Part 51
Akash Ganga Community Hall - Friday, May 17th, 11 am
The melodious sounds of the drums and shehnai permeated through the air, as the Bhallas and Iyers danced to varying bhangra and bollywood beats. Mihika sat in the center of a circle of women, flanked by two mehendi artists as they painted elaborate bridal mehendi on her arms. She was dressed in a heavy teal and emerald lehenga, hair tied back in a dutch braid with a fragrant gajra.
"Aapke hone wale pati ka naam kya hai?" the mehendi artist asked her. "Unka naam likhna hai mehendi mein."
"Mihir," she replied. After a moment's pause, she stopped the mehendi artist. "Didi ek minute. Aap uska naam tamil mein likhiye. Phir woh kabhi dhund hi nahi paayega," she sniggered.
Ishita clicked her tongue in disappointment. "Kya Miku, kyun bichaare ko pareshaan karti ho?" She was seated on the cushion beside her sister, clad in a sky blue saree and white net blouse, having her own mehendi done by Rinki.
"I love it Mihika," Rinki interjected, in complete contrast to her bhabhi. "Keep up the good work." They giggled and winked at each other, as Ishita shook her head, pressing her lips to avoid smiling.
"Rinki, tujhe mehendi nahi lagaani kya?" Ishita asked her.
"No bhabhi, I don't like the smell on my hands."
"Come on yaar, Ruhi ne bhi lagaayi hai."
"Aap ko dekh kar Ruhi ko bhi shauk hai in sab cheezon ka. Lekin mujhe nahi. By the way, main bhi Raman bhai ka naam likh du aapki mehendi mein?" she asked.
"Likh de Rinki!" Mihika said before Ishita could answer.
While Mihika and the women giggled and conversed over their mehendi with Toshi and Madhu providing oversight, Mihir danced among the men, along with Raman, Romi, Bala, and Shravu and Adi, Omprakash and Vishwa joining occasionally. Once Ishita's mehendi was done, she, Rinki, and Ruhi joined the crowd as well.
As the festivities continued with pomp and grandeur, the lunch buffet was served, and Madhu and Soumya called everyone up for lunch. As everyone settled down with their plates, Ishita checked on Mihika's mehendi (who was now having henna painted on her feet), before looking for Adi and Ruhi to serve them lunch. To her delight, she found them having lunch with Vandu and Shravu, plates full of various delicacies.
"How's your lunch guys?" she asked, as she approached the table.
"It's really good, Aunty," Adi replied.
"Ishimaa look at my mehendi!" Ruhi showed her mother her palms, stained with brown henna designs, devoid of the dried mehendi.
"Aapne apne haath dho bhi diye?" Ishita asked as she surveyed her daughter's palms. "Sirf do-teen ghante to huye the."
"Mujhe bahot itching ho raha tha mumma."
"Uski mehendi sukh gayi thi Ishu," Vandu intervened. "Aur use bahot uncomfortable lag raha tha. To maine dhulvaa di. Phir bhi color kaafi accha aaya hai."
"Haa woh to hai. Aapki mehendi bahot pyaari lag rahi hai Ru." Ishita took a seat between her sister and her son, gingerly placing her hands on the table, palms facing up to protect her mehendi.
Over the course of the next fifteen minutes, Ishita and Vandu talked at length about the upcoming festivities, occasionally breaking up a fight between Shravu and Ruhi over the number of sweets in their plates.
"Have you had lunch, Akka?" Ishita asked, after distributing the sweets equally between all three kids.
"Yes I did. Maine actually ghar par khichdi khaayi thi. Yeh saara heavy khaana mujhe nahi khaana tha abhi. What about you?"
"Kahan se khaau akka? Look at this." She pointed her chin to her mehendi covered hands, highlighting her dilemma.
Just then, she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around and the solution to her problem stood in front of her.
"Aapka lunch madam." Raman presented a plate full of naan, paneer, mixed veg, rice, daal, sweets and samosas.
"Lunch to aap le aaye Raman, lekin main khau kaise?" She presented her palms to him.
"Hum hai na? Banda haazir hai aapki khidmat mein."
"Whoo!" Vandu whistled lightly. "Ise kehte hain good husband."
"Nahin Vandu," Raman interrupted. "Ise kehte hain smart husband. Kya hai na, agar tumhari behen bhookhi rahi toh uska keher mujh par hi padega."
Vandu and Adi erupted in laughter, much to Ishita's chagrin.
