Today was the day. It was finally here, the wedding day of my cousin and my best friend!
I had a blue sherwani on (which looked pretty sharp, not lying) and my mom was draped in a blue silk saree.

I was running around, making sure that everything was perfect, not flawless.

"Varun, Varun" I heard a voice. Shraddha?

"Shraddha?"

"I wanted to talk to you"

"Oh..okay"

"Chaloooo!" She said, dragging me by the arm.

♠️

"Look, I know, I have said this before, but I am really-

"Sorry, I know" I said, completing her.

"I just want to say something. I want to get it off my chest, Varun."

What does she mean? I felt my heart beat for some reason, as I simply nodded and she continued.

"I can never, never, forget that night when you had confessed your feelings for me. I hurt you so bad. I used words and sentences which attacked your heart and you don't deserve it, Varun. You never did. You never deserved to hear that shit from me, after you've always been patient with me. You have always been such a genuine and unfiltered friend for me and i hurt you. God, I am so sorry" she said and I felt my heart racing towards an unidentified finishing point.

"Um..you don't need to" I mumbled.

WHY IS THIS AWKWARD!?

"You don't need to say anything....I have a lot to say and you might need time to process"

"Oh...Kay?"

"Varun, I miss us. A lot. Our bond was so real that it felt fictional, many a times. But it was real. The friendship we had weaved. So genuine. We were so...so real with each other. We both knew almost everything about one another. In those four years, we had become each other's personal lockers to store secrets. Varun, today, I want to tell you one last secret. The last one. Then I am as good as transparent for you."

I nodded, only because she said that I need not reply her.
But what is happening, why is she telling me this all of a sudden? I mean, i know how real our bond was. I felt it, I had experienced magic. Our friendship was the sole reason, I developed feelings for her.

"The day you confessed to me, I wanted to say, 'Even I have feelings for you, Varun. Even I think, that I love you. I care for you a lot, a lot and I want you in my life forever'. That's what I wanted to say, but instead, I said hundreds of stupid things, hurting the both of us." She said and I felt shock circulating throughout my circulatory system.

What did she just say?

"Yes Varun. I care a lot for you. A little too much, and that's why, I didn't want to hurt you. Hurt you just like how Mumma-Papa hurt each other." She said.

Mumma-Papa?

"Wh-what?" I asked.

"Yes. My mom dad. I remember them, I knew them."

"But-

"I know, I know. I hated them, I hated them to an extent that it hurt me, Varun."

"Are they alive?" Was all I could ask. This really is a lot to process.

"No. They died, long back. Way before we met."

"Ohh"

"Yup. My parents, they dated in college and then, one day my mom was pregnant. With me."

"Okay"

"Pregnancy before marriage is not accepted in many parts of the world, even now. So, obviously, their parents' weren't exhilarated. They threw them out of their respective houses. My mom-dad had only each other at that time. My maasi gave them this small room to live. She took care of my mom. My dad was also very supportive."

"What happened?"

"Me. I came in this world."

"Shraddha-

"No, no, listen up. By the time I was two years old, they had developed contempt for each other. They fought constantly. I have a few flashes ion my mind of them arguing. When I turned eight, they decided that I was the problem. The problem that kept them together, when clearly they weren't supposed to be. They were going to give me in an orphanage and then they were going to divorce each other. My maasi agreed, but she said that she would raise me as her kid. She begged them to let her keep me, but the two disagreed. Their families had decided to accept them, because they were separating. My maasi told me that she would, get me from the orphanage after the two would divorce, but she never did. Her parents, threatened to kill me. She cried awfully and told me to live a happy and peaceful life. She told me to follow my dreams and she informed me....that my parents were dead."

"How?" my voice cracked bit.

"They were fighting on the way back home after, they left me in the orphanage. While fighting, Papa's attention was diverted and the two got in accident. They died.....while fighting with each other" her voice croaked at the end.

"I was scared, that I would hurt you, Varun."

"You...would never. Shraddha, you helped me through my father's death, you were my support system. You said that I was always patient with you, but you were never less."

