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Third Person's POV

The Rathore palace was bathed in golden lights, draped in marigolds, mogra, and fabric in hues of ivory, gold, and deep crimson. Traditional shehnai music floated in the air, mixing with the faint aroma of sandalwood and ghee lamps. The courtyard, once quiet and regal, was now buzzing with laughter, dancing, and the excitement of what was to come. Dhruv stood in the center of the courtyard in an elegant ivory sherwani embroidered with delicate gold threads. The new pagdi, arranged by Karan at the last minute, sat proudly on his head—far from Gabbar's reach. He looked regal, princely—and slightly frazzled.

"Stop fixing my collar, Kabir!" Dhruv hissed.

"I'm just making sure you don't look like a wilted flower," Kabir said, smirking. "This is your one big day. No pressure."

"No pressure? My future wife hasn't come yet. Karan just asked me to stand like a statue for the photographers. And you wore a sherwani with mirror work, Kabir." Dhruv said frustrated.

"It's festive!" Kabir beamed, earning a groan from Dhruv and a quick glare from Karan, who looked like he was calculating how fast he could burn that outfit and Kabir without legal consequences.

Just then, Gabbar strolled in like royalty, tail held high, causing a minor stir among the guests. Someone even tried to offer him a ladoo. He scoffed and walked away. Dhruv gave Kabir a look that promised future sibling revenge.

"At least he's not chewing on your jootis." Karan whispered, amused.

Aakriti stepped into her bridal lehenga—a stunning deep red ensemble with intricate gold zardozi and tiny emerald accents. The mirror reflected not just her appearance, but a transformation. Gone was the vulnerable girl who had read her mother's letter earlier; in her place stood a radiant bride, with a straight spine, eyes determined, and a smile that withstood abandonment.

Meera adjusted the dupatta delicately over her Aakrit's head.

"You look beautiful, Akku," she whispered.

Aakriti smiled, but this time it reached her eyes. "Thank you. Today's going to be dramatic, Meera. No matter what."

"Can I not wear this nosepin?" Aakriti said, irritated by it.

"It won't look good without it." The makeup artist said.

There was a small knock at the door. It was the official photographer. "Ma'am, it's time." He clicked many of Aakriti's solo photos. Then her grandfather came to escort her to the mandap.

The crowd fell into a reverent hush as Aakriti walked, every step measured, every anklet chime echoing softly. Her eyes locked with Dhruv's, and in that moment, all the chaos, the heartbreak, and the exhaustion—they faded into the background.

Dhruv blinked, momentarily forgetting everything, even his practiced princely posture. She looked divine. Like the final piece of a puzzle, he didn't know he was missing.

Aakriti went and stood beside Dhruv, the crimson of her lehenga brushing lightly against his sherwani. He glanced sideways at her, lips twitching in a smile he couldn't quite suppress.

"You look..." Dhruv began but paused, flustered by the lump in his throat.

"Divine? Ethereal? Heart-stoppingly beautiful?" Aakriti offered dryly, keeping her gaze ahead.

"Bossy," he muttered. "But yes—all of the above."

Aakriti's laughter was soft, but it cracked the tension in his chest like sunlight through a cloud.

The pandit cleared his throat, summoning the couple to sit at the mandap. Dhruv helped Aakriti with the lehenga pleats as she settled beside him. This unconscious gesture was caught by Aakriti's Dadu, giving him relief. He felt happy as his decision to get them married wasn't wrong. As the rituals began, the family gathered around.

Karan, the perfectionist, tried to silently direct the floral lighting angle for better photos, only to have the photographer whisper, "Sir, it's a wedding, not a movie set."

As the only member missing, Gabbar wandered near the mandap, ready to jump on Dhruv. Only to be scooped up by Karan like a bouncer removing a VIP intruder.

"Not today, Satan," Karan muttered under his breath.

