#Saree Look Inspiration

[shaadiwish]

Ever since her massive hit movie Animal and Pushpa, Rashmika Mandanna has been making headlines for all the right reasons.

[inlocusmads]

Playing Kali: Call of Darkness and my only gripe is that I just cannot take the outfits seriously lmao. (Yes I'm somewhat aware of 80s fashion, but seriously my guy, wearing a grand lehenga choli in the middle of summer really is a choice, so to speak.)

[jodhadreams]

[samkkshopping]

Holi Style Guide: Embrace Tradition With a Modern Twist

Introduction:

The Significance of Holi:

Holi holds significant cultural and mythological importance in Hinduism. It is associated with various legends, primarily the tale of Holika and Prahlad, which symbolizes the triumph of devotion and righteousness over evil. The festival also celebrates the eternal love of Radha and Krishna, where Lord Krishna is depicted as playing pranks with colors on Radha and her friends. Holi thus embodies the spirit of joy, love, and the victory of good over evil.

Blending Tradition with Modernity:

Draping Elegance in Hues of Holi:

Comfort and Style for Holi Revelry:

Glamour and Tradition for Holi Festivities:

Stylish Threads for Holi Revelries:

Influence of Social Media and Digital Platforms:

Moreover, the advent of social media and digital platforms has played a significant role in popularizing this trend. With influencers, celebrities, and fashion enthusiasts showcasing their unique Holi looks on various online platforms, there’s a growing influence on individuals to embrace this modern ethnic aesthetic. The allure of being featured in trending Holi fashion posts or garnering likes and comments for one’s stylish ensemble adds an extra layer of excitement to the celebrations, encouraging more people to explore and experiment with their Holi outfits.

Beyond Clothing: Accessories and Beauty

Furthermore, the concept of celebrating Holi in style with modern ethnic designs extends beyond just clothing; it encompasses accessories, footwear, and even beauty and grooming choices. From colorful bangles and statement earrings to embellished clutches and embroidered potlis, there’s a plethora of options to choose from. Add a touch of sparkle with dazzling bindis, maang tikka, and nose rings for an extra dose of glam. Don’t forget to protect your hair with stylish scarves or bandanas and shield your eyes with trendy sunglasses as you dive into the festivities with full fervor.

Conclusion:

In essence, embracing modern ethnic designs for Holi symbolizes a celebration of diversity, creativity, and self-expression. It transcends the boundaries of tradition and innovation, weaving together threads of culture and fashion to create a tapestry of style that is both timeless and contemporary. As we usher in the festival of colors in 2024, let us not only revel in the joyous spirit of Holi but also embrace the opportunity to celebrate it in style, with colorful Holi festival attire that reflects our rich cultural heritage and evolving fashion sensibilities. Samyakk.com, renowned for its variety of outfits like designer sarees, trendy salwar kameez, designer lehengas, and many more in enticing colors, craftsmanship, and luxurious fabrics, offers a perfect canvas for this celebration of colorful Holi attire. After all, Holi is not just a festival; it’s a canvas where we paint our dreams, aspirations, and identity in vibrant hues for the world to see and admire.

Wish You Happy Holi From Samyakk Team

[spop-romanticizes-abuse]

so 96% of you wanted to see me do a redesign of mermista. and while i can draw, i've been stuck in an art block so i opted to just draw over her current design. i don't hate all of it so i'm not changing everything.

let me go through the complaints i do have about her design.

first off, she does not look like royalty in the slightest. she just looks like some girl who likes the color blue. even the gold accents don't really help. i'm not saying she has to walk around in a gown and tiara but at least add something to her design to indicate that she's a princess?

secondly, those clown shoes are NOT IT. who even thought of that? they look uncomfortable and ridiculous, and doesn't make sense for her character design.

those sleeves/armor (??? i honestly don't know what those are) and gold gauntlets also do not look practical in the slightest. they look like they'd be a hindrance for a swimmer. and guess what, she still has them in her mermaid form.

the OG mermista design wasn't the greatest but at least it looked like she could swim comfortably.

so my objectives were:

give her outfit a more streamlined look so it would make sense for her powers

make her look like actual royalty and not some girl with a cool color palette

expand more on the indian-inspired design and reflect that in her usual outfit, instead of putting her in a saree-inspired dress for one episode and calling it a day (i say saree-inspired because it's not really a traditional saree, but more like a modern and slightly western rendition)

i made two versions of her redesign - one with a dupatta and one without. the dupatta, i understand, could be a hindrance in certain situations but i just wanted to give an example of how to take inspiration from a culture instead of just using it for brownie points. a dupatta is something indians would wear with their casual attire, mostly with salwars, unlike sarees which are generally reserved for special occasions (there are sarees that are casual wear, but they're still not the most convenient).

secondly, i gave her a headwear inspired from desi wedding attire and older indian tiaras. mind you, indian tiaras themselves are a lot more complex and beautifully crafted, but 1. it would take me ages to draw all the details and 2. i figured mermista would go for a simpler look, especially when she's not at her palace. also, while indian headwears are usually made with gold and jewels, i gave mermista's headwear pearls because.. pearls, oysters, ocean. mermaid vibes.

