Nidhi POV:

"I am really not liking sitting idle like this," I muttered loudly to Ravali, who was sitting beside me. At least she's better off than me—she's still moving her hands as required for the mehendi-wala. But I have become a complete statue. My mehendi is done on both hands and legs, and it still has to dry more. Otherwise, I'll definitely smudge it on some dress.

I am wearing a sleeveless, dark green sharara with gold, light-coloured floral embroidery throughout the top. It is free-flowing and has small embroidered or embellished motifs on the bottom. The sharara is worn with small slits on either leg, allowing air to pass through and the mehendi to dry quickly.

I am getting this worked up on this dress and mehendi because this is the same dress I have to wear the whole night, since it's my sangeet event as well.

Unfortunately, we couldn't allocate separate time for both functions, so we're managing everything today only. And don't assume that people will dance, sing, and do every celebration shown in movies—we will barely have a small photo session with all the guests, a dinner party, and send-off.

It is anyway better to close the day early with all these people, as tomorrow is the main day. The wedding auspicious time is scheduled at night at 8:16. I am literally counting seconds to reach the auspicious moment.

It's already 6 PM. My mehendi started at 4 in the afternoon, and mine got completed just 30 minutes ago. Now others are queuing up near the mehendi artist. Fortunately, the artist came on time—otherwise, it would have been even more delayed.

Looking around, I noticed all my relatives fully submerged in their small talks. The ladies are chit-chatting while blowing on their hands to dry their mehendi, and the men are sharing their own conversations. Everyone is talking about their work only among themselves. It looks more like a social gathering than a function or celebration. What to do? Even my age-group cousins are usually lively, but today only a few came by, and others will come directly at the wedding time only.

"Any idea where Darsh and his family are?" Ravali asked as she brought some fruit juice, helping me sip it.

"Even I am looking for him only. They should be here by now," I replied, taking huge gulps of my drink again. I hadn't realized how thirsty I was until the liquid touched my throat.

"Hi Nidhi," came a greeting from behind, which made me turn around to find Reena walking close to me. She is wearing a navy blue anarkhali dress with detailed pearl embroidery throughout, with a contrasting silver dupatta.

"Hey Reena. Looks like someone else is waiting for you in the same colour attire," I teased her as I looked at her and my brother a bit away from her. He is also wearing a similar navy kurta with cream trousers.

Reena chuckled and sat beside me to get a better look at Nithin for herself. At least for me, their relationship was no longer a secret. After my marriage, my brother plans to reveal everything to our parents, and he is already confident that they will approve of her. I truly wish the same for them, because they are genuinely wonderful together, and they deserve a lifetime of happiness.

"Did you check on Darsh by any chance?" I asked her, hoping she would have an update regarding him.

"Well, I called him before starting here, but he did not answer my call. Let me try again now," Reena replied and dialled Darsh again right in front of me, but again it remained unanswered. I asked her not to dial again, telling her he must be busy or already on his way here.

"In the meantime, go and get the mehendi art done on your hands," I suggested to Reena as she was chatting with me and Ravali. She agreed and went ahead to the mehendi artist, while I kept staring at the entrance of the function hall, looking to get a glimpse of his entry anytime soon.

But this is actually very ignorant behaviour from him. At least a message would work for either of us about his status. Am I overthinking too much? I seriously couldn't help it because it is his fault that I am used to his constant attention from the past few weeks.

Finally, around 6:40, Darsh arrived with his family through the entrance, my family stepping forward to welcome them warmly. He was still near the doorway, and from where I stood, I couldn't get a proper glimpse of him—perhaps he couldn't see me clearly either.

And there I was, silently aching for him to look my way. I wanted him to notice me, to really see me in this beautiful dress, to admire me, maybe even search for the name hidden within the intricate mehendi on my hands. But he didn't—he wasn't trying to find me at all.

I noticed that my father took Darsh aside, leaving his mother and brother to walk inside the hall towards me. His mother was wearing a warm sandal-coloured plain saree with a small red pattu border, and his brother was also twinning with his mother, wearing a beige-coloured kurta with red-coloured trousers. I smiled at them and stood up from my place as they approached me.

"Nidhi, take the blessing of your Athaiya (mother-in-law)," my Maa said to me, making me instantly hyper-alert and getting into daughter-in-law mode. I bent down and touched her feet, taking her blessing, as she placed her palm on my head and raised me up.

"You are looking so beautiful, dear," she praised me with a glimmer of tears in her eyes and made me sit back.

"I... I have bought something for Nidhi," she turned to my mother and grandmother. Vihas immediately handed a box—looked like a jewellery box—to his mother, who in turn opened it in front of us.

There lay a beautiful necklace, with a finely crafted image of Goddess Lakshmi at its center, the entire chain adorned with delicate lotus-shaped motifs throughout.

"This is our family heirloom. We would request you to," turning to me, "make her wear this tomorrow at the wedding to uphold our family custom. Hope... it is okay for you all."

"Ohhh... Vadhina (sister-in-law), we seriously don't want to offend your custom, but it's a big gift to her already," my mother responded with respect.

"She has become our daughter already, and I am giving it to my daughter only."

Everyone's heart melted hearing her words, and we—my Maa, my grandma, and I—happily accepted the present and assured her that I would wear it at the wedding moment.

Everything is going so well. But where is the main man when he is also supposed to be with me right now?

Hello Everyone.

I am back pretty early with new chapter again within a week. That's a great change right?

Just want to continue this form only and finish the story soon.

Actually this chapter shouldn't end like this but then suddenly i thought why include who Sangeet from Nidhi POV only and will write from Darsh POV as well.

So the next chapter would be from his POV and followed by wedding chapter. Once wedding chapter is done I will be the most relieved because that would be like end of the first phase of book and from later the suspense about Darsh family will slowly start unfolding.

Hope everything goes as per the plan.

Hope you liked reading the chapter. Tell me in comments your reviews and feedbacks about what you liked and didn't like as it helps in improving the upcoming chapters.

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Thank you.