5.
Sitting in front of a mirror clad in a maroon lehenga with a lot of jewelry. She looked at her reflection with no emotion on her face.
The emotionless face is not something new for her but sadness creeping into her soul is making her lose breath now.
Panic attacks are not something new for her but this kind of feeling is new. Ever since she met Reyansh, ever since he told her that, her last hope was also destroyed. She had accepted that she is going to be alone forever.
She had this weird feeling in her heart and yet again sitting in her room ready for her marriage. She is feeling that emotion. She rubs her chest to breathe in some air. She is feeling like some emotions are fighting to get out of her body but she is not able to do that.
She was sitting in front of the mirror dressed in a beautiful maroon lehenga which has multi-colour work on it. Matching it with golden jewelry. Her makeup was not too loud and her hair was done in a bun which was decorated with flowers.
In a few hours, she will get married. Too many things are going on in her head. She is ready for this but still she is nervous and scared.
On engagement day they didn't exchange a word. She saw hate in his eyes. She don't know, it was for her or she is just overthinking. Her mind went to the conversation she had with Arohi
"You almost gave everyone a heart attack by fainting," she said. She knows her fainting worries everyone. No matter how they are, they love her and she just hates to make others worry.
"Don't worry Ruhi, it was just due to weakness. I am fine now" Arya assured her.
"I know your mind is messed up. All of this is happening very suddenly but Reyansh is not a bad boy.
I don't know why he is trying to show himself as hard and stone-hearted like he doesn't care about anyone but deep down he is not like this.
He is different; he just wants some love. Just give him a chance. Start fresh"
She made her understand, gave her a glass of water and told her to think about this and she left the room.
flashback ends
She knows it's not easy but she doesn't have any option. She could try. She was brought out of her thoughts by a knock on the door. She opened the door and Navya, her Bhua and Arohi entered.
They both looked at her appearance. "Ohhh my God Aaru you are looking so stunning" Arohi exclaimed in her dramatic tone, circling her hand from her and pressing it to her temple. She smiled at her actions.
She looked at Navya. Her eyes were filled with tears. She took a dot of kajal on her finger and placed it behind her ears to save her from all evil eyes.
"My girl has grown up," Navya said.
Soon a sob left Arya's mouth and she broke down. She loves both of them so much and she will miss them so much. They both hugged her.
"Shhhh don't cry, I am so happy for you.
You are going away from them. I know how you feel when there are many restrictions for you.
How do you feel when someone breaks your dreams, when every other day there is a new argument in the house and you don't have a moment of peace, a moment when you feel relaxed.
Every moment you have fear in your heart.
I left this house after my wedding but I always think about you.
How were you doing with them? But now you are also going.
I am very happy for you. I know they love you, they love me but they never think about our happiness, they never try to feel us loved and now they are also forcing you.
I pray Reyansh and his family will love you very much.
They give you all the happiness that you deserve" Tears kept running from her eyes. She hugged her tightly.
Because of her environment she has grown up under confidence. Anxiety and panic attacks are common for her. Every moment she has fear in her heart.
She just wanted some love and support but they never gave her nor did they trust her after that incident. No one is her definition of home.
"Both of you control yourself," Arohi said.
"I just came to check on you and I made you cry" Navya said wiping her tears and Arya wiped hers.
"Ruhi will be with you till you call down" she said, kissed her forehead and left.
__________
Reyansh's family has already reached the wedding venue and now he is sitting in mandap doing all the rituals. He is not interested in any of this that’s why they agreed on a direct wedding leaving all the fuss of other functions.
As for Arya she had always dreamt of a grand wedding with the person she loved. She wanted all the functions in her wedding haldi sangeet and many more but Things did not always go as planned.
She knew that chances of her arrange marriage is more than love marriage in the house she lived. But still she had hoped that She will find her love in arranged marriage But what she didn’t expected was that she she will be in marriage based on agreement with only one point.
No feelings involved.
He had made it clear that day but still she can’t help but hope that this marriage will turn out better for both of them.
She had met his siblings properly this morning as they came to check up on her because she fainted yesterday.
They were so sweet with her unlike their brother so they clicked very fast and as Arohi also knows them because of vihaan they have formed a group now and honorable members are Arya Arohi Vihaan Reva Reyaan… Arav and Aryan also.
All of them were standing there surrounding Reyansh who was doing rituals well except Arya of course.
Priest called for the bride. He looked up to notice that Aryan and Arohi went to bring Arya to mandap.
He didn't know what would be his and Arya's relationship but one thing he knew well is she already mingled well with younger ones as they never shut about her.
He looked up and saw his bride entering the mandap. She was looking beautiful. The Red colour of the lehenga and her jewelry makeup everything was best.
She was perfect.
But still he didn’t want her. He is not ready for anything. Everything was happening so fast that he didn’t have time to process.
His life had a breaking point when he went to Italy. It took him 2 years to get over his past but he was not ready for another relationship as he came back from there.
As he came back he was burdened with another relationship. It's just been three days since he came and now he is sitting in a mandap for a wedding with the girl he barely knows.
His eyes met hers. As she sat beside him. He knows she was also forced to do this; her expressions were saying, she was looking detached.
The priest started the rituals and they followed everything which was said. For everyone it was a normal wedding but for them it was just an agreement.
They don’t know it will always remain an agreement or it will grow to something more. Well one of them hopes that everything turns out well.
They both did all the rituals as asked.
"See them carefully, we have to do the same also" Vihaan said to Arohi who hit him on the arm but blush was evident in her cheeksn. He smirked.
"Now fill the sindoor in the bride's hair partition" the priest said.
Reyansh took a pinch of sindoor in between his thumb and middle finger. Both closed their eyes.
‘Are you sure about it?’ Their subconscious asked and both have the same answer.
“I don’t have choice’
He leaned forward and his eyes met hers. He tried to find any resistance but there was none. Her eyes were filled with sadness. The sadness of leaving her family behind he thinks but little did he know she was leaving her last hope of love behind.
He filled his hair partition with vermillion and some fell on her nose and a drop of tear fell from her eyes.
"It's a good omen, their married life is going to be full of love," the priest said.
It made Arya chuckle inwardly at her fate which had always given her hope and then broke it so badly that she forgot to even handle herself.
Later He tied the mangalsutra around her neck
"The marriage is completed. Now you both are husband and wife. Take the blessings of the elders" the priest tells both of them. They both took the blessings of everyone. Everyone was so happy their smiles were telling everything.
But No one noticed the sadness behind the smiles of newly married couple.