Ik wo nazar, ik wo nigaah
Rooh mein shaamil iss tarah
Ban gaya afsaana ik baat se pehli dafa
Paa liya hai thikaana
Baahon ki hai panaah
Suna hai, suna hai
Ye rasme wafa hai
Jo dil pe nasha hai
Wo pehli dafa hai.

Life is so unpredictable...

I heard this somewhere, but I wasn't believing it because my life was what I wanted. A healthy and lovable family with lovely friends around and a good luxurious life, but it was until the storm hit us.

It was until the day that we found out that my father was suffering from cancer and won't be able to live long. I was only 22 back then, and the new broke me enough that I started to cry day and night.

It was like hell broke on us, over my all family, We didn't know how to act on this situation. Without father? No! I won't lose hope. Isn't medical science developed enough?

After that day, I changed, I wasn't the old and childish Noor but a mature Noor who was aware of the harsh reality. It was very hard and literally impossible for me, but still, I tried. I started to see my responsibilities and my duties toward my family. Even if I wasn't ready to lose hope, even through I believe there will be some miracle but in the back of my mind there is a voice that says that there won't a protective covering of my father over my head for so long. I realized I was going to be left alone. There won't be any hand which I'll hold.

It's been 1 year since we found out about cancer, and it was heartbreaking to hear that the tumor cell was spreading so fast in my father body. Hearing the heartbreaking news that day, we all came back, and on the way, my father was seeing me with love and was in deep thought.

I never knew what he was thinking until we all settled in the hall, and my father called me to him. I went to him, and he put his hand on my head while gazing at me lovingly.

He then said something to me, which actually made earth slip beneath my feet. He said.

"Noorie, I know I am being selfish, but you know I love you more than myself." I nodded, hearing him, and then he again said.

"Noorie my love, you can consider it my last wish...before I close my eyes, I want to see your marriage. I wish to see my Noor getting settled...Will you please grant me this request?"

I was shocked to the core, and who won't be. I was just 23, and marriage was the last thought in my mind, but Fate always played hard and here, seeing my father's teary eyes and the way he asked me. Seeing his state and the twinkling in his eyes for my positive reaction, I found myself nodding my head as yes.

And here I am sitting on the sofa with my fiancé. Today is our engagement, and to be honest, I have no feelings about it. My heart was numb because of my father's health, and the fact I'll be leaving my house to live with someone else was making me shiver. All my life, I was my daddy's princess, but now, in a few days, I'll have to leave my sick father back to start a new life. How am I supposed to feel?

We are yet to start the rituals, and that's why we are sitting on the sofa looking at the function happening around.

Not for once, I looked up at him, and it will be shamed for a bride, but for me, it was a hard task to just look at him. I was always a shy girl, but right now, I was nervous and nervous to face the truth. I just know his name, which is "Sidharth Singh Rajvardhan" and his profession, which is a doctor, to be accurate, a cardiologist.

Siting beside him wearing a heavy lengha and loads of jewelry, I was continuously looking down, but I could feel the gaze on him on me from time to time.

I don't know what he was thinking, or how he look or what's its opinion about our marriage, but I just know this that my father loves me a lot, and he found this alliance for me. And I'm doing all this for my father. He knows better.

I wasn't ready for the marriage yet, but here it is happening, with my consent. Am I ready to give it a chance? Am I ready to put in efforts? Even though I'm not ready, do I have an option? No. I have to prepare myself for this. I can't let my father's pride tarnish just because I wasn't able to wrap my mind around this. I'll try giving my best in this. Just by thinking all this, I feel my heart skipping a beat, the dreadful feeling settled in my guts.

After a few minutes, I felt him taking his gaze off me, and he looked ahead. I realize a breath I didn't know I was holding.

A few minutes later, my mother and his mother approached us with a smile. They said it was time to exchange the rings.

I sucked a deep breath and nodded my head, I got up, and he did that, too. There only I noticed how tall he was from me. How muscular but not bulky his body was. As I looked ahead, I saw his chest, which was covered in a cream colored kurta.

I don't know why, but I felt a sudden fear looking at his giant like body. I gulped.

Shooking my head, I immediately looked down, and at that instant, my cheeks turned red. He forwards his hand to hold my hand, and I give my hand in his slowly. He held my small hand in his large one, and my heartbeat fastened. I can feel the roughness of his skin under my hand. A shiver ran through my body at the foreign touch.

Sliding the ring inside my finger, he left my hand immediately, but gently.

Then, forwarding his huge palm, he was ready to wear the ring, but here I was, super nervous. This was so new for me. With a shivering hand, I held his hand in mine and once again noticed how big they were.

With one swift move, I made him wear the ring. Everyone around clapped, I smiled and showed myself a happy bride. Without thinking much, I looked up at his face, which was the epitome of beauty.

My heart skipped a beat, Every feature was sharp and breathtaking. His eyes were blue to my utmost surprise. Hairs were light brown and were set perfectly. Jaw was sharp. The little stubble covering his jaw and cheeks were making him look more attractive.

His personality with 6 feet+ height was a plus point on it. My mouth was about to hang open at his gorgeous sight, but there was one thing missing. His eyes were void of emotion. He wasn't smiling or anything, even for others, there wasn't any smile.

