"I'm tough. I'm ambitious, and I know exactly what I want. If that makes me a bitch, okay."
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Pls vote and continue
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"Owww! It's too cold", I shivered trying to control the clattering of my teeth as the women poured chilling water mixed with turmeric and aromatic-oils over my head.
"The water is not even that cold. Now stop being annoying and let them carry out the ritual", Nina frowned from the place where she was standing.
I sealed my lips shut not trusting myself from giving her a befitting retort infront of my relatives.
No, Sam just bear with it for some time.
But with each passing second, the urge to just push all these women aside and go sleep in the comfortness of my bed increased as they poured cold water in the name of ritual. For godsake they made me to wake up at three in the morning and dragged here to perform this ritual of holy-bath for the bride.
"Not you too Ele...Achoo...", my words got muffled as I sneezed loudly.
She just threw a sheepish smile at me before pouring down a mug full of cold water on my head without prior warning.
"Damn you girl !", I breathed harshly patting back the wet hair that covered my face by the sudden pouring.
"Aww! Our bride is too adorable", she cooed with fake admiration as she saw me glaring at her.
"You are one crazy girl!, you know that?", I clenched my teeth.
"That I'm", she threw a mocking smile.
"Now enough you two, take our bride inside, it's already late for next rituals", Nina ordered in stern face covering my wet clothes with a towel.
Finally this torture is done!.
No, no, the real torture is just beginning
My mind retorted.
And truly next few minutes were really a torture, as the beauticians and makeup artists did their work on my face like I was some fucking bride.
You are a bride!!!
Yes, but a fake one. A fake bride with her selfish motives.
My heart started hammering in fear as the thoughts of someone finding about my pregnancy crept up my mind. Guilt threatened to take place in my head, even after assuring myself that I was doing it right as per the situation demanded.
I told him about my pregnancy it was his fault he didn't believe me and resorted to threaten in the name of court.
You could have tried harder. My mind spoke adding onto my growing guilt.
But me being pregnant or not didn't actually mattered, right? Because anyways I was going to stay married to him for just 3 months, till the day he transfers the land to my name. And inreturn i will pay the amount to him.
Yes. That's it there is no need to feel guilty. I had only two options,
Sink or swim.
I chose the later, the more beneficial one because he was not ready for a bargain.
I was trying to protect thousands of employees who solely depended on my hospital for their livelihood. If Nick files for a legal battle on the land, then the court will order to close our hospital immediately and eventually our reputation will hit the ground and most importantly there was no way we were going to win this case legally, as all the evidences were against us.
A sudden throat clearing voice drived me back to present from my thoughts.
"Mam are you alright? Is your stomach aching", the makeup girl looked at me in confusion as her gaze drifted towards my hand which I unconsciously had placed on my stomach.
Stupid.
"Yes. Did you finish already?", I asked jerking my hand away as I stared at my reflection in the mirror at the same time Nina barged through the door without knocking and dismissed the girls.
Typical Queen. I rolled my eyes at her usual behavior.
"What made my queen to walk herself to me?", I raised my brows mockingly eyeing through the mirror without turning back.
She sighed in defeat, suddenly appearing lot more aged than usual.
"Can you stop being a brat atleast today?", just like that she was back to her usual self.
"Ok alright. Now please tell me, what made my sweet grandmother to reach out to this poor grand daughter?", I asked earning a light smack at the back of my head as she made her way to stand right infront of me.
"I'm just curious", I mumbled seeing her opening a jewelry box.
"Remington's sent this gift for their daughter-in-law. It's their family heirloom", she said opening an antique gold necklace studded with glittering ruby stones.
My gut clenched seeing the stunning necklace. It was too beautiful but No, I can't take it. It's their family heirloom meant only for their daughter-in-laws.
"Nina, no. I can't accept it", I muttered pushing it away from my neck and the old women fixed me with her oh famous stern glare making me gulp down.
"And why can't you accept it?", she arched her brows.
Because I'm fake. I'm acting. I'm not worthy for it. I will be replaced in less than 3 months. I screamed internally. But I decided to lie to her.
