Through The Years - A Shraman SS - Page 5

Originally posted by: KitkitMkb

I am truly going to miss this one. ❤️

Originally posted by: BloodRune

<font color="#ff0000">You know, regardless of the lack of comments on the last three updates on Wattpad (not complaining, just pointing out) I am actually surprised by how many were sad to see this story end.</font>

<font color="#ff0000">But I can't wait to start an OS that I have plans to write and share! Trying my hand at angst this time.😛</font>

Originally posted by: CarpeDiem_

A heart warming SS!

Keep them coming!!

❤️

Originally posted by: BloodRune

Thank you so much! 😳

PS. I don't know your name! Other than the fact that people refer to you as Tabby. Sorry!

Tabby it is. 😳 Nickname /forum name...

You don't need to be sorry, that's what everyone knows!!

🤗

Age 27

The baby blue and pink and gold embroidered lehenga flowed behind me as I walked down the aisle with my family beside me, one hand clutching my father's arm.

My heart has been heavy from the moment I was completely dressed and Ma and Papa came into the room to look at me before the baraat came. There were a lot of smiles and laughter shared along with the tears that were shed. The make-up artist had to come up and touch-up my face so that I wasn't sporting racoon eyes. That's what the make-up artist said. Yeah, Papa laughed a lot at that.

As I walk down, I can't get myself to look up and see everything around me. I take a deep breath to calm my nerves, clutching Papa's arm tighter, trying to centre myself.

I am not nervous about getting married if that is what you are thinking. On the contrary, I was delirious about who I was marrying and I couldn't wait another minute. It was actually the whole execution of the ceremony that had me nervous and knowing me I would mess up at the most inopportune of moments.

"Suman, look up or you will miss everything," I heard Papa say softly in my ear.

Taking another deep breath and another attempt to calm myself by holding onto his arm tighter, I braced myself as I looked up to see the beautiful blush pink and white decoration throughout the hall with chrome gold chairs and centrepieces which tied up everything completely.

The first time we had sat down to discuss the decor, everyone suggested colours and decorations that were always used in every Indian wedding and I personally always found them over-the-top bordering to gaudy on some occasions.

After lots of disagreements from both the sides, I suggested we took a fifteen-minute break and come back to it. At that moment, I whisked Shravan to the roof and asked what he wanted and he shared the same thoughts as me on the decoration and wanted something subtle, something that was not flashy, something that was just us.

After our fifteen-minutes were up, we went back down and before anyone could voice any other opinion about the decoration I told them my choice of blush pink and white, which were another set of favourite colours of mine and Shravan, respectively. It was Shravan who suggested chrome gold, to bring a little shine because even though the wedding was happening in the daytime it was inside a hall.

Both the families had colour coordinated and that is how the groom's side was dressed in white and muted gold and the bride's side was in blush and white. Seeing what I had always imagined come together, it looked far more beautiful than I had pictured in my head and the sunlight pouring from the large french windows of the hall added the perfect glow to the entire set-up.

After I was done admiring my surrounding, I looked at the spot where I knew I would find my best friend/finance and my almost-husband standing.

Like predicted, there he was, towering over everyone and looking every bit of the handsome man he was in his champagne coloured sherwani and smiling softly at me, waiting at the top of the steps of the mandap for me to reach him.

The walk to the end of the aisle never seemed to end but the moment I laid my eyes on him, it felt like I was gliding and was standing below him in the blink of an eye.

He silently offered me his hand and I took it with a small smile, both of us staring at each other all the time. He held my hand, helping me sit down on the stool first before following after me, adjusting my lehenga a little so that I was comfortable.

He takes my heart with every thoughtful move of his which seem insignificant in the grand scheme of things but held so close to me.

Soon the rituals started and I was drifting in and out of what the priest was saying not really paying attention to him because all of my attention was on the man sitting beside me, holding my hand and rubbing his thumb on the back of my hand in an effort to soothe me.

The only sound that registered was when the priest asked us to stand up for the pheras and in the blink of an eye we are done and back to sitting in front of the Holy Fire and Shravan is completing the ceremony by tying the mangalsutra behind my neck and filling my hairline with sindoor.

After that, the priest declared us husband and wife and we stepped down from the mandap taking blessings from our families.

We were done taking my parent's blessing when my dad cupped my cheeks and pulled my face up, his eyes furrowed as if trying to understand something. He pulled me into his arms, hugging me with all his might as he turned his face towards my neck, speaking to me softly.

To an outsider, it would look like the father of the bride hugging his newly married daughter, sharing an emotional moment and to an extent we were.

This hug was more of a reassurance to let me know that everything would be fine but it was in that moment when reality was crashing down.

It was now that I was realizing that I wouldn't be running after Preeti and Dabbu to complete their work on time.

I wouldn't be having a verbal sparring match with Mamiji that bordered on comical and left the both of us in stitches.

I wouldn't be scolding Nanu to take his medicine on time or spend time with him listening to music from his era and singing our hearts out to our favourite songs.

But most of all...