He was just looking ahead. And I was looking at him. Soon, I heard a throat cleaning some, and my continuous gaze on him broke. I looked ahead to see my best friend looking at me in a teasing smile. I looked away from him, and my cheeks turned brighter red in embarrassment. Not only that, but I felt embarrassed to gaze him clearly in front of everyone.

Lowering my head, I smiled at him. Indeed, he was breathtaking, but why wasn't he showing any emotions? My smile faded away, and a frown appeared on my forehead.

But I wasn't able to ponder much on this. His family approached us. His family contains plenty of people. After all, he lives in a joint family. Something I never had.

His sister, brother, and cousin all approached us. They congratulated us very enthusiastically.

"Congratulations, bhaiya, bhabhi,"

(Congratulations, brother and sister in law)

It made me smile and blush. It's for the very first time someone called me bhabhi. Few of them are older than me but all younger than him.

"Congratulations beta" His mother said, I bent down to touch her feet, and unknown to me, he too bent down. But she stopped us in the middle, was hugged me.

"Just stay happy, children. My blessings are always with you." She said while caressing my cheeks. I smiled at her. All the time I met her, she treated me nothing less than her daughter. And the fact that they are much, much richer than made it even more special. I looked aside to see his father, but he didn't come up.

Strange!

Then, after one by one, everyone clicks photographs with us. My eyes were searching for my father, who came up after some time. He was smiling, and just by looking at him, I can say, he cried.

My own eyes welled up. He looks weak, weaker than he was yesterday, but his eyes, they were shining. He and Maa stood before me, and to my surprise, Sidharth ji bent down and took blessings, I followed his suit, and my father put his hand on both of us heads. His eyes now shined with happiness.

I really liked his this gesture.

"I'm so happy for my Noorie. You both look so good together" Papa said, and I just nodded. I believe if I'll open my mouth, I'll end up crying.

"Thank you beta" my papa said, looking at him. My alliance with them was quite a surprise. No offense We aren't poor, infant we are higher middle class family but they-They all are rich, more than us. And the fact that they agreed to in such a short time was a Surprise for me too.

"Uncle, please. Even I'm like your son now" I heard his deep voice for the very first time in the whole evening, and my eyes flew to him. I wasn't expecting him to say such things. Hearing him, I realized as he is now my in my family I too belong to his.

I lowered my eyes, and my mother squeezed my hand, probably knowing what was going inside my head. My eyes fall in the ring. It wasn't much bigger nor too small. Although it wasn't at all small with a red ruby in the center and two diamonds on the surrounding it in a gold ring.

But it wasn't size, but the feeling that came up with this ring. As I looked more, I felt a sense of belonging. I felt the weight of responsibility that came with this.

Now I belong to him and he belongs to me.

My heart skipped a beat at the thought, but before I could think more about it, my best friend Riya held my hand and pulled me a little away. In sudden force, I stumbled a bit but was caught as soon as the person beside me who is my fiancé now. He held me by holding my forearm. I gasped at the sudden contact and felt his one hand on my dupatta covered back, trying to hold me on my place.

My blouse had a little deep neck, and that's why I was hiding my skin by my dupatta. But as his hand touched me there, I felt like I was bare for his hand. Unexpectedly, I flinched, and a shiver ran through my body, feeling his hot hand directly on my skin. I sucked in a deep breath to calm myself.

Once I was stable, he slowly removed his hand from my body and murmured a slowly

"Um, sorry"

He whispered an apology, but I didn't say anything. His voice was hard yet musky, which sent a shiver to my body for another time. I bite my lips as my heart skips a beat. I held a bunch full of my lengha in my fist tightly.

"Are you okay?"

I wasn't done with the fact he touched me, when I heard his voice near my ear this time I felt goosebumps all over my body.

"Ji"

(Yes)

I spoke for the very first time, my voice unexpectedly meek. A small smile came to my lips at his gentleman gesture. He was backed off to his place. And then I felt him moving away.

"Umm, I am sorry to you both of you. I was trying to pull Noor, but one of them pushed me to. So..."

I heard Riya's and my attention, which was on his shift back to her. Now he was back on his place. He said something which I didn't hear. Riya again held my back, and this time, we both stepped away carefully. As I was a little away from where he was standing, she whispered on my ear.

"Aunty told me to take you to your room back. It's already dinner time".

Hearing her, I nodded. Somewhere, I was grateful for that. With him, I felt intimated. His aura was something else. Something dark and dominating. His giant figure was imitating my already nervous mind.

"Sit here, Mrs. Soon to be Noor Sidharth Singh Rajvardhan"

She said as soon as we entered inside my room, my head snapped up to her after hearing the name with his. Whispering the name again, a small smile came to my lips unknowingly.

"Noor Sidharth Singh Rajvardhan"

_____

Hello bubbles, here's the first chapter. How was it?

Interesting? Boring? Rate it it between 1 and 16.

I wrote this chapter like a year ago. So here there will be a few things messed up here and there.

Will post the next chapter soon.

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‼️Important‼️

Hi everyone! If you want to continue reading the book, it's currently being updated on ScrollStack. We'll start updating it on Wattpad soon, but for now, you can follow along there. Thank you for your support!"