"If you mess up today, Bhai will kill not just you but Kabir and me as well." Karan said, lecturing him. He handed the cat to the staff and asked her to take care of the cat.

Just then, the jaimala ceremony began. The garlands were brought forward on gold trays, and both sides of the family started cheering.

Dhruv bent slightly, allowing Aakriti to put the garland around his neck. She did so with elegance and no fuss.

Then it was his turn.

Just as he raised the garland, Ansh and Rajveer lifted her off the ground, and Vihaan and Aarav stood behind them, laughing. Aakriti raised her eyebrow and gave a challenging look to Dhruv. Dhruv smirks, accepting the challenge. Karan and Kabir came forward and picked him up.

What followed was a full-blown jaimala tug-of-war, with both sides of the family cheering, shouting playful threats, and laughing. Aakriti was nearly in tears from giggling as Dhruv finally managed to loop the garland around her neck. Both smiled widely.

"Bhai, you have gained so much weight. My back is aching. If it wasn't for my lovely bhabhi, I would have left you halfway. You are so heavy." Kabir said dramatically. Everyone burst out laughing.

As they sat back down, the pandit, now used to the chaos, merely sighed and asked them to focus. The havan was lit, and sacred mantras filled the air. Amidst the flames and flowers, Dhruv and Aakriti's hands were tied together with the gathbandhan. It was symbolic—but Aakriti couldn't help but glance at their joined hands and feel the warmth of something far more real.

Halfway through the pheras, just as they rose to walk around the fire, Gabbar leaped gracefully onto a tray of flower petals, scattering them everywhere. He threw the marigold flower, which directly landed on top of Dhruv's head.

Gasps echoed. The pandit flinched mid-chant.

Aakriti paused, eyes wide, then burst out laughing. "Even the cat is blessing our union," she said, trying to keep a straight face. "But I'd prefer if he blesses us... from far, far away."

Dhruv glared at the culprit, then narrowed his eyes at Kabir. Both Gabbar and Kabir, sensing danger, turned their heads in perfect unison and pretended innocence.

"Don't glare. Smile, or people will think I am marrying you at gunpoint." Aakriti said in a soft whisper. Dhruv blinked, caught off guard. Then his lips curved in a bright smile.

As they completed the final phera, the pandit announced it with a smile. The crowd clapped. Dhruv and Aakriti looked at each other—not as husband and wife quite yet, but as two people realizing that maybe, just maybe, this wouldn't be so hard after all. 

Aakriti sat with her gaze lowered, lashes casting soft shadows on her cheeks. Dhruv, seated beside her, glanced at the small silver plate now passed into his hands. On it lay the sindoor (vermillion). The pandit asked Dhruv to apply sindoor on Aakriti.

Dhruv's fingers hovered above the vermillion, hesitating for a fraction of a second. Not because he doubted the act, but because it felt... surreal. This girl—this sharp, witty, maddeningly unpredictable girl—was about to become his wife. His eyes reflected his love for her.

Aakriti's eyes lifted to meet his, just briefly. And in that glance was a dependence on the other, which neither had dared voice yet.

With measured care, Dhruv took the pinch of sindoor and leaned forward.

Aakriti instinctively held her breath as the color touched her parting. It was warm. Not just the sindoor—but his fingers, his touch, his nearness.

Then, a tiny streak of sindoor fluttered down and landed softly on the tip of her nose.

The effect was instant—her eyes closed slightly in surprise, and then she blinked, and a collective "aww" whispered through the crowd watching. She looked up at Dhruv, who tried valiantly not to laugh.

"You know, there's a belief. If sindoor falls on the bride's nose, it means the groom will be head over heels in love with her." he said, voice low but playful as ever.

Aakriti raised an eyebrow, lips curving into a wicked smile.

"Oh, I think it's true. After all, I am adorable. Everyone loves me."

She tilted her chin up just slightly, her nose dusted red like it had been kissed by destiny itself.

"My husband will definitely be madly in love with me. Poor man." She teased him back.

