Her engagement dress had come from her sasural and it was the most beautiful lehanga she had ever seen.

It was a purple ombre lehanga and was she in love with it already? Absolutely. She had always wanted to wear something lavender in her wedding function.

“Ji Naina ji, pahuch gaya lehanga. Bhut hi pyara hai. Jee abhi karati hu.”

Her mother was talking to her mother-in-law and passed her the phone.

“Hello maa! Bhut pretty lehanga hai. Thank you so much!”

She gushed making Naina laugh at her excitement.

“Ved ne select kia hai. Usse bolo thank you.”

“Jee.”

She blushed and then rushed to fetch her phone. She called Vedant who picked up on the third ring.

“The lehanga is too pretty. I love it.”

Vedant chuckled and said.

“Pasand toh aana hi tha. Tere dulhe ne itne pyaar se select kia hai.”

She bit her lip wanting to confess her feelings but her mother called her.

“Mai baad mai baat krti hu.”

She disconnected the call and saw Neha, the woman they got their clothes made from. She was here to see the fitting of the dress and get it accustomed to Vanisha.

Vanisha went on to try the dress and gave her measurements. The next day was reserved for the jewellery shopping and other itsy bitsy shoppings.

Vedant had sent her a picture of the mall. She looked at the picture closely and realised that he was shopping her his clothes for the engagement. 

Mai select krungi.

She messaged and he grinned looking at his brother who had rejected a lot of clothes till now.

“Aapki dulhan ka order hai ki wo select kregi aapke kapde engagement ke liye. Kya kahoon?”

Ved blushed and cleared his throat.

“Pictures bhej de. Let her see.”

“Okayyyyy bhaiyaaaa!”

Vedant teased and started sending her pictures of every piece he saw.

Pehen kr kyu nhi bhej rha?

Itni tadap acchi baat nhi hai. Engagement wale din dekh lio apna dulha inn kapdo mai. Abhi tu bas select kr.

Vedant was enjoying teasing them both too much. Vanisha bit her lip and looked at each of the items he was sending. Her gaze stopped at a particular one. She looked at the lehanga hung on her cupboard and then at the kurta and jacket set.

She tagged the message and said.

Ye wala. 

Ohho! Matching matching! Done! Selected!

“Ye pasand kia hai aapki biwi ne.”

Vedant pointed at the item and Ved looked at it. It matched the lehanga he had selected for her. He had once heard her mentioning about wearing lavender in her wedding. He smiled at the thought of matching with her. Without wasting another second, he got it packed.

Another week had passed in the preparations and it was only 1 week to the engagement and 2 to the wedding left now. As the date came closer, Vanisha started counting each hour. She would have to leave her parents. Sure, she knew everyone at the place she was going to, but nothing ever compared to one’s own parents.

Before she could cry, her phone rang. It was Vedant’s call.

“Wo jo ring tune bhijwayi thi wo size thik hai na? Ring finger mai hi pehen kr dekhi thi na?”

“Haan haan wahi hai.”

“Perfect! Online rahio, tujhe designs bhejta rahunga. Tell me which one you like.”

“Hmm. Pahuch gye tum shop pr?”

“Nhi. Niklenge bas abhi thodi der mai.”

“Achha. Ved? Tu khush hai na iss shaadi se?”

She asked and he frowned

“Ofcourse. I can’t even tell you how happy I am. Tu hamesha ke liye yaha aa rhi hai. Aur kya chahiye mujhe. Aur ab toh mujhe Ved bulana band krde meri maa.”

She smiled and took a deep breath.

“Mai bhi khush hu. You know I always had feelings.”

“Hain? Kya? Sachi? Mazak nhi kr rhi? Tune bataya kyu nhi mujhe kabhi?”

She chuckled at his reaction and said.

“Mujhe laga agar mai bta dungi toh hamari dosti pr effect padega.”

“Pagal hai kya? But seriously, bhaiya ko pata hai?”

He asked eyeing his brother. Vanisha frowned but said.

“Nhi. Maine kabhi kisi ko nhi bataya.”

He understood that she might want to do a grand gesture for him and that’s why he dropped the idea of teasing his brother with the newfound information.

“I am surprised ki tune mujhe kabhi ye baat nhi batayi. Aur mujhe pata kaise nhi chala?”

“Tu hai itna clueless. But I want to say it today Vedant.”

“Say what?”

“Yahi ki I…”

She had started saying but Vedant heard his father call his name so he put his phone away from his ear to listen to his father when she said those words.

“...I really like you.”

She heard him talking to someone at a distance and realised that maybe he hadn’t heard her.

“Sun Vani, mai baad mai baat krta hu. Abhi ring lene jaa rhe hai. Bhejta hu tujhe pictures.”

She sighed and looked at the phone. Maybe it was better if she told him face to face. She smiled and busied herself with other work.

One day was left for her engagement and Vanisha was too nervous. She was excited but her stomach coiled at the thought of leaving her parents forever. True, she knew her in-laws since childhood but visiting them sometimes and staying with them forever as a family member were two completely different things.

The doorbell rang and she asked the maid they kept till the wedding functions to help in the household works to open the door. 

“Hello bride to be!”

She heard Vedant’s happy voice as he plopped himself beside her on the couch where she was selecting her mehandi designs that she wanted in her wedding mehandi. 

“Tu yaha kya kr rha hai? Kal engagement hai.”

“Haan toh kal hai na. Mai aaj nhi aa skta kya?”

She felt shy in front of him. They would be engaged tomorrow. And he was sitting with her so casually. Did she not affect him?

Her gaze fell on the card in his hand and she asked what it was.

“Ek jagah card dete huye jaana hai ghar. Unke ghar ke raste mai tera ghar tha. Maine socha ek baar mil toh lu. Jabse rishta pakka hua hai main ek baar bhi mila nhi tujhse. Ye dekh humne kaise card baate hai apne rishtedaaro mai.”

He showed her excitedly. She grinned and opened the card. A frown etched on her face as she studied the names.