Chapter 17: 15. Diwali Preparations
Preeti's point of view
After mummy, keerti and Neeta maa left to the market Siddharth and Anshul start decorating fairy lights on the roof. I was in the lawn, collecting flowers and leaves for the garlands.
I really love to do the preparation for Diwali. This is my favorite festival. I mean who don't love making rangoli, garlands and decorate the whole house with lights, flowers and candles.
I took a needle and white thread and started making flowers Garland.
In whole family mummy is closed to me. We don't share relationship where I can share my thoughts with her but she is always there for me when I failed in any exam or papa scolded me without any reason.
I never share my thoughts with anyone and no one like to share their thoughts with me or they thought I am not mature enough to give any kind of advice to anyone. So I make my distance to anyone. I am self reserved kind of person.
My family loves me and I love them too but at some point I find myself alone. May be the lack of confidence or I didn't do anything to make them noticed me like Shivani di and Anshul.
No one knows how hard my high school for me. No one knows I got bullied with my own cousin and her friends. No one knows what happened with me at my prom. No one knows how it's feel to being judged without doing anything wrong.
No one knows how much I cried when I watched '13 reasons why' when I found myself at Henna Baker. How my high school affect my college life and may be my whole life.
No one knows these sides of my life, not even kshama. I don't want to share this to anyone.
I was very embarrassed when mummy scolded me in front of Siddharth. What will he think about me that I forgot such a small thing. This is the first time when I encouraged myself to like someone who may be like me the same way as I like him. When we talked first time and he told me everything about him without caring that I could be judge him. I liked his honesty and I don't know why I feel like Siddharth will not judge me for my stupidity.
But I don't know what will he think after today. I facepalmed myself and groan.
"Preeti...Preeti..." My chain of thoughts broke by Anshul when he shouted my name from terrace.
"What..?" I replied from lawn while piecing the flower and slide it down on thread.
"Come to the backyard.." He shouted again from the tarrice.
I put garlands on the table and walk to the backyard pf our house. I looked up from the ground. Siddharth is standing beside Anshul. He was leaning to the railing while putting his both hands on it and looked at me.
We both looked at eachother. Our eyes locked holding each other's gaze. His face glowing more under the sunlight. I don't know how longer we both looked at each other until Anshul called me again.
"Preeti...Preeti" Anshul shouted my name.
I looked at him with a jerk.
"Huh..what.." That was all I managed to say.
"Where are you looking at. You can drool Sid jiju later." Blood rushed to my face.
He caught me red handed. This is so embarrassing.
hhhuuuhhh....
Siddharth turn his back to me to hide his smile.
"I'm going to switch on the lights and tell me which one isn't glowing." He said to me and then went to switched on the light.
Siddharth turned his face again to my side and looked at me but this time I tried hard not look at him but his gaze boring holes in me.
Few minutes later lights glow. Anshul walked back to the railing and looked at the lights.
"Which one...?" Anshul asked me.
"Third one from your left side and last from right side." I said looking at the lights.
"okey." Anshul said.
I look at Sid and he is also looking at me but I turn my gaze because I know if one more minute I looked into his eyes I got lost in them. His eyes are so deep and intense that anyone could be get lost in them easily. So I leave from there immediately.
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There is always a thought in my mind what will Siddharth think about me when he came to know about my high school. Will he also judge me like everyone or will he understand me.
I know one day I have to tell him everything and I want to tell him. He didn't hide anything from me and I also wants to tell everything about me. He is my life partner and he deserves to know that but not now, may be after marriage I will tell him. We both are in a initial stage of our relationship. We didn't even talked properly.
There is a lot of things which I didn't know about him and he doesn't also know about. I want to understand him, what he likes, what's he hates everything about him.
I like him may be more then like. I think I am falling for him. I know it's too early to say anything but my heart wants me to fall for him without thinking much. The way he look at me, my soul shakes every time.
I was in a lawn arranging garlands when I feel his presence beside me. He started fledging with garlands.
Neither he said anything nor I spoke. There is a comfortable silence between us. We stood there for sometime.
