ADHI'S POV

I woke up with the ding of my phone. When I opened the text message it took my breath away. There she was in her Unicorn hoodie just waking up. The haldi was today evening.

Yesterday was a small blip as Tara was freaking out because her top wasn't fitting. Something about being fat in 2 weeks. God knows what. So I didnt get to see her the whole day yesterday because she was busy with tara's outfit. Even though she was busy she had printed out our schedule for the day. We had to prepare the stage, all the photo backdrop areas, I had to click pictures print them and them hang them on Orange paper flowers, Also bangles tied together with yellow thread hanging from trees. And to say I sulked the whole day would be an understatement. Arjun was calling me pouty.

I was addicted to Maya, I am addicted to her. And im not a least bit concerned about it. I dont want to spend a minute apart from her. She looked so beautiful in the picture. Even though she had a bedhead, her hair was all over the place, She didnt even have makeup on. But I didnt care, not one bit. I was blushing through my teeth when I typed back the 15 heart emojis.

The reply came almost instantly, a gif of a girl waving kisses. The sticker message war kept going on for sometime then her last message was to complete my work from yesterday. I grinned and got up from my bed. Yes boss.

The house looked beautiful, every pillar of the house was decorated with swirls of orange flower chains. The courtyard was filled with chairs with yellow bows on them. There was three photo booths. One had a light green saree as backdrop and had kerosene lamps hanging at the side. Frames made with white paper flowers hung here and there for the guests to take pictures. I had no idea what the kerosene lamp was supposed to do.

Maya said and I quote "Its for the aesthetics"

The next photobooth or lets say seating area. It was just wooden benches put together, An old duvet thrown over it for the cushions, and a golden cloth draped over it. A backdrop with squares of pink and purple colors were stuck in a wooden stick pattern. And the last and the most important one was the seating area, the stage for the bride and groom. It was set up in the mandap, but its look completely changed. The wooden frame around was removed to reveal an open stage. The chairs for them were bean bags, the back drop designed my using lightbulbs hanging inside woven backets. orange, yellow, pink and white sarees draped in the background like a braid. Lines of flowers chains hanging from the top.

It looked absolutely stunning. No one will believe that it was made from scratch within the span of two weeks. I was so proud of maya. She had just worked magic here. Everyone was praising here about her work, But guess who wasn't. Her father. He would criticize everything she did. Even had ripped of some decoration once which led to a heated argument with Jeevan uncle and him.

if maya was hurt she didnt show it. But I knew she was.

Arjun and I have been trying to talk to my dad. Sort out our differences, Even though there is no justification what he did I understand it. So we were making progress. I talked to Jeeth. Now that was a talk. I dont want to victimise him, but I cant even imagine his situation. As a person who has been on the other side of blackmailing, it was bad enough of my situation but to be blackmailed by your own sexuality it was downright disgusting. Any feelings I had in my heart for Khushi was wiped away.

The guy is in love with me, and now im his brother. He is saying that he had now lost interest, he has a boyfriend in Canada. But I know he is just trying to make me feel better. So we are cool now.

As I was clicking my last minute pictures for the Photo tree, I noticed greeshma trying to sneak into my room. I ran behind her thinking she was going to do something stupid, but no she just sat in my bed hugged my pillow and cried. My heart ached for her. I can picture myself in her shoes. Sixteen and in love. But there wasn't anything I could do here, my presence will only make it worse. Besides I love Maya. So I silently walked away from her. Letting her cry out her sorrow.

After the final photos were clicked, printed and set up in the tree I finally went back to my room to get ready. It was almost 4 in the evening. The girls mustve started their makeup by now.

When I opened the door to my room I almost died of laughter. There he was, Arjun sitting with a light blue face pack on, Cucumber slices on his eyes , with his legs dipped in some kind of pedicure thingy and his hair wrapped in aluminium foil. I almost rolled on the floor with laughter, when I saw arjun trying to speak but couldn't because of the face pack tightening his skin. I clicked a picture of him and went for my shower.

When the clock struck 7 pm all the lights were turned off in the courtyard. The led lit path from the outhouse to the stage and the path from the Tharavadu to the stage were only lighted. The family from each side sat on their respective sides. Everyone wore a shade of yellow. Arjun entered the stage first, he was wearing a white cotton kurta since it has to be taken off for the haldi, and a golden silk pants. He walked and sat at the bean bag chair. my cousins and myself positioned ourself in our golden kurtas and skirts.

The next minute the whole courtyard plunged into darkness. Everyone started panicking. Was it a power cut? But I knew, this must be Tara's grand entry. Music played from the speakers, The crowd turned backwards, red netted cloth lined with led bulbs was being held up by 4 people. From the shadow of it I made out the two in the back to Vivek and Varun. And the one in the front must be Maya and Dhriti. But I couldn't see any of their faces in the dim lights.

The cloth walked through the path, and stopped right infront of the stage and lights came back on. My whole body tightened, my breath got stuck in my throat, I could literally feel my heart racing in my throat. And I could bet my left kidney that Arjun must be mirroring my condition.

