Chapter 6

~Vedh Singh Oberoi~

After coming back from Mehta house yesterday, Vedh had been the calmest since he had ever been in these last days since he is being restless to see Heer

Yesterday when he finally saw her eyes lifted at his face, a strange peace settled in his heart and couldn't afford to lose it again so he handed over the box to Aashrit and immediately left

Afterwards he even noticed the strange change in Aashrit's behavior but he was too happy from inside to be tensed that moment

After reaching the mansion he even asked Aashrit but he didn't reply and directly went to his room making Vedh frown

Late at night the sangeet finally came to halt and everyone went to sleep but Vedh's thoughts were consumed by Heer

He couldn't sleep and now it was the time of dawn when he was still looking out of the window, staring at the soft blue sky, shirtless

His one arm stretched out and rested on the upper edge of the window flexing his well muscled back giving a small overview of his devoted time to gym

He sighed and closed his eyes and the face appeared in front of him was her, Heer his to be wife, the one who is living in his soul without any rent

Though he didn't say it out but there was a small corner in his dead heart that Heer had already reserved, effortlessly

Heer's picture was now carved in his heart, his soul, his eyes everywhere around him it was her, only her and no one else

Vedh opened his eyes when his phone pinged at the sound of notification leading him to break the moment and turn around to check

He walked to the nightstand and sitting on the edge of the bed, he unlocked the phone and saw it was a notification from Smita

He opened it and saw it was a picture, she had sent a picture of Heer as promised, her yesterday's look

Vedh loaded it and the eternal beauty appeared in front of his desperate eyes. Heer's eyes were lowered as she sat getting her henna done by the artist sitting on the side

The dark, incomplete patterns on her palm fascinated him more than any materialistic thing could ever do

He may be a millionaire but the lady in front of him owned him now and him being oblivious just thought it was a mere attraction

Heer was the peace for his wandering orbs, his ocean blue orbs might be hypnotizing but were ruled by those honey brown ones

Vedh looked totally senseless for a moment as he admired the picture of his to be wife before he kept back the phone and quickly left to take a bath thinking that would possibly remove her thoughts for sometime

~Heer Mehta~

'Author Heer Mehta'

Heer's own voice echoed in her ears a symbol of her shattering dream in front of her own eyes and the shards of those dreams made her bleed every second

Heer can assure everyone that she will pursue her dreams but her own heart is not knowing that she will get to study after marriage

Heer sighed looking at the red and ivory bangles dipped in the milk to be pure, her maternal uncle and aunt sat in front smiling

The sky blue sharara a contrast to those bangles

Heer was sitting quietly when her aunt came with a soft and generous smile with a cloth, Heer smiled knowing it is to blindfold her

In their culture a bride can't see her wearing the choora until marriage because it is considered inauspicious and can be a danger for groom

Her aunt blindfolded her and she felt the movement around herself, after some minutes her uncle and aunt brought the bangles and silently slipped them on her wrist

The silence was calming and soothing. As the bangles touched Heer's wrist, their coldness sent a shiver down her spine

Slowly all the bangles were slipped on her wrist and then they covered those with a choora cover to hide them from Heer's eyes

Then her blindfold was removed and she saw the maroon choora cover hiding her bangles from her own eyes

~

The house was buzzing with chatter as the relatives in the house walked here and there gathering stuff

The sun had shown up long ago, shining at it's might and it's rays scattering in the lawn where the yellow and white decoration was still happening

The vibrant colors of different dresses wore by guest shined inside and outside the house giving a full feeling to the hearts seeing them

Inside Heer's room, she was reading a book sitting on her bed with stretched legs. It had been days since she hadn't even touched a single book so now she thought to do it

She was already ready in the saree her mother took out of her maiyan ceremony, the soft pink glowing on her already shining skin

She was tying her hair in a tight bun when her eyes landed on the book shelves she had maintained for years, she brushed her fingers on their backs and took out one

Books had been her love since childhood specially the storytellers and as she grew her love and interest in fantasy increased when she decided to be an Author

She writes books on an online platform without the mentioning her name or identity. She had been doing this since she turned eighteen and she even earns well with it

Heer sighed turning the page and that soft sound echoed through the walls like a whisper told in the cold midnight

Heer's lips twitched in a beautiful smile as she got lost in the fictional world opposite from the real one, she read a lovely sequence of a couple so smiled

She read two - three more chapters then closed the book keeping it back on it's shelf and she moved out of the room with a soft sigh

As Heer stepped out of her room she saw Saanchi running towards her holding her salwar in hands, she stopped in front of Heer gasping for air

Heer looked at her sister with concerned looks when Saachi voiced out after gulping

