Diksha's POV:- 

12:30 AM, 

You know the feeling when a hungry baby sees his food coming towards him and in the very next moment that bowl is snatched away from him… that's the exact interpretation of my feelings right now. 

His words felt like thousands of volts of thunderbolt striking me naked. But wait, before it could burn me alive, my fury reached beyond the control of my nerves… blame my anger management skills!

"What do you mean by dropping? Do you want to back out when we are practically on the threshold? Aakarsh, I'm telling you… I'll break your neck if you try to escape the wedding!" I couldn't help but threaten him. Thankfully, my voice was so low even in anger that it didn't wake Sejal up.

A deep laughter was heard from the other side and it pulled all the wrong strings. I was seeing red. How dare he laugh after making me mad… does he think it is funny to say something like that and then mock me?

"Aakarsh I'm seri—"

"Ah, my wild kitten, first let me complete what I was saying… Why are you always behind my neck? Anyways, it's not always what you think, baby!" He responded so casually as if he hadn't just thrown me in the pool of dilemma.  

"Don't go in circles… Come to the point already," I grumbled; my mood was pissed. Obviously!

"What I want to say is this 'separation'… this won't do. I can't talk to you tomorrow because I won't be in my sane mind if I didn't get to see you now." he explained, exhaling slowly. I can hear his voice turning into whispers as he finishes his sentence.

I sighed.

"Aakarsh, you're already sounding out of your mind. Have you seen the time? It's more than twelve! And we will anyway —" 

"I want to see you now!" He insisted, interrupting my words. However, despite his low voice, there was a sheer desperation reflecting from his tone that did nothing but rubbed some more blush on my cheeks… 

Arghhhh… this man!

"That's not possi—" 

"I'm standing on your balcony…"

On a reflex, my head snapped in the direction of my balcony. Since the curtains were half drawn I can see a silhouette of a man standing there in a barely lit space on my balcony.

How come that place is dark? I gasped, 

"Wha… Aakarsh?" My eyes widened as I realised indeed he was there.

He waved his hand, signing me to come out. This crazy man! God, He will get us scolded badly.

Taking a look at Sejal's sleeping figure I walked to the balcony door. I was about to slide the door when the lights caught my eyes. 

For safety, I switched off the lights of my room, uttering the best profanities for him. What is he making me do?

"Are you mad? What if someone sees you here… worst catches us together at this hour?" I whispered yelled at him as soon as I stepped out, shutting the door behind me. 

He pulled me strongly in his arms, encircling my waist in a cosy grip. I gasped looking around; confirming nobody saw us.

"No one will see us… I have got that in check." He chuckled, nuzzling in the crook of my neck. 

"How?" His exclamation got me confused, 

I felt a tingling sensation erupting in my skin as he placed a few lazy kisses on my skin. Wrong timing for the right emotions... Hormonal euphoria… God! *Cries*

"Before coming here, I have got the whole area checked by Leo and Roger, so that no one disturbs us." He answered, raising his head after he was satisfied with his kisses. 

Since the light sources were distantly placed from my balcony, his face was barely visible. I widened my eyes at his information, that's when my eyes caught another silhouettes of two largely built men — Leo and Roger. 

"Aakarsh, you involved them too!?" I gasped again, shooting a surprised as well as shocked glare at him. I couldn't help but wonder at his planning. They were standing a bit far from here.

"Obviously, I had to see the coast clear for an uninterrupted meeting. However, I don't care, but you do. So, I sent them to work..." He confessed sweetly, stroking my cheek followed by his warm kiss on my forehead.

I was dumbfounded at his words. Gaping like a fish, I tried to fetch some words to give him an earful but that exact frame of words never formed in my mind.

I don't know what to feel about his honest confession. Shall I get angry with him for pulling such a stunt at this hour? Or should I feel happy and warm for his gestures to make me feel special? 

"And how could you even think of me escaping from our wedding, Jaan? Do you really think I will back off when we are technically married to each other? Not even a single percent of trust in your husband?" He raised my chin to ask me sincerely.  

I never realised when I had averted my gaze from him. We had our eyes locked despite the darkness. I can feel his piercing gaze penetrating deeply into my soul… questioning my trust in him.

How foolish of me to think all that crap? Obviously, he would question. How could I forget that we are married and bursted out at him impulsively. 

I licked my lips, clearing my throat and decided to apologise for my baseless assumptions.

"I'm sorry, it slipped out of my mind that we are married… I was —" 

"Shocked!? I know! My words had caught you off guard, but when I reached here I thought you slept and I didn't know when in desperation I blurted the wrongly arranged words." He said, cutting my sentence in between. 