i changed the shoes and gave her a pair that are inspired by water shoes. i know that she would transform into a mermaid while swimming anyway, but these still look more comfortable without serving clowncore.

i replaced her gold accents with silver because the gold doesn't really mesh well with the teal, in my opinion. while indians are known for their love of gold, a lot of people nowadays opt for silver, because it is less expensive and more compatible with casual wear.

i highlighted the fishscale pattern in her outfit since you could barely see them in the original.

i gave her a bindi and the necklace that 80s mermista wore, as a tribute to the OG show, and the design is complete. i know that some of these may not be the easiest to animate but if they could animate perfuma's cape thing, entrapta's hair and a hundred different outfits for catra; this design is just child's play.

let me know what you think of the redesign and if you want me to do the same for the other characters!

[presidentlokis-hornyhelmet]

Pavitr x fem reader

- Jealous HEADCANONS

A/N: Apparently, Pavitr's costume and fighting style is inspired from Kerala, so I went with him also being from Kerala. (Malayalam is google translated)

Also read on AO3

Pav Pooh is a uwu little jelly bean 

It began even before you started dating. You were bffs so, naturally, you're invited to his house for Onam celebration. 

Pav stands spellbound at your beauty as you'd worn the traditional off-white saree with golden border, your hair done and decorated with flowers. He's about to compliment you when his cousin beats him to it. 

"Are all of Pav's friends gorgeous, or is it just you?" 

Pav's face drains of colour as his cousin flirts with you. And you're indulging him!? That's it, you're not leaving his sight anymore. 

"Flattery takes you nowhere, cousin." 

His cousin ignores him. "Chuchudu, you should really visit Kerala sometime! We can go to all the tourists sites, go on a boatride -just the two of us, I can even teach you fishing!" 

The idiot rambles on and on but Pavitr's eyes blaze in green fury 🔥 Chuchudu!? Chuchudu!?! How dare he call you cutie! 

And, Gayatri just HAS to add fuel to fire. "Aww, you guys look so cute together! Don't they, Pav?"

"Of course! You look like father and daughter. What a rare bond, right?" 

Pav tells himself it's because his cousin is an a-hole, which they are, and he doesn't want to see you hurt. 

Lies, all lies. He jello 

He constantly tries to separate you guys or atleast just be next you like a bodyguard, shadowing over your convos. If his cousin got irritated, they don't show it. And, thanks to his spidey sense, his cousin can't talk to you alone for more than 5 seconds, though they do manage to ditch Pav at times XP 

Pavitr lets out a sigh of relief only after his cousin leaves. 

The next time it happens is when a new guy, Ravi, joins school. Ravi takes one look at you and he's interested. He's always flirting at you everywhere: cafeteria, by your locker, in the hallway -even in the field. 

Weekends usually mean extra superheroing so Pav can only meet you again on Monday morning at school. Or atleast, that's what usually happens. Today, though, you're at your locker with Ravi's arm around your shoulder as he talks to his friends. He says something in your ear which makes you laugh and slap his shoulder. 

Pav is seeing green. And you seem to hang out with Ravi more as the days pass!

You suddenly find Pavitr showing up at your house whenever Ravi comes around, tagging along with you two and always standing inbetween, telling how long you guys are besties at every opportunity, touching you a LOT..

"WHAT do you think you're doing, idiot?" Gayatri traps Pav into a corner and gets him to spill. 

"Okay, okay, I am jealous! I.. I like Y/n. Like, like her like her.." 

"You what me?" 

Long story short, you guys (FINALLY) get together and Gayatri squeals in joy.

After You Begin Dating 

Boy, you underestimated how much he flaunts you

Hand-holding, kissing your cheek when he senses potential threat (thanks, spidey sense!), hugging a lot, lost of texting ("miss u moloo 😘", "can i come overrrr I'm boreddd :< ") 

You assure him he's the only guy for you. "Pav, baby, I don't want anyone else. I've always been yours." 

And, a little later in your relationship, you admit that the whole flirting thing with Ravi and Pav's cousin was a ruse to make him jealous. And Gayatri was in on it! ;P

"I'm sorry but you just look sooo cute when you're jealous!", you say, squishing his cheeks. 

Pav feigns offense but he's melting inside knowing you only have eyes for him. 

Also... C'mon, can anyone resist making this cutepie jealous? 

________

reblogs and comments appreciated!!!

[cybersodas]

I Love splatoon but for awhile now I cant help but feel like Deep Cut’s designs miss the mark a little- so I finally tried to take a crack at redesigning them! Notes underneath the cut.

So first and foremost, I Know these designs are very detailed and “decorated”, but honestly? I kinda feel like shiver and frye’s designs BEG for that kind of thing- they’re based around traditional japanese and indian culture, both of which tend to have very detailed, opulent fashion.

Overall I feel like deep cut’s designs should’ve leaned WAY further into the ideas presented in their canon designs- from the cultural influences to the contrasting colors, etc etc.

