A Song For Us

Chapter 30 - From Moments To Forever

Anika

After that, Anirudh and I came out of the tent, and I carried the scrapbook with me. We went to my mom, who congratulated us first. Then the manager, driver, and house helper also came over and congratulated us. Anirudh had arranged a dinner in a hall, and he led us there. As we reached the hall’s entrance, Anirudh held my hand and used his other hand to open the door.

The hall's lights were off, but as soon as Anirudh opened the door and we stepped inside, the lights came on, and party poppers went off, showering us with roses. It felt wonderful. I couldn't believe Anirudh had planned all this. As I entered the hall, I noticed it was beautifully decorated with shimmer, flowers, and lots of fancy lights. There were pictures of Anirudh and me on the walls, along with some of my solo pictures. There was a table with a big gift on it. Anirudh led me to the table, and I opened the gift. Inside was a photo frame filled with our memories: our first photo together, our first outing, our first dinner date, and our first hug. It was a beautiful frame filled with precious moments. Seeing all these memories made me very emotional, and I started to cry.

Anirudh noticed and became very tense. He started saying, "Anika, don't you like it? I'm so sorry. I won’t show you this frame again. Or if you don't like the decoration, I'll take it down right now. Or if something is missing, I'll fix it."

I stopped him, placed my hands on his shoulders to calm him down, and said, "Anirudh, baby, this is so beautiful. The frame is lovely, and I love everything you've done. Thank you so much. I just got a little emotional, that's all. Don't worry."

Anirudh relaxed and said, "Okay, but there's still one more thing."

I asked, "What?"

He signaled to the staff who had welcomed us, and they rushed outside. They came back with a trolley adorned with flowers, carrying a big box. When they opened the box, there was a cake inside. Oh my god, it was so cute. The cake had "Future Mrs. Malhotra" written on it. It made me laugh and felt so adorable. I took the knife, and Anirudh and I cut the cake together while everyone clapped and cheered.

As we were cutting the cake, Anirudh leaned towards me and whispered, "So, how do you like everything, Mrs. Malhotra?"

I replied, "Mr. Malhotra, I am not Mrs. Malhotra yet. Call me 'Future Mrs. Malhotra.'"

Anirudh smiled and said, "It's the same thing. You'll be Mrs. Malhotra very soon."

I smiled back, took a piece of cake, and fed it to Anirudh. He fed me as well, and then we shared the cake with everyone. Afterward, we all sat down at the table for dinner. The dinner was wonderful. After dinner, Anirudh had arranged rooms for everyone for the night. My mom was very tired, so she went to her room immediately, and so did everyone else.

Anirudh and I were about to go to our rooms when he asked me to come to his room for a while because he had something to show me. I agreed and went with him. He took the scrapbook from me, sat down beside me, and pulled out some photos from his pocket to stick in the scrapbook.

When I saw the photos, I exclaimed, "Oh my god, Anirudh! These pictures are amazing! This moment was so special, I didn’t even notice anyone taking photos when you proposed. I was completely lost in the moment."

Anirudh smiled and said, "That's why I called you here, to show you today’s photos."

He stuck the proposal photos in the scrapbook, then lay down on the bed. I rested my head on his chest, cuddled up next to him, and said, "Anirudh, thank you so much. I don't have the words to express my feelings. I can’t imagine life without you. Today has been the best day of my life."

Anirudh replied, "It’s the best day for me too, Anika." He ran his fingers through my hair and said, "I love you, Anika."

"I love you too," I replied.

And we both fell asleep like that.