The Sacred Alliance

• Chapter 9 •

- Present -

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Upon reaching the airport, Darsh spotted Abhimaan already there, waiting for him. He greeted him with a sheepish smile, well aware that he was running late; mentally cursing his alarm for waking him up late. However, the thought of teasing his best-friend soon struck his mind. After all, he thought, why not ? It's practically his birthright

With a mischievous glint in his eyes, Darsh approached Abhimaan. Giving him a playful nudge, he said

Darsh: Oho dulhe raja !! On time as usual.  Arey haa mai kaise bhul gaya, janaab shaadi karne jo jaa rahe hai

He playfully teased but in response received an angry glare from Abhimaan

Abhimaan: Darsh, shut up

Darsh: What bro ? I am just stating what I felt 

He responded innocently which prompted Abhimaan to roll his eyes

Darsh: By the way, where are uncle and aunty ? 

Abhimaan : They are not coming 

Darsh: What !! They are not coming but why ? Apne bete ki shaadi mein nhi aa rahe, aise kaise 

Darsh was taken aback by Abhimaan's response and quickly fired off questions to clear his confusion but Abhimaan chose to remain silent, donning a stoic poker face. This lack of response only made Darsh grow suspicious towards Abhimaan, so he asked, scrutinising him closely.

Darsh: Wait, wait, wait. Mujhe aisa kyun lag raha hai ki Abhi tuney hi uncleaunty ko mana toh nhi kiya shaadi mein aane se ? 

Abhimaan let out a sigh and slipping his phone back into his pocket, he remarked instead 

Abhimaan: The announcement is done, let's go 

Saying this, Abhimaan walked away toward the boarding gate 

Darsh, irritated by Abhimaan's behaviour, felt the urge to bang his head somewhere to vent out his frustration. However, there was neither a nearby wall nor a pillar in sight. Thus, begrudgingly, he had no choice but to follow his best-friend's suit 

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In the flight 

Abhimaan's Pov 

And at last, I am heading to Amritsar. For many, it's just another trip but for me it marks the beginning of my wedding journey. Never in my wildest dream did I envision this day arriving. Yet, here I am, going to get married to the girl whom I have known for just 7-8 months. Undoubtedly, she's among the best people I've ever had in my life, even as just a friend. Nonetheless, the mere thought of this event stirs a strange sensation within me. 

This sacred alliance is unquestionably an arranged one for the both of us. I know she agreed to this arrangement of us solely for her nanu, who meant the whole world to her. As for me, there is a slight addition to my story. I accepted this alliance not only for my dadu but also for her nanu. That ailing man held much expectation from me and I simply couldn't deny his heartfelt wish

The day, I vividly remember, dadu came out of the private ward after meeting nanu and mentioned that nanu wanted to meet me first before Jaanvi. 

The moment I stepped into the ward, my eyes immediately on nanu. Despite his recent bout of fragility due to a minor heart attack earlier that day, a feeble smile played on his lips upon seeing me 

Abhimaan : Nanu, yeh kya haal bana liya hai aapne aapna ? Jab dadu ka call aya, kitna daar gaya tha mai 

Abhay: Mai ab thik hu beta par Abhi mere hathon mein jyada din nhi hai. Isbaar bach gaya kismat se par shayad agli baar na bach pau