"Haa?" Swara was still clueless with his sudden ask.
"I, Sanskar Maheshwari, take Swara Maheshwari, to be my wife, and I do promise and covenant, before Moon and these stars, to be your loving and faithful husband in plenty and in want, in joy and in sorrow, in sickness and in health, as long as we both shall live." He took a round around the small fire pit kept in the middle of the patio furniture.
"It's your turn, Swara." He encouraged when she kept on looking at him blankly.
She smiled with teary eyes. "I, Swara Sanskar Maheshwari, promise to be Sanskar Maheshwari's honest, faithful, and loving wife for the rest of my days."
"Today, I promise to be your navigator and sidekick in all of life's adventures. I promise you myself completely." He took the second round holding her hand.
"I pledge to honour you, love you, and cherish you as my husband today and every day." She followed him, not moving her eyes from his face.
"Today I named my life to yours, not simply as your husband, but as your friend, your lover, and your biggest supporter. Let me be the shoulder you lean on and the companion of your life." He spoke his heart out taking the third round.
"I vow patience, honesty, adoration and prioritisation of our marriage as long as we both shall live." She confessed feeling blessed to find him as her soulmate.
"I promise to always protect you from harm, to stand with you against your troubles. Any adversity in our life, we will be a team to resolve." Sanskar took the fourth round.
"I promise not to plan any of my missions without consulting with you. I won't be hiding even the smallest thing between us." Swara replied, he blinked his eyes assurance.
"I promise to respect, admire and appreciate you for who you are, as well as for the person you wish to become." Sanskrar promised.
"I promise to seek a deep understanding of your wishes, your desires, your fears, and your dreams." Swara nodded with a blink of assurance.
"No matter how difficult the situation is, I will take your opinion before making any decision." Sanskar had earned wisdom from past mistakes.
"I promise to persevere when times get tough, knowing that any challenges we might face, we will conquer them together." Swara repeated in her own words.
"I vow to fiercely love you in all of your forms, now and forever. I promise to never forget this once-in-a-lifetime love. And to always know in the deepest part of my soul that no matter what challenges might carry us apart, we will always find our way back to each other." Sanskar completed the seventh round around the fire.
"I promise to love you, cherish, trust and respect you till my last breath. I promise to maintain the work in progress status of our marriage. I will never give up on you and on our marriage. No running – ever. Nobody walks out no matter what happens. I will choose you above all others to share my life in marriage. This is forever." She kissed their intertwined hands.
Sanskar released his hold over her hand and pulled her in his embrace wrapping his arms around her petite figure.
"I love you Swara." He confessed burying his face in her hair.
"I love you Sanskar." She replied against his heart which was beating with her name.
Sanskar could not control himself and released their embrace. Before Swara could realize, she felt a pair of warm lips sucking on to hers. Suddenly, it felt like she unleashed a storm in the form of passion.