I know that their canon designs are supposed to be “trendier” less traditionally accurate versions of their respective cultures’ clothes, which is why I tried to give Shiver a sort of asymetrical haori/kimono, as well as give Frye a Saree to go with her shawl. I also kinda threw out the weird sea through shawls since indian/japanese clothing is so textile and layered/patterened.

Finally I feel like frye’s design should be Dripping in gold. I took a lot of inspiration from her splatoween look cause tbh if u just recolored it to her default colors it would look Perfect.

I do wanna redesign big man eventually as well- I’ll probably take a lot of inspiration from brazilian carnival with lots of feathers and beads and stuff.

[tubeon]

wouls you be ok if we used your spider-gayatri design for our villain!pavitr au? in that universe gayatri is spiderwoman.

basically i would give credit to you for the design at the beginning of the fic, and in the fix i would describe gayatri’s spider outfit using your design

its 100% fine if not btw /genuine

Ooooh!!! Ofc!! I'd love to read when you're finished !! Allow me to go a bit into detail of her desiiign

What she's wearing here is a Dhoti Saree! It's a lot of clothes for a spider person but trust me she has it secured lol.

The pattern across her arms and hands are inspired by jewelry, looking like leafy vines (its messy and probably hard to see that I thought I'd clarify) with her spider symbol decorated like FLOWERY vines. (Spot the blue lines under her arms bc I wanted to jab at miles somehow)

Her mask is based off of a blackbuck! And I wanted to incorporate her casual choker somewhere so theres that too :]] also red bindi to imply that she is practically already married to Pavitr so she may as well wear it !!!

TAKE THIS ALL WIFH A GRAIN OF SALT HOWEVER u are the writer, u can interpret and write her design however u want as long as u are respectful . Teehee :3

[midnigtartist]

Woah your spellbomb wedding pic looks inspired by (I think) some Indian traditions? Very curious about your thoughts and inspiration. The red dress and jewelry and henna-like tattooing is v cool to see. What parts of their wedding are from whose culture? Any traditions that one or the other would insist on, though the other hadn’t heard of it? Or do they share enough cultural background that they’re pretty much in agreement about how it looks/happens?

Yes! Long explanation bc Dotty is from a irl game of dnd i played a few years ago and the country shes from was inspired by India (specifically India during British occupation which is why she goes by Dotty instead of her given name Dipti) it was a really important part of her story to me to include. Her uncle stripped her of a lot of her culture to make her more appealing to “common” nations. I wanted to make sure i brought that over to her bg3 story too

So a lot of Dottys story is reconnecting with her culture (ie the saree in her regular design). Most of her and Gales wedding celebration is based off of her (Indian) traditions with probably one or two of the days being more influenced by Gale (i saw a few posts talking about Gale being culturally Greek and i LOVE that honestly)

[ramayantika]

Krishna (mystery academia)

I was inspired from that old Vishnu post and that Delhi vala post so here we go. No idea how this will turn up though par dekhte hain.

No, it can't be a dream. You have pinched yourself twice, and your sister has been calling your name out from the past five minutes, but you can't help yourself. Your eyes are transfixed at that giant grey cloud hovering majestically in the sky. A face is etched on the cloud. He looks enchanting.

Your books have fallen on the floor. A mysterious flute tune rings in your ear. You haven't heard it anywhere recently, but the melodious tune starts to grow too loud. Look carefully, who is the girl in a pink saree, her golden bangles blind your vision and you hear a boy's sweet laughter before your legs give out.

It's Janmashtami night. The clock struck 12 and kids from your society broke the pot. They jump around in getting some money from the dahi handi while the adults clap and call their kids to come home. Everybody chants jai shri krishna and bows down folding their hands. You too close your eyes. Once you raise your head to look at the Krishna murti, your eyes see a person standing behind the murti, twirling a flute with his nimble fingers. Someone snaps their fingers beside your ear. The figure vanishes.

'yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati bharata abhyutthanam adharmasya tadatmanam srijamyaham' Goosebumps rise on your skin and a divine vision graces your being. The sun and the stars collide, but everybody keeps breathing. The sound of a conch fills your mind and you see someone larger than any human, than any other organism on earth stand in a battlefield. He looks fierce once and then in a blink turns as calm as a river.

'paritranaya sadhunam vinashayacha dushkritam dharma sansthapanarthaya sambhavami yuge yuge' Tears flood down your eyes as you wake up from yet another dream of this all pervading misery encircling the world that has given itself to crimes and murders, forgetting that the quest for lust, greed, pride and ruthless power has gone in vain. Once again you stand on a battlefield witnessing hundreds and thousand of mighty warriors flanked by their elephants and horses. On your side stands one man. Just one man -- wielding a chakra and a large mace. He charges off at every soldier. In seconds bodies pile up on the battlefield and a guttural cry pierces your ears. The lone warrior clutches every fallen body and weeps.

