Accidentally in Love
Chapter 10: Bound Together

Sameer sat on a small dais, totally confused, frowning at the people around him. His mother was hovering near him, giving out instructions to a few ladies. Munna and Pandit were also rushing around; it seemed they had no time for their friend. Nanu sat with Deepika laughing over something.

Putle ki tarah bithake rakh diya hai… pata nahi kya karna hai. Aur kapde bhi nahi pehenne de rahe.

He had been allowed to put on loose pyjama and a vest, a towel slung over his shoulders was his only modesty. Some girls, he didn’t know their identity, were eyeing him and that made him feel extremely uncomfortable. Didn’t they know he was getting married? How could they stare at him like that?

“Shaadi ka joda bhi leke aana dhyan se”, Vishakha’s voice interrupted his thoughts.

He frowned, “Mummy… shaadi ka joda kyun mangva rahi ho neeche, woh toh Naina ka hai na?”

Vishakha smiled, and sat down next to him, “haan… unke ghar bhejna hoga na. Isiliye mangva rahi hun.”

He didn’t understand these strange rituals, so he asked a more important question, “main kurta pehen lu? Itne saare logo ke beech me mujhe aise bithake rakha hai.”

She shook her head, “nahi Sameer… tumhe haldi lagne wali hai abhi… isiliye toh joda neeche mangvaya.”

He sighed, “kuch samajh nahi aa raha. Haldi… shaadi ka joda… connection kya hai?”

“Aree bhai”, Munna came up to them, “tujhe abhi haldi lagegi, aur phir wahi haldi hum log bhabhi ke ghar le jayenge, taaki unko bhi haldi lag sake.”

Sameer scratched his head, “kyun? Unke ghar pe bhi toh haldi hai.”

Vishakha laughed, “tumhe sach me kuch bhi nahi pata?”

“Koi batayega to pata hoga na”, he replied promptly.

Vishakha smiled at her son, feeling happy that he was talking so normally with her. Although she knew it was just for the wedding, it was because he was happy, and she understood that and liked that he was mature enough to not let some family feuds get in between happiness. Maybe this equation wasn’t long lived, but she still decided to be a part of it wholeheartedly, and so she explained, “shaadi se pehle haldi ki rasam dulha-dulhan ko buri nazar se bachata hai… peela rang shubh shuruat ka rang hota hai, shagun ka rang hota hai kyunki haldi lagate waqt har koi aashirwaad deta hai. Haldi se rang khilta hai, twacha saaf rehti hai, aur dulha-dulhan ke chehre pe chamak aati hai… Pehle ke daur me maante the ke dulhe ko lagi hui haldi agar dulhan ko lage toh zyada shubh hota hai unn dono ki shaadi-shuda zindagi ke liye. Isiliye aaj tak dulhe ke ghar se haldi-pithi, chandan, mithai, phool yeh sab jaata hai aur saath me jaata hai dulhan ka joda, taaki hum ladkiwalo ko keh sake ke ab dulhan ko le jaane ka waqt aa gaya hai.”

Sameer listened to all of this with an expression of wonder in his eyes, and for a moment Vishakha was reminded of the child who would listen to her bedtime stories like this, always in awe of whatever she told him. Those were the days her son would believe in every tale she told him, be it the story of a valiant king, or a lovely princess. Tears welled up in the corner of her eyes as she continued, “Jawab me ladki ke ghar se dulhe ke kapde aur dusri cheeze aati hai, yeh dikhane ke liye ke ladkiwale hamara swagat karneko taiyaar hai. Phir bas… ghodi pe betho aur dulhan ko le aao.”

“Wow”, Sameer breathed, “mujhe nahi pata tha itna sab hota hai… yeh toh bilkul bachpan ki kahaaniyo ki tarah hai.”

Vishakha’s brows furrowed in confusion, “tumhe ab tak yaad hai?”

Sameer jerked, as if coming out of a trance, “uh… kya? Mera matlab… umm… books ki tarah… woh Naina kitaabe padhti hai na, usne dikhaya tha… bachcho ki books.”

