||Their Nuptials||- A TS

CHAPTER-1

Giri stood in his room, trying to tie his panchakachcham. His brothers, Shrikant and Shreyas stood near him, helping him. His sister-in-law, Shraddha was flitting in and out of his room, helping him, and other people too. She had been helping Bhumi too.

"Shrraaa" whined Giri, as she came in.
"Shrey, Amma is calling you and Appa is calling you Shri", said Shraddha, laughing at Giri.
"Going, sweetheart", said Shreyas, grinning as they both bustled about, leaving his wife to deal with Giri.

Giri looked at the married couple, a smile adorning his face. Is this what arranged marriages are about? He wondered, idly. His brother and Shraddha had had an arranged marriage, and had been married for about seven months.

"Shraaa", he said, attempting to drape his veshti in the traditional way.
"Yes, whiny?" said Shraddha, setting the tray down on the bed.
"How does one wear this nonsense?" asked Giri, indicating his veshti. She laughed.
"Shri will be back soon, to help. He is going to see if Appa and the vadhiyaar want. So many preparations to be do-"
Shrikant was back. "Hi you both. Anna, still not done?"
Giri chucked a towel at his brother. "Help me, no?"
"Yes, yes, helping." Shri knelt near him, helping tie it. "So inefficient. "
"It is slippery, Shri, I can normally wear it."
"I know, chill. Hey, by the way? "
"Tell! "
"Ready? To run away in the Kashi Yatrai?"
Shraddha shook her head and left the room. Shreyas came in almost immediately.
"Girii?"
"Anna?"
"Nervous?"
"A bit, yes", said Giri, smiling weakly at his elder brother.
"Don't be, kiddo, said Shreyas, softly. He grinned at his two younger brothers, whom he loved as sons, rather th"an as an elder brother. He hugged both. Shrikant squirmed.
"Anna!"
"Shush, you. I wanna hug you, I will hug you!"
Both Shri and Giri laughed. Shri, the baby of the three, whined at Shre.

Giri straightened up. He wanted to get done with wearing his veshti and his brothers' distractions were not helping.

"Hey, Anna?"
"Yep?" said Shre, helping Giri wear it.
"What is it like? To be married?" Giri's voice was soft, and they both looked at him.
"Being married... it is a new experience. Your roles are different, your responsibilities, your obligations are different."
"Different good or different bad?"
"Both in a way. Bad because... your life is not only yours, you have another person, who is dependent on you. On your decisions, on your love and life."
"Good?"
"Good because... the love you will get from your life is worth it. She will love you like none else. A mom's love is different. This is... well, this is more personal, more intimate. Because, she can love you in a way that she can love none else. A mother's love extends to all her children. A wife loves only you"

Giri nodded. He understood. "Anna, it feels like... like I have known Bhumi for a long time. I feel like we have a bond. An old bond, something I can't explain."

"I know Giri. Go on", said Shre, softly.

"Bhumi... in the months we have known each other, from when Amma and Appa had our wedding fixed, to now, we have understood each other, we have known each other, and I feel like we are made for each other?"

He stopped, took a deep breath, and continued. "I think I love her, and I don't know how to tell her. I can't, but I want to. It is something I can't understand. Like something that has been there since forever. I felt a connection when we met for the first time, when we went out together, when we spoke, when we met, all the time."

He turned to see his brother smiling at him. "You love her Giri."

"Annaaa.. "
"I am serious. You love her."
"I think so, I think that, Anna. But I don't know how to tell her."
"Tell her when all this is done. She will feel special, trust me."
"You did that?"
"I did. I told Shraddha that when she and I were done with the wedding."
"And?"
"And she was happy, idiot."
"Oh. So I should tell Bhumi?"
"You should. See, don't do it exactly like me. It will click. You will understand, and you will know it is time."

Giri smiled. He understood what Anna meant by click.

"Hi Giri!" Bhumi was smiling as she waved him over.
"Hey", he said, grinning and slipping into the chair opposite her. "Waiting for long?"
"No, I just got here", she said, handing him a menu.
"Oh, okay", he said grinning. "I am not late then."
"Nah, you're on time, I was early."
"Great, I was helping Anna with some work."
"You all are super close, aren't you?"
"We are. They are my life. My family is my life."
"That is a nice thing to hear in this day and age."
"Yes, well, I don't understand why people aren't interested in being with family."
"Giri?"
"Bhumi?"
"If we do get married, then will we live there?" She asked, stoically.
"Bhumi, I really, really like you. I cannot deny that I do want to marry you". He smiled internally at the blush forming on her cheeks. "But I cannot leave my family, come what may."

Bhumi's radiant smile was all he needed to understand what she was thinking. Warmth filled him, a feeling that no girl but Bhumi had managed to evoke in him. He smiled back at her, his eyes glossing over.

"Hey, don't cry," she said softly, reaching across the table and gripping his hand. He gripped back just as firmly.
"Thank you for understanding."
"Always."

That was when Giri knew that she was the one for him. Bhumi was the girl to marry him. She was the girl deserving of being his wife. She was HIS Bhumi.

"You are in luuurrveee, Giri," squealed an excited voice. Mentally facepalming, he turned.

"Agniii!"
"Hii, Hero," she said, laughing at him. Agnija, his close friend. A sister, pretty much.
"Hii! Where is Patidev?"
"With his bffl. Bhumi hijacked him"
"More like he hijacked himself," said Giri, snorting. Bhumi and Parth were best friends and shared a sibling-like bond. He might be older than her, but she mothered him around so much.
"Pretty much, yes," said Agnija, laughing. "He and Bhu are mad. And Parth always tries to bully her and fail."

