He sat at the edge of the table, playing with the ends of the hem of his sherwani, taking in a deep breath.

Nervously, he brought his hands together and started wringing them, intertwining his fingers, one hand gripping the fingers of the other, then letting go and grabbing them again. He looked up, then to the left, anticipating, but seeing nothing. He fidgeted in his seat, his heart pounding so hard he swore he could hear every beat. Butterflies appeared and fluttered in his stomach, a warm tension crept up his chest traveling up to the base of his throat. He took a long deep breath, willing himself to stay calm, willing those jitters to go away. Slowly, he let out the breath, feeling just that slightly little bit of tension going away with it. Yet, he was still far too anxious.

Sick of his restlessness, he got up and began pacing the length of the room, each hand buried in the pockets of his trousers, opening and closing them. Every few steps, he would look towards the door, hoping, only to be disappointed again. He sighed. He was perplexed as to why he was feeling this way. It was not as though he had never seen her in a long time. It was not as though he was not certain of her feelings for him. It was not as though she was going to do something drastic. All she was going to do was to wear a dress, even if, said the dress would be the most important she would wear in her lifetime.

Then, a click captured his attention as he whirled around, quick as lightning, his heart soaring and he waited, expectantly. The door opened and a vision in red peeked through, and unknowingly, he held his breath. The door opened more, revealing her in the finest wedding dress he had ever seen.

"Sunny!"

As she smiled, the brightest, enamoring smile that he'd ever seen, he gaped, lost for words.

He folded his legs and rested his head against his bedpost, waiting for her. Twiddling his thumbs, he pouted slightly, periodically looking up at a wooden door, expecting her to come out any time soon. He bit the bottom of his lip and let out a puff when he didn't see her, checking his watch frequently to make sure that they were not going to be late. He frowned a little, impatient.

Then a single click sliced through the silence and immediately, he looked up. A flash of red and a dainty foot peeked through the gap and he smiled as he got up and started making his way to her.

The door opened wider, revealing her full self, clothed in a red silk gown, fitted perfectly as it was made only for her. His heart skipped a beat, just like that time so many years ago, as he took in her beautiful self, her, who had since aged but remained equally charming.

"Sunny," she smiled, that same smile from long ago but now with lines that bore evidence of their journey together.

"Shall we go?" He asked as he offered her a hand. She nodded, her eyes twinkling in happiness, and took his hand. As her smaller hand slipped into his larger one, fitting perfectly, he tucked her elbow under his. Together, they walked towards the door to the ballroom.

With a hand on the doorknob, he brushed his lips against her fingers that were intertwined with his and looked at her, the same way he did in the past.

"Happy 25th-anniversary Ladoo," he whispered, his eyes full of love.

She looked back at him, replying without a word, a reply he revelled in and understood, as he turned the knob and opened the door.