Perennial Love

45. A strange change

A/N

Sunday aaya update laaya!

Here's the next chapter, I hope you all will enjoy it.

Happy reading!

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Swayam's POV

I took deep breaths in and out to calm myself down. Now sitting in front of the holy fire and performing the rituals before the bride arrived felt really nostalgic. I had already done this before too and now I really pray this time it is for forever. It made me more nervous thinking of my Sharon. I really hope she doesn't get an attack here or experience any discomfort. Though the doctor has said that the medicines are of high dosage, I am still worried for her.

I haven't heard from her since morning atleast through a message and that makes my mind even more tensed. Even yesterday she seemed disturbed while we were leaving and wanted to say something but she couldn't. She didn't even reply to my message this evening that I had sent her when we left our house. I really hope she will be fine throughout the ceremony. I was brought out of my trance with the voice of the priest requesting the bride's presence and my heartbeat quickened. The time is finally here where I am marrying the same person once again.

I looked at Sid, expecting him to bring her down but he didn't make any movement to go get her. I observed carefully and he looked really tensed. After aunty put her hand on his shoulder, he seemed to come out of some thought and quickly nodded, leaving to bring her to the mandap. I frowned and looked at Rey to see him equally worried and I racked my brain for any possible problem in this event that may arise, I had come through. I got none but what are both of them so tensed of? Even Kriya seemed visibly lost but nonetheless they took part into everything with a smile. Thinking I might be overthinking, I just shrugged off the thought and shifted my gaze to the stairs from where my girl would walk in.

My breath was caught at the very sight of her. She looked like an angel walking down from paradise. My choice definitely suited her and the glow was visible on her face too. Everything brought me a feeling of deja vu. My mind took me back to the flashes of my Sharon walking down to the mandap for the very first time. It's just that now she doesn't remember it at all. I felt my eyes becoming teary and I quickly wiped the corner of it, without anyone noticing it.

She took her sweet time to walk upto me and I was already standing with the flower garland. The whole way she had her eyes casted down but even now she didn't raise her eyes to look at me. Her mom handed her the garland and she finally raised her eyes but still didn't make a eye contact. Maybe she is nervous or even her headache might have kicked in with the familiarity of her past events.

Just as she lifted her hands to put the garland around me, I decided to play a little to lighten the atmosphere for her and I leaned back. She scoffed a little and tried again while I made her miss it again making everyone else around us laugh. She then stopped trying and stood holding it tightly. She looked down again and I could see her controlling something so much with the clenching of her jaw. I immediately bowed in front of her earning everyone's hoots and awes. She slid the garland over my turban and I did the same with her too.

Our eyes connected for once and I could see a strange flicker in her eyes and she quickly averted it. Her eyes looked so guarded. Is she having the flashbacks before attack again? I am not able to figure out, what would have happened to her so suddenly? One after the other, we performed all the rituals but she looked a bit pale now I could see her so close by but she kept her smile intact all the time, making no one else doubt on her.

Soon the priest said us to walk circles around the holy fire. I stood up and gave her my hand for support but instead, she got up on her own making me frown. I brushed all the unwanted thoughts off and we completed the ritual. Then we were asked to sit down and I was asked to tie the nuptial chain around her neck. That's when I noticed she had removed my gifted chain around her neck. Now the matter is starting to bother me but I still smiled and filled the partition of her hair with vermillion too.