Chapter 3 3

Everyone was eagerly awaiting the bride's arrival. Piya was already in her room, ready. She looked breathtaking in a stunning red wedding dress, with perfectly styled hair and minimal makeup. She's always been beautiful, but today she looked like the most radiant bride in the world, someone you couldn't take your eyes off.

Although she looked like a princess, Pia wasn't happy. Her face didn't reflect the joy one would expect on such an occasion. She did everything purely on the surface and without any enthusiasm.

Kavita and Manish entered their room. When Manish saw her dressed as a bride, tears welled up in his eyes.

" You look like a princess, Piya. It's your wedding day, and I promise you, from now on, your life will be filled with nothing but happiness," Manish said emotionally. He considered Piya his own daughter, and seeing her like this touched him deeply. Piya smiled weakly at him, hoping he wouldn't notice her reluctance to attend the wedding.

" Let's go downstairs now. Everyone is waiting, and the auspicious time is passing," Kavita said tonelessly and emotionlessly.

Aarav was sitting in the wedding hall, surrounded by his family. When he saw the bride approaching with her face veiled, he was confused-or rather, impatient-to see her face.

"Why is Muskan wearing such a long veil? I can't even see her face," Aarav whispered to Raj, who was standing behind him.

Raj and Aarav were childhood friends. Their bond was so deep that, despite being formally friends, their love and loyalty surpassed that of siblings. Raj's father, Avinash, worked with Aarav's father. But after his father died in a tragic accident and his mother died shortly afterward from an illness, Raj was left alone. He wanted to move into a hostel, but Aarav couldn't bear to let him go. Since then, Raj lived with Aarav and his family, who treated him like their own son.

When Raj heard Aarav's complaint, he couldn't help but tease him.

" Bhai maan le na ki tu mar raha he apni dulhan ka chehra dekhne ke liye"

(Just admit it – you can't wait to see your bride's face!)

he said, laughing.

"N-nothing like that... I just... I mean..." Aarav stammered, feeling caught out.

" Han Han, Tera Chehra Sab Kuch Bata Raha He"

(Yes, exactly. Your face says it all!)

Raj teased again and laughed even louder.

"Be quiet, both of you! It's tradition. The bride is not allowed to show her face during the ceremony," Aarav's mother Radha interrupted, using the custom as an excuse to hide the real reason.

" Ugh, what kind of outdated tradition is this? How can I not see my bride's face?" Aarav muttered dejectedly.

" Relax ," Raj consoled, suppressing his laughter. " You have your whole life to see her face. Just be patient!"

Finally, Pia arrived and sat down next to Aarav in the mandap. The rituals began. Outwardly, she appeared calm and composed, but inside, she was filled with fear. She was marrying someone whose face she had never seen before.

During the rituals, Aarav noticed Pia's trembling hands. He gently reached out, held her hand, and offered her support.

The moment she felt his touch, Pia's heart rate quickened. It was the first time a man had held her hand. But she controlled her emotions and focused on completing the ceremony.

The priest's voice rang out:

" The wedding is consummated."

These words delighted everyone present, and loud drumbeats began. Aarav also seemed happy, but Pia... tears streamed down her face, hidden beneath her veil.

Without knowing it, Aarav had vowed to stand by Pia at every moment and in every challenge.

The real test now lay before him: Would he keep these vows if he learned the truth?

Life has a habit of making decisions for us and putting us in situations where it becomes difficult to distinguish right from wrong.

In such moments, the best thing we can do is trust time,

Because what is written in our destiny will come to pass. But how we deal with these moments is up to us.

Piya had similar thoughts. She knew she had done the right thing for her family's honor by marrying her, but the thought of Aarav filled her with deep sadness. She was convinced Aarav would never accept or love her, even if his family showered her with love.

How could she ever be happy if her own husband hated her?

Piya had always been alone, but she had dreamed of a beautiful future.

She had hoped that one day a charming prince would enter her life, rescue her from her loneliness, and love her deeply. She dreamed of marrying him and living happily ever after with her family.

But today those dreams have been shattered. She had resigned herself to the fact that her Prince Charming would never come.