"Thik hai, baba. Tum apni patni ko khaana khilao-" Vandu stood up from her seat, "-main chalti hoon."
She left the table in chuckles, with Shravu and Ruhi following her, as they pushed their empty plates and galloped to play with the other kids, leaving Raman, Ishita, and Adi behind at the table.
"Yeh le madrasan." Raman sat down on the seat left empty by Vandu and broke a piece of naan. He dipped it in the paneer gravy and fed his wife.
"Adi, are you all ready to dance tonight? In the sangeet?" Raman asked his son, as he fed his wife morsels of naan and curry.
"Absolutely, I'm so excited!" Adi sipped on his lassi. "I'm dancing with Romi chachu and Rinki bua. We rehearsed for three hours last night!"
He described in detail the dance he was going to perform tonight with his uncle and aunt. Raman gazed at his son, listening with interest, pleased at his growing confidence.
"Are you going to dance too, dad?" Adi asked.
"Yup. With your Ishita Aunty." Raman fed Ishita a barfi. "Pray for me beta."
"Why?" Adi's brows furrowed in confusion.
"Because your Aunty dances very well. And I can't compete with her."
"Kuch bhi Raman," Ishita interrupted.
"Yeh lo, taarif karo to bhi takleef, na karo to bhi takleef."
"Raman, aap payasam nahi laaye?" Ishita asked, interrupting him.
"Woh to khatam ho gaya tha."
Ishita's face fell in disappointment. Payasam was one of her favorite dishes. Adi glanced at his empty plate. Almost empty plate.
"Aunty, here. I have half a bowl of payasam left." Adi picked up his bowl and tried handing it to Ishita, only to realize her hands were covered in mehendi. "Oh wait." He picked up a fresh plastic spoon from a nearby bunch and brought a spoonful of payasam to her mouth.
"A-Are you sure, Adi?" Ishita asked, voice quivering with emotion. "Don't you want to eat it?"
"I already ate Aunty. Mujhse aur nahi khaaya jaayega. You can have it."
Ishita blinked the sheen of sentimentality from her eyes and ate the spoonful fed by her son. Payasam had never tasted this sweet before.
As her husband fed her lunch and her son fed her dessert, she realized she had never been more thankful to have her hands incapacitated like this before.
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Akash Ganga Community Hall - later that day, 5 pm
"Hello everyone, and welcome to Mihir and Mihika's sangeet ceremony!" Romi announced into the mike and was received with thundering applause and hoots. "I'm sure we're all very excited so let's get this party started, shall we?!"
Another round of applause broke out.
"To begin the night, we'll be starting off with the eldest members of our families. So please join your hands for my mom and dad, and Madhu Aunty and Vishwa Uncle! Dekhiye kaisa rang jamta hai jab North aur South ka dance ek saath hota hai!"
Romi stepped off the stage, allowing both sets of parents to take to the stage. The DJ turned up the track and the dance began.
Chipak-chapak ke chalti hain kabhi kabhi do raahein
Jude-jude kuch aise ki laga ho jaise gum
Double-double hoti thi jo kabhi-kabhi taqleefein
Kisi ke sang mein chalne se hui half se kum
Ho tera-mera, mera-tera, tera-mera, mera-tera qissa atrangi
Kabhi-kabhi chalti hai kabhi-kabhi rukti kahani bedhangi
Kashmir main tu Kanyakumari
North-South ki kat gayi dekho doori hi saari
Kashmir tu main kanyakumari
Fifty-fifty har situation mein hissedari
Madhu and Vishwa's steps were a bit choppy, while Toshi and Omprakash stumbled on their feet more than once. But even so, their energy and enthusiasm brought everyone to their feet.
Ek taraf to jhagda hai, saath phir bhi tagda hai
Do kadam chalte hain to lagta hai aath hain
Do tarah ke flavor, sau tarah ke tevar
Dar-badar firtein hain ji phir bhi apni thaath hai
Kabhi-kabhi chale seedhe, kabhi mud jaayein
Kabhi-kabhi kahin tootein, kahin jud jaayein
Hum sham-sahar ke, Chaaron pahar ke, Mood mein dhal jaayein
Kashmir main, tu Kanyakumari
Uttar ne dakshin ko aflatoon aankh maari
Kashmir tu, main Kanyakumari
Tel bechne jaaye toh phir yeh duniya saari
After the elders of the family, one performance followed another: Ruhi and Shravu; Romi, Rinki, and Adi; Simi and Pulkit; and many other distant relatives.