Sometimes he looked at me like he can directly look into my soul and can touch my spirit. It feels like he understand me without me saying anything. Sometimes he let me read him without saying a single word. I feel protected and safe around him.
"Maa always complaint to dad that he didn't give much time to her. Keerti and I are also busy in our works. It's been a long time when we all went for a holiday. Coming here and celebrate Diwali with you it's like a family vacation for us.....Thank You.." Siddharth whispered.
I turn my head and looked at him, he is already looking at me with unknown emotion which gave me a warm feelings.
How could a person gave me a credit of his happiness. He gave m a lots of credit, which I think I don't deserve. I didn't do anything to deserve his Thank you. Every time he makes me feel special. No one did that before me. This is all new for me. I don't know what to say. I don't have any words. So I just keep quit and gave him a small smile.
"Can I ask you something? " I asked him while fledging with my Garland.
We both our talking in a very low voice that it just came out in a whisper. Only we could hear our conversation.
"You can ask me anything. You don't need my permission. You are my life partner Preeti and you have every right to ask me anything. " He said.
I look at him and he is also looking at me. He respects me. He respects everything between us and a girl wants a respect from her husband which Siddharth is giving me. He make happy without realizing.
I turn my attention again to the Garlands.
I don't know how to ask him. I feel very nervous., but these questions are eating my head.
"Why had you say yes to me for marriage. I mean you live in New York. You studied in the top most business school, and you have a good looks that any girl would ready to marry you then why me? Why do you want to marry me, a simple ordinary Indian girl." I whisper while lowering my head.
I regret asking him. I should not ask him this. But it's too late to take my words back.
"Maybe you are a simple ordinary girl but you are the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. I said 'yes' to you because you are the first girl who understand me in a very first meeting. May be those girls are beautiful but they are not you." Siddharth said in a very low voice.
I looked at him with a jerk and he looked at me. Our gazed locked to each other. His eyes are looking deep pike a ocean and I want to drawn myself in them.
"Thankyou.." I whispered while looking down at the garlands.
"for what.."He asked me while looking at me.
"For giving me such respect." I said and turned my head to look at him.
"I said the truth Preeti Which I feel from my heart." He whispered looking deep in my eyes.
My cheeks turned into red shade and I smiled looking at him.
"Can I ask you something Preeti?" He asked me.
I nodded my head as yes.
"Don't you have any boyfriend in past." He asked me.
I didn't say anything just keep looking at the garlands and fledging with them. I wanted to tell him that he is first person I have very strong feelings.
"You are beautiful and it's hard to believe that you were not in a relationship in past. Boys must be head over heels for you." He asked me mischievously.
I shaked my head as 'no'. I think I should tell him about my crush in school. He told me everything about him and it's my time to tell him.
"I had not have any boyfriend in past but I had a crush on a boy. He was in my school." I said and took a deep breath for calming my heart beat when I remember that incident.
"You had not ask him to go out or to be your boyfriend." He asked me mischievously.
I can see his smile at the corner of my eyes.
"I was very shy to ask him but he found out."I said him with a serious face.
That was one of horrible day of my life.
"Then what he did?" Siddharth asked me seriously when he looked at my serious face.
The mischievousness in his eyes gone and he looked at me to say further.
"My cousin is in same grade of mine and she was his girlfriend. She found out my crush for him and told him everything. He made fun of me in front of whole class and said that I'm not beautiful enough for him." I controlled my tears.
He fisted his hand but didn't said anything listening me carefully waiting for me to continue. I keep looking down on the garlands.
"Later my cousin told everything to my parents with few fake stories. No one believed me. That day I got a slap from my mother." I said while fisting a flower garland in my hand tightly, try to control my tears.
It's really don't matter me now but I always got bullied for that and I am used to hear that I'm not beautiful.
I turned my head to look at Siddharth. His jaw is clenched and his hands are balled in a tight fist. When he noticed I am looking at him. His eyes soften and he looked at me with sadness in his eyes.
"Did anyone found out the truth?" He asked me still looking furious.
"No one talked about it after that day and I also didn't want to discuss it with anyone." I said while shaking my head as 'no'.