"Mummy is calling you immediately"

Heer sighed heavy then nodding softly she walked towards the lawn followed by Saanchi who still breathing heavily

~Vedh Singh Oberoi~

Vedh was sitting in his study with his laptop opened in front of him, earbuds in each ear preventing the outside noises to reach him

He was away from the chaos in the house trying to be away from even the thought of his to be wife, Heer

The one occupying his whole life without any efforts or wish and the miracle, he was letting her with no problem at all

And the reason, he didn't know

Everyone outside present in the house thought that Vedh was working but only he knew how much he had worked till now

He had been staring at the laptop screen for last one hour preparing his mind for whatever more was coming

'You are in love Vedh'

Aashrit's words echoed in his mind as he remembered the night he told him about the feelings he got about Heer

That time Vedh dismissed those words saying how can someone fall in love with a person he met a few days ago

Aashrit had only smiled not saying anything else but those words he had said were now disturbing Vedh to core

'Love'

The word he thought was not for him, the feeling he thought he could never feel how could it be disturbing him in such a way

Vedh sighed and leaned back on the black leather chair, his mind has been working a lot these days, he closed his eyes and the person appeared in front of him was again her, Heer

His heart started beating loudly as the image of her from that day appeared in front of his eyes, the day he saw her for the first time

Vedh opened his eyes slowly only to face the white screen of his laptop in front and the heart which had been beating loudly now calmed

Vedh was a man of calmness, he always wanted stillness around him but this time his heart, his body, his mind nothing was satisfied with the calmness, he didn't want this stillness

~

After sometime, a knock echoed on the door that made him look at the door. Vedh stood up and walked towards it before opening it only to see Sudha ji standing in front

She was smiling widely as her hands clutched a bowl of turmeric paste. Sudha ji wore a pastel yellow organza saree with the pallu tied on her waist

Vedh looked at her and his eyes narrowed, just a little. Sudha ji knew what he was trying to ask so she immediately said

"Vedh beta can you please come outside for sometime actually I have to apply this turmeric paste on you for maiyan ritual"

Her eyes lively and tone excited with plead as she spoke showing the bowl in her hands, Vedh glanced at the bowl in her hand then at her face before sighing

"No"

That's it, Vedh said with blank eyes and cold tone and that single word was enough to vanish Sudha ji's beautiful smile

Her face fell as she heard him while Vedh moved back to close the door but before he could, Sudha ji again tried

"Uh Vedh please come otherwise what I will send to Mehta house"

Her tone was sad and disappointed but the words she chose to speak were enough to stop Vedh, he froze at the mention of Mehta house

His eyes snapped towards Sudha ji who was glancing here and there before he straightened and asked, confused

"What do you mean?"

His deep voice came out more scary as he asked making Sudha ji gulp, obviously the person who doesn't even talk more than two words and he is asking something so anyone will be scared

Sudha ji's eyes flew to him as if shook her head but her words betrayed her expressions as she looked in those ocean blue orbs which were narrowed in confusion

"Ac...Actually Vedh it's a ritual that the turmeric groom applies is applied to bride"

Vedh looked at her dumbfound processing her words before he understood that this was some unexpected ritual he didn't know about

Vedh sighed once again and nodded before saying, accepting

"You go I am coming"

Sudha ji's smile instantly came back when he said that and eagerly nodding she walked away leaving a confused Vedh standing at the door

VEDH'S POV:

I stood at the door of my study still in confusion that why the fuck I agree to everything that mentions her

What is so special about her that I can't deny the strong pull I feel towards her, this has never happened to me for any woman in my life till

In this thirty four years of my love I have seen many women even more beautiful, gorgeous and elegant than her but I never behaved like that

The fuck, my body never betrayed me in front of anyone like it does in front of her, there is something that always carries me to her like I belong there

Walking back in the study I closed my laptop and picking up my phone, I walked out in the way Chachi had just gone

As I walked passed the beautiful decoration of the mansion my thoughts again went back to the night I had told Aashrit about how I feel near Heer and that bastard said that I am in love

How should I explain him that this feeling is not for someone like me, I have lived a life of an orphan and the ones who don't receive love, they can't give it either

But the way something stirred in me at that sentence was not something I expected and for the first time I felt something stir in me at the word 'Love'

And now I think that we both, Aashrit and I need a doctor for this disease. I was already frustrated then that Bella who is upto something again

I don't know why she is making Aashrit's life hell, I know she doesn't love him for god sake I can recognize a person by the face and she is not someone who can love or be loved

Thinking all this I reached the buzzing hall where all the guests were preparing for the ritual some walking, some eating and some casually lounging

