Muh dikhai ceremony
As the muh dikhai ceremony approached, Yanii draped herself in a stunning red saree a perfect blend of tradition and modern elegance. The fabric clung to her frame gracefully, enhancing her natural beauty. She stood before the mirror, adjusting the pleats with a sigh, her lips curling into a smirk as she whispered to herself,
"Why am I even doing this? That idiot doesn't even like me. What's the point of this fake show?"
Yet, as she took another glance at her reflection, something shifted. A soft chuckle escaped her lips. "Well, at least I'll get a gorgeous picture for my Instagram."
With that, she lifted her phone and captured the moment-a perfect shot. Within seconds, the image was up on her feed. The instant validation of likes and comments could wait. Before she could admire it further, a sharp knock on the door snapped her out of her thoughts.
"Bhabhi, come downstairs! Everyone's waiting!" Richa's voice rang from outside.
Yanii took a deep breath, her fingers grazing the delicate veil covering her face. She hesitated. Not because she cared about the people downstairs, but because she hated the way traditions forced her into roles she never asked for. Still, she straightened her posture.
"I'm coming," she called out, her voice steady despite the turmoil inside.
As she stepped out of the room, her presence turned the hallway into a canvas of anticipation. The red saree shimmered under the soft glow of the lights, its rich color deepening the warmth of her complexion. Though her face remained veiled, there was an undeniable aura around her-an elegance that didn't need to be seen to be felt.
The moment she stepped into the gathering, silence wrapped around the room like a thick fog. Conversations died mid-sentence. Every gaze turned toward her, drawn by an unexplainable force. Even without seeing her face, they knew she was breathtaking.
Richa guided her to a chair, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Then, Mrs. Malhotra approached with the grace of someone accustomed to rituals. With slow, deliberate movements, she lifted Yanii's veil, revealing the face everyone had been waiting to see.
And in that very moment Kushagra walked back into the house.
His footsteps faltered as his eyes landed on her.
Time stretched.
He had prepared himself for this moment, convinced that nothing about this forced marriage would affect him. And yet, as he looked at her, something inside him cracked.
For the first time in a long while, his world didn't revolve around Saniya.
For the first time, he forgot she even existed.
"Kushagra?"
His father's voice sliced through the haze of his thoughts.
"Where are you lost?"
The words yanked Kushagra back to reality, pulling him out of the dangerous trance he had unknowingly slipped into. His jaw clenched, his fingers curled into fists as a sudden, unsettling realization hit him-he had been admiring Yanii. His mind had wandered, tracing the delicate contours of her face, the elegance in her posture, the unspoken allure in her presence.
And in that moment, he had forgotten Saniya.
The weight of that realization crashed into his chest like a blow, a sharp, inexplicable ache blooming in a place he didn't even know existed. Was it regret? Or something else entirely-something darker, something he wasn't ready to name? His pulse spiked, a strange fury burning beneath his skin-not at Yanii, but at himself.
"No," his mind rebelled, "this isn't supposed to happen."
His expression darkened, anger flaring in his eyes as he fought against the pull he felt. He shouldn't have looked at her like that. He shouldn't have felt anything at all. But he did. And that truth-however fleeting-was enough to set his nerves on fire.
A firm hand on his shoulder jolted him back.
"Kushagra, come back to the real world." His father, Raj, was staring at him, brows furrowed in confusion.
Kushagra blinked, his muscles tensing as if he had been caught doing something he shouldn't.
"What?" His voice was harsher than he intended, laced with a frustration even he couldn't fully understand.
Raj studied him for a moment, his eyes sharp with curiosity.
"Where were you just now?" His father's voice held an edge of amusement, but beneath it, there was something else-a quiet, knowing suspicion. "You looked like you had drifted into another world."
Kushagra exhaled sharply, forcing himself to mask the turmoil raging inside him.
"It's nothing," he muttered, looking away, "just a passing thought."
But deep down, he knew.
It wasn't nothing.
And it sure as hell wasn't just a passing thought.
Kushagra listens to his father's words, and his mind slowly starts working again. But one name, one face, and one voice keep echoing in his head and it's not Saniya's. It's Yani's. A frown forms on his face as he realizes just how deeply he has been analyzing her. A soft, frustrated sound escapes his lips-so quiet that only he can hear it. He doesn't even understand why he is thinking about Yani again and again.
Then, suddenly, Saniya's name flashes in his mind. His chest tightens. He can't believe that, for a moment, he completely forgot about Saniya because of a girl he claims to hate. Do I really hate her? The question starts running through his mind like a never-ending loop. And then, another thought strikes him-Do I hate just her? Or do I hate what I'm feeling right now?
Emotions swirl inside him, colliding with each other, leaving him frustrated and confused. He is so lost in his thoughts that he completely ignores his father's presence once again. He doesn't even realize how deep he has fallen into his own mind, tangled between Yani and Saniya.
Suddenly, Raj speaks again, his voice sharper this time, pulling Kushagra back into reality. The change in his father's tone catches Yani's attention too, making her glance in their direction.
Raj's eyes narrow as he says, "Which world are you lost in that you can't seem to come back from?"
The words jolt Kushagra back, as if someone has physically dragged him out of his thoughts and thrown him into reality. He blinks, disoriented, his father's voice grounding him. He stares at Raj before barely murmuring, "What? I'm right here."
Raj raises an eyebrow at him. "Yeah, I can see that your body is here. But where exactly did your mind run off to?"
Kushagra looks at his father and barely mutters, "What?"
Raj looks at Kushagra and says firmly, "Stop with the 'what what' and tell me where were you lost?"
Kushagra shakes his head slightly and replies, "Nowhere, Dad. I'm right here."
But deep down, he knew he was lying-to his father and to himself. He was trying to suppress the whirlwind of emotions that had suddenly started clouding his mind.
Yanii glanced at both Raj and Kushagra, her brows slightly furrowed in confusion. She had no idea what had just happened, but something felt... off. Her gaze lingered on Kushagra, and in that brief moment, their eyes met.
For a second, everything around them blurred, as if the world had paused.
But Kushagra was the first to break the contact. He quickly looked away, his heartbeat pounding in his ears. He clenched his jaw, his fingers curling into a fist at his side. Why is this happening? Why am I reacting like this?
On the other hand, Yanii mistook his reaction for something else entirely.
He really hates me... she thought, remembering their conversation from the night before. That sharp exchange of words still lingered in her mind. With a soft sigh, she murmured under her breath, "Rude. I don't know what mess I've gotten myself into."
Just then, a group of women gathered around her, praising her beauty and showering her with muh dikhai gifts. Yanii, distracted, smiled politely as she responded to them.
Kushagra, standing at a distance, watched the entire scene unfold. He clenched his teeth, his eyes narrowing slightly as he observed Yanii. He hated how his chest felt tight, how something inside him twisted at the sight of those smiles directed at her.
Why do I care? I don't even like her.
Raj, who had been silently observing everything, smirked slightly and turned toward Kushagra.
"Yanii is the right girl for you," he said with certainty. "One day, you'll understand that yourself."
Then, with a sigh, he added, "And when that day comes, you'll thank me so much, you won't be able to stop."
Kushagra's head snapped toward his father, disbelief flashing in his eyes. He let out a sharp, sarcastic chuckle before replying, "Dad, seriously? You actually think that?" He shook his head and scoffed, "I hate to break it to you, but you're living in a delusion. You're dreaming in broad daylight. Wake up, there's still time."
Raj simply smiled in response, unaffected by his son's stubbornness. He patted Kushagra's shoulder and said, "You're my son, after all. You won't accept this so easily." Then, his voice dropped to a knowing tone as he added, "But remember, I'm your father. I know you better than you think. Someday, you'll realize that I was right, and trust me... you won't regret my decision."
From a distance, Yanii caught sight of Raj and Kushagra, their body language indicating a serious conversation. But she didn't have time to dwell on it. The women around her kept engaging her in conversation, pulling her attention away.
Yet, somewhere deep inside her, she could feel that something was changing-something she didn't quite understand yet.
Yanii was getting complimented by everyone when suddenly, an aunty stepped forward, pulling Yanii out of her thoughts.
"Yanii dear, I'm Suman, your mother-in-law very close friend,"
she said, laughing with a slight chuckle, making the whole crowd giggle in unison. Yanii, a little uncomfortable, tried her best to hide it, maintaining her calm, but the uneasiness was visible in the way her hand gently rubbed her left palm, trying to mask the tension building inside her.
Her heart felt heavy, unsure of what to do next. Before she could gather her thoughts, Suman added with a hint of mockery, "Meera, your daughter-in-law is so shy, she hardly speaks, doesn't even speak up in conversations. Looks like she's not even young at all..."
The room burst into laughter again. Yanii managed a nervous smile, but her heart felt tight. She could feel the judgment, the discomfort gnawing at her as she softly replied, "Actually, that's not the case..."
Before she could say more, Meera, who was quietly observing, spoke up to diffuse the tension. "Suman, she got married just yesterday! Remember when you first came here, you barely spoke too, but now, look at you! No one can say you're the quiet one anymore."
Suman's face dropped slightly, trying to force a smile, "Meera, you'll never change, huh?"
As the conversation continued, Suman's eyes wandered to Kushagra. She called him over, "Kushagra, dear, come here for a moment."
Kushagra, who had been arguing with his father, stopped abruptly, hesitating as he looked toward the group of women. His father nudged him from behind, signaling him to join them. He walked over reluctantly, unsure of what was coming next.
Meera, sensing something about to unfold, muttered to herself, "What is Suman planning now? She can't even sit quietly for a moment."
As Kushagra reached them, Suman immediately asked, "Kushagra, didn't you get Yanii any gift? Didn't you bring anything for her?" Laughter erupted from the women again, but this time, Kushagra's jaw tightened, and his fists clenched. He could feel his patience thinning. Meera, sensing the building tension, wanted to step in but was interrupted as Suman added,
"When I got married, my husband brought a diamond necklace worth two lakhs for me. And what about you meera? Raj bro give you the ring .Kushagra, did you not buy anything for yanii? "
Kushagra's anger bubbled over as his jaw clenched harder. He had had enough. But before he could speak,
"Kushagra"
Vivaan, who was two years younger than Kushagra, walked up to him and innocently asked, "Kushagra, what's that ring doing in your pocket?"
The ring
Saniya
Kushagra frozen It was a reminder of a different time, a different love, a different woman he buy this ring for saniya to propose her but she reject him. His heart clenched. He could hear her laughter, see her smile, and remember the moment they first kissed. All of those memories crashed into him in a wave. His chest tightened, and for a moment, it felt like his breath had been stolen away. He longed to shout, to ask his father why he had forced him into this situation, why he had betrayed his feelings for the sake of some promise.
The pain was sharp, like a wound that never healed. His emotions flared, but he stayed silent, unable to express the hurt that had been building up for so long.
Kushagra stood frozen, his jaw clenched tightly. His mind raced, and his heart pounded in his chest. The ring... it wasn't just a gift. It was a painful reminder of everything he had lost, of a time when Saniya had been his world. For a split second, his chest ached as though his heart had stopped beating altogether.
In that brief moment, Kushagra's body tensed with an overwhelming urge-he wanted to go to Saniya. He needed to claim her, to kiss her, to make her his again. The thought of her-her lips, her touch, her laughter-flooded his senses. He wanted her so badly, more than anything. He couldn't stand being away from her. He wanted to scream at the injustice of it all. He couldn't let her go, not now, not ever.
His fists clenched tighter, and for that instant, all he could think about was reaching her, holding her close, and never letting her slip away again.
But as quickly as the feeling rose, it was buried deep within him. He couldn't show it. Not now, not here.
Suman's voice cut through his thoughts again, "Oh, so you got a ring for Yanii too? Show it to us, we'd love to see it!"
As the women gathered around Vivaan, eager to see the ring, Yanii glanced over at the box. Her eyes instinctively darted to Kushagra, who had already disappeared. She was left with a whirlwind of emotions, her mind racing. Was Kushagra just pretending? Was he hiding his real feelings? Or had he truly changed?
Yanii sit there, caught in the whirlwind of her own confusion, unsure of what to make of the man who had been so distant. Her mind was spinning, trying to understand what was happening, but nothing made sense. The only thing she knew was that something between them had shifted, but whether it was real or just a facade, she couldn't tell.