Even as the stage shook with each dance sequence, Raman couldn't focus on any of them. For his wife was nowhere to be seen.
"Kahan gayi yeh madrasan?" he muttered.
It wasn't after asking a group of ladies that he found out his wife had stepped outside for a phone call. He walked out of the back door and found her scrolling through her phone, checking her email, her back facing him.
He tiptoed closer and whispered in her ear. "You can leave your work behind for one day. The world won't end."
Ishita jumped in her skin, not realizing her husband had come up behind her. She turned around in alarm and stumbled on the edge of her saree, causing her to fall against him, as he caught her around the waist.
She still hadn't recovered from shock, when Raman took her phone out of her hand and placed it in his pocket.
"Raman! You scared me!" she whispered.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, ignoring her rebukes.
"I had a phone call from Dr. Batra. He just needed an email forwarded from me."
Her hands pressed against his chest, slowly rising to his shoulders, as he tightened his hold along her waist.
"You do realize you're supposed to be off for three days, right?" Raman stepped forward and she backed up.
"It was just one email, I promise. I even signed out of my account," Ishita promised.
He stepped forward again and her back hit the wall. She was caged in between the wall and her husband.
"Raman, chodiye na," she pleaded.
"Nope."
"Khule mein hai hum."
"I don't care." He tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.
"Koi bhi aa sakta hai."
"I don't care."
He stepped even closer, until every hard plane of his body pressed against her delicate curves, crushing her to the wall. He dropped a kiss against her jaw, and she closed her eyes, holding back a whimper.
"Raman..." she whispered, unable to suppress the storm churning within her.
"Yes?" He pulled back and peered at her, raising an eyebrow, hoping she would finally give in to the undeniable love and passion they were enveloped in. But instead, she gently pushed him on his shoulders, bringing some space between them.
"Sab log andar hai. Humein dhoond rahe honge," she said breathlessly.
He withdrew his hands from her waist and trailed them down her arms, taking her palms into his. Gazing at her mehendi, he decided to take the conversation to another road entirely.
"Waise, tumne mujhe abhi tak apni mehendi dikhayi nahi," he said.
"Toh phir abhi dekh lijiye."
"Bahot accha rang chadha hai," he commented.
"Aapka naam bhi likhwaaya hai maine. Dhund ke bataiye." She raised her eyebrows at him in a challenge.
"Thik hai."
He trained his attention on her hands, trailing his index finger around every curve and contour of stained mehendi. But he couldn't find his name anywhere.
"Tumne kahin mera naam Tamil mein to nahi likha na?" he asked.
"Nahin. Hindi mein hi hai."
After a thorough perusal, he found his name written in a flower at the edge of her pinky finger.
"Found it." He rubbed the pad of his thumb against said flower and dropped a kiss on it, multiplying the goosebumps on her skin.
It wasn't until the door flew open with a breeze, and Bala's faint announcement on the mike diffused out that they sprung apart.
"Now, please put your hands together for the groom's brother and the bride's sister, Raman and Ishita!"
"Chaliye Raman, it's our turn now," Ishita said.
Raman grasped his wife's hand and intertwined his fingers with her, as he pulled her inside for their couple dance.
They stepped to the stage and their melodious song sounded from the speakers.
Ehsaas Ki Jo Jubaan Ban Gaye
Dil Mein Mere Mehmaan Ban Gaye
Aap Ki Taarif Mein Kya Kahein
Aap Humari Jaan Ban Gaye
It was a slow dance. They hadn't rehearsed much, but still, they found their rhythm immediately. Raman led his wife through the steps and Ishita followed perfectly.
Aap Hi Rab Aap Imaan Ban Gaye
Aap Humari Jaan Ban Gaye
Kismat Se Humein Aap Humdum Mil Gaye
Jaise Ki Dua Ko Alfaaz Mil Gaye
Ishita couldn't believe how lucky she was to have him as a husband. It was as if her deepest dreams and desires had been materialized. Murugan had not only answered her prayers, but blessed her with so much more.
Socha Jo Nahi Wo Haasil Ho Gaya
Chahun Aur Kya Ki Khuda De Ab Mujhe
Rab Se Mila Ek Aayan Ban Gaye
Khwabon Ka Mere Mukaam Ban Gaye
Raman guided his wife through a twirl. He could never have thought life could be so damn beautiful. This woman was his life, his love. And he couldn't ever ask for more.