"Because I'm already wearing too many jewelleries grandma. There is no place left for another. I'm already feeling like a queen going for a procession adorning all her ornaments", I joked but it made her to stare at me in annoyance.
"Then replace one of them with this", she said before moving out to look after other chores.
I sighed in defeat.
After that they made both bride and groom perform many rituals like gauri Pooja, Kashi yatra respectively...
How is this American bearing all this?
I'm sure the look on his face will be worth watching. I chuckled mentally at the image of him performing all this rituals early in the morning.
"Are you ready? The panditji is asking for your presence", Elena said coming towards me looking elegant as ever in her traditional saree.
"Yeah", I replied as my stomach churned in nervousness as she directed me towards the pavilion(mandap) where everyone were waiting for the arrival of bride.
My gaze darted towards the center of the pavilion and my gaze stuck on the handsome American whose intent gaze and concentration were fixed on the priest who was directing him to perform the rituals.
As if feeling my gaze on him, he suddenly lifted his head and those striking gray's directly connected with mine stilling the air around us.
I gasped, taking in his deadly features trying to maintain my stern expression.
But the sight of him robbed me of my calm and icy demeanour. He smiled at me with those.... those sinful lips of him.
I would have gone limp right then and there if not for Elena elbowing me to move forward.
Oh Shit. Was I swooning over his looks?
No. Not a chance.
Or perhaps the dress was to blame.
My gaze dragged over his white shirt that fitted his wide shoulders and tapered down his narrow waist covering most part of his white dhoti and he had this turban placed on his head that accentuated his sharp features.
Yes. His outfit is to blame for nearly making me go week on my knees.
It doesn't have anything to do with his looks. Yeah
The priest made me to sit beside him as soon as we reached there and I was awfully aware of those striking eyes monitoring my each moves.
I clenched my hands not giving into the temptation of just turning my face sideways and having a better look of his sculpted face.
God help me. I'm going insane.
As if hearing to my silent prayers the priest announced us to stand as it was time for kanyadaan. My dad placed my hand in Nick's and asked him to take care of me for eternity as a part of the ritual.
"Tell me something", Nick murmured setting his gaze straight on the audience not allowing them to suspect that we were actually having a conversation here.
"Sure. Ask me"
"How can you manage to steal my breath with everything you wear? A man can only survive so many heart attacks".
Did he really praise me?
I gasped and snapped my neck in his direction. A small smirk marred his lips as if he finally managed to catch my attention.
Oh shit. How come he always manages to catch me off guard?
"Flatterer", I murmured turning my gaze ahead.
"Truth teller", he countered.
"Don't toy with me, American", I snapped irritated at his remarks.
"American? Really ? could have come up with a better name", he snorted.
"Maybe yes. But I found this one quite easy to pronounce. I don't want to waste my brain on unimportant things, you know?"
"So, your husband is not important to you?", he maintained his calm demeanour. But I'm damn sure he was burning inside.
"If I'm not wrong I just said it aloud just now", I grinned at his direction calling his name "American".
"Don't call me that", he gritted in annoyance.
By the time I came up with a retort the priest finally announced that it was the time for exchanging garlands. It was one hell of a task as they lifted up too high in the air that I feared I will fall down. Finally Nick managed to slip the flower garland around my neck with a satisfied smile playing on his lips.
Arrogant prick.
Next came the most feared one. Tying knot. Nick's warm eyes met mine as he held the holy thread just above my neck. He slightly bent over me still our gazes connected as lots of emotions swirled in those gray hues. The priest chanted holy-chants and the sounds of drums boomed in the hall matching the pace of my beating heart.
God what's happening to me? What's this strange feeling that is taking place in me?
"Relax, you are freaking out", Nick whispered near my ear his breath so warm, instantly cooling down my nerves.
After that Nick was made to hold my hand and we took seven steps together, which completed the marriage officially. Eventually we paid homage to fire god (AGNI) & circumambulated around the holy fire.
With each passing second my guilt increased. Not just guilt. It is a Sin that I'm committing now. Carrying a child of someone and marrying another in the witness of holy gods and goddess.
