Author's POV

"Crush..."

"Yes, that’s Reyan new crush, updated!" Trisha quickly blurted out, trying to divert the conversation. Her voice was quick, and her smile overly enthusiastic.

Karishma raised an eyebrow and glanced at Reyan, who was now glaring at Trisha. Trisha avoided his gaze, pretending to busy.

Karishma studied them for a second longer before moving her eyes away. "Hmm...," she muttered, then turned toward Trisha. "Well, enjoy your dinner." With that, she left the room, clearly not buying the excuse but not pressing the matter further.

As soon as she was gone, Reyan turned to Trisha, his face a mix of frustration. "Really, Trisha?"

Trisha just smirked and shrugged, feeling proud of her quick thinking. "Well, it worked, didn’t it?"

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Riya was pacing back and forth in her room, tension written all over her face.

"What happened?" she asked as Angad entered with sad face.

"The reception got cancelled," he said, a mischievous smile spreading across his face.

Riya's eyes widened in surprise, and soon, a wide smile stretched across her face. "Thank God!" she exclaimed, clearly relieved.

Angad chuckled. "Why did you walk in with such a sad face then?" She demanded, glaring at him.

"Just to scare you," he teased, enjoying her reactions.

Riya glared at him, giving him an exasperated look. "Now you're happy?"

"Very happy," Angad responded, his grin widening.

Riya rolled her eyes. "Yes, well, listen, now that the reception's cancelled, I can finally go to my friend's wedding!" she said excitedly.

"And I can too..." Angad muttered under his breath.

"Kuch kaha tumne?" Riya raised an eyebrow, noticing him mumbling something.

(What did you say?)

"Nahin toh," he quickly responded, looking away.

(Nothing,)

"Chalo, tumhare ghar chalte hain." Angad changed the subject.

("Come on, let's go to your house.")

She smirked. "Kyun, tumhe ghar se nikal diya kya dadaji ne reception cancel karne ke badle?" Riya asked, laughing and teasing him.

(Why, did Dadaji kick you out for cancelling the reception?)

Angad gave her a look of disbelief before glaring at her. "Yeah, sure. I'll just live as a ghar jamai in your house," he mocked.

Riya laughed.

"Arrey! Pag phere ki rasam hain! Ismein ladki apne ghar jati hain." Angad reminded her, shaking his head at her antics.

(Arrey, it's for the 'pag phere' ritual! The bride goes back to her home.)

"I know that! I just forgot," she said with a mischievous grin.

Both of them made their way downstairs, where they took blessings from the elder ladies in the family. After a quick goodbye, they settled inside the car to leave for Riya’s house.

Upon arriving at Riya’s home, Angad greeted her father respectfully, thanking him for helping him before excusing himself.

Once back in her room, she began picking out her outfit for the wedding, humming happily to herself. As she packed her small luggage, she knew her friend wouldn’t let her escape without staying a bit longer at the wedding. A big smile tugged at her lips as she thought about the fun ahead.

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Agnihotri Mansion

The soft murmur of conversation filled the courtyard, where the turmeric ritual was about to begin. Trisha descended the stairs gracefully, her attire glowing with the yellow hues of the ceremonial day. She moved towards her designated seat beside her fiancé, Rakshit Singh, the man who held his gaze on her face.

As Trisha settled beside Rakshit, she felt his gaze already on her. She hesitated for a second, but eventually turned to meet his eyes. Between the thin yellow net cloth tied between them, their eyes met, a symbolic barrier.  There is something tender, unspoken, yet powerful in their gaze. Both could feel the connection deepening, like a thread being woven tighter between them.

The ritual was about to begin as when Rakshit's mother, draped in traditional attire, stepped forward. Their eyes met briefly as she dipped her hand into the haldi, preparing to apply it.  But before her hands reached his face, Rakshit’s eyes began scanning the crowd, clearly searching for someone.

"Wait..."

The family, friends, and guests turned to look at him, puzzled by the sudden halt.

"Bhai..."

A few moment passed, a man entered the hall. Dressed in a classic suit with a traditional pagdi on his head, his face was mostly concealed by a thick beard. But his eyes-those familiar eyes-glowed with warmth as he looked at his brother.

As soon as Rakshit laid eyes on him, his eyes lit up with joy. The brotherly bond was evident in that silent exchange of glances. The newcomer, Rakshit's older brother, smiled warmly, walking confidently towards him.

"Now, we can begin," Rakshit said softly, his heart clearly at peace.

Their mother, having waited patiently, resumed the ceremony. She applied the turmeric on Rakshit, following the ritual. One by one, the other family members came forward, including Rakshit’s brother, who stepped in next, smiling warmly at him. They exchanged a look — one of silent understanding.

As the turmeric ritual shifted focus to Trisha, her mother was the first to apply the sacred haldi on her. One by one, family members followed, blessing her with the yellow paste, symbolizing love, protection, and good fortune. Finally, it was Raghav's turn. He offered Trisha a warm smile, causing her to return a small, shy one in response. Raghav, with a gentle touch, applied the turmeric to her cheek, the warmth of his gesture feel like someone to her like a elder brother she knew.

As each relative followed in turn, applying the turmeric, the air buzzed with blessings, joy, and anticipation for the wedding ahead.

At that precise moment, Riya entered the hall. Her eyes landed on Trisha, and she waved at her with a cheerful smile, but instead of a warm reception, she was met with a sharp glare.

Preoccupied with Trisha’s unexpected reaction, Riya wasn’t watching that someone coming in her direction and collided with someone. It was none other than Raghav, who had been heading toward the gate to greet Trisha’s father, felt the impact. Instinctively, he closed his eyes as a familiar name almost escaped his lips-a habit from the past-but he stopped himself just in time. His hand reached out to steady the person who had bumped into him.

When he opened his eyes, they were locked on her face, and for a brief moment, he didn't blink.

Meanwhile, Riya, feeling the cold touch of his hand on her bare back, opened her eyes. Their gazes met, and she froze.

Raghav’s hand rested on her back, and the turmeric paste from the ritual had left a faint mark where he had touched her. They stood there, frozen in place, as Riya’s eyes lingered on his, unable to look away. Slowly, his hand slid down to her waist, the turmeric painting her skin, sending a shiver through her body.

Raghav realized what he had done and quickly withdrew his hand, breaking the silence.

"Maaf kijiye, galti ho gayi humse," he apologized, his voice soft but formal.

Riya, still gazing at him with softness in her eyes, smiled gently and replied, "Aur hume yeh galti qubool hai."

Riya spoke softly, her voice barely above a whisper, as she gazed at him with eyes full of affection. Her intense gaze caught him off guard, making him widen his eyes in surprise before he coughed awkwardly, trying to mask his reaction.

Standing nearby, Trisha’s father noticed the interaction. A knowing smile tugged at his lips as he watched Riya, clearly understanding the meaning behind her expression.

"Riya..." Trisha's father called out gently, his voice breaking her trance. Startled, Riya snapped out of her reverie, realizing she had been completely absorbed in gazing at him.

She quickly turned and respectfully bent down to touch Trisha’s father’s feet, seeking his blessings. Amused, he suppressed a chuckle, fully aware of what she was trying to do.

Trisha, observing the scene, widen her eyes seeing her touching her father feet she couldn’t help but smirk as her eyes widened in realization.

"Oh, so she’s trying to impress Raghav, Rakshit’s elder brother," she thought with a sly grin.

As Riya’s eyes fell on each of Trisha’s family members, one by one, she gracefully bent down to take blessings from everyone. Her actions drew amused glances from the entire family, who watched her with growing curiosity.

Trisha’s father, standing beside her, noticed Raghav observing the scene intently. With a teasing smile, he said, "Kafi pyaari ladki hai... kahoon toh baat chalaun?"

Raghav’s eyes widened in disbelief as he blinked, momentarily caught off guard by the comment. Without a word, he quickly looked away, clearly trying to avoid the conversation.

Rakshit smirked while watching his elder brother’s reaction, clearly entertained by the situation. Trisha, meanwhile, was enjoying her friend’s antics, until her eyes widened in alarm as she noticed Riya about to touch her feet, completely unaware that it was her.

"Bas kar ja, meri maa," Trisha teased, stepping back just in time. "Aaj hi hazaaron saal jivit rahne ka vardaan le kar rukegi!"

Startled, Riya straightened up quickly, her face turning pink. "Sorry! Lagta hai kuch zyada hi kar diya," she muttered, embarrassed.

"Hmm," a soft voice came from beside her. Riya turned to see Avik, his innocent eyes fixated on her, watching her every move.

She smiled warmly at him, and without hesitation, reached out and gently pinched his cheek. "Looking handsome, hero," she said playfully.

Avik blushed furiously, his ears turning red from the compliment. Riya chuckled softly at his shy reaction.

Turning back to Trisha, Riya took some haldi from the bowl and smeared it on trisha face, rubbing it in with a playful grin.
Trisha laughed.

                          ******

𝗜 𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘂𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲!

𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴! ❤️✨