TURN OF FATE, cl16

EPILOGUE.

EPILOGUE.
MONACO.

Mehendi Night

The mehendi had been a riot of colour and sound. Lavina had coordinated most of it with Carlos— who'd insisted on fully participating even if he accidentally called henna "the brown spicy ink." And surprisingly both of them rather enjoyed each other's companies and not be on each other's throat.

Dariyah's palms had been adorned with intricate designs— one of which, hidden slyly, had Charles' initials worked into it. Charles wasn't allowed to see them until after the wedding, but he'd gotten a sneak peek anyway, courtesy of Sneha's daughter, little Hana, who blabbed the secret while dancing with Max.

And Max— who no one thought could dance— had twirled the little girl around under the fairy lights while Sneha watched from the side, eyes softening more with every moment.

At one point, Lavina turned to Rishi and whispered, "You see that?" nodding toward Sneha and Max. "There's something brewing there."

Rishi smirked. "You think he's ready to be a girl dad?"

"Knowing Max, he's already memorising bedtime lullabies."

Baraat (the next morning)

When Charles' baraat arrived on a decked-out golf cart (because horses weren't allowed in the heritage resort they chose), the sight was chaos. Pierre and George were dancing at the front, flailing their arms and doing bhangra whole Toto held a dhol someone had forced into his hands.

"Did no one inform Carlos that the groom's entry is not supposed to be this loud and with loud music and dancing?" Sameeha asked, looking over the balcony watching the guys coming in as if they came straight out of a Bollywood movie.

"God, I knew I shouldn't have given the responsibility of groom's entry to that asshole! I'm sure he googled up a desi's grooms entry to a wedding and planned it!" Lavina groaned out of frustration, she switched on-her mic set and started screaming at Carlos, who looked up from all that dancing with a clueless expression— him being the only other one wearing the mic set besides Lavina, as they were the wedding planners.

"Relax, it's fine. They're having fun, let them be." Alisha laughed softly, finding the scenario too funny.

"You sure?" Sameeha asked. Alisha just nodded her head and smiled at her youngest daughter— who was busy admiring her soon-to-be husband and vice versa.

"I came for wine and vows," Toto muttered to the camera. "Instead, I've become a wedding DJ."

Lavina and Carlos then coordinated a friendly joota chupai (shoe hiding) scheme with Sameeha and Rishi. Charles tried to keep his shoes, failed, and ended up paying an embarrassing €400 ransom in chocolate truffles and hugs.

Noor (Light)

The air shimmered with joy.

It began in the quiet moments— the sun rising golden over the horizon, casting a soft glow on the house where Dariyah sat surrounded by the women she loved. Her mother Alisha stood behind her, gently thing jasmine into her hair, while Sameeha— her sister, adjusted the embroidered dupatta that glistened with silver and pearl.