"But I'm happy he rejected me otherwise I could not get a handsome husband." I said try to change the topic.
"Trust me..He was really a bad choice. Later I found out he didn't even shower for days." I said and chuckled softly.
Siddharth also chuckled but I can see he is hiding his anger behind his smile.
"So you find me Handsome..huh.." He asked me mischievously.
I looked at him with wide eyes. blushed and turn my head to the other side to hide my blush. I took my lower lip between my teeth to hide my blushing smile.
It's true he is most handsome man I had ever seen and I am happy he has a kind heart too. I clutch the flower garland to control my blush.
"Aaahhh..." I winced in pain when a needle pierced in my fore finger.
A drop of blood came out from my finger.
"What happened..?" Siddharth asked me while coming closer to me.
He is looking at me with concern.
"Nothing..needle pierced in my forefinger." I said while pressuring the skin on tip of my forefinger and more blood came out from it.
He took my hand and looked at my finger. I gasped when he put my finger in his mouth and sucked it while looking directly into my eyes. His tongue is feeling hot and wet on my finger.
My heart is beating fast and blood rushed to my face. He keep looking at me and didn't even blink while sucking the tip of my finger.
After a while he let go of my finger and looked at me intensively. My lips parted a little and his eyes fell on my lips. He looked at my lips and then my eyes.
I turn to the other side when didn't took his intense gaze more. My heart is beating with its maximum pace and it's feel like my heart is going to explode in any moment.
He came closer to me decreasing distance between us. He is only few inches away from me. I lowered my head and looked down. He make me turn by my shoulders to face him and lifted my chin with his forefinger.
My heart beat increased rapidly ready to come out from my chest and my face is all beetroot red due to the blush. There is silence around of us that I can hear his heart beat too. His heart is also beating faster like mine.
He moved his hand from my shoulder to my arms and put his both hands on my waist and pulled me closer to him by my waist that our foreheads are almost touched.
A gasped escaped from my mouth and I put my both hands on his shoulder to balance myself. My eyelids are lower because I can't afford to looked into his deep intense eyes. My knees are becoming week under his touch and I only standing due to his support.
He started leaning in and my heart started running in marathon as the distance between our faces are decreasing.
Siddharth leaned more and I took a sharp breath when I feel his lips on my right cheek. He kissed me on my right cheek. His lips felt so soft against my skin.
"You are most beautiful girl Preeti. " He whispered in my ear and took my earlobe between his mouth and give it a light suck before letting it go.
That's it...
I could not take it more and I hugged him tightly and hide my face in the crook of his neck. He hugged me back and hide his head in the crook of neck. His heart thumping very fast like mine. It feels so good to be so close to him. It feels like my whole world is in his arms. I feel protected and carefree.
We both stood there for sometime holding each other closely in each other arms.
We both jerked apart when we heard sounds of footsteps coming towards us.
"Someone is coming, I should go." saying this I ran away from there leaving Siddharth standing there alone.
I looked back and Siddharth was smiling to himself. My lips curled into a smile and I walked towards the kitchen.
After leaving Siddharth standing in a lawn, I came to kitchen. Smile did not leave from my face. I'm all red because of his previous act.
When I told him about my crush on a boy from high school I saw jealousy in his eyes but when I told him whole incident I saw concern in his eyes. The look his eyes hold for me is not a jealous, it was a look he wanted to be there with me, to protect me from the heartless people.
I looked at my engagement ring and kissed on it. First time he hugged me, I can feel his arms around me till now. All these feelings are new to me, I can see the respect in Siddharth's eyes hold for me whenever he look at me. He make me feel that way which I never felt to anyone before.
I was grinning when my eyes fall on the wall clock and it shows 5:00 p.m of the evening.
Oh! shit. Mummy will be going to kill me. It's already evening and didn't start the process of sweets.
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It took me two and a half hour to make all sweets. I made kaju barfi, gulab jamun, mung dal halwa (pudding ),and chocolate barfi. It's already a dinner time so I started doing preparations for dinner.
Papa and Akhil dad already came from the shop and sitting in the living room. Mummy, Neeta maa and Keerti also came from market and sit in living room with everyone. Keerti heping Anshul and Siddharth to decorate the house.
