Always and Forever
Part - 49: Always and Forever

“Aaahhhh….!”

A scream rented through the air in Maheshwari bungalow, but no one seemed to pay attention. In fact few ladies giggled, shaking their head and then continued on with their work. Vishakha moved here and there, preparing stuff for the baraat… There were so many things to be done. The kalash needed to be filled with holy water to sprinkle at the doorsteps… An earthen pot was half filled with water and then few pinches of kumkum and haldi were sprinkled inside, and then she passed it on to another lady so that the coconut and asopalav leaves could be arranged on top of it… A silver dish of aarti was prepared… More sweets were laid out… And several other plates held items that were instructed by the priest.

Meanwhile upstairs, the sounds of screaming and laughing could still be heard from the biggest bedroom, as the groom-to-be was being given a thorough scrub down by his friends. Sameer kept struggling, but he was no match in-front of the three determined men holding him down, and scrubbing every inch of his body. Special occasions like this called for innovative measures… And so Munna had a clothes-washing brush in his hands, Rohan has managed to sneak out a brand new steel scrubber from the kitchen, and Pandit had collected the rough coconut peels that were thrown out this morning by Ramdhari.

Sameer had been stripped of every bit of clothes except his boxers, and was sitting inside the bathtub, while the three men gathered around. He squirmed, trying to save his back from the vigorous scrubbing and at the same time kept adjusting the waistband of his boxers afraid that Naina’s name would be visible. He whined, “abey… dheere karo… idhar-udhar cheel gaya toh raat ko Naina ko kya bolunga.” However his pleas fell on deaf ears.

Just a minute later Deepika bounced into the room, but to her dismay the bathroom door was locked, and so she knocked loudly, asking to enter. Sameer immediately grabbed the chance, and requested, “Deepika… Mummy ko leke aao please… Main dus chocolate dunga.”

It was too tempting offer to reject, so she skipped back downstairs to call Vishakha. However, Sameer’s attempt to get help from his mother backfired, because when she came upstairs, she just laughed at his complain, and instead instructed, “zara achche se ghisna dulhe raja ko.”

On the other hand Naina was given two buckets of warm water infused with jasmine, rose and cinnamon; and was instructed to take a proper bath, even wash her hair with the same water. Bela also handed over a small bowl of baby oil infused with the same things. Naina was puzzled at all these arrangement and queried, “haldi ke baad naha toh liya. Ab wapas yeh sab kyun?”

Bela had a faint blush on her cheeks but her tone was exasperated as she replied, “zaroori hota hai beta… Tujhe abhi samajh nahi aayega.”

Phulla Bua added in a strict tone, “sab paani istemaal karna, aur tel bhi achche se lagana… warna dusri ladkiyo ko andar bhejti hun nehlane ke liye.”

“Nahi…”, Naina immediately objected, “main khud kar lungi.” Grabbing her clothes she went inside the bathroom, and locked the door. She sat on the small plastic stool, sniffed the fragrant water and chuckled, “kaash mere gharwalo ko yeh pata hota ke Sameer ko inn sab ki zaroorat nahi hai.” However, finally she just followed the instructions of her family, thinking that whatever the outcome, it would be pleasant. Who knows? Maybe he would really like this fragrance…

After her bath she draped one towel around her head, and then rubbed the baby oil all over her body with gentle hands, taking care to massage until it soaked through her skin. Then she used the wet towel to gently pat down her body once more, so that any excess oil would be absorbed by the towel rather than staining her clothes. She slipped on her innerwear, and then wore the choli of her wedding lehenga along with a salwar. By the time she stepped out of the bathroom with the towel slung over her arm, the parlor ladies had arrived, and Preeti had let them inside the room. However, Taiji had waddled in along with them and shrieked on seeing Naina like that with her midriff bare, “oh bai! Laaj sharam bhul gai hai sab… Aise kaise bahar aa gai bathroom se.”

Naina quickly draped the towel like a dupatta, but she was determined to not let Taiji spoil her mood today, and so she frowned, “aap idhar kya kar rahe hai? Main isi wajah se parlor walo ke alawa kisi aur ko andar nahi aane deti. Yeh log toh bolte hai kuch bina pehne aaneka bahar, taaki taiyar karne me asaani ho.”

“Oh bai”, Taiji let out another shriek, covered her ears, and rushed out while muttering, “raam raam re…”

The parlor ladies giggled, and Preeti laughed as she closed and locked the door, “aree waah… Aaj shaadi honewali hai toh abhi se hi Taiji ki band bajani shuru kar di tune toh.”

Naina grinned, “aaj mera mood koi kharab nahi kar sakta.”

One of the ladies instructed her to sit down, and the plugged in a hair dryer, starting to dry her hair. Naina watched her hair slowly become smooth and glossy and wondered what Sameer was doing at that moment.

Unaware to her, Sameer was totally frustrated in that very moment because a bucket full of detergent mixed water had been dunked on him. He wiped his mouth, and cursed, “abey kamino…”

Pandit pacified, “bhai… rasam hai.”

Sameer narrowed his eyes, and threatened, “agar mere baal kharab hue na toh Naina tum logo ko chodegi nahi… Tumko pata hai na, usko mere baal sabse zyada pasand hai, hamesha se…”

An image of angry ‘Naina-devi’ popped up in-front of Munna and Pandit, and they hastily poured clean water over his head, rinsing the detergent off his hair. Rohan, who had never witnessed the angry avtar of his bhabhi, teased, “agar bhabhi ko sirf baal hi pasand hai toh roz subah itni exercise karke body banana ka kya fayda.”

Sameer smirked, “tu chota hai… samjhega nahi abhi… Gaadi kitni bhi mazaa deti ho par chalate waqt pakadne ke liye steering wheel toh hona chahiye na.”

Munna and Pandit chortled at this, but the metaphorical explanation eluded Rohan, who queried, “kya steering? Bhabhi thodi na gaadi chalati hai?”

Sameer laughed aloud, and even Munna-Pandit toppled over roaring with laughter, and landed partially inside the bathtub. Sameer immediately grabbed the opportunity, dunking them with water as well… Rohan made a squeaking sound, trying to escape, but the other boys grabbed his hands, pulling him inside as well. Soon all the four boys were covered head-to-toe with detergent bubbles, and each of them was thoroughly scrubbed by something or the other.

Finally after ten minutes, Sameer stood up, and climbed out of the tub, turning for a moment to see the three boys still snickering inside, and thought, ‘socha tha Naina ko dekhunga isme bubble ke beech me… par yahan toh…’

Shaking his head at the absurd situation, he walked into the shower cabinet, to take a proper bath, but to his astonishment, Munna and Pandit trooped inside just as he turned on the shower. He scowled, “kya kar rahe ho dono?”

Munna clucked his tongue, “aree yaar… tujhe taiyar karna hai toh humko bhi saaf toh hona padega na.”

Rohan stood outside the shower area, feeling bit awkward, but Sameer rolled his eyes, “tum kyun bahar khade ho? Tum bhi andar aa jao… Mela laga hai yahan.”

At Munna and Pandit’s insistence, Rohan also stepped inside, and as each of them vied for the shower, Sameer muttered, “yahi dekhna baaki tha life me… Main apne shaadi ke din teen ladko ke saath naha raha hun.”

These mutterings didn’t affect the others at all, as they each cleaned up, and then stepped out of the bathroom with towels around their waist. A small click made them look up, and they were shocked to see Deepika standing at the door, poised with a camera. “Oi”, they all screamed and tried to cover up themselves, while the girl kept on clicking. Somehow they managed to shoo off Deepika by throwing cushions from the love seat on her, and then they locked the door.

Pandit suddenly slapped his forehead, “aree yaar… Sameer ke kapde toh yahan hai par hamare kapde toh alag kamre me hai… Ab lene kaun jayega.”

