arms! Updt pg 74 22nd Jan - Page 43

Ariya getting married in a month..cool

Precap omg Arjun bechara!!

Update soon

I thought u forgot abt this FF

Thank god u didn't forget still remember

Wow ariya getting married

This chapter was full of ariya love it

Anu was really excited for ariya wedding

Awe Arjun tease anu

So riya's dad also coming for ariya wedding

Precap look interesting

Update soon

Been looking forward to reading SIHA since a long time and I'm so glad you finally decided to continue writing it!! 😊

Can't wait to ready more on Ariyas romance and their wedding festivities!! 😊

it looks simple and cute

and the precap is interesting

waiting for more

loved it

very nicely written
continue soon

Loved Ariya moments

Riya is crying for mehandi

Eagerly waiting to read more

Please do continue soon

Time seemed to slow down to such a leisurely pace, it was almost cruel. The final one week to wedding felt like another month to Arjun. He was eagerly waiting for the big day, but at the same time, with each passing day, hour and second he grew more agitated. If he stopped to dwell for even a fraction of a second, he was flooded with clouded memories of his past.

A past, which took a lot from him and tortured him for years.

A past, which life erased with one hand, while pulling him forward with the other.

Arjun held a picture of him and Roshni in his hand, a deep crease between his brows. He couldn't remember for the life of him why they were laughing so much in the picture. Over time, the memories dulled. He no longer sees her face in strangers, not since Riya came into his life. And the memories of being with her no longer brought tears in his eyes.

All he remembers and still feels in his heart is the love he had for her.

"I am getting married tomorrow" He whispered. His eyes trained on the left side of the picture, where his late wife stood with a huge grin on her face.

"Arjun!" Sameer walked into the room without warning. Arjun quickly placed the photo in his shirt pocket before turning around to face his friend with a neutral expression.

"What?"

"Riya ka call hain tumhare liye!"

Arjun could tell Sameer was anxious for some reason as he held out the phone for him to take.

"Oh, I am allowed to talk to her now?!" Arjun asked rolling his eyes. Ever since their haldi ceremony the day before, everyone has been very insistent on following the traditional ways and, the bride and groom were not allowed to see each other. Anu, Shree and Sameer took it a little further and banned them from talking to each other as well, much to Arjun's chagrin.

"Just talk to her" Sameer said, pushing the phone into Arjun's hand.

"Oookay...Hello?"

"A-Arjunn..." Riya answered with a hiccup, as if she's been crying.

"Riya tum ro rahi ho?? Kya hua?" He asked. As apprehension grew within, he finally understood why Sameer looked so anxious.

"W-woh..." She sniffed.

"Riya! Rona band karro aur mujhe batao ki hua kya hain? Riya?!?!"

A few seconds of silence followed in which time Arjun almost yelled for a reply. But, just as he was about to, his wife-to-be replied in the meekest voice he's ever heard,

"M-mehendi karaab h-hogaya..."

"What? Mehendi?! Riya!! Mujhe laga ki kuch hogaya...ya...arghh..."

There was silence on the other end which was broken by the light sobs and sniffing from Riya.

"Hey, c'mon it's just mehendi. It's okay!" He said, his voice falling into a gentle and calming tone.

"Tum yeha aa sakte ho?"

A smile broke on Arjun's face just imagining the way her face would look at that moment. Cute and red. There was only one answer to that question.

"Haan, aa raha hoon"

"Kya hua?" Sameer asked as soon as Arjun hung up the phone. Turning around he saw that Shree and Chotu joined his friend and they were all waiting for his reply.

"Ro rahi hain..."

"Woh humme bhi pata hain. Par kyun??" Sameer asked as an anxious Shree looked on.

"Uski mehendi karaab ho gayi hain" Arjun said as a matter of fact, while Sameer, Shree and Chotu looked on with an amused look.