Fairy lights are shining outside our house which Anshul and Siddharth put at evening and now our backyard and front yard is illuminating under the fairy lights. Our house is little bigger then our neighbors because having front yard with backyard also is difficult to find in this locality. My tau ji (paternal uncle)helped Papa to build the house in this locality.
I took out a salt box from the rack and tried open the lid but it seems stuck. I sandwich the box between my stomach and arm and tried to circulate its lid around the cap rings. My jaw is clenching when I tried again but it's all gone in vain.
I turned towards the kitchen gate, still focused to open the salt lid.
"Do you need help?" I jumped on my place and hasped escaped from my mouth when I heard his voice.
Siddharth is standing in front of me with all his glory. Blood immediately rushed to my face and heat was coming out from face. I didn't even hear his footsteps coming inside the kitchen.
"May I.." He asked while pointed his finger on salt box.
I looked at the salt box and then him. My mind stops working whenever we both breath in a same air and my heart started running in a marathon, this kind of a effect he has on me.
I came to my senses back and stretched my hand forward to give him the salt box. He took the box from me opened it without any effort that it makes me doubt on my strength. His eyes were on me when he opened the lid easily, boring holes in my skin.
"Thankyou.." I whispered while taking the box from him when he stretched his hand to give it back to me.
At my peripheral vision I saw his lips curled up into a very small yet beautiful smile. I could miss it if I didn't focus.
I turned to the kitchen counter and put the salt box aside. He is still in the kitchen. I could feel his presence at my right side.
To divert my attention from him I took the tomato from the basket and started chopping it in round shape for a salad.
I know he looking at me right now. I can feel his heated gaze on me. His eyes are following every action of mine.
We were alone in the kitchen. I didn't dare look at his side because whenever he looked at me with his those deep eyes my mind stops working and I am too shy to match his gaze because of our intimate session at lawn.
He is just a few steps away from me and his eyes are still on me.
"Water.." He whispered coming close to me.
"huh.." I looked at him like a stupid.
"Can I get water..Please. " He said a simple sentence to me and I blushed that hard, I wonder what will happen to me when he will do many things to me except talking.
Hell Preeti... how could you think like that. Pull your mind out of the gutter. Since when you started thinking that way.
I took a glass from dish rack and fill it with water. I stretched my hand to give him the glass. He took glass from me and in that process our hands brushed to each other. A wave of spark pass through my spin when his skin brushed to mine.
Our eyes met and and we both lost in our own world. I looked deep into his deep coffee brown eyes and I can see my reflection in it. It's just not the eyes meeting it was like our lips our sealed and we both our talking each other through our hearts. It is so easy for me to get lost in his coffee brown eyes. They are so beautiful and so deep that anyone wants to sink in them.
"You both never leaves a chance to be alone huh.." Keerti siad with a smirk.
Our gaze broken when we heard keerti's voice. Our heads snapped to her direction and she was looking at both of us with a mischievous look.
Siddharth and I looked at eachother again then lowered my eyelids and looked down.
"What do you want Keerti..?" Siddharth asked her with a glare and drink a water from his glass.
"She doesn't want anything Sid, I send her to call Preeti, we want to spend some time with Preeti. Only this is the time to get to know her batter because after marriage you will not let her leave the room for months doing dirty stuff and busy to give me a grandchildren." Neeta maa said with a smirk.
My head snapped to Neeta maa as soon as the sentence leave from her mouth.
Siddharth chocked on a water. I looked down and blushed hard due to embarrassment.
"Maa.." He said little bit loudly when he get back his breath again.
His ears turned into a red shade going down to his neck like mine but mine was darker than him. He is also blushing with Neeta Maa's bold comment.
"what..?"
Maa said like he didn't say anything to put Siddharth and I in embarrassment state and shrugged her shoulders.
"huugghh...you are unbelievable." Siddharth groaned and looked at Neeta maa and Keerti with his fake glare.
I looked here and there except any of them tried to hide my embarrassed yet blushed face and ran from there.
Oh! god, Is this day could be more embarrassed.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone