"We aren't going to have haldi?" One of my cousin uttered her disappointment while I passed her a glare. What was the need to voice her opinion so loudly!

"Nivi doesn't want it," Shruti attempted to handle the situation. As mehendi designer was applying mehendi on my hands.

"But as a kid, she had so many dreams about her wedding. She used to randomly mention about those events and things she will do. She had even decided on songs she was going to dance on her wedding."

"She is no longer a kid and her opinion on things have changed."

"Things would have been different if she hadn't decided to marry a Muslim guy. She is abandoning her desires just to satisfy his demand. Will she is able to live in such a conservative family?"

"Our family isn't open-minded either," I commented. "If that wasn't the case you weren't questioning my decision just because he is Muslim." I rolled my orbs as I decided to concentrate on the design of mehendi and not to spoil my mood.

•••

"You shouldn't have being so rude with her." Shruti mumbled as we got in our room. "She is the only one who didn't mind helping us during the wedding preparation while others are acting like strangers."

"I don't mind if they attend wedding or not," I groaned in defend. "It will be better if they are absent, I won't have to tolerate their frequent humiliation."

"You don't mind but our parents do," Shruti sighed. "They have certain expectation about your wedding, desires..." She was staring at me with her hopeful gaze. "They deserve to get it fulfilled."

"That's the reason I am having a proper South-Indian wedding, Shruti. I have troubled Faizal enough with our demand. I don't want to add to his already loaded plate. It wasn't easy for him to convince his parents for the proper traditional South Indian Wedding, I can't keep putting forth my demand. What's even the need of pre-wedding events when half of our relatives aren't even planning to attend the wedding?"

"You are not going to understand it," Shruti shook her head in disappointment. I ignored her comment as I glanced at my mehendi, I wasn't going to wash it for the night as I wanted it to have a dark colour.

My cell rang but due to the mehendi in my hands, I wasn't able to pick it up. Shruti had walked out of the room. I sighed, as I reached towards the phone. Trying to receive the phone by the help of my elbow and attempting to keep it on speaker.

"What took you so long?" Faizal grumbled from the other side.

"You might have forgotten so let me remind you, I had being applying mehendi in my hands." I grumbled as I glanced at my mehendi.

"I want to see it," he requested.

"You're going to see it soon," I blushed at the thought of it.

"I want to see it now," he argued.

"Stop acting like a kid, I am not going to show it today."

"What's wrong if I see it today?"

"But why are you so desperate?"

"I want to know if it's has got its colour." I could hear desperation in his voice. "Mehendi ka raang gehra aana zaroori hai."
(The colour of mehendi should be dark.)

"Aww... I didn't knew I am going to get such a cutie as my husband." I giggled as I decided to fulfil his smallest wish. He rarely asked for things and when he did, I felt the need to fulfil it.

"Just a minute," I clicked a picture of my palms as mehendi had dried down and was on the verge of sending him but decided against it. "I am not sending it."

"Why?" He groaned in annoyance.

"I want to see your face when you will see it, video calls won't make the need full. I want it to be in person, you standing beside me. Those orbs sparkling as it glance at my palms."

"You and your stupid fantasy are going to kill me one day."

"But you love fulfilling my foolish wishes because you love me." I giggled at the end.

•••

They had arrived last night yet we were not allowed to meet. Mom had arranged a haldi ceremony just among our family members. And upon the ceremony bride and groom was prohibited from meeting eachother but Zoya had come to meet me and even applied haldi to me. She was a sweetheart!

"Bhai, I am not doing it!" Siddhi was trying hard to brush off Faizal's request. "We should respect their belief, what if it turns out to be unlucky?" Siddhi had arrived today for my wedding.

"Nothing like that is going to happen," Jiju mumbled as he entered into our room. "I will make it certain that elders in the house don't get the news," he winked at us.

"Jiju!" I stared at him in disbelief, "I didn't expected that you will support this."

"He hadn't met you from past six-months," Jiju passed a glare in my direction. "And deep inside you too want to glance at his face. I am not doing anything wrong," he shrugged his shoulder.

"But mom won't appreciate if she gets the slightest hint of..."

"She won't," he blinked his orbs in assurance. "Now, go he is waiting for you." I nodded as Shruti grabbed my hand and we rushed towards the living area, scanning the surrounding before making our way out of the house.

"Thank God," I breathed in relief as we made it safely out of the house. People around were so busy in their respective work to notice us.

"Where are you both roaming?" Aunt inquired as she was staring at us with her suspicious orbs. "Aren't you aware that would-be-bride shouldn't walk out of the house. It's considered bad, get inside the house."

"We are just strolling around," Shruti passed hesitating smile. My relatives were providing her with hard stare as it indirectly conveying to her that her presence weren't appreciated yet she was adamant not to let it have troll over her.

"Nivi, it's not safe to stroll around at this hour. The sun has settled in, darkness is surrounding us."

"We will come in just few minutes, promise." I assure her. She shook her head clearly disappointed with me. Realising that it was foolishness to waste her time in us, she walked inside.

Shruti dragged me further into the street as she dialled her bhai's number. "Where are you going at such an hour?" Zain's voice halted us in our track. "Are you helping her to run-away from her wedding?" Zain gasped in shock wanting to add the dramatic effect.

"If Bhai hears your words, he surely will kill you." Shruti glared at him. "The efforts he had put for the day to arrive and hear you're talking bulshit!"

"I was just trying to know if I still have a chance?" He winked at us in a teasing manner.

"Have some respect towards the girl you claim to love and stop flirting with her," Siddhi pointed a finger towards him. "She is  soon going to be your bhabhi." She paused for a moment, "don't force Bhai to kick you."

"He won't!" Zain had a smirk playing on his face. The full moon shining in the sky was the only source of light provided to us. The cold winds surrounding us was giving me chill. A thought of going back home overpowered my senses. "Because I am here to help him." He paused for a second, "as predicted you have accompanied her. Can you leave her alone for a second?"

"Why would I? I am simply against this meeting session. And I am not leaving the bride alone even for a second," she was determined.

As she was busy arguing with Zain, I felt a touch on my wrist but before I could react, I heard his strong-masculine rough voice. It had the effect to calm my senses. The fear, the negativity surrounding me vanished into the thin air.

His arms got wrapped around my stomach as I leaned into his chest. His hands making his way towards my hands, as he raised it enough so it could be visible to his eyes. "I had being dying to glance at this," he whispered in my ears. "And your stubborn self was against sending a picture to me."

I could feel Shruti's and Zain's orbs fixed on us, a smile playing on their lips. I felt consciousness under their gaze as I choose to shut my mouth. "And as I have predicted..." His finger caressed my palm, I was dying to turn and glance at his face.

"This isn't done we had a deal," I grumbled as I wasn't able to hold back my frustration.  Without uttering a word he turned me towards him. His mesmerizing black orbs were sparkling in happiness as a beautiful heart-stopping smile was playing on his lips. I smiled on glancing at his messy locks. The inner urge to reach to those soft black locks. I found him the most beautiful man existing on the planet. He might be handsome for the world around him but for me, he was beautiful.

His beauty lied in the way he stare at me as if I own his world. His beauty lied in the way he felt for people, for the humanity he possessed. The way he made me feel comfortable with his arms wrapped around me. The way I found my home each time I talk to him. The way he made me feel understood, seen, heard even if he was far away from me physically yet he was closest to my heart.

"That haldi have made you look more beautiful," he mumbled as his rough fingers brushed my soft skin.

"You aren't allowed to be touchy-touchy before marriage," Shruti warned in the background as I felt her pulling me away from him. "Keep some distance," she argued as she managed to put some distance between us.

"Just few more hours," he mumbled into my ears. "And than you will be offically Mrs Nivi Faizal Qureshi." I could hear pride in his voice as he voiced out the name. "Meri Begum," his orbs sparkling in pride.

•••

I couldn't believe that the day had finally arrived, I was staring at myself in the mirror. Still attempting hard to accept that it was happening and I wasn't dreaming.

I was wearing the traditional white saree having a golden border, my hairs were rolled into a bun, beautiful Jasmine flower adoring around the bun as I lifted my hand to adjust it properly in my hairs. I wasn't used to wearing it so it seemed like a huge load over my head. I had asked the makeup artist to keep the makeup as minimum as possible as I had witnessed many wedding where the loud makeup had destroyed the real beauty of the bride.

As much as I was against wearing jewellery yet mom had forced me with it. Kasumala, which was a long necklace made up with carefully assembly gold coins together was adoring my neck. It was accompanied with Palaka  Mothiram, it was green in colour. Oddiyanam was wrapped around my waist, much like a belt, giving the saree an amazing look.

"You look beautiful," mom mumbled and I turned to glance at her.

Her orbs had soften as she kept staring at me, "I still can't believe that you have grown enough that you're getting married." Her orbs were brimming with tears but she blinked it off, pressing a smile at me.

She moved forward as she cupped my cheek. "My baby girl is grown into a beautiful woman." And at that moment I felt that maybe all the efforts were worth it.

Maybe getting married in proper traditional manner wasn't a bad idea. She wanted me to see in this attire, she wanted to see her baby girl turning a bride. At that moment I understood her, her stubbornness to make it a proper traditional wedding.

"Thank you for listening," she expressed. "I hadn't expected that you would make it possible, you would work hard to make it possible." She sighed as she pressed a kiss on my forehead, "I am proud of you. I am proud of my upbringing."

Tears rolled off my cheek at her confession. I had waited years long to listen to it. My heart still finding it difficult to accept. It wasn't like I doubted that my parents love me. No! Never, they had often displayed their love towards me. They might had hesitated over supporting my some decision yet they were the pillars, I had leaned on my bad days.

They loved me but that what parents are supposed to do, they should love their children. I always doubted if they were proud of me. They were proud of Shruti and it was often displayed in their actions. They considered her mature, they trusted her opinions but my points were never taken seriously. I was basically the kid of our house. I was the smallest in our family and I was treated in the same manner. Sometimes I did felt alone in my own place, my house.

She wiped off the emerging tears, "don't cry..." She whispered attempting hard to control herself from ending into tears. "He have arrived and is waiting for you," she informed as she blinked her orbs in assurance.

My heart was beating anxiously at the mention of him. I was going to get married to him, it seemed as if I was dreaming. Dreaming of our beautiful future together.