The sweet smelling fragrant chandan makes you smile. The old temple priest, a gentle soul patiently applies tilak to all the devotees. After ten people comes your turn to apply the tilak. The priest's eyes brighten as if he has known you since long. You don't know him. This Krishna temple is far away from your home. The priest looks back at the beautifully decorated Krishna murti and smiles. You blink and turn your eyes to a pillar beside the garbhagriha. There stands a boy too gorgeous to be real, a form so enchanting that it etches itself on your eyes. You feel your heart thumping as the fragrant chandan clouds your senses. You are about to fall, but that lovely looking boy catches you in his arms. Flowers fall on your head and a sweet voice whispers, "Will you finally come back, sakhi?"

The night sky is full of stars tonight which is highly unusual for this busy city. Two stars gleam the brightest. You try to figure which constellation they belong too until hundreds of stars come together forming an image of a peacock feather.

At Prem Mandir in Vrindavan, you eagerly watch all the moving sculptures showing different pastimes of Krishna. Somewhere nearby, a group of ladies are singing Meerabai's songs. Your feet tap on their own accord and you feel yourself sway. When did you raise your arms to the sky and twirl? Nobody knows. Your family watches you laugh and dance in the temple. You look at no one but Krishna. The handsome boy from the temple is back again wearing bright yellow clothes -- not too hard to miss. A rough shake on your shoulders makes you open your eyes. The devotees in the temple are staring at you, but you blush in awareness of a certain dark one looking at you.

You sit gazing at the cool waters of Yamuna, the river which played an important role in Krishna's life. She saw his arrival into Gokul and his departure to Mathura. The texts and the old say that she later accompanied him as his wife to Dwaraka. You bow your head at her and dip your feet into the water. Nobody is at the ghat, it's all quiet and peaceful. Yamuna cools your body and a sense of calmness pervades your mind. You feel yourself slipping somewhere. The river like a gentle mother's touch touches your skin. "Do not fear, friend."

The car is about to cross the borders of Vrindavana. You feel your heart cry for an unknown separation. All these nights, you heard female voices whispering, "do not leave." At dawn you woke up with the sounds of a flute and sometimes your evenings were blessed with a boy gracing your hotel's terrace at sunset. He carried a peacock feather with him. You never shared a word with him nor did he with you. The steep silence yet felt comfortable.

Should I stay? Should I go? Should I call that boy and say goodbye, but how do I find him? What is this feeling in my heart? I feel it break into pieces. The driver caught your eye in the mirror and you hear a screeching break, The small flute replica hits the backside of the mirror and there you see a divine view once again.

Surrounded by cows, his feet crossed, he stands with a flute donning yellow garbs. You see the sun and the moon in his eyes. The universe gleams in his limbs. He appears magnificent. The divine sound of the conch rings again and you fall at his feet. 'I am all yours, Shyam.'

'Glad to have you back finally sakhi...' Red palms touch your forehead and the figure in front shines with bright white light like a halo around him. A lotus flower is placed on the last page of your book over Krishna's photo. The afternoon sky is now grey and far away you see a dark cloud emerging towards you.

"It shall start again, isn't it?"

Tagging the sakhis: @sanskari-kanya @shut-up-rabert @krishna-sahacharini @ketchup-jar-ka @arachneofthoughts @jessbeinme15 @ma-douce-souffrance @tumhari-bhairavi @manwalaage @inexhaustible-sources-of-magic @reallythoughtfulwizard @bambioleo @morally-gayy @krishna-priyatama @kaal-naagin

[mercysong-tardis]

Meeting Alex Kingston in Moll Flanders cosplay at FanX 2023

Just over a year ago, a little birdy (@now-theres-a-spoiler-for-you) informed me that to the best of her knowledge, Alex Kingston had never seen a Moll Flanders cosplayer. And as an avid appreciator of the Miniseries, I took it upon myself to become the first.

The Miniseries, "The Fortunes and Misfortunes of Moll Flanders" (1996) of which Alex Kingston starred in alongside Daniel Craig, was Alex's major breakout role which led to her role on ER and her subsequent claim to fame. So considering the prevolence, I had to make it special.

I put in a LOT of work researching, sourcing fabric, internet deep-diving, and reading before I ever got started on the dress. The actual hard work of sewing the dress took a few months to make once the initial homework was done. Undergarments? Structuring? Patterns? All of these took a lot of guesswork on my part.

The original was created by costume designer, Trisha Biggar (Which if you are in the costuming community you will know her as the designer of Padme Amidala's wardrobe and the designer for Outlander) for the 1996 miniseries. The dress was constructed of fabric Trisha Thrifted in the 1960s in Sweden, most of which I am fairly certain is Indian Fabric specifically used for Banarasi Sarees. The dress is inspired by a common silhouette from the 1670s London England, based on common evening gowns worn at the time. Considering the substantial trade happening between India and England at that time, it makes sense that a dress is fine as this would’ve been historically constructed with Banarasi silk.

The original evening gown:

Sadly, I cannot afford to construct a dress entirely out of silk in this American economy, so sourced much of my fabric overseas and while I was in Egypt and Israel this summer. The rest of it was either Thrifted or appliquéd by hand by me. All of the notions and ribbons were Thrifted. I believe in doing everything possible to keep cosplay sustainable. There is a video on my TikTok which goes into detail on my construction process.