How did I take this holy-arrangement so lightly?
I pushed back all thoughts as always.
Focus. Focus on here now. Deal with the rest later.
This is just a weak moment. Calm down everything will be fine. I chanted in my head as we moved ahead to seek blessings of elders as it was finally time to bid goodbye to my family.
All my family members just stood rooted to their place just eyeing each other with a look like they are deciding who will go first for a battle field.
"Guys are you going to stand there and send me without proper farewell?", I huffed rolling my eyes.
As though they were stuck by a lightening the trio- grandpa, dad and my brother lunged at me covering me from all sides with their huge frames.
"Leave me. You all are cutting my air supply", I choked out which made them to release me quickly.
"Was it necessary to be so dramatic?", I rolled my eyes holding my neck.
"It was me who came first towards you. These oldies just interrupted my moment", Rishi stomped his foot glaring at grandpa and dad.
"I miss you my dear sister. This home will lose its life without you in it", he mumbled hugging me tightly.
Always dramatic. I huffed pushing him back but I was really shocked to see tears flowing through his eyes.
"Shit bro. Are you...... are you really crying or applied some glycerine before coming here?", I gasped in surprise.
His mouth opened ajar in disbelief.
"Sam, for godsake. How can you take my raw emotions as acting?", his face fell in disappointment.
Because you did it once on my 18th birthday.
He applied glycerine and acted that he was so happy that I was finally an adult.
"Oh, I'm really sorry bro. I will miss you too", I hugged him feeling little happy that finally I made my tough brother cry for me.
"I know Nick is a good man. But if he dares to touch a single strand of hair of yours, just inform me I will be ready to kick his ass", he whispered glaring at Nick.
"Sure", I rolled my eyes continuing to seek blessings from dad and my grand parents.
By the time I finished with all of them , everyone were having tears in their eyes flowing down like a river.
Suddenly all the groom's relatives started laughing loudly. I was stunned for a moment.
Did we embarass ourselves infront of these foreigners?
But no, all their gazes were fixed at someone who was standing at back. I knitted my brows in confusion trying to see who that person was.
We all gasped understanding what was going on.
Holy fuck.
Nick's dad - my father-in-law was crying seeing my family's emotional breakdown and all others were teasing him.
"Pardon us. We made you so emotional on this day", Nina apologized.
"No, no worries at all. I just took a little trip down to when my little Alexa will be finally married. It sure looks like this", he replied trying his best to keep tears at bay.
"Please stop it dad. I will not be marrying. Atleast not in this lifetime", Alexa snorted earning chuckle from all.
"Sam, you will be driving with Nicholas", Nick's mom said offering me her kind comforting smile.
"Ok", I agreed making my way behind him with no chance left for refusal.
The car took off to the private airport as soon as I bid parting goodbye to my family who were all emotional wrecks by the end.
Now confined within this space of the car, all my emotions surged back into my head at a jet speed, creating an empty hole within my heart. The feeling of being away from my home. My dad. My brother, my Nina, my pops.
Suddenly tears glistened in my eyes making it difficult to sit straight beside him, while on inside I was feeling like tearing up this whole car to satisfy my frustration.
No. I cannot cry infront of this man and make a fool out of myself.
"You know, it's ok to let your mask down sometimes", came a rasping voice.
I frowned turning to face him.
"What mask are you talking about?"
"The same one which is stopping you from crying your heart out".
"Shut up American. My eyes are just burning", I huffed turning my face towards the window and closing my eyes and slowly drifted to sleep.
"Whatever sails your boat", I heard him snorting before directing his gaze back on his laptop.
Next time I opened my eyes I was lying on the bed of some private jet. I yawned stretching my coiled muscles and made my way outside. But came to standstill as Nick was whisper-talking on his phone.
"Everything went as per our plan today".

Next update: 17/11/2023

Must read
So, I think some of u r confused by their wedding style.
I tried something new. I know u r all aware of wedding rituals in North. But I tried South Indian wedding style for Nick and Sam.
Hope u all liked this chapter.
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