"Arrogant much?" Dhruv chuckled, shaking his head.

"Confident," she corrected, holding his gaze. "Also, not wrong."

He couldn't argue with that. Not when she looked like this—glowing, radiant, eyes full of mischief and something deeper he wasn't quite confident to name.

Still smiling, Dhruv gently brushed the stray vermillion off her nose, lingering a second too long before pulling his hand back.

"Bhai, you can kiss Bhabhi later! Complete the rituals first!"

Kabir, with impeccable comic timing and zero shame, grinned ear to ear as everyone around the mandap burst into laughter.

Aakriti froze for a second, her cheeks blooming into the deepest shade of red imaginable.

"Kabir!" Karan hissed, though he wasn't exactly hiding his smile either.

"Don't blame me," Kabir said innocently, hands raised. "I'm just stating the obvious. The vibe was getting very filmy. They can't kiss in front of your virgin eyes. I will not let them ruin your innocence." Karan smacked his head, and the laughter only grew louder.

Next came the mangalsutra. The black-beaded chain, delicate yet weighty with symbolism, was placed into Dhruv's hand.

As he leaned forward to tie it around her neck, Aakriti lifted her head. The bangles on her wrists jingled like tiny bells, showing her anxiousness. The moment was intimate, almost too quiet—but in that silence was something precious. The chain slid into place just above her collarbone, and for the first time that day, Aakriti looked... still.

No teasing, no banter.

Just a single blink as she exhaled softly.

"Are you okay?" Dhruv whispered, still close.

"Take care of me." Aakriti said with so much emotion in her words. Showing her dependence and trust in him. Dhruv nodded his head, delighted, and held her hand tightly. His reassurance made her relax.

The pandit raised his hands in blessing, announcing what everyone had been waiting to hear.

"Vivah sampann hua."

The family broke into applause, a few aunties dabbing their eyes while others cheered with glee. Flower petals were thrown into the air, drifting down like blessings.

Aakriti's Dadu stood just a step behind, his eyes moist but smiling.

"I finally attended Aaku's wedding," he said, almost in awe. "It feels like a dream."

The words made Aakriti glance back at him, her lips parting with emotion before she could speak. But before the moment got too heavy, Vihaan piped up from the side:

"That too, like a proper girl."

The entire bride's side of the family and friends burst into laughter. Even Aakriti's Dadu chuckled, shaking his head fondly at Aakriti.

Ansh walked over, dramatically wiping his eyes with his fingers. "Aaku, you grew up so much. Who knew this day would come so soon? One day you're beating us with school bags, and the next, you're leaving us in lehengas."

Aakriti narrowed her eyes, pointing a warning finger at him through her bridal bangles. "Laugh while you can, Ansh. I'll deal with you later. Don't forget I still know all your secrets."

"Bhai, now finally there will be someone who can control you. Always bossing me." Kabir said with an exaggerated eye-roll, earning a round of laughter from both sides of the family.

"Good luck to Bhabhi; just blink twice if Bhai gets annoying. We'll come to rescue you." Sachi added, grinning widely.

"I don't think Aaku needs rescue; more like Dhruv will need help. Her anger is deadly." Aarav said side hugging Sachi. Rajveer, Vihaan, and Ansh nod their heads aggressively. Aakriti pouted at their words. Dhruv was tempted to poke her squirrel like cheeks.

Aakriti turned to her Dadu again, holding his hands tightly. Her voice trembled slightly.

"Take care of yourself. And please don't skip your morning walks and medicine, okay?"

"Only if you promise to call every day," Aakriti's Dadu said gently.

"Every morning," she promised, her throat thick.

Dhruv came forward, bowing respectfully to her Dadu. "I'll take care of her. That's a promise."

Dadu placed a hand on Dhruv's shoulder, squeezing it. "That's all I ask, beta." Aakriti was overwhelmed by emotions and hugged her Dadu tightly.

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