"Thanks...I was scared, I still am scared of loving someone, I am scared of being not worthy to be loved. But, you, Kiara, Siddharth, both the families made me feel loved and secured, Varun."

"You are worth of being loved, Shraddha. Never think you are not."

"Varun, I don't know what the future holds for us...I just know that I love you. I care a lot for you, you are my best friend and I am a bit selfish for you. I want you, in my life...always."

"Wow. I-

"I know, it's too much. And I am-

"Don't, say sorry. I am just so glad that you could finally open up about this. I am so sorry for what you had to go through, when you were just a kid, Shraddha. But I promise you, I am always going to be there for you. Always. Even I am a bit selfish for you"

♠️

"Tadaiv lagnam sudinant deva,
taara balam, chandrabalant deva,
vidya pate, kendriy yugam smarami,
Shubh Mangal Saavdhan!"

Everyone showered the colourful rice and flowers; to bless the 'just married' couple. The amount of rice in my hair was kind of annoying.

Being the groom's first cousin is so much work.

As Kiara proceeded to put the varmaala (garland) in Siddharth's neck, I and Veer bhai lifted him high in the air.

Siddharth is heavy but then, it is so much fun teasing Ki.

Kiara's cousins also wasted no time, as they lifted her in the air. Kiara then put the varmaala in Siddharth's neck, while Siddharth did the same and everyone clapped, hooted and cheered for the duo.

The exchange of garlands, a token of love and most importantly, respect for one another.

♠️

"Bhabhi!" I whisper shouted in Kiara's ear as I sat beside her.

"Devar jiii" she replied, feigning excitement. I simply laughed.

"Here, take this" I mumbled, giving her a ring.

She gasped and a few tears collected in her eyes, just where she had applied a sharp, bold line of kohl.

"Where did you get this?"

"Don't worry about it" I winked and she looked at me with suspicion.

The ring was her father's ring which had been gifted to him by his father. When Aunty and Ki relocated, the ring got misplaced, leaving Kiara heartbroken.

But, dadi (paternal grandma) was there to save the day and I got an exact replica of the ring.

"Yahi tera wedding gift hai" (this is your wedding gift) I declared and she nodded, trying to control her tears.

"I love you so much, you idiot."

"Love you too, Bhabhi."

♠️

"Bhai, has has ke thak gaya mein" Siddharth mumbled as he rested his head on my shouldered.

"Do you have cheek pain, Sidd?" I asked in a funny voice and he rolled his eyes, and then nodded. Haha.

"Bhoook lagiii hai" he continued with his whining. Man child.

"Teri aaj shaadi hui hai" (you got married today) I commented and he rolled his eyes, again.

"Ehh, I was married to Kiara, long ago. Pretty much on the day when she proposed me for marriage." He replied and I nodded. There was no denying in that.

"Jijuuuuuu!!!!!!" (Brother in law!!!!!!) we heard a shout and looked to see the bridesmaid team with a box in their hands.

Oh shit! The shoes, I didn't guard them!
Holy shit!

I saw Shraddha smirk at me and then laughed, pretty sure my face must have turned into a pitiful one.

"Varun. You said that you would take care of my shoes"

"I-

"You idiot. You will pay for this"

♠️

The bridesmaid took a whooping amount of rupees 8000. And I was robbed of eight thousand, too.

Why do I have to be stupid?

"You are so stupid, haha" Shraddha commented, reading my thoughts and face with a laugh.

I just gave her a cold look but the intensity of her laughter increased.

Even though on the exterior, my facade didn't drop, in the interior, I melted.
Her laugh. It's precious. After everything she has gone through, I don't want her to get hurt again. I will do everything to protect our friendship....and.....

I gently intertwined my hand with hers while she smiled at me. Her eyes reflected hope and my eyes too. I could see my eyes in her eyes.

Eh, maybe coming to this wedding was a good idea after all.

Done!
The last and final part of 'The Wedding'.

Thankful to every person who read it.

Hope you liked the story, do comment your reviews! I would love to hear what you think about the story!

Can't really promise a bonus chapter, sorry ):

Love love,
Surabhi✨