A Loveless Alliance

Chapter-42 [Sindoor]

MYRA'S POV

I slightly shifted on my seat and turned my torso towards him. Siddharth slowly removed the lid of the glimmering box in his hand. My breath turned heavier at the sight.

Every tiny particle of the air felt charged up, hitting my already tingling skin like soft bullets. Sanvi came forward and lifted up my maang tikka.

It's happening..!

The edges of Siddharth's eyes softened as he stared at the kumkum in his grip before shifting his eyes towards me and my breath hitched in that moment.

Everything else blurred away from my vision except for those two hypnotic orbs and the red sindoor sitting on his palm with pride.

"Just know one thing Myra," Siddharth leaned closer and caught that one tear, I didn't even know was forming, at his thumb before it could stain my cheeks.

"This is the happiest moment of my life." I could be hallucinating but I did see Siddharth's eyes turning glossy for a second before he took a pinch of sindoor between his fingers.

My lashes fell down on their own and a lone tear managed to slip down my eyes despite my resistance.

I could feel my hairline being filled with the kumkum, and a little bit of it fell down my nose tinting the tip of it red.

The drumming of my heart mirrored the slight tremble of his hand. For the time being, it felt like heaven lowered down to the earth to bless us.

Maybe only for a few seconds but something divine sat between us.

It was when Siddharth placed his hand on my shoulder from behind, giving me the side hug, that I finally opened my eyes. I took a deep breath, those were a lot of emotions that I felt in the span of a few seconds.

Siddharth dapped the corner of my eyes by his thumb, wiping the faint trace of the tears. I unknowingly clenched onto his other arm as I looked up at him. How could he go from a stranger to this in a few months?

"I want this to be the last time you ever cry." He booped his nose with mine, resulting in the sindoor to kiss the tip of his nose as well. A soft giggle rose up to my throat.

"Stop being so nice, or I might actually fall in love with you." My fingers tightened around the fabric of his shervani.

Siddharth didn't say anything except for a low chuckle that rolled off his tongue. The real talk was the kiss he placed on my forehead. God! It felt so heavenly yet dangerously addictive.

I lifted my lashes up, wanting to share this unfamiliar happiness with the moon but it had faded away somewhere in the clouds and the stars it felt behind said something bizarre. It was time for a goodbye.

Before a pang could touch my heart, my gaze fell on the man beside me who was smiling ear to ear. Instead of a pang, a spiral of butterflies touched my heart.

The next few minutes passed in a haze. Siddharth held my hand the whole time, and I couldn't keep my lips straight without a smile.

"Kanyadan ki rasam ke liye, Mr. or Mrs. Khanna samne aa jaye." My smile immediately fell at the words. I subconsciously pressed harder onto Siddharth's hand.

A gulp pushed down my throat. "We can skip this part." Siddharth picked up on the sudden shift of my energy pretty quickly. I passed him an assuring smile, and mumbled, "It's ok."

We could probably skip this part, but a sudden change at the end moment in any ritual could stir a tension in my family and I would do anything to avoid that and let this lively, sweet air flow happily.