Wilted Rose

CHAPTER 3

Ayesha's POV

This evening is the reception. Yesterday I completed my rasm and catched up with my brother and my friends. As Promised HE came to pick me up at sharp 7 and we returned with a lot of gifts. Thankfully there wasn't an awkward silence between us, as he kept asking me random things about my day and passing comments on his assistant making faces. I kept chuckling at his grumpy face.

Here I am dressing up for my grand reception of course and why not, they are THE RATHORES, they have a standard to match, and a reputation to behold. My sole lehenga was very heavy, I still had the makeup and hairstyle to do. 

My blouse had heavy work done on it with net sleeves, which had stone embroidery. The bottom of the blouse had a golden strip attached to it. My lehenga was no less, it had even more heavy designs than on the blouse. The bottom of my lehenga had a thick golden strip with some rose designs on it. An even thicker red strip followed the golden one. It had beautiful curves at the top where it ended. The red strip too had huge flowers with shiny stones intricate on them.

Above the red strip followed a browish-black cloth for the rest of the lehenga. The black cloth was designed and embroidered beautifully with stones and flower designs mainly of the colors green, red and blue while the waistband of the lehenga was golden. 

Lastly, I drapped my duppatta elegantly completing my look. My dupatta too was black in colour, with stone work and red embroidery at the edges.

I sat on the stool before the mirror and let the beauticians do their magic on me. I did a slightly heavy eye makeup which was black. Smokey black eye makeup to be precise. My naturally deep brown hair was styled in slight wavy curls and left down to hug my neck and shoulders. Later I was adorned with A beautiful, heavy stoned choker, my large jhumkis and a mangtika. I wore just my chooda and my engagement ring in one hand while another which HE gifted me in the other hand. That was it for the jewelry part.

Lastly I tied mangalsutra around my neck and applied sindoor beneath the mangtika.

I took a deep breath and looked at myself. I was looking elegant and royally beautiful. Once in a blue moon, I do find myself really pretty else the self loathing surrounds me like wind surrounding the forest. The taunts and glances of the people, their side eyes, their murmuring and making faces is like the calm before the storm. The calm that is followed by a turmoil of self doubt that whirls inside my head. It's like a midnight scribble, too easy to do, but complicated to understand. My mind is an abode of self loath and insecurities.

I looked up at the sound of the door opening and I looked up in the mirror to see my mother-in-law entering the room.

"Ready mera baccha?" She asked, looking at me from head to toe. I stilled for a moment. What if she doesn't like my look? What if she doesn't find me pretty enough and presentable to match the standards of The Rathores. She looked up with a sparkle in her eyes and caressed my cheek lovingly.

(Ready, my child?)

"You are looking so pretty, like a Rathore bride has ever looked in history. You are looking just so royal. Nazar na lage meri bacchi ko." She said and applied a kaala teeka behind my ear. I gave her a light smile.

(Evil eyes off my child)

She took me till the car where He was already waiting for me. I looked at him. He was looking ravishing and handsome in a black kurta, staring intently into my kohl adorned eyes, as if looking in the depths of my soul. It was as if he was trying to understand the language of myself which I often want people to hear but at the same time, I don't want them to know, because it hides the deepest secrets, the creepiest ones that haunt me. I didn't want him to know either. He doesn't need to know about my horrors now. He is too good to be haunted by my silence, the silence of my crushed soul. The silence, deeper than the midnights.

His lips curved into a perfect smile and he opened the car door for me, like a gentleman. I passed him a small, genuine smile and sat in the car. He sat beside me. There was a good distance between us. There was a comfortable silence in between us with him staring at me openly throughout the journey.

I could feel the flames of his gaze on my skin, painting me crimson. I was just playing with my chooda all the way, feeling nervous under his gaze. What if he sees my flaws? My imperfections? And somehow it felt strange, being under his watch, having his eyes on me. As I thought about it, we reached the venue. I shrugged this feeling and entered the hall with my husband. It was going to be a long evening today.

……….

Reception Will Be The Next Chapter!!

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