My eyes wandered and landed on my baccha party, my cousins who seemed bored by all this but they were so excited for my marriage and now were sitting like that

I wanted to chuckle at their positions, weird faces and the activities

Smita was tying knots in her dupatta and then again opening before again tying, Saket sat with his chin on knees playing with a kid's car while Chhavi was scrolling something in her phone equally bored

I was seeing them from the far with a soft smile when suddenly Chhavi jumping in excitement as she passed her phone to Saket and Smita whispering something

All three of them smiled together at something they shared while I shook my head before moving to get the ritual done

I was walking when I saw Aashrit coming down the stairs talking on phone and immediately I knew who could it be

Aashrit walked in my direction and as he reached near me, he said on the other person on call blankly which I do not expect him to be

"Bella I will call you later, bye"

I rolled my eyes on that name and Aashrit sighed, for the first time he did react on me rolling my eyes hearing Bella's name

I was amused but Aashrit didn't explain, didn't react which made me confused. I was about to ask Aashrit about his behavior but he walked away

I also went for the ritual

Chachi made me sit on a small wooden stool, surrounded by women and then she applied some turmeric paste on my cheeks, shoulders, knees and feet

This process was done by five more women then came bua ji's turn, Mrs. Sumitra Khuranna. She walked towards me with emotionless eyes

I saw her coming and in an instant the humiliating words she said to Heer came to my mind, I had been so angry since then

She applied the paste and I didn't react no words, no greeting nothing!!

Her stern expressions didn't soften as she moved away while Chachi walked to me with a soft smile

"Wait a minute Vedh"

I nodded at her sitting in the same position while she picked up the bowl of turmeric paste and moved back towards Saket standing with Aashrit

She whispered something passing them the bowl and nodding at her both of them walked out of the premises

~Heer Mehta~

A white Mercedes stopped outside the Mehta house and Aashrit stepped out from the driving seat and Saket from the passenger seat holding the turmeric bowl carefully

He had a smile on his lips while Aashrit had neutral expressions on his face looking at the house in front with blank eyes remembering Reva's words

'I heard you are also getting married with jiju and Heer, congratulations'

The sarcasm in her tone still dripped into his ears, the message from her had been clear that he should focus on his to be wife and his marriage but his heart wanted something else

His eyes never wanted to be darted away from Reva's face once they saw her, she was the solace his eyes and heart could ever ask for

Aashrit and Saket entered the well decorated hall only to see it buzzing with excitement and chatter of marriage

They took a few steps when Meena ji descended the stairs engrossed in some work, instructing some ladies about the rituals when her eyes landed on Saket and Aashrit

Her face bloomed with a smile upon looking at them and then the bowl in Saket's hands, Saket smiled and greeted her along with Aashrit while she greeted back

Saket handed her the bowl and asked leaning a little to her height

"Aunty Can I meet bhabhi?"

The voice was low only for her to hear, for a moment Meena ji frowned then listening to him her smile again appeared more wider this time and replied

"Of course you can bacche, she is upstairs in her room"

Saket's smile widened upon listening to her and he quickly made his way upstairs to Heer's room, already upon something mischievous

~Aashrit Thakur X Reva Arora~

Aashrit noticed the entire exchange with narrowed eyes standing quietly in side and his eyes followed Saket until he disappeared from his sight

Aashrit sighed and was about to turn around to leave when suddenly Meena ji stopped him calling out from behind

"Uh Beta"

Aashrit immediately turned to her with the same neutral expressions and asked directly to Meena ji who was already pleading with her eyes

"Ji aunty?"

Meena ji looked at him with an awkward smile hesitating to ask but she had looked around and found no one so she had to ask him

"Beta can you please give it to Reva?, she is in the kitchen"

Meena ji pointed at the turmeric bowl in her hand making Aashrit glance first at the bowl then at her

The softness and plead in her tone couldn't bring him to say no, and the mention of Reva ignited a desire to see her in his heart

Aashrit nodded softly and took the bowl from her hands then asking her the way to kitchen he moved with long strides

In the kitchen

Reva was arranging a platter, covering it with yellow fabric laced beautifully at the borders. She was engrossed in her work so deeply to know anything around her

She was decorating the plate for turmeric as waited for it to arrive from Oberoi Mansion. She was just done when she remembered the rose petals kept in the fridge

She didn't want anything to seem imperfect or less because this was Heer's wedding, her only childhood best friend so everything had to be perfect

As Reva turned around so get the petals, her feet froze seeing the person standing behind, Aashrit stood holding the turmeric bowl in his hand

Reva looked surprised at him, her amber eyes staring widely in his charcoal black orbs whose intensity made her lower her gaze immediately

Aashrit's eyes didn't move from her face making her more nervous, her emotionless face was now more blank looking at the girl who affected him without any effort or relation

Reva glanced up once and saw his legs moving towards her, her eyes widen and breath hitched as she noticed he was moving towards her

Reva's heart started beating loudly and her throat dried, Aashrit did not stop moving he took more step towards her

One

Two

Three

And now he stood close to her, too close for her liking but she didn't utter a single phrase, she couldn't her throat didn't let a single voice

Aashrit still looked in her eyes, just a step away from kissing her but still no expression, no reaction

Aashrit took one more step when finally a single word left Reva's pretty lips

"Aap...?"

