Chapter 5 – The Wedding Under the Old Banyan Tree

The village woke before sunrise.

A soft layer of mist drifted across the fields, covering the young rice shoots like a white blanket. Smoke rose from every chimney as families prepared breakfast, while children ran excitedly through the narrow dirt paths.

Today was different.

Today was a wedding.

Inside the small mud house, Anaya sat quietly on a wooden stool as several village women surrounded her.

"Don't move," Auntie Lian laughed while carefully combing her long black hair. "A bride should look beautiful."

Another woman carefully tucked a tiny white wildflower behind her ear.

"We couldn't afford expensive ornaments," she said apologetically, "but these flowers bloomed this morning. They're much prettier."

Anaya looked at her reflection in a polished bronze mirror.

The girl staring back at her looked nothing like the exhausted office worker she had once been.

Her long hair was braided neatly, a simple red dress wrapped around her slender figure, and the tiny white flowers gave her a gentle, graceful appearance.

She smiled softly.

Perhaps beauty didn't always come from gold and silk.

Sometimes...

It came from the sincerity of those around you.

Grandmother Mei stood in the doorway, quietly wiping away tears.

"My little girl..." she whispered.

Anaya immediately stood and walked over.

"Grandmother?"

The old woman gently cupped her face.

"When your parents passed away, I was afraid I wouldn't live long enough to see you married."

Her voice trembled.

"But today..."

"...I can finally keep my promise to them."

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Anaya wrapped her arms around the elderly woman.

Although they had known each other for only a short time...

She could already feel the warmth of a family she thought she had lost forever.

Outside, the sound of footsteps echoed through the courtyard.

"The groom has arrived!"

The children shouted excitedly.

Every woman hurried outside.

Anaya remained where she was, her heartbeat quickening.

Auntie Lian smiled knowingly.

"Nervous?"

"A little."

"That's normal."

She adjusted Anaya's sleeves one final time before leading her toward the door.

Sunlight poured into the courtyard.

Standing beneath the old banyan tree was Arjun.

He wore freshly washed dark-blue robes instead of his usual hunting clothes. His hair had been tied neatly, and although his clothes were plain, he stood straight with quiet confidence.

He looked up just as Anaya stepped outside.

For a brief moment...

Neither of them spoke.

Arjun wasn't looking at a stranger rescued from the river.

He was looking at the woman who would soon become his wife.

Anaya lowered her eyes shyly.

She noticed he wasn't carrying a bow today.

Instead, he held a small woven basket.

Walking forward, he offered it to Grandmother Mei.

"I don't have much to give," he said respectfully.

"But these are the first honeycomb of the season and the best dried meat I prepared last winter."

"I hope you'll accept them."

The old woman's eyes became moist again.

"They're more than enough."

She knew exactly how precious honey was.

Hunters often spent days searching dangerous cliffs just to collect a single hive.

The fact that Arjun had saved it for today spoke louder than expensive gifts ever could.

The village elder raised his walking stick.

"It is time."

The entire village gathered beneath the ancient banyan tree, where generations of weddings had been held.

There was no grand palace.

No musicians.

No luxurious decorations.

Only smiling neighbors, fresh flowers, and the blessings of people who genuinely wished them happiness.

As Anaya stood beside Arjun, she realized something.

Perhaps a simple wedding...

Could be the most beautiful kind of wedding after all.

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