‘You passed with colours, gold stars, distinction, all of it,’ she said, and the seat swayed wildly when she moved to the side to place a kiss on his lips.
He held her tight and the laugh he let out was full of relief. As their seat swayed lightly, she foolishly thought her heart couldn’t possibly beat any faster. But Abhay loved to prove her wrong.
When he pulled out a small, velvet box from his pocket, her chest practically vibrated as her heart hammered. He opened it and the deep sapphire glinted even in the fading light. Her mother’s ring?
‘But I gave it to Kashvi…’ she trailed off.
‘Remember the whole emotional bit she did yesterday when she declared her undying love for this ring and took it from you? It was so I could surprise you with it,’ he confessed, rubbing the back of his neck.
She’d been struck silent when Kashvi fought with her, asking to keep the ring for herself. It had been difficult, but she’d let it go because it seemed to really matter to her sister. And now here it was, as Abhay held it out to her.
‘Siya, I still remember the night we met. I treasure the memory of your smile, of our first kiss, and how you made me come alive. When you left, you wrote me a note saying how it wasn’t by chance that we met, and it’s true. I’ve loved you all my life and prayed for a chance to show it to you, and then the universe blessed me with you. So yes, it wasn’t by chance that we met, because we were meant to be.’
Her heart clenched with joy and a tear slipped free.
‘Now that you’re mine, I don’t want another day to go by without showing my wife how much I love her in every way I know how to love. So, myjaan, will you marry me?’
She pressed her hand to his cheek. ‘But baby, we’re already married.’
Abhay sniffled, fighting back tears as he said, ‘I know, but I didn’t get to do this properly with a proposal.’
‘You could have just asked me, silly. You didn’t have to do all of this.’
‘I chose to, because after our first kiss on a Ferris wheel like this, I decided I was going to marry you. Now years later, after everything, I want to keep that promise.’
Abhay pulled out a folded piece of paper from his jeans pocket and handed it to her. She opened it and laughed through her tears as she read the words“Will you marry Abhay Bhaiya?”drawn and signed by the kids.
Her heart swelled so fiercely it felt like it might break. She threw her arms around him and shouted, ‘Yes! Yes, always yes!’
Abhay slid the ring onto her finger, and kissed her forehead as they both held each other close. Suddenly, he pulled back and leaned forward against the railing of their seat. ‘She saidyes!’
Their friends and the kids cheered below, with an unmistakable mix of triumph and joy. Siya buried her face against his shoulder, laughing and elated, as the wheel gave a creak and began its slow, steady descent. Her cheeks ached from smiling, and it was an ache that she welcomed and savoured.
When they stepped off the ride, she barely had time to steady herself before Meera engulfed her into a fierce hug. Kashvi was practically hopping in place as she wrapped her arms around both of them. Abhay was swept into a hug by Raghav. Luv and Swayam slapped him hard on the back, praising him for sealing the deal.
‘Finally got the girl, huh?’ Swayam drawled, tossing an arm around Siya and congratulating her.
‘Must be the beard. I told you it would work someday,’ Luv smirked.
‘Pretty sure it’s because of the way he loves me, but sure, let the beard take the credit,’ Siya said, rubbing at Abhay’s trimmed beard.
‘Whatever gets the ring on the finger,’ Abhay said, flashing her a wink.
‘You didn’t tell us you were going to propose at thetopof the Ferris wheel. That’s cheating, bro. You’re raising the standards beyond reach for us,’ Luv quipped.
‘She said yes, so clearly it worked. Take lessons,’ her husband shot back.
Just a few feet behind the group, Dhruv stood beside Vihaan. Leaving the group to bicker among themselves, she went up to the duo.
Vihaan gave her a quick hug and said, ‘Congratulations, Siya.’
‘Thanks, Vihaan, and thank you for organising all of this. This day is so much more special because of everyone here,’ she said, gesturing to the cheerful vibe around them.
‘Please, don’t mention it. It’s our pleasure to be here,’ Vihaan said and nodded at both of them, and then left to attend to the kids.
Alone with her now, Dhruv asked, ‘How are you?’ Though he tried to smile, it didn’t reach his eyes.
That worried her. ‘How about you answer me that first? You’ve been MIA for the last two weeks,’ Siya said, giving him her best elder sibling glare.
