Wispers of the heart

31 - New beginnings

As our car pulled up to my family home, I squeezed Aanya's hand. "Ready?" I asked softly.

She took a deep breath and nodded. "As I'll ever be," she replied with a nervous smile.

The moment we stepped out, we were engulfed in a sea of cheers and flower petals. My mother approached with the aarti thali, her eyes glistening.

"Welcome home, beta," she said warmly, performing the ritual. After the aarti we went in and setelled on the sofa. My mother came and sat beside her held her hands and said "Beta tum hamari bahu nahi beti ho ,hamare ghar ki lakshmi ho. I know this is new for you and you must be missing your home but beta I assure you we'll never let you feel alone or out of place here."

Aanya's eyes glistened with tears as she listened intently. My mother continued, gently holding Aanya's hands in hers, "Hum jaante hain ki naya ghar, naye log, nayi zimmedariyan - yeh sab thoda overwhelming ho sakta hai. Par yaad rakhna, yeh tumhara bhi ghar hai ab."

Aanya nodded, a mix of emotions playing across her face. "Thank you, Maa," she said softly.

My mother smiled, patting Aanya's cheek affectionately. "Beta, tumhare maa-papa ne humein apna anmol heera saupa hai. Unki kami to hum poori nahi kar sakte, par haan, hum tumhe utna hi pyaar denge jitna woh dete hain."

At the mention of her parents, Aanya's composure wavered slightly. Noticing this, my mother quickly added, "Aur haan, jab bhi tum unse milna chaho ya baat karni chaho, bindaas karna. Yeh tumhara adhikaar hai."

Relief washed over Aanya's face. "Sach mein, Maa? Aap bura nahi manenge?"

"Arre nahi beta!" my mother exclaimed. "Bura kyun manenge? Woh tumhare maa-papa hain. Unse tumhara rishta koi nahi tod sakta. And I am not like those typical TV serials sasu maa you can talk to me or anyone about anything. Just do what you like to do and always be happy. Agar hamari ghar ki lakshmki khush rahegi to ghar mein khushiyan rahengi." She said and kissed her forehead.

My mother hugged her tightly. "Ab chalo, tumhe tumhara room dikhati hoon. Aur haan, agar tumhe koi bhi changes cahiye ho room mein to bindaas kehna. Yeh tumhara bhi to ghar hai ab."

As they walked away, arm in arm, I watched with a heart full of love and gratitude. This wasn't just an arranged marriage; it was the beautiful melding of two families, the start of a new chapter filled with love, understanding, and mutual respect.

As the night wound down and we were finally alone in our room, I turned to my wife. "So, Mrs. Sharma, how does it feel?"

She smiled, a mix of exhaustion and happiness on her face. "Surreal. Wonderful. A bit scary. All at once."

I pulled her into a gentle hug. "I know what you mean. But we're in this together, okay? Always."

She nodded against my chest. "Always," she echoed.

"Now," I said, stifling a yawn, "I don't know about you, but I'm ready to sleep for a week."

My wife laughed. "Only a week? I was thinking more like a month!"

"Okay okay now go change" I said.

After changing into comfortable cloths we setelled on the bed. I whispered, "Good night Aanya."

"Good night," she replied softly, the words still new and wondrous on our lips.

And with that, we drifted off to sleep, ready to face whatever adventures our new life together would bring.

.

The next day, I woke up to the most adorable scene. Aanya was sleeping like a baby, her face peaceful and serene. Her hair was spread out on the pillow, and she had curled up slightly, hugging the blanket close to her chest. In sleep, all the nervousness and formality of the past couple of days had melted away, leaving just pure innocence.