Aarohi and Advaith’s Room:
Aashi was helping Aarohi in getting ready in the walk-in-closet as many relatives were coming to see the newly wedded bride, whereas Advaith was working something in his laptop while sitting on the bed.
“Wow bhabhi (sister-in-law) you are looking like an angel. I am sure today all the aunties will be tired praising you and your beauty.”, Aashi gushed happily, looking at her bhabhi (sister-in-law) who was looking no less than an angel after getting fully ready in her baby pink diamond cladded dress, making Aarohi smile in return.
Since the door of the walk-in-closet was open enough to give access to Aarohi’s beauty, Advaith raised his eyes and laid on his newly wedded wife only to get lost in her beauty, though unintentionally.
“I really hoped that bhai (brother) would have also joined the function, then it would have been too much fun.”, Aashi murmured sadly, making Aarohi also turn sad for a minute.
“Its ok Aashi. We can’t force him for everything. Besides he already have someone in his heart so it will take time for him to accept all this.”, Aarohi said with a small smile, though her heart was bleeding just by thinking about her husband having someone else in his heart.
Advaith who was about to go out of the room, heard Aashi’s sad voice followed by Aarohi’s selfless answer and something stirred in his heart. He unconsciously walked towards the walk-in-closet and stood at the entrance, absorbing the beauty in front of him.
“Aashi go and get ready.”, Advaith said still standing at the door itself, while Aarohi who heard him, gasped and immediately covered her front properly with dupatta, making Advaith also avert his eyes.
“If you are done getting ready then go out. I also need to get ready.”, Advaith said coldly more looking at Aarohi making her sigh at his curt-rude tone.
“Bhai (brother), you were not coming in the function, right? Then what happen now?”, Aashi asked, frowning as according to her knowledge, Advaith was not at all interested in this ritual today morning.
“Today morning, for the first time mom raised her hand on me. I don’t want to upset her more so I am attending this function for her sake.”, Advaith said curtly, making both ladies nod.
Aashi immediately left while Aarohi started setting her hair and adjusting her dupatta perfectly for one final time.
All the time, while adjusting her look, she was aware of Advaith’s gaze on her, but she never dared to match her eyes with his.
Once getting ready completely, she was about to go out, but soon turned around saying, “You don’t need to be this much rude all the time. If you are forced then I was also forced into this marriage, but still I am trying to handle this new relation with patience. I know you love someone else and you have all the right to be with your love. I promise I won’t come between your love-life, and I will not tell anyone about all this, but please stop hurting me and others with your anger and selfishness.”
Though she said all this calmly, but her words added more to Advaith’s anger and before he could revert back, they were disturbed by a knock and Aarohi immediately went to open the door, whereas Advaith closed the closet-door and started getting ready in simple traditional wear.
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The guests were scattered all over in the big hall of Khurana Mansion where Priya and Abhiraj were welcoming guests with open hearts.
“Aashi , go and call Aarohi and Advaith down for the Ritual.”, Priya asked Aashi to call the newly wedded couple as it was almost time and all the guests were asking about them.
Aashi immediately went up and knocked at Aarohi Advaith’s room, which was opened by Aarohi.
”Bhabhi (sister-in-law), mom is calling you and bhai (brother) downstairs. Its almost the time for the ritual. And you need to fix your dupatta as a veil. Wait, let me help you.”, Aashi informed while herself helping Aarohi to adjust her dupatta.
“Bhai (brother) you are also coming, right?”, Aashi asked from the door itself as she saw Advaith coming out of the closet.
”You go. I am coming.”, Advaith said blankly, to which Aashi nod and said, “lets go bhabhi (sister-in-law)?”
Aarohi nodded in agreement and went with Aashi who helped her with her lehenga while Advaith styled his hair for once more before following both girls.
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Aarohi and Advaith were made to sit together on a sofa where Aarohi had her face covered with a veil while all were getting impatient to see the beautiful face of the newly wedded bride.
Soon the function started, and one after another guest came and lifted the veil from Aarohi’s face only to praise her beauty followed by some gifts-giving from their side.
Advaith, though, was getting irritated with this function, but he couldn’t ignore that little feeling of proud in his heart, which he was feeling after hearing all the praises for his forced wife.
While for the rest of the Khurana family, they were smiling, feeling proud of their beautiful and well-cultured daughter-in-law.
The function was going all well and many guests were already enjoying dinner buffet until one of the lady guests from Priya’s kitty group said, “Priya, isn’t she Arnob basu’s daughter, whose groom ran away from the marriage just before the marriage!?Advaith could have got any other beautiful and pure girl, then why did you get him married with the girl who was left by her groom in the marriage pavilion just few minutes before their marriage?”
This one sentence ruined the whole atmosphere as now all the gazes turned towards Aarohi and soon slow murmuring started among guests making her conscious.
Abhiraj was about to say something, but before that a stern voice managed to shut all of them out.
