Marriage preparations #2
Devyani's cheeks instantly exploded into a bright, flaming shade of red. She sat up abruptly, pulling the blanket all the way up to her chin, sticking out a massive, dramatic pout as she glared at him with her big, glossy eyes.
"You!" she squeaked, pointing a trembling finger at him. "Why did you let me do that?! Why didn't you stop me?!"
"Stop you?" Rivan raised an eyebrow, a teasing smirk curling his lips. "Kitten, you marched into the dining hall like a woman on a mission, ignored everyone, and climbed onto my lap like you owned the place. How was I supposed to stop you?"
"You are supposed to be the big, strong, scary Mr. Thakur!" Devyani huffed angrily, crossing her arms over her panda-printed chest and turning her face away from him.
"You were supposed to carry me back before I fell asleep on you in front of Dadi! Now everyone thinks I'm a hopeless, clingy panda who can't sleep without her husband!"
"Well..." Rivan leaned in, his deep voice dropping into that dark, silky whisper that made her pulse race, "...aren't you?"
Devyani snapped her head back around to glare at him, her mouth opening in absolute outrage. "I am NOT clingy! I was just... tired! The flight was long, and Reyansh bhaiyya woke me up like a monster, and my feet walked to you on their own!"
"Your feet have great taste," Rivan murmured smoothly, reaching out to gently tug at the little round ears on her panda hood. "And for the record... you are a hopeless, clingy panda. My panda."
"Mr Thakur !" she gasped, her cute anger completely melting into embarrassed giggles as he began lightly tickling her waist. "Stop it! Ahhh, no! I'm mad at you!"
Rivan caught both of her wrists, gently trapping them in one hand while his other hand slid up to cup the back of her neck. He pulled her forward until her lips were mere inches from his, his dark eyes burning with a sudden, intoxicating warmth that instantly silenced her complaints.
Devyani's breath hitched. Her anger vanished into thin air, replaced by the electric, sweet pull that always existed between them.
"You can be as mad at me as you want, kitten," Rivan whispered against her lips, his breath warm against her skin. "Pout all you want, yell at me, threaten me... but don't ever apologize for running to me. In front of Dadi, in front of the world... you always belong right here."
Devyani's eyes softened, her heart melting into a puddle at his words. Slowly, she let her hands rest against his broad chest, her fingers lightly gripping the fabric of his shirt.
"You ruined my dignified image, Mr. Thakur," she murmured softly, a shy, beautiful smile breaking across her face.
"Your 'dignified image' went out the window the second you bought that panda suit," Rivan grinned, leaning down to press a soft, lingering kiss against her lips.
Devyani closed her eyes, melting completely into the kiss, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. The world outside her bedroom door the grand wedding, the strict family rules, the separate wings didn't matter at all. In his arms, she was completely, effortlessly home.
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By the time the dining table was cleared, the central courtyard of the Haveli had been transformed into a cozy, late-night family lounge.
Low wooden divans were covered in vibrant silk bolsters, warm tea was being served in silver cups, and the crisp night air carried the soft scent of blooming jasmine.
Rivan walked down the stairs, looking entirely refreshed. Right beside him much to Rajmata's raised eyebrow was Devyani, looking thoroughly awake, her hair neatly combed, and her panda suit exchanged for a simple, comfortable cotton kurti.
"Look who finally decided to join the living," Rudraksh teased, raising his cup of chai as the couple sat down on one of the plush divans. "Did the panda get enough hibernate time?"
Devyani threw a small velvet cushion straight at Rudraksh's head, which he caught effortlessly with a loud laugh. "One more word, Rudra, and I'm assigning you to handle the guest list logistics."
"Alright, settle down, everyone," Samarveer announced, opening a heavy, velvet-bound ledger on the low table in front of him. "We have four days until the main ceremony, and we need to lock down the schedule tonight."
Rekha pulled out a decorative pen, tapping it against her palm as she looked around the circle. "We are keeping it traditional, but vibrant. Here is the layout
Day 1 The Ganesh Pooja in the morning to bless the Haveli, followed by the combined Haldi ceremony in the afternoon.
Day 2 The Mehendi function a full day event for the women, with a casual evening carnival for the family.
Day 3 The grand Sangeet night music, dance battles, and performances.
Day 4 The Haldi-snan morning, followed by the grand Baraat and the Pheras at midnight.
As the laughter over Dadi's strict rules subsided, a quiet, lingering sadness washed over Devyani's face. She looked down at her hands resting in her lap, her playful smile slowly fading into a soft, vulnerable sigh.