“Ohh”, Vishakha was slightly disappointed but then she pacified herself thinking it was natural that Sameer didn’t remember all those stories. He was so small then. What she didn’t notice was that Sameer was also distracted, and a little sad, until the ladies brought the haldi bowls and the rituals started. Vishakha used two big white flowers to apply haldi from one of the bowls to his feet, knees, back of palms, elbows, cheeks and forehead in that order, and then blessed him. Four more ladies did that same procedure, and then that bowl was taken away to be packed, and he understood that this would go Naina’s place. However, what he hadn’t anticipated was what happened next. Nanu, Deepika, Rohan, Munna and Pandit seemed to go all crazy as they scooped up haldi from the remaining bowl and covered him in it, quite literally. He was sure some of it even went inside his mouth, and by the end of it he was somehow flat on the floor with Pandit on his legs, Deepika on his tummy and everyone around them were laughing. Even he was laughing, although he was pretty sure no groom ever had been scrubbed so hard with haldi.

At Agarwal house, Naina was already dressed in a yellow saree and seated in the living room, where everyone was present. Songs were being sung, and people talked nineteen to dozen. Bela kept checking the clock nervously, keeping a tab on the time for ritual. However before her worry could escalate Deepika rushed inside, squealing at the top of her lungs, “bhabhi… bhabhi.”

Naina laughed holding out her arms, and the little girl was hugging her in the next moment, telling about all the things they had brought. Taiji and Chachiji accepted the things, greeting the groom’s side folks properly. Rohan held up a small sealed envelope, gesturing to Naina, and then discreetly passed it on to Preeti, whispering, “bhabhi ko akele me dena.”

Everyone admired the things that had arrived for Naina from her sasural, a lot of them astounded on seeing the gold jewelry, and expensive lehenga. After snacks and sweets, the whole group left from there, armed with Sameer’s sherwani, shoes and other things that he would need for the evening. Preeti also passed over a red envelope mentioning it was for Sameer from Naina. Rohan grinned, “hum dono toh postman banke reh gaye.”

Preeti giggled, “haan… par chalo kuch toh kaam aaye. Joota churai me jijaji se sab hisaab vasool karungi.”

Rohan frowned, “tumhe lagta hai hum joota chori hone denge.”

She gave him an overly sweet smile, “tumhe dekhke toh lagta hai tum joota kya apne-aap ko bhi churaane se nahi bacha paoge.”

Rohan stared at her as she walked away, and Pandit came over thumping on his back, “kya hua bhai?”

“Teekhi mirchi hai bhai ki hone wali saali”, Rohan replied.

Pandit laughed, “haan bahot zyada. Chal ab nikalne ka waqt ho gaya hai.”

The haldi ceremony at Naina’s place had the same rituals as done in Sameer’s place but it was held in a much more calm and docile way. There were songs and dance, but no piling up on bride and definitely no teasing by family. Though Swati, Preeti and Pooja didi did liven up things a bit. Swati applied haldi on Naina’s waist, tickling her, making her giggle.

Naina murmured, “kya kar rahi hai? Aise hasungi toh Taiji daantegi.”

Swati whispered in her ear, “aree thodi haldi kamar pe bhi toh lagni chahiye na… Aakhir jijaji dekhenge.”

Naina hit her friend on her arm, transferring some of the haldi from her own body and Phulla Bua laughed, “aree waah Naina… yeh sahi kiya… ab Swati ki shaadi bhi jaldi ho jayegi.”

“Woh kaise?” Preeti enquired.

Phulla Bua replied, “Dulhan ki haldi kisi kunwari kanya ko lage toh aisa maano ke bas uski shaadi ka waqt aa gaya.”

Swati squealed, “sachchi?? Naina… Phir toh thoda aur laga de.” Preeti moved back horrified, “mujhse toh dur hi reh tu.”

And then all the fun started with everyone trying to put haldi on Preeti, however that ended up in coloring all the ladies around including Taiji, Chachiji and Phulla Bua too. Preeti laughed, “Taiji ko sabse zyada haldi lagi hai, iska matlab agla number unka hoga na?”

“Oh bai”, Taiji exclaimed, “Bela teri beti ki zubaan kenchi ki tarah chalti hai.”

Phulla Bua reprimanded, “aur teri akkal pe kenchi chal gai hai Beena”, then she smiled wide, “mere hote hue pehle iski shaadi kaise hogi… sabse pehle toh mera number hai.”

Everyone laughed, and Naina asked, “kisse karni hai aapko shaadi?”