Somehow all three friends unanimously turned to Rohan, who made a little protesting sound, but then gave up knowing he wouldn’t be able to hold his own in-front of them. And so, he dressed up in Sameer’s casual clothes and wandered outside. In a few minutes there was a knock on the door, and Sameer opened a bit, peeping outside to check if indeed Rohan had returned so quickly or was it Deepika’s mischief once more, but to his astonishment it was his mother.

He gasped, immediately closing the door again, and said, “mummy… aap andar nahi aa sakti.”

Vishakha giggled, “bachpan me maine hi nehlaya hai tumko beta.”

Pandit immediately piped up, “Auntyji… yaqeen karo… bachpan me aur ab me bahot farq hai…”

The sounds of stifled laughter could be heard, and then Vishakha said, “achcha theek hai… main toh yeh chain aur ghadi dene aai hun. Locker me rakhi thi na.”

Sameer opened the door just a tad bit, and extended his palm outside, “haath me de dijiye.”

Vishakha smiled, doing as instructed, and soon Rohan also came in with the clothes.

At the other end, Naina’s hair had been roughly pinned up so that a glossy serum could be applied on her back. The lady explained that some parlor have started using glitter to add shine, but their owner considered it tacky so she had invested in this imported serum that would give a slightly glossy effect but still keep it natural. Her makeup was also done, and Naina watched the application carefully, trying to catch whatever tricks she could. Till now she had always done basic makeup, but the cosmetic they had shopped to be used after her wedding included much more sophisticated stuff upon Preeti’s recommendation. So she watched as the base was applied, the foundation brushed across her cheeks, and the contouring done with precision to highlight her cheek bones and the line of her nose. She understood how it was essential to keep a tissue handy all the time, and the excess of mascara could be wiped on it, before applying to her lashes so as to avoid those weird tiny chunks which made the lashes look as if something was crawling on top of them. Eyeliner was easy, and so was lipstick, but she hoped she could be at least ten percent as fast and efficient as these parlor people when it came to make-up.

Once the make-up was set, they started working on her hairstyle, crimping a bit of hair as needed, and then twisting and curling part of strands into big waves. The maximum mass of hair was put up in a bun, that was made to look bigger and rounder using a bun-shaper; and then the wavy strands were twisted into braids which were framed in circular motion around the bun, giving it a fancy look. Though this did make Naina wonder as to who would see it because the whole time her hair would be covered with pallu… Maybe all this was just to make the bride feel more beautiful. And after the pearly pins were stuck on her hair, she did think it looked pretty as she turned her head this way and that to check.

Meanwhile at Maheshwari bungalow Munna, Pandit and Rohan had already dressed up quickly; and Sameer had dried his hair, and applied cream over his face and body, a task he would hand over to no one. He applied deodorant, and then once again went inside the bathroom to wear a fresh pair of boxers and vest. He had stopped wearing vest mostly, but the person at the sherwani shop had recommended that he wear one inside to protect the silk inner kurta from any perspiration stains, and also it would be more comfortable that way. He wrapped the towel around his waist, and then waited until his friends were almost ready.

Finally the three boys got out Sameer’s attire and he was made to stand in the center of the room near the bed, feeling like a showpiece while his friends figured out the simple things that he was supposed to wear. For a second he thought if his getting ready had so many procedures how must it be for Naina. He wondered how she was getting on with it, and decided he would ask her about the difficulties and rituals she had to adhere to, but not tonight of course.

Pandit flicked the chooridar, and helped him wear it, though he insisted on tying the knot himself as he finally removed the towel from around his waist.

A lady helped Naina wear the heavy lehenga skirt, and a few attempts were required to tie the knot so that it was tight enough for the lehenga to hold for the entire night, yet not too tight to hurt her.

Rohan helped him with the silk inner kurta for which he had to sit down to ease the process. It came with simple buttons on front that were easy to do.

Preeti dusted Naina’s back once more, and then adjusted the choli here and there to ensure it was settled properly on her body, and then secured the dori with a tight double knot.

Munna and Pandit held out the main sherwani like a suit jacket so he could slide his hands inside. This required two or three attempts because on first attempt the kurta sleeves bunched up his forearms.  He frowned, not sure how to tackle that one, because shirts had buttons on sleeves that prevented the fabric from bunching up when he wore suit. Rohan suddenly snapped his fingers as if he had an idea, and asked him to press the edge of his sleeves on his palm with his fingers, just like his mother had taught Deepika to do when she wore sweater over full sleeved dresses. That tactic worked, but another problem arose as the kurta gathered around the back of his shoulders making him feel uneasy, and once again Rohan came up with the idea as he sat down, and held the bottom edge of kurta while Munna-Pandit slid the sherwani up his shoulders.

Two parlor ladies pleated the dupatta properly to ensure that the heavy border was completely visible, and then placed it on her shoulder, securing it with a safety pin, keeping the longer part falling on her back. A corner from behind was curved in a semi-circular shape, and tucked at her waist, and once more pinned. Similarly the front part of the dupatta was also stretched across her body and pinned at her waist.

As Rohan did the buttons of Sameer’s sherwani and then helped him wear the gold chain that had been given by Naina’s family, at the same time Preeti helped Naina put on the necklace, earrings and maangtika given by Vishakha.

Sameer strapped on the watch on his left wrist, while Naina slipped on bangles on both hands. And then they both stood staring at their reflection, with broad smiles on their faces wondering about the others’ reaction when they would see each other.

Sameer stepped downstairs with his friends and brother, and was asked to sit on a chowki in the living room. Vishakha did his aarti, applied tilak, sprinkled some rice and flowers on his head, and then did a small ritual to ward off evil eye. Poonam bhabhi was called upon to make him wear kantha, and when Rohan asked why she didn’t do it, Vishakha replied, “bhabhi ka nek hota hai yeh.”

On the other end, Naina was also made to sit on a low chowki, in-front of temple, and she did aarti of devi maa. Then Bela used salt and water to ward off the evil eye, and marked a small kajal dot behind her ear. Mamiji brought out the gold payal that had been given by Vishakha, and hooked them to Naina’s feet, blessing her with some money.

Vishakha tied a red saafa on his head, assisted by Deepika who was asked to just hold whenever necessary. Sameer grinned at his mother, feeling overwhelmed in that moment, because this was something he had never imagined in his life. He had never thought he would get love and family in his life, but now he had both. His mother was not just happy, she was overjoyed, and enthusiastic, and was eager to welcome Naina in their home. The saafa was tied, and Vishakha used her hands to do the traditional evil warding sign, and then kissed his forehead.

At the same time, Bela sprinkled a small pinch of rice and flowers on Naina, and then did the custom of pulling up the pallu over her head. Immediately the parlor ladies came to hold the heavy pallu in place, and started to pin it up, so that it framed her face properly. A few tucks, couple of pins and it was done. And then she was asked to sit inside the room until the baraat arrived.