Reva feared about what might happen next but nothing happened as Aashrit turned and kept the turmeric bowl behind her on the plate she decorated

Reva's pulse throbbed in her neck on the tension between them. Aashrit, keeping the bowl didn't step back rather he turned his head to see her

His lips were so near her cheek, just a breath away to brush against it. Reva's breath turned heavy as his hot breath brushed against her cheek making goosebumps arise all over her body

Heat rushed in Reva's whole body when she saw him looking at her so intensely from the side eye and she gulped

Aashrit after a moment backed away and left the kitchen in three long steps while Reva let out a relaxed sigh she didn't remember holding

~Heer Mehta~

Meanwhile, Saket who went to Heer's room entered it after knocking, his movements soft and decent

Upon entering he saw Heer sitting on her bed reading a book and his smile widened. Heer heard the sound of door opening and immediately straightened up

She wore a soft pink saree for the further rituals with no jewellery as it was not required but even without the jewellery, her beauty was no less

She was beautiful indeed and her beauty might cause Vedh's loss one day and that day would be soon

A soft smile appeared on her face when she saw Saket standing there and she herself stood up closing the book

A soft smile appeared on her face when she saw Saket standing there and she herself stood up closing the book

As soon as she stood up Saket took steps towards her and bent to touch her feet as respect of being his elder brother's fiance

Heer kept her hand on his head fondly like a mother and Saket also took her as one because in India they say 'Bhabhi is Ma saman'

('Sister in law is like mother')

"What are you doing here? Come sit"

Heer's soft voice came out as she made her sit Saket on her bed and sitting beside him. Heer never felt uncomfortable near Smita, Saket and Chhavi for some reasons

Saket smiled at her before looking from her head to toe as if remembering her picture in his mind

"Just came to see how pretty my bhabhi is looking today"

Saket said, playfully winking at Heer while she shook her head with a soft chuckle

"You could have seen it in Jaggo tonight"

Saket nodded his head like a good boy and told her the real reason he arrived at Mehta house before talking about the thing he wanted from her

"Actually I came to give turmeric for Maiyan, accha bhabhi can I get a passport size photo of yours"

Heer heard him, her eyes narrowing at the sudden demand of her passport size picture though she remembered keeping it in her drawer

"Yeah of course but why my passport size photo?"

Saket's smile vanished upon hearing the out of syllabus question and he quickly thought of an excuse

"Oh yeah that......we I mean Vedh bhaiya need it for some work"

Heer's eyes narrowed as her heart started thumping inside her body, she let out a breath then turned to her bedside drawer

Her thoughts raced with Vedh's name that why would he ask for her photograph, what is so important that he had to send Saket for her photo

Heer took out a small plastic bag from the drawer and opening it she gave a picture of herself to Saket while Saket smiled looking at her picture, mischief lingering in his eyes

"Okay Bhabhi, I will leave"

Saket looked up at Heer and said waving his palm at her but Heer didn't say bye, a concerned look passing through her face and she said

"Don't say I will leave, say I will come"

She wasn't complaining, she wasn't scolding and she wasn't even ordering, that was a soft request that sounded more like concern

Saket's smile widened seeing his bhabhi caring for him and the way their bond became more strong with each passing day

"Okay bhabhi, I will come"

Heer smiled and waved her hand this time before Saket left the room holding her picture like the most precious thing

Heer shook her head to herself with a soft chuckle but the thought of Vedh asking for her photograph for something still lingered in the room

~Vedh Singh Oberoi~

After sending Saket and Aashrit to Mehta house, Sudha ji went to Vedh and taking him to garden she made him sit in a large steel tub

The tub was decorated with flowers around, Vedh sat without arguing thinking that somewhere his to be wife is also going through all this

Sudha ji bathe Vedh with milk and water, she didn't let any other woman come there knowing Vedh's anger very well

Sudha ji herself drenched Vedh in milk and wiped off all the turmeric from his face and body, then she poured water over him and wiped him with a white cloth before sending him to change

