Destined Hearts Ch. 02

Ethan was so deep in his conversation that he didn't see the frown on Antonio's face. His mood was foul again. He just looked away and tried to be calm while deep inside his anger was back again.

"I don't wanna talk about that." He said simply.

"What?" Ethan gasped. "This is your wedding we are talking about here. We are supposed to be talking about this. So tell me," He winked with his usual smile. "How does it feel knowing that you are gonna leave bachelorhood behind and..."

"Awful!" He snarled, getting back to the bed. "How else would I feel when I am being forced into this? My mother is getting me married to some... to some..." He groaned, clenching his fists. The way he was breathing got Ethan really worried and scared.

"Antonio!" He sighed and sat down on the bed. "My friend, why are you looking as if you are not happy? This is your marriage we are talking about here. Aunt Mil called me here to help you choose the best outfit for you to wear on your wedding. I wasn't expecting to see you like..."

"I love Bruce!" he yelled, gripping the bedding. "He is the one I want to marry."

"Okay." Ethan raised his hands as if he was surrendering. "I completely understand you but I thought your father chose this boy."

"Wait!" Antonio frowned. "How did you know that and..."

"Relax," He rubbed on his thigh. "Aunt Mil told me when she called me today. Come on, you should be happy. This is your father's choice and..."

"Can you just hear yourself?" He chuckled bitterly, getting up from the bed. "You know Bruce and I are in love. He is the one I wanna marry and not some..."

"Maybe this is destiny." Ethan shrugged. "Maybe you and Bruce are not meant to be together. Maybe this new boy is the..."

"A classless boy that doesn't even look good." He snarled, furiously turning to look at his friend. "He is not handsome and he fucking wears spectacles. He is from a village and very far from my class."

"Oh!" Ethan laughed, folding his arms on his chest. "So that's the problem you have with him right? Had he been rich and classy, would you have agreed?"

"Fuck no!" He yelled, groaning at his friend. "I love Bruce and..."

"Yes! I know that." Honestly, Ethan didn't like Bruce that much but he couldn't tell his friend that. "But you are starting a new life and please," Ethan pleaded, putting his hands together. "Improve your mood because it will not help you in any way. I know you love Bruce but you will learn to love this boy too. After all, love may just..."

"I don't need that..."

"Okay." Ethan simply gave up. He got up and wrapped his arms around his friend's shoulder. "I am sorry for this but there is nothing you can do. I promised Aunt Mil that I will help her so take a shower so that we can go out. I need you to cheer up because it won't be good..."

"I swear to you that boy has no idea who he is dealing with." He clenched his fists. "I know he is manipulating..."

"Can you hear yourself?" Ethan frowned, staring at his friend as if he had said something abominable. "This boy might be innocent so please don't hurt him, okay? You are marrying him and besides, no one is forcing you to..."

"If not for one thing then..."

"Shh..." Ethan kissed Antonio on the cheek, rubbing on him softly. "...just get dressed so that we can get out of here. I promised her I will help so don't make me look bad."

Antonio looked at his friend angrily and furiously dropped his hands. "Fine!"

He furiously turned and went to the room where he kept his clothes to change. Ethan shook his head and just laughed. His friend was just acting childish.

***

The wedding plans started as planned and Emilia was head over heels with the preparations. She wanted everything to be perfect because it was her son that was getting married. Sure, it was gonna be a traditional wedding but it was gonna be perfect. She had already hired the best cameramen, the best wedding planners and the best wedding hall for the traditional wedding to take place.

Although it was simply a traditional wedding, it was modern and people still enjoyed it. Emilia was trying to make it as beautiful as possible while still maintaining it to be small like her son wanted. She was gonna respect his wish of having a small wedding. As long as Praveen was home with her son then she was gonna be fine.

Meanwhile, Ethan was helping Antonio with the best traditional wedding outfit, one that was gonna make him look really handsome. Although Antonio wasn't interested in it, Ethan made sure that he took him to different shops that sold wedding outfits. He even helped him choose the best one. After all, he was only gonna experience that moment once, he hoped.

