Thrones of Thakurs

❉ IV ❉

»»-----　Gauri　-----««

Gauri sat on the lavish couch, her hands and legs aching, and her back stiff. It was her mehendi ceremony, and the mehendi artists were drawing intricate designs on her hands-beautiful patterns with peacocks and delicate flowers.

It had already been two hours, and only one hand and half of her leg were done. The artist continued her work, focused on perfecting every detail.

"Di, aaa karo," Niharika said as she brought a spoonful of rasmalai to Gauri's lips. She opened her mouth, savoring the creamy, sweet flavor.

Rasmalai had always been her favorite.Mujhe ye zindagi bhar khani mile toh bhi kam hai, Gauri thought, relishing the taste of the nuts mixed with the rich cream.

It felt like heaven.As she ate the rasmalai Niharika fed her, her eyes wandered around the room.

Music played softly in the background while guests had their mehendi done by the artists hired by the Thakurs.

But despite the crowd, she couldn't find the one person she was looking for. Since morning, Gauri had hoped to catch a glimpse of him, but to her disappointment, he was nowhere to be seen.

She just wanted to see him-admire his features, even if for a second. The thought made her cheeks warm, turning pink, especially around her ears.

"Di, aapke gaal laal kyun ho rahe hain?" Niharika asked, noticing the change in her sister's expression. The AC was on full blast, so it wasn't the heat.

"Huh... nahi toh," Gauri quickly replied, avoiding Niharika's gaze. She didn't want her sister to tease her-Niharika had been doing that all day.

But the idea of seeing him made her stomach flutter. Though she had been dreading this arranged marriage, there was something about the brief eye contact they'd shared that sparked a tiny crush on her soon-to-be husband.

Husband.

The word itself made her cheeks flush even more, turning crimson.

Niharika watched Gauri closely, her sister's unusual expressions piquing her curiosity.

"Mam, humne sir ka naam likh diya hai aapke haath pe," one of the mehendi artists said, drawing Gauri's attention back to the intricate design.

His name was hidden between the patterns on her palm, written in tiny, delicate letters.

Gauri stared at her hand, her heart doing little flips at the sight of his name etched into her skin.

She bit her lip, trying to suppress the smile tugging at her lips.

»»-----　Nikarika　-----««

It was dark outside, and the sky was filled with twinkling stars, decorating the night in a serene glow. A cold breeze blew, making the air feel slightly chilly.

Niharika was busy applying mehendi to one of the aunties. It had been the sixth lady since the evening. The mehendi artists were few in number, so she stepped in to help.

Initially, the women were skeptical of her skills, but once she finished the design on the first lady, all the other relatives insisted she do theirs too.

Niharika couldn't refuse, though her own hands remained bare of mehendi. She scoffed inwardly as she drew shapes on the hand of a woman who was busy gossiping about her children with the others.

Rolling her eyes, Niharika hurried through the last design, eager to be done.

By the time she finished, it was almost 11 PM. She hadn't spoken to her mom since they arrived. Heading towards her mother's room, she knocked gently on the door.