Parth and Agni had had a love marriage, but they were so in love, and he loved them. He loved their crazy banter and their mad arguments. But then, he realised... marriage wasn't such a bad thing.

Now feeling much better, he finished wearing his veshti in a panchakachcham. I am so ready for this, he thought, grinning.

~

"That's enough, Akka!" Exclaimed an exasperated Bhumi, trying her best to boost up her tolerance levels.

She looked keenly towards the petite,middle-aged woman who was applying foundation to her face.

"No.my dear!" Valli insisted "Don't you want the groom to swoon at the sight of you?"

"No, i don't!" Bhumi snapped, irritation beginning to show on her face "You know Akka, i like to keep it simple!"

"But..."Valli began but was immediately interrupted by the faint voice of a woman.

"It is okay, Valli!" It was Vrinda, the bride's proud mother "Let her have it the way she pleases."

"Alright, if you say so..." Valli looked at her aunt with a frown forming on her face "Bye, Bhumi! I am waiting for you downstairs "She smiled and left.

Vrinda took the moment to admire the dainty beauty her daughter was. Somewhere in those eyes of hers, she saw her Bhu, the tiny 5 year old Bhu, sprinting in the park and slowly descending down the slide as she stood at its feet,waiting to catch her. Bhumi looked on into the mirror, as a tear tiptoed out of her eyes, reaching out to her cheeks. The very moment, her throat felt unusually dry, and her eyes welled up.

"No Amma!" She said in a tone that was imperative as she nabbed the tear, imprisoning within her palm "Have i been disobedient? Have i caused agony to you in any way? What is it that ails you mother?" She asked as though she didn't know, just to lighten up the surroundings and to make her smile.

"Tears of joy,my child!" Vrinda gave a frail smile "Wasn't it just yesterday when you were 4 and i admitted to school? And today morning you passed your 12^th standard! Then college, pursuing your dreams,your first job and now its finally evening, the sun has begun his journey down the sea in the west and you my dear are leaving this home forever!

"Oh come on amma!" She said faking being unaffected "I will be very much here,in the same city and what makes you think i won't be pacing back,every now and then to see you all?"

"Bhu, my baby, just be the good girl you always are! Love your in laws just as much as you love the both of us. And set your priorities right. " Vrinda caressed her chin slightly and began her piece of advice.

"Yes, i will amma! How many times are you going to tell me all this? Trust me amma, i can manage. "Drawled Bhumi.

"I know you will my daughter. But who knows, probably i won't get a chance to say these things to you again!"

The emotions within Bhumi would have exposed themselves hadn't someone interceded in time.

"Helloww? " He said "What are you two doing with tears in your eyes already? "He interrogated naughtily.

"Parth!" Addressed Bhumi as her face brightened up seeing him.

Paying no heed to what she had to say, Parth turned towards Vrinda.

"Aunt, why don't you let her be?" He smirked "She deserves all the leisure to dream of her prince charming."

"Parth is right! "Walked in Janani accompanied by Srishti and Anusha "After all the groom is so handsome and has such a bewitching smile!"

"Jan,please!" Bhumi exclaimed whining, glaring at the mad trio she had been friends with since she was in school.

"So you do agree he looks handsome?" teased Srishti.

"And has an enchanting grin?" added Anusha.

"Guys please!" Bhumi requested, blushing hard.

"Now now,look at that! Someone is going all red!" giggled Parth.

"Haha, you all be here with her while i go and monitor the preparations for the last time!" Vrinda interjected.

"Sure, Aunt! "Parth said responsibly "You can trust us to tease her until the red on the face resembles a tomato!" He exclaimed,laughing hard.

Amidst all this, Bhumi casually slipped into an array of thoughts. Her life was to undergo a drastic change. Something that would transform everything. A path lay ahead of her, a path that had roses accompanied by thorns. A path that was straight yet rocky. And she was to traverse it with Giri for a co-traveller. Giri who was still a stranger, there were still several things left untold between them. She knew where he worked,the nature of his work,his alma mater, his family background. A few of his likes and dislikes were also known to her. However she barely knew how he saw life, what was his daily routine, how he expressed his love for his family, who were his other acquaintances apart from the close ones she knew. She wondered if she would ever be able to make room for herself in his heart that seemed to have love for all, although she was aware that there was something between them that made them feel connected. As though they had known each other for years!

"What is Bhumi thinking?" She heard someone hiss near her ear,rattling her senses back to their places,only to find all 4 of them, Janani, Srishti, Anusha and Parth kneeling down with their elbows resting on the dressing table, and their chins on their palms acting to be lost in thoughts just like she had been.

"Guys,what are you doing?" Bhumi was embarrassed insurmountably.

"Just giving a shot to looking at things the way you seem to be doing!" laughed Anusha who had also whispered into her ears earlier.

"Yeah, how we wish we could get lost like that in Mr. Giridhar's dreamland like that!" Remarked Janani in titters.

"You..You all are so evil!" Bhumi spat.

"Well my dear,you figured that out too early ,for having spent all of your life with us!" Concluded Srishti.

"Alas, now she will spend it with Giri!" Sighed Parth dramatically sending several waves of laughter across the room as the bride sat blushing again.

~~~

Originally posted by: KrishnaPriyaa

YOU BOTH ARE FREAKING AMAZING ❤️

I will read properly and comment with my usual long review :)

Love you both 🤗

ResWa

Originally posted by: goli030291

@bold

The thing that matters most🤣

Originally posted by: goli030291

@bold

The thing that matters most🤣