A U T H O R' S P O V
The room was buzzing with excitement as everyone weighed in on the wedding date. Apeksha turned to Mrs. Shekhawat with a warm smile, as if waiting for a final confirmation.
“To fir 13 December ki tarik tay rakht hai, Kya kahti hai aap, Mrs. Shekhawat?” Apeksha asked, her tone filled with genuine eagerness.
(Then let’s fix the date for December 13. What do you say, Mrs. Shekhawat?)
“Han, chlega kyun nahi,” Ratan replied, her face lighting up with a wide smile.
(Yes, why not? That works.)
Kunal, unable to contain his excitement, burst out, “Chlao, jaldi tayari shuru kar dete hai, kuch hi din baki hai!”
(Come on, let’s start the preparations quickly, we don’t have many days left!)
“Aur sab log sunlo, hum bahut sari reels banayenge, hn?” Mona piped in enthusiastically. “Aki aur jiju, tumhe pehle wedding date disclose karne wali post dalni hogi taki sab ko pata chale—”
(And everyone, listen up, we’re going to make lots of reels, okay? Aki and jiju, you both need to post something to announce the wedding date so everyone knows—)
Before she could finish her sentence, Abhiman playfully stuffed her mouth with a piece of kaju katli, stifling her mid-sentence.
“Are thoda sabar, bacha. Sab kar lenge, tum tension mat lo,” Abhiman teased, as Mona shot him a playful glare.
(Hey, have a little patience, kiddo. We’ll do everything, don’t worry.)
Joravar added to the lively atmosphere, “Hum best wedding planners choose karenge to sab kaam ho jayega.”
(We’ll hire the best wedding planners, so everything will be taken care of.)
Apeksha looked over to Akriti’s parents with a grateful expression, her voice filled with sincerity as she said, “Aur shaadi ka pura kharcha ladke wale uthayenge. Aap bas apni beti de dijiye, yahi badi baat hai.”
(And the groom’s side will handle all the expenses. Just giving us your daughter is a great gift in itself.)
Ratan’s face turned thoughtful as she listened. She nodded to Manan before he responded firmly, but gently, “Haan, mana hum middle class family hain, par hamare bhi kuch sapne hain apni beti ki shadi ko lekar. Woh hum khud pure karna chahenge… aap baki chize dekh lena, lekin Akriti ke sab expenses related to wedding hum hi karenge.”
(Yes, we may be a middle-class family, but we have dreams too about our daughter’s wedding. We’d like to make those dreams a reality ourselves… You handle everything else, but we’ll cover all expenses related to Akriti’s wedding.)
“As Aditya opened his mouth to protest, he started to say, “Par aise kaise—” (But how can—), but Akriti gave a subtle shake of her head, signalling him to let it be. She understood her family’s gesture and didn’t want to deny them the joy of contributing to her wedding. Recognizing her resolve, Aditya fell silent, respecting their decision.
Apeksha, sensing the moment, spoke up with a warm smile. “Kal fir mai wedding planners search karti aur baki ki baatein hum phir kabhi karenge. Ab chalte hain.”
(Tomorrow, I’ll start looking for wedding planners, and we can discuss the rest later. For now, let’s take our leave.)
Before they could turn to go, Manan urged, “Are, thoda aur ruk jao na, khana kha ke jaate.” (Oh, stay a little longer, have dinner before you go.)
YOU ARE READING
Be Mine
RomanceIn the land where sunbeams danced, two souls yearned for each other across vast distances. Their hearts, tethered by longing, faced the cruel shadow of separation. Unbeknownst to all, one carried the weight of a secret identity, a clandestine existe...
