One Step Closer (IPKKND FF | Complete)

Chapter Four

The three youngest women of the soon-to-be Raizada-Gupta household were gathered in an upstairs guest room that served as the bride's suite before the evening ceremony. Anjali was powdering Payal's nose, gently teasing the blushing bride who looked both nervous and deliriously happy.

"Achoo!" Anjali suddenly sneezed, startling Payal and herself.

"Oh no, are you all right, Anjali-ji?" Payal asked, a little disturbed by the possibly bad omen. But Anjali just smiled and shook her head.

"Please, start calling me Di!"

Khushi had finally changed into her royal blue outfit with red accents and gold embroidery, grateful for the elbow-length sleeves of the lehenga choli. Now nobody would spot the bruises on her arms, which were starting to develop quite a startling purple. Nobody must notice... I can't have any disruption to Jiji's wedding!

Everything else... every horrible confrontation that was now inevitable, the painful revelations that were sure to shake both newly joined families to their core - all that would have to wait until after Akash and Payal took the seven steps around the fire.

Trying her best to push thoughts of the night's earlier events aside, Khushi went about getting ready for her sister's big night, keeping her mood high and joining in with Anjali's teasing. After all, keeping up a pretense of cheerfulness had lately become a specialty for her.

But anxiety gnawed in her stomach as she thought about Shyam and about her confession to Arnav-ji. And not just the confession... there was also Arnav-ji himself. What he had said... and the way he had held her. And touched her cheek! Hai Devi Maiyaa--

"Khushi? Khushi I need those earrings!" Payal's voice snapped her out of her reverie, and Khushi realised she'd stopped dead in her tracks again, holding the jewellery she'd been about to hand to Payal.

"Seems that you have a lot on your mind Khushi-ji, isn't that right?" Anjali laughed, stopping herself short from conspiratorially winking and openly referring to her Chhote. Despite feeling strangely tired over the past couple days, Anjali was bursting with happiness, she loved busying herself with ceremonies and celebrations, and a wedding was the best of them all!

Secretly, Anjali could hardly wait until it was time to organise another wedding, this time for her Chhote and the younger Gupta sister. She really hoped it would happen soon, oblivious to the cruel twist of fate that she and everyone she loved would soon be facing.

"Um... no Anjali-ji, nothing of the sort," Khushi blushed and busied herself with adjusting Payal's maang tikka.

But even as her hands kept busy, Khushi's thoughts immediately wandered back to Arnav-ji, and her heart raced for more reasons than one. Devi Maiyaa help me, please don't let anything interrupt Jiji's wedding!

***

The Raizada estate had never looked so resplendent. Yards upon yards of marigold sashes everywhere, and silken curtains on the tall glass windows, and a richly decorated mandap as the focal point of the proceedings.

Even with certain departures from tradition, and the younger son marrying before the older one, and it being a love marriage and all... oh yes, the guests had done their share of gossiping and whispering, but they had to admit that Shantivan sure was a stunning backdrop for a wedding party.

The first set of prayers had now been completed, and Khushi was walking Payal down the stairs in her heavy red bridal costume.

The crowd of elegantly dressed guests murmured, appropriately expressing their appreciation of the stunning bride, and also noting the beauty of the bride's younger sister.

As a blushing Payal finally took her place opposite Akash, Khushi tried to inconspicuously scan the crowd. A man in a suit should be easily spotted amongst all the bright sherwanis, but from what she could tell, Arnav-ji was nowhere in sight.

"Wow, Khushi-jee, you look so good! Lovely!" NK interrupted Khushi's reverie, beaming and giving her a head-to-toes with the video camera he'd been brandishing into everyone's faces since the morning. Khushi smiled politely and exchanged pleasantries with him, but before she could resume her visual search for Arnav-ji, it was time for the ceremony to begin.

Anjali handed Akash and Payal the flower garlands to exchange, the happy couple acting like the very definition of shy blushing and awkward stammering.

Payal was about to put the garland around Akash's neck, when he suddenly paused and looked around.

"What are you waiting for, Akash, mere bhai? It's your wedding, and Payal-jee is right there!" said NK, interrupting the pause that was beginning to grow awkward, as the guests exchanged a few confused looks.

"But.. Where's my brother?" Akash scanned the crowd, confirming Khushi's suspicion that Arnav was indeed nowhere in sight.

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I realised as I was uploading this that the chapter is a little shorter than others, and you might feel like not much happened! So here's a brief advance teaser for Chapter Five:

"Are you thinking about work?" NK asked, shaking his head and clicking his tongue in exaggerated disapproval.

"Huh...? No, NK... I mean... oh nevermind," Arnav cast down his gaze, as his mind started racing again.

Taking in Khushi's presence had been like a breath of much-needed fresh air - it briefly soothed him, momentarily distracting from the shattering news he'd learned just minutes before rushing down to join the ceremony.

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