Princess

Author's Pov:

The house was buzzing with life, draped in colorful marigold and fairy lights that twinkled.Vivan and Advika sat together for their haldi ceremony, their faces glowing with anticipation. Vivan was shy on the inside, his reserved nature showing in his quiet demeanor, while Advika’s emotions were a mix of excitement and guilt. She was carrying the weight of not telling him the truth , but one look at his warm smile made her resolve to let go of her worries and cherish every moment of their wedding functions.

Mahi was the first to apply haldi on Vivan, smearing it gently on his cheeks as everyone cheered. Then, she applied it on advika too, she patted her head softly as they exchanged a soft smile. The elders soon joined in, applying the yellow paste on both of them, their blessings wrapped in laughter and love.

As the ceremony continued, Vivan curiously asked, “By the way, why is haldi applied in the first place?”

Mahi chimed in with a playful smile, “So that the bride and groom look their absolute best on the wedding day—bright, glowing, and beautiful.”

Agam, standing nearby, couldn’t resist a teasing remark. “Ohhh, is that so?” He then signaled Vivan’s cousins, and they all grabbed handfuls of haldi, grinning mischievously. Before Vivan could react, they smeared it all over him, laughing as they did so.

The elders, startled, scolded them, “What’s this mischief now?”

The cousins laughed and replied innocently, “We don’t want our bhai to look any less than perfect , he should give a competition to bhabhi!”

Vivan shook his head with a chuckle, wiping some haldi off his face. “No matter how much haldi you all put on me, I can never look better than Advika,” he said, his voice sincere.

Advika looked at him with heartfelt eyes, her emotions softening further as his words settled in her heart. The room erupted with an affectionate aww, leaving the two of them glowing—not just from the haldi, but from the love surrounding them.

"Bhaiya phass gaya Sharma ji ki ladki ka chakkar mein"All the youngsters jokingly said making everyone laugh.

The haldi ceremony had just ended, leaving Vivan looking hilariously bright in shades of yellow, thanks to the enthusiastic smears from his cousins. Advika, sitting on her side of the courtyard, giggled as she watched him from a distance, her own cheeks stained with turmeric and her laughter lighting up the air.

Later that evening, it was time for the mehendi. Advika sat gracefully, her hands stretched out as the intricate designs of henna began to take shape. Vivan, unable to resist, sneaked into her space under the pretense of offering her water. "Where's my name?" he whispered, leaning close enough for only her to hear.

She smirked, lifting her henna-stained fingers. “Find it on the wedding night, Mr. Raichand,” she teased, making him grin.

Vivan also decided to get a small mehendi design on his hand, much to the amusement of the crowd. His cousins teased him endlessly, but he just shrugged, flashing a boyish grin.

As the ceremony went on, Advika curiously leaned toward him, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “Alright, Mr. Raichand,” she said playfully, “show me where my name is in your mehendi.”

Vivan smirked, leaning in just enough for only her to hear. “Find it on the wedding night, Mrs. Raichand,” he replied back to her in her own words making her laugh.

The sangeet was a night of chaos and energy. Advika’s friends and family performed a vibrant Bollywood medley, complete with dramatic moves and exaggerated expressions, leaving the audience in splits. Vivan’s side retaliated with an equally spirited performance.Then entered agam and Tara who gave a hilarious performance they were stepping on each other's foot but at the end they balanced out and had a sweet performance.The youngsters give a fabulous performance making everyone cheer for them and they dragged vivan into the center to show off his barely-there dance moves. But when Advika joined him on the dance floor, all eyes were on them. The chemistry between them was electric, their laughter infectious as they twirled under the soft glow of lanterns.

As the night wound down, Vivan pulled Advika aside, away from the crowd. “You look beautiful tonight,” he murmured, his voice filled with admiration. She smiled, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “Save those compliments for the wedding day,” she replied softly, her cheeks flushing.

With the baraat and wedding day just around the corner, the excitement was palpable. Both families were preparing for the big day,

But amidst all the hustle and excitement of the mehendi ceremony, Advika found herself lost in her thoughts.

Five-year-old Advika was sitting on the floor beside her dadi, her tiny hands resting on her chin as her grandmother narrated a story. Advika listened intently, but her curious mind couldn’t help but interrupt.

“Dadi, why does the prince always come to save the princess? Can’t the princess be strong?” she asked, her eyes wide with wonder.

Her dadi chuckled at the question, gently patting her head. “Who said the princess isn’t strong? Princesses are the strongest of all. But sometimes, when the princess is all alone and has no one by her side, God sends someone to protect her. He sends an angel in the form of a prince, who comes into her life and takes away all her problems.”

Advika tilted her head, thinking for a moment, then asked innocently, “Dadi, where is my prince?”

