(A/N: Ahh. Guys, I am so sorry. Please don't kill me. My school has started to that means I get less time to write and I am trying my best to give updates everyday. Okay? Pleashh gussha mat kalna :'( Yipee! #6 in General Fiction. I don't know how to thank you all for this. Issliye, long updates likh rahi hun. :P Anyways, thanks for 250 comments too! Oh My God! You guys are love. Seriously. Okay I won't drag further. Go read but please vote and comment haan? :P And yeah, for those who asked for outfits, I picture them in my head and pen them down. So I can't find those outfits on Google. Anyways, Nandu's is in the media box. Okaythanksbye.)

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Surprisingly, even after sleeping at around 5 or so that morning, I managed to wake up before 10. That was the least I had slept for any occasion and given that it was my wedding, I obviously had to get the least sleep in my family.

I stepped out of bed to see loads and loads of baggages. Perhaps, those many luggages were not present in any of the other ceremonies. Or am I forgetting? Today is my wedding day. Ugh. Honestly, I did look like a bride. The makeup from last night had left faint traces, enhancing my beauty. I wouldn't brag but I could just sit on the mandap like that, if only I brushed my hair well and draped myself into better clothes.

I went to the washroom. I freshened up, took a shower and dressed myself in a grand saree. I chose a black and pink lehenga with a golden border and pinned a thin pallu on my shoulder, to make myself a little attractive. I put on some jewelry, curled my hair, pinned some strands to the back and stepped out of the room.

As soon as I stepped out, a waiter offered me coffee and my cousins pulled me onto a chair to examine my hands.

"Didu, did you know? The darker your mehendi is, the more your husband loves you." Really? That ain't true. I just smiled faintly and searched for Amma. I had hardly seen Appa for this entire wedding, except for the Sangeet last night. I looked out for Amma and found her along with some guests, smiling widely and nodding. I dialed her number again and she picked.

"Haan Nandu, where are you? Its almost 11. There is a ritual you need to attend. Before that, go wake your husband up. I am not sure where his family is and he needs to get ready soon." She said without a pause and I sighed.
"Yeah I am ready. I'll ask someone to wake Manik up."
"No. You only go. Anyways, from tomorrow morning, you'll only be waking him up." She passed a naughty chuckle and I frowned.
"Whatever. Okay bye." I huffed and cut the call, heading towards his room amidst all the teasing and giggles.

***

I knocked the door a couple of times. Annoyed with no response, I turned the doorknob and to my surprise, it clicked open.

"Is anybody there?" I called just to clarify. I walked inside and found him sleeping on the bed. It wasn't the first time I was waking someone up. Most of the times, it was me who woke Madhyam up. Despite all the anger last night, it all fled away when I saw him sleeping.

Manik was lying on his stomach, with his head shoved to the side into his pillow, a hand under his tummy and another spread out. He was wearing a tank top and perhaps tracks, which I couldn't see. He wasn't facing me, yet I had a picture of a cute Manik sleeping there. His legs were also in such a position like he was running, one raised up by bending his knee and the other pretty straight but I couldn't exactly make out since the blanket was wrapped from almost the middle of his back. The breeze of the air conditioner blew his hair and he turned towards me. His eyes were still shut. His eyebrows cringed and his lips were made into a cute angry pout.

He looked so adorable. I agree he looked good but there was no hope for adorableness. I felt like pulling his cheeks. I quickly brought myself out of the trance and got back to my job. Waking up the monster.

I went close to him. I didn't know how to get him to wake up. So I tried one of my cliché techniques. The ones I used on Rishabh. I pat him gently on his shoulder but he mumbled and turned around. I frowned and hit him this time and he yelped. He pulled the blanket over him and lied inside it.

"Manik." I shouted and I felt a pull. Within seconds, he was lying over me and the blanket covered the two of us. I gasped and I felt him pant too. His hand caressed my cheek and his eyes softened.

"Are you real? Or am I still dreaming?" He whispered against my ear and I closed my eyes shut. His arms went from supporting his weight on the bed to sliding onto my hands. One of his hands interlocked fingers with mine. Just then the bathroom door clicked open. I looked at him and he looked shocked. He locked me tight underneath him and put the blanket over us.

Manik's face was into my hair. His stubble poked against my cheek. I was shoved into his chest. Indeed he smelled so good. But guess what? Navya couldn't have him. He was only mine. Mine? Really?

It was Manik's father who came out. He slapped Manik to get up and then walked out of the room, clicking it closed behind. Manik looked at me. We made eye-contact. He blinked dreamily and I got out of my trance. I pushed him gently and in the process, I felt a pull on my back. I screeched and Manik pulled me over him.

"What happened now? Is it hurting?" He slid his fingers down my back to feel the cotton. He pulled me closer and I fell flat on his chest. He leaned over my shoulder to see what was bothering me. "Ahh. It's finally healing. Let's change the dressing."

He walked to his make-shift closet and got some bandage and cotton. He clicked the door lock. He undid the back of my blouse hesitantly, closing his eyes and carefully removed the bandage. He put some antiseptic and cleaned the wound again. He put some cold ointment and then plastered the bandage back with utmost care.

"Yeah, it's done." He hooked my blouse back. I looked at the floor.

"Get ready. You have a ritual to attend."

***

I was made to sit on a specific plank. Amma's cousins got some bangles for me. According to Punjabi customs, it seems those bangles were mandatory for brides to wear, no matter what the outfit was. They were a deep shade of red and white bangles. All the relatives from my side gathered around and sang songs for me while Amma's brothers and wives made me wear the bangles. Some cousins went to welcome Manik. After all, they couldn't have a proper Baaraat and they deserved at least a simple aarti. I observed my bangles. Our names were written on a wide white bangle and I smiled.

"Nandu, oh my! You have no idea how lucky Manik is to have an angel like you." An aunty said and I just smiled. Perhaps I wasn't the problem.

"Nandu, come let's have food. After that, we should prepare for the big moment. Vaise, shaadi ke baad na, I'll come to your house daily for Punjabi food." Navya proposed and I could already see no end to this journey.

"Huh?" I asked, out of mere curiosity.

"It's your wedding, idiot. You need to be ready by 6." She hit my head lightly and

***

Manik was standing in front of his room. My cousins took aarti of him and put a mark on his forehead. He walked towards the mandap and stood there, listening to the pandit chanting mantras. I joined him soon later, with that heavy lehenga. On top of that lehenga, I was wearing insanely heavy stone studded jewelry and it looked like my makeup was overpowering my face.

Our cousins were holding garlands for us. Fab 5 had also joined us, taking Manik's side. Navya and Madhyam stood with me. Manik picked the garlands from them and I followed too. He put them over my head and I put mine too. Amma insisted that we exchange the smaller garlands with each other, something we followed by tradition and Nyonika Aunty agreed cheerfully. I untangled the smaller garland from my neck and put it over Manik's head. Manik took another from his neck and before he could put it on me, my uncles carried me high on their shoulders and moving constantly, trying to tease Manik. I gleed seeing him struggle. Yet he still managed to put the garland over my head. Obviously, his height helped in that.

We were asked to sit down, after the ruckus we created there. Appa fed Manik some yoghurt and honey. Amma and Nyonika Aunty stood on both sides of us, with plates of gifts. There were clothes, jewelry, cosmetics and what not, on those plates. Nyonika gave Amma the plate first, and then Amma exchanged the plate. The mangalsutra was also given from their end. Somehow, I felt my stomach muscles clench. The fear engulfed me again.

Appa held my hand and followed the pandit's mantras, chanting them along. Soon my hand was placed on Manik's and some more mantras were chanted. After a few minutes, the chanting ended and my hand laid in Manik's. He looked at me and a tear almost fell off my eye. He looked at me and then blinked slowly, holding my hand a little tighter, trying to assure me that everything will be okay.

The pandit asked us to repeat some lines and we repeated after him, in front of a fire. The fire was set up with wood logs, ghee and cereals which were poured into the fire during the mantras. After reciting the prayers, Manik held my hand again.

After that, we were asked to stand up. I was asked to join both my hands and cup them to resemble a bowl. Rishabh poured some rice into my hands. Manik held his hands similar to mine and I poured the rice into his hands. We poured the rice into the fire.

Later, I was asked to climb on a stone and chant some mantras which sounded more like Greek and Latin to me. Nyonika Aunty later explained that those were promises I made to fulfill my duties as a wife and a mother. Whatever. 

My pallu was tied to Manik's sherwani dupatta and we took seven vows, one after the other and took seven rounds around the sacred fire. Flower petals, yellow rice and rose water were showered on us. Manik took vermillion from the plate and held it before me. He looked at me and I just looked at him. He moved my forehead piece and his hands trembled as he applied the vermillion on my hair partition.

He, then, took the mangalsutra from the pandit and held it before me. Madhyam was off the stage already. Should I? The priest signaled his hand and the music became louder and the beats became rapid. Manik held the chain before me, trying to decipher whether I was okay with it but I just looked at him with a blank expression.

"Manik, what are you waiting for? Hurry up." Nyonika Aunty persuaded and he looked at me again. I jerked my head with a tiny nod and faked a smile. He smiled back and began to tie the thread around me. My life is screwed. My life is screwed. My life is...

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(So, the moment you all awaited. Shaadi :P Ab jo bhi question puchna hai, let me know. And yeah, any ideas for upcoming chapters also, please let me know. I'm sorry again for the delay. Dil se. Don't keep that against me please? Vote and comment guys. I love you all so much and I spend a lot of time writing even when I need to be preparing for my Mains this year. So please. Thank you. Loads of love.)