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Author's POV-

The soft rustle of the lehenga fabric was the only sound in Ekakshi's room-until Prachi broke it with a light chuckle.

"Stop glaring at your reflection, drama queen. You look stunning," Prachi said, carefully adjusting the dupatta on Ekakshi's shoulder.

"Like a bride," Ishita added, placing a small bindi between her brows. "Even though it's just shagun exchange."

Ekakshi sat stiff, her eyes scanning her reflection.

She wore a dusky rose lehenga, the color of faded twilight skies, soft and subdued yet steeped in quiet elegance. Her outfit flowed like poetry-an ethereal blend of tradition and grace. The choli clung modestly to her frame, its delicate fabric sprinkled with tiny, shimmering sequins that caught the light like whispers of stardust.

Her lehenga flared gently with every step, embroidered with intricate golden motifs that danced like ancient stories across the fabric-floral vines entwined with heritage, bordered with fine threadwork that shimmered with a regal luster. A sheer dupatta, almost weightless, draped over her shoulders, its scalloped edges kissed with zari, framing her silhouette like a painter's final brushstroke.

She moved like a verse, each fold of her attire echoing grace, each glint of embroidery whispering elegance-a girl wrapped not just in fabric, but in a quiet, timeless dream.

But her heartbeat didn't belong anywhere. It was chaotic. Loud. Unsettled.

She blinked at her reflection again. "Why does it feel like I'm walking into a movie scene where I don't know the script?"

"You always say that before any big moment," Ishita replied, brushing her hair into gentle waves.

"No, this feels different," Ekakshi said, voice barely above a whisper. "I don't know what it is. There's something I'm forgetting... or maybe remembering. I just feel like-"

"Something big is about to happen," Prachi finished, resting her chin on Ekakshi's shoulder. "It's called change. It's terrifying and magical at the same time."

Ishita smiled, "Or maybe, it's just love knocking for the first time and you're not ready to open the door."

Ekakshi turned toward them, biting her lip. "I haven't even met him properly. What if he's weird?"

"Better weird than boring," Ishita shrugged.

"And if he is boring," Prachi added, "you'll wake him up."

They all giggled, easing some of the storm inside her.

But then, the room turned a little quieter. Ekakshi looked away from the mirror and stared into space as the memories rolled in-her family's way of cornering her into agreeing for the ceremony. It wasn't forceful. But it was impossible to say no.

✦ Flashback:

Ekakshi was mid-rant, throwing popcorn into her mouth dramatically on the swing in the courtyard. Her brothers were seated like a panel of judges watching a reality show meltdown.

"You all are selling me off like one of those Mahabharat swayamvar brides!" she cried.

Adhiraj tried to speak. "ekakshi, just listen-"

"I don't want to just listen!" she snapped. "How do you expect me to get engaged when I don't even know the guy? At least let me stalk him on Instagram first!"

Ronav laughed. "You'll roast him the second you meet him. Might as well get it done and dusted."

Shraddha walked in with a tray of coffee. "You trust us, don't you?"

Ekakshi sighed. "That's the problem. I trust you all too much. You'll make it sound logical even when it's absurd."

Yashveer leaned in. "It's not absurd. It's just a shagun ceremony, not marriage. Just a formal meeting of families. You can take years to decide after that."

"Decades, if you wish," Aradhna added from the swing beside her, smiling.

Devyani Dadi held her hand softly. "And if your heart says no after meeting him, we step back. No pressure."

Ekakshi paused. That was the deal. She could say no.

"Fine," she had said, dramatically. "But if this turns out to be one of those tragic arranged marriage comedy movies, I'm blaming all of you."

Ronav smirked. "You won't even realize when it turns into a love story."

Back to present:

She blinked away the memory and turned to look at Prachi and Ishita, now finishing up her jewelry.

"So what if I faint?" she asked seriously.

"We'll make sure you do it gracefully," Prachi winked.

"And anyway," Ishita added, helping her up, "you're not alone. We're all walking this path with you."

Ekakshi stood slowly, her dupatta trailing behind her like a whisper of fate.

"I don't know why," she whispered, "but I feel like... after today, something will change. Maybe everything."

Prachi squeezed her hand. "That's the beauty of beginnings. You never know what they'll lead to."

A gentle knock came from the door.

"Ekakshi, it's time," Shraddha's voice came from outside.

Ekakshi closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and whispered to herself.

"Let the storm come."

She stepped out-not just as Ekakshi Yaghuvanshi, but as someone about to meet her supposed forever.

MEANWHILE

"No. This is too sudden."

Rivaan Randhawa looked at his reflection, then turned back toward the chaos in his room. His kurta hung perfectly on his tall frame-cream silk with subtle embroidery on the collar and cuffs. The stole draped lazily around his neck had been re-adjusted a dozen times.