But once the dress was done, I was ecstatic, and It was time to debut it at a convention. The morning of Thursday FanX SLC, I got some pictures (in my River wig to preserve my curled hair) and this is how they turned out...

Then it was time to show The Queenston herself. I had been a little bit stressed that she wouldn't recognise the dress or wouldn't be very interested, but I held out hope.

Spoiler Alert; I had NOTHING to worry about.

Before I got to Alex, I got an autograph from Karen Gillan, who's table was next to Alex's. While in line, I was staring in awe at Alex, as she was just under twenty feet away. In between people, Alex glanced up to the crowd, then did a double take, and leaned over her table to see me through the crowd. Her mouth dropped open, she pointed straight at me, and she got all excited, and mouthed “You! Moll Flanders! Wow!” Time slowed down and I froze until I gave her a big smile (and I think a thumbs up?) and I was so starstruck that I was convinced I was hallucinating until she added “you look amazing!” still smiling, before going back to the next person. 

When I got to her table, she greeted me as Moll,and she said she'd "Never ever, ever seen a Moll cosplayer!" and I got to tell her that I made the dress. Alex absolutely loved my Moll Flanders cosplay. She told me it was the first one she’d ever seen. She was so sweet. I wasn’t anxious at all. I was so excited to finally meet her but I didn’t cry. I was actually so relaxed, which came as a surprise, as I have a track record of being emotionally overwhelmed and crying in front of Celebrities.

She was so nice and was so impressed with the dress. We got a Photo together and she ended up grabbing the shackles (is it even Alex Kingston without a cheeky touch?)

Then she signed my Making of Moll Flanders book and she flipped through it “oh this really takes me back. This was my favorite dress. The red velvet one. It was quite warm. I loved the big hat!”

For reference this is the dress she was talking about:

Then she looked up back at my dress and asked me “aren’t they fun to wear? Don’t you feel sexy?”

I said yes.

I was a liar.

I was actually incredibly uncomfortable but I would NEVER SAY THAT TO THE QUEENSTON.

So I just smiled and said yes. (I did feel sexy but 17 hours tightlaced in 1670s stays is not fun to wear)

Then at the photo op, Alex played with my hair XD

So that is the story of my most insane cosplay yet! I hope you enjoyed all you people out there on the internet.

[shaadiwish]

Bookmark These Celebrity Saree Looks That Are Going To Rule This Festive Season! For More Such Trends And Ideas, Stay Tuned With ShaadiWish.

[lookingfts]

Just wanted to say that I love seeing all of those insights and snippets that expand your stories. Thank you so much for giving us a glimpse into the "behind the scenes" and into how those characters tick in the given universes! It's such a gift!

If you ever find the time and inspiration, I would be so, so happy to see anything from Anthony's point of view or any additional info how you thought up the story for "You echo in the Halls". I think it's my absolute favorite one shot of yours. I have re-read it countless of times (and I come back to it at least once every few weeks) and every time I find something new to speculatate about, which I love.

Anyhow, sorry for fangirling...

Thank you! “You Echo in the Halls” is one of my favorites as well! It’s such a pleasure to hear that someone is re-reading it. Sometimes me and other Kanthony writers will bounce ideas off each other – things that we think would be fun, but might not necessarily have the time or inspiration to write ourselves. The lovely @mxkateb pitched the idea of Kate struggling with a big life event for her ex, Tom, and Anthony following her around, annoying her to distract her and help her get through it. And that evolved into the fic. So, here’s a little companion/continuation scene from Anthony’s POV.

--

Anthony was used to losing his breath to Kate Sharma.

When he saw her for the first time. Leaning against the bar at a seedy pub, ebony hair curling around her shoulders, legs endless in a pair of tight jeans. That was her – the person he would chat up tonight. He couldn’t let a woman that gorgeous slip through his fingers.

And then Tom had appeared, sliding his arm around her waist, a big smile forming on her lips as she fluttered her lashes up at him, and Anthony’s chest tightened. That was her. Kate. The woman that Tom hadn’t stopped talking about since he met her. The woman his best friend, his brother, was falling in love with.

When she kissed him. Standing outside her flat, both of them pretending to be drunker than they were so they could get just a little closer. He knew he should have stopped it, but the oxygen rushed out of his lungs at the first touch of her lips to his. Soft and sweet and wanting.

Kate sank into his arms, perfect there, filling an ache he had felt for so long now. She clung to him as he tasted her, as he moved inside her, and for a second, he thought maybe he could stay. Maybe he could let her hold on to him forever. But she fell asleep and he sobered up and it felt so clear, suddenly. He was a rebound. If Tom hadn’t been good enough for a woman like her, what hope did Anthony have except to disappoint her?

When he chased her out of Tom’s wedding reception. She finally called him out on his bullshit and there were no thoughts in his head except that he couldn’t leave it like this. Maybe there would never be a chance for them, but another two years would not pass without her knowing.

Anthony held her close as she sobbed, all the pain and loss and regret draining from her body. He hated that he’d played any role in it, hated that Kate didn’t feel all the love and security she deserved. So he let her cling to him until she was calm, until she was kissing him again and everything felt like a fresh start.

