2. MARRIED
"I..I am ready" Vivan murmured looking at his mother. A tear slipped from his eyes. "But I also have a condition" he added. "Speak" his father responded.
Vivan turned towards Aarvi's father, Satish Sisodiya who is also standing there. Vivan distributed his demands "you don't want your reputation to be ruined that's why you want me to marry her right? Okay I will, but after a year I am gonna divorce her" Vivan demanded.
Listening to him, his mother went to Vinod and whispered to him "what the hell he is--" cutting her in the middle his father responded placing his hand on hers "don't worry, let him marry her first".
"Okay" Vinod said accepting his demands as Satish looked at him with worried eyes.
Meanwhile Vinod just nodded at him assuring him that everything is gonna be alright and he also agreed with him.
Now everyone is at the mandap. Vivan and Aarvi took their places at the mandap.
As the priest told them to do pheras they both stood and started taking revolution around sacred fire.
Each revolution seemed to tighten the invisible chains around Vivan's heart. He murmured the vows, his voice low, almost inaudible, while Aarvi walked beside him.
She moved with a quiet grace, her gaze fixed on the flames, a shield against the prying eyes and the raw emotions.
There was a profound sadness in her eyes, a reflection of the knowledge that this union brought no joy to her. She accepted her fate, but not without a heavy heart.
As the moment arrived for the Mangalsutra and Sindoor,
Aarvi stood utterly still, her breath held captive in her chest. She could feel the heat radiating from Vivan's hand as he leaned in.
When the cool metal of the mangalsutra settled around her neck, it felt less like an adornment and more like a heavy truth.
Her eyes were cast downwards, watching the intricate patterns of henna elegantly adorned in her hands, avoiding Vivan's conflicted gaze. She was keenly aware of his reluctance, of the other woman whose name had been shouted in this very hall.
This wasn't how he'd envisioned this sacred act, Vivan thought.
His fingers brushed Aarvi's skin as he fastened the clasp, and he felt a cold dread settle in his stomach.
It was done. A part of him felt like he was not just tying a necklace, but irrevocably knotting himself to a life he hadn't chosen
As he reached for the sindoor, a deep ache settled in her heart.
The placing of the application of sindoor in her hair, were performed with a chilling formality. Vivan's hand trembled slightly, not from nervousness, but from the immense weight of the moment.
Due to his trembling hands, a pinch of sindoor fell on Aarvi's nose. "Wait let me clean" Aarvi's mother said stepping forward to clean the sindoor but Tanya her bestfriend stopped her mother saying that it is the sign of love.
Vivan's jaw clenched hearing her. A single, unbidden tear threatened to escape from Aarvi's eyes, but she willed it back, maintaining her composure, but a gasp left her mouth.
Love. Both Vivan and I didn't get the love of our life. We both are heartbroken the thing which we can give eachother is sympathy and nothing else. But will he ever accept my sympathy, Aarvi thought.
The rituals concluded, marking them irrevocably as husband and wife.
"Now you can take blessings from your elders" priest ordered them and they both stood. They took blessings from everyone. And performed the farewell.
Vivan's parents already left because they need to arrange everything for grahpravesh.
After entering in the mansion Pragya and Vinod started to give orders to the staff to arrange everthing for grahpravesh.
The staff were confused including Vedant amd Prisha, Vivan's siblings, so Vedant asked "maa whose grahpravesh you are talking about?".
Pragya turned towards them and said "Tumhari bhabhi ka" "WHAT?" woth a shocked face they both exclaimed simultaneously. "yes Vivan is married now" she said grinning.
"with whom? " Prisha questioned "I will tell you everything but first help me, we don't have time" Pragya said.