Pranbir Short Story Collection

Finally married

[Thought of writing an OS on the current scenario as I am not sure if Pranbir wedding is gonna happen this time too. Here goes my take on the situation. Hope you all like it.}

Prachi was looking for Sahana when someone collided with her and spilled some liquid over her dress. Prachi looked up after checking the sodden area of her dress and found Sahana in front of her with a sheepish smile.

"What have you done, Sahana?" Prachi glared at her best friend in frustration.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry. I didn't notice you. Sorry, Prachi. But you don;'t have to worry. Palak have a spare lehenga. She asked me to keep it in the car as she doesn't need it. You can change into this." Sahana suggested immediately, utilizing the opportunity.

"But..." Prachi hesitated.

"No ifs and buts. Go and change quickly. You can't attend the wedding like this and you don't want to delay the wedding because of you right? So, go ahead." Sahana insisted.

"Okay." Prachi gave in ultimately.

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A while later

Prachi came out of the room in the back of the temple. She was looking gorgeous in the beautiful white lehenga accompanied by scarlet dupatta and minimum jewellery. Sahana's jaw dropped seeing her. She wolf whistled making Prachi roll her eyes.

"Sahana! What are you doing?" Prachi shook her head disapprovingly.

"Showing my appreciation. What else?" Sahana giggled.

"You are incorrigible." Prachi smiled affectionately.

"I know." Sahana laughed.

"Let's go. Palak must be waiting for us." Prachi urged.

"Wait! First let me take a picture of you. You are looking too beautiful for me to pass this opportunity." Sahana clicked a picture of a protesting Prachi and immediately sent it to Ranbir with the caption - How do your bride look? Don't keep staring at her when you will see her. You are supposed to be furious with her. Remember?

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Ranbir was engrossed in instructing the priest and Palak, Jay and Aryan about their respective tasks when his mobile beeped with an incoming text. As soon as he flipped through his mobile and came across Prachi's picture, he was mesmerized. An intense sense of joy and pride filled him at the thought that this sweet girl loved him. It corroborated his resolve to never let go of her, never let that love leave his life.

He looked up to see his dream girl walking down the corridor towards him, accompanied by Sahana. However, he throttled the disobedient urge of staring at her and instantly looked away. Prachi shouldn't suspect a thing.

Prachi, on the other hand, felt an intense agony seeing Ranbir's indifference towards her. Yes, she had promised Rhea that she would make him hate herself if Rhea reunited their parents and she still had to fulfill her part of the promise. But still, it was hard. Oh God! It was so hard to see him turn away from her.

As they neared the place where Palak and Jay were sitting beside the sacred fire, the priest began chanting the mantras and officially the rituals commenced.

As minutes ticked by, Ranbir and Prachi kept stealing glances of each other when each was confident that the other wasn't watching.

After sometime, Ranbir got to his feet and walked away. Prachi looked around to see where he was going but Sahana distracted her.

"Are you seeing Ranbir?" Sahana teased.

"NO! I mean, no, I just wanted to know where he was going, leaving the wedding. That's all." Prachi made an excuse.

"What is it to you? He can go anywhere he wants to. Forget about him and concentrate on the wedding." Sahana suggested.

Prachi turned back towards the sacred fire, cursing herself for the umpteenth time for the momentary slip.

Soon, it was time for the most important rituals of the wedding.

"Now the groom will tie the nuptial chain around the neck of the bride and put vermilion on the parting of her hair." The priest declared.

Before Prachi could understand anything, someone tied a nuptial chain around her neck. She clasped the chain and looked down at it, flabbergasted. Instantly she got to her feet and whirled around to see Ranbir in front of her.

She opened her mouth to say something but before she could do so Ranbir filled the parting of her hair with vermilion. Stunned, Prachi gaped at him. If Prachi's eyes had bafflement, Ranbir's held determination.

In no time reality dawned and Prachi's eyes filled with tears. She took a step back and then another.

"What have you done, Ranbir? How could you do this? Now, Rhea will never help me. She will never reunite ma and papa. My ma will always be sad and unhappy. Why did you do this? How could you be so selfish?" Prachi accused Ranbir.

"So, this is the reason that you pretended to be someone you can never be and broke up with me. I am not being selfish. I am trying to stop you from committing a grave mistake. If anyone is selfish here than it is your beloved sister. You are trusting a girl like Rhea? Seriously, Prachi? You think the girl who can plan someone's murder in cold blood will reunite your ma and papa? Then let me bring you out of your false belief. She had done nothing like that. An hour earlier, when I talked with my mom, the marriage was still very much on. And if you don't believe me, let me call someone again." Ranbir fished the mobile out of his pocket.

He dialed Vikram's number and put the phone on speaker. Vikram answered the call after two rings.

"Dad! Is Chief and Meera aunty's marriage still on?" Ranbir enquired.

"Yes. Abhi has taken Meera to a temple to marry her there. But..." Vikram was about to reveal about Pragya.

"Thanks dad. That's all I needed to know. Will talk to you later, dad. Bye." Ranbir cut the call and turned towards Prachi.

Tears cascaded down her cheeks as she kept staring at the phone. Sighing, Ranbir put a hand on her shoulder. The small gesture was all it took for Prachi to break down. She threw herself in Ranbir's embrace finally let all the pent up agony of the last few days come out in the form of tears. Ranbir caressed her hair, offering his silent support to her. After a while, when the storm of emotions had subsided, Prachi straightened up.

"I am sorry. I never knew Rhea will betray me like this. She tried to snatch you away from me and yet not reunite my parents too. I hate her. I haven't hated anyone else as much as I hate her." Prachi was thoroughly disgusted with the other girl.

"So, now that our marriage is done already, let's complete the pheras too. What say, wifey?" Ranbir smiled.

"Sure, hubby." Prachi smiled back.

Jay, Palak, Sahana and Aryan cheered loudly while the priest, too, can't help but smiling broadly.

Together the adorable couple began to circumambulate the sacred fire. Soon the priest declared the wedding complete and Prachi and Ranbir as husband and wife.

Little did they know that someone had just sauntered into the temple to become an unwilling witness of Pranbir's marriage.

Tears cascading down her cheeks, Rhea could only curse herself for being late and saw the object of her obsession becoming someone else's husband in front of her own eyes. May be it was her punishment for every single evil deed she had committed against Prachi that Prachi became the ultimate winner. In spite of all her efforts, true love won at the end after all.