Raavi was completely ecstatic with the way the plan had unfoiled. Everything had gone accordingly with Shiva completing all the rituals with her, albeit in his half-conscious state. Now, sitting in front of the mirror, she gazed at herself dressed up with the clear intention of being his bride. Not anyone else's, only his.

She loved the way her bangles clinked against each other and the musical sound of her anklets. Her dupatta was draped in a modest fashion yet showed just enough to turn heads. The deep, royal red of her lehenga complimented her skin tone and the lavish jewelry she had adorned, enhanced her already beautiful features. She loved the way her nose ring swooped across her cheek and laid gently against her upper lip. Her eyes twinkled with mirth, outlined with kajal and a touch of glitter. She loved everything about the way she looked but not because she was vain, but because she was dressed up to be his – only his.

As she walked towards the mandap, a rush of butterflies swarmed her stomach and she felt giddy with excitement. There, at the end of her path, sat her dashing dulha and her pace increased at the sight of him. Shiva had long since woken up from his unconscious state and his protests had been drowned out with the emotional blackmailing of his family members. Not a single person was on his side, nor did anyone care to listen to him. He was all alone and outnumbered, succumbing to his family's wishes, yet again. He loved Raavi, there was no doubt about it. But this was not how he had imagined her becoming his – only his.

Raavi sat down next to him, almost leaping into his lap in her excitement. She was finally going to be wedded to the man she loved and cherished. All her dreams were coming true, and she couldn't wait to spend the rest of her life lovingly bickering with him. Her smile stretched widely across her face, and she turned towards him with the hope that he would finally be happy with her. But he wasn't. She saw the sadness written all over his face. She saw the way his shoulders slumped in defeat. She saw the traces of water pooling in his eyes. She realized that she saw the reflection of herself in him. It was as if the Raavi from the day of their previous wedding had entered Shiva's body. She had been the exact way – sad, lost, and tired of her fate. Although she ended up falling in love with Shiva, that day had been one of the worst days of her life and she had made it known to Shiva multiple times after their wedding. She wondered if she had truly broken the man in front of her in her quest of becoming his – only his.

She stood up with a new resolve and untied the dupatta that had been bounding them together. She quickly muttered that the wedding was canceled and ran back towards the dressing room, leaving a shocked Shiva and agitated family behind. Tears streamed down her face at the loss of her love yet in her heart, she knew she had made the right decision. Dhara came banging in and demanded answers from her and Raavi had firmly replied that she would not repeat the mistakes of the past. She would not force Shiva into marrying her because she herself knew of the pain and regret that followed a forced marriage. Just because she had agreed didn't mean that the wedding could go ahead without Shiva's consent. She loved him with all her heart and more but her ten seconds of happiness was not worth a life of pain and regret. She would wait until all his concerns had been driven away and replaced with affection for her. She would wait until he was capable of making his own decisions without the influence of others. She would wait until he was ready to become hers – only hers.

"If you love somebody, let them go. For if they return, they were always yours..." ~ Richard Bach

Author's Note: Thank you for all the love and support on The Difference <3 it means a lot to me! Let me know you thoughts on this one shot and answer a quick question for me: what's your favorite ShiVi scene? Mine is when Shiva saves Raavi during her haldi because that scene is sukoon and the first ShiVi scene I had ever seen!