Emilia couldn't have been happier. It was only gonna be a few days and Praveen was gonna be her son in law.

Back at Praveen's house, the preparations were going on and he was getting more nervous as days went on. He had no idea why he was feeling uneasy about the whole thing. He had only met Antonio once and they were gonna be living together, sleeping together and their first night was making him really nervous.

He had never been intimate with anyone before and he was scared. He didn't think he was ready. What if Antonio was a sex freak? But he didn't want to think about it. Antonio was gonna be his husband and he was gonna respect it. Besides, he was supposed to be happy. Antonio wasn't bad. He was gonna be his husband and they were gonna spend their entire lives together.

With the wedding closing in, Praveen even visited his mother's grave and spent almost the entire day there. It was really emotional and he even shed tears while talking to her. He wished she had been there with him to see him get married. He wished she had been there to see him but she was gone and he missed her so much.

Praveen promised his mother that he was gonna fulfill her final wish and he was gonna try to make his new family happy. He promised his mother he was gonna make his husband happy and he was gonna try by all means to show him all the love that he could. He had learned from the best and those were his parents. He had seen the way they loved each other. They were his inspiration.

He asked for her blessings before he left for home. There were still a lot of things to be done. People from nearby, his neighbors even came to wish him good luck. The news about his marriage spread like wildfire in his neighborhood and most of the people were really happy for him. A few were mad and jealous but he didn't care.

It seemed like the hours were passing by really quickly. At night he used to talk to his aunt which just made both of them emotional. She reminded him that they were gonna be leaving just a few days after his marriage. Praveen cried that night because he was gonna miss her so much.

His wedding attire was brought and it was beautiful red traditional attire which fit him perfectly. Everything was going perfectly. Emilia even came and took him out where it was just the two of them. She told him of how she had felt the time she had been getting married.

She told him a wonderful story that made him happy and really emotional. Apparently, Emilia still loved her husband and she missed him so much. She even gave him a wonderful gift, a golden necklace that she had promised her husband she would give to him when he was gonna marry his son.

Praveen asked about Harvey and Emilia told him how great of a father he was, how he went out of his way to make sure they were happy and how they all missed him. She also told him how happy he was gonna be on their wedding day because it had been his final wish. He was finally gonna rest in peace knowing that his wish had been fulfilled.

That night when Praveen went to bed he thought about everything Emilia had told him. According to her, Antonio was a fun loving guy. Now he was sure that he was gonna be happy with Antonio. He only asked for the almighty's blessings.

Three days passed and it felt like just a few minutes. The big day arrived and Praveen was nervous as hell. He couldn't believe he was gonna be married. He couldn't believe he was gonna fulfill his mother's wish. He couldn't believe he was gonna go away to start another life. It was emotional.

That day, Praveen just got up and the makeup artists, designers and whatever people had come to make sure he was sparkling were there. He just sat on a chair in front of the mirror with tears in his eyes and just let them do what they were good at.

They tied his hair into braided ponytail then fold it. They made his face look beautiful by applying makeup and they did all kinds of magic on him. His spectacles were removed and it had been long that had been done.

"You look beautiful, my love." He remembered his mother's words.

They dressed him in the beautiful wedding attire and it was amazing. On his head was put a traditional wedding hat and he looked different but in a beautiful way. He was put in flat traditional shoes and they did other things. He was ready but he was emotional. Even his aunt and her family were specially dressed and they were happy to see him. They spent some time with him since he wasn't gonna come back to the house. He was gonna be living at Emilia's. They just wanted to spend time with him before the car arrived.

Back at the mansion, Antonio was already dressed in his blue traditional attire that made him look handsome. But he didn't care about that since he knew the reason why he was doing that. He was standing in front of the mirror with anger on his face. His friend was with him and he too was in a traditional attire.

The house was beautifully decorated, especially Antonio's room. There were flower petals on the bed, it was well lit and there were also a lot of presents which just irritated him. There was nothing special about that day. It was just gonna remind him of all the pain he was gonna go through. He was gonna erase it from his life very soon so he didn't care much.

Everyone was looking beautiful in their expensive clothes. They were happy or at least they pretended to be.

Finally, the time came and they all headed for the wedding venue. Fuck! Emilia had definitely gone out of her way to prepare for the wedding. The decors were expensive, the flowers were expensive and it sparkled everywhere. It was a big wedding hall and cameramen were ready with their cameras to capture every moment of that wedding.

At the center of the hall was the place where all the wedding rituals were gonna happen according to the traditions and customs of Ashton. Though it was a traditional wedding, Emilia had hired entertainment, the food was plentiful and the guests were many as well. After the rituals, Emilia planned to make everything memorable.

It wasn't long before they all found themselves at the hall. The cameramen were capturing everything. Antonio was mad when he saw Praveen that day but he had to control himself. He couldn't even smile at the cameras. His angry eyes were only on the boy that he was gonna deal with. Praveen on the other hand couldn't shake off that feeling of uneasiness. It was preying on him and he was feeling shy with all the people there.

The rituals started when the priest arrived. They first started with a prayer then started all the wedding rituals which included exchanging of rings, garlands and the seven holy vows which sealed their wedding. People were throwing rose petals at them.

Traditional wedding didn't involve kisses so people weren't lucky enough to see that and Praveen wasn't sure he was ready for that as well. Antonio was glad because his lips were only for Bruce. His body was for Bruce and no one else's. It had been the reason why he had chosen a traditional wedding. They were no kisses involved.

After the rituals, they were now married and people cheered for them. Praveen was so emotional that he could have sworn he saw his mother's face smiling in the crowd. He couldn't help but shed a tear. He had started a new life with Antonio and he was sure his mother was really happy.

After the rituals were complete, Antonio and Praveen even shared a dance. Antonio had a frown on his face throughout the dance but Praveen's eyes were on the ground that he couldn't even notice anything.

Everything went perfect and according to plan. Praveen and Antonio were now married and there was no going back. Antonio was broken hearted and Praveen was happy to fulfill his mother's last wish before she died. Most of the people were happy.

After the wedding was over, the couple got blessings from the elders. Praveen hugged his aunt before he went away in a special car. He had started another life with Antonio and it felt like a dream. What he didn't know was that by getting married to Antonio he had made a lot of enemies.

***

"Just stand there, don't enter." Emilia stopped Praveen and Antonio before they could even reach the door way. "You are coming to this house for the first time Praveen and you must be received in a special way, according to our traditions."

Praveen blushed and just stood still, looking all around. It was such a beautiful place and he was gonna be living there now.

Anyway, Emilia came back with a plate on which there were a number of things. She was smiling brightly at her son in law and her son. She held the plate and lit the candle on it. She then took some oil and rubbed it on his forehead together with her pissed son.

Then she took a piece of cake and fed it to him,

"This is the first food you are having in this house." She smiled brightly, taking a glass of juice which she fed to him. "And the first drink."

Some workers came with a dish and some water. Emilia leaned down and took off Praveen's shoes. She washed his feet carefully, dried them with a towel and put some lotion on them. She then finished with other rituals, kissed his cheek and hugged him tightly while everyone watched.

"Now my son, all the doors are open to you in this house." She smiled brightly. "This is your house as well. You may enter."

Praveen smiled and tried to take a step but Emilia stopped him. Praveen stopped, wondering why his mother in law had suddenly stopped him. But he couldn't say anything to her. He just stood still with his eyes on the floor.

"That isn't the way you should enter your in-laws' house." She chuckled, shaking her head. "Your husband has to pick you up all the way to your bedroom."

"What the fuck!" Antonio clenched his fists. He was trying so hard to stay calm as it was and... oh hell no.

Antonio and Praveen just stood there without moving an inch.

"Come on, Antonio," Ethan teased, folding his arms on his chest. "Don't tell me he's too heavy for you? Show him just how strong you are. Besides, it's your wedding night and you should treat him special."

Antonio stared at his friend and just rolled his eyes. He took a deep breath and slowly moved his right hand on Praveen's waist, pulling him slowly closer to his body. Praveen started feeling nervous for some reason and the teasing wasn't helping him at all.