"Wait a second..." Devyani spoke up, her voice suddenly dropping into a small, wistful tone. "If we are dividing teams into the Bride's side and the Groom's side... I don't really have a big family. It's just me and my Reyu. I won't even have a proper team to back me up."
The room went quiet for a split second, a heavy wave of sympathy sweeping across the courtyard.
Before Rivan could even reach out to wrap an arm around her, Reyansh stood up straight from his seat.
He adjusted his sharp collar, his expression shifting into one of fierce, unwavering pride.
"Hey," Reyansh said, his deep voice ringing clearly across the courtyard as he walked over and stood right beside her divan. "Don't you ever say that, Devu. Your Reyu alone is more than enough to take down the entire Thakur clan single-handedly. Quality over quantity, remember?"
"Who said you're doing this alone?"
A smooth, calm voice echoed from the grand arched hallway as Aditya stepped into the courtyard, casually leaning against one of the marble pillars.
He usually avoided large family gatherings, but he had walked down just in time to hear her sadness.
Aditya raised an eyebrow, a rare, protective smirk gracing his stoic face. "Who told you Adi is on the groom's side? Of course I am strictly on Bhabhi's team. Rivan bhai has had enough advantages his whole life."
Before anyone could react to Aditya's unexpected entrance, the heavy wooden doors swung open, and Zaid walked in, slipping his phone into his pocket after finishing his business call.
Zaid took in the scene, a slow, dangerously confident smile spreading across his handsome face. "Count me in, too. I declared my allegiance the day I got here. I am 100% on the Bride's side."
In one swift, synchronized motion, the three men Reyansh, Aditya, and Zaid stepped forward, forming a formidable human shield around Devyani.
They stood shoulder-to-shoulder with her in the center, crossing their arms and shooting a collective, fierce glare at the rest of the Thakur family.
"We three are more than enough to crush all of you," Zaid drawled out with supreme confidence, his eyes locked onto Rivan.
Devyani looked up at her three protector brothers, her dark eyes instantly sparkling with overwhelming warmth and joy.
Her small sad face completely vanished, replaced by a triumphant, glowing grin as she crossed her arms and puffed out her chest like a proud little queen.
Virendra took a slow sip of his chai, completely ignoring Rivan's sharp, betrayed glare.
He cleared his throat and declared with absolute, booming authority, "Yeah, well, don't look at me either. I am officially on Devu's side for sure. My daughter-in-law gets top priority."
"Papa?!" Rivan gasped out, thrown into complete disbelief. "You too?!"
Yashodha let out a bright, melodious laugh, shaking her head as she fondly rested her hand on Rivan's shoulder. "Okay, okay, my poor boy! Don't worry, then I am definitely on my son's side! At least one person needs to support the groom!"
Devyani stood up in the middle of her protective squad, looking around at the fierce, loving family surrounding her. Her heart swelled so much it felt like it might burst.
She turned toward Rivan, putting her hands on her hips and tilting her head up with ultimate royalty energy.
"Well, well, well, Mr. Thakur," Devyani purred, a mischievous, brilliant smile lighting up her entire face. "Looks like you and your tiny little team are severely outnumbered. How does it feel to know your own family abandoned you for me?"
Rivan looked up at his radiant, proud wife standing behind a wall of top-tier bodyguards, a deep, helpless, and immensely loving smile breaking across his sharp features.
With the teams officially locked in, the details for the upcoming days fell into place with seamless precision.
Tomorrow morning would begin with the auspicious Ganesh Pooja to bless the Haveli, immediately followed by a vibrant, sun-drenched Haldi ceremony out in the grand courtyard.
Aradhya stepped up into the center of the patio, clapping her hands like a field marshal rallying her troops.
"Alright, Team Bride! Get your energy up! We have choreography to practice and a groom's side to completely obliterate tomorrow. Make sure not a single one of us slacks off!"
Reyansh casually crossed his arms, his stoic expression softening into a confident smirk. "We don't need to practice, Aradhya. We were born ready."
Just then, the heavy wooden glass doors swung open, and Jinal walked into the courtyard, adjusting her silk dupatta.
She had been stuck in her room for the last hour finishing up an urgent virtual meeting for her fashion line and was entirely clueless about the war lines that had just been drawn.
The second her feet hit the marble floor, the entire courtyard went dead silent. Every single pair of eyes snapped directly onto her.