I realized I wouldn't be there to disagree with my mother every day at every chance I got.

I wouldn't be there to see my father every day after I got up.

I wouldn't be there to jump into their room or ruin any potential romantic atmosphere between them.

I would no longer be in the house I grew up with the people who shaped me the way I am today.

"Suman," Papa called out, whispering in my ear. "What's wrong?"

"Everything," I whispered brokenly. "Everything but nothing at the same time."

It was then I realized that my face was wet with tears and I was most probably supporting the racoon eyes that my make-up artist warned me about but none of that mattered when I pulled away from my father's embrace only to find his eyes red, shedding his own sets of tears.

A hush falls around us when people get a good look at the both of us and I heard whimpering coming from beside and I needed to just shift a little to find my mother standing a few steps away from us but looked no better than us.

The three of us just stood there, holding each other's hand, among the crowd in our own little bubble coming to terms with our reality.

Ma steps forward a little and brushes her fingers over my cheeks wiping away the tears.

"Did I tell you that you look beautiful today?"

I give a very unladylike snort at that question. "Puh-lease, mother. I look good every day. How many times do I have to tell you?" I said with a little attitude.

And with that one interaction, the people around us burst into laughter.

"She speaks!" I hear Pushkar shout from somewhere beside me and I realize that I was quiet the entire time.

Well there you go, ladies and gentlemen. Suman Tiwari... Oops! I mean Suman Malhotra can actually be quiet for a long period of time.

I feel him behind me before he wraps one arm around my waist, hugging me from behind.

"Mrs Malhotra," Shravan whispered cheekily in my ear.

God!

"Say that again," I beg him quietly.

"What?"

"My new name."

"As you wish, Mrs Malhotra."

"I think I just swooned a whole lot more than I should have," I reply with a huge grin on my face.

"Can I tell you a secret?"

"Yes," I said, turning around in his arms to look up at him.

"I think I did too." He confessed, his eyes sparkling with happiness and a cute little smile on his face that reminds me of the kid Shravan.

Here I am now in the car, sitting in the passenger seat as Shravan holds my hand in his lap and drives down to Malhotra Mansion I relax in my seat thinking about what had happened in the last few hours, especially after the pheras.

Soon after the tears were shed and hugs were shared the DJ called Shravan and me on the dance floor to share our first dance, which we did with all smiles and laughter as we talked about everything and anything in those three minutes.

While Papa promised that he would always be there whenever I wanted to escape, which he knew I would never want since I loved the Malhotra's but he said and I quote "just in case your husband is being an ass, which you know he will, and you want to cool down, or if you are being stubborn, which you know you will, and you want advice just come to me, no matter what time."

The latter three, in their own ways, promised that they would always be there for me and that I could always come to them regarding anything.

At that moment I knew, that if I ever got into any kind of trouble these five men would come running to help me before I could even say the word "help."

A small laugh leaves my lips and Shravan turns to look at me with amusement. "What got you so happy?"

"Other than the fact that I married my best friend and the love of my life?" I answer back cheesily.

"You're right. Nothing should make you happier than that fact and if it does, there is something wrong." He replied all serious.

"Actually there is one thing that makes me happy more than that."

He raises his eyebrow, signalling me to continue as he looks ahead at the road, moving his eyes to meet mine for a brief second.

"I got the best deal out of this marriage. I got a family that will side with me even when I am wrong but you Malhotra, you got a bunch of absolutely crazy people on your side." I laugh out.

What he says next leaves me with no answer.

"Well, if that is the price I have to pay to be with you then so be it. You are worth every maddening and crazy moment."

"I don't have an answer to that," I replied shaking my head at how words seem to flow so easily for him

"You swooned, didn't you?" He questions with mirth.

"Nope. I melted after that line, Malhotra." I answered honestly.

After a beat of silence, he utters the three words he hasn't stopped saying since the day we got together.

"I love you, Malhotra."

"I love you too, Malhotra."

I lean over the console and kiss Shravan cheek. I hold my lips to his cheek for a moment, feeling his cheeks lift into the childlike grin I know he sporting, one that he has only when he cannot contain his happiness, a lot like the Shravan over the years who made me melt every time he smiled.

I pull back but I rest my head on his shoulder as he accelerated the car and races down the highway to home.

I guess Olaf was right. Some people are worth melting for.

ALERT THE PRESS! Another update so soon! This makes it what? The third update in the span of few days.

In my best ACP Pradhyuman's voice: "Daya, kuch toh gadbad hai." Lol!

Jokes apart, I really want to know how you liked this chapter. I know it is not as elaborate or as long as it was in The Wedding but the premise of both the stories are different and I wanted to write them as a natural progression suiting to each story.

As always VOTE and COMMENT! Even if it is a small line or a single word, I appreciate them all. :-)

Until the next chapter...

Originally posted by: orion23

Hey Ro!

Thank you so much for your continued PMs!

You're welcome!!

I'll be here soon, promise!

Yay! I've missed you here. ❤️

Originally posted by: BloodRune