He slowly placed his hand on Antonio's shoulder, looking into his beautiful eyes. Antonio coiled the other hand around Praveen's legs and lifted him from the floor which drew cheers from the people that were watching them. Praveen on the other hand coiled his arms around Antonio's neck and just held on tightly.

Antonio slowly started entering the house with Praveen in his arms. Praveen was shy and Antonio just wanted to get it over with the drama. It was making him really sick. He had married someone he didn't like one bit and it was the most annoying thing ever. He wanted to puke.

The house was really beautiful. Praveen couldn't help but notice how huge it was. He had never been there before. Everything seemed classy and stylish even the workers that had come to see him enter the house. They had smiles on their faces which made him really shy.

Antonio slowly entered the living room, holding Praveen carefully in his arms. He wasn't even making eye contact with him because he hated him so much. He kept on thinking about Bruce. He was the man he was supposed to be holding. He was the man his mother was supposed to be welcoming but things were different now. He hated it so much.

Antonio reached the staircase and then stood still. He couldn't believe he was gonna climb the stairs with the stupid boy in his arms.

"Go on..." Granny smiled, signaling him to move up.

He took a deep breath and slowly started climbing the stairs with the boy in his arms. Everyone was watching with smiles on their faces, especially granny and Emilia. Praveen was nervous and scared at the same time. He was holding on tightly to Antonio's neck while looking at his handsome face. Gosh, the way he smelled, the wonderful breaths and everything was making him nervous. He had no idea how his first night with the handsome man was gonna be. He was scared.

After what felt like hours, they finally arrived in the beautifully decorated room. It was sparkling... It was filled with flower petals on the bed and the smell was to die for. Praveen saw the room for the first time and it was just beautiful. His eyes scanned the whole room and he was impressed. He couldn't still believe he was gonna be living in that house.

Antonio took Praveen to the big couch and slowly put him there without saying anything to him. Praveen looked at his husband and said nothing as he put him on the couch. Antonio wasn't saying anything. He didn't even show any emotions but he was so damn sexy.

Antonio slowly got up and turned. He went to the bed, removed his hat and threw it on the bed. He ruffled his hair and went to the bathroom to check himself out. He was so mad deep inside that Praveen's very presence irritated him to the core.

Praveen just sat there looking all around the wonderful room. It was really huge. He had no idea if to stand and check it out but he thought it was better to just sit and wait for Antonio to come to him. After all, he was a new groom.

After what felt like hours, Antonio came out of the bathroom toweling his wet hair. He was still in his traditional outfit although he had only remained with the trouser. He was putting on a white vest with his chest sticking out. Praveen quickly looked away when he saw him with his sexiness. He didn't wanna get caught staring at the hunk.

His heart started pounding deep in his chest, his breath stopped for a second and he got really nervous. He had no idea what was gonna happen but he was ready for it. After all, he was married and it was expected.

He just looked away until...

"Aren't you gonna change?" He heard Antonio ask in the sweetest voice that made him shiver.

"Uh?" He gasped, quickly glancing at Antonio. He was still not smiling but so damn handsome and sexy. He could spend the entire day just staring at him. "What?"

"It was a long day." Antonio said, throwing the towel on a small chair. "You need to freshen up and sleep because I am sure you are tired." He was trying to be nice even if it was just for one night because that was something the boy was never gonna see ever again. "We have both had a really long day so go to the bathroom and freshen."

"Hmm," He smiled softly, slowly getting up from the couch. "But I don't know this place and..."

"It's the door in the middle." Antonio signaled, pointing to the door. "Everything you might need is there. If however you need my help then you can call me."

Praveen smiled brightly and then nodded. "Thank you."

He slowly walked to the bathroom where he felt like he had just entered another form of heaven. He had never seen any bathroom like that before. It was like at a five star hotel. Everything was in perfect order and the smell was lovely. He couldn't help but look around a little.

Praveen slowly took off his hat and then freed his hair. It felt really cool and he smiled at his reflection in the mirror.