First Wife, First Love.

13. Tied Forever.

***Arya's POV.***

Today is the D-day. And I woke up at 6 in the morning for pre-wedding rituals. There are many things that need to be done before the wedding like Haldi, ghara ghardoli, kalire and many more ceremonies.

But first the Haldi ceremony starts. Haldi comes from Vedant house and is applied one by one by every married woman. After they are done, my brothers start their onslaught. Parth literally starts playing haldi holi. But I don't spare him either. Then my cousins go to a nearby temple where they take out water from a well and after some pooja bring it home and pour it over me, so I receive the blessings.

Then I come back home and take a hot bath. I wear a pink suit and go down for two other rituals with Mamu and Mami. Nani ties a mouli, a sacred thread around my right wrist as a lucky charm, which would also help in warding off evil eyes. Then after haven, they placed a blindfold around my eyes as Mamu and Mami dip my choora bangles in rose and milk water and then make me wear them. They also wrap a cloth around as I am not supposed to see it until I'm married. It is bad luck to see it before. Then they tie kalire around my wrist which has different nuts.

The time to get ready comes when my bridal lehenga comes into my room. Mami takes my cheeks in her hand and says, "Let me look at my daughter one last time as just my daughter. Because after wearing this you would just not be mine."

"Oh, Mami." I say and hug her.

"No crying before bidai, Kavya. And let's go. We have to get ready too before the groom's party arrives. We still have many things to do. Come." Nani says and hugs me before leaving me to the mercy of my hairstylists and make-up artists.

First I wore my red lehenga. The blouse is plain with embroidered sleeves and a heavy long skirt. Wearing the blouse was not difficult because it has a different type of stitch on the side to wear around sleeves.

After the hairdresser puts flowers around the hair updo and drapes dupatta over it, I look up to see myself for the first time. I am ready. I am a bride now. I take a deep breath to process that.

***Vedant's POV.***

I woke up late and Mom scolded me for it. I was up late working on a project at night as I was getting nervous for no reason. Maybe there was a reason. From today's afternoon onwards, I will have someone in my life forever.

As much as that makes me nervous and makes me question my decisions, the thought of Arya calms me down the very next second. I feel like if it was any other person, I might have not been this calm. I have not heard from her since yesterday.

As my haldi proceeds, Mom starts with scolding and tells me that my haldi has to be sent for Arya. I apologise to her a thousand times before she backs off.

"Purvi let it be. At least don't scold him for today. It is his wedding day." One of the Masi says.

"Yes, Purvi. Let it be. Would you scold him like this in front of his wife?" One of the chachi says.

"Yes. He will get scolded everytime he does anything wrong. It is my right." She says.

"I am here to hear every one of your scoldings, Mom. Because even when you scold me I feel your love." I say and kiss her hand.

"Aww!." Everyone says.

"Butter polisher." She says and applies more haldi on my face.

One by one every married woman applies the haldi then my cousin comes to apply it. Dadu also pushes Mayra to apply some haldi. I look around and don't find Ma but see Dadi who has a blank look on her face. Mayra hesitantly applies haldi and smiles at me. And I smile back.