Naina grabbed a book from the desk, and sat on the bed to wait, thinking she would read. However, she just kept turning the pages without any focus, her mind unable to concentrate on book for the first time in her life. All she could think of was the upcoming ceremony and then the night. God… This was the night of their wedding. A dream that a 16 year old girl had seen was now culminating into reality. There were so many emotions coursing through her right now… joy of finally getting married to the only man she had ever loved, sadness about leaving this home, anticipation of a new life, and mixed with all this was the subdued euphoria of the awaited night. Finally, none of them would have to control… She glanced at the clock, and a new thought struck her mind. Will there be enough time? The mahurat was late, and then there would be the grihpravesh rituals… so then… how? Would they have to wait for tomorrow night? Or maybe they won’t need so much time… It’s not like Sameer would have to explain anything to her or wait for her to be ready… The only time they would need to would be to… ummm… remove their clothes. She blushed furiously at this thought, but then soon wondered about how long she would need… God… there was the whole make-up removal routine, and then there were so many pins in her hair, and safety pins on her lehenga. Even she didn’t remember exactly where all they had pinned her clothes up…

As she sat lost in thoughts, at the other end Sameer had finally stepped out of his home, and Munna-Pandit boosted him up the white mare, while Poonam bhabhi was given an earthen pot with coconut to carry on her head. Vishakha did a small ritual wherein Poonam bhabhi had to walk around the mare thrice and then carefully pour some water from the pot on the path. Then she was instructed to walk 10 paces with the pot balanced on her head, while the mare followed. Sameer instinctively held on to the small raised handle that was attached to the riens as the big animal moved. He felt a moment of vertigo, and then sat still, grinning and trying to imagine Naina’s reaction in his mind. Her eyes would shine with happiness and her face would light up with the most gorgeous smile.

The things that were to be taken with them were loaded in the cars, elderly ladies also sat in the car, and then the baraat was ready to leave. The sun was setting at the horizon as the music kicked up, and upon Munna-Pandit’s request the first song played was “aaj mere yaar ki shaadi hai.” Sameer laughed out loud at the song, and then at the dance of his friends while Rohan stood by the side of the mare, his expression reflecting surprise. He tried to understand the steps of the performance, but it was all so haphazard that he couldn’t remember anything. Very soon, more boys and men joined, and the next song which he band started to sing was “saat samundar paar.” Sameer knew that it was a standard song for all the weddings in Gujarat, and along with that the naagin dance which was now being performed with full enthusiasm. However, Rohan, who had no idea about this trend, stared in shock and thought, ‘itne parties aur shaadi me gaya hun, phir bhi aaj tak mujhe pata hi nahi chala ke baraat me aise naachte hai log.’

As the baraat inched forward slowly, soon Vishakha and many other ladies also joined the dance. Deepika was also jumping around without any worry, laughing to her heart’s content. Pandit soon came up to pull Rohan, who resisted for a bit, before giving in and trying to dance. He kept trying to follow the steps that were performed by others, but soon understood that it was useless and there was no pattern. Before long, even he was doing the same dance that he had termed as ‘ajeeb-o-gareeb’ in his mind. Sameer tilted his head, grinning ear-to-ear, watching his friends and family dance. Many people gathered outside on the verandah, or on terraces to watch the baraat, and Sameer remembered how Naina also liked to see at such processions and she would always have a dreamy look in her eyes. Now he thought that maybe all those times she had been thinking of their wedding…

The songs kept on changing, hyping up the tempo slowly, making people sing along with enthusiasm. There were men and women holding up old-time gas lamps on their head, joined together by wires that led to the main wagon at the back in which the singers were sitting with their music system. A troop of people had been arranged, who marched from back to front, with trays stacked with cans of cold-drink, so that it was handy to the people dancing, and prevented them from tiring out of exhaustion. The performing band even played garba songs which once again made people scream “ke hove hove” along with twirling and jumping. The whole atmosphere was so amazing and vibrant that for once even Sameer felt like climbing down to dance, but since he couldn’t do that, he satisfied himself by jiggling his hands and shoulders as per the rhythm of the song. Several times the whole procession stopped in its tracks and danced on spot, because someone or the other would light up fireworks at the front… The kothi or fountain let out colorful sparks up in the air, the thread of small red firecrackers took many minutes to burst, missiles and rockets shot up in the sky ending with a bursting display of colorful splashes.

It took the procession more than two hours to reach the lane of Nirmal Jyoti Society, by which time Naina had started alternately pacing around, and muttering to herself. The baraat was supposed to be there by 8pm, and it was past 8:30pm now, still they were not there. She wondered if everything was okay. But her worries were dismissed by others saying that it was normal for the baraat to be late by 1-2 hours. Naina was irked… How can Sameer be late? That too for their wedding… Preeti tried to ease her, and teased, “aise muh banayegi toh make-up me silvate pad jayegi.”

Naina immediately straightened her face, but after a moment, she scowled again, “bewakuf mat bana mujhe.”

Swati laughed, “aree… itni kya pareshan ho rahi hai. Chachiji ne kaha na ke itni der toh aam baat hai. Har baraat late hoti hai.”

“Har baraat me Sameer nahi hota”, Naina countered, and started pacing again.

The other girls let her be, knowing that it was useless to drill any sense in her head when the matter was of Sameer. Naina thumped her hand on the desk, muttering, “aane do Sameer ko… achche se daant lagaungi.”

However, within few more minutes the sound of loud music was followed by several bursting fire crackers, and all the girls’ face lit up with excitement. They all rushed towards the window, trying to look out at the same time resulting in their head banging against each other. Just then few small kids rushed inside led by Pralay, who declared, “baraat aa gai…”

Naina immediately queried, “kahan hai? Kitni dur? Tune dekha?”

Pralay shook his head, “maine nahi dekha ab tak… Chauk tak aai hai. Thoda thoda dikh raha hai… Sab dance kar rahe hai.”

Naina gripped on to the window ledge, suddenly too overwhelmed to say or ask anything, her heart started thundering so hard in her rib-cage that she was sure it would burst out of her body any moment… The baraat was here… They were here… He was here… Oh God… She closed her eyes trying to calm down the turbulence inside her, but totally failed to do so. Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder, and opened her eyes to see Preeti standing in-front of her, with slight tears in her eyes. Naina knew that her sister understood how she was feeling, and hugged her, closing her eyes, trying to contain the tears. Swati hugged Naina from behind, her hands extending to Preeti’s shoulders, while she rested her head lightly over Naina’s shoulder.

Soon Shefali rushed in, and on seeing the three girls standing like that she teased, “aree bidaai abhi nahi hai. Abhi toh sirf baraat aai hai.”

Naina chuckled as she separated, and then glanced in the mirror to check that all her makeup was alright. The other girls rushed downstairs to witness the grand arrival of the wedding procession, while Naina, hampered by the rituals stayed upstairs, craning her neck as much as she could to see. In another fifteen minutes she could finally see all the people walking in the lane, her own family members were standing in-front of the decorated arena, and then the white mare trotted in. Her breath caught as she saw the man sitting on it, his face wasn’t visible clearly, but she could see the way he was sitting astride the mare comfortably, his large hands holding on… As soon as the mare came to a halt, he immediately looked up, their eyes met, and it seemed he exhaled a breath of relief.

Naina smiled, her eyes filling up with fresh tears, and she had to place a hand over her heart, as if to contain the happiness bubbling inside. The warmth that arose inside her was so overpowering that she felt as if she was in his arms in that moment. He looked so amazing, so handsome, so perfect… Her Sameer. The boy with whom she had fallen in love at first sight, the one who had loved her with his heart and soul for all these years, the man who had made her aware of the confident sensuous woman inside her… Her first and only love… The moment when they had suddenly twirled in the school corridor was fresh in her mind like it was yesterday, and yet there was a sense of familiarity and stability because of the years they had been together. Sameer Maheshwari could be cited as an example of impatience at best, and yet he had been the most patient person in the whole world with her… She had dared to fall in love without even thinking of the consequences or the way to handle this emotion, but he had been there with her throughout the journey demanding her time and attention, giving her ample opportunities to shower her love, protecting her whenever it was needed, and giving wings to her wishes and capabilities whenever he found an opportunity. And now, he was here… Right in-front of her eyes… Looking dashing and delicious as he waited to make her his for always and forever.

