Silent Ties: Fusion Of Hearts

Chapter 28

Azlan's POV:

Everything fell into place so quickly that it felt surreal how smoothly everything unfolded. Zia and I had a conversation about marriage during our Christmas meeting. To give us time to prepare, I requested her to let me know a little earlier. The truth is, I was curious to find out if, after getting to know me better, she would decide to marry me. She understood my indirect inquiry and boldly stated that she would be a fool if she rejected me after getting to know me. She looked at me, grasped my hands, and stated very seriously, "Azlan, one thing I will never regret is meeting you since the time I've spent with you has been the best of my life. I'm more certain of this now that I know you better."

Hearing her say this filled me with delight. I could then begin getting ready for the wedding because she informed me that she would be finished in four months. That's how it began, and now I'm soon getting married. A month prior, we traveled to India for shopping. Mom suggested that it would be preferable to prepare in India rather than purchase everything here because many items would be unavailable.

Since arriving, I've been busy finalizing the reception location and other details. After we arrived, I didn't even see Zia once. She was preoccupied with closing the sale of her house, so we didn't have time to chat.

I became fully engrossed in the pre-wedding rites as soon as they commenced. Exactly a week before the wedding, a significant number of my friends from Luxembourg arrived. Since I hadn't informed them about the engagement, a few of them were taken aback when they received the invitation. The only person I was allowed to tell was my closest buddy because my mom was acting a little superstitious. She declared, "Invite them once the wedding date is set and the invitations are printed. If not, what if something comes up and it has to be canceled?" To err on the side of caution, I followed her request without hesitation.

We began our ceremony individually, and everything was going smoothly. I finished my Haldi earlier in the day because my Khala had to return for some work. I was aware that Zia's Haldi would take place at night, and that there would be no way for us to communicate after that, making a meeting impossible. After the ceremony concluded, I intended to surprise her by driving to her apartment to see her before our wedding.

Author's POV:

Azlan sneaked into the hotel where Zia's friends were staying, hoping to see her before the Haldi ceremony. When Zia introduced him to her friends, Aarya couldn't help but tease him.

"Couldn't wait, huh? Getting so impatient," Aarya jibed, a playful glint in her eye.

Zia blushed and tried to shoo them away, waving her hands in a dismissive gesture. "Alright, you guys, give us some space."

"Guys, we'll leave you alone in Aarya's room, but remember, my room is just next door, so don't do anything adulterous," Tessa said with a cheeky smile. "After all, you only have a week till marriage."

The friends laughed before ultimately leaving Azlan and Zia alone, providing them with some privacy in the middle of the pre-wedding chaos.

Zia's POV:

Following the departure of my friends, Azlan and I were left alone, our eyes locked in the tranquil ambiance of the hotel room. As the silence lingered, I broke the quiet with a playful tease in my tone.

"Well, aren't I irresistible that you really couldn't wait?"

Azlan saw my playful smirk and couldn't help but smile himself. He pulled me closer, his eyes sparkling with affection. "What do I do? I really wasn't able to wait. You must have done some magic, after all. I just feel like I can't stay away for a minute now."

I blushed, trying to hide my face, but Azlan held me firmly in his embrace. I squirmed slightly, still playful despite my embarrassment. "Yes, I have done black magic. So why did you come to meet me?"

With a gentle touch, he tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear, lifting my chin to meet his gaze. "Don't you know today is Haldi? I just came here to put some on my future wife. Can I?"

I shook my head, my eyes sparkling with mirth. "Don't you know we have to complete the rasm before putting Haldi? You can't do that because five married couples must first touch the Haldi before it is applied to the bride."

Azlan's smile widened. "This one is from my Haldi, and my Haldi ritual was done, so I don't think there's any problem now, is there?"

He moved closer, pulling a small Haldi box from his pocket. My heart raced as he drew near, my shyness overcoming my playful demeanor. A warmth enveloped me, fueled by his closeness and the meaningfulness of his gesture.

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