Author's POV

Later that night, after the guests had gone, the rituals were done, and the noise of the day finally faded, they were alone.

Amaan gently carried Isha to their room, while his siblings followed behind, teasing and laughing, as tradition filled the air with warmth and joy.

Isha gently hides her face in Amaan's neck, she is embarrassed because of their teasing's and Amaan's behavior made her more embarrassed.

The bedroom had been decorated simply strings of jasmine hung from the bedpost, flickering diyas on the windowsill. The air smelled like roses and a little smoke from the incense still curling in the corner.

Isha sat on the edge of the bed, pulling at the heavy jewelry she was still wearing. Amaan walked in, loosened the top buttons of his sherwani, and quietly sat beside her.

"You, okay?" he asked.

She nodded, exhaling. "It still doesn't feel real."

Amaan leaned back on his palms, watching her. "That you're my wife now? Or that I somehow got lucky enough to marry you?"

She glanced at him, a blush creeping onto her cheeks. "Both, maybe."

He chuckled, soft and low. Then, leaning forward, he gently took her hand, sliding one of the bangles off. "Here, let me."

She looked at him, surprised.

"I figured if you could carry a ten-pound lehenga all day, I can help with this part."

Piece by piece, he helped her remove the rest of the jewelry carefully, reverently. When the last earring was off, he looked at her again.

"Better?"

"Much."

They sat in silence for a while, the quiet no longer awkward, just full of unspoken peace. she went to get freshen up as she is tired and sweaty by caring all the weights. Amaan went to other room to get freshen up and came back as soon as possible because he wanted to there before Isha comes out. then she returned back by wearing a pajama.

Then she turned, curling her legs onto the bed, and rested her head against his shoulder.

"I was terrified this morning," she admitted.

He tilted his head toward hers. "Why?"

"Because everything was changing. And I didn't know if I could be enough for you, for your family, for this whole life."

He pulled back just enough to look her in the eye. "I didn't marry you to be enough of anything, Isha. I married you because you're you. That's all I ever wanted."

She closed her eyes for a second, just breathing that in.

When she opened them, he kissed her forehead slow, certain, grounding. "Let's figure it all out. Together."

And for the first time all day, she felt entirely at ease not because everything was perfect, but because they would face it side by side.

As Isha dosed off on Amaan's shoulder.

Amaan's POV

I stood beneath the mandap, the priest's voice humming in the background, flowers all around him, people chattering softly yet I heard none of it.

Because the moment I saw her...

Everything stopped.

There she was, walking down the aisle, slow and graceful under the phoolon ki chadar. Her lehenga caught the light like it had a pulse. Her eyes didn't dart around the crowd like mine, hers were focused.

On me.

And for the first time that day, my hands went still.

That's her, I thought.
That's mine.

My Isha.

Not a dream. Not a maybe. Not a someday.

Mine.

As she sat beside me, her bangles clinking softly, I risked a glance.

She looked calm, what I saw the tight grip on her dupatta, the way she adjusted her nose ring twice in a minute.

She was nervous. And yet, she was steady.

Through the varmala, her fingers brushed mine, cool and delicate. I ducked playfully, but when she finally placed the garland around me, What I felt was something like gravity like something cosmic had shifted.

During the seven rounds, as we circled the sacred fire, I didn't hear the mantras.

I heard was:

I'll protect you.
I'll fight for you.
I'll mess up and fix it.
We'll be better. Together.

When I tied the mangal sutra, my fingers trembled slightly. For a man who always had the right words, I found myself speechless.

And as I pressed the sindoor into the parting of her hair, something tugged in my chest.

Final.

Sacred.

Real.

I stole one more look. She didn't flinch. She didn't pull away.

She chose this.

She chose me.

After all the bargaining with her friends and cousin finally i took my shoes and had a dance with her and with all cousins and friends surrounded, showing show happy we were.

And then came the goodbye.

I stood a few feet away, watching her hug her parents, her mother's tears soaking into her dupatta. Her father was silent, but I saw his hands trembled.

My throat burned.

How do you I say thank you to someone handing you their entire world?

I didn't say much. Just bowed to them, touched their feet, and silently made that promise again: I will love her like you did. More, if I can.

The car ride was filled with light teasing; her laughter tucked between tired sighs. But even as we joked, I kept stealing glances at her from the corner of his eye.

My wife.

Isha Amaan Singh Rajvansh.

I didn't feel like a new title. I felt like something old and familiar finally returning to its place.

At the Grihapravesh, she stepped into my house, our house now feet leaving red prints across the marble.

I followed behind, heart full and steady.

When she finally entered my room, now filled with jasmine strings and soft light, I watched her pause at the doorway. Her eyes scanned the room, this new space that would now hold every morning, every fight, every apology, every version of them yet to come.

I stepped beside her, fingers brushing hers. "It's not perfect, not like your but you would love it" I said.

She looked up at me. "It's ours."

I smiled.

And just like that, I knew:

This wasn't the end of a ceremony. It was the beginning of something sacred. Something stitched in silence and vows and unspoken understanding.

I, Amaan Singh Rajvansh had many versions of love in my mind.

But none of them came close to this.

I got out my thought when I felt someone shifting beside me as I looked down to see my wife cuddling to me as she wanted to shift inside my body. I smiled at her cuteness bend down to kiss her forehead. at last sleep consumed me with her in my arms feeling blessed.

Let's see what future holds us.

Thank you for reading 😊

See you in the next chapter.