His sukoon : His junoon

33

Enjoy :-)

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Isha woke up with a racing heartbeat when she heard someone scream in her ear. She turned to see Ishaan standing there with an urgent expression, but she simply lay back down. Ishaan bounced slightly on his toes, still trying to get her attention.

"Uth ja, Kumbhkaran!" he said, his voice full of urgency. Isha turned her back to him, shaking her head and muttering, "Just 2 minutes, please," as she snuggled deeper into the soft blanket.

"It's 7, and you're still not up? It's your wedding day, and you're not nervous?" That snapped Isha's eyes open. Sitting up quickly, she remembered—it was her wedding day. Sleep fled from her mind as she looked at Ishaan.

"But why are you so nervous?" she asked, confused. Ishaan scratched his head, suddenly realizing his own behavior. "Yeah, why am I in such a hurry?" He sat down on the bed, looking sheepish.

"We have the whole afternoon to get ready, so why did I wake up at 5?" he mumbled, lying down.

Isha eyed him suspiciously. "What did you do after waking up at 5?"

Ishaan looked away, embarrassed. "I... slept again." Isha nodded, relieved. Ishaan waking up at 5 was unnatural—he usually slept like a log. There was even an earthquake once, and while everyone in the building evacuated, both Ishaan and Isha slept right through it, only waking up hours later, completely oblivious.

Isha got up and went to the bathroom to freshen up. When she came out, she found Janhvi and Ishaan chatting, but soon the door opened, and all the other youngsters piled into the room. The boys rushed over to touch her feet, then quickly ran to the bed, laughing.

"Bhabhi sa, have your breakfast," Janhvi said, smiling brightly at Isha.

"And then rest a little again because you've got to stay awake the whole night today," someone added. The room suddenly fell into an awkward silence as everyone exchanged glances. Arav cleared his throat, trying to cover the tension.

"The wedding might take all night, that's why," he clarified. Isha blinked, confused at first, but as the words sank in, her cheeks heated up, and she gulped, memories of the Haldi and other days flooding back to her.

Janhvi gave Arav a little push and smiled at Isha again. "Bhabhi sa, your breakfast." She handed Isha the plate while the others began discussing the remaining preparations for the day.

Ishaan, watching them, wiped imaginary tears from his eyes. "Mere budhape ka sahara," he sighed dramatically.

The makeup artist was busy working on Isha's face. Her eyes were closed, but she kept interrupting, asking the artist not to apply too much. Finally, the artist paused.

"Rani sa, don't worry. It might just feel like that because of the nerves. We promise, we'll do justice to your face." They resumed their work, and Isha fell silent, thinking she may have annoyed them.

Meanwhile, Ishaan lounged on the sofa behind her, giving sarcastic instructions to the makeup artist. "Look, there's ugliness everywhere, so make sure you cover it up well." Isha couldn't do anything in the moment but made a mental note to take revenge on him later.

The girls in the room were busy checking out the lehenga with shining eyes, admiring how stunning it looked. Once the makeup was done, they handed the lehenga to Isha to change into in the bathroom. Jahnvi had stitched a soft fabric into the lehenga so it wouldn't irritate Isha's wound, which had mostly healed by now.

When Isha finally emerged from the bathroom, everyone froze in awe. She looked absolutely breathtaking in the blood-red lehenga, which shimmered as if stars were embedded in it. The intricate gold embroidery along the borders caught the light beautifully, adding to the regal look. The dupatta draped over her shoulders had a soft, golden hue that complemented the deep red, and the overall design of the lehenga was traditional yet modern, hugging her figure perfectly. Her delicate jewelry emeralds and rubies set in gold enhanced the richness of her look, and her makeup, subtle but elegant, highlighted her natural beauty. Her now long hair which only reached the little over her shoulder were tied in a bun, with a few strands framing her face, giving her an ethereal appearance.