Maya. She looked like a goddess. She was wearing a deep yellow skirt with golden henna prints, a sleeveless golden sequined blouse, and pink dupatta ran across her chest and stomach. Her lips were painted the lightest shade of orange. Half part of hair was let loose and rest tied in a beautiful knot. A small blush bloomed on her cheeks and I knew it wasn't any makeup. She slowly lifted her eyes from the crowd and looked at arjun, she smiled at him. Then her eyes found me. I gasped unable to breathe, her blush deepened and she looked away.

Tara stepped in front of her and walked to the stage. That's when I noticed her. She wasn't wearing yellow, she was wearing a pink and silver lehenga and was looking absolutely gorgeous. I slowly looked to Arjun and saw him gawking like an idiot. A laugh burst out of me and I quickly threw a flower at him to wake him from his trance.

They sat side by side and slowly their fingers intertwined. They smiled softly at each other. My heart swelled with happiness for my brother. Jeeth was the photographer of the day. He was running around clicking pictures. He looked happy, content. All of the cousins took their seat in the back rows of the chairs. But maya didnt sit with her cousins. Maya came and sat next to me.

"What are you doing?" I asked her

"Sitting next to my boyfriend" she said

"What?"

"What? Aren't you my boyfriend?"

"yes."

"then what?"

I was as confused as ever but when her hand slid into mine I was shocked.

"I told them" maya blushed

"Really?"

"Yeah. They know about us. Not everything. But they know we dated in college, We split when I quit, Then reconciled here. That's it"

"And what did they say?" I asked nervously.

"Oh there fine.. But varun and vivek are probably going to beat you up later" maya said casually.

"What?" I squeaked.

"What? Youre dating their sister. Of they will beat up and well you need to get one"

"Yeah, I deserve it." I said pouting

Maya grinned and looked at the mandap. A small ritual of purifying the Haldi was happening and after that It will be yellow Holi here.

"Yo Love birds. Smile" Jeeth appeared infront of us with the camera. Maya rested her head on my shoulder and my mouth automatically curved into a smile. Jeeth clicked and sent us a flying kiss before moving away.

After the ritual ended. The haldi rasam officially started. Arjun took his Kurta off and Tara turned red as a tomato. Maya and me were cheering with the crowd. Then we went upto the stage with all the cousins. After all the elders applied haldi on the couple, it was our turn. And it was a mess. The elders slowly moved into the eating area, leaving only us kids behind. Haldi paste flew across the room, it was not only applied on the bride and groom but to the whole crew. Even after all that haldi applying Maya still looked beautiful.

Jeeth came to click photos and he wasn't spared as well. I was first one to attack. I dropped a handful of haldi onto his face like pie slam, the rest joined. After the photo session was more like a selfie with a DSLR camera, because Jeeth was in every single one of them. even though forcefully he is family too.

After the ritual was officially over. All of us cousins were sitting on the mandap floor with boxes of wet wipes around us, while Arjun and Tara slow danced. Maya was looking at them with literal heart eyes.

I felt a slow tap on my shoulder and saw it was Varun. He called me over to the corner and I was prepared for the beating. Varun and I walked towards the garden and sat on its steps. A whistle sounded in the distance and me and Varun turned around. And it was Vivek, He was walking in slow motion infront of the lights, so that only his shadow will be seen.

"Hello Aditya" he said in a fake deep voice.

"What the hell is up with the voice?" Varun yelled.

"Shush. Im trying to intimidate him." vivek squeaked.

I held my laugh in. Now I understand why maya loves this guy so much. "Hello vivek" I replied.

"I hear youre dating my sister"

"Yes I am"

"When did it start?"

"In college, I was her super senior"

"Im asking for the exact date you guys decided to be in a relationship" he peered in.

"August 17"

"When is maya's birthday?"

"April 15"

"What is her favourite ice cream flavour?"

That brought a small smile to my face as I remembered our first kiss. The ice-cream parlour we went to,The faint taste of vanilla in her tongue when I kissed her.

"Its vanilla" I smiled.

"Dude Who are you? Amitabh Bachchan in Kbc?" Varun slapped Vivek's arm.

"Adhi... all we need to know is that are you serious about her? She is our little girl okay. If youre just looking for a fling then just leave her out of this" he said , his voice dropped a few degrees. I smiled unknowingly Varun too was trying to intimidate me with his voice.

I reached for my pocket and pulled out a velvet box. I opened it and showed them.

"I brought this for her right before we had to broke up. I didnt get a chance to give this to her before she left. And now I was about to give this to her after the wedding. " I admitted.

Vivek clapped a hand to his mouth. Varun gawked at me something like pride gleaming in his eyes.

"Now that you guys know, I wanted your blessing. Normally we ask the parents for their daughters hand. But her dad is kind of a... how do I put it respectfully?"

"asshole?" vivek contributed.

"Yeah Asshole. I wanted her brothers' permission. So will you allow me to marry your sister?"

I opened the blue velvet box and showed them the ring that I was keeping with me for the last six years. It was an ordinary ring with an ordinary stone then. Now it was the same ring plated with gold and the ordinary stone replaced with A sapphire.

Because diamonds are common, every one had diamonds. And Maya is anything but common and she deserves nothing less than unique.

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