Aap Ki Taarif Mein Kya Kahein
Aap Humari Jaan Ban Gaye
Deen Hai Ilaahi Mera Maan Hai Maahi
Main Toh Sajda Karun Unko
Harz Ruwayi Meri Farz Dawayi Meri
Ishq Hua Mujhko
Their performance ended and a deafening round of applause caused Ishita and Raman to spring apart. They stepped off the stage, allowing Romi and Bala to announce the final performance of the night.
"Before we end the night, we would like to invite the final but the most important performance of the evening. Please welcome our very own bride and groom!"
Mihir and Mihika stepped up from their seats. She wore a violet and magenta netted lehenga while he was dressed in a dapper maroon kurta. Before they began their dance however, Mihir stopped the DJ.
"Mihika, I just realized that I forgot something," he said into the mike.
Mihika rolled her eyes. "We're right about to perform, Mihir. Can't this wait?"
"I don't think so."
Before she knew it, Mihir was down on one knee, his hand outstretched in front of Mihika.
"I realized that I never officially proposed to you. So, before everyone present here, I want to ask. Will you, Mihika Iyer, do me the honor of being my wife? Will you marry me?"
Mihika's chin trembled with emotion. "Yes! Of course I'll marry you!"
She pulled up her to-be-husband and launched herself into his arms, as applause and cheers broke out. Their favorite song began playing on the speakers and they began dancing, lost in the blissful promise of their future.
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Bhalla/Iyer Residence - next day, Saturday, 8 am
"Mihir, wake up!" Raman exclaimed at his brother who was threatening to fall asleep at the table. Again.
"Bhai, I only had like three hours of sleep. Rehem karo mujh pe," Mihir groaned. "Kal raat ki bachelor's party bahot lambi chali yaar."
"Ishita, chudiyaan aur kalire kahan rakhi hai?" Toshi asked.
"Mandir mein hi hai mummyji," she replied.
"Chetthi chetthi sab taiyyar kar le puttar. Baad mein Mihika ko sab pehnane jaana hai. Mihir, tu jaldi chai khatam kar. Phir Ganesh Puja shuru karni hai."
Both the Bhalla and Iyer houses were in chaos. It was the day before the wedding and many rituals had been lined up.
On one side of the hall, Mihir managed to jerk awake after a hot cup of tea, after which he sat in front of the temple for the Ganesh Puja. Mihika participated in a similar puja on the other side of the hall. Both families prayed for the wedding to happen without any obstacles. A kumkum and chandan tilak was applied to both the bride and groom, followed by aarti of the Almighty.
After the puja, Mihir made a quick escape for a power nap, while Toshi, Ishita, and the rest of the ladies went next door to the Iyer house, for the chooda and kalire ceremony. Toshi presented a set of red and ivory bangles, which she dipped in milk and rose petals before putting them on Mihika's hands, followed by gold-colored kaleeras encrusted with betel nuts.
"Aao kudiyon!" Toshi called out to all the unmarried girls of the crowd. "Sab ek ek karke idhar aao."
She instructed Mihika to shake the kaleeras over the head of each girl to see who would get married next. To her utter horror, a betel nut from the kaleera over Rinki's head. Toshi, on the other hand, was delighted.
"Oye ab to shaadi ke baare mein sochna shuru kar puttar!" she implored.
"Absolutely not!" Rinki stood up abruptly and threw away the nut that had fallen over her head.
After lunch, everyone set to work packing their wedding outfits and all the supplies needed for the wedding. They planned on leaving in the evening and staying at the Celestial Estate for the night, so the wedding could begin bright and early the next morning.
"Ruhi, aap ko aur kuch rakhna hai bag mein?" Ishita asked as she folded her sarees and placed them in the suitcase. "Once I pack the bag and load the trunk, we can't put anything else in it."
"I don't need anything else mumma," Ruhi said. Her outfit and jewelry for the wedding was already packed. "Main Ananya ke saath khelne jaau?" she asked.
"Thik hai, jao."
Ruhi jumped up from her parents' bed and ran out of the room to find Simi bua and Ananya, only to stumble into her father.
"Careful Ru!" he chided her, even as Ruhi flew away. He entered his room and handed his wife a stack of white silk. "Here, I got these veshtis from Appa. Pack these too."
"Adi ke kapde kahan hai?" Ishita asked, as she put away the veshtis.
"He didn't bring them yet? I asked him twice already."
Ishita shook her head and Raman sighed. "Adi! Adi!" he called out, voice rising in frustration.
Adi came running into the room. "Yes dad?"
"Adi, didn't I ask you to bring your clothes so Ishita Aunty could pack them?"
Adi stuck his tongue out as he realized his mistake. He had gotten distracted texting his friends. "Sorry dad, I totally forgot."
"Then go get them now! We're running out of time beta," Raman huffed impatiently.
Adi ran out of the room and came back with his purple kurta and tan pants, which he handed to Ishita, before leaving again.
"Raman, you didn't have to get that annoyed with him," Ishita said as she zipped the suitcase.
"I asked him twice, Ishita. He should've gotten it done when I said it the first time."
"But still..."
"You've gotten angry on Ruhi for less. Why is this bothering you?"
Ishita bit her lip. She was only just making headway with her son. She knew that being a parent wasn't always flowers and rose petals, but scolding Adi didn't sit right with her. Did she even have the right to scold him?
"Ishita, I get that you aren't as close to him as you are to Ruhi. But you're still his parent. Jab zaroorat pade to tumhe use bhi daantna hoga. Utne hi haq se jitne haq se tum Ruhi ko daant ti ho," Raman explained.
Ishita knew he was right. But it was easier said than done. She had yet to find her footing as Adi's parent. But she assured herself that it would happen soon enough. One day, being Adi's mother would come just as naturally as being Ruhi's mom.
"Yeh lijiye. Yeh bag pack ho chuki hai." She stood up from the bed and wheeled the suitcase out of their bedroom.
Two hours later, both families were on their way to the wedding venue.
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Celestial Estate - Sunday, May 19th, 4:40 am
Drums sounded loudly and firecrackers burst in all directions as the Bhallas danced in Mihir's baaraat (wedding procession). Toshi, Omprakash, Raman, Romi, Rinki, Simi, Pulkit, Ruhi, Aditya, and even little Ananya danced to the tunes of the best bhangra beats, as they surrounded Mihir on his horse. A crowd of other relatives, both close and distant, danced behind the groom's horse, as the entire baaraat proceeded to the entrance of the main pavilion.
Mihir was positively glowing. Gone was the sleepy boy from yesterday, having replenished himself after multiple afternoon naps. Today, he was decked in a gold threaded wedding kurta, flowers hanging from his paghdi in a sehra, as he rode the wedding horse.
They arrived at the entrance of the pavilion, and Mihir got down from his horse, where Madhu, Vishwa, Soumya, Ishita, Vandu, Bala, and Shravu stood to welcome them. Vandu showered rose water as the groom's party entered the pavilion, while Soumya applied a tilak to Mihir's forehead and welcomed him with a garland around his neck.
The groom's party entered the pavilion and many relatives began seating themselves in chairs that surrounded the grand central mandap. Mihir strained his neck for a glimpse of his bride but she was nowhere to be seen.
"Where's Mihika?" he asked, as they approached the mandap.
"Before you can see her, we need to get you dressed for the wedding," Bala told him.
Mihir looked at himself. He hadn't worn anything more expensive in his life. How much more dressed could he be?
"What do you mean?"
"He means you need to wear a veshti," Raman chuckled. "Welcome to the club, pal."
Raman and Bala dragged Mihir to one of the rooms adjoining the pavilion.
Ten minutes later, the groom emerged, dressed in a silk veshti and crisp white shirt, wearing a gold chain and gold clip-on earrings. Bala and Raman brought him to the mandap and whispered something in his ear.
In the next instant, Mihir disappeared. He ran from the mandap, clutching his veshti, and dashed out of the exit.
"Aiyyo yeh kidhar gaya?" Soumya shouted.
Raman shook his head, shaking with mirth. "Woh Kashi jaa raha hai sansaar chod ke! Appa, jao roko use!"
"Oh no! Main to bhul hi gaya Kashi Yatra ki rasam!"
Vishwa grabbed his veshti and made to run towards the exit, only for Mihir to peek his head in from the door.
"Is someone coming to get me?" he shouted. "You guys know that I don't actually want to go, right?"
"I'm coming beta! Don't leave!"
Vishwa ran outside the pavilion and caught his soon to be son-in-law, bringing him back to the mandap.
"Kya Mihir, thoda sa tez bhaagta na to bach jaata," Raman quipped.
"Dulhan ko lekar aayiye please," the priest requested, interrupting the laughter.
The noise died down as Vandu and Ishita went to bring out their sister. They emerged with Mihika and walked towards the mandap. Mihika was dressed in a beautiful red and gold kanjeevaram saree, hair tied back with a gajra, and gold jewelry hanging from her ears and around her neck. A red chunni was draped over her head, and red and ivory choodas adorned her wrists.
The wedding rituals began with the garland exchange, as Mihir was raised on Raman and Romi's shoulders while Mihika was raised by Bala and Vishwa. They then proceeded to the mandap where the priest guided the bride and groom through numerous rituals, as the sunrise painted the sky above them in hues of blue, pink, and orange. Vishwa stepped in as Mihika's father for the kanyadaan while Bala performed the rituals as Mihika's brother.
"Aap dono pheron ke liye khade ho jaaye." At the priest's instructions, Mihir and Mihka stood up for their rounds around the sacred fire. Everyone showered them with flowers, blessing their new union. Even so, Ishita had other plans.
Amidst the rain of flower petals, Ruhi tugged on Ishita's pallu and handed her a box.
"Here you go Ishimaa," she whispered.
"Great job Ruhi!" Ishita gave her a discreet high-five before pulling Vandu aside and showing her the contents of said box.
"Yes!" Vandu hugged her sister lightly, celebrating their victory at stealing Mihir's shoes.
"Akka, we can't celebrate yet," Ishita warned. "Yeh jootein humein itni aasaani se mil gaye, yeh baat mujhe hazam nahi hoti. Zaroor kuch gadbad hai."
Vandu went inside to hide the box of shoes, even as suspicions grew in Ishita's head. She knew her husband well. And she couldn't help but suspect that he had something else up his sleeve.
It wasn't until after the wedding ceremony ended and lunch began, did Ishita find out what was bugging her.
"Ishita Aunty!"
"Ishimaa!"
Adi and Ruhi approached her, whispering her name and pulling her aside for a quick chat.
"We have a problem, mumma," Ruhi said.
"Kya hua?"
"Aunty, Ruhi told me about the joota chupai," Adi said. "And Romi chachu saw you take mama's shoes."
"So what Adi? The shoes are still hidden safely."
"It's not that. I heard chachu and dad talking. Apparently dad has another pair of shoes for mama somewhere."
Ishita's eyes widened in shock. Of course her husband had plans to outsmart her.
"Tumhe pata hai woh dusre jootein kahan hai?" she asked.
Both kids shook their heads in the negative.
"Accha thik hai. Main kuch karti hoon. Tum log khaana kha lo."
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Celestial Estate - 12 pm
"Ten thousand rupees," Vandu declared.
"That's way too much Akka," Mihir pleaded.
"If you want your shoes back, then that's the price."
Mihir and Mihika sat on their velvet throne chairs after lunch, tied by the gathbandhan, surrounded by their relatives. Vandu currently held Mihir's shoes and negotiated the price of their return.
"Bhai, help me out here." Mihir turned to Raman.
Raman turned his lips up in a knowing smile. "You know what Mihir? We don't need these shoes back. Vandu, yeh tum rakho. Aish karo." He turned around and called his brother. "Romi! Bring out our secret weapon!"
Romi came running and squeezed his way through the crowd before whispering something in his brother's ear.
"What do you mean they're not there?" Raman whispered in annoyance.
Romi shrugged.
"Are you looking for this, Raman?" Ishita revealed a pair of brand new mojdhi shoes from behind her back.
Raman and Romi exchanged shocked looks.
"How did you know?"
"Where did you find these?"
"I know all of your hiding spots, Raman," Ishita laughed. "You really thought you could hide these from me?"
"But how did you even know about these?" he asked.
Ishita bit her lip to suppress a smile, even as Ruhi and Adi burst out laughing. Realization dawned in Raman's eyes.
"Dagaabaaz," he muttered under his breath. His plans were thwarted by his own kids! But even so, he welcomed betrayals like these, if they brought out such bright smiles on his wife and kids' faces.
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Celestial Estate - 5 pm
The wedding ended right around sunset. The bride, groom, and both families' elders left first to go to Mihir's house for the griha pravesh and other post-wedding rituals. Meanwhile, Raman, Ishita, Romi, Rinki, and Bala stayed back to wind up the wedding venue and see off the rest of their guests