OS: In That Moment

As she checked the clock, she knew its late, she had to be ready by 10.00am, and here it was already 9.00am and she was still lying on her bed, in the safe cocoon of her favorite pink blanket.

But today, even that was not able to relax her. Not her blanket, not her dear white bunny, not that soothing music it played to lull her to sleep since she was a little kid...

She was confused... no not confused, nervous... maybe, or just plain anxious n excited. She was looking forward to it... maybe.. she was not interested... now that was definitely not true and she couldn't help but accept it.. it was like she wanted to take a leap, n yet was being held back. She knew she was excited to finally get a chance to be with him, even if it was with everyone else around, n yet was too nervous.

Being from a normal middle class family... she had her alliance fixed in a very conventional way. A family friend suggested a good alliance, they met, asked a few things and it was all decided.

And yes, it did make her fear what future held for her. She had no clue about almost anything that her would-be-husband was, he had no idea about her dreams, her wishes.

How would they live together, all their life? Would they ever fall in love? Come to think of it.. what exactly was love.

Having been lost in her thoughts for longer than she could afford, she checked the time again, and rushed, got ready and came out to the hall, where her mom had been waiting for her. Well, by the looks of it, she was just short of rushing in herself to pull her out, evident from her mother's impatient walk. But she saw her mother relax visibly, appreciating the simple pink salwar-suit that she had worn. Accompanied with the simple bangles n ear-rings, no makeup simple look, she looked like a fairy. Well that's what her mother felt, she on the other hand felt more like a little kid who was soon to meet her new strict head-mistress, that too personally, all alone.

Her would-b-in-laws were coming in a while, along with her fianc as they had to go for engagement shopping.

Finally everyone was settled in the cars, heading out first to select rings for engagement, n then a few sarees for her. Her mother-in-law seemed caring. She didn't want to buy things of her own choice for her, she wanted her dear daughter-in-law to choose what she likes and hence the arrangement. And just like that, she knew that it might not be as bad as she fears. They do care.

The stolen glances, accidental touches (though she was still wondering about accidental' part), and the silent hints towards selection of sarees, made her blush. All of it seemed like a fairy tale or maybe like those romantic fictions she had read while in college.

It did make her feel a lot more connected than she was earlier. She also realised that she did not want to leave so early, atleast a few minutes with him.. she wished. To be with him, talking, sharing, just trying to understand each other, knowing more about each other.

Shocked by the change in her line of thinking in just a few hours, she was moving out of the crowded market place, with him by her side, while the others were heading just ahead of them.

Still revelling in the way he looked at her, made the most of every opportunity he got to be with her, she missed out on the man walking backwards, about to crash into her, but he didn't.

He was well aware of every single thing about her. Her restlessness, her urgent glances seeking his opinion, her hesitation, the way she shied away while walking in public, the way she wanted to speak to him,(exactly like he wanted too), and the way she was shy.

He was well aware of the second in which that stranger was about to crash into his fiance... he was aware of the fact that she would not like it; and more than that, he was suddenly aware that he didn't like the prospect of even an accidental touch from someone else, especially not when he can prevent it.

And as a reflex, his hand shot out, holding onto the stranger, just an inch away from her, making sure she was safe. The sudden movement brought her out of her trance.

She looked at him and knew he was being protective for her, and yet, he very politely let the man go. She was safe, and that was all he cared about. She could understand that so easily just by looking at him, and this amazed her.

And in that moment she knew, the last of her fears vanished. It would work. It would all work out absolutely fine. They might not know each other yet, but they had all the time in the world to understand each other. As long as they look out for each other, care for the other, they would do just fine.

Happy at the way he soon held her hand, securely navigating her through the crowd, she was finally aware, of what she had been looking forward to, of where she belonged.