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Unedited

Part - 68

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"I didn't choose you. My heart did."

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"Good morning, Beautiful" Naira smiled hearing Yash's husky voice. "It's time to rise and be mine."

"Can we just postpone the wedding? I am really tired after last night." Naira asked still half asleep.

"Oh baby! You did dance a lot in our Sangeet and I enjoyed every bit of it, I must say but no postponing the wedding nonsense because my heart can't stand the strain." He paused briefly before whispering "I can't wait any longer to share the rest of my life with you. I love you, Naira."

"Yash, you are going to make me cry!"

"Oh no, no, crying, baby."

"Then stop talking senti."

"Well then I will talk sexy. You were sensational last night. And I am looking forward to dance with you tonight as well... But in our bed."

"Oh boy! Can't wait for that moment." She flirted.

"Well to have you in my bed we should get married first... So be a good girl and get your delectable ass out of your bed and get ready to steal my heart. I will be waiting for you in the mandap, sweetheart." He said and hung up.

--0--

"Mom, I am so nervous. I don't think I can eat anything now."

"Baby, I don't want you to faint while taking the pheras so you better eat something."

"No, please."

"At least have some juice, Honeybee." Rishab walked into the room with a glass of orange juice.

He came into her room on the pretense of giving her the juice but the actual reason was to be the first man to see her in her bridal look.

"I think I can manage that. Thank you, daddy." She said turning to her side, facing her dad.

"Ma'am, please don't turn your head." Naira's hair dresser instructed as she was about to set and secure her dupatta over her head with pins.

"Oops sorry."

"Is her makeup done?" Rishab asked.

"Almost done, sir."

"Well, you may leave then."

"Sure, sir. Thank you." She nodded and walked out of the room.

"Here you go, baby" He handed her the glass and watched her take small sips.

"How do I look, daddy?" Naira asked through her lashes.

"Pretty. So pretty." he whispered as he placed his palm on her cheek gently caressing it. He felt it so surreal. Isn't it yesterday I held her in my arms? And today she is getting married? He thought without blinling his eyes.

"You are the most beautiful bride in the world, Naira." Madhu said tightly gripping her husband's arm to contain her emotions.

"You are saying that because I am your daughter, mom." She chuckled softly.

"It's the truth, Naira." Madhu let her husband's arm go and gently hugged her daughter. "My baby! I can't tell you how happy I am for you." She kissed Naira's forehead and took a hint of kajal from the corner of her eye and placed it behind Naira's ear.

"Love you, mom" she kissed her mom's hand which was cupping her cheek.

"You okay, dad? You are so silent."

He shrugged and looked away.

"Dad? Are you..."

"No, no, I am not... I am not crying." He tried to deny but it was clear in his voice. "I will just... I will leave you two... You both come down... I will wait..." He started to walk out of the room but Naira was quick enough to block his way.

"Daddy" she saw hint of tears in his eyes and quickly wrapped her arms around his neck and placed her cheek right on his chest as she couldn't see him vulnerable.

"Oh darling" he craddled her in his arms and felt his wife hugging him from behind. "You know you two are my world. And it's perfect now. But soon I will have to let one of my worlds go and it's frightening me." He confessed as he felt a clenching pain in his heart.

"Then don't let me go, daddy." Naira trembled. "I will be with you, right here, in your arms, as your daughter, forever."

"Then what about Yash?" He asked looking down at her. And she couldn't answer.

She wants him! He understood that.

"C'mon! Let's not break that poor boy's heart." He patted his daughter's cheek lovingly. I can deal with my heart ache, baby.

"You will be fine, right?" Naira asked in concern. She didn't know how her dad would cope with this situation.

"Yes. Of course, Honeybee." He said with a smile but he never thought marrying his daughter to someone would be the most toughtest thing to do in his life. "I have your mom." He twisted his body and pulled his wife to his side and tucked her under his arm. He held his wife in one hand and his daughter in the other and he felt complete and peaceful. "She is my friend, my lover, my wife, my companion, my caretaker and lot more." He pressed a tight kiss on Madhu's cheek.

Madhu smiled rubbing his back with her hand showing her support.

For a week now, Madhu was dealing with this unusal 'emotional' Rishab. He wasn't this worried when Naira's marriage was fixed with Roshan. Then why now? That thought kept pondering in her head. She hoped and prayed that Yash was the right man for their daughter and he would never break their her heart.

"I will take care of your daddy dearest, Naira." Madhu reassured her. "You don't have to worry about him. He is a strong man." She said proudly patting his arm.

"Aww. I wish Yash and I share this kind of love. Solid and everlasting." She hugged her mother.

"You will, darling." Madhu hugged her back silently praying to God to grant her daughter's wish.

