Ishq: gulabi shehar

"Stay right here," he instructed, and without another word, rushed inside.
Avni stood at the entrance, confused but smiling faintly as she watched him hurry about. There was a
boyish charm in his expressions, in the way he moved-eager, sincere, a little frantic. He looks so
cute, she thought, her heart fluttering.
Within seconds, Avyansh returned, carrying a pot filled with rice and a plate with a red liquid-
kumkum.
"Just two more minutes," he said quickly, and disappeared into the villa once again.
Avni waited, her curiosity growing by the second. Soon, he returned, this time with an aarti thali. A
small diya flickered on the plate, casting a warm glow across his face.
He circled the plate in front of her, performing the aarti, then gently applied vermilion on her
forehead. A soft sprinkle of rice followed.
"That's your first time entering our villa," he said with a smile. "So your welcome is a must."
Avni stared at him, wide-eyed and moved.
"Now," he continued, "gently kick this pot with your right foot."
She gave a small nod, smiling shyly as she nudged the pot forward with her foot.
"Next, place your feet in the kumkum," Avyansh instructed. Her cheeks were already flushed, but
now her whole face turned a deep red. She did as told, her delicate feet now stained with the
auspicious red.
Then, to her surprise, Avyansh knelt down and placed his white t-shirt on the floor in front of her.
He held out his hand. "Now leave your footprints here, on this."
"But... Avyansh ji-" Avni hesitated, touched and overwhelmed.
He looked up at her with eyes full of reverence. "You know, Mumma always said a wife is like
Goddess Lakshmi. But to me, you're not just Lakshmi-you're my universe, my everything... my God."