31 Chapter- 31 The Pink Man

My breath falls long and hard. I try and try but my breath feels like it will leave my body any moment.

" I...I.. " I say to myself and frantically look down the windows to the long brown cobbled lanes, my heart walking like the cars in the lane. Left and right.

Since childhood whenever I felt nervous I had him by my side. I wish I could right now just for some time in this room. Alone. Why did we have to get married in front of so many people? Should we get married?

But he is there. Stop freaking out. We are getting married. We are getting married.

The thought burns like fire. But then my left hand unconsciously falls upon the pendant he gave me at the airport, I am wearing it on my right hand rolled up like a bracelet. I see the heart shape dangling from the right hand. And I feel a sort of calm when I think about how he seemed so sure when he gave me the pendant.

Should we be so sure?

A knock on my door and then the door opens Prisha, Ayan, Rohit and Kritika come inside beaming.

Ayan stops and his eyes widen. He whistels and says with somewhat annoyed tone, " That's why they won't let us come inside," he says directing towards him and Rohit. " I would have kidnapped you for sure. " His eyes turn somewhat sad for a moment but instantly he grins at me.

I look at him give him a sad but querying smile, why did he look so sad? His eyes evade mine and turns towards the windows. Others don't notice so much and come hurrying towards me beaming and smiling and talking all together at once.

" Oh my god your man is looking like a vogue front page groom. I am sure you both are going to be talk of the town for so many days. " Kritika chirps in beautiful turquoise lehenga her gleaming smile telling me she must have turned faces quite more than a hundred of times.

I look around and all my friends are looking more sort of a the best- sexiest friends ever.

Ayan turns, a beautiful smile plastered on his face. " So baby girl what do you think? We ready for competition? "

I smile at him. And without thinking I drag them all right towards me and hug them , " Thank you so much for being with me. I couldn't have done this without you. " It's the truest thing I had ever said to them, they really were there for me, saving me from the chaos it could have been but didn't because of their courtesy.

They all hug me and I sigh.

" Okay shit forgot to tell you, your blood thirsty cousin was blarneying around the hall and you didn't tell me that you two planned wearing matching wedding clothes. "

" What? " I say and look incredeously around at them. " You are kidding right? He would never wear something pink. He doesn't like the colour. "

" Oh oh! I guess you are wrong. He is wearing a cream and light pink Shervaani to match yours Babe and he is owning it oh man. And you should look at his eyes he is like scanning for you." Prisha giggles like a young kid.

I roll my eyes but my heart wavers he really is wearing the clothes of my choice when he hated the colour?

" Hey you! " Nani's voice breaks me out of the thought. I look up at her and find her eyeing me with a longing look, a first.

She comes forward and touches my face, "You look so beautiful. I am proud of you. And not only because you are getting married but because you never gave upon your love. " Tears fall from the brim of her eyes.

And something tells me she is trying to say something else. I give her a questioning look and she just gives me a small smile. "I am your grandmother, I know everything. "

What?

"Now, come on someone has asked too many times about where are you." She says wiping her eyes. And holding out a hand to me.

" Now now, I wonder I shouldn't stand too close to you otherwise people would notice me too much and you won't get that much attention. " She huffs and fans her face with her hands.

A laugh breaks out of me and I feel a little better.

" Oh Nani how about you accompany me would keep the people off for you? " Ayan offers her his arm and winks at her.

Nani's eye twinkles and she says " Oh God Bless You! I hate talking to those nagging aunties. "

Ayan grins when she takes his arm.

" Now let's rock the party." She says smiling at us.

****

I never knew that a walk from a room to the wedding venue only could be so long and nerve wrecking specially when so many people seemed to be present.

" We are directly going to the main garden where the wedding is supposed to take place. " Nani says in a soft voice as if testing the words on her lips.

We walk forward and I see people standing on left and right side dressed in their proper attires. I don't look for too long but see here and there dresses of the finest silk and old money. I feel the urge to roll my eyes and think of what Kiyansh would say in this situation, probably ' Waste of money and attention really, inviting so much people, what our mothers were thinking! '

A smile tugs at the corner of my lips with the continuous cycle of heart and stomach making different violations. Then, a peachy sweet citrus scent makes way to my nose. And my head immediately turns towards the way, the smell was coming from. My eyes widen when I see the sun shining throw a small brown baked tunnel way the whole tunnel covered in pink Juliet roses, the same roses from Kiyansh's home. I stop in my tracks, a little something turning inside me, he knows.

The fragrance reminds me of the countless times I crouched down and smelled it in his house. My legs carry forward on their own accord.

Then I see the man who seemed to stop my heart when he carried Charlie in his hands. When in ninth standard he turned around in his desk and winked at me in English Class when I read out loud the lines from Shakespeare. The man who punched a boy because he made a crude remark on me. The man who kissed me on my cheek when I felt down. The man who gave me his blazer to tie around my waist when I had my periods for the first time. The man who broke traditions and fought Nani just to make me feel safe. The man who was now dressed in Pink 'Shervaani' even though he said he wouldn't ever.

The man who looked even more beautiful than the juliet roses.

The man who had Mikey around near him tied in a pink bow.

The man who made me laugh even in such nerves.

The man whom I loved.

Dedicated to everyone who loves us for who we are.

I am really thankful to God that he/she gives us so many chances to be ourselves, to be with the ones we love. To be kind, to be happy. There is magic everywhere, just look within.

My magic is special.

So is yours.

BELIEVE IN THAT, LIVE IN THAT.