"Now c'mon. We are running out of time. We have to get you to the mandap on time."

"Yes" Naira smiled parting away from her mother's comforting arms.

"Sit here. Daddy will set the dupatta on your head." He said and Naira sat on the chair in front of the dressing table. Looking at her happy face in the mirror, he gently placed the dupatta on her head and secured it with pins. "So beautiful" he muttered as his eyes welled up again. She couldn't meet her father's eyes anymore so she bowed her head and fought hard to hold back her tears.

Rishab pressed her shoulders with his arms, comforting her and then bending down he pressed a tight kiss on her head. "Darling, I love you... Daddy loves you so much!"

"Husband, I love you" Madhu cried hugging him from behind.

(Above pic is Naira's bridal look but that girl is not Naira. Actress Kiara Advani is Naira as per my imagination. You guys can imagine anyone you like.)

--0--

"Arjun..." Kathryn walked into his room and found it empty. "Arjun... You there?" She asked gently knocking at the bathroom door. The flushing sound confirmed her that he was in there. "Arjun, what's taking you so long? Come out soon." She banged the door impatiently. "Oh Jesus! You still haven't got ready?" She asked finding his white Sherwani lying on the bed.

"Today your sister's wedding and you are being so lethargic. Too bad." She shook her head in disbelief. "Alright, come out soon and tell me how do I look." She said with nervous excitement. She was wearing a dazzling white silk lehenga with gold sequin works and matching full sleeved blouse.

"Arjun, baby, you okay?" She sounded worried when she didn't get any reply from his side. She rattled the door knob and it suddenly opened.

"Arjun" Kathryn gasped in shock seeing his bloodshot eyes. "What's wrong?" She cupped his jaw with her hands and gently caressed his stubble cheeks. He looked away refusing to make eye contact with her. "Look at me" Has he been crying? But why?

"Nothing. I am fine, Kathy." He said tiredly and tried to remove her hands off his face but she didn't let him. She felt his forehead and neck. He was burning.

"Don't lie. You are not fine. You are having a fever." She dragged him to his bed and made him sit. "I will get your mom."

"No! Don't. She is busy with Naira di."

"Did you take any meds?"

"Last night Inayat bhabhi gave me a Paracetamol."

What? Last night? When? How didn't I know? Why didn't I notice? As far as I could remember he was fine, more than fine. He was hyper and happy. He danced like crazy with her in his sister's sangeet function. Then how all of a sudden he got sick?

"But still you have high temperature, Arjun."

"I am fine, Kathryn. Just leave me alone. I need to get ready." He shouted irately.

"Don't shout! I am not going anywhere!"

"Then suit yourself!" He snapped and put his head in his hand.

"Arjun..." She gently lifted his head and made him look at her. "Tell me what's bothering you? Please, baby." She slowly slid on him and sat on his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Don't you think I have the right to know?"

He looked at her surprised. She was never this soft with him or so concerned.

"I am so scared..." He confessed breathlessly.

"Scared of what?" She asked gently as if she was talking to a child.

"Of being alone"

"Huh?"

"First Veer bro left me to join the army and now Naira di... I will be all alone."

Oh! So fear brought him fever? Her heart clenched at that thought.

"Oh dear!" She tightly hugged him. "You are not going to be alone. You have Inayat bhabhi. You have me."

"Inayat bhabhi will also moved out of here once Veer bro gets transferred to some other place and start living with him in the army quarters." He knew that day wasn't too far. Even yesterday his brother spoke to him about his impending transfer. He said he couldn't wait to move out of Kashmir, the place that held bad memories to his wife and start things afresh with her in a new place as he couldn't bear staying away from her any longer. "And you, you will also leave me once our studies got over. You will move back to the States." She felt his tremor when he said that. He looked so vulnerable and emotional. It hurt her to see him like that.

"I am going nowhere." She reassured him raking his hair through her fingers.

"You are lying. Your life is there." He hated to say that.

"No! My life is here." She placed her palm in the middle of his chest where his heart was wildly thumping. "Right here. With you."

"Kathy..." She didn't let him speak further. She pressed her lips against him and kissed him oh so sweetly.

"I will never leave you, Arjun." She promised. She could never think of a life without him. She would die or she might live and breathe but never be happy without him.

"Really?" She saw sheer hope in his eyes.

"Yes. I will never let you feel alone. I will always be with you."

"You are telling me the truth, right?"

"Yes"

"Oh thank God!" He cried in relief and gave her a bone crushing hug.

"And hear one more truth from me, Arjun" she said placing her head on his shoulder. It felt so good to be in his protective embrace.

"What is it?" He pulled a little away from her and asked looking into her eyes and they were shining like the brightest star in the sky.

