The morning sunlight filtered through the curtains, casting a golden hue across the room. As I reluctantly woke up, my mind was already racing with thoughts about the unexpected turn my life had taken.

Marriage. To Sanchit. The guy who seemed to have boundless enthusiasm and an uncanny ability to infiltrate every corner of my life.

I looked to my side but didn't find Sanchit there. Maybe he was up earlier. I  slowly slipped out of bed, and padded into the kitchen, craving the familiarity of routine. Mata shree was already there, bustling about with her usual grace, preparing breakfast as if nothing extraordinary had happened.

I envied her calm demeanor, her ability to handle life's twists and turns with such ease. "Good morning, Mata Shree," I greeted quietly, pouring myself a cup of coffee. She glanced up, her warm smile momentarily easing the knot of tension in my chest.

"Good morning, Siddhi betu," she replied warmly. "Did you sleep well?" I shrugged nonchalantly, avoiding her gaze, " I slept fine, I guess." Mata Shree studied me for a moment, her eyes filled with a mixture of concern and understanding.

"It's okay to feel overwhelmed, Siddhi. Adjusting to this new chapter in your life will take time," she gently assured me. I nodded silently, grateful for her reassurance yet unwilling to admit the turmoil swirling inside me.

Marriage was never part of my plan, especially not to someone like Sanchit—charming, persistent, and infuriatingly optimistic.

Breakfast was a lively affair, filled with Papa's booming laughter and Niyu's endless chatter. And then there was Sanchit, effortlessly blending into our family dynamic as if he'd been a part of it all along.

His presence grated on my nerves, yet beneath my irritation lurked a begrudging respect for his unwavering determination. Breakfast passed in a blur of chatter and laughter, but beneath the surface, I remained guarded, keeping my thoughts carefully hidden.

Sanchit's efforts to integrate into our family were commendable, yet a part of me hesitated to fully embrace this new dynamic. As the day wore on, I found myself busy with work. When I went back home, I found out that Sanchit's the one cooking today.

I was curious as to how my Mata Shree allowed him into her kitchen when she didn't even allow me there. I went towards her, "Mata Shree, how? You gave your kitchen to Sanchit? He didn't use his son-in law card on you by forcing you to allow him in the kitchen, Did he?", I asked with concern

Mata Shree looked at me from top to bottom and then let out a soft laugh, her eyes twinkling mischievously, "Oh, he did but not by forcing me. After a bit of back-and-forth, he convinced me to let him help with dinner tonight. He said he was a great cook,"

I raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Really? He said that he's a great cook? I'm now excited and curious to know how good of a chef he is. But, but, but, I must say, Mata Shree, he seems to have won everyone over. Now see, you are on his side as well," I whined.

She smiled at my whining, "He's making an effort, Siddhi. And I do feel his cooking skills are impressive. The food smells amazing," she said. I was about to retort when Sanchit'a shouted calling out to everyone, "Dinner's ready!" he announced. We all gathered around the table and as I took the first bite, I was surprised.

His cooking skills are damn good. He should have been a chef, damn. I seriously love the food.

The room was silent for a moment, and then Papa smiled warmly, "This is delicious, Sanchit beta. You weren't kidding about your cooking skills. By your cooking skills you're soon going to win over our Siddhi, She's a big foodie," he said, clearly impressed.

While I whined at his remark, he disclosed my secret, "Papa he isn't supposed to know that," I whispered into his ears. But, to my utter dismay, everyone clearly heard it and laughed out loud. With a bit of chit-chat, we all enjoyed the dinner happily.

After dinner, I went towards my room's balcony, wanting to enjoy the cool breeze with a cup of my favorite chocolate choco chip ice cream. But, I saw Sanchit already sitting there. He was flipping through the pages of a book, a novel to be precise.

Sanchit dances. He cooks well. He reads novels. He enjoys his life so well. What more qualities is this man hiding?

"Hey," I said softly, sitting down beside him. He looked up, a smile spreading across his face when he saw me. "Hey yourself," he replied, setting the novel aside. "We didn't get to talk the whole day. Did you sleep well?" I nodded, leaning against him slightly.

"Yes, thank you. And thank you for today, Dinner was... Um, ...unexpected." Sanchit chuckled, "You're welcome, Sidhisha. Your family seems to approve of my cooking skills, at least." "They do," I admitted with a playful smirk. "You're slowly winning them over, Sanchit."

