Marriage preparations #3
Jinal froze mid-step, looking around at the intense, dramatic standoff with her brows furrowed in pure confusion.
"Uh... why is everyone staring at me like I just walked into a crime scene?"
"Jinal!" Devyani and Rivan chimed in at the exact same second.
"Choose a side!" Rudraksh demanded dramatically, pointing an accusatory finger at her.
"The family has split! The alliance is formed! Are you Team Bride or Team Groom?!"
Both Rivan and Devyani immediately turned their full attention toward Jinal, simultaneously hitting her with the most dangerous weapon in their arsenal the absolute ultimate puppy-dog eyes.
Devyani pouty-lipped, blinking her wide, glossy eyes with helpless sweetness.
Beside her, Rivan the feared, unyielding leader actually softened his sharp brow, shooting her a rare, low-key hopeful look that practically begged for support.
Jinal looked back and forth between them, clutching her chest as if she were in physical pain.
"Oh god, this is psychological torture! Why are you doing this to me?!"
She looked at Devyani's adorable, pleading face, then turned to look at Rivan, who had stood by her like a protective pillar her entire life.
Taking a deep, dramatic breath, Jinal took three slow steps over to Rivan's side.
"I'm so sorry, Devu... but I have to be my brother's girl on this one! Rivan Bhai needs at least some fashion and morale backup!"
The groom's side instantly erupted! Rudraksh let out a loud cheer, throwing his hands in the air, while Yashodha clapped with a triumphant grin.
Rivan gave Jinal a smooth, subtle nod of approval, a satisfied smirk returning to his lips.
Devyani gasped in absolute, theatrical scandal, throwing her hands up on her hips as her Team Bride squad let out a collective groan.
"Traitor!" Devyani called out, her dark eyes sparkling with wicked, mischievous delight. She leaned forward, pointing a finger at Jinal with a cute, devious grin.
"Koi na, Jinu! Agar tumhari 'Jini' nahi banayi mere Reyu ne, fir dekhna! Hehe!" (No worries, Jinu! If my Reyu doesn't turn you into a genie with his strict choreography tomorrow, just wait and see!)
A wave of loud, unrestrained laughter rolled across the courtyard as everyone cracked up at Devyani's silly wordplay and bold threat.
Everyone was laughing except for two people.
At the mention of Reyansh and the playful, unscripted pairing, the atmosphere between Reyansh and Jinal instantly shifted.
Reyansh's laughter died down completely. He slowly lifted his head, his deep, intense eyes locking directly onto Jinal from across the courtyard.
Jinal's teasing smile faded into a quiet breath.
Her breath caught softly in her throat under his unblinking, heavy gaze.
The lively noise of the family seemed to fade into background hum as they just stood there, staring straight at each other in an intense, unspoken silence that sent a quiet electric charge straight through the air.
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The energetic laughter in the courtyard was still dying down when a low, heavy vibration echoed from Rivan's pocket.
He pulled out his phone, his dark eyes instantly flicking over the encrypted caller ID.
His posture shifted from the relaxed family man back into the vigilant, sharp leader in a split second.
He slid the phone back into his pocket without answering it yet, turning his full attention toward Devyani.
Step by step, he bridged the small distance between them, completely ignoring the glances of the surrounding family.
Before Devyani could ask if everything was alright, Rivan reached out, his long fingers gently cupping her jaw to lift her face up.
He leaned down and pressed a deep, lingering kiss right onto the center of her forehead, his lips warm against her skin as he held her close for a long, quiet heartbeat.
"Get some rest, kitten," Rivan murmured softly against her hairline, his deep voice vibrating right through her. "I have to handle something. Don't stay up late conspiring against me."
Devyani's heart fluttered happily, her eyes softening as she nodded against his chest. "Go handle your work, Mr. Thakur. But don't think this forehead kiss buys you out of tomorrow's Haldi war!"
Rivan let out a soft, low chuckle, squeezing her hip gently before turning on his heel and striding out of the courtyard with sharp, purpose-filled steps to answer the ringing line.
With Rivan gone to handle his business, Virendra stood up from his carved wooden chair, dusting off his royal blue kurta.
He held up a hand to gather the dispersing family's attention one last time before everyone retired for the night.
"Listen up, everyone," Virendra announced, his deep voice carrying over the chatter.
"The designer team has already delivered all your traditional outfits for tomorrow's Ganesh Pooja and Haldi ceremony. They are hung up in your respective dressing suites. Every single piece was custom-tailored according to your individual color choices and preferences. Take a look tonight,
make sure the fits are perfect, and if there's any last-minute alter required, inform the head tailor immediately."
"Yes, Papa!" the chorus of younger voices echoed back.
"Good. Now off to bed, all of you. Tomorrow morning starts early," Virendra commanded warmly, waving them off.
The gathering slowly dissolved into the cozy late-night rhythm of the Haveli.
The women Devyani, Jinal, Payal immediately grouped together, talking animatedly about running off to Devyani's suite for an emergency late-night sheet-mask session, ice rollers, and pre-wedding gossip.
Meanwhile, Reyansh and Rudraksh excused themselves to head toward their study rooms to clear out their pending work emails before the morning madness began.
Zaid slid his hands smoothly into the pockets of his tailored trousers, waiting politely for the elder crowd to disperse before making his quiet exit toward the courtyard archway.
"Zaid, beta?" Virendra's sharp voice called out from behind him just as he was three steps away from freedom.
Zaid paused, turning around with an effortless, polite smile. "Yes, Uncle?"
"Where are you off to at this hour?" Virendra asked, walking over with his hands folded behind his back. "It's nearly midnight."
"Ah, Uncle, I was actually thinking of stepping out for an hour or two," Zaid explained smoothly, adjusting the cuff of his shirt.
"I've heard the night view of Rajasthan's heritage architecture is extremely breathtaking, especially around the illuminated lakes. Since this is my first proper visit back here after such a long time, I thought I'd take a quick drive to explore the city at night."
Virendra nodded in strong approval. "Ah! Wonderful idea! The night lighting over the old city palaces is indeed magnificent. You definitely should explore!"
Zaid gave a small nod, turning to leave. "Thank you, Uncle. I'll just—"
"But wait!" Virendra interjected firmly, raising a finger. "You are not going out alone in an unfamiliar city at midnight. You are our honored guest, Zaid. Wait right here, I'll send someone with you who knows every single street of Rajasthan."
Zaid held up his hand, maintaining his cool, independent posture. "Umm, Uncle, truly, I can manage easily. I have the GPS routes loaded, and I really don't want to trouble anyone this late."
"Nonsense! What trouble? Hosting is our duty," Virendra insisted, looking around the courtyard for a suitable guide. His eyes instantly caught Aditya walking out of the side hallway, holding his phone to his ear.
"Aditya!" Virendra called out loudly. "Come here for a second!"
Aditya froze mid-stride. He slowly looked up, saw his father standing next to Zaid with 'tour guide duty' written all over his face, and instantly made the executive decision to preserve his personal peace.
Aditya immediately raised his phone higher against his ear, his face shifting into a deadpan, deeply serious expression.
"Yes, CEO Mr. Kapoor? Ah, the Tokyo stock markets are crashing? Yes, I am listening, very urgent, proceeding to my office right now..."
Without breaking stride or making eye contact with anyone, Aditya walked double-time straight past the courtyard and vanished into the dark hallway like a ghost dodging an unwelcome assignment.
Virendra narrowed his eyes into sharp, suspicious slits, glaring at the empty hallway where his quietest son had just pulled off a masterclass escape act. "That boy... Tokyo market is closed on Sundays," Virendra muttered under his breath, shaking his head.
Virendra turned his head back around, his sharp gaze scanning the remaining perimeter of the central courtyard and that's when his eyes landed squarely on Aradhya.
She was currently strolling toward the stairs, blissfully unaware, holding a giant jar of strawberry body scrub and a fluffy headband with little kitten ears on it, humming a cheerful song to herself.
"Aradhya!" Virendra hailed smoothly.
Aradhya stopped in her tracks, blinking innocently as she turned around. "Yes,papa?"
Virendra's face broke into a broad, satisfied smile.
"Perfect timing, beta. Zaid wants to explore the night views of the city, and since Aditya is suddenly handling 'Tokyo stock market crises,' you are going with him."
Aradhya's eyes went wider than saucers.
She looked at Virendra, then slowly turned her head to look at Zaid, who was standing there looking infuriatingly handsome, casually leaning against a carved pillar with a subtle, highly amused smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.
"W-What?!" Aradhya squeaked, clutching her strawberry scrub jar against her chest as if it were a shield.
"Papa! Right now?! But... but the girls and I have a mandatory pre-wedding skin-care meeting! We have sheet masks! We have ice rollers! I am wearing my fluffy kitten headband!"