Ishq Hua | 18+

The last three weeks had flown by faster than anyone could've imagined.

From endless shopping runs and finalizing guest lists to picking the exact shade of gold for the wedding mandap and the perfect flower arrangements-Shreya and Reyansh's days had been packed. Yet, in the middle of all the chaos, there were stolen moments.

Reyansh, ever the planner, made sure everything was perfectly arranged-right from the customized décor to the menu. And Shreya, despite her tight audit schedules, always found time to argue over flowers or mandap color palettes just so she could hear his voice longer.

The Rajvansh and Patel households were buzzing from early hours, marigold garlands hanging from balconies, fragrant turmeric-sandalwood paste being mixed in large silver bowls, and laughter echoing through every room.

And just like that, it was June 17th-Haldi morning.

The Palace of Udaipur glowed in shades of marigold and sunlight. Drapes of yellow and white fluttered along the archways, and the open courtyard was covered in carpets of rose petals and turmeric-colored cloths. Brass pots filled with flowers lined the path leading to the central setup where two seats were arranged under a canopied mandap-one for the bride, one for the groom.

The air smelled of haldi, sandalwood, laughter... and something new, something sacred.

Shreya stepped out looking radiant in a beautiful yellow suit, the soft silk hugging her figure gracefully. The kurti had delicate white thread embroidery along the neckline and hem, paired with a sheer yellow dupatta lightly draped over one shoulder. Her hair was loosely tied back, a few wisps framing her glowing face, and tiny golden jhumkas dangled at her ears.

Reyansh was already waiting in the living room, seated casually on the couch, one arm slung over the backrest. He was wearing a yellow kurta, tailored perfectly to his form, paired with crisp white pants and jacket. His hair was freshly styled and he looked effortlessly handsome and a lazy grin played on his lips as his eyes locked on hers from across the courtyard. There was silence-just for a second-as if the entire world had paused to let them look at each other.

Then the noise returned.

" Getting married before me huh?!" Veer teased loudly, nudging Anish.

"Told you to, mark my words." Reyansh replied.

Later both Shreya and Reyansh were seated side by side on the wooden seats. The ceremony was meant to begin traditionally, but traditions were often the first to fall apart when surrounded by family this mischievous.

Both Dadi's began the rituals, applying haldi first to Reyansh's cheeks, then Shreya's. Soft smiles, warm wishes, and glowing eyes followed one after another. Aunts, cousins, siblings-all joined in, making sure the couple was completely drenched in the golden paste. Shreya giggled as her Dadu dabbed too much haldi on her forehead, and Reyansh winced as his cousin smeared his entire arm.

Then came the friends' round-where decency and moderation flew out the window.

Veer and Anish attacked Reyansh first, smearing haldi all over his face, arms, and neck until he looked like a marinated paneer cube. Anika, Radha and Neha ganged up on Shreya with turmeric-dipped cotton balls and flower petals, making her shriek and laugh simultaneously.

Then came the moment everyone waited for-the bride and groom applying haldi to each other.

Shreya was the first to pick up a small bit and gently touched his cheeks. "Perfect," she whispered, tilting her head.

He smiled, took a generous scoop, and wiped it across her cheeks, She smiled.

By now, everyone was watching.

The crowd aww-ed and whistled and teased, but neither of them cared. They were lost in each other, in their laughter, in the mess of marigold and emotions that surrounded them.

After the haldi was done, everyone was given flower water to rinse, but before that, the cousins had another surprise-a sudden petal shower rained down on the couple. Shreya raised her arms to cover her hair; Reyansh simply laughed, letting it fall over his face as he watched her glow. They sat there, side by side, brushing arms, exchanging soft glances and smiles.

At one point, Shreya leaned in and murmured, "I still can't believe this is happening."

Reyansh reached for her hand squeezed gently. "Believe it. This is just the beginning."

As the Haldi ceremony wound down, both families took dozens of photos, posed together, and then everyone split up to prepare for the Mehndi and Sangeet later that evening.

But even in the chaos, Shreya and Reyansh found a brief moment alone in the hallway.

"Meet me before the Sangeet!" Shreya said teasing.

Reyansh smirked. "Sure. Just don't blame me if your lipstick gets smudged before your performance."

Her eyes widened.
"Reyansh!"

And with that, they parted ways, hearts light and faces glowing-sun-kissed not just by haldi, but by the love that surrounded them.

The day had only just begun, but the memories... they were already golden.

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End

Chapter aesthetics~

Haldi look~