Game on

Today was the day.

The day she had been waiting for.

The day she had been imagining from the moment she understood what it meant.

The day when she could finally belong somewhere, belong to someone. The day she would finally have someone that she can call hers, without any hesitation or doubt.

But who knew, if that someone was someone you loved, especially someone like Vansh - all the insecurity-formed-advantages wouldn’t even matter, because what she then felt was an incomprehensible, immeasurable and complete happiness. She wanted to be his, and she couldn’t wait until the moment she would be called his, legally.

She couldn't wait. She wanted him.

She wanted to feel the warmth of his skin as he pulled her closer to him.

She wanted to feel his lips moving against hers.

She wanted to hear him groan, growl and whisper in her ear.

She wanted to talk and debate - on topics they both enjoyed - she wanted to see him smile and laugh.

Most of all, she wanted to be with him and enjoy his presence.

A squeal from her right pulled her back from her thoughts and dumped her straight into the present. She was sitting in a vast and beautiful room that somehow seemed small with the excess luggage and 6 squealing cousins. The make-up artist had arrived, so she was sitting in a comfortable, brown chair, half-dressed with her skin bare. Her cousins - Kyra, Neha, Deepti, Shruti, Vanshika and Shanaya - were all gathered around her and gazing adoringly at her bride lehenga.

She had spent more than a week to customize this beautiful pink lehenga that was now hanging on her right, and once she tried it on she had to say, the time put in it was worth it. The pink fabric was intricated with small traditional design just a hint of modern fashion. The lehenga flew past her ankles and her red heels, ending in stunning handiwork designs. In a classic Sabyasachi deep V-neck blouse, she looked classic, bold and yet traditionally beautiful.

The ‘awws’ and compliments from her cousins filled her with pride and confidence. Standing in front of the mirror, she saw how the makeup and her happiness brought a glow on her face. Her cheeks were flushed pink and her cupid bow was spread wide to show an amazing set of white teeth. Strategically left strands of hair framed her face and gold decorated her body. Her hairline was decorated with ‘matha Patti’ and a ring sat on her nose.

She smiled at her appearance, and although she believed she looked good, the insecurities at the back of her head insisted to ask, “Do I look alright?” in a soft whisper.

“Alright?“, screeched Kyra, “Girl! You look stunning! The most beautiful” and similar comments passed from the five others. “Gorgeous!” “Fabulous” “Out of this world”

“Ohh la la”, this was Shruti and she said it with such a convincing expression on her face, you’d think she was thirsting for Shreya.

A bright smile covered Shreya’s lips again and she said, “Thank you”

A knock on the door interrupted their cooing session, and the make-up artist rushed to pin her dupatta.

Her mom stood at the front of the door in a stunning navy blue lehenga and pink dupatta with a smile on her lips. Her eyes teared when she saw her daughter and she whispered, “Beautiful! So beautiful!”

“Thank you, mom! You look beautiful too!”

“Hush! Today is your day and you are the most beautiful, you have no job complimenting others. Today is for receiving compliments and gifts, not giving them”, her mom winked and they giggled.

“Girls!“, she announced, suddenly serious, “The groom is here, bring her out in the next five minutes”

“Okay”, everyone except Shreya cheered.

After last-minute examinations and touch-ups, the girls formed a circle with her in the middle and holding a red dupatta on top of her started walking put of the room. She couldn’t stop the smile that formed on her face, she was going to see Vansh. After the hectic schedule of the past few months, she was going to be his. All her hard work these past four months would soon show its fruits.

Because the past few months had been a mess- a beautiful mess but a mess nonetheless.

Silence? psst unavailable

Privacy? what was that?

Rest? Is that even a thing?

Everyone, including the two of her older cousins who had arrived the very next day of her engagement, was busy. She never realized how exhausting planning a marriage can be, because if she did - she would have hired a planner. Alas! No such forethought!

She had to plan everything, with help of course and was dragged in various stores shopping for this and that. Her brain was confused, with thousands of to-do lists and millions of questions. She knew everything would be worth it, but the worst of this experience wasn’t aching feet or bursting head, but missing Vansh.

She wasn’t allowed to meet Vansh alone for even five minutes. The option of the window was shut down as well, since two of her cousins stayed with her, in her room. And her going out alone? Not a chance!

So she missed Vansh. Though she saw him almost every day, it had been months since she was alone with him, feeling him close to her, feeling him like they were one.

And today, they were finally going to join as one. In front of the whole world.

She walked with her cousins, every step eager but graceful. She couldn’t see anything except them in front of her, but the music and cheers of the crowd could be heard easily.

She crossed a gate and stepped on a red carpet when she heard the music stop, and an excited silence spread over the crowd. They took two steps forward and music started playing again. This was Shreya’s cue to stand still and let her cousins announce her grand entrance with a dance.

All six of them rushed forward and performed a beautiful sequence on ‘Din Shagna Da’. When the crowd was filled with ‘aww’, Shreya entered twirling like the princess she had every right to be today. The crowd cheered as she twirled for the first time and continued cheering while the groom sat on the horseback gob-smacked and a proud smile on his face.

She danced a few steps, trying hard not to trip on her feet and so she didn’t even look at her groom. Not until the song came to an end and the music slowed down. Only then did she notice him, and everything around her stopped moving.

Vansh was sitting on a strong white horse with the grace and power of an experienced rider wearing a pinkish-white turban on his head. He was dressed in a pink and white kurta set that did things to her body, not even his naked body could achieve.

He looked divine, a deity sent from the god to let her taste heaven. His sensual lips were turned upwards in a heart-throbbing smile while his eyes burned people with just a stare. His grey-blue eyes met hers and they held so much love, adoration and possessiveness; she felt her knees going weak. His eyes were pulling her towards him like a magnet pulls the nails.

He was saying without ever moving his lips, “You are mine already, always was and always will be, this is just a ritual”

She smiled back at her and her grey eyes twinkled as she nodded, “I know”

His smiled widened and his eyes slowly moved down. He wasn’t looking at her, he was looking into her. She was sure he had already watched and memorized every bit of her as she danced, but now he was communicating.

His eyes rolled down slowly, starting fires and reckless movements by the cells of her body. As his eyes gazed, her skin warmed; tingles spreading everywhere he directed his eyes. She was under his control. He was controlling her with just his beautiful eyes.

No!

He was making love to her with his beautiful eyes. Soon, an orgasmic glow spread in her body and a soft-whispered moan escaped her lips. No one heard, but he noticed the movement of her lips and chuckled gently as he winked.

A hand on her own pulled her away from his eyes and she saw Vanshika handing her one end of pink dupatta-turned-rope. She held it tightly as her cousins rushed to their brother-in-law and gave him the other end.

He looked at them questioningly as he reached his hand down to hold the end of this dupatta. Her cousins explained to him this little game they had devised. It was a little like tug of war with unfair terms. He was supposed to use one hand to pull her towards him while she could use both of hers to pull him.

The one who wins their partner serving them for 24 hours. They have to do everything and anything the winner asks them to do.

His eyes twinkled as he jumped down from his high horse.

“Game on”, he lipped.

“Game on”, she shot back.