Her dadi smiled, her eyes twinkling. “Somewhere out there, waiting for you. He will come when you need him the most.”

“But how will I recognize him?” she asked, her little face scrunched in curiosity. “Will he call me a princess?”

Her dadi nodded, her voice warm and reassuring. “Yes, he will call you his princess. And not just that—he will treat you like one too.”

Satisfied with the answer, Advika smiled and leaned into her dadi. “Then I’ll wait for my prince,” she whispered softly, her imagination already painting pictures of a fairytale.

A sense of unease crept into her heart—she knew she had to tell Vivan the truth before their wedding. As the night settled in, she mustered up her courage and called him.

But the moment she heard his voice, warm and familiar, her confidence wavered completely. Her carefully prepared words disappeared, and she ended up talking to him like everything was normal.

Sensing something, Vivan asked gently, “Are you nervous about tomorrow?”

She hummed softly in response, her emotions overwhelming her.

“Advika, don’t be nervous,” he said, his voice filled with reassurance. “I’m going to be with you through everything. Just enjoy the day, okay?”

His words made her chest tighten with a mix of relief and guilt, but before she could say anything more, someone called Vivan from behind.

“I have to go,” he said, his tone regretful. “And you should get some sleep too. Good night, princess.”

With that, he hung up, leaving Advika staring at her phone, her emotions swirling in a storm of love, doubt, and determination.

"He calls me princess dadi , he treats me like a princess, but I did't want him , I didn't need a prince, I want to fight alone "Advika crying looking in the sky like she will get a answer from there.

"If you didn't need anyone, then why did you think of using him? Of using his powers?" someone said from behind.

Advika turned around to see Tara standing there, arms crossed, her expression demanding an answer.

"Because I didn’t know I’d start falling for him," Advika admitted softly, her voice carrying a mix of guilt and vulnerability.

Tara raised her eyebrows, her tone sharp. "I asked you earlier, Advika. I asked if you had thought this through, and you said you had.

Advika asked," Aren’t you shocked hearing me, that I am  falling for him?"

Tara’s stern face softened as she replied, "Why would I be shocked? I’ve known this from the moment I saw you smiling because of him. Do you know how I know? Because in two years, this is the first time I’ve seen you truly smile, genuinely smile. That smile was from my best friend Advika, the one I’d been missing for so long."

Advika frowned slightly. "Then why didn’t you stop me, Tara? Why didn’t you tell me?"

Tara shook her head, exasperated. "Are you mad, Advika? How can anyone stop someone from falling in love? Could you stop yourself from loving him? No, right? So how could I stop you? And to be honest, even if I wanted to stop you, I wouldn’t. Because for the first time in years, I’ve seen you happy. The Advika I’ve been searching for these past two years—I saw her again.

"Remember your birthday? When I called you, and all you could talk about was Vivan? About how he did this, how he did that, how he made you feel special? You don’t even realize it, Advika, but after so many days, you spoke to me freely, with excitement, like you used to. That’s when I knew—this isn’t just some plan. This is real."

Advika broke down, tears streaming down her face as she looked at Tara, her voice trembling. "What should I do, Tara? Please tell me! I’m so confused, yaar. I can’t deny it anymore—I’ve started loving him, and it’s strong, it’s real. I can’t lie to him, and I can’t use him for his powers either. I just can’t!"

Tara placed a comforting hand on Advika’s shoulder and replied with a calm yet firm voice, "Then do what your heart wants. Love him. Don’t use him; make him your strength instead. And as for telling him the truth—just tell him. Don’t overthink it."

"But what if he leaves me after knowing everything?" Advika asked, her voice breaking with fear.

Tara shook her head, her gaze steady. "If you truly think he’ll leave you because of this, then maybe you don’t fully understand the depth of his love. Vivan loves you, Advika—so much that he would give his life for you. He won’t leave you; he’ll stand by you. Trust in him, trust in the love you both share."

“Now leave all this, you should sleep. Kal teri shaadi hai, bhai! Dulhan ke dark circles aa jaayenge,” Tara teased, trying to lighten the mood.

Advika wiped her tears and managed a small smile. “I didn’t know about it before, but now... now I’m completely ready for this wedding. You were right, Tara. Without using him, if I make him my strength... if I give him the love he truly deserves, without any lies or doubts... then maybe this is what real love is all about.”

Tara smiled, relieved to see her best friend finally at peace. “Exactly! Now, off to bed, bride-to-be. Tomorrow’s a big day, and you’ve got a prince waiting for his princess.”

~Thoda nadan tha hum,

Ek galat raah par chal diya tha!!

Jisko takat bnana tha,

Usko hum istemal karna chala tha!!

Chapter is updated

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