More Than A Miracle

8. The day of Engagement

Akshita

I had to blink back my tears when he kissed me on the forehead. That kiss undid me. It broke every wall, every barrier that I had built around my heart for years. I was so happy that I was having a hard time expressing my joy. He started rambling apologies thinking he had offended me. Oh, how wrong he was. How very wrong?

After he left, I went back inside the house but the thoughts of the happiness and the calm that Ashish's presence gave me were not removing the idiotic grin which was plastered on my face constantly so I slept with it.

______

The next day, my female cousins took me to the salon for various kind of beauty treatments. I had fun because I was getting so much attention from my family. Because of my engagement, I was the centre of attention for everyone.

It was finally the day of my engagement, the house was buzzing with excitement. Everyone was busy with makeup, getting ready, decorations and I was sitting in my room with my cousins. They were sitting with me and we all had a face pack applied on us. 

My cousins' husbands arrived in the morning, looking at the way they were interacting with each other, made me feel sick all of a sudden. My brothers-in-law were behaving as if they were the kings of someplace. They were treating the servants so poorly and when they didn't get something in time, they were creating such a big scene. They do it every time and I always get disgusted by their behaviour. It was not their mistake though, my family welcomed and provoked this kind of behaviour.

Ashish would be different, I smiled at the thought.

After eating lunch, I sat in my room. I got a call from Khushi and her cousin, Swasti and they both talked to me for some time while my cousins got busy tending to their husbands.

"Akshita, we are going to get ready at the hotel, it will save time and space. You have five minutes, take whatever you want to take. Your dress and accessories are already in the car. Come on, move, just don't stand there." Mom gave instructions and left immediately.

I took my phone and some other minor things in a small pouch and went outside. Some of the family members had left while some were just leaving. I went to sit beside my mother as she had instructed. A bag was hung in the car, it must be my dress. I haven't seen it yet because mom selected it herself. I hope it is not very heavy.

We reached the hotel where my engagement was going to be held after a few hours. Mom took me to the room assigned to me while everyone else went to theirs. A few minutes later, two women came to my room.

"These ladies are going to get you ready. Here is your dress." My mother introduced them to me and I nodded. The ladies started doing my makeup but my mother kept interrupting them to give instructions. They both were getting annoyed by her constant jabbering but they did the makeup as my mother wanted.

"Go and wear your dress. It's already late, I will go get ready too." Mom said and after giving a few more instructions to the makeup artists, she left.

I went inside the adjoining dressing room to change my clothes. Opening the dress bag, I looked fascinated at the beauty of my dress. It consisted of a beige embroidered net floor length Anarkali suit with matching beige pant underneath. The dress was accompanied by a chiffon matching dupatta. It had beautiful flower embroidery on the arms, neck and lower skirt. I was smitten by my engagement dress. More than that, I was surprised that my mother didn't choose a weird outfit. I shrugged and wore it anyway. The material was soft and the dress hugged me in all the right places.