𝐌𝐞𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞: 𝖍𝖊𝖗 𝖕𝖔𝖘𝖘𝖊𝖘𝖘𝖎𝖔𝖓

✦|69

Arjun POV:

The day of the Mehendi ceremony began with the kind of chaos you'd only find in a big Indian family.

From the crack of dawn, the house was buzzing with activity.

Myra and Saanvi had practically taken over, directing everyone and making sure things went smoothly.

The women gathered inside, giggling and preparing the henna cones, while the men took over the outside, laughing and attempting to keep things from falling apart—which, let's be honest, was a challenge with all the last-minute arrangements.

Meanwhile, I was lounging in the courtyard with Aryan, Krish, Dhruv, Proxy, and Vihaan.

We had successfully managed to stay out of the Mehendi chaos—for now, at least.

Aryan, who had been talking non-stop about getting matching mehendi with me, was bouncing around with excitement.

"Bhaiyya," Aryan tugged at my sleeve, his eyes wide with anticipation. "You didn't forget, right? We're getting matching mehendi."

I chuckled, pulling him into my lap. "Of course not, Champ. We'll get matching designs. Don't worry."

Krish, sitting across from us with a smirk, said "Matching mehendi? Seriously, AJ? This is what marriage does to you."

Vihaan, laughed. "Let him be, boys. Mehendi or no mehendi, tomorrow he'll be the one married, and you'll still be stuck dealing with last-minute wedding chaos."

I shrugged with a grin. "Why not? It's Aryan's idea, and it's not like we're doing anything else important."

Krish, casually scrolling through his phone, said "We're doing something very important, AJ—staying out of the chaos in there," he said, jerking his thumb toward the house where the women were.

And chaos it was.

Inside, the Mehendi ceremony was in full swing. Myra, as usual, was in charge, directing the artists while Aaru sat in the center like a queen, her hands and feet being decorated with beautiful henna patterns.

The sounds of laughter, teasing, and gossip filled the air as the women chattered away. The energy was contagious, even from a distance.

But as fun as the inside sounded, the boys were enjoying our peace outside.

Dhruv was on the phone with some vendor, managing last-minute arrangements for the reception tonight.

He seemed calm, but I knew there was a storm brewing beneath that cool exterior.

Weddings in Indian families meant non-stop action, and nothing ever went exactly to plan.

Just as I thought that, I heard a crash from inside the house.

"WHAT HAPPENED TO THE FLOWERS?!" Myra's voice boomed from somewhere inside.

Krish glanced at me, stifling a laugh. "And there it is."

I shook my head, grinning. "Typical. You think that's bad? Wait until the reception prep hits full swing."

Inside the house, Aaru sat in the center of the room, The women surrounded her, applying intricate henna designs on her hands and feet.

It was a riot of colors and laughter as they teased her mercilessly, telling her stories about finding the groom's name hidden in the mehendi—an age-old tradition where the bride's mehendi hides the groom's name, and after the wedding, he has to find it.

"How much do you want to bet he'll never find it?" Myra teased, leaning over to whisper in Aaru's ear.

Aaru smiled, her cheeks flushing pink. "Oh, I'm sure he'll figure it out. But let's make it a challenge."