Sameer couldn’t move his eyes away from that window… In fact, it seemed as if he slowly stopped registering everything else except that window. He didn’t feel the fidgeting of the mare beneath him, he didn’t hear the loud drum beats to which people were still dancing, he didn’t observed the brightly lit street and mandap, he didn’t even feel the beating of his own heart. It was as if he was floating in some limbo, trapped in the journey of love over the years… How beautiful was their first meet… That surprise in her eyes, and then the slow softening gaze that had captivated him for a moment. The way she would always watch out for him in her own way, be it determinedly making him read the repercussions of smoking, or lying for the first time for him. The way she had always considered everyone in his family as her own always, be it helping his mother with her fallen purse, or foregoing her debate competition in order to save Nanu’s life. She had teased him, scolded him, blessed him with her pyaar wali daant, taught him to pray, made him believe in God, showed him that he was not only capable of being loved but also of reciprocating that love. His love for her was the strongest emotion he had ever felt, and she had soaked up every bit of it never once feeling overwhelmed or smothered, rather always accepting every form of his love, and returning more to him. No matter how much time he spent with her it always seemed less, but now… from tonight… she would be his for always and forever.

A sound of a loud firecracker accompanied with a brilliant display in the sky broke their trace, they both looked up at the sky for a moment, but then immediately looked back at each other. Naina smiled, and signaled with her fingers that he was looking amazing, and he flashed a lopsided smirk, pretending to raise his collar as if he already knew that… If he was honest, that simple acknowledgement from Naina made his heart beat faster. It didn’t matter that he already knew that he looked good, it didn’t matter that so many people had complimented him, his heart always craved that special acknowledgement from Naina, and she always gave it to him some way or the other.

Naina adjusted her dupatta a bit, and shook her bangles… waiting… but he just kept staring. She knew he was teasing her… She pouted and he immediately shook his head, doing a signal of smile with his fingers, and immediately she obeyed. He let his eyes wander over her for a minute more, and then gestured that she was looking gorgeous, and then placed his hand over his heart sighing dramatically as if to tell her that he couldn’t control his heartbeats. She grinned at that, a small laughter bubbling out of her at the happiness she felt. She couldn’t help it… She indeed felt extremely happy. While all her life she had always heard from everyone how unworthy of appreciation her looks were; Sameer, on the other hand never failed to tell her how beautiful he found her, be it in words or with gestures, or simply with his expressive eyes.

As the fireworks display ended, slowly the drum beats dwindled down, and after a small ritual by Chachiji, finally Sameer was allowed to dismount. But as he started to bend to take Bela’s blessings, his friends stopped him. He was confused, but his Mamiji piped up from behind, “aree aise kaise apna ladka de de hum aapko… rasam toh poori kijiye.”

Sameer was bit puzzled at this, and turned his head a bit to ask his mother about the ritual, but just then Munna-Pandit and Mamiji pulled him back… Even more confused he looked at Chachiji, who had extended his hand as if trying to pinch him. He straightened and asked, “kya chal raha hai yeh?”

“Aree jab tak teri naak nahi pakadte unhe ladka nahi milega”, Munna informed with glee.

Sameer finally understood what was happening, “oh… aisa hota hai.” The next time when Bela reached, he titled backwards, grinning jovially.

After a couple of more failed attempts, Preeti suddenly called loudly, “jijaji!” Sameer jerked a bit, his attention immediately shifting, and the next thing he knew was that his nose was suddenly pinched between Bela’s knuckles. His family and relatives let out a disappointed “haww”, while the bride’s family hooted and cheered. As Bela drew back her hand, Sameer rubbed his nose, frowning at Preeti who chuckled. He shook his head, and grinned, “saali saahiba… hisaab barabar karke rahunga.”

Not the one to be deterred, Preeti shrugged, “aap hisaab karenge? Aapka hisaab rakhne wali toh upar khadi hai.”

Immediately his eyes shifted to the window for a moment, she wasn’t standing there in full view anymore, but he caught a glimpse of her peeking around the curtain. Bela called his name, and he turned to look at the welcoming group again. The aarti was done, Bela put a tilak on his forehead, and then Sameer finally took her blessings. As they walked in, he took a moment to look around at the decoration, recollecting how he and Naina had chosen the lights, flowers and mandap design on one of their meetings. The entrance was a beautiful sight with peach, golden, and white sheer drapes covering the two sides and white fairy lights had been strung around to complement the colorful display of roses. The pathway inside the compound had been spread with a red cloth, and chairs were placed in rows on two sides, everything enclosed in a peachy enclosure. The stage had been redecorated as per the theme of tonight, and it now graced a proper mandap… A golden circular frame was supported by four carved pillars, entwined with red sheer fabric, and decorated with splashes of colorful roses and green leaves. The tiny white flowers, he didn’t know the name of, broke through the exuberant colors of roses lending the overall décor an extremely soothing look. The backdrop of the stage was again a mix of peach, gold and white, which made the whole look as sophisticated as one could vouch for in a big wedding hall. He heard a couple of comments from his family and relatives, all compliments about the decoration, and felt pleased because Naina had indeed put in a lot of effort, mixing and matching from several designs, to get this overall look and then explain it to the decorators as well. While he had appreciated her interest and choices, he hadn’t been able to get the full picture in his head… like the peach drapes looked good to him, but he had no idea if they would look good with a golden mandap or not, likewise he didn’t know how adding white flowers to a bunch of colorful roses would suddenly enhance the overall look of the flower cluster. But now as he looked at everything around his he had to accept that whatever she had chosen had indeed come together beautifully.

Currently a high backed sofa was placed in the center of the mandap, and he was escorted to sit there. His friends took seat on the nearby low seats, and his family and relatives sat on the chairs on the ground. Waiters immediately started doing rounds of sherbet, cold-drinks, and small starters on plate. Sameer took a bottle of cola, but refused any food, impatience kicking in as he waited for Naina. Why wasn’t she here yet? How long will it take for the rituals to start? It was already 9:30pm…

However, he didn’t have to wait for long, as within few minutes, she walked inside, flanked by Preeti, Swati, Shefali and Deepika. When did his sister ditch him and go to her? He had this brief thought and then completely blanked out as she glanced up for a bit, and then again looked down shyly. Wow… His brain played a rewind trick on him as he suddenly imagined a 16 year old Naina dressed in her school uniform complete with two pigtails walking towards him in the school corridor because he had asked her to meet, then it shifted to Mt. Abu where she was dressed in blue jeans and pink shirt while skipping towards him at the sunset point, then slowly walking towards him dressed in a pink salwar-kameez in college the day he had been desperate to kiss her, then during their roka while wearing Nani’s orange-green  saree, and then in a blue lehenga for their sagai… His Naina… His breath hitched with her every step, the profound significance of this walk didn’t escape him… The teenager girl who had fallen in love with him at first sight was now walking towards him to become his wife… These were the final steps she would take towards him to become his life partner forever.

Naina herself wasn’t far from such similar thoughts… As she watched her own feet covering the distance to the stage she knew that she was walking towards him as Naina Agarwal for the last time in her life… When she would step down from that stage tonight, she would be Mrs. Naina Sameer Maheshwari. She was getting married, this sentence kept repeating in loop inside her head, and she struggled to control her grin. The first time when she had written “Naina Sang Sameer” on a bit of paper while daydreaming she had hoped that it would come true, but she had also thought of it as just a dream in her life. She had felt several times that she was nothing compared to other girls in school, and everyone liked Sameer, then why would he even look at her… But God… He had not only looked at her then, but every day since then with love, compassion, desire, craving, longing and so much more… She had listened to his tale of unknown feelings during the bet phase, but now that she thought back, she suddenly could feel every emotion in his eyes. The surprise and curiosity when they had first twirled in school corridor, the puzzled gazes in classroom, the steady unmoving stare as he noticed her every action, the brief appreciating glance on his birthday, the sudden surprised longing when she had cut out a piece of cake for him, the passionately thoughtful gaze in Mt. Abu as he himself started to feel the he was losing his heart to her, the warm and affectionate gazes in college whenever she would wear something he wanted, the intense and sharp gazes whenever he felt aware of her physically, and then the intoxicating, predatory, penetrating gazes he would bestow on her whenever they were alone. She looked up briefly once more, and was satisfied to see how his eyes were fixed on her, and as she slowly walked up the stage, she noticed that his eyes reflected multitude of emotions but the love for her still shone bright.

