Married To A Stranger

Sreesha Pov:

“Guys, we’re getting married” A very familiar cheerful voice filled the living room putting a full stop to Anju and Nihal’s banter, Tej and Anvika’s ogling, mom’s teasing, dad’s ‘how to woo your wife’ speech to Karthi and a loud thud from Veni.

Wait, what?

Damn! She’s more shocked than everyone else.

She fainted!

Poor Veni!

You’re supposed to help her idiot! She doesn’t want your sympathy now.

I was the first one to recover and react, everyone was still in shock looking at both Newly engaged couple and Veni.

Can you blame them?

Julie sprinkled some water on Veni’s face. She groaned in pain. Her head might have hit the ground hard. She looked around like she wants to remember what caused her to end up on the ground. She found the persons who caused this and threw an accusing glare at them.

“Huh? Why is everyone reacting like this? We’re just getting married” Niya sent an accusing glare at us “see, I told you it is not a good idea, now look at them, looking at us like we’d grown another head” Added looking at Ved.

“Can you blame them, baby? You almost tried to kill me when I first met you after all those years. Not to mention the handprints on my cheek took two days to fade. You gave me two months of different kinds of torture to test me whether I was serious with you” we all winced at the mention of tortures he went through except Niya, she just rolls her eyes at him “And you accepted me after writing a list of pros n cons. You literally kicked out poor Karthik from his own house just to discuss us with this mouse.” Pointing at me, I just smirked at him remembering that day ”Later you came up with a long list of ‘what to do and what not to do’ in our relationship which I’m pretty sure who gave you half of the ideas. Stupid mouse.” he muttered the last words.

” Poor Veni has no idea about all these as she went to visit her Aunt in another state” He mumbled.

“You don’t want to marry me?” She said sniffing. Then he realized what a big mistake he’d done. He just hugged her to his chest murmuring soft words.

“Of course, I do baby. I’m not a fool to let you go again. If you want me to go through all the punishment you gave me again, I would do it without thinking twice. I’ll do anything just to stay beside you, to love you for the rest of eternity, you’re my world baby don’t forget that okay?” He hugged her burying his head in her hair, she just nodded and showed a thumb at us, winking.

I should have known!

I just want to know, whether she was related to mom or not.

I should try to spend more time with them and learn some tricks to keep my husband on his toes.

“I should keep my wife away from both of them” I heard Karthik mumbling to himself. I raised an eyebrow at him, he just shrugged pulling his best innocent face.

‘I should definitely ask mom to teach me some of her skills’ I thought, smirking to myself.

“Enough you two. End the show and come and give me a hug. We should celebrate this moment. Come let’s talk while having dinner, the table is set” mom said clapping her hands.

We congratulated the couple hugging them. Anju started jumping up and down saying something about shopping. I groaned at the mention of shopping, it’s not my thing and I suck at new fashion and trends. All my shopping was done by my mother and her friends. She didn’t even care to ask what color of saree I want for my wedding. Maybe it’s fun to shop when we actually love the groom. I glanced at Karthik and released a sigh. If I knew I would fall for my husband, I would have done my wedding shopping all by myself. He looked at me questioningly, I shook my head giving him a half-smile making him frown.

”What is your parent’s reaction Ved” Veni asked still frowning. I should talk to her later, she’s not herself from the day she returned from her Aunt’s house. I wonder what happened to her. She was out for 3 months taking care of her Aunt who got into a car accident.

Ved shrugged and said ”Dad wished us luck, where mom being mom, she fainted”

“What?” Everyone said once.

We should really try singing choruses, our voices are good together.

I think I lost it this time. Why Am I thinking about singing chorus now?

”Yeah. That’s the reason why I asked all of you react the same way as Aunty did” Niya said frowning.

”It’s nothing Niya, we… I don’t know much about your relationship and you gave me a shock saying you’re getting married and the guy is none other than Ved, who you used to despise all these years. So, it kind of umm happened” Veni explained and Ved winced at the mention of despising him.

“What about your Aunt and Uncle Niya? Did they approve of him?” Niya lost her parents when she was 18, her Aunt and Uncle took her under their wing. More like living in her house and ordering her to do things. She kind of turned into rebel when they tried to set her marriage without her consent. She threatened them to file a police case about this and even living in a rented apartment with her own money which she earns working for Anju’s dad.

“Who gives a shit about what they think? I asked them to give me my property back. Let’s say they’re not happy with the news and started threatening my life. You know about Ved right, he took care about that issue without my knowledge until I get the documents of my house and few land documents. I wouldn’t have asked for them if they didn’t have my parents and my childhood memories in that house” Niya said with tears. Ved consoled her side hugging. I smiled at them praying god to give them more happiness in their lives. They deserve happiness than anyone else.

”Enough of this melodrama. I want you guys to accompany me to my wedding shopping. We don’t have more time and it’s only in like two weeks from now” she said excitedly.

“Two weeks? Isn’t it too early? I mean there is a lot of things to do and not to mention, the wedding hall, decorations, jewellery…” Niya cut off Tej’s sentence saying ”I don’t want a grand wedding Tej. A small and simple one will do. I want Karthik and Sreesha to give me away to Ved in the wedding” she looked at us hopefully.

”If it is okay with you guys” she added hesitantly. I was on the verge of tears and Karthik is also in the same position as he treats all my friends as his own sisters. Karthik literally jumped out of his seat and pulled Niya to a hug.

I was stunned by his sudden behavior. Karthik never showed his emotional side to anyone other than his parents, friends and me.

“I would love to, but you have to give me all the rights to kill him if he ever tries to hurt you,” he said wiping Niya’s tears.

”I would accompany you kicking his butt” Nihal said ruffling her hair.

”He knew me too well to even think about hurting you di” Tej said pulling all three of them into a group hug. This time I didn’t stop my tears. She deserves this. She deserves all the happiness in the world.

”And you think I’ll leave him alone?” Anju and I said at a time and laughed wiping our tears. Veni just hugged her saying she loves her.

”So, Ved don’t forget I have a gun with a license okay?” Dad said we looked at him shocked.

”What? My son is giving her away which makes her practically a family member, I don’t mind having another daughter other than Sreesha” dad added shrugging.

”I don’t mind too; I do have a spatula and new set of kitchen knives to hurt Ved” mom said shrugging like it was nothing.

She pulled Niya into her embrace and dad pulled both of them into his.

“Wow, I feel so loved,” Ved said aloud, sarcastically.

“Don’t worry bro, you have me” a voice startled us.

Anvika?

“What? I don’t mind having a brother too” she added shrugging.

Did she know how much it meant to Ved? He treats me as his sister and all but I’m his friend first. But Anvika can be his fulltime sister. I grinned at her.

“You want to be my sister? You’ll help me deal with the bride’s family on our wedding day? You’ll be there to give aarthi to us when we’re about to step into the house? And ask our names before allowing us into our house? ” he asked her desperately.

“Yes Bhai, do you mind if I do all those things? I already missed Karthik’s wedding, but I don’t want to miss another bhai’s wedding” she said emotionally looking at Ved and Karthik. Karthik looked at her guiltily.

“No, I would love to have a sister in my life. This mouse is not enough for me, look at her she’s taking Niya’s side ” he complained.

”Don’t worry bhai, I won’t leave you” she said giving him a hug.

I smiled looking at all of them. Everything is perfect. Everyone is happy. I want this moment to pause like this.

But why do I feel something is terribly wrong?