You and I - a pranushka tale

chapter twenty-nine

Arjun hurried towards his friends who were leaning against the pillar, watching the early morning wedding rituals take place. There was an excited grin on his face as his eyes wandered around the room, a clear appreciation evident in his expression.

"I don't think I want to ever leave this place," He began with a satisfied sigh. "There are so many beautiful girls here."

Mahesh nodded in agreement, looking at the young women clad in sarees as Prabhas shot him a look. "You come all the way to Rana's village for his wedding only to focus on the girls?" He asked, judgement clear in his voice.

Arjun scoffed as he looked Prabhas up and down. "Yeah because sir over here was focused on agriculture since arriving." He retorted looking around the room to point at Mithrah but much to his dismay she wasn't there yet.

Mahesh snickered as Prabhas rolled his eyes even though a smile threatened to spill on his face. He had come to Rana's village originally with the idea of a short stay to meet his family and have a small break from his city lifestyle after intensive police training. The last thing he expected was to meet someone like Mithrah and have his whole life come to a halt.

He soon snapped out of his thoughts and placed his attention on the marriage rituals that were unfolding before him. Thara's parents were just about to wash his feet as per traditions when Rana stopped them with an adamant shake of his head. A rather modern man than most, some traditions Rana was willing to accept but this was one of the few he couldn't partake in. He believed in treating Thara's parents with utmost respect and he didn't think them kneeling before him as they washed his feet was the way.

Rana then walked through the large crowd of smiling guests before sitting down at the front where the priest was chanting in Sanskrit. There was a smile on his face that his friends had never seen before and they noticed the way he kept glancing at the large door at the end of the room making it obvious he was waiting for Thara to walk through any moment. Prabhas saw blurs of cream and maroon as Rana's and Thara's family ensured the hall was ready for the bride's anticipated entrance. His own smile grew as he realised that it wouldn't be only Thara who would be entering the hall but also the woman who had him tied around her little finger.

As the music changed both men's attention turned to the door in an instance. Arjun chortled as he neared Prabhas. "Bro careful you might have gotten whiplash with that pace." He teased as Prabhas stomped on his foot in reply, immediately causing him to stop his gleeful laughter as he winced clutching his foot.

Thara walked in gracefully, a radiant glow on her face as she took the slow but steady steps towards her future. She was wearing a saree in the most beautiful shade of yellow with a maroon border. Her braided hair was adorned with flowers and her face appeared as ethereal as she felt. Wordlessly Rana watched her, his face failing to portray his emotions as he stared at her walk angelically towards him. He realised no matter how many times he laid eyes on her he would be rendered speechless in her beauty.

The bride was the one who stole most eyes but there was one pair that was frozen on the young woman who walked by her side. With an equally graceful stance, Mithrah stepped beside the bride. Prabhas at first was frozen on her face and expression. She was laughing with a glance back at Nithya, glowing like the moon on a starless, clear night. Prabhas leaned against the pillar, memorising every curve of her face and body as she walked like a goddess. She was wearing the maroon saree that she had tried on days back. It was the exact same shade as his shirt, but Prabhas was certain that on her it appeared divine simply because it was blessed enough to caress her skin.

The moment her eyes lifted to meet his, it was as if everything else in the hall faded into nothingness. All that mattered to Mithrah was his appreciative gaze, the ones that showered her with a thousand compliments without him having to utter a single word. Her skin blossomed like the beginning of spring, the hues of red catching his attention even from afar. He smiled causing her eyes to narrow. But when he raised his eyebrows teasingly, Mithrah couldn't stop the way her lips curved upwards.