As her friends moved away, there was a brief moment of privacy, and she smiled at him, softly murmuring, “hey sweetheart…”

He jerked in surprise, his gaze focused on her face, and she noticed the plethora of emotions converging into sharp burning desire as his eyes slowly roved over her every feature, taking in her red lehenga, her jewelry, her makeup and then stopped on her red lips. This… This was the exact gaze that made her feel as if she was the most beautiful woman on earth. This longing mixed with hunger as if given a chance he would pounce on her at this very moment, and claim her as his own… It always made her feel super special and extremely warm.

“Kya kaha tumne?”, he muttered, his voice low.

She smiled, “tum itne khoye hue the ke socha thoda surprise kar du.”

He smiled back at her, “tum itni khoobsurat lag rahi ho ke main toh poori shaadi me aisai khoya hua rahunga.”

“Haww”, she pretended to be shocked, “toh phir photos bilkul achche nahi aayenge.”

He pouted, “Naina…”

She pressed her lips to control her laughter, “sorry sorry… Sameer Maheshwari ke photos toh hamesha achche hi aate hai.”

He clucked his tongue, “nahi… Sameer aur Naina ke photos hamesha achche aate hai. Ab yeh sab chodo aur yeh batao ke main kaisa dikh raha hun.”

“Jaise roz lagte ho”, she teased.

He frowned, and with great difficulty started to look away, knowing she would immediately pacify. And just as expected, she called out to him, “Sameer… tum roz handsome lagte ho par aaj itne achche lag rahe ho ke meri nazre tumpe se hatna nahi chahti.”

He sucked in a breath at the line she used, the line he had said he would use on their suhagraat during that bachelorette party in her room… God, what was this woman… How could she surprise him, tease him and then steal his breath all in the span of a few minutes. As if in a trance, he lifted his hand to touch her face… She didn’t object… But soon Munna and Pandit were there, blocking them from view of guests, and Munna muttered, “bhai kya kar raha hai… maana love marriage hai par stage pe toh thoda control kar.”

Sameer shook his head as if trying to clear it, and she was fascinated by the way the beads on his saafa waved to and fro in a hypnotic motion. “Meri galti nahi hai”, he justified, “yeh Naina ki galti hai.”

This time Naina couldn’t control her chuckle, “ulta chor kotwaal ko daante.”

He immediately countered, “kaisa chor? Tumhari wajah se hi hua na… Tumne hi toh bola abhi ke main itna ahcha lag raha hun ke…”

“Ke?”, She asked delicately as he trailed off.

He fidgeted for a moment, and then blushed as he repeated, “ke tumhari nazre mujhpe se hatna nahi chahti.”

Munna and Pandit looked at each other and let out a drawled “ooohhhhh”, and this finally made Naina blush furiously too. But even then she couldn’t stop sneaking glances at him, and was pleased to see that he was doing the same. As his friends moved back, Sameer winked at her, and whispered, “tum itni khoobsurat lag rahi ho ke meri nazre hatne ki jurrat toh karegi hi nahi, balki mujhe toh tumhare alawa aur kuch dikh hi nahi raha hai aaj.”

The color on her cheeks deepened, and she played with her own fingers, trying to control herself from hugging him.

In another ten minutes, the Varmala ritual started, and their families assembled on the stage. Preeti came forward with a big silver dish containing two garlands, Sameer and Naina, picked one each, and then looked at each other… They both smiled, recalling a similar moment during Pooja didi’s wedding, when by chance they had been facing each other with varmala in hand, and their hearts had raced as they had dreamt of putting the garlands around each other’s neck. A dream of so long ago, was finally on the verge of being fulfilled, and their hearts still raced on seeing each other. She lifted her hand, and he would have just stood there with a smile, letting her put garland around him just like that dream, but he had forgotten that his friends were not there in the dream. How could anything be peacefully accomplished with Munna and Pandit around? And so he was only mildly surprised as he was suddenly lifted in the air by three boys, and his hand landed on Rohan’s shoulder for support. People started laughing, and soon Arjun and one more boy came over to lift Naina to his height. She tried once more, but the boys would either move him back, or lower him, or lift him even higher. Arjun tried keeping up pace, but he was no match for Munna-Pandit-Rohan’s enthusiasm.

However suddenly, Naina flinched, lifting her hand to touch her head, and exclaimed, “ouch!”

Sameer was immediately alert, and asked, “Naina… tum theek ho… neeche utaaro usko Arjun… Munna, neeche utaar mujhe.”

“Par bhai…”, Pandit tried to counter. But Sameer interrupted, “neeche utaaro…”

As soon as they were both placed down, he moved to Naina, worried that her hair was pulled in the playful struggle, or maybe a pin had poked her. But when he reached her, she quickly put the varmala around his neck. There was a moment of silence as his eyes widened on realizing her trick, and then everyone around them started laughing. Sameer looked down at the necklace, and frowned at her. She smiled wide, lifting her shoulders in a casual shrug as if the mischief was normal for her… He narrowed his eyes, holding back, putting his hands down as if he was angry and wouldn’t go on with the ritual. Her family persuaded him, and so did his mom, but he kept on looking at Naina. She indulged his unspoken demand of pacifying him like everytime, as she held one ear, and made a pleading gesture. He suddenly grinned, putting the garland around her neck, and then unable to resist, slid his arm around her waist and pulled her to him. She collided on his chest, her palm landing over his heart, and looked up in surprise to find him staring down at her. A distant click amid the cheerful hoots and shower of flowers gave him the surety that this pose had been captured by the photographer, and he knew that this was one picture that he was going to frame and put it up in their home.

Soon everyone wanted to click pictures with them, and they separated, posing with their families and friends. The only picture that irked Sameer was where Deepika stood between them, but on seeing Naina’s smile he didn’t object. The photographer asked the couple to step down from the stage so that their picture could be clicked against a different backdrop and without the sofa behind them. Guests were staring to move towards dinner, and their family was busy arranging things for the actual wedding ritual. Sameer and Naina posed in-front of a peach-green backdrop, at first just holding hands, but then when prompted by the photographer he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. For one photograph, she turned towards him, and they held hands as if dancing… For another he slid both arms around her waist, and she held on to his shoulder as he dipped letting his forehead touch hers… Continuing the same pose, he dared to touch his lips to her forehead, and her eyes closed automatically. The photographer suggested another pose, and as per his instruction Naina turned her back to him, and Sameer placed his hands over her shoulder, while she placed her palms over his, and he tilted his head to peek at her while she looked up at him. For the next one, he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her back to his chest, and they looked sideways at the camera.

Finally a table was arranged for them to sit for dinner, and Sameer pulled out the chair for her, and even helped her adjust her dupatta before sitting. She smiled up at him, and mused, “aree waah… bahot kuch seekh gaye ho aaj kal.”

He sat down next to her, and grinned, “kya karu… shaadi ho rahi hai toh ab seekhna hi padega… warna meri biwi pata nahi kab biwi se devi ban jaaye.” She pinched his hand, and he yelped, “ouch! Dekha… ban gayi na devi.” She glared at him, making him grin, he blew a kiss at her, and she immediately blushed.

As a waiter came to place the dishes in-front of them, Sameer instructed him to keep just one, and when Naina looked puzzled, he said, “umm… share karte hai na aaj.” She smiled, nodding in agreement, and they started eating from the same dish. In between Sameer demanded that she feed him one bite, and as she did so the photographer clicked. She was surprised, immediately blushing, but then Sameer also fed her, knowing that too would be clicked.