"Arjun..." She swallowed a lump in her throat before bringing out the words. "Arjun... I was heading towards the path of destruction but you came from nowhere and saved me. Yes, I would have ruined my life, why even killed myself if I hadn't met you so thank you, thank you so much for being my saviour, my white knight."

"Is that what you wanted to tell - a thank you?" Arjun asked feeling dejected.

"No! There is more."

"What? You want to thank my dad as well?" He asked looking like a grumpy baby making her throw her head back and laugh.

"No" she shook her head still laughing.

"Then what?" He asked impatiently.

"I... Arjun, I... I never thought this is in my destiny... But everything changed when you became my destiny..." She paused and licked her dried lips.

"What are you trying to tell me?" He couldn't be anymore dumb.

"Arjun, I... I..."

"You, you what?" He probed.

"Oh jeez! This is so hard." She looked above hoping to get some inspiration. "I have realized it for quite a sometime now but I didn't have the courage to tell you because I thought I was so unworthy of you. I still do. I don't deserve you because you are so good and kind and loving and caring which I am not... But then I can't let you have anyone else in your life but me so, so... I have to tell you now." She took a deep breathe. "Here it goes..." She said but nothing more came out of her mouth.

"Oh my God!" He gasped as if it finally dawned to him. "Don't tell me you are going to say what I desperately want to hear for years now." He looked wide eyed, shocked.

"Yes" she smiled relieved that he understood what it was.

"No! You can't be serious." He shook his head negatively. She rolled her eyes.

"Yes, I am fucking serious, you asshole." She yelled holding his head tightly in her hands. "I love you." She cried and kissed him hard almost drawing blood out of his lips.

"Say it again, Kathy, please." He wanted to hear it again and make sure he wasn't dreaming.

"I love you, Arjun" she said with a hint of blush.

"Say it again, please" he would love to hear it from her a thousand times now but still he wouldn't get tired of hearing it.

"I love you, Arjun"

"Say it aga..." She slapped him hard on his cheek.

"You say it this time, idiot!" She scolded him.

He chuckled rubbing his cheek.

"Say it, Arjun!" She commanded.

"Oh, Darling, I love you" he quickly said and took her lips in his. "And you look gorgeous in white, my Angel."

"Oh yeah?" She beamed and kissed him. "Now c'mon big boy, let's get you dressed." She rolled his T-shirt up and kissed him all the way up on his chest.

(Above pic is Kathy's look for the wedding)

--0--

"I am so happy today, Inayaa" Veer muttered hugging his wife from behind who was fastening her Kashmiri jhumka earrings. She looked at him in the mirror and smiled.

"My twinnie is getting married. How wonderful is that?" He hadn't told Inayat that he felt guilty of marrying her before his sister got married as he didn't want to hurt her. He did what was right to her and married her that day but lived in guilt so far for not being a responsible brother to his sister and failing to consider her feelings but today he felt relieved and peaceful.

Inayat turned around and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"It's always been like this, Inayaa. Strange but her happiness is my happiness. Her pain is my pain..."

"Her wedding was your wedding." Inayat teased.

"Not this time."

"Yeah, not this time. You are already married to me."

"Can't I marry 3 more times as per your law?" He asked curiously with eyes full of mirth.

"Yes, but not as per your law. You will be punished for bigamy." She said in a serious tone and pushed him away. He laughed.

"Don't laugh, Veer." She snapped getting angrier.

"Why my lady in green sees red?" He asked pulling her into his arms again. "By the way, you look lovely." He loved her modest way of dressing. It appealed to him so much.

(Above pic is Inayat's look for the wedding)

"Because I didn't like what you said." She said keeping a straight face.

"What? You didn't like my compliment?" He feigned innocence.

"Veer! You know that's not what I am talking about, don't you?"

He tipped her chin up and kissed her soft lips. "And you do know that I would do no such things, don't you?"

"I do"

"Then?"

She didn't say anything. She wasn't insecure but just didn't like him joking about something so sensitive.

"Darling, I love you... And I will never hurt you, not even with my silly joke..." She looked up at him shocked that he had read her mind. "Forgive me for hurting you this one time."

"Oh Veer" she grabbed his neck and pulled him down to kiss him. "Can't you extend your leave for couple more days?"

"I wish I could but I can't, Inayaa. Duty's calling."

"Hmm" she sighed resting her head on his chest and he pecked his lips on her head.

"But don't worry, things will change soon." And then you don't have to miss me like this!

"What do you mean?" She asked straightening up.

"You will know it when time comes." He winked.

She frowned.

"Don't frown. You don't look so cute to me when you frown." He pressed a kiss on her forehead and smoothed her frown with his thumb. "Now c'mon, let's go down and join the family."

