I took a breath, feeling the weight of the garland he’d just placed around my neck. I was getting married. The thought of marriage always sickened me to my core, evidently I wasn't really fond of it seeing my parent's marriage, and I thought marriage can never be good. It was a chain, a forever chain bound to you which you cannot escape however much you tried. So I never really wanted to even try it. Never.
My eyes went up to meet Abhimanyu's. The intensity in his eyes held me in place, "Maybe...a marriage with him...wouldn't be that bad...", I realised what my mind just thought and I had to remind myself to look away. Anywhere but towards him. But as soon as I looked away, my gaze drifted right back to him.
Abhimanyu. Abhimanyu Rathore.
I had known him for a while now, but right now, he seemed like someone I was meeting for the first time. His eyes were softer than usual, even warmer, almost like he was drinking in every second of this moment. I could tell, he was fighting not to just pull me close right there, and there was something oddly endearing about it.
I wasn’t sure when he’d become so much a part of my thoughts, and I certainly wasn’t going to admit it. Not now. Definitely not now.
But standing here, wrapped in red and gold under all the lights, I could feel something in my chest—a flutter of excitement that caught me off guard. It was just a contract marriage, I reminded myself, but he had this way of looking at me that made me wonder if that was all there was.
"Hayat..." I heard him call, oh how sweet my name sounded from his mouth.
"Hayat?!" "Uh-yeah-yeah!" I panic whispered, responding.
His eyes pointed to something, and I looked into the direction where his eyes went. He held out a hand for me to take, and I looked up at him and smiled, nodding. He slowly clasped my hand into his, and softly tightened his grip around it, and I felt a flutter in my stomach.
We walked down the stage towards the mandap, it was so beautifully decorated with flowers and crystals.
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Abhimanyu helped me up the stage, both of us sat down, our hands were now not intertwined.
The pandit started chanted something, but I barely heard it as I met Abhimanyu's eyes again, feeling like I’d been caught in a spell. I just couldn't get my eyes off him.
"Hayat," he murmured, so quietly I almost missed it. His voice carried something more—a mix of admiration and longing—and that made my heart skip a beat.
I managed a small smile, and he held my gaze with that grin of his, looking at me like I was all that mattered. The world seemed to fade, and I knew that right now, it was only us standing here. I knew he cared deeply, and while I didn’t fully understand his feelings, I could sense the depth behind them.
As we turned to face the pandit, I felt his hand graze mine, just the slightest touch, and yet, I felt it everywhere. The simplicity of that moment felt…right. Like I could sit here forever, and it still wouldn't be enough. There was something about him—something I wanted to understand, to know, to let myself get swept into.
---
As we sat side by side, hands still loosely intertwined in between the rituals, I hesitated, glancing at him thoughtfully before speaking up.
“Abhi?”
He turned to me, his gaze soft and attentive, making it feel like he’d waited his whole life to hear whatever I had to say. “Yes, Hayat?”
I fiddled with the edge of my saree, feeling oddly shy. “So… you know how some girls change their surname after marriage?” I looked up at him, wondering how he’d respond. “Will I… I mean, do you expect me to…?”
He raised an eyebrow, then chuckled softly, his hand squeezing mine just a bit tighter. “No, you definitely don’t need to, meri jaan.”
He leaned a little closer, his eyes warm and steady, as if to make sure I understood. “Hayat is enough. That’s the only name I’ve ever cared about.”
A blush crept up my cheeks, and I laughed, shaking my head. “Arey, it just came to mind, that’s all! It’s nothing serious.”
But his words stayed with me, lingering like a secret sweetness.
He gave me a knowing smile, as if reading my mind, but he didn’t say anything more.
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