Amid all the guests, and the hullaballoo of wedding Preeti and Rohan also grabbed some moments, as they stood chatting and eating from each other’s dish. Rohan suddenly said, “bhai-bhabhi ki shaadi dekhke mujhe badi excitement ho rahi hai. Ab hamari shaadi kab hogi?”

Preeti was surprised at this question, and blushed, “ummm… pata nahi.”

He frowned, “kya matlab pata nahi? Shaadi nahi karogi mere saath?”

She gaped at him for a moment, and then laughed, “Rohan… kamsekam theek se puch toh lete shaadi ke liye. Pata hai… propose karna hota hai…”

Faint red tinged his cheeks, “I am sorry… maine socha nahi… kabhi kiya nahi hai yeh sab.”

She narrowed her eyes, “tumhara kehne ka matlab kya hai? Maine kiya hai yeh sab pehle?”

“Nahi”, he replied alarmed at her anger, “mera woh matlab nahi tha… main toh bas…”

He trailed off as she started laughing, and he breathed a sigh of relief. She calmed down a bit, and said, “mazak kar rahi thi Rohan… mujhe pata hai yeh propose vagera tumhara style nahi hai. Aisa kuch karna hoga toh mujhe hi sochna padega.”

Rohan knew she was right, and so he didn’t reply to her, but he immediately decided that he would propose to her. He had no idea yet how he would do that, but he thought bhai could help him with some tips.

In another corner, near the gifts, Swati was arranging some stuff when Munna came up to her with a plate of food, “aye pandat… thoda kha le.”

Swati smiled at him, but continued to work, “baad me kha lungi… abhi yeh kaam kar lene do.”

“Kha lo na”, he urged, “mujhe bahot bhuk lagi hai.”

She straightened, concern clouding her eyes, “tumne khaya nahi? Kya karte ho Munna… Itni der ho gai hai… Khaya kyun nahi?”

He shrugged, “tumne bhi toh nahi khaya tha na.”

She frowned, “iska matlab tum bhi nahi khaoge…? Pagal ho kya…?” She broke off a bit of poori and dipped it in sabji, holding it up for him to eat, “khao chalo.”

Surprised, he slowly ate the food from her hand, and then said, “aaj pata chala Sameer ko Naina ki daant sunne me itna mazaa kyun aata hai… Itni chinta karogi meri toh main bhi roz daant sunneko taiyar hun.”

She blushed at this, and he smiled, feeding her some food back. They stood there, chatting, relishing the feel of wedding atmosphere around them.

Meanwhile Sameer and Naina had finally finished eating, the only problem was sharing the dessert because Sameer seemed to eat it up really fast, and so Naina asked for another bowl of halwa. He tried to sneak from that too, but she pulled the bowl away. He frowned, “itna halwa akele khaogi toh moti ho jaogi… Phir blouse tight ho jayega.”

She licked her spoon, smiling impishly, and replied in a low voice, “tumhari problem… mujhe thodi na utaarna hai.”

His eyes rounded in shock, and the spoon he was holding dropped from his hand, his mouth falling open. Naina laughed at his reaction, and stuffed a spoonful of halwa in his mouth. He made an irritated ‘mmm’ sound, and then sputtered, “tum… tum bahot shaitaan ho gai ho… Kahin bhi kuch bhi bol deti ho.”

She giggled, and continued eating. After a moment, he asked her about the haldi ceremony, and enquired if there was any problem in cleaning the room. She shook her head, and assured that all went well, and then pouted, “par tumhare ghar se jo haldi aayi thi itni gaadi thi ke rang choot hi nahi raha tha.”

He was puzzled, “mere ghar se? Haldi kyun aayegi mere ghar se?”

She smiled, “jhoothi haldi aati hai… Tumko subah thoda shagun ka lagaya hoga na.” He recalled that his mother had been mixing haldi and had applied a tiny spot on his cheek when he had asked what she was doing. He nodded, “haan… mummy ne aisai mazak me thoda lagaya tha.”

“Wahi”, she informed, “mujhe bhi thoda sa laga diya tha Chachiji ne. Phir panditji jab gaye toh leke gaye meri jhooti haldi tumhare ghar, aur waise hi tumhare panditji tumhari jhoothi haldi leke aaye the.”

He had no idea of that… Eating the last bit of halwa from her bowl, he muttered, “kitni rasme hoti hai… mujhe toh bas sab upar upar se hi pata tha pehle.”

“Mujhe bhi”, she confessed, “itna sab reeti-riwaz ka andaaza nahi tha. Socho zara… Ab Swati aur Preeti ki shaadi me mujhe bhi kitni baato ka dhyan rakhna hoga. Aur woh saari rasme jisme vivaahit mahilaaye hissa leti hai usme main bhi houngi.”

He grinned, “hum har baar tumhare liye nayi saareya leke aayenge, taaki photos alag alag aaye.”

She slapped her own forehead, “hey bhagwaan… itna shopping… Sameer, hum itni shopping karenge na toh naya wala wardrobe bhi chota padne lagega.”

He chuckled, “koi baat nahi… Ek aur banva lenge. Ya phir English movies me dikhaate hai waisa walk-in closet bana lenge ek room me.”

They washed hands, and kept chit-chatting like that, oblivious to the people around them, until Vishakha came to call them for the wedding ritual.

Sameer removed his shoes, and walked up the mandap, glancing once at Munna who nodded. He was instructed to sit down first in the mandap, the priest chanted some mantras and offered him some holy water to drink. He sprinkled the same water around them, and then asked for the bride to be brought in. Naina came and sat on his right side; the priest chanted few more mantras and gave her the same holy water to drink. The priest kept doing some rituals, and on the other side Preeti, Swati and Shefali started attempting to take Sameer’s shoes, but Munna, Pandit and Rohan were vigilant. The girls kept trying; including replacing the shoes with a similar set, but Pandit caught on to the act, and found out the original shoes hidden inside a flower basket. Once more Shefali managed to get the shoes from the boys and hid them inside the house, but Rohan got the shoes back when the girls were called out to arrange the gifts that were to be given to Naina. The girls were fed up of the repeated failures, and so they made the final plan… Preeti went to Rohan asking him for help to carry a heavy object, Swati misdirected Munna saying that the dori of her choli was loose and she couldn’t find the other girls… And while these two couples were gone, Shefali pretended to twist her leg in-front of Pandit who immediately went to help. In some time, everything returned to normal… The girls thought that the shoes were with them, and the boys thought the shoes were with them…

Meanwhile at the mandap, the priest asked for the bride’s father to come for Kanyadaan, and Phulla Bua urged Rakesh to go. Naina watched her father come up the stage, and to her surprise he smiled at her… She hesitantly smiled back but her gaze soon wandered over to Chachaji who was standing with Chachiji, watching the scene with a sad smile. Tears gathered in her eyes… She should be happy that her father was part of the wedding ceremony, that he was smiling at her, that he was willing to do the kanyadaan, but she a part of her felt sad on seeing Chachaji standing so far… Sameer seemed to understand her turmoil, and placed his hand over hers… She glanced at him, and he blinked in assurance, hoping she wouldn’t cry, but he too felt sad on seeing Chachaji being excluded from such an important event in Naina’s life. The rest of the people didn’t seem to notice as they waited for the kanyadaan to begin. The priest asked Rakesh to sit down, but he hesitated staring at his daughter, and then sighed, “main ek minute me aaya.”

Naina watched in astonishment as her father climbed back down from the stage. Sameer was also confused… What was happening? Had he decided not to do the kanyadaan? Would he once again behave harshly with Naina? His every sense was on alert, ready to protect Naina, but what followed next left him dumbfounded.

Rakesh sir had a brief discussion with Anand and his wife, and then pulled his brother along, with Bela following hesitantly. The priest was confused as all three people came up the stage, and queried about it. Rakesh looked at the couple once, and said, “Naina meri beti hai, par usko bachpan se paal-poske bada mere bhai Anand ne kiya hai. Kanyadaan ek pita ka adhikaar hota hai, aur Naina ke liye hum dono uske pita hai… Isiliye kanyadaan ki vidhi me bhi hum dono honge.”

It was such an unusual situation that Tauji and Taiji raised objection, but Phulla Bua overrode them saying, “panditji ko bolne do yeh ho sakta hai ke nahi.”

The priest thought for a moment, and then slowly said, “waise… koi dikkat toh nahi hai. Shastro me bhi aisa kuch likha nahi hai… Kuch pareshani nahi hogi.”

Naina’s face lit up with hope, and Phulla Bua nodded her approval. Vishakha also smiled at the scene, and Sameer felt happy on seeing Naina’s smile brighten. And so, Rakesh sat down with Anand and Bela beside him. The priest instructed the bride’s father to extend his hand, and Rakesh did so, Anand followed placing his hand beneath his brother’s. But Rakesh changed the positions saying this was the correct one, and so Chachaji’s hand was on top as the priest did a small vidhi, and then Naina’s hand was placed on Anand’s hand which was supported by Rakesh’s hand. Bela sniffed at the scene, surreptitiously wiping her tears, and Anand also was on the verge of tears on seeing the understanding. The priest placed a flower on Naina’s hand, sprinkled rice, haldi and kumkum, and then instructed Sameer to hold out his hand. Upon the priest’s instruction, both Rakesh and Anand placed Naina’s hand in Sameer’s hand, thus completing the ritual of kanyadaan, and asking him to take care of their daughter. Sameer could see that Naina’s lashes were wet with tears, and he gently squeezed her hand, understanding how happy she must be feeling in this moment. She had finally got what she had desired for, her father and Chachaji both were there with her at this important ceremony.

The priest asked for silver payal to be offered to the bride as a sign of passing on her responsibility. Preeti came over to give it to Anand, who touched the small box to Naina’s feet, and then placed it in her lap. Rakesh took out two boxes from his kurta pocket, and gave one to Naina. She was puzzled as she accepted it, and Rakesh softly informed, “yeh… tumhari maa ka hai. Shaadi ke paanchvi saalgirah pe hume pata chala tha ke hamare ghar pe Arjun ke baad phirse khushiya aane wali hai, tab yeh banvake diya tha tumhari maa ko maine. Yeh ek hi tohfa usko paach saal me de saka tha… Usne ek baar aaine ke saamne pehna aur phir almari me rakh diya yeh kehke ke beti hogi agar to huski shaadi me denge, aur agar beta hua toh bahu ko denge.”

Naina opened the box, and saw a delicate gold set that seemed to be newly polished, and gasped, her eyes filling up with tears. Rakesh passed on the other box to Sameer, and said, “aur yeh, meri shaadi pe mujhe hamare papa ne diya tha… Kurte ke jeb me rakhne ke liye. Saalo se bandh pad gai thi, abhi tumhare liye theek karwaya.” In a state of surprise, Sameer accepted the small box and opened it to reveal a beautiful pocket watch. He had no idea how to react.

Rakesh also seemed as if he didn’t expect anything, because he blessed the couple and stood up… Sameer was in a dilemma, but on seeing Naina so overwhelmed that she remained unable to speak, he finally spoke up, “thank you… Papaji.”

Both Rakesh and Naina looked at him in surprise; Anand and Bela smiled, and then Rakesh nodded at him, before dismounting the stage. Naina kept sniffing, and Sameer finally passed on his handkerchief to her, and tried to cheer her up, “tumhe toh khush hona chahiye… Safari suit se Papaji ka safar aaj tay ho gaya. Shayad ab thappad thode kam pade…”

This made her chuckle, and she smiled up at him gratefully knowing fully well that he understood every emotion inside her. Meanwhile Taiji was also in a state of shock, and muttered to her husband, “oh bai… itne saalo se ghar pe haar aur ghadi chupake rakha hai, bhanak tak nahi padne di.”

For the next ritual of accepting the bride in the new family, the groom’s parents were called upon. As Vishakha and Mr. Somani walked up the stage, Sameer stiffened, not sure what to do. He noticed that his mother also looked bit tense, and so did Rohan who was standing near the stage. Mr. Somani also hesitated to sit as his eyes met Sameer’s. Naina looked at one to another, and then just like Sameer had supported her during kanyadaan, this time she placed her hand over his, shifting his attention to her. She smiled at him, rubbing her thumb over the back of his palm, and whispered, “ek safar tumne tay kiya toh ek safar mujhe bhi tay karne do.”

Sameer visibly calmed down at her touch, voice and smile; he looked back at Mr. Somani and nodded. Vishakaha sighed in relief as she sat down, and gestured her husband to sit too. Rohan smiled and Preeti came up to stand next to him along with Deepika.

The priest did a small ritual, chanted a few mantras and then asked for the gifts to be offered to bride to show that she was being accepted in the family. Vishakha looked around to gesture Mamiji to bring the items on stage, and in between she caught a glimpse of Rohan and Preeti near the stage, that made her pause for a moment. However soon few ladies along with Sameer’s Mamiji came up on the stage, and Vishakha shifted her attention back to the ceremony, thinking she could think about the other matter later. All the ladies were carrying at least several boxes of jewellery, and Vishakha opened each one, touching them to Naina’s feet and placing it on her lap. Preeti and Swati came up on the stage to take the boxes one by one so that Naina’s lap was empty of the next one. Naina wasn’t surprised because these were all the jewelry that had been ordered to make. But the other guests, especially Taiji counted as Naina was blessed with 2 full set, 3 half sets, 2 sets of bangles, 1 set of kangan, 1 kamarbandh, 1 pair of jhumka, 1 borla, 2 pairs of bichiya, and finally 1 gold chain with devi locket often termed as paatri in marwadi, and a nath or nosering, both of which Vishakha helped her wear at that moment. The she passed on two boxes to Mr. Somani to give, and they were opened to reveal two glittering diamond sets which were a surprise to Naina.

From where he was sitting, Sameer had a full view of Taiji, and he was trying extremely hard to control his laughter as with the opening of each box, Taiji’s breath hitched. When the diamond sets were revealed she had to place a hand over her heart, and she kept opening and closing her mouth, unable to speak anything. Tauji shook his head and asked for water to be brought for his wife. Sameer’s eyes glittered with enjoyment, and happiness on seeing her condition.

Finally, the priest mentioned that it was time for the holy pheras and lighted up the holy fire or hawan. Vishakha brought a red bandhej chunari that was placed on Naina’s shoulder, and a pink fabric for Sameer. Preeti helped pin up the chunari for Naina, and Vishakha did the same for her son. And then the holy knot was tied by Preeti, who proudly said, “dekha jijaji… itne saalo pehle bhi main hi Naina ko aapke paas khinchke laai thi, aur aaj dekho yeh gaanth bhi main hi baandh rahi hun.”

Sameer grinned, “haan… tabhi toh tumko itna achcha tohfa diya hai maine aur Naina ne.”

Preeti asked puzzled, “konsa tohfa?”

Naina whispered, “Laila ko uska majnu diya hai humne… warna tum dono ki gaadi atki hi rehti.”

Preeti blushed but shook off the comment with a laugh. Soon their friends and family all came up the stage, and Sameer stood up, holding out his hand to Naina. She didn’t even think twice before taking his support as she stood up, and smiled at him. The priest explained the importance of the seven pheras, or saptapadi, and said that each round was secured with a vow that both the bride and groom were supposed to fulfill.