"Oh wait" she tugged his hand and stopped him. He asked 'what' through his eyes.

"Thank you"

"What for?"

"For twinning with me." She kissed his cheek in appreciation. He was wearing a dark green Sherwani instead of the blue one he really liked.

"Dad is wearing a blue one so I thought I will go with the green." He said as if it wasn't a big deal.

"Oh really?" She gave him a knowing smile.

"Arjun already told you about his silly idea of twinning with our partners, didn't he?"

(Naira - Yash in Red
Kathy - Arjun in White
Inayat - Veer in Green
Madhu - Rishab in blue
Radha - Shwetha in Rose)

Inayat blinked her eyes cutely as if yes.

"What am I going to do with this boy?"

"You know he got a fever last night" she said suddenly remembering about it.

"Well I am not suprised. He got it my time too."

"Ahaan?"

"The day before I left to join the army he got a fever."

"Oh"

"Such a cry baby he is!"

"Oh please! He is so attached and affectionate."

"Unlike me?" He asked cocking his brow.

"You are affectionate but less attached emotionally."

"That's true" he agreed.

--0--

At the wedding venue,

The priest announced that the auspicious time had arrived and asked to bring the bride and groom to the altar.

Yash's mother and Naira's father proudly walked their children to the stage and their immediate family surrounded them to witness the much awaited moment.

Yash and Naira's eyes locked briefly before they checked each other out.

Yash couldn't resist himself from stepping closer and whispering "I know my bride will look beautiful but this is beyond my imagination. You... You are looking outrageously gorgeous. A true royal princess."

"That she is" Rishab interjected.

"You look dashing in red, Yash." Naira said with strange shyness.

"Yes, a perfect prince for my princess." Rishab approved.

"Will you stop this, Rishab!" Madhu hissed at her husband. "Let them have their moment."

"Oops, sorry. She is all yours, son." He took his daughter's hand and gave it to Yash. He held it gently but firmly. "I will take care of her, dad, mom." he promised them with a reassuring smile. Rishab and Madhu were so touched with the way he addressed them.

The priest brought two garlands and gave one each and asked them to exchange it.

Naira first attempted to place the garland around Yash's neck but he playfully hindered her. Naira jumped up twice but still she couldn't reach him and he wasn't bending down for her too.

Sighing she looked at her brothers for help. Grinning, Veer and Arjun lifted her up in their arms and Inayat and Kathryn held Yash's hands tightly preventing him from moving away.

Smiling happily, Naira placed the garland around Yash's neck and then he reciprocated her action.

Once the varmala (garland exchanging) ceremony was over, they were asked to sit in front of the haven. Then the priest asked for Yash's sister to come forward and do the gathbandhan ritual. Since he didn't have a sister, Yash's mom Shwetha asked Inayat and Kathryn to do it. Inayat and Kathryn shared a bewildered look but then with Madhu's instruction they tied Yash and Naira's shawls together.

After doing a brief prayer to the almighty, Yash and Naira were asked to stand up for saath phere. Holding each other's hand they came around the pious fire 7 times, vowing to be with each other for eternity.

Finally Yash was asked to tie the mangalsutra around Naira's neck and place sindoor in her parting. He did those two with love and tenderness.

"Vivah sambandh hua!" The priest declared that they were married.

Yash cupped Naira's cheeks with his gentle hands and placed a sweet little kiss on her forehead before whispering "Baby, I love you, now and forever!" A pearl like tear drop rolled down Naira's cheek before she smiled brightly in jubilation.

After that they took blessings from their parents followed by photo session and food!

... Happiness ends here!

~~~End of Part One~~~

Okay! I am super late I know but successfully completed this book! What a big sigh of relief!

I have been writing this book for years now! Lol! But I enjoyed writing multiple love story at once.

Oh and there is news, good or bad I don't know... this story is not over yet! There is part 2 for this book and I will be writing it in a new thread and not here as it's already too long. And I am sure you guys would have already guessed the title! ;)

I will start that book real soon and I will try to be as regular as possible.

And one more important thing... Book II won't be as fun as Book I. It will be really emotional and painful and I am sure you will hate the characters you loved here in this book.

If you don't like drama or if you are bored of this book already then consider it over! You need not bother to read book 2!

~~~~~

Hope you all liked the final part of this book!

If yes, then please do vote and comment for one last time here.

Thank you all so much for your patience and support. Your interest and encouragement made me complete this book.

Please do show your support for the next book too.

God bless! ❤

~~~~~

P.s - I will update 'Baby Daddy' & 'Stalking the Stalker' too! I didn't abandoned those two stories so don't worry guys!