And he was still protesting.

"Why now? It's Dhruv's wedding, not mine," he added, fiddling with the cuffs to stall further.

"Oh, come on, bhaiya," Aarav rolled his eyes dramatically, "as if you haven't been glowing since morning!"

"Exactly," Dhruv smirked, "You're more excited than the groom himself. Just admit it, you want to see her again."

Rivaan tried to school his expression, but the memory crept in uninvited-her furious eyes, the shocked yelp, and her dramatic curses when she'd landed squarely on top of him on that day. That moment was chaos. But the chaos had stayed with him. Haunted him, even. And now...

"She's becoming my would-be today," he murmured under his breath, lips twitching.

Only Vihaan, leaning by the doorway, caught the shift in his tone-and the glint in his eyes.

The rest of the family was too busy fixing his stole, clicking pictures, and throwing garlands around his neck to notice that their reserved, composed Rivaan had been internally rehearsing how to greet his so-called fiancée.

None of them-not his aunt, not his mother, not even Dhruv-knew the truth: Rivaan already knew Ekakshi.

And he couldn't wait to see the look on her face when she realized it too.

"You're too quiet," his mother, Surekha, said, coming forward and cupping his face gently. "Are you nervous?"

He smiled, the corners of his mouth softening. "A little. But not in a bad way."

The elders circled him now-blessing him with tilak, sprinkling rice, and feeding him sweets like he was already married off.

"We're not losing our son, are we?" one of the aunties joked.

"Of course not," said Dadi, emotional but grinning, "We're just gaining another daughter. May this ceremony bring the beginning of a beautiful bond."

As everyone gave their blessings, pulled his cheeks, teased him about changing his relationship status, Rivaan's mind was elsewhere.

He wasn't thinking of rituals or rings or family introductions.

He was thinking of her-of Ekakshi.

And how her jaw would drop in 3... 2... 1...

THE CEREMONY :

The hall was lit in gold and blush tones, soft lights bouncing off glass chandeliers. A central seating arrangement awaited the bride and groom-to-be, with families gathered, smiling, chatting, buzzing in anticipation.

Rivaan entered first, flanked by his family. The music shifted slightly, a soft welcome playing in the background. He walked in confidently, his eyes scanning the room-but really, he was waiting for only one person to walk through that door.

And then-

It happened.

From the other side, flanked by Prachi and Ishita, Ekakshi entered.

Time. Stopped.

The moment her eyes found him, her steps halted.

Everything else-the voices, the lights, the movement-faded into a blur.

Her heart skipped a beat. Then two. Then fell straight into her stomach.

HIM?!

THE SAME GUY?!

The same man she had crashed into with full force back then. The same man she'd screamed at without pause. The one she had cursed in a moment of rage.

And here he was.

Looking devilishly smug in his kurta. Hands behind his back. Posture easy.

Smirking.

Smirking.

He knew. The rascal knew.

Ekakshi's fingers tightened around her clutch. Her smile twitched, a forced sheepish curve that screamed:

Please forgot that incident.

Please pretend we've never met.

Rivaan raised an eyebrow. Just a little.

That was it. That was his response.

No words. No teasing.

Just a raised brow and that infuriating smirk.

She looked away quickly, forcing her face back into the poised daughter-of-the-house mask she wore so well, but her mind was a whirlpool of:

Why didn't anyone tell me?!

Does he remember the curses I invented?!

Why does he look like he enjoyed that encounter?!

Rivaan, meanwhile, walked toward the front of the hall, standing exactly where tradition demanded he be.

But inwardly, he celebrated.

Because the universe had given him a second chance.

And this time... he had the upper hand.

After a while....

The warm air in the hall shimmmered with joy, echoing laughter, subtle clinks of bangles, and sweet beats of dholak playing softly in the background. The decorations were elegant-marigold strands woven with fairy lights, golden drapes dancing slightly as air conditioners hummed. It wasn't extravagant-but it was glowing with feeling.

The Randhawas and the Yaghuvanshi's -two families who'd come together not just for a wedding, but for a union of souls-were now gathered under one roof, beaming with affection.

Rivaan and Ekakshi sat side by side, both looking like a scene from a vintage Bollywood dream.

Rivaan, dressed in an ivory kurta with a rose gold stole now draped formally over one shoulder, looked like royalty personified. Calm, composed-yet inside, his heartbeat mimicked the rhythm of the dholak.

Ekakshi, in a ghagra choli looked ethereal. Her nose pin sparkled under the lights. Her bangles chimed whenever her fingers moved nervously.

Their knees slightly brushed as they sat down together. Neither moved away.

