— Haldi Ceremony —

---

The Malik family garden had been transformed into a glowing paradise.

Marigold garlands hung from every tree, golden drapes fluttered in the morning breeze. Plates of turmeric paste sat neatly arranged on colorful thaalis, and buckets of rose petals waited to be thrown.

Zoya stood in the center, her cheeks already pink. Dressed in a simple yellow lehenga with her hair loosely tied, she looked like sunshine dipped in poetry.

Aarfa and Nida hovered around her like protective guards.

“Don’t let anyone come near me with that evil haldi,” Zoya warned.

“Babe,” Aarfa giggled. “That evil haldi is the reason you’ll glow like a new moon tonight.”

Just then—

SPLAT.

Aarfa slapped haldi across her cheek.

“AAARFA!”

And chaos erupted.

---

Meanwhile, Akif was standing far, dressed in a plain white kurta, sleeves rolled up, hair messily pushed back — he looked effortlessly hot.

“Someone’s dying to attack the bride,” Ayaan teased.

Akif didn’t reply.

He was staring.

At her.

Yellow had never looked so beautiful until it stained Zoya.

His Zoya.

---

“AKIF MALIK!” came a shriek.

Too late.

Zoya had managed to sneak behind him with a full plate of haldi.

She smashed it into his back.

He turned, slowly.

She ran.

He chased.

The whole crowd CHEERED.

They ran around the garden, dodging petals, aunties, and trays — until he finally caught her from behind, both breathless.

“You know what this means, right?” he whispered in her ear.

“What?”

He smeared haldi across her nose, gently, teasingly.

“It means you're mine forever now.”

Zoya melted.

---

Their friends cornered them into sitting together on the swing decorated with flowers.

The Haldi Rasam officially began.

One by one, family members came and applied haldi to their cheeks, arms, even feet. Zoya giggled, Akif kept looking at her like she was made of gold.

Then…

Ayaan: “Time for the couple to apply haldi to each other!”

Crowd: Oooooooohhhh~

Zoya's hands trembled a little as she dipped her fingers into the bowl.

She raised them to his cheek—

But he caught her wrist midway.

“Let me,” he said softly.

She nodded.

He gently rubbed the haldi onto her face — slow, intimate, thumb lingering near her lip.

Zoya's breath caught.

Then it was her turn.

She looked into his eyes as she placed both her palms on his cheeks and pressed gently, smearing haldi across his jawline.

“Handsome,” she whispered.

“Stunning,” he replied.

---

Just when things were calming—

SPLASH.

Ayaan and Aarfa had brought a bucket of water and dumped it on both of them.

Zoya screamed.

Akif gasped.

Everyone laughed like maniacs.

The bride and groom were now drenched, sticky, and glowing.

Zoya pushed her hair back, eyes locked with Akif.

“I hate you all,” she muttered, but she was grinning.

Akif leaned closer and whispered, “You look like a dream. My dream.”

---

Later, when everyone was eating and laughing, Zoya sat on a swing alone, hair damp, cheeks flushed.

Akif walked up and leaned against the swing’s ropes.

“You okay?” he asked.

“I’m… happy.”

He nodded. “You’ll always be.”

She looked up.

His eyes were soft, warm — no teasing this time, just pure, fierce love.

She reached out and grabbed his hand. Held it.

Tightly.

“This is real, right?” she asked.

“More real than my heartbeat.”

---

“Mere rang me rangne wali...pari ho ya pariyo ki rani~”

~Anniewrites🔥💗