Sameer spoked up suddenly, “hum apne vaade khud bolenge.”

Naina looked up puzzled, “Sameer… kya bol rahe hai aap…”

He smiled, “kyun? Bhul gai? Tumne hi toh likhe the hamari shaadi ke saat vachan.”

Her brows furrowed in confusion, but Sameer took out a paper from his pocket and handed it to her. She opened the sheet, and her eyes widened in surprised, “yeh toh… college me… aapko kaise mila?”

He grinned, and on seeing the questioning gaze of his family and friends, he explained, “hamare college ke second year me ek drama me main aur Naina pati-patni ka role karne wale the. Par meri ek meeting aa gai aur mujhe sheher se bahar jaana padha, toh phir Naina ne bhi hissa nahi liya natak me. Uski natak ke liye Naina ke dialogues bhi likhe the, tabhi yeh saath vachan likhe the. Mujhe yeh uske notebook me mila tha, jab business trip se wapas aake main uski kitaabe li padhne ko. Aur main padhte hi samajh gaya tha ke bhale natak ke liye ho, par Naina ne yeh likha tha hum dono ko dhyan me rakhte hue… Isiliye tab se sambhalke rakha hai.”

The people around them let out server affectionate reactions while Naina stared up at him with slight tears in her eyes… He observed the glistening eyes full of love, winked, and extended his hand, “toh…?”

She smiled; placing her hand in his, ready to take the steps that would bind them together. The priest instructed Naina to come forward for the first three rounds. Their friends and family showered flowers on them as they, still holding hands, started to take small steps around the holy fire. For each round she spoke a vow which Sameer repeated.

“Hum ek dusre ke saath har sukh-dukh baatenge, kabhi kuch chupayenge nahi.”

“Hum agar jhagadte bhi hai, ya gussa hote hai toh bhi ek dusre ki baat ko sunenge, samjhenge aur phir hi faisla lenge, saath me.”

“Hamara rishta bharosa pe tika hoga, kabhi bhi kisike kuch kehne se yeh bharosa tutega nahi.”

And then from the fourth round the groom was asked to step forward. Sameer slowly stepped forward, trying not to break the handhold at all. In the last four pheras, Sameer spoke the vows while Naina repeated.

“Hamara rishta samaanta ka hoga, hum dono bilkul barabar hai… Naa koi kisise kam, naa koi kisise bada.”

“Hum ek dusre ke parivaar ko apna maanenge, aur aane wale har halaat me saath milke unka dhyan rakhenge, aur koi zimmedaari ho toh use bhi saath milke uthayenge.”

“Hamari zindagi me jo bhi badlaav aayega, achcha ya bura, uska saamna hum saath milke karenge. Hum ek dusre ko sambhalenge aur aage badhne me madad karenge.”

“Hum kal saath the, aaj saath hai, aur aage bhi hamesha saath rahenge… Hamara haath hamesha ek dusre ke haath me hoga.”

Everyone around them hooted and cheered as the pheras completed, the shower of flowers never stopped, Sameer and Naina looked at each other happily. After a while as everyone calmed down a bit, the priest instructed the couple to sit again, but this time he asked Naina to sit on left side, explaining that after marriage the wife always sat on the left side of her husband. Sameer’s face lit up with a silly grin as the priest addressed Naina as his wife.

A small silver dibbi was opened, and as per instruction Sameer picked up a generous portion of sindoor on a silver coin. Preeti shifted Naina’s maagtika aside gently… And he filled up the center partition on her head with the sindoor, and Naina closed her eyes, a tiny blissful smile curving her lips. A tiny bit of vermillion dropped on her nose, and immediately some lady commented, “waah… naak pe sindur gira… ab toh pyaar aur badhega inn dono ka.”

Sameer stared at the few specks on her nose thoughtfully, and then looked at his mother, querying, “thoda aur gira du naak pe?”

Naina opened her eyes, a chuckle escaping her lips. The ladies around them also started to giggle, and Vishakha commented, “nahi beta… itna pyaar kaafi hoga.”

A mangalsutra was passed on to him, and he leaned forward tying it around Naina’s neck, taking care to hook it beneath her dupatta. She raised her eyes to look at him, and he winked, taking the opportunity to brush one finger along her nape, enjoying the way her breath hitched even at that small touch. The diamond locket gleamed on her neck, and she touched it once, closing her eyes, letting herself feel the sheer joy that bounded inside her as it finally sunk in that she had become Mrs. Naina Sameer Maheshwari. He kept looking at her, noticing the smile, the sindoor, the mangalsutra, and possessiveness coursed inside him… His wife… He had been terming her as that since a long time now, but now everyone would know that they were husband-wife, that she was his, and he was hers… Mine! The word kept ringing in his ears, and all he wanted to do in that moment was lean forward and press his lips to hers. Just then she opened her eyes, meeting his gaze, and he sucked in a breath on seeing a similar yearning in her eyes mixed with love and immense happiness.

A few more rituals were done, and then Vishakha came up to make Naina wear the bichiya that had been given earlier. Sameer watched with interest as the glittering silver rings were slid on Naina’s dainty toes, and he blinked, thinking he had never known about rings being worn on toes. Just then the priest informed how this bichiya was only worn by married ladies, as just like mangalsutra, and sindur, they were also a part of suhaag. Sameer thought that he had now found one more thing to buy for Naina. Naturally she wouldn’t shop, or ask, so he would… Husband duties after all…

The priest proclaimed that the wedding ceremony had peacefully ended, and henceforth they were husband and wife. He asked the families to start preparing for bidaai and grihapravesh, as the mahurat was near. Everyone immediately got busy, and Sameer leaned towards his wife, whispering, “Naina… agar hamari shaadi videsh me kisi church me hui hoti toh abhi hum kiss kar paate.”

Someone clapped loudly on Sameer’s back, and he looked up to see Munna grinning, as he asked, “ghar jaane me thoda time hai… control yaar.” Pandit added, “haan… yeh… umm wali baate ghar jaake karna.” Sameer realized his friends had overheard, and Naina blushed furiously. He just grinned, not the least bit ashamed now that they were married, and held her hand.

Finally, they were allowed to get up, and sit on chairs to wait for the bidaai ceremony. Vishakha came over to meet them once, and hugged Naina and Sameer both, congratulating them. She informed, “beta main ghar jaa rahi hun… Naina ke grihapravesh ki taiyaari karne. Mamiji hai yahan pe, tum Naina ko sambhalke le aana.” Then she addressed her daughter-in-law, “aur tum iss budhdhu ko sambhal lena. Main intezaar karungi ghar pe.”

Someone gave them water to drink, and their friends kept them entertained while they waited. Bela came over in few minutes, and sat down next to Naina, “sunn beta… thodi baat karni hai.”

Naina nodded, and shifted her chair a bit away from Sameer. He also pretended to be occupied with Munna and Pandit, but kept his ears trained on the conversation. Bela instructed her about the grihapravesh ritual, telling her how to do things, asking her to not demand anything, listen to everyone. And then she said, “oh haan… sabse zaroori baat. Riwaz ki hisaab se aaj raat tumhe puja ke baad Ganeshji ki murti ke saamne sona hoga. Shayad Vishakhaji aur dusri thodi mahilaaye hogi tumhare saath. Toh iss maamle me zyada sawaal mat puchna, theek hai? Kal muh-dikhai ke baad kamre me jaane denge.”

After saying this Bela left, having no idea that she had dropped a virtual bomb on the newlywed couple. Naina took some time to process the words, and then turned to look at Sameer… She knew he was surely listening in, and so he also must have heard the last bit of instruction. They both stared at each other in shock… They were finally married… It was the moment they had been waiting for. But now… Will there be no suhagraat?