A not-so-typical arranged marriage romance:
Ram Kapoor, owner of the famous food delivery start-up 'India Eatz', is among the richest businessmen in the country. Despite having both wealth and power, he felt like a failure when he wasn't able to do...
The streets came alive as the baraat procession made its way to the wedding venue. Drums beat in rhythmic crescendo; adorned in vibrant, embroidered sherwanis, sarees, and lehengas, The Kapoors, were dancing, swirling, and laughing to its tune, celebrating the union of Ram and Priya.
Ram, resplendent in his ivory sherwani, smiled broadly, his eyes shining as he looked at the madness around him.
The air reverberated with joy, infectious and uncontainable.
As they approached the wedding entrance, the sounds of shehnai, dholak, and drums merged, creating an electrifying atmosphere.
Priya's parents and relatives' smiles grew bigger as the long wait came to an end.
Followed by the dwaarchar, Anju suddenly pinched Ram's nose, leaving him baffled by the unexpected gesture and making others laugh at his expressions.
"Ye warning thi ki Priya ko pareshan kiya to aisa hi hoga tere sath," Shalini chimed in making Ram smile goofily .
Ram was escorted—yes escorted—to the beautifully decorated mandap, where a priest was already sitting, arranging things for the ritual.
Ram took a deep breath as everyone finally left his side, settling into seats a little away, while a few were already leaving for the food court—his favorite part about weddings. 'Apni hi shaadi ka khana nahi kha sakta,' .
"Beta, ye phool haath mein pakdo," the priest's words brought him back. He took the delicate flower in his hand, and the priest started with his chants, marking the beginning of the wedding ritual.
It was about 30 minutes later when the priest spoke the universal dialogue, "Ab vadhu ko bula lijiye," and once again, Ram's heartbeat rose with the realization.
The soft tune of Chaap Tilak filled the air in a few minutes, and every eye turned towards the door.
As the door opened, Priya stepped in, followed by her sister and cousins. Her eyes scanned the area for a brief second before they downcast with the nervousness of being the center of attention. She had performed on stage various times before, but today was different; she knew she was being judged for every tiny detail, from her attire, to makeup, to her looks .
Inhaling deeply and setting her thoughts aside, she once again looked up; her gaze wandered to the left, where Shalini stood smiling heartily at her, making her own lips curve up.
Her eyes then traveled to the right, where her parents stood smiling softly at her. The glistening tears in their eyes did not go unnoticed, making her eyes moist. Her gaze lingered on them for a moment before a hand came in front of her.
"Doctor Priya," Ram called, gesturing towards his hand. "The photographer " he tried to briefly explain the photographer's request.
Priya lightly placed her hand over Ram's, and he, too, did not tighten his hold in order to avoid making her uncomfortable.
"Sir, ma'am, stay like this," the photographer instructed, stopping them to capture the tender moment: them looking at each other, their hands intertwined.
Priya's attention finally went on Ram; the ivory golden sherwani, pink turban, and that tiny smile were indeed making him look different... okay handsome....very handsome.
Her trance broke as Ram gestured towards the stage.
Climbing up the stage, Ram side glanced at Priya....again. The golden ivory lehenga, the green neckpiece, the bun, and the light makeup all added to her beauty, making her look gorgeous.
"Di, jiju," Ritika called, passing the pink rose garland towards them.
Looking at each other, they exchanged the garland, and the hall erupted with cheers and whistles. A tiny smile made its way to their faces, nervousness fading little by little.
Ritika, followed by Ram, helped Priya in sitting down with the heavy lehenga for the further rituals.
A little later, the priest called Sanjeev and Anju for the kanyadan ritual.
It was while tying the red cloth over Ram and Priya's hands that Sanjeev's gaze fell on the black strap watch in Ram's hand, a complete mismatch to his otherwise perfect attire. It was the one he had given him while taking the promise of keeping his daughter happy. A smile adorned his face as an assuring feeling settled in his heart; Priya indeed had chosen the best for herself.
Out of everyone's sight, Ram gently rubbed his thumb on the back of Priya's hand in assurance, seeing her on the verge of crying.
The entire ceremony from there on had almost been mechanical for Priya, with her focus entirely on keeping the tears away.
Ram had noticed it, but with all the rituals and attention, he couldn't do anything, which made a little guilt creep into his mind.
As they settled again after the pheras, Ram dramatically murmured closer to Priya's ear, "Hash! Gira nahi," a smile finally broke out on her face.
" Kya mr.kapoor ", she spoke with a chuckle remembering the haldi day's chatting.
The photographer, gladly, was quick enough to not miss the opportunity.
. . . .
As Ram and Priya climbed down from the mandap, Ritika came in front with a wide, mischievous smile on her face.
"Jiju, joote kaha hai?" she asked, wiggling her brows, but unlike everyone's thoughts, Ram smirked.
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