Phulla Bua raised her eyebrows and teased, “aaj shaam ko jo ghodi pe bethke aa raha hai usise kar leti hun.”

Naina blushed amidst the laughter surrounding her, a strange fluttering sensation spreading through her body at the thought of getting married to Sameer finally. Who would have thought that a Salman Khan movie would have proved to be so perfect?

As she left for her room, Swati gave her a bowl of haldi asking her to apply it all over her body before taking a bath. Naina laughed at her friend, but once she was inside the bathroom she did apply the turmeric paste on her body, and waited for ten minutes before showering. After her bath, she found some time alone before the parlor ladies would come to get her ready, and she pulled out her purse from the wardrobe. Preeti had kept the envelope from Sameer in there, and she took it out, giggling at the red hearts he had drawn on the white sheet. She opened it, and laughed out, on seeing the photograph of Sameer… It was from the haldi ceremony and he was on the floor while almost everyone was scrubbing haldi over him. Goodness… She was glad that the ceremony at her home was a little less wild. There was a letter with the photograph too, and she smiled, opening it quickly. It was a one liner, “aaj nervous mat hona… Main rahunga tumhare saath. Sameer.”

She laughed; fumbling through her purse for the first letter he had sent on the day she had to drink that hideous raw ghee. She still remembered how excited she had been on that day to receive her first love letter, and when she had opened it, she had been so surprised that she had checked the back and front of the page repeatedly to find something she must have missed. That letter had just a few lines written on it, and it read, “mujhe pata hai ghee ka taste bahot ganda raha hoga, par tumhe jaanke khushi hogi ke aaj meri subah ki chai me Ramdhari ne shakkar ke jagah namak daal diya tha, toh mere muh ka swaad bhi kharab hi ho rakha hai. Yeh aadha cream-roll thoda bahot help kar dega, agar nahi karta toh basket me bahot saare chocolates hai. Sameer.”

She dropped both the notes back in her purse, and shook her head, smiling to herself as she thought, ‘Sameer Maheshwari, aapko love letters likhna bilkul nahi aata.’

Soon it was time for her to get ready, and her fingers were cold, nerveless, and she shivered looking at her own reflection. It was all happening so soon… It seemed just like yesterday that they were in that theatre with his arm accidentally around her, and they were lost in each other’s eyes. How had they fallen in love so soon? How had she gained that courage to confess so soon? Oh dear God… She was getting married… arranged marriage to the man she fell in love with in just one accidental meeting.

Just then Preeti came in with a couple of girls and Swati accompanied them, beaming at her friend, “ready Naina?”

She smiled, “ready.”

And so started the process of getting the bride ready… Naina sat through patiently as they applied the base on her face, her eyes were done up for the night, her lips tinted a bold shade of red. The lehenga was already altered to perfection, and fitted her properly, the gold work glittering in the light. The necklace sat perfectly at her throat, the earrings dangling to accentuate her face, the mangtika adding the finishing touch. And as the dupatta was settled on her head and secured with a few pins, she thought she looked good… just like a bride should… Now she only needed Sameer’s reaction.

As the clock struck 7pm sounds could be heard at distance, drums and other equipments indicating that the wedding procession was on its way. Naina’s heart started to beat faster and she clutched on to Preeti’s hand, standing near the window to get a glimpse of her soon-to-be husband. Outside the room, everyone started rushing around putting final touches here and there, ladies checking all the arrangements to welcome the groom’s side. Tauji reminded everyone that there shouldn’t be any mishap, and Bela was assigned the task to welcome Sameer.