When they met Tom for drinks to tell him that they were dating. Tom raised an eyebrow. This didn’t start at my wedding, did it? And Kate’s guilty expression probably told him everything.

Before Anthony could even register what was happening, Tom punched him in the jaw, then straightened his jacket and sat back down. Alright. Now that’s out of the way, appetizers?

When she walked down the aisle to him. In a red saree with weighty gold jewelry, her hair pinned back, the most radiant smile on her face. That was her – the woman he would spend the rest of his life with. A few years late, perhaps, but it didn’t matter now. Not when his family and hers were in the audience, all of their friends, and Kate wasn’t even looking at them. Only at Anthony.  

And he had willingly said whatever vows she wanted, done whatever traditions she wanted, let her have anything and everything she wanted because none of it would ever be enough to thank her, truly thank her, for the second chance she took on him.

“It’s funny,” she said quietly as they swayed together on the dance floor. “Dancing together at another wedding. Except this time…”

“Except this time, it’s ours,” Anthony finished, dropping his forehead against hers. “I do hope you don’t plan on bursting into tears and running away from me again.”

“Technically, I ran away and then burst into tears,” Kate clarified a little teasingly, her breath warm on his lips. “What would you do if I did?”

“Run after you. As many times as I have to.”

Kate’s soft hands tightened around the back of his neck. “I don’t have to run,” she whispered. “We got it right this time.”

She kissed him.

And it was the first time he’d ever had the privilege of losing his breath to Kate Bridgerton.

[jodhadreams]

✨

[krishakamal]

Raag - Anurag § Chapter 1

— Ram x Sneha Acharya [OC]

*⁠.⁠✧ SYNOPSIS : Sneha Acharya lost her parents at a young age. Her father's friend, Arjun decided to adopt and take her to Hyderabad. There she grew up to be a beautiful woman. Then came her doom. She arranged to marry Ram, the traitor. Where will this go now?

*⁠.⁠✧ WARNINGS & TAGS : cursing, arranged marriage, 1.6k words.

*⁠.⁠✧ — NAVIGATION // RRR MASTERLIST // SERIES MASTERLIST

"Ahh!" Sneha yelled in pain, "It hurts, Kakima."

"Shhh, sit still." Her Kaki, Malini, ordered her as she worked on the latter's hair. Pinning the gajra to the bun.

Sneha huffed, looking at herself in the mirror. Today was her wedding and that too, with a man she despised.

At the tender age of six, Sneha lost both her parents to a car accident on their way home. Even though Sneha survived the accident, losing her parents left a great trauma on her. Arjun Dev, a close friend of her father who lived in Hyderabad, decided to adopt her.

Here, in Hyderabad, she grew up under his and his wife, Malini's care. Growing up, Sneha was fond of literature. She took inspiration from the nature around her and inked them in a diary. Later she decided to turn that hobby to her profession.

Sneha was not blind to atrocious works of the british. She knew well how monstrous they were. How they fooled Indians and took over the whole country. How they tortured poor Indians and kept them like slaves.

Sneha could not see their pain and misfortune so she decided that she would help as much as possible to free her country from their vicious clutches. She had written many nationalist books under the pen name 'Nandini'.

Now considering how much she loves Bharat and hates the British basterds, the last person she expected to marry was one of their loyal dogs, Alluri Sitaram Raju. She was pissed off when her uncle told her about the marriage proposal.

She instantly rushed off in anger to confront him but when he requested her with nothing but utter sincerity, Sneha could not turn him down. Had he not adopted Sneha, she didn't know what would have happened to her and Sneha was great to them. So, here she was now a few minutes away from getting married to that traitor, Sitaram.

Malini held Sneha's shoulders, "I'm so happy for you, Sneha. Trust me, Ram is a really good man and he will always keep you happy."

Sure, a traitor like him will do anything but keep me happy.

Sneha plasted a fake smile on her face and looked at Malini through the mirror's reflection, "I hope so."

Just then the door opened and one of her sisters ran in, "Hurry! The groom is here."

Malini left Sneha alone in the room to gather her thoughts. Sneha looked down, in her lap was a pendant, engulfed in her palms. Her mind was crowded with thoughts. How was she going to spend her life with Ram? Just how?

But time didn't stop for her. It went on it's pace. Sneha was escorted to the mandap where they were tied into the sacred bond of marriage. The wedding ended and Sneha bid a tear-filled farewell to her family. Then she was taken to his house where his side of the family performed all the rituals and in no time it was their wedding night.

Sneha sat on the bed, heart racing like a train. Her knees were pulled to her chest. She wondered if Ram would try to force himself on her. She was, by no means, ready for this. This was supposed to happen between two loves, soulmates and they were neither.

If he tries something, I'll kill him.

Sneha thought to herself. The wooden door opened and Ram walked in, closing the door behind. Sneha gripped the saree harder, so much that her knuckles turned white.

Ram started walking towards the bed. Just as he came to the end of the bed, Sneha shot up, standing on it with a knife in her hand, "Don't you dare come any closer or else I swear to god, I'll kill you."

Ram flinched back, startled, "What on earth are you doing?"

