Shri slowly opened her eyes, rubbing the sleep from her lids. She was lying in a plush bed, surrounded by the sounds of birds chirping and the gentle rustling of the trees outside the window. The soft morning light streaming through the glass revealed a breathtaking view of the venue, where the mehendi function had taken place just a few hours ago.

As she sat up, she realized that she was not alone. Riyan was lying beside her, his chest still rising and falling with each gentle breath. She smiled to herself, remembering the night they had shared yesterday .Shri's heart skipped a beat as she gazed at his peaceful face, her fingers itching to touch his hair.

She leaned over and gently kissed him on the lips. Riyan's eyes fluttered open, and he looked up at her with a lazy smile.

Riyan: Good morning bunny

he whispered, his voice husky from sleep

Shri: Good morning

she replied, snuggling closer to him.

Riyan wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight.

Riyan: Roz esse hi uthaya Karo na

he said, his voice muffled against her hair.

Shri : Roz tumhare sath kaha hoti hu mai

Riyan : ugh can't wait to marry you bunny

Shri smiled shyly, already getting out of bed.

Shri: chalo ri ready ho jao function start ho jayega

Haldi function

Shri was busy helping her mother with the various rasams of the haldi function, her hands moving swiftly as she applied the bright yellow paste to her sister's face. She was completely absorbed in the task, her mind focused on making sure everything was perfect for her sister's big day.

Meanwhile, Riyan was hanging out with Shri's cousin Mohit, chatting and laughing together as they watched the haldi ceremony from a distance. Riyan was enjoying the lively atmosphere and the warm sunshine, feeling grateful to be a part of Shri's family celebrations.

Suddenly someone entered the venue which didn't go unnoticed by riyan, it was sid

Sid entered the venue, looking around for Shri's family. He had been trying to reach her all morning, but she hadn't answered her phone. He hoped to catch up with her at her sister's haldi ceremony, and maybe even get a chance to apologize for his past mistakes.

As he walked into the function area, he did notice Shri's muma or bua , who were busy with the preparations. As he was eyeing the crowd, he bumped into someone , it was riyan

Sid: dikhta nhi hai kya andhe

Riyan, oblivious to Sid's true identity, didn't wanted to create a scene with this Stanger at Surbhi Di's wedding.

Riyan: Sorry Bhai , mai riyan hu , or aap ?

Sid: mai sid hu

Riyan: so sid , cousin ho? Ya ...?

Sid : koi cousin wasin ni hu mai , kuch personal kaam se aaya hu yaha

Riyan was confused, wondering what personal work could one do at someone else's wedding, maybe he's a photographer? Or a decorator perhaps?but his thoughts were cut short as sid spoke again

Sid: Shri kaha hai ?

Riyan: Shri?

Sid: andhe k sath sath behra bhi hai kya

Riyan's patience was being tested here ,but he still remained calm , for her , for Shri , for her family

Riyan: kya kaam hai Shri se?

Sid : tujhse matlab, Abe tu hai kon

Riyan: uska boyfriend

Sid: jhut , vo essa ni kr sakti , usne wada Kia tha

Riyan: wada ? Bhai kon h tu ?

Sid : mai uska boyfriend hu

Then it clicked in Riyan's mind , sid ...Sid is her ex's name

Riyan knew if Shri saw him she would freak out and I'd he saw Shri , he'd definitely create a scene which would ruin the wedding, riyan tried to drag him outside the venue but he wouldn't budge

Riyan: yaha faltu ka scene Mt create kr bahar chal mere sath

Sid: tu side ho ja warna

Riyan: mai chup hu iska mtlb ye nhi ki tu apni chalayga , chup chap bahar chal

Riyan finally managed to drag him half way through but he suddenly started yelling

Sid : SHRIIII MAI AYA HU TUJHSE MILNE , BOL NA YE JHUT BOL RHA HAI

As soon as Shri saw Sid, her eyes widened in shock and horror. She looked like she had seen a ghost, the fear in her eyes was evident. Riyan's heart sank as he saw the fear and panic rise up in her eyes. He quickly grabbed Sid's mouth to shut him up, but it was too late.

The guests gasped in shock, and the atmosphere became tense and uncomfortable. Shri's family rushed to intervene, trying to calm down the situation. Riyan's grip on Sid's mouth only tightened as he tried to restrain him. No one was moving a single muscle.

Sid struggled to break free, his eyes blazing with intensity.

Sid: Shriii... Mujhe pata h ye jhut bol rha hai , Shri tumne wada Kia tha Shri , I love you Shri

he yelled, his voice hoarse and strained

Riyan's grip faltered for a moment, and Sid took advantage of it. He broke free from Riyan's grasp and rushed towards Shri, who was now backed against the wall, her eyes wide with terror.