“You don’t have to be worried about how Aarohi’s marriage broke and how she got married with me. This is our personal matter. You came in this function then enjoy and go back. No need to poke your nose in other’s personal issues. Mind your own business.”, Advaith calmly yet sternly said, leaving no room for further discussion, while the lady passed a fake smile before walking out of there.
Looking at how Advaith took Aarohi’s stand, Priya smiled widely as she knew that however much Advaith is hating this marriage, but he will never let any outsider to raise a finger on his family, and now Aarohi is also his family.
While for Aarohi, for the first time she felt that she was not his forced bride, rather, she was his wedded wife. A feel of happiness rushed inside her heart, looking at how today Advaith supported her. One thing she was confirmed now is that Advaith is not a rude person. Rather, he is just frustrated for the time being due to her sudden entry into his stabled life.
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On terrace:
After wrapping up everything downstairs, Priya came and sat beside Advaith on a swing making him startle, but soon he calmed himself.
She sat there for a good time before saying, “ Today morning, when you talked rudely with your dad, I felt that I lacked somewhere in giving you values. When you selfishly said that it was Aarohi’s problem that her marriage broke, I thought there was lacking in my upbringing. But just now, whatever happened at the function, the way you took a stand for Aarohi and the way you fulfilled your responsibility as a husband, I felt proud. I realized that I have raised you perfectly with all the right values.”
Priya said all this while looking at space, but still she could feel her son’s constant gaze on her.
“I am sorry Mom. I know mom that I am being unfair to Aarohi by lashing all my anger on her but Mom I am also a human. This whole sudden marriage thing has taken troll on me. And above all I don’t even know anything about her. Now amidst all this, how can you expect me to behave normally and calmly!!”, Finally, Advaith opened his heart in front of his mother, making her smile in return.
“You know Advaith, I see myself in Aarohi.”, Priya said while caressing his hair, making him frown on her words before she continued, “ Thirty years back, I was also left in the marriage pavilion just like her. The one whom I was going to marry, that boy was loving someone else, and so at the last moment, he ran away from our marriage. My father and Abhiraj’s father were also best friends, just like yours and Aarohi’s father. And Abhiraj’s father declared our marriage just like your father declared that day. And then we got married. But unlike you, Abhiraj always supported me from day one. He never for once let me feel that I am forced on him. He never for once made me realize that it was my problem if my groom ran away. Advaith today morning I supported Aarohi because I know that how it feels when a girl is left unmarried in front of all guests. Society, relatives and every other person always blame the girl only for the failed marriage.”, Priya said sincerely, as she knew, that Advaith needs a reality-check to accept this marriage. He cannot always behave childish and deny to the fact that now he is already married.
Advaith didn’t say anything rather kept looking at space, making Priya sigh. She knew that he needed time to accept all this, but one thing she was unaware of was that his love for someone else was stopping him from accepting Aarohi as his wife.
Nevertheless, not getting any reply from his side, Priya silently got up and caressed his hair one last time before walking down to her room, leaving Advaith in his own thoughts.
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Abhiraj-Priya’s room:
“Today, the way Advaith took stand for Aarohi, I guess he is already accepting this marriage.”, Abhiraj said to his wife, making her smile in return.
“After all he is your son. It will take time for him to adjust to all this but finally he will accept her.”, Priya said, making him frown in return.
“I was not insensible like him. I accepted you the same day we got married”, Abhiraj cleared his side as he felt the accusation in Priya’s statement, making her laugh.
“Now I just hope that soon Advaith and Aarohi accept each other.”, Priya exclaimed with a sigh before sleeping beside her husband, who took her in a hug with assurance that everything will be fine with time.
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Aarohi and Advaith’s room:
Advaith enters his room to find it all empty, but soon his eyes land on a small delicate figure sitting all cuddled up on a swing on their balcony.
“Come inside or else you will catch cold.”, Aarohi flinched at his calm yet sudden interrupting voice and without looking back at him as she was still busy with her own thoughts, she softly said, “I am fine here.”
Advaith sighed before asking while pointing at the empty side beside her, “Can I sit here?”
Getting her approval, he sat beside her on a swing while she shifted a little away from him.
“Today after getting ready, in the closet you said many things to me about my anger and selfishness and all. Then Why didn’t you said anything to that lady today? You should have taken stand for yourself.”, Advaith asked shortly waiting for her answer while she replied blankly, “Because I didn’t find her wrong anywhere. Whatever she said was right. And thank you for taking my side, but I think you don’t have any right to say anything to her because whatever she said was nothing different from whatever you say to me all these days. She said the same thing which you are repeating every single day since the first night of our marriage!!”
And she went inside the room without waiting for his answer, leaving him behind to battle with his own feelings.
Getting a grip on himself, Advaith walked back inside the room and saw Aarohi already sleeping on the couch.
Looking at her posture, he could easily understand that she was not comfortable there.
After battling for a long time with his mind, he finally listened to his heart and went towards her before lifting her carefully in his arms and walking back to the bed. Laying her carefully on the left side of the bed, he made a wall of pillows between them before laying on his own side, finally ending one more day of their forced marriage.