Ram glared at her but she snapped back, "Listen mister, I have no intention of being your wife, let alone spent a night with you. Stay the fuck away from me."

Ram could not help but scoff at her atrocious words, "Like I want to sleep with you. I have way more important work than sleeping with someone foul-mouthed like you."

"Yeah yeah whatever. Now get out." Sneha swung the knife in the door's direction, "You are not staying in the same room as me."

"This is my room. You get out."

"Do you want to die in your sleep?"

Ram gulped in fear, the kind of person she seemed to be, she probably would not even hesitate before stabbing him to death. Sneha smirked, knowing very well that she had won.

"Whatever, hope you die in your sleep." Ram snatched the blanket off the bed and started walking out, muttering under his breath, "Who named her Sneha, they need to be put in a mental asylum."

"And your name should have been Ravan instead, even better Shishupal, you useless coward." Sneha yelled before the door slammed shut.

Sneha waited a few seconds before sighing in relief, saved for the day. She got down from the bed and carefully hid the knife in the nightstand's drawer. She quickly took of all the make up and jwelleries and changed into simple saree. Then turning off the lights Sneha snuggled into the soft sheets and let the slumber pull her into the dreamland.

Sneha woke up the next morning to the empty house. Ram was nowhere to be seen. That happened the next and then the next day. Ram would leave the house before Sneha could wake up and come back after she had gone to sleep. The sofa in the living room was now his bed.

Sunlight peeked through the sheer curtains, filling the room with golden light. You snuggled more into the sheets before blinking your eyes open. Glancing at the table clock, it showed the time was 7 o'clock. Sneha sat up on the bed, streaching her limbs to get rid of the sleepiness.

Throwing off the blanket, which she found in the closet (Ram was too much of a dick to give her one), she got up. Sneha made the bed and then did her morning routine. Sneha dressed up in a red silk saree with gold work done on it.

Today she was going to make a library card at the local library. Books were her addiction and not being able to read one the past days were killing her inside. Her hair was still a little damp so she decided to leave them open.

Sneha walked down the stairs and into the living room, only to stop at the bottom step. There was Ram, sitting on the sofa, reading newspapers. Dressed in a simple white shirt and dress pants.

He was handsome— scratch that, he was extremely good looking. If only his personality was like Sri Ram. Sneha mourned internally. She walked into the kitchen, adjourned to the living room.

"Wow, look who didn't sneak out early in the morning today." Sneha said loudly, too loud.Ram could feel his eyebrows twitch. Stay calm Ram, don't listen to her bullshit. He could not stay calm for long when started again, "What? Did your dear British government fire you already?"

His mouth moved even before he could comprehend, "Look who didn't sleep till afternoon like a pig. What direction did the sun raise from today?"

Sneha's jaw dropped on the floor, "I sleep like a pig? Me? Sneha Acharya? Then you sleep like a damn donkey."

Ram mumbled, loudly, while turning a page of the newspaper, "Truth hurts. What can we do?"

This damn donkey!

Sneha stomped her feet before rushing into the kitchen. She could feel herself fuming with anger. Only a good cup of chai could help her calm down. As slammed the saucepan on the stove, an idea hit her brain.

"Oii." Sneha called from the kitchen.

"What?"

"I'm making chai. Do you want some?"

".............Sure." Ram answered after a minute of silence.

Sneha threw him an 'ok' sign and got back to prepare tea. Ram could feel something was off. But what could she do? Poison his tea?

Calling me a pig. The audacity. Now taste the tea made by a pig.

Sneha quickly prepared two cups of tea and brought it out in the living room. Placing the tray on the low coffee table, she handed him a cup and she herself started sipping from one.

Ram inspected the cup and the liquor. Smelling it, seeing from all angels. Sneha suppressed the laugh, dying to come out. Finally Ram took a sip.

Hmm? Not bad.

Until a second later it hit. The inside of his mouth started burning like hell. Ram dropped the cup on the ground, yelling in pain. He felt like he had eaten a thousand chillies. Sneha could not stop it anymore. She threw back on the sofa, laughing like a mad woman.

Ram searched the containers and cabinets, searching for something, anything, to help with the burning feeling. He finally found a small container of rasogolla. He somehow opened it and gulped down all of them in a matter of a few minutes.

When he finally calmed down, his chest was heaving crazyly. Anger raised in his head when he fully grasped what had happened. He saw Sneha leaning on the kitchen door, giving him mocking looks. Ram glared at it like an angry bull. If looks could kill, you would have been six feet under the ground by now.

Ram marched up to you, jabbing his pointer finger on your forehead with each word, "You. Will. Pay. For. This."

He gritted out before walking past you, shoving your shoulder with his in the process. You turned your head to see him stomping up stairs.

We will see Mr. Ram.

© 𝐊𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐊𝐀𝐌𝐀𝐋 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑, 𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒 𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐕𝐄𝐃 — all content rights belongs to KRISHAKAMAL. Do not plagiarize any works and do not repost or translate onto any other sites.

All the rights and credits of the characters, gifs, songs and pictures used here belongs to their rightful owners.