A short distance away, Sameer grinned, seated on a white mare, watching his friends and family dance. He had been surprised when his mother had started dancing, and honestly he was starting to get pretty concerned about Nanu’s health too. But their happiness was infectious; he had never imagined that him getting married would bring this family together like this. And now he couldn’t wait to see Naina… She must be looking absolutely gorgeous in that wedding attire they had chosen, and well… she had kept her promise as well. The kantha she had sent was beautiful, and that note… He sighed, recalling the content, “Aaj woh khaas din aa gaya jiski maine kabhi ummeed bhi nahi ki thi. Bachpan se sapne bahot dekhe the, jaise har ladki dekhti hogi shayad… ke meri shaadi aise hogi, waise hogi… pyaar ke bhi sapne dekhe the, aapko toh pata hi hai… par kabhi socha nahi tha ke unme se koi bhi sapna pura hoga, yeh bhi aap jaante hai… Phir ek din, ek ladka mila jisko maine pehle kabhi nahi dekha par phir bhi aisa laga jaise hamesha se jaanti hun. Dil me ajeeb si hulchul hui, nazre mili aur aisa laga ke duniya tham gai. Sach kahu… mujhe toh pata bhi nahi chala tha uss waqt ke ise pyaar kehte hai. Phir jab thoda thoda ehsaas hua toh laga ke yeh bhi unn sapno me se ek hai jo pura nahi ho sakta, isiliye aapka diya hua rumaal maine baki sapno ke saath rakh diya. Par… meri zindagi me pehli baar kuch aisa hua jo main dil se chahti thi ke ho… Sapno ki duniya se bhi zyada khubsurat hai aaj meri haqeeqat, aur yeh sab sirf aapke wajah se hua hai Sameer… Aur mujhe pata hai jab aap sherwani aur saafa pehenke, safed ghodi pe dulha banke aayenge na tab sirf meri nahi, sabki nazar aap pe hogi, isiliye yeh dhaaga bhijwa rahi hun. Yahan pe Ganesh puja ke waqt puja me jo mauli rakhi thi woh dhaaga hai yeh, apni kalai pe bandhwa lijiyega, yeh aapko buri nazar se bachayegi. Aapka intezaar rahega… aapki Naina.”

He had gotten the thread tied to his wrist by Nanu, even though he didn’t really believe in all such things, but still… Naina believed it, and she had sent it for him, so he had followed her instructions. He didn’t know if God’s blessings worked this way or not, but he was sure Naina’s heart’s wish would surely work for him. And how did she manage to write such long letters all the time? He also had so much to tell her, talk with her, but whenever he would sit to write he would feel telling all that to her would be much better in-person. He hoped she didn’t mind his lack of letter writing skills. Anyways, after today there would be no need for them to write letters to each other. She would be with him always.

After another thirty minutes he could see the decorated pathway leading to Naina’s society and the ground nearby that was the wedding venue. Excitement coursed through his veins on seeing the group assembled to welcome the procession. Soon… soon he would be able to see Naina. Finally… The music started to get louder, the dance turning to frenzy as they approached the welcoming gate. It took them another thirty minutes to finally dismount and let the bride’s side welcome them at the gate. There was some teasing and lots of laughter as Bela did Sameer’s aarti and tilak. He kept looking towards the decorated house, hoping to catch a glimpse of Naina, but all he could see was Preeti, Swati and a lot of other girls giggling from the balcony. Arjun guided him up to the stage, and made him sit on a chair. Munna, Pandit and Rohan joined them, and Deepika tagged along holding Sameer’s hand. She was a bit surprised to see such a crowd, and pulled on Sameer’s sherwarni, “bhabhi kahan hai?”

Sameer frowned, “main bhi intezaar kar raha hun.”

He kept fidgeting, until he finally heard Chachiji instructing someone to get Naina for the varmala ritual. And then ten minutes later he finally got the first glimpse of her. His breath left his lungs in a soft exhale, his gaze softening, and his heart thumped in a peculiar rhythm that seemed to match her footsteps as she walked towards him. Dressed in the red wedding lehenga, traditional gold jewelry, she looked more than gorgeous… she looked ethereal. And that moment, that feeling was so unique. He remembered every bit of his life ever since he was a child, the good and the bad both, flashing right in-front of his eyes, but the one moment that stood out was when his eyes had met hers in that movie theatre not so long ago… and he knew… he knew that he was going to share everything in his heart bit-by-bit with his wife, he knew he had finally found someone with whom he could be himself, he knew he had found someone to whom he could belong, he knew he had found home.

She came up the stage, and stood in-front of him, her gaze lowered from shyness, but the smile on her lips conveyed her happiness. He didn’t mind that she wasn’t looking at him, because he hadn’t been able to take his eyes off hers, and he didn’t think he would ever be able to. Did every girl look so beautiful on their wedding day? Someone, he didn’t know who, handed him over a garland made of white and red flowers, and a similar one was given to Naina as well. And then… she looked up at him, her eyes shining with trust, happiness and love… He very nearly melted into a puddle right there… a very happy contented puddle. For a brief moment he even imagined it, like in cartoon shows, and had a strange urge to laugh. But then he was suddenly being lifted up in air, and he screamed, “aah… kya kar rahe ho?”

