1 Month Later

Piyali

I had not expected to end up in a love story. In fact, I was one of the quietest persons and considered a nerd by everyone, that I had always thought I will not get into a romantic relationship. My plans were to just study well, and pass exams, get a job and get married to whomever my parents find for me. That was what I thought will happen to me. But then, HE happened.

He shined most brightly than anybody else. He was someone who could make everyone smile and spread happiness around. You know, there will be some people, who when they are with a group of people, they join everyone together. The person will act like a sun, and as the centre point that all other people like planet revolving around. When they are there as the central point, the scattered planet will become the solar system. And, hence...he was like the sun.

Today, I am getting married to a boy my parents found for me. As per my original plan... And Yash is a nice guy. I had always known him and he is an Engineer and earns good money. But more than that, he can see me. He could compliment me if I wear something new, and find me if I get lost in a crowd.

I did not know if Aditya had come for the wedding. I had invited him and his mother... It just felt right to do so. He had accepted my wedding invitation card with a smile... And told me that he was happy for me. Told me that this was what I deserved.

So I looked at myself in the mirror in the room. I was dressed in a wedding sari. With traditional Bengali bridal make-up. Esha came to the room, "It's time for you to go down..."

"Okay," I told her. But I felt unsure... At this last moment, my heart hurt like hell. As if I am missing my last chance. As if I am letting go of something really really important, something I can't live without.

"Think again, Piya," Esha told me. "You still have time? Are you happy? Will this make you happy?"

No...But...

"Adi has come for your wedding you know," Esha added.

I looked at her. Will I be able to walk down there and get married in front of Aditya...? Look at his face? He cannot even see me in my wedding gown and getting married to some other guy...

"Let's go down...." I said.

I walked down, and my cousin brothers had the pallet ready for me there. I sat on it, and they carried me to the mandap. The wedding music was going on. Our relative aunties were dressed in a white and red sari. Some told me I was looking really beautiful. My mom and dad were looking happy. But...I...I was looking for someone in that crowd. I searched only for him.

When I was held up near the mandap. My eyes searched for Aditya... I wanted to see if he was happy. He should be happy that I got a 'normal' guy, right? I felt if I saw his happy face, I could get married to Yash without any problem.

If I see him smiling for me happily... I could...

Suddenly my eyes found him. He was standing there with his mom and Rohan. I saw him. I looked at him... And...

Aditya...he...

He was not smiling.

Aditya was not smiling anymore. He looked frantic. As if in pain... He was not smiling. He broke his promise... He was NOT smiling or laughing. He looked sad, broken... And not like the sun at all.

Suddenly, someone from behind pushed him and he fell down...

I gasped.

"Let me down..." I told my cousin brothers.

"What?" They asked. I did not wait till they lower the platform. I jumped down... It was dangerous since it was high up. I fell down to the ground.

"Piyali..." My parents were calling me.

But I got up and ran... Ran to Aditya. I ran to him and helped him get up. He was confused about what was going on...

"You broke your promise, you idiot..." I told him. It was just then he recognized me. Maybe I smell different with all sorts of fragrance stuff on me. So he could not identify me by my clay smell. "Why are you not laughing? Why?" I shook him.

"If you are not smiling, what is the point of everything?" I shook him again. "Smile..." I said.

He hugged me at once. And that too tightly... Too much tightly.

I broke into tears. I knew how much I missed that hug. I clutched him tighter to me "I can't do this..." I sobbed. "I don't want to do this," I told him. "Don't make me do this...."

He did not say anything. But I understood. He does not want to let me go either... He no longer wants to play the good guy and let go of me. He needs me as well.

"I don't want anyone but you...." I said sobbing. "I don't care if I need to take care of you for the rest of my life. I will take care of you. Because when I am with you, I am happy. You are the only person who makes me happy like that. So who the hell cares if I have to take care of you, or if you are not the same as a normal guy. All that matters is that, is that I am happy with you. So don't you dare go being unhappy thinking that you can not be the same as any other guy. You are not the same as any guy... You are special to me. And if it's not you, it does not have any meaning at all... If it's not you, then I would not be happy. If it's someone else, no matter how great he is, I would not be happy. So don't give me excuses like you are doing this for me, or for my happiness. And also... You... don't you dare stop smiling. Don't you dare stop laughing..." I hit him... "Do you hear me...? Don't you dare not smile and laugh."

He lifted me off my feet and kept on hugging me... "I love you..." he whispered.

That was all I wanted. I held on to him tighter...

"Piyali..." I heard Aditya's mom call. I opened my eyes and looked around. Well, my parents, Yash, and Yash's parents, all my relatives, family friends and just friends every gust in the wedding was looking at me and Aditya. Uh oh!

What happened after that was the usual family drama. I would not go into the details of all that. But I will tell you that, that day in that mandap, I got married to Aditya. Because my parents did not want to call off the wedding and bear the shame of it. Just the groom got changed a bit.

I had to guide Aditya's hand to properly tie the mangalsootra to my neck and put the sindoor because he could not judge properly as he was too nervous. But it was okay. I was happy to help him out... And he was happy too. In his words, not the kind of happiness that he can express with a laugh or smile, but the kind of happiness that he felt deep within his heart.

And we had to take photos in front of the mandap, which's backdrop still said 'Yash weds Piyali'. That was a bit of an offset...

"I won't be able to see the photos. So that is okay." Aditya had whispered to me secretly. And we laughed over that. Also, we decided to hold a reception separately for Aditya's family and friends... And my god... At least a million people came to our reception. All Aditya's fans and friends... After all, he was the sun. 

THE END

From the Author: Hope you liked the story. The happy ending may seem cliche and a bit forced.  It is because I had also thought of making this a sad ending. I thought a sad ending may seem more realistic. However, I am personally a fan of happy endings. And a sad ending felt too cruel to this couple. So I had to force a happy ending. 

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