Riyan knew he had to act fast. He tried to grab Sid's arm and pull him back trying to keep him from getting closer to Shri but he had already gone way ahead of him , grabbing Shri by her shoulders in a tight grip which felt uncomfortable

Shri was scared, not a single word left her mouth , she could feel the past pulling her back again into the hole that she climbed in all those years , tears were forming in her eyes but her face remained emotionless, she could feel the pain growing in her shoulders from his harsh grip ,She felt like she was reliving the same memories, the same pain, the same heartache.

Suddenly riyan grabbed his collar from behind, up until now he didn't say anything to protect the dignity of Shri's family, but Shri is where he draws the line , Riyan's grip on Sid's collar tightened, his eyes blazing with a fierce intensity.

Riyan: bohot hua

He said,his voice low and menacing

Sid: tu rokega mujhe?

Riyan's jaw clenched. He pulled Sid back, his strength easily overpowering Sid's, which made him stumble and fall down face first on the ground ,he groaned, clutching at his head as he struggled to get up.

Riyan towered over him, his chest still heaving with emotion. His eyes flashed with anger, and for a moment, it seemed like he might lose control. But then he took a deep breath, and his expression smoothed out. He leaned down to his level and said in a low voice so only sid can hear him

Riyan: Jo tune Shri k sath Kia h , tu yaha Zinda khada hai wahi badi baat h , chup chap nikal le warna chalne ki halat me bhi nhi rahega

But he didn't budge , sid was determined that he could win her over even after the hell he put her through

Sid: tujhe kya lagta h vo terse pyar karti hai? Abe Khel rhi h vo tere sath , khilona h tu khilona

That was it that was the last straw

Riyan's eyes blazed with fury as he listened to Sid's words. He could feel his anger boiling over, and he knew he had to stop himself before he did something he would regret.

But it was too late. His fist flew out, connecting with Sid's jaw with a cracking sound . Sid stumbled back, his eyes wide with shock.

Mohit rushed forward, grabbing Riyan's arm and trying to restrain him.

Mohit: ruk ja riyan

he shouted, but Riyan was beyond control

Shri's father rushed forward, his face red with rage as he called the police

The police soon arrived, they quickly took Sid into custody, still struggling and shouting.

As they dragged him away, Riyan's anger finally began to dissipate and he let out a deep breath

Mohit pulled him back, his eyes filled with concern.

Mohit: Riyan tu thik h na ?

Riyan nodded, still trying to process what had just happened.

Riyan: hn mai thik hu

But as he looked over at Shri, who was standing frozen in shock, Riyan knew that he wasn't fine at all. He had just lost control, and he knew he wouldn't be able to reverse what just happened

But at this very moment his whole concern was Shri and Shri only

He pushed Mohit aside and rushed to Shri's side, he stood there in front of her not uttering a word but his eyes said volumes

Shri looked up at him, her eyes still wide with shock. But as she saw the genuine concern in Riyan's eyes, something in her seemed to relax. The fear from the past that she was feeling seemed to fade away as she saw her future standing right in front of her

Without a word, she reached out and wrapped her arms around him, holding him close as if she would never let him go. Her world was crumbling around her, but in this moment, she didn't want to lose the love they shared

Riyan's arms wrapped around her tightly, holding her close as if he would never let her go. He felt his heart pounding in his chest, and his breath caught in his throat as he held her

As riyan was hugging her his eyes locked onto the bruise forming on Shri's shoulder, his mind racing with guilt and regret. He felt like he was staring at a reflection of his own failure.

Riyan: I failed didn't I? Mujhe tumhe protect karna cahiye tha lekin mai...

Riyan said his voice cracking

Shri's eyes filled with tears as she looked up at Riyan. She could see the anguish in his eyes, the deep regret that he was feeling

Shri: pagal wagal ho kya

She said her voice cracking a bit too

Riyan: I am sorry Shri

He said his voice full of regret

She could see the pain in Riyan's eyes, and it broke her heart.

Shri's head shook gently, and she pressed her forehead against his, her eyes closed tight.

Shri: You can never fail me Ri

she whispered back, her voice barely audible

Riyan's grip on her tightened as he felt a wave of relief wash over him. A single tear drop fell from his eyes ,He knew that he couldn't turn back time, but in this moment, he felt like he was being given a second chance.

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A/n:- guys please do like and comment and keep supporting 🩷

Sorry for the delay guys , Life has been hectic lately, but I'll try to post asap🩵