A GIRL LIKE YOU

66

"How do you feel?" Aaliyah asked me, as I stared in the mirror.
"Happy." I whispered.
Same day, a few months apart. I am sitting in front of the same mirror. Looking at my reflection dressed up in the red dress of my wedding. The last time I sat there, I was numb. But this time, I am overwhelmed with the emotions swirling inside of me.
I am getting married to Ansh.
Ansh.
I didn't imagine myself getting married to a guy I literally ran into at a metro station. It all seems so surreal now. I didn't think I would fall in love with the best friend of the man I was supposed to marry to months ago. I did not even for a moment thought that the guy who I ran away with months ago would become my husband somewhere down the road. That's what life is, huh. Unexpected. Unpredictable. A bumpy ride. I hoped that I would end up somewhere nice and I am glad that I actually did.
"Someone's not happy though." Preeti said as she came into the room with Aaliyah's baby boy. She gave him to Aaliyah.
"Thanks for taking care of him." Aaliyah thanked Preeti.
Preeti smiled and then looked at me, "you are the most beautiful bride." I smiled back. She is an amazing girl.
"My brother is waiting for you Kiara. Are you ready?" Anya said as she came in with my mom and hers.
All the headstrong women in my life, stood there in the room with me. The women who inspire me. The women who told me how strong they are. The women who made me want to be like them. Or should I say girls like them?

After that day in the hospital, the wedding preparations escalated quickly and this day came almost 2 months later. Ansh wanted to get married as soon as possible and I couldn't be happier. Aaliyah helped when she recovered a month later. I had Preeti and Anya. Ansh and Aarav, slowly but steadily got over their fued.
Ansh and I stood at the stage after the ceremony looking over at the small list of guests in the room, as Anya and Aarav walked up to the stage.
"Hey, Kiara!" Aarav said.
"Hi, Aarav."
Aarav and I are friends now. I also found out that he is indeed a little stupid, but he is a nice guy nonetheless.
"Remember our wedding day a few months ago?"
There goes his proof of being stupid.
"Yeah?"
"I am glad I ran away." He said.
"Me too." I laughed and Ansh glared at Aarav.
"What? When would it be alright, for us to joke about it? It'll make a good story to tell our children." Aarav said looking between me and Ansh.
"Never. Asshole. You can never joke about it." Ansh said and hit Aarav on his head.

***

"Would you like to dance with me?" Ansh asked me and offered his hands.
"I would love to." I said as I get off our bed and Ansh pulled me up against his body in the middle of our room in our home.
He slid his hand on my bare waist peeking out of the dress and intertwined the fingers of other with mine. We swayed back and forth slowly as the music played in the background.
"Always thought I was hard to love, till you made it seem so easy." I sang with the singer and told Ansh with my eyes that I mean those word.
Ansh leaned in and pressed his lips against mine in the softest kiss. I breathed against his lips and rested my head against his chest listening to his heart beat.
"I love you so much Kiara." Ansh said against my forehead.
"I love you too." I said and snuggled to him closer.
"Are ready to be my wife?" He asked.
I looked up at him. "Don't you think, it's too late to ask that now? I am already kind of your wife and your my husband."
God, that seems so surreal.
"Kind of? You are my wife there's no kind of about it." Ansh said.
"Well, we haven't consummated our marriage yet. Have we?" I said.
"Is that so?"
In one swing of a motion Ansh had me on the bed lying on my back as he hovered above me.
"Lets consumate then." He said and kissed me and I kissed him back.

We undressed each other with unhurried movements. After all, we have a whole life ahead of us. With the same unhurriedness, Ansh and I made love.
Taking time, kissing each other, telling each other about how much we love each other.
And when I looked into his beautiful brown eyes, his dilated pupils, his long lashes, his slightly open mouth I fell off that cliff of pleasure and shattered in thousand pieces.
"So beautiful." Ansh said and buried his face in the crook of my neck.
The way he looked at me in that moment, made me fall in love with myself.
Him and I forever. With no pretense. No pressure of being someone I am not. Just companionship. Just acceptance. Just love. Just us.

I know this is the part where I tell you that we lived happily ever after. But I am not going to. Cause life isn't fairy tale. And nor is this story.

I don't believe in happy endings. I don't believe that this is it. I don't believe that our story ended here. I believe that our journey has just started. It's a long way to go. But the best part is not the destination, it's definitely the journey. I am ready for this adventurous journey with Ansh.

Ansh might not be the prince charming who kissed me better, but he definitely came as an angel who lessend the fear of coming out of the shell that I prisoned myself in for years. He might not be the reason why I finally let go and accepted myself, but he was definitely a catalyst in the process. He might not be the person who didn't let me drown, but he definitely gave me a hand when I decided to come out of the ocean of insecurities.
You get what I am saying? It was me who decided to come out of that shell. It was me who decided to accept and love myself. It was me who decided to come out of the ocean of insecurities I was drowning in. It was all me. Only I can do that for myself. Only I am responsible for that. I had help and I am woman enough to admit it. But like they say, some bridges you have to cross youself no matter who drove you to the edge.
And I admit, its not easy. But then again, life isn't either.
I am not pretending to be a good girl anymore. I am just loving myself with all my imperfections and the people who love me. Cause someone once told me, that I should be proud to be,
A Girl Like Me..........

The End.