His left hand is still around me, gripping my waist in his safe arms and right hand caressing my cheek. What is this feeling that the circle of his arms seems to be the safest place in the whole world? 

"Okay, but why did you want to meet me at this time? We would have met tomorrow anyways?" I asked, keeping my hands on his chest. My voice was softer than earlier and so was my gaze. Though he could hardly see all of my expressions, I couldn't stay more mad at him.

Don't blame me for softening when he is actually treating and caressing my face like an innocent child being petted by her favourite person. 

"Don't ask me the reason… I too am confused why I was so restless that even after trying hard for almost an hour I couldn't sleep a blink. All that crossed my heart was to see you right now." He replied with utmost sincerity in his voice and kissed one of my palms from my chest.

I was again speechless at the happenstance of his genuine confession. No words came in my mouth but surely my heart thumped loudly. He kissed all my five fingers one by one keeping his eyes locked with me. The distant bulb from the lawn was providing enough luminosity for us to see each other's sparkling eyes. 

"But, it's wrong. Anybody would have spotted you sneaking here and it wouldn't have taken another minute for our relatives to create a scene. You know how some people work, right?" 

"I know. Call it my desperation or anything, but this heart wasn't in my control anymore. It beat painfully at the mere thought of seeing you after a gap of one whole day. I would have gotten insane with this sudden rush of unknown restlessness, hadn't I come to see you now!" He whispered, joining our foreheads together.

Why do I feel like something is off in his mood? He is in his usual self yet different! 

Am I missing something?

"Has something happened, Aakarsh?" I asked, outrightly. No point in pondering over in the dark. 

"No, why would you ask that?" He removed his forehead from mine and locked out eyes again. 

"I felt so." 

"Nothing has happened. Don't worry. I was just restless to see you. Anyways, from tomorrow we are going to be husband and wife before the world with all the rituals and ceremonies, doesn't this feel strange?" He smiled, changing the topic.

"Strange as in?" I frowned,

"Like how far we have come in a span of Just six months...from bantering half-friends to life partners — husband and wife!" He said all this with a  dreamy voice that a sense of euphoria wrapped me in its embrace without wasting a second.

"Indeed, we have come so far!" I couldn't help but agree with him, wholeheartedly.

"And, we have a long way to go. Since, tomorrow we will take vows for next seven lives, if that happens... The seven lives things," —he chuckled and continued— then I wanted to promise you something," Aakarsh wrapped both of his hands around me and pulled me strongly to his chest. 

"Hmm," I encouraged him to go on, signalling him with a head nod. 

"That from this day to my last, Aakarsh Verma will have you in his every breath… in his every heartbeat… and not once in life, will it be by a compulsion or as a mandatory rule for a married man, but by love only." He thumped my heart badly with his promise. 

My breath hitched in my throat at the sincerity and honesty dripping from his words. I couldn't blink my eyes, afraid this all would fade away. All the raw emotions were on the display of his calm orbs. 

And was that really the L-word I heard? Or am I being delusional?

"I promise you, Diksha, the only girl my heart would ever crave to be with will be you… not just because you're my wife, but because you are the one my heart chose to love till it's last beat." He finished his sentence with refreshing candour and when I thought he was going to kiss me, he pulled me in the strongest hug, kissing my hair repeatedly. 

Stunned!

I was in a completely different world after hearing his pure admissions and sinking in the promises. Aakarsh being all serious at this point in time, making soulful promises to me had got me spellbound and dumbfounded altogether.

Do I really deserve the integrity he promised?

Did he really confess his love for me in every other possible word except those three??

Here I was just figuring out whether I love him or not as here he just expressed it in the most beautiful way. Nothing in my life ever sounded more pure than the words he promised today that has the tinge of love confession!

"Say something? Why are you numb?" He broke the hug, concerned; making me realise that neither had I hugged him back nor made any movement since then. 

I inhaled a sharp breath that was stuck in my throat. I don't know how but warm tears sprung in my eyes. Wasting no effort in wiping them, I hugged him tightly.

"What happened, Jaan?" He panicked, collecting me in his arms. My tears falling on his neck, made him aware of my crying status. He tried to break the hug but I held him strongly.

"Whatever you promised me today, Aakarsh, would be locked in my heart as the dearest part, for this lifetime… and like the precious gems, I will cherish these blessings forever. I promise with all the feelings I have in my heart!" No more denial, if not straight confession; I promised him to live and cherish his pious love till my last breath. I kissed his stubbled cheek finishing my sentence. He again smiled at it.

"I know you will, but why cry for that? I want to give you all the happiness, not these stupid tears." Aakarsh wiped my face, fondly, flashing one of his heartwarming smiles. 

His phone vibrated suddenly. He pulled it out immediately from his track pants' pocket and checked it. It was a message. The urgency in his demeanour had me guess the name of the sender — either Leo or Roger. 

"I think they saw someone coming this way. I need to go now, it's 1 am anyway. Sleep well and of course have my dreams." He hastily placed a kiss on my forehead and turned to go when I nodded my head with a heavy heart, reluctant to let him go. 

What? I am not responsible, if he has casted this spell on me with his words that all I want right now is to be in his arms and don't let him go.

Yes! I am upset!

I also turned my steps to go inside the room when a strong tug on my arms, again hauled me to him. 

"I want my bride to wear this tomorrow when we will take our vows in front of the holy fire."

With that he pulled out a blue rectangular box with a velvety touch and placed it in my hands. He kissed my forehead and murmured a 'bye' before jumping out of the balcony. I saw Leo and Roger joining him from where they stood before he turned to me and waved his hand. I mirrored his action and watched them go until they went out of my sight. 

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Writer's POV:-

Diksha pulled the curtains after closing the door of the balcony and sat on her bed. Half upset at Aakarsh's leaving and half excited to see the contents of the box he handed her.

She switched on the bed lamp and opened the box quite quickly. As soon as the content came in her view, she gasped loudly. She was stunned at the shining silvery beauty lying in that jewellery case. It was a pair of two most beautiful and heavy 'Payal' (silver anklets) kept in that silk cushioned case. She touched the payal and smiled broadly, mesmerising at its intricacy. It had several small bells jingling at slightest touch. 

Appraising his thoughtfulness of a gift, she blushed and took one last glance before keeping it just near her pillows. Soon enough the dreams of her angelic future pulled her into the embrace of deep slumber, leaving an imprint of the night's good endnote as her smile.

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Next afternoon, The Wedding Day:- 

"Will it take some more time, aunty?"

"There are a few rituals then you all are free to go and get ready." Annapurna said to Sejal after she applied oil and turmeric on Diksha's hair, then at her shoulders and lastly at her feet. She did this thrice as it was some ritual all the ladies were doing after a series of traditional rituals since morning. 

They all were in the lawn where the mandap was being set up. Diksha, who was in a yellow saree, was sitting in the middle of the group, on a short stool and all the ladies were circling her to complete the rituals fast as it was already three in three in the afternoon and they were rushing to complete everything in time. 

"I knew she couldn't get time to go to the parlour, that's why I had arranged them here only. Don't worry, you complete everything by then they will also come." Sejal assured her. 

One by one all the ladies did the needful and they freed her in less than twenty minutes. 

"Go take a bath but make sure you don't eat or drink anything, beta. I know it is hard but please adjust a little for today." Ramya, Diksha's Nani told her when they were done with everything.

"Don't worry, Nani, I'm good." Diksha hugged her, assuring her. 

"Wow, Di, look at your hands… it's so dark." Prachi said, taking Diksha's palm in hers, dreamily admiring the dark Mehndi on her palm. Everyone looked at her hands and indeed the dark Mehndi did justice to her fair skin as it shone brightly with its crimson effect.

"That shows how Jiju is head over heels for Di." Tanvi teased and the ladies laughed seeing the bride blush at the compliment. 

"Obviously, haven't you seen the way he looks at her? Diksha, am I right?" Sejal participated actively.

Diksha feigned a glare at her, "Shut up…", 

While the ladies supported Sejal's statement, her cheeks burned more. 

"Alright, girls, go take her in the room and start getting ready." Said Annapurna who was witnessing everything, smiling emotionally as well as proudly at their choice of groom who loves her daughter more than anything in this world, 

The girls started to disperse, when she took Diksha in a hug.

"I'll be there in half an hour after seeing the arrangements. Take your time to get ready. Don't rush, okay?" 

"Hmm…" Diksha was emotional already. 

"Don't cry, beta. You know, I'm so happy for you. Aakarsh is a very good man." Annapurna wiped her tears, speaking slowly.

"He is, Mumma… and I can't thank you and papa enough for bringing him into my life." Diksha said, hugging her mother again. 

They all were admiring the mother-daughter duo when a commotion caught their attention. A group of three or four men were searching for Mayank frantically… almost running. 

"What happened, Nakul, why are you panicking?" Mayank asked his assistant, leaving from the mandap's place. He was personally directing the wedding planner regarding the mandap type. Nakul breathlessly made his way to Mayank and briefed him with the news that dropped a bomb on everyone.

"Sir, the police have arrived at the hotel. They have an arrest warrant against both the Verma men." 

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