I Found You

5.

"Papa, why are you so stressed? Manas and Shashank Bhaiya are there, along with Bhai, taking care of everything." Adhira reassured her father, guiding him to sit at the dining table.

"I understand, Beta. I just want to ensure that everything is done well." Hari replied, his worry evident in his voice.

"That doesn't mean you'll skip your meals." She chided, plating food for him before taking a seat beside his.

"By the way, why are you here? Shouldn't you be getting ready? Don't you have to go to the parlour? Wait, I'll ask Advait to drop you off." He asked in a breath.

Adhira held his hand to prevent him from getting up. He had heen on his heels since the morning, supervising each and everything by his own.

"There's still plenty of time, Papa. And I don't need to go to any parlour, Bhabhi and Aditi will help me." She reassured him, mixing the rice and daal together before offering a spoonful to him.

"Did you have your lunch?" He asked, accepting the bite.

"I don't have an appetite." Adhira replied with a hesitant smile.

He shook his head in disbelief, grabbing another spoon from the table. He took a spoonful of rice from the same plate and offered it to her.

Adhira's smile deepened, touched by his gesture. 'Just one more month, and everything will change' a voice echoed in her mind. She never imagined that she would be married by the end of this year.

She had made up her mind to turn down Vikram's proposal, but when she saw the glimmer of hope in her father's eyes, she couldn't bring herself to say no. He had completely won over her father.

Honestly, she couldn't help but agree. He seemed to be a man of strong principles. Even though she didn't know much about him, but there was something about his personality that she found captivating.

"My little girl is all grown up now, it's hard to believe how fast time has flown by." Hari's voice got a little shaky at the end, although he tried to keep his emotions in check.

Adhira pressed a smile on her face in an attempt to cheer him up. Holding his palm in between hers, she grabbed his attention.

"I will forever be your Gudiya, no matter how old I become. You have always been and will always be my hero." She said, her own eyes welling up with tears.

"Aisa lagta hai jaise kal hi toh tujhe hathon mein liya tha, or aaj tera hath kisi or ke hathon main de dunga." He said with a tear trickling down his cheek.

[It feels like just yesterday I held you in my hands, and today I'll be giving you to someone else]

Adhira embraced him tightly, wrapping her arms around his neck, and wept against his chest. "Papa, I'm scared. I don't want to leave you."

"I'm afraid I won't be able to adjust there or be a good daughter-in-law or wife. What if we end up like...," She choked out a sob, burying her head on his shoulder.

"He is not me, and you are not her." Hari tenderly stroked her hair. "Don't let your insecurities drag you down or ruin your relationship."

"No matter how many steps he takes, it's all in vain if you won't walk together." He continued. "Building a relationship takes effort from both sides, not just one person chasing the other."

The hurt in his tone expressed how much he had suffered in his past.

"I know you didn't want to get married so soon, but Beta, the family is nice." He said, gently brushing away her tear before wiping his own, still holding her close to him.