CHAPTER 42 #4
“You didn’t just give birth to the most beautiful daughter...
” His eyes instinctively find mine before returning to Mom.
“You raised her into the woman she is today. Everything Siya is... her courage, her kindness, her honesty, the way she stands by the people she loves… it’s because she was raised by a mother like you. ”
Mom smiles through her tears.
His own eyes turn moist again. “And today by accepting me as your son, you gave me something I never thought I would have in this life. I’ll never be able to thank you enough for that.”
Mom nods with a smile and pulls him into another hug. This time, he hugs her back without hesitation, like a son embracing his mother.
Then, almost as if on cue, Esha claps her hands dramatically.
“All right! If everyone is finally done making the rest of us cry, can the bride and groom please remember that people also click pictures at weddings?”
Everyone laughs.
“We need selfies too!” Esha adds.
“I knew this was coming.” Raghav lets out an exaggerated sigh before rolling his eyes.
Baba immediately chuckles. “My boy is still shy.”
I giggle as Baba pats his shoulder. “C’mon Raghav. You’ve just confessed your love, remarried your wife, and cried in front of everyone. A few selfies aren’t going to ruin your reputation.”
Baba stretches his arm to take a selfie, making sure everyone squeezes into the frame.
One selfie turns into another, then another.
Esha insists on taking separate pictures of just the two of us, then some candid shots, and then another where she orders Raghav to smile properly instead of looking like the grumpy boss he usually is.
Even Haider smiles as he clicks photograph after photograph. We take a few with Esha and Haider too.
Finally, Haider extends his phone towards us.
“The family would like to congratulate the newly married couple.”
I smile immediately as Ayaan and Meher appear on the screen.
“Congratulations to both of you,” Ayaan says. “You two have no idea what this felt like. We honestly wish we could’ve been there.”
“Yes. And I still can’t believe you managed to get married twice, and I had to watch both weddings live from a screen.
” Meher lets out a soft laugh. “First the madness in Cape Town, and then the actual wedding. Honestly, Siya, trust Raghav to do everything differently. Throughout the wedding, he was looking at his wife like she hung the moon. Who knew my brother-in-law could be such a hopeless romantic? But seriously, watching everything live...” She places a protective hand over her baby bump.
“...it truly felt like we were still a part of it.”
“I agree.” Ayaan grins. “The only thing missing was being able to hug both of you. But that’s all right. The next time you come here, we’ll make up for that too.”
We both nod, but Ayaan is far from finished. A slow, knowing smile spreads across his face as he looks directly at Raghav.
“And as for you, brother…” He lets out a low whistle. “You are so whipped. You used to scoff at us, and now look at you. Siya has completely domesticated you. So, welcome to the whipped husband’s club.”
Raghav narrows his eyes at him. But Ayaan ignores the warning.
“Krish and Vishnu told me what happened during Meher’s baby shower. When they brought up the idea of you proposing to Siya, you looked practically offended by the idea.” He shakes his head, laughing. “You denied it so confidently that they almost believed you.”
Meher bursts into laughter beside him.
“And now look at you,” Ayaan continues mercilessly.
“Not only did you propose, you went ahead and recreated an entire wedding. The temple, the vows, the confession, the witnesses, the blessings... the whole package.” He points towards the screen.
“You didn’t just cross the line, Raghav. You sprinted right past it.”
Meher nods eagerly. “Exactly.”
“So brace yourself,” Ayaan says, barely holding back his grin. “Because Krish has been waiting for this day. The man is probably rehearsing his jokes already. Vishnu too.”
He leans closer to the camera. “In fact, if I know Krish correctly, he’s already renamed you from Mafia Prince to Lovestruck Husband by now.”
Meher laughs so hard she has to hold her stomach.
“And honestly?” Ayaan shrugs. “For once, I don’t think he’s wrong.”
I can’t help but laugh while Raghav simply rolls his eye, unbothered. The sight is enough to make all of us laugh again.
After a few more minutes of teasing and blessings, the call finally ends.
I look around for Baba, Mom, Esha, and Haider, who’ve already begun winding everything up.
Baba hands the priest his dakshina (an honorary offering for performing a pooja), while Mom asks Esha whether the samagri (list of items) for the grihapravesh has already been arranged back at the villa.
Somehow this moment feels strangely peaceful, all thanks to my husband, who is standing beside me.
Without thinking, I move closer to Raghav and slip one arm around his waist in a tender side hug. It feels so natural that I don’t even realise I’ve done it until I glance up and find him already looking at me. That surprised smile slowly turns into a hot smirk.
Now that the wedding is over, we both know what’s coming tonight. And somewhere, deep within our hearts, we’re both waiting for that moment desperately.