"Ehsaas"~ A Story Of Falling In Love

CHAPTER:- 23 (Wedding part 1 )

The Night Before Forever

The night before their wedding, Agni and Diya found themselves once again on a late-night call, just as they had been doing for the past few months. There was something different about tonight, though-an unusual silence between them, a quiet acknowledgment that everything was about to change.

Diya lay on her bed, her hands resting on her stomach, the intricate mehendi designs on her palms darkened to a deep hue, a sign of love and tradition. Her bangles jingled softly as she adjusted the pillow beneath her head. She could hear the distant chatter of her cousins outside her room, the lingering festivities of the wedding house still alive even at this hour. Yet, despite the chaos, her heart and mind were solely focused on the man on the other end of the call.

Agni sighed dramatically, breaking the silence. "Diya, today is our last conversation."

Diya frowned, her brows knitting together. "What? Agni, stop talking like that. What do you mean?"

Agni continued, his voice filled with exaggerated sorrow. "Diya, after tonight, everything will change. No more late-night calls, no more 'how was your day' messages, no more sneaking moments to talk. This is our last conversation as two separate individuals. After tomorrow, we are no longer just Agni and Diya. We become Mr. and Mrs. Saxena. Husband and wife. Everything will be different."

Diya rolled her eyes, though a soft smile played on her lips. "Agni, you're being way too dramatic. Tomorrow, we are getting married, not saying goodbye. And we had an arranged marriage, remember? We weren't even supposed to be having these late-night calls in the first place."

Agni smirked, his voice teasing yet holding something deeper beneath the playfulness. "Exactly. We broke the so-called rules. What kind of an arranged marriage has late-night conversations filled with laughter, stolen glances, and deep talks about life? We did things our way, Diya. And now... I will miss it. I will miss waiting for your call, hearing your voice before I sleep, waiting to steal moments in between family gatherings. This entire journey-getting to know you, slowly understanding you-has been... unexpected but beautiful. And after tomorrow, everything will be set in stone. No more uncertainty. No more 'getting to know each other.' You will be mine, officially."

Diya felt her heart soften at his words. Their marriage had started as an arrangement, two families bringing them together based on tradition, compatibility, and social ties. But somewhere along the way, it had stopped feeling like just a decision made by their parents. It had started feeling like a choice-their choice.

She smiled, playing along. "Oh no, you're right, Agni. This is our last night of freedom. Tomorrow, we become husband and wife, and then we have to deal with each other every single day. You will have to tolerate my obsession with dance, my habit of forgetting where I keep my things, my endless rants when I'm frustrated."

Agni chuckled. "And you will have to tolerate my early morning routine, my overprotectiveness, and my terrible habit of leaving my socks everywhere."

Diya laughed, the sound light and comforting. "Sounds like a disaster."

Agni smiled, his voice turning softer. "Sounds like forever."

A warmth spread through Diya's chest at his words. She traced the mehendi design on her palm absentmindedly, thinking about what tomorrow would bring. The sacred vows, the sindoor, the mangalsutra-all the things that would bind them together, not just in name but in life.

A comfortable silence stretched between them before Diya spoke again, her voice quieter this time. "Agni... are you scared?"

Agni paused, and for a moment, Diya thought she had caught him off guard. But then he exhaled and answered sincerely. "A little. Not of marrying you, but of not being enough for you. Of not giving you the happiness you deserve. Of not being able to make you feel at home in this new life."