[thirst4light]

In Memoriam

This is my first try at Vanmozhi Fanfiction. Inspired from the PS 2 movie scene. Planning to do a two part follow-up of this prologue. Let me know what you think!

Prologue

'Tis better to have loved and lost Than never to have loved at all.’ (In Memoriam A. H. H., 27.13-17) 

The sky of Thanjavur was strangely grey on a Vaikasi afternoon as the people waited for their beloved crown prince, Aditha Karikalan, to come home.

Only this time, there was no line of excited girls, wearing their best sarees,  chattering away with their aarti thali on the steps of majestic Thanjavur fort, waiting to catch a glimpse of their handsome  prince.

Instead, a grief-stricken royal family waited patiently. Chakrvarthi and the young prince, Ponniyin Selvan were waiting at the front, while the women of the royal family waited behind.

Slightly behind the royal family, Kodombalur Ilavarasi Vanathi was also waiting along with other royal women, looking over the sea of the people that gathered at the outer court of the fort. Since last night, as the news of the prince’s death spread, people kept coming from all corners of the Cholanadu. 

While Vanathi waited, she thought of everything and nothing.

Such a contrast, Vanathi reflected, looking at the grey sky briefly before her gaze settled on the royal family who were clad in pristine white, a decorum when someone in the family passes away.

As if even the sky was mourning along with this family.

Vanathi’s thoughts got interrupted as people’s clamour suddenly increased, making her focus at the entry gate of the fort.

Finally, Aditha Karikalan had arrived in Thanjavur.

In the city where he grew up. In the city where he belongs.

A long procession of regiment came by foot, closely followed by the prince's beloved horse regiment, waving the chola flag. 

From where she was standing, Vanathi could  see the chariot carrying the prince’s body from a distance, closely flanked by his trusted fighting companions, Manamalyan, Parthibendran and Vanthiyadevan; not leaving their beloved prince’s side, even in death.

As the chariot slowly moved across the crowd, Vanathi could hear muffled cries while some people started to shower flower petals at the chariot, a sign of their last respect to their Ilavarase. A section of the crowd even started to tussle with the guards to touch the chariot and pray.

It took a long time for the guards to clear the way for the chariot to cross the short distance of the entry gate to the steps of the fort. 

When the chariot carrying the prince's body finally stopped in front of the fort stairs, there was a momentary pause among the royal family members. 

As if they could not believe what they were seeing.

The ailing Chakravarty was the first to break down as he could not support his weight anymore. Ponniyin Selvan gripped his father tightly, making sure his father could come down the stairs to meet his beloved elder son.

Raṇi varataṭcaṇai Sembiyan Mahadevi, Rani Vanavan Mahadevi, Iliya Piratti slowly started to walk behind the Chakravarty to meet their nephew, son and brother, Aditha Karikalan, one last time. Vanathi followed them as well, her steps heavy with grief.

As everyone in the family huddled at the front of the chariot and tried to caress the beloved prince’s face, the cries of the Chakravarti and Rani were the most heart-breaking.  Vanathi, who was standing at the end of the chariot, could not take it anymore. She bowed her head, closed her eyes to drown out the sound of cries and desperately put her hands together in prayer.

Ishvara, may the Ilavarase join you in heaven. And…And give my beloved royal family and the people of Cholanadu the strength to overcome this difficult time.

Vanathi stayed still for a few minutes, hoping the cries had subdued. As she opened her eyes, she knew that her attempt at focusing on praying was futile. 

But she had to try. 

In desperation, her eyes searched for the only face that could give her strength at this moment. 

As her eyes landed on Ponniyin Selvan’s face, Vanathi realized, despite being such a pillar of strength to his father, the young prince could not hold himself together anymore.

His face contorted with unspeakable grief; tears were streaming down his eyes continuously.

Vanathi had endured loss in various forms from a very young age. Her mother’s death, even though she had never met her, had left a deep wound in her childhood. Then her father’s death at Ilankai war, leaving her as an orphan in this cruel world. Then bidding farewell to her only father like figure uncle Periya Velar before every war, not knowing whether he would return alive from them was always tantamount to loss for her….Yet, no pain of these losses compared to the pain of seeing her beloved Ponniyin Selvan grieving at this moment.

Until this point, Vanathi did not realize that she had been crying along with everyone else. But seeing her Ponniyin Selvan break down like this, fresh tears blocked her vision completely. Her heart felt so heavy that for a moment she felt like she could not breathe anymore.

Wiping her tears with pallu, Vanathi took a few deep breaths to calm herself.

As the guards started to move to take the chariot away for cremation, on a whim, Vanathi decided to come at the front of the chariot and touch Ilavarase Aditha Karikalan’s feet, seeking blessings.

An opportunity she never had before.

While she looked at the crown prince’s resting face one last time, Vanathi realized, in death, Aditha Karikalan had finally found his peace.

The peace that he had been searching for a long time.

Tagging my enablers who I have on my profile: @harinishivaa @nspwriteups @balladedutempsjadis @celestesinsight @thelekhikawrites @reeeereeeereeereee @whippersnappersbookworm @sambaridli

Feel free to tag others/reblog if you like :)