And then awkward silence prevailed. We both didn't know what to say anymore, "How did your day go?" Sanchit asked trying to dismiss the awkward air. I shrugged, not bothering to mask my disinterest, "Same old."

Sanchit sighed softly, his expression thoughtful, "Look, Sidhisha, Um, I wanted to speak to you about something... Something important actually," he said. I nodded my head in response, "Sure, go ahead, say whatever you want to say," I replied, feeling curious about it.

With a deep breath, he began speaking again, "Um, Sidhisha, I know we didn't exactly plan for this... arrangement. But maybe we could try to make the best of it." I raised an eyebrow, skeptical of his sudden attempt at diplomacy, "What are you getting at, Sanchit?"

He leaned forward, his gaze earnest, "Let me get this straight for you. See, Sidhisha what I'm trying to say is that maybe, just maybe, we could, you know, try to approach this weird Vegas marriage like... like an arranged marriage. Start as friends, get to know each other better, and see where it goes."

I scoffed incredulously, crossing my arms. "We? There's no we here Sanchit and Friends? You and me? Not possible," Sanchit nodded eagerly, undeterred by my skepticism. "But, Sidhisha why not? We don't have to pretend like we're madly in love overnight. Let's take it slow, figure out if we can at least get along."

I regarded him warily, searching for any hint of insincerity in his eyes. But all I found was genuine openness, a willingness to meet me halfway despite my frosty demeanor. "Fine," I relented begrudgingly. "Friends it is. But don't expect me to suddenly start baking cookies and singing your praises."

Sanchit grinned broadly, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "Fair enough. No cookies or praises required. I'm happy with our tom and jerry fights, they make life interesting," I chuckled at his words and just like that, against my better judgment, I found myself agreeing to a truce of sorts with Sanchit.

Friends. Nothing more, nothing less. It was a tentative agreement, a fragile bridge spanning the chasm between us.

That day we went to bed with a smile on our faces. As the next day progressed, I retreated into the familiar routine of my daily tasks, finding solace in the mundane. When evening arrived, Sanchit once again requested Mata Shree to let him take charge of the kitchen at night. I observed all his antics from a distance, silently acknowledging his efforts to integrate into our family.

His smile was infectious and he was a sweetheart, he could enchant anyone and everyonearound him. Yet, I remained on the sidelines, a silent observer of his antics.

"Dinner's ready!" Sanchit announced cheerfully yet againxbreaking through my thoughts. Reluctantly, I joined the others at the table, where the aroma of his cooking filled the air. The meal was surprisingly good, each dish a testament to his culinary skills.

As we ate, our conversations flowed freely, punctuated by Niyu's animated storytelling, Sanchit and Papa's playful teasing and Mata Shree's fake anger.

Oh, how I love my family. They're the best.

Later that night, as I stood by the window, gazing out at the starlit sky, Sanchit approached quietly from behind. His presence was a comforting presence, yet I couldn't shake the lingering doubts that gnawed at my insides.

"Hey," he murmured softly, coming to stand beside me. I turned to face him, the cool night air brushing against my skin. "Hey," I replied quietly, unsure of what to say next. Sanchit hesitated for a moment, as if choosing his words carefully.

"I meant what I said the previous day, Sidhisha," he began earnestly. "I know this isn't ideal for either of us, but... maybe we can make the best of it as friends. You can trust this friend of yours, pretty please," he requested with a warm smile.

Perhaps he wasn't as insufferable as I initially thought. Maybe, just maybe, there was more to him than met the eye. "Of course, I trust you, ...Friend," I echoed softly, meeting his gaze.

Maybe this drunk Vegas marriage wouldn't be so unbearable after all.

And as much as I hated to admit it, I found myself slowly warming to the idea of having him as my friend in this unexpected adventure called marriage.

So, that's it for the 9th chapter.
I hope you liked it and if you did please vote and comment.

Sidhisha and Sanchit are friends now. Sidhisha's slowly accepting him into her bubble.
Will Sanchit be able to melt and break the ice cold walls around Sidhisha's heart?

Stay tuned to know what happens next.

Word Count : 1600 words

With love ❤️
Signing off
Vee