My arranged wedding

The engagement

The guests had already arrived when Vedant returned.

He's made to seat on a sofa on the stage by his mum. Shagird stands next to him while Shekhar captures the event on his Nikon Z9 camera.

Surjeet and Aniket conversed with Rowan before the ceremony starts.

Shalini stuns in her red satin lehenga as she seats next to Vedant. Aniket applies tikka to Vedant's forehead while Shalini is wrapped  with her family's heirloom Chinni by her mum. When they are done, she is presented with fruits and nuts.

Ruchi gifts Shalini a stone studded anklet which she helps her wear with Indira's aid.

Ruchi then brings forward the engagement ring from the groom's side on a silver platter.

Vedant stares at the ring box and recalls the day he proposed to Rachna, Ruchi glances him and turns to Rowan scared that Vedant won't take the ring from her.

"What's wrong son? Take the ring." Rowan calls out and Vedant comes back to his senses. He reluctantly picks the ring from the platter and stares into her eyes before putting the ring on her finger.

Ria brings the ring from the bride's side after a loud round of applause.

Shalini takes the Leon gold toned gravel ring and holds on to it. Vedant on seeing how nervous Shalini is stretches out his hand and whispers "You don't want them to complain right? My hand is out now, won't you wear me the ring?" he cocks his eyebrows and smiles, the first smile Shalini has ever seen from him towards her.

She smiles back at once and wears him the ring.

"Ria, you are so elaborately dressed but you can't still move, look how you're almost wiggling around." Surjeet remarks pointing to Ria in her velvet lehenga choli.

"You just love making fun of me, Surjeet and I don't like it one bit. Tell Chetan and Swamini to start distributing the sweets and ladoos." Ria replies and faces Shekhar "Did you get everything my boy?"

"Yes mum but it wouldn't hurt if you let me join the others. It's my cousin's engagement, I don't have to be stuck being the camera man." Shekhar whines at him mum.

"Be quiet and get all the coverage, I don't want anything to be left out while I'm watching it." Ria shoots back and walks away leaving father and son together.

"Let them feed each other sweets." Rowan suggests and Ruchi agrees. Tanya takes a plate of sweet and hands it over to Vedant to feed Shalini first.

"Don't tell me you are shy Vedant. Come on now I don't expect this from you." Shagird teases and Asha rolls her eyes "Everyone's waiting."

Vedant ignores him and feeds Shalini while Shalini returns the favour to Vedant at the same time.

"Asha." Vedant calls out by the mini buffet of snacks. She turns back and answers "Is anything wrong Vedant?" he shakes his head and starts "I just wanted to be sure that there's no secret left to come to my awareness ... is there any other thing I should know about Shalini?"

Asha stares behind him to see Shagird and replies "No, there's nothing ... hey Shagird."

Vedant raises his head up and releases a sigh of relief, he could feel the tension building up.

"What were you two talking about? Have I missed anything?" Shagird blurts without holding back.

"One question at a time Shagird." Asha retorts with a shake of the head.

"Okay sorry, answer the first one."

"I can't stay any longer so Vedant will have to answer you, I have to help Shalini out since the ceremony is over... congrats Vedant." she offers him a small smile.

"Thank you."

"What were you two discussing? I'm sure I heard something about a secret." Shagird goes on.

"It's nothing, why don't you ask Asha yourself?"

"You just got engaged and you are already keeping secrets? What will happen when you eventually get married? Aunt Ruchi must hear about this."

Shagird leaves Vedant to ponder on his earlier conversation with Asha.

Two hours later and the event comes to an end. The parents big their guests good bye while the celebrants of the day return to their rooms.

Shalini still dressed in her engagement outfit sits on her bed when Asha comes in to see her.

"I've been looking all over downstairs for you." she complains but gets no response from Shalini.

"I had a lot of ladoos today. The engagement was awesome, I could see you smiling a lot too. Hmm happy bride."

"Every girl is supposed to smile on such an occasion Asha, besides this isn't my first engagement you know." Shalini says and begins to remove her jhumka earrings.

Asha stops in her tracks and sees that Shalini is hurt. "I didn't mean to upset you."

"No, Asha go on ...you are right. I can't just forget the past, it's too bitter to forget and it hurts because I'm starting a new journey."

Shalini stops and admires the anklets Ruchi gave her earlier "They've showered so much love on me and mum will be devastated if this alliance doesn't work out, what do you think they will do when they find out...."

"I know, it will surely work out. I have faith that it will. We still have a lot of ceremonies to attend to like the Sangeet, henna and haldi. It's so much Shalini and then I'll have to say goodbye to you and that's why I want to end this wedding before it starts." They chuckle at her statement.

"We'll see if that happens by next month, the ceremonies will certainly be grand but if this eventually works out Asha you will always be in my heart there will be no need to say goodbye." Shalini replies and embraces Asha. "Besides I see you and Shagird. You might just be around me because you and him...."

"Ahhhhh."

They throw their head back in laughter.

*

Tanya sits on the bed besides Aniket.

"It's a good thing the engagement took place as planned."

"I really hope this works out, our Shalini has being through a lot...Tanya." he places his hand on top of hers and tips her head to face his "I think we should tell the Rajputs about Shalini's past. It's not really a big deal... And they seem really accepting....they like her."

Tanya immediately interrupts "No way Aniket, we got through the engagement successfully thank god for that...like you said it's not exactly a big deal. It doesn't matter if we tell them. We will certainly tell them but not now." She sighs and continues "It will all work out and we can finally focus on dear Asha."

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