Veils of Destiny: A Union Unseen

Chapter 4: Wedding

AOA!!!!!!! ANOTHER UPDATE...........
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Getting ready for my wedding—just the Barat—felt like a strange mix of excitement and dread. Yes, just the Barat. No dholki, no mehndi, none of the usual pre-wedding celebrations. But why would they celebrate those functions for her wedding? She wasn't a daughter to them, just a burden, soon to become someone else's responsibility.

In fact, she felt a sense of relief that they hadn't gone through the motions of those events. Celebrations wouldn't have brought her any joy, anyway. They would've only highlighted the emptiness she felt inside. This wedding, like her life, was moving forward in quiet resignation.

I sat in front of the mirror, gazing at my reflection in the heavily embroidered red lehenga, with layers of fabric that seemed to weigh as much as my emotions. The gold jewelry gleamed against my skin— a choker that hugged my neck, heavy jhumkas swaying with every movement. Yet, none of the sparkle or extravagance seemed to reach my heart.

My makeup artist had done a phenomenal job, enhancing my features just enough to make me feel beautiful, but not so much that I looked like someone else. Still, I couldn't recognize the girl in the mirror. There was no glow, no excitement, just a blank expression hiding the whirlpool of emotions beneath.

Ever since Aryan told me this marriage was nothing more than an arrangement, my last hope of finding love was shattered. It felt like my heart had become heavier with each passing day. The panic that had always lurked in the background began surfacing more frequently. I was used to panic attacks, but this... this sinking feeling was new. And the worst part was the certainty—it was a feeling that I was going to be alone, emotionally, forever.

Just as I was lost in thought, the door creaked open, and Huda walked in, her face lit up with excitement. Her smile tried to bring some warmth into the cold room of my heart, but it barely made a difference.

*

Aryan sat on the stage, separated from by a delicate floral partition. He wore a blank expression, his face giving nothing away as the crowd hummed with anticipation. When the host called for the bride, Haram began walking down the aisle, alone—no one by her side.

He looked at her as she approached, his gaze intense. His eyes tracing every inch of her face, her dress. He was studying her, but she didn't dare meet his gaze for too long. The moment their eyes briefly locked, she looked away, unsure of what to do with the emotions his stare stirred in me.

He continued staring as she sat down on the other side of the partition, but her face was kept neutral, hiding everything behind a mask of detachment.

Suddenly, his younger brother, Shaheer, broke the silence. "Bhai, I know Bhabhi is beautiful, but you should probably listen to Molvi Sahab right now." Laughter erupted from the guests.

Aryan's glare at Shaheer and at that point wasn't to through him out of the venue, but then he turned to look at her once more, maybe expecting a smile. But he never got one.Her face remained impassive.

As the rituals continued, Haram found it hard to focus. Her mind kept wandering back to Aryan. Every now and then, she would d catch him glancing at her, and despite herself, she couldn't help but think about how handsome he looked. For a fleeting moment, she almost smiled but when she saw the crease of concentration on his forehead, then reality hit me. This wasn't the marriage she imagined. This wasn't the love she had hoped for.

Finally, Molvi Sahab's voice brought her back to the moment. "Now sign the papers," he instructed.

Aryan was the first to take the pen, signing the papers with a firm hand. He looked up, meeting her eyes for the first time since the ceremony began. His eyes searched mine, perhaps looking for sadness over leaving her family, but he couldn't know that the sadness came from something much deeper—from the realization that she was leaving behind the hope of ever finding true love.

She signed the papers too, sealing her fate.

After the prayers and blessings were said, the partition was finally removed, and we sat next to each other. For the first time, we were side by side as husband and wife. The guests were busy eating, laughing, and showering us with well wishes, but neither of us knew what the future held.
All she knew was that we were bound together, not by love, but by duty.

Soon, her thoughts were interrupted by her mother-in-law's voice. "You look beautiful, my daughter!" she said, her smile radiant and her eyes sparkling with pride.

"Thanks, Aunty," Haram whispered, her voice low, still feeling the weight of the moment.

But before she could say anything else, Ayesha quickly corrected her. "No, no! Don't call me Aunty, just call me Ma or Bari Ma from now on. Now that you've married my son, I'm your mother."

Those words hit her deeply, stirring old memories of her own mother, a flood of emotions rising to the surface, thickening the tears in her eyes. She held herself together, pushing back the tears, and softly replied, "Okay, Bari Ma."

"And call me Choti Ma," Aryan's Chachi interrupted, placing a gentle hand on Haram's head, giving her blessings with a warm smile.

Haram nodded, feeling a strange warmth bloom inside her chest, as if she had just regained the motherly love she had lost.

The time had come to leave. The first chapter of her life was closing, and another was about to begin. As the final moments of her old life slipped away, everyone stood, ready to lead the bride and groom to the gate.

Aryan rose from his seat, adjusting his sherwani before turning toward Haram. He extended his hand to her. She hesitated for a moment, staring at his hand as if she were unsure whether to believe it was really happening. Reality sunk in when her Bhabhi gently tugged her forward.

Quickly, she placed her hand in his, and Aryan grasped it firmly, as though he never wanted to let go. The touch was steady, strong, yet she could feel an unspoken tension in the air.

She stood up, holding her heavy dress, and began walking toward the car. Everything felt surreal—she was leaving, saying goodbye to a life that had never truly embraced her. But despite the gravity of the moment, there were no tears to shed. How could there be, when her parents weren't even here on the most significant day of her life?

Before she knew it, the journey was over. The short walk to the car felt like a blur, each step taking her further from the life she had known, though it hadn't given her much to miss. As she turned around one last time, her eyes fell on the past, where she saw her Bhabhi, standing with teary eyes. A bittersweet smile graced Haram's lips as she waved one last goodbye.

With a deep breath, she settled into the car, carefully arranging her dress around her. It was time to start a new journey, with an uncertain future ahead, and a heart still unsure of what to feel.

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This Chapter was hard to write , ruksati is one of the hardest thing on this world.
I feel like crying 😢
I hope you all enjoying 😍
Stay time for tomorrow Chapter.