"Mein abhi jaa raha hoon usse milne, baad main milta hoon"

"Ab woh ro rahi hain toh tumhe mana bhi nahi kar sakta na?" Sameer said to which Arjun smiled and replied,

"Ri se milne ke liye mujhe koi mana nahi kar sakta Sam. Ab thak rukha tha kyun ki Riya ne khud kaha..."

~oOo~

Her mehendi wasn't even completed. She only had it on her palms when someone bumped into her and it got ruined. There was a big blob of smudged mehendi on the right side of her right palm instead of the intricate design like the rest of the hand. Arjun studied it for a moment and asked,

"Kuch nahi kar sakte isse thik karne ke liye?"

She shook her head and said nothing. She was no longer crying but he knew she was very upset. Looking at his sister he silently asked her what happened.

"Woh, jab mehendi karaab hua toh, ek do pados ke aunty kehne lage ki...it's a bad omen and other crap like that...meine Riya ko samjhane ki khoshish ki par..." His sister trailed off.

A few seconds passed in silence as Arjun studied Riya, after which he turned to his sister,

"Anu could you give us a minute?"

Once she left, Arjun sat next to his wife-to-be and gently said,

"Tumhe sach main lagta hain ki kuch bura hoga?"

She shook her head in reply.

"Par darr lagta hain?" He asked again to which she nodded in positive.

"Riya, you do know that all these rituals and customs...I am doing these just for you. You know that right? Tumhari khushi ke liye...kyun ki in sabse mujhe koi farak nahi padta. Because the minute I accepted that I love you, was the minute you became a part of me.

When you've been a part of me for so long and nothing happened, aaj iss mehendi karaab ho jaane se kya galat hoga?"

When a tear started rolling down her cheek, Arjun cupped the side of her face and brought her closer. Resting his forehead against hers, he spoke,

"Pagal ho tum bilkul, pata hain??"

"We went through a lot to get to this point Arjun. Now that everything is happening the way it should, even a most minuscule setback seems like..."

"Hey! In spite of everything we've gone through, we got to this point. Not a minuscule setback, even if a setback the size of an elephant comes our way - we know that we can fight through it, together"

Riya finally smiled. Throwing her hands around his neck (making sure not to get any of the mehendi on his shirt), she pulled him into a tight hug. While one of his arms wrapped around her waist, the other hand cradled the back of her head. They stayed like that for a few moments before Riya moved away just enough to see his face. His hand immediately moved forward, tucking strands of hair behind her ear and caressing her cheek to feel the softness of her skin.

Smiling, he gave her a lingering kiss on the forehead and then took a step back from her.

"Now, go get that mehendi done!"

Riya though seemed to have a different idea. As a cheeky smile made its way to her lips, her eyes sparkled with mischief.

"Just remembered something" She said, before Arjun even got a chance to ask.

"What?"

"Our first kiss" Riya whispered as she started walking backwards towards the closed door, pulling Arjun with her. Leaning her back against the door, she pulled him down for a kiss much like the very first time. She felt him smile against her lips as he kissed her slowly, passionately, yet gently. As the kiss increased in intensity, his hands slid down to her waist, pulling her closer. His hands brushed against the bare skin on either side of her waist inciting a sound from Riya which could have been a gasp or a sigh.

Gently breaking the kiss, he pulled back slightly only to find his way to her neck. Kissing and nibbling he went down to the hollow of her neck. Her breathing hitched and she yearned to touch him but couldn't because of her hennaed hands. Soon enough, his lips sought hers again.

Just as the thought of stopping before going too far occurred in his mind,

"Ouch!" He felt a gentle yet sharp pang on his bottom lip. Backing off, he gave Riya an accusing look,

"You bit me!!"

Riya smiled,

"First kiss, remember!"

😳😳😳😳

Hope you liked the new chap...

Do let me know what you thought of it! 😃

❤️ Simar

I dont remember thr first kiss. Tell me the chapter no. i wanna read it now!!!!!!!!!!!