✦ The Shagun exchange Begins :

"Now, now," Dadi said with a teasing tone, "let's do the rasm quickly, before Aarav makes another joke about married life!"

The crowd chuckled as Aarav, true to form, stood in the middle of the room doing exaggerated crying gestures.

"Hamare bachelor bhaiya bhi gaya re!" he said dramatically, wiping imaginary tears with his stole. "Ab toh line clear hai, mujhe bhi shaadi ke rishtay milenge!

(Our bachelor brother has also gone... Now the line is clear, I can also get the marriage proposals!)

Everyone burst into laughter while Prachi and Ishita, sitting nearby with Siya, whispered jokes that made Ekakshi turn a shade redder than her lipstick.

Then, with the sweetness of tradition, Surekha (Rivaan's mom) stepped forward.

Holding a velvet tray filled with sweets, bangles, gifts, a shimmering veil and a small thali of kumkum, she moved toward Ekakshi.

"Beta, welcome to our family," she said warmly.

Surekha carefully placed the blessed red veil over Ekakshi's head, adjusting it gently like placing a crown on a queen. She pressed her hand lovingly on Ekakshi's head.

Ekakshi looked up. Her eyes were glossy, moved by the silent acceptance and blessing in that touch.

Then Surekha took the kumkum, touched it to Ekakshi's forehead and whispered softly, "May you always stay blessed, happy, and cherished."

Ekakshi pressed her lips together to control the emotion welling inside her.

Surekha then handed over the shagun gifts-jewels, sarees, sweets, and bangles-and gave her a warm hug. "You're ours now," she said, and the words carried weight.

Then came Shraddha, Ekakshi's badi maa, with a glint in her eye. She took the tilak thali, walked towards Rivaan, and said with a mock stern face, "Now behave like a damaad."

Rivaan chuckled, bowed his head slightly, and let her put the red tilak on his forehead.

"We have high hopes from you, beta," she said, her tone softer now. "She's precious to us."

"I know," Rivaan replied earnestly.

She handed him the gifts, gave him a quick hug, and then whispered jokingly, "Also... be ready to handle drama. She comes with extra laughter and tears."

The family laughed again, Aarav and Ronav giving a standing ovation for the line.

Meanwhile, Abhaan, Rivaan's nephew, walked over holding her mother's hand.

"Baby, this is Ekakshi," Siya said, pulling the little boy closer, "And from today, she's your chachi."

Ekakshi blinked, stunned.

The word chachi felt... surreal.

She looked down at the boy smiling at her, and then at Rivaan who had turned his face away, trying to hide his smirk again.

Abhaan tugged her dupatta innocently. "Chachi, aap bahut sundar ho."

(You are beautiful.)

Oh no, her heart melted.

She ruffled his hair, cheeks pink now. "Thank you, champ."

Rivaan murmured under his breath, "How dare he? Ye 3 saal ka chhutku Meri wali pe line marega? Door rakhna padega isko meri wali se."

(This 3 years boy is flirting with my love? I have to keep him away from her)

"Aapne kuch kaha?" She asked. Confused but curious.

(Did you say something?)

"Mmm hmmmm... Ab mai tumhe sunai dene laga hoon. Kahi pyar toh nahi hogaya?" Rivaan whispered, loud enough for only her to hear.

(Now you are hearing me. Did you started loving me?)

She shot him a look, half annoyed, half shy, and then whispered back, "You knew... didn't you?"

He didn't respond right away. Just glanced sideways, eyes warm.

"You knew from Ananya's engagement," she pressed again, softly.

He smiled, tilting his head.

"I recognized you the second you yelled at me," he replied coolly. "How could I forget that... poetic welcome?"

She blinked. "And still you didn't say anything?"

He leaned in just a little, voice like velvet. "Where's the fun in that?"

Before she could fire back, Aarav interrupted with, "Ekakshi bhabhi, can you choreograph us? Because the sangeet practice starts tomorrow morning sharp! And we heard that you dance well"

Ekakshi nodded with a polite smile.

Everyone cheered while Prachi and Ishita high-fived in the background.

Rivaan winked.

Ekakshi just looked down... smiling.

Because amidst the teasing, the noise, and the rituals-her storming heart was slowly learning to surrender.

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I hope you like this chapter.

Sorry for the delay. Actually I am busy with the college admission procedures so didn't get the time. I hope you understand 🙃.

And also this is the longest chapter I have wrote 👏. Before I thought to divide this part into two chapters but I make it as one because I don't want to pull the story like a chewing gum because the real story starts when they retire to delhi.

Please Like if you like this.

Make sure to Comment.

Comment down your favourite scene.

I don't know much about that ceremony so if there's any mistake regarding it please forgive.

Thank you 😊.