THE TRUE ALPHA AND HIS GIFTED WITCH.

Chapter 23 ''The Day of Joy!''

Chapter 23
‘’The Day of Joy!’’
Madhu’s POV:
I am sitting in front of the dressing table mirror, continuously staring at myself. I wasn't ready yet, not even started. I am wearing a golden saree with a pink border, which I secured in a free pleat. Suddenly, my door burst open. "Madhu! Are you ready or not?" my sister-in-law asked, carrying plastic bags and plates in her hands. She saw me and gasped, "You haven't started," she said, putting the things aside and walking towards me. I closed my eyes and, holding onto the dressing table, stood up on my feet. Clearing my throat, I said, "I will be ready... just give me ten minutes," as I walked towards the bathroom.

She stopped me by gently grabbing my arm and turned me towards her. She gasped when she noticed my eyes welled up with tears. "Hey... What happened? Why are you crying?" she asked, holding my hands tightly. I sighed and shook my head. "It’s nothing..." I said, stammering. She sighed, cupping my face as she asked softly, "Listen, whatever is going on with you, just talk. Do you need time to think about the engagement? I will talk with our families..." But I cut her short. "No... No... It’s not about the engagement... It’s just... I am scared," I said, shuddering my shoulders. I lifted my head to notice she frowned in confusion. I deeply sighed to calm myself. "I am scared... for the first time, so much happiness is happening together in my life... what if someone..." She cut me off. "No one is going to take what is meant for you! Everything will be fine," she said, gently wiping my tears away. "Okay... let’s get you ready," she said.

But I stopped her, insisting that I would get ready by myself. I asked about Talia's whereabouts because I hadn't seen her since yesterday. She told me that Talia got stuck in a meeting, and it went very late, so she slept in the hospital itself. I asked Priya if Talia knew about the engagement. Priya assured me that Talia knows and will be on time. With that, she left.

I walked towards the bathroom and washed my face. After coming out, I dried my face with a towel and sat in front of the dressing table to start doing my makeup. I styled my hair into a bridal style and adorned it with some artificial flowers that matched my outfit. Once I finished, I stood up and looked in the mirror for one final time. Then, I moved towards my cupboard and took out my slippers. As I sat on the table struggling to put them on, I heard a slight knock on my door. "Come in," I called out.

The door opened, and I jerked my head to find a handsome man standing at my doorstep. It was Vasu. He wore a white round neck t-shirt, a black coat, black jeans, and a watch on his left hand. A soft gasp escaped my mouth. Did he really need to look so incredibly handsome? It’s just an engagement, I thought to myself. My mouth partially opened, but then closed as he smiled at me, making me feel a bit flustered. He walked towards me and said, "Hi!" Suddenly, I looked away, replying, "Hi! I am almost done! Just give me one sec... this slipper is killing me!" I heard him chuckle softly, "You're already done with it!" I jerked my head towards him, and he signaled me to look down. I furrowed my eyes and glanced at my slipper, realizing it fit perfectly on my feet. I wondered when that had happened. "That happens when you're too busy looking at him... or rather, lost in him," my inner voice teased.

I jerked up from the chair, clearing my throat nervously. My cheeks felt redder than a ripen tomato. As he slowly walked towards me with a smirk on his face, my nervousness only escalated. I took a step back, noticing his eyes turning mischievous. Before he could do anything strange or silly, I knew I had to get out of there. But before I could make a move, he was standing right in front of me. My breathing became rapid, and my heart pounded wildly. He closed the gap between us, causing me to take a few steps back. Suddenly, my back rested against the dressing table—a dead end. Now, he was standing before me, both hands resting on the dressing table behind me, while he imprisoned me in his arms.

Our gaze locked. "Vasu... we are getting... late!" I said, swallowing hard. He chuckled and glanced at his watch. "We have ten more minutes... sweetheart!" he said, pulling me into his arms. I couldn't stop the blush that crept onto my cheeks, and my hands seemed to have a mind of their own as they found their way to his jacket. "You look handsome!" I whispered with a smile, keeping my gaze on the floor. I heard his smile in his response. "Thanks... you look beautiful," he said, kissing my cheek. I smiled back at him. He cleared his throat. "Okay... before making you mine... I have something to give you," he said. I lifted my head to meet his gaze, wondering what he had planned. My heart was beating wildly with anticipation.

He slowly stretched a small box towards me and placed it in my hand, instructing me to open it. With a smile, I complied, and as I gasped, I saw a rose gold bracelet adorned with white and pink stones. He took the bracelet from the box. "Give me your hand," he said. I stretched out my right hand towards him, and he gently tied it around my wrist. "It’s beautiful! By the way, what is it for?" I asked. He sighed, "It's to always remind you of me," he said. I smiled and wrapped my hands around his neck. "It's perfect... thank you," I said. He pulled me into his arms and hugged me tighter, reminding me that we needed to go downstairs. Suddenly, my door burst open, revealing Talia. Upon seeing us hugging, she jerked and turned around. "If you guys are done with your kisses and hugs or..." she started to say. I cut her off, "Shut up, T... You can turn around," I said, attempting to release myself from the hug. Instead of letting me go, Vasu turned me around, and my back rested against his chest as he hugged me from behind. Talia walked towards us and looked into Vasu’s eyes. She furrowed her brow. "I'm going to take her down. You can come alone... this is the revenge I am taking on you for rejecting my application, Mr. Detective!" she said, grabbing me by the arm and pulling me towards her.

The sudden action shocked Vasu, and they began arguing, each blaming the other for spending too much time with me. Unable to bear it any longer, I yelled at them to stop. Stepping in front of Talia, I grabbed her arm, signaling that we needed to go downstairs. Suddenly, a thought struck me. "Where have you been, T?" I asked. She stopped abruptly and turned around, about to explain, but Vasu intervened, coming up behind me. "Come on! Let's go... You both can talk about this later... They're calling us!" he said. I nodded, telling him I would be right behind him, and he left. Once Vasu was gone, I asked Talia where she had been yesterday. She seemed off and told me she got stuck in a meeting. I was relieved that she was with me now.

She walked me down to the living room, which was beautifully decorated with flowers. It was an overnight effort, but it was perfect. Finally, my eyes landed on Vasu, standing with my brother, and our gazes locked. The rituals began, and we exchanged our rings. Our families were extremely happy. My eyes fell on Sharadha Ma, and I ran towards her, kneeling in front of her. A wide smile formed on her face as she cupped my face. "Finally... I am happy... Now I won't need to worry about him," she said.
As the photo session started, I couldn't find my brother and my mother when they called for the family picture. I turned to Vasu, asking if he had seen them. He furrowed his brow and searched, but they were nowhere to be found. After a while, I finally spotted them coming from the study. I could sense my brother's irritation, and my mother seemed tense. As we gathered near the sofa for the photo, a voice interrupted, "Would you mind if we joined?" My heart sank as I heard the voice. No... it couldn't be... How could they be here? Who invited them? I turned my head towards the voice, my eyes widening, my heart pounding against my chest. I took a step back in shock. It was my mother’s sister-in-law, Mrs. Sarah Kumar, and beside her stood her son, Mr. Suresh Kumar. Seeing him, I stumbled, my heart skipping a beat. My whole body felt numb, and I couldn't think straight. Panic washed over me. Standing next to Vasu, I grabbed his hands, interlocking my fingers with his, and held onto his arm tightly for support.

As I felt Vasu's gaze on me, he asked, "What happened, sweetheart?" Tears welled up in my eyes, and I saw my brother approaching me. "Hey... hey... look at me, Madhu... Stay calm!" he said reassuringly. Vasu, sensing something was wrong, asked, "What is going on here?" I shook my head, burying my face into his arms. Suddenly, I felt Vasu tighten his grip on me. "What the... hell is she doing here?" he said through clenched teeth, making me jerk my head up in surprise. I whispered, "Deva," as I looked at the woman beside Suresh. Furrowing my brow, I realized they were standing together, holding hands like a couple. Oh my god... Vasu and I locked eyes in shock and disbelief.