It was her chaos
that made her beautiful
~ Atticus

Song of the chapter : Sawaar loon by Monali Thakur.

***

"Kaha fass gaya mai" Hriday mutters under his breath and I look at him sideways, angrily.

Ye toh mujhe kehna chahiye.

We get outside the house and go to the parking space. I open the door myself to his Audi and get in. He gets in after me and starts driving.

I love daadi, I really do, but I'm so angry on her right now. Jodhpur jaane tak thik tha but now she forced Hriday to take me shopping for the wedding clothes.

Yesterday I made a scene that I didn't want any clothes with his money aur aaj dekho.

Okay I agree I don't have any nice clothes for a rich wedding but mai manage kar leti Neelima aunty se advance maang ke.

"I'll give you the money back. Mujhe aapke paiso se kuch nahi chahiye" I say suddenly.

"Tumhe paiso ke alawa kuch dikhta hai ke nahi?" He snaps.

"Jaise aapko bahot dikhta hai" I say.

"God! I'm done arguing with you every minute of the day. Just sit back and keep your mouth shut" he says taking a brief look at me and then focuses his eyes on the road.

Jo bhi ho. I'm gonna pay him back!

When he stops on a signal and leans towards me, I press myself back into my seat.

"What are you-"

He opens the glove compartment and removes his Ray-Ban sunglasses.

Oh.

He wears them and continues driving with one hand on the steering wheel.

Oh.

Not bad.

Instead of wearing his formal pants, he's wearing faded jeans today. He has his signature white shirt on but with sleeves folded and the top two buttons undone.

Um okay.

He stops the car in front of a big shop and I gape at the designer ethnic dresses that are on display.

Inke paise chukaane ke liye meri kidney bhi kaafi nahi hogi.

"Shravni?"

I look beside me and Hriday is already standing there with the door open for me. I get out and he walks beside me as we enter the store.

"Hey Hriday! Hi Avni" a woman, the age of Hriday I guess, walks towards us and hugs Hriday and then me.

"Of course you don't know me. I'm Poonam, the designer of all the dresses in this store and also Devika ke maasi ki ladki. I'm so glad to finally meet you. I've seen so many snaps of you with Devika on social media" she says animatedly and I smile.

"Poonam, we're really running out of time. Devika told you what to do na? Please be quick. Shaam ki flight hai" Hriday says and I roll my eyes.

Arrogant. So bloody arrogant.

"Yes sir" she salutes him.

Hriday lightly shakes his head and Poonam leads the way to the rows and rows of dresses and sarees as I follow her looking behind.

Hriday opens his laptop and sits in a corner. I roll my eyes.

Poonam starts throwing dresses my way and pushes me inside to try them. Her designs are really really gorgeous but everytime I see the price tag, I get a heart attack.

Poonam is easy to talk to and she tells me about her designs in detail. About the pattern and texture and colours and a lot more that I don't understand.

I just nod and keep on trying them as she decides which outfit stays and which one goes.

I thought we were just here for the wedding outfits but accessories and shoes are also on the list. Itna hi nahi, regular clothes bhi for daily wear.

Faaltu me josh me keh diya ke paise wapas karungi. Shit!

"You really are beautiful, you know. Your skin tone is perfect for all colours. Stop feeling so shy" she says and removes my hands that are on my neckline.

"But I really think this blouse is showing a lot of cleavage. Mai jhuk jaau toh meri saari izzat jhuk jaayegi" I say in horror and she laughs.

"Fine fine ye cancel. You have a killer figure and you're trying to hide it. Come on girl, be a little confident in your skin" she says. "Please take isse pehle wala that you tried. It's perfect for the wedding day".

"Fine" I sigh and she claps happily.

"Great. Now get changed, this was the last outfit. Hriday must be getting impatient" she giggles.

"No doubt there" I sigh.

Changing clothes is really tiring. Aaj pata chala. Aisi zordaar shopping maine kabhi nahi ki hai.

I get inside the changing room and carefully get out of the clothes.

"Avni Avni ruko. Ye ek last outfit try karo na" she says knocking on the door.

"Nooo.. I'm done" I whine.

"Last last".

I open the door a little and she hands me a really heavy outfit.

"Okay I'm NOT going to buy this. It's not my wedding!" I yell looking at the red bridal lehenga in my hands.

"I'm not asking you to buy it baba. Try it bass na. It's the perfect size and I think you'll look amazing. This is my newest design and I wanted to try it on someone just to have a better view of it. Try it quickly and come out" she says from outside.

"Why are you doing this to me?" I groan.

"I know you didn't get to wear it for your wedding" she says softly and my heart sinks. "Every girl dreams of the perfect wedding, and most importantly the perfect bridal outfit. If you're not comfortable it's fine".

"You're really persuasive Poonam. Jachti ho Devika ki behen" I say.

I hear a chuckle outside. "Just wear it and we'll click a nice picture of yours and then you can get rid of me. Be quick now. Sunaa nahi? Hriday bhai is in a hurry".

I roll my eyes and slip on the blouse. It's beautiful. Scarlett red. The lehenga is red and gold.

It's really beautiful. Really really beautiful.

Agar meri shaadi hoti bhi toh I'm sure ke it would not be in such a posh outfit. This one's made for celebrities and rich people. I sigh.

"Waise how is Hriday as a husband?" She asks from outside as I start wearing the 10kg lehenga. So heavy dammit!

I take a pause.

"He's..."

"Difficult?" she laughs

"I won't say difficult. He is but I'll say.. structured. And complicated" I pause again, remembering all the times I've been with him.

"Does he not ever smile?" I say absentmindedly. "He's got a.. nice face. I want to see him smile someday. Smile karte hue achhe lagte honge na?" I say the last line in a whisper. Almost to myself.

"Poonam I don't think I can walk in this. I'll pakka fall, I'm really clumsy" I say and open the door.

"Waise unka naam kisne rakha? Achha naam hai but unhe suit nahi-" my smile fades away when I see Hriday standing in Poonam's place.

He takes a sharp intake of breath when his eyes fall on me.

I am about to rush back inside the dressing room again when, surprise surprise, my leg somehow gets caught in the lehenga and I trip.

Nothing new.

The new thing happens next when two strong hands take hold of me before my face makes contact with the floor.

And like in the movies I watch, everything turns into slow motion. Hriday slowly pulls me up. He's in no hurry to leave me, even after on my feet.

I'm in no hurry to move away too.

Avni!

I quickly shuffle back and start walking away.

"Shravni".

"What?" I snap a little too sharply looking behind at him. Why am I always getting embarrassed in front of him. It's become frustrating now.

He lets out a soft sigh as he looks at me from head to toe and then back again.

I cover my navel with the dupatta and gulp. His eyes travel all over my body, making me extremely self conscious.

"What?" I ask again, this time much more softly.

"Are you going to wear this for the wedding?" He asks taking a step forward and I see his Adam's apple bob when he gulps.

"No. I was just trying it" I say.

"Do you want to buy it?"

"No! Of course not. Mai iska kya karu?" I laugh humorlessly and look all over the room so that I don't have to look at him.

He's still looking at me in that weird way. What is it?

"Did you always dream of a lavish wedding?" He asks forcing me to look at him. That was totally unexpected.

Why is he suddenly asking me this? And why has his face turned soft?

"No. Never. I just wanted a marriage" I whisper looking down at my feet.

He comes and stands right in front of me and I hold my breath. He takes the dupatta and before I can ask him what he's doing, he places it on my head.

Like the way dulhans have it.

"You would've made an.. exquisite bride" he says and I look away as I feel heat rising inside me.

He said I looked exquisite.

He said I looked exquisite.

My brain has stopped working. And so have my vocal chords. This is happening a lot around him nowadays. What the hell!

He tips my chin up.

"I've never met someone who's so interested in the flooring. Always looking down huh" he says.

Is he teasing me? Is Hriday stone-faced Rajput teasing me?

"Also.." he suddenly straightens up and his body becomes stiff.

"Hmm?"

"Tumne.. Devika ki help ki and.. usse wapas pehle jaisa cheerful banaya.. uske liye.."

He sounds like someone is making him swallow glass. The words are coming out so unwillingly and difficultly that I have an urge to laugh.

I forget about the compliment and teasing. This is far more interesting.

"Uskeliyethanks" he says quickly and I bite my lip.

"Huh?" I ask in confusion.

"Uske liye thanks" he says a little slowly looking everywhere but at me.

Aww..

"Uhh sorry aap kya bol rahe ho I can't hear" I say.

"Uske liye thank-"

He glares at me when I burst out laughing.

"I take it back" he says.

"But it's out now" I say in a sing song voice and start laughing again.

"Thank you bolne me itni mushkil? You should've seen your face" I laugh again.

"Ok shut up now" he says.

And I shut up. Not because he says it harshly or rudely. But because he says it softly and I can see the faintest of smile on his face.

It takes my breath away.

He scratches his nape awkwardly, looking like a teenage boy. My heart melts at the sight.

"By the way, maa ne mera naam Hriday rakha" he says.

We stand there awkwardly for a while not knowing what to do and then he finally turns to walk away.

He says maa and not mom so I know he's talking about his birth mother.

I guess he's in a good mood. I decide upon something. I can't believe I'm doing it but.. I think it's the right thing to do.

"Suniye" I say and he turns to look at me.

I walk towards him and the words get stuck in my throat.

"What is it Shravni?" He asks.

"I think.. ab hum dono ko dosti kar leni chahiye" I say and he frowns.

"I mean.. kab tak ladhte rahenge na? Now we're going for a wedding aur ek dusre ko jhelna hai saath din-"

Saat Janam..

"-toh let's be a little more, you know, friendly. Dekhte hai life thodi aasaan hoti hai kya. Ekansh wouldn't have wanted us to be like this. He made us marry each other. Usne vo sirf yuhi toh nahi karwaya humse. It was his last wish. We should respect it and the least we can do is be friends" I say and extend my hand towards him.

He looks at me, keeps looking at me and I notice that his walls are up again. The soft and playful mood now gone. His expressions give nothing away.

Okay so this was a bad idea.

I am about to pull my hand away but he takes it. It's warm and hard and-

He quickly pulls it away after a quick shake.

"But promise me one thing" he says and I look at him expectantly. Now what?

"You'll stop snoring at night. You're so loud" he says shaking his head.

I gasp.

"I don't snore!" I exclaim.

"Trust me you do" he says with a straight face.

My mouth falls open. I take the dupatta and put it around his neck trying to choke him.

Not tightly obviously.

He swats my hand away and I see a little smirk on his face as he removes the dupatta from around his neck.

I feel butterflies.

"God you're such a irritating kid" he shakes his head and walks away.

"And you're a bhondu buddha" I shout grinning at his back.

"Get changed, you idiot. Fukat nahi hu tumhari tarah" he says without looking back.

This was supposed to be an insult but I feel happy. I hop inside the dressing room with a stupid grin of my face.

This was so easy. Will Hriday finally accept me now?

Is this the start of something new?

***

The happy chapters have begun! You guys are gonna love them. Sorry for the late update. But dekho I'm again updating this one at almost 5 am puri raat bhar likh ke so that tum logo ko aur na rukna pade. Hope you forgive me.. Also, I love the gif. Isn't it perfect for this chapter...? Ok bye now let me sleep! ily :)