Munna replied, “aree chup kar… upar nahi uthayenge toh bhabhi haar pehna degi.”

“Haan toh… shaadi karne ke liye haar toh pehnana padega na”, Sameer replied, squirming to get down.

Pandit panted, “itni asaani se nahi… ladkiwalo ko hamare level pe aane de.”

He was about to ask what they meant, when Arjun and few other guys lifted Naina up as well, bringing her nearly to his level. There was a lot of commotion as they tried to put the garlands around each other, but the people carrying them didn’t seem inclined to let them do it. However, after five or six attempts Naina finally managed to get her hand over to him and placed the garland around him when he was least expecting it. Surprised, he looked down at himself, and grinned, asking his friends to put him down. Once back on steady ground, he moved forward to her, and his eyes sparkled with happiness as she put the garland around her neck. Photographs clicked but he didn’t bother to look at the camera, neither did she, and he was sure all the pictures would show him grinning foolishly.

Little later they were seated on the chairs, waiting for the further proceedings to begin, while a few people came up on stage to meet them. He wanted to talk, but it seemed something had stuck in his throat; suddenly he seemed incapable to produce any words. He just smiled and shook hands with people, most of whom he didn’t know. In a few moments someone came along and gave them water. He frowned in confusion at the glass in his hand, but then he heard Naina’s voice, “paani pee lijiye… achcha lagega.”

He did as she instructed, and sighed in relief. She asked, “nervous?”

He chuckled, glancing at her, “thoda… tum?”

“uh-huh… kisike letter se kaam chal gaya”, she replied with a smile.

He tilted his head, finding that the water had indeed worked, and he could talk again. Smiling a bit he said, “tum bahot zyada beautiful lag rahi ho.”

“Thank you”, she looked away again, “aur aap waise hi lag rahe hai jaise maine socha tha.”

Intrigued he asked, “kaisa?”

She adjusted her dupatta, seemingly occupied, as she said, “sabse handsome dulha.”

He grinned again, and then asked, “kab hogi shaadi?”

She covered her mouth to control her wide smile, “10pm ka mahurat hai. Kaafi jaldi ka nikla hai.”

He rolled his eyes, “jaldi? Naina… ab tak ek ghanta baaki hai.”

She smiled, watching a few people approaching towards them, “zyadatar aadhi raat ke baad ka nikalta hai.”

He was silent, this time in surprise, when the people came to wish them. After midnight! Then when did the couple reach home? In morning? And if they reached in morning, then what about…? Uh… He should stop thinking along those lines right now… They were just getting married, and he needed to be calm… patient with Naina. She had indicated she understood things, but still they shouldn’t be rushing into things. He guessed she would appreciate a bit more sensitivity from him.

Finally, it was 10pm, and they were asked to sit down for the main ritual. The holy fire was lit, family gathered around, and Nanu beamed at him with happiness. The priest chanted hymns which Sameer didn’t understand, but his attention was focused entirely on the girl sitting next to him, he kept wondering if she was frightened. When her hand was placed in his for Kanyadaan, he gave her a gentle squeeze hoping to let her know that he was there, but she smiled up at him letting him know that she was alright. He was told by the priest that from now on Naina’s responsibility belonged to him, and he obediently nodded, making Nanu smile. When the priest explained the seven vows of wedding, they both listened attentively, and then they were told to stand up for the pheras. He held her hand, and slowly they started to walk around the fire, and as each round finished a feeling of contentment settled deep inside his heart, and he knew that this was a feeling that would never be replaced. He couldn’t help but grin after the pheras ended, and his friends teased him, whispering in his ear to close his mouth. His mother handed over a mangalsutra to him, and the priest instructed him to tie it around Naina’s neck. He did so, while Preeti helped by holding her dupatta up a bit, and as he leaned forward he gently whispered, “I love you.” Naina looked up at him briefly, smiling, and then someone held up a small box of sindur asking him to fill it in her head. Preeti lifted Naina’s maangtika, leaving the partition bare, and he pinched the red powder on a coin as instructed and applied it on her head. Some of the sindur scattered on her nose, and he took out his handkerchief immediately to wipe it off, apologizing for the mistake. But before he could wipe it, she caught his hand, opening her eyes to look at him and smiled. Vishakha also stopped him, “nahi Sameer… pocho mat use. Yeh shubh hai.”

He was puzzled, “par naak pe…”

Bela smiled, “beta… iska matlab yeh hai ke shaadi-shuda zindagi me pyaar badhega.”

His eyes widened and he looked at her again, “ohh…” Naina blushed, lowering her gaze again, her heart skipping beats as she knew that she was finally a married woman.

A few more minutes went by as the priest wrapped up the hymns, and then his friends let out hoots and whistles as they stood up. Naina stumbled a bit while standing up, and Preeti reached out to support her, but before she could do anything Sameer held her hand, keeping her steady and he didn’t leave her hand after that.

However, when they stepped down from the dias, he noticed that his shoes were missing. He looked at his brother, who grinned and gestured to Munna and Pandit. Vishakha asked, “kya hua beta, ruk kyun gaye?”

Sameer shrugged, “kuch nahi… bas Munna mera joote leke aaye.”

Naina smiled to herself, quite assured that the shoes were definitely not with his friends. As Munna walked towards them, Sameer leaned down, and whispered, “dekha… joote chori nahi huye.”

She confidently smiled, “dekhte hai.”

Munna opened the bag and took out the box, but when he lifted the cover of the box it was full of flowers. There were no shoes. Sameer looked at Naina, shocked, and she smiled sweetly. Pooja didi, Swati and Preeti came forward, and declared, “jiaji ke joote toh hamare paas hai.”

“Toh de do”, Pandit replied, “warna bhabhi ko ghar kaise le jayenge.”

Preeti laughed, “itni asaani se nahi milne wale. Nek dena padega.”

Munna coaxed, “aree kya tum log bhi… ab toh hamara dost tumhari behen ka ho gaya na, kabhi bhi le lena nek.”

Swati smiled, “kabhi bhi le sakte hai toh abhi hi de do. Pure 2000 rupaye lenge.”

Pandit feigned surprise, “itna saara kaun maangta hai.”

“Hum maang rahe hai”, Pooja didi replied.

The playful banter continued offers to negotiate were exchanged; lesser amount, free movie tickets, dinner at a restaurant, and many such generous offers were rejected. Finally Nanu intervened, and said, “chalo thike ab… shaadi me saali nahi aur kaun paise kamayega. De do beta.”

Sameer nodded, “ji Nanu”, and glanced once at the triumphant smile on Naina’s face. He put his hand inside his sherwani pocket, and frowned, “oh no… nikalte waqt wallet kisine diya hi nahi. Sorry Nanu… aap de do na abhi.”

Nanu agreed, pulling out his wallet, and sighed, “mere bhi saare paise dhol wale ko dene me chale gaye.”

Chachaji mediated, “jaane do na… Damadji aise khade hai nange paav.”

“Par papa”, Preeti countered, “yeh toh hamara haq hai. Pooja didi ke shaadi me bhi toh Varun jijaji ne diya tha.”

Munna replied, “aree toh hum konsa mana kar rahe hai deneko… Keh toh rahe hai ke paise baraat me kharch ho gaye.”

Pandit grasped Sameer’s arm, “chod yaar… tu joote bina hi chal le.”

Sameer stepped forward, but the next moment he yelped loudly, lifting his foot and covering it with his hand. Naina immediately held his arm to support him, “kya hua aapko?”

“Pata nahi”, Sameer gritted his teeth, hissing in pain, “kuch chubh gaya… shayad kaanch tha.”

Naina was frantic with worry, “hey bhagwaan… bethiye yahan pe… Preeti, jaa davai le aa, aur inke joote bhi le aa.”

Everyone scrambled around, and within the next two minutes medicines, antiseptic, and his shoes were in-front of them. Sameer grinned, slipping his feet inside his shoes, and turned to Naina, “kaha tha na… Sameer Maheshwari se koi shart nahi jeet sakta.”

Naina gasped, “iska matlab… aap natak…”

He nodded, but his smile dimmed on seeing the tears that had welled up in her eyes. His friends were celebrating their victory, but his saalis had downcast expressions, and the elders didn’t seem to know what to do. He held Naina’s hand and stood up, addressing everyone, “sorry… iss natak ke liye. Darasal meri shart lagi thi Naina se, ke main bina paise diye joote wapas leke rahunga, aur main aaj tak koi shart nahi haara…” He sighed, and pulled out his wallet from his pocket, “par… aaj pehli baar jeetne ke baad aisa laga ke zyada mazaa haarne me aata shayad.”

Opening his wallet, he took out all the money, and handed it over to Preeti without even counting. Chachiji said, “beta yeh kya kar rahe ho… gin toh lo.”

Sameer smiled, “zarurat nahi hai… Naina ki muskurahat se zyada keemti nahi hai.”

The girls squealed in celebration, and his friends thumped his back, while he looked down at his wife as she smiled through her tears. Yeah… His victory was now linked to hers… They both needed to win.

It was late, but finally they were made to sit at a table to eat as both of them had refused any meal after varmala. Sameer still didn’t feel hungry, and it seemed Naina was also not hungry, but still they were asked to eat a bit and were offered only one thali to eat from. Sameer checked the time, it was almost 1am, and he slowly asked, “thak gai ho na bahot?”

She shook her head, “main theek hun.”

“Ab kya hoga?”, he queried.

She was silent for a moment, as she chewed on a bit of sweet, and then replied, “bidaai.”

He bit his lip, “tum rone wali ho kya?”

She didn’t reply, and neither did she look up; he held her hand beneath the table understanding that she was already feeling sad at the prospect of leaving her home behind. After some time he whispered, “I love you Naina. Bidaai ke baad bhi tum akeli nahi ho.”

She squeezed his hand in reply, “I love you too.”

People rushed around doing some work, keeping things in car, but he didn’t pay attention to anyone apart from Naina, who was sitting almost still with a death grip on his hand. After fifteen more minutes, Chachaji came up to them, “Bidaai ka waqt ho gaya hai beta.”

They stood up, and he reluctantly left her hand, knowing her family will want to meet her. He could tell she tried very hard to not cry; instead she kept on consoling Chachiji about how she was not going far. But when Chachiji hugged her, she broke down, sobbing hard. Sameer had a lump in his throat seeing her cry like that as she hugged each family member. Preeti and Swati were also sobbing, and seeing all of them cry Deepika also started to cry. Rohan tried to console his sister, telling her there was no reason for her to cry. Even Taiji had tears in her eyes, and to Sameer’s surprise Naina’s father who usually remained aloof also blessed her properly. Chachaji brought Naina to Sameer, asking him to take care of his daughter, and Sameer promised that he would. Rice was offered to Naina, instructing her to throw it behind over her head, and he saw Chachiji catching it in her pallu.

“Bas ab palatke mat dekhna beta”, Chachaji instructed.

Naina closed her eyes, trying to control her tears, and finally Sameer held her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder to guide her to the waiting car. Preeti leaned inside the car through the window, speaking nonsense to cheer Naina up, but given that she was still crying it didn’t really help much. He didn’t know how much time went by, but finally Chachaji asked the driver to leave, and he along with Arjun pushed the car a bit for shagun.

Rohan followed in another car with the remaining family, and his friends were behind them in one more car. Sameer waited patiently as Naina kept crying silently, her hands fisted on her lap, but then it was too much for him. He gently took her hands in his, unfolding her fisted fingers, stroking them softly, and then pulled her to him, giving her the solace of his arms as she cried. He didn’t ask her to stop, he didn’t tell her there was nothing to cry, rather he felt an enormous amount of respect for women all around the world as he understood the amount of courage it took for them to leave everything they had known since childhood and begin a new journey with a person who was mostly unknown to them. Finally halfway to their home, she was calm enough and pulled back, trying to wipe her cheeks. He took out his handkerchief, and gently wiped the tears from her face, softly whispering, “tum theek ho?”

She nodded, sniffing, and looked up at him, “mera makeup?”

He chuckled, “ekdum perfect lag rahi ho tum Mrs. Maheshwari.” Her eyes widened for a bit, and then she smiled, linking her fingers with his, and took a deep breath, ready to step into a new world. He also settled back, content, looking at their linked hands, feeling amazed at the deepest bond that now bound them together.