Pia and Aarav's wedding was over, and everyone seemed happy-everyone except Piya. Kavita Ji wasn't overly cheerful, but remained calm, as Pia's actions had saved the family's reputation. Radha Ji, on the other hand, was worried. She kept thinking about how to tell Aarav the truth. It was clear they couldn't reveal anything to him now, or chaos would ensue.

After the wedding, as Aarav stood near the mandap, he called out, "Hey... where are my shoes?"

" Looks like someone stole them for the shoe-stealing ritual. Get ready to empty your pockets, brother," Raj teased, making a guess.

" But Muskaan doesn't have any siblings. Oh, wait, there was a girl, right? Muskaan mentioned her uncle's daughter, but I can't remember her name. Anyway, she's not even here at the wedding. Where are my shoes?" Aarav asked, referring to Pia, but couldn't remember her name since they had never met.

When Pia Aarav spoke about her, she was lost in thought and wondered what Muskaan might have said about her.

"I have your shoes with me, brother, but you won't get them that easily. You have to pay for them!" a girl announced confidently, standing with her hands on her hips.

[This girl was Sakshi Kapoor, Aarav's younger sister and the darling of the Kapoor family. At 19, she studied fashion design and was always up for mischief.]

"What?! Are you crazy, Sakshi? You're my sister; you should be on my side! Why did you steal my shoes?" Aarav asked, completely confused.

"Exactly, Sakshi, what kind of prank is this? Now stop bothering Aarav," Radha Ji scolded her.

" What did I do wrong, Mom? Bhabi doesn't have any siblings here who could perform this ritual, and since I'm like her little sister now, I thought I'd do it. Did I do something wrong, Dad?" Sakshi asked innocently, looking at her father.

Since Avinash Ji was her father's favorite, he naturally took her side.

" Not at all, Sakshi. You did the right thing. Otherwise, the ritual would have been incomplete. Radha, stop scolding my daughter now," said Avinash Ji, supporting Sakshi as always.

"Seriously, Dad? Why do you always side with that drama queen?" Aarav complained.

Sakshi made a face at Aarav and teased him. "Now, brother, give me my reward!"

" I completely agree with Sakshi. Since I'm now something like Bhabi's brother, you have to give her double," Raj interjected.

"What?! You too?" groaned Aarav, looking at Raj.

" Of course, brother. Unlike you, Raj Bhaiya always supports me because he's not as grumpy as you!" teased Sakshi, making everyone laugh.

Aarav glared at Sakshi, and she fell silent. Finally, Aarav gave Sakshi and Raj the money and got his shoes back. Their playful banter lightened the mood and even made Piya smile despite her nervousness.

It was time for Pia's Vidayi. Manish Ji couldn't contain his emotions, and when Pia saw him, she couldn't hold back her tears either. After the loss of her parents, her uncle had been her closest relative, and the thought of leaving him overwhelmed her. Pia tried to suppress her sobs as she said goodbye, but failed.

"Now you can lift your veil, right? The wedding is over," Aarav said curiously.

At his words, everyone tensed up.

" No, no... not yet. There's a ritual at home where you can see her face for the first time," Radha Ji quickly interjected.

Aarav couldn't argue with his mother, so he remained calm.

Kapoor Mansion, 11 p.m.

The procession had returned home. Pia's Grih Pravesh (homecoming ceremony) was beautiful. Most of the guests had left, leaving only family members behind. It was time to tell Aarav the truth.

While Avinash Ji and Radha Ji were wondering how to break the news, Aarav spoke up: "Now that all the rituals are over, can she finally take off that huge veil? It's so weird! And why hasn't she spoken to me all this time? Is she mad at me? I didn't do anything! It feels like I married a mute girl!" Aarav joked loudly.

"Bhabi, please show your face to this crazy guy, otherwise he will continue making these lame jokes," Raj interjected.

" Yes, Bhabi, we all want to see how you look in that beautiful lehenga. And Bhai is obviously dying to see you!" teased Sakshi, making Aarav frown.

As she listened to them, Piya became even more nervous. She was afraid of their reaction once they saw her face. Until now, they had been so kind to her. But what would they say after they saw her?