Page 148 of Tiger's Destiny
He stretched out his hand and touched my cheek, stroking it with his thumb. “You are everything to me, Kelsey Hayes. Every moment with you shines brighter than the last.”
I heard the hiss of the ocean as the sun began to sink below the horizon. The warm rays of the setting sun touched Ren’s beautiful face as he softly sealed his vows with a poem.
I PROMISE
I promise to remain faithfully beside you.
I pledge to conquer faults; perfect my character.
I vow to deserve you.
I declare you’re my dream, my fervent wish fulfilled.
I offer my past wealth and future promises.
I swear to keep your trust.
I commit my soul’s fire and my body’s force.
I profess I am forever bound to your heart.
I proclaim I am yours.
“My heart is caged no longer,iadala, for you have set me free. I walked a very long and lonely road to find you, and I want you to know I’d go through it all again a dozen times over as long as I knew you waited for me at the end.”
My eyes filled with tears, and Ren caught one as it trickled down a lash. His warm smile filled me with happiness. I didn’t think the wedding could have been more perfect. And then Ren cracked open a jewelry box.
Two strands of tiny beads wound around each other in gold and blue. Small diamond and sapphire flowers ran down the length of the chain and in the center hung a diamond lotus flower with a ruby center. I pressed trembling fingertips to my lips as I recognized Kishan’s ring reworked into a new form.
Ren turned me around and then his warm fingers brushed my neck as he secured the clasp and explained, “This necklace is called aMangalsutra. The tradition of a groom giving this token to his bride on their wedding day goes back centuries. In ancient times, it was a simple bracelet that indicated to invaders that this woman belonged to another and was, therefore, under a man’s protection. Later, the necklace became a sign that a man and woman were committed to each other, much like an engagement ring. It’s a sign of an inseparable bond between a man and his wife.”
I turned back to him, and as he touched the beads along the edge, he spoke quietly, “Gold and blue tiger’s eye to remember what was found.” His finger trailed down to the lotus ruby in the center. “A diamond lotus and red ruby to remember what was lost.” He slid two fingers up the length of the chain over the dozens of tiny blue flowers. “And sapphire flowers that symbolize what will be.”
Ren took my hands and stepped closer. “Today, I give this precious token to the person most precious to me as a sign of my devotion and love. You are mymere jaan, my life, Kelsey Hayes.”
A few thin tears trickled down my cheek, but Ren gently brushed them away, his touch as light as the breeze. Then he nodded to the priest, who said, “As these two young people have pledged their lives and love to each other, with all of you as witnesses, we will now make their union official.”
He chanted in a singsong voice accompanied by the drums and pipes until the music abruptly stopped. With a toothy smile, he looked up at us and said, “Thistorrigate represents a crossing from the earthly plane into the spiritual. As you take your bride’s hand and step through to the other side, you begin your new life together. Before you were two and now you will be one, forever connected with an unbreakable bond.”
Confidently, Ren gripped my hands. “Are you ready?”
I leaned toward him with a smile and whispered, “What would you do if I said no?”
He ducked his head near my ear. “I have a remedy prepared should you prove to be a reluctant bride.” With a playful glint in his eye, he quickly bent over and before I could mutter a word of protest, he swept me into his arms, five-hundred-pound dress and all.
Laughing softly, I brushed his hair from his eyes and wrapped my arms around his neck while our audience cheered.
“Can I kiss you now?” he asked.
“I think you’d better, tiger,” I replied.
With a lingering kiss, Ren carried me through the torri gate and spun us in a circle to the accompaniment of enthusiastic Japanese musicians. He set me down and slid his hands down my arms. He was about to whisper something else when Sunil slapped him on the back, and well wishers surrounded us.
After animated congratulations from our family and friends and taking a few pictures before the sun was completely gone, Nilima bustled about, getting everyone moving along to the reception.
Ren kissed me thoroughly until I protested, “You’re ruining my makeup.”
He narrowed his eyes playfully. “That sounds like a challenge.”
