#diwali

I'm thrilled to welcome my Candle Girls back for another holiday season- this year they are joined by Yule, St Lucia's Day, and Diwali!

Happy Holidays to all who celebrate!

E=mc²: Diwali - Lara Raj

Synopsis: Diwali at the Raj’s

Pairings: Lara x G!p Loser FemReader

Genre: Fluff

The rest of the series here

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The moment Lara’s car rolled up the driveway, your stomach began doing somersaults. The Rajs’ house glowed with marigolds and fairy lights, each balcony shimmering in gold and orange. You’d been here once before, but this time felt different , heavier, somehow.

Your hands were trembling and once again, you were talking to yourself

“Im not gonna survive this”

“Relax, baby,”

Lara murmured, reaching over to squeeze your hand. Her bangles jingled softly as she smiled.

“They already love you.”

You looked at her, the goddess that she was the confident sorority girl who could own any room and wondered for the hundredth time how someone like her had fallen for someone like you.

Lara’s mom met you at the door and stopped you before you could bend to touch her feet for blessings and to show your respect, after the last time you met them and you bowed to them like gods, Lara had made sure to teach you the right way, her mom pulled you into a hug and smiled then asked a thousand questions about college. Her older sister Rhea joined in too, teasing Lara and making you blush in the process.

The only one who didn’t seem impressed was Mr. Raj, You bend and touched his feet, greeting him and bowing slightly, he gave you polite nod and didn’t say anything.

You tried your best to help, and Mrs. Raj seemed delighted to have you in the kitchen. You chopped, stirred, and listened as she told stories about Lara as a child.

“Lara would dance and sing in the living room for us all the time, she had always been a little Diva”

Her mom said

Her laughter filled the room, and it felt easy until Mr. Raj appeared, arms crossed.

“Come on,”

he said gruffly.

“Let’s make yourself useful outside. We’ll see if you can handle more than chopping onions.”

You wiped your hands, glanced at Lara who gave you an encouraging smile and followed him out to the patio, trying not to wilt under his scrutiny. He had you moving tables, hanging lanterns, fetching boxes, work you didn’t mind, though it was clear he was testing you.

Through the window, you caught a glimpse of Lara watching, her jaw tight. She had that look on her face, the one she uses when she wasn’t pleased with something.

Later, when the sun set and preparations were done, Lara found you sitting on the porch, dusting your hands. She crouched down beside you, her hair flowing like silk in the evening breeze.

“Hey, baby,”

she said softly, brushing some dirt off your sleeve.

“You okay?”

You nodded.

“Yeah. Your dad just wanted help, I didn’t know the preparation were this much”

You said leaning your head onto her knee

“He shouldn’t treat you like that,”

she said, frowning. Fixing your hair like she always does, it still makes you blush.

“You don’t have to prove anything.”

You smiled up at her awkward, shy but meant it.

“It’s okay. He just wants what’s best for you.”

Her expression softened, and she leaned in, pressing a kiss to your cheek.

“You are what’s best for me.”

The next day, Diwali was in full swing. Music, laughter, and the smell of sweets filled every corner of the house. You emerged from the guest room wearing the dark green kurta Lara had picked out for you. She appeared moments later, wrapped in a matching saree, her hair loose and shimmering.

“Perfect,”

she whispered, adjusting your collar, her fingers lingering at your neck.

“I could just Eat. You. Up”

And you lost it, blushing so hard your glasses started to fog a little, Lara was satisfied when she saw you take off your glasses with shaky hands and wiping them.

Throughout the evening, you helped light diyas with her family, your hands trembling just a bit as you knelt beside Lara. She guided your hand, steady and sure, smiling softly when your flame caught the wick. Together, you placed the little diyas along the veranda, the warm light reflecting in her eyes.

She even fed you sweets, she made sure to not give you a lot before you catch a sugar high, Mrs. Raj not far behind snapping cute little pictures, she is sure to herself that her grandkids will want to see these in the future.

Later, when the fireworks began, you stood together at the edge of the yard. She slid an arm around your waist, her head resting against your shoulder. You wrapped an arm around her, as you both played with sparks, smiling and giggling, The night sky exploded in color, painting her face in gold and green. The whole day was perfect, you managed to get through the whole stay without hurting yourself clumsily, which Lara was worried about.

“I’m so in love with you, you know that?”

she murmured.

You didn’t trust yourself to speak, you voice tends to crack when you’re around Lara, so you just held her closer, letting your thumb trace slow circles against her hand as you placed a kiss on her head.

From the porch, Mr. Raj watched quietly. He didn’t say anything, but for the first time that night, the corner of his mouth twitched upward just slightly.

If Lara is happy, then he is happy.

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Ram aayenge toh angana sajaungi

In honor of today, I'd like to take a second to appreciate one of my favorite [and incredibly transmasc] characters from the Hindu epic Mahabharata, Shikhandi!!

(borders by @uzmacchiato)

me explaining shikhandi's story very badly under the cut 👇🏾