Vedh went to change in his room, his drenched clothes clinging to his body like second skin giving the overview of his muscled chest and biceps

He took a bath in peace, cleaning the remaining essence of turmeric from his body then for sometime he stood under the shower

He didn't move, didn't think, he just stood there cleaning his thoughts trying to vanish her from them

After sometime he came out and entered his room with just a towel hanging low on his torso giving outline of his V line

His hard work in gym was reflecting in each movement of his, the muscled chest, the manly biceps and the strong back was enough to get any woman drool over him

Vedh disappeared behind the door of his wardrobe and came out after some minutes wearing black trousers with black t-shirt that fitted his frame perfectly

Vedh entered the room ruffling his wet hair with a white towel before combing them back in a set hairstyle

Vedh set the comb back on dressing table and picked up his laptop to do some important work as he had been ignoring office work for some days

He sat comfortably on the soft couch present in the room and opened his laptop, entering the password he logged in

He was checking a file of their Italian branch, he brows furrowed as he noticed some glitch in the accounts, the error didn't seem like a mistake

Their shares were drowning slowly but he wasn't told about it maybe because no one noticed till now as the loss was very small every month that everyone barely noticed

Vedh understood the concept as he looked through the file properly, his mind racing to get a glimpse of what might have happened

He picked up his phone from the night stand and made a call to his assistant his frustration bubbling up

"Yes boss"

The robotic cold voice came from the other side as the phone was picked on the second ring itself

"Harshit I want every detail of our Italian branch from last six months, every transaction every inforamtion, everything and yes fix a board meeting in Italy two days from today also make arrangements I will myself go there"

Vedh said, warning Harshit about the situation with just a few words, his heavy deep voice rang in the each corner of the room

"Okay boss, anything else?"

Harshit said from the other side asking if Vedh wanted him to do something else. Harshit has always been professional with Vedh knowing his limits very well

"Yeah Harshit keep the track of every thing going on there in Italy"

Vedh told Harshit to keep an eye on every movement done in Italy because he didn't trust anyone else with this matter

Vedh hang up the call and leaned his back against his couch trying to understand where the things were going wrong

The silent washed over the room like cold night but still comfortable in its own way, the way Vedh always liked

The silence of the room didn't stay because in a few minutes all the Vedh's cousins entered his room line wise with mischief in their demeanor

Vedh didn't even glance up knowing who would it be, no one in the house dared to enter his room without knocking except these three

Saket lounged near Vedh on the couch while the other two sat opposite to them on the bed, all three smiling with same intensity

Chhavi signed something to Saket pointing at Vedh who was too caught up in his work to notice their mischief and Saket nodded before asking Vedh

"Bhaiya, can we get your wallet for a minute?"

His voice dripping with honey which amused Vedh who immediately glanced up at his cousins with a frown before pointing at the wallet kept on the nightstand

Smita lunged forward and took it while Saket joined both the girls on bed checking Vedh' wallet and keeping something in it

Vedh glanced up at them again but then thinking they might need money he sighed and focused again on his work

After a minute they kept back the wallet on nightstand and smiling sheepishly at Vedh, left the room one by one almost running out

Vedh shook his head going deeper in his work as the pile waited for him

~

The afternoon turned in evening and the Oberoi Mansion again buzzed with excitement of Jaggo ceremony

Mehta family was about to come there and stay for a night according to the rituals and this had to be done together by both the families

Vedh, after keeping aside his work got ready in a pastel pink kurta and was setting his hair when Aashrit entered his room

Vedh adjusted his hair and keeping wallet, phone and handkerchief in his pocket he applied some perfume, the manly cologne filling the air

Aashrit tapped Vedh's shoulders and with pride in his eyes he claimed with a smile

"You look handsome today"

Vedh at first was amused, his lips pressed in a thin line but then he chose to state some 'facts', he brushed off the imaginary dust from his kurta and replied, his lips twitching in a small smile

"I am always handsome but you don't see anything beyond your Bella"

Aashrit sighed at the indirect taunt before both the friends made their way out of the room as the house called

They had just descended the stairs when Aashrit suddenly said remembering something, his voice urgent

"Oh yeah Vedh I remembered actually Chachi asked me to get your card, I offered her mine but she refused saying she has to buy something for bhabhi"

Vedh looked at Aashrit and without reacting or replying he took out his wallet to take out the card

He had just opened the wallet when his eyes fell on the transparent compartment in front and he froze

His eyes stuck on the small thing in front of him causing his eyes to widen immediately because he has not kept it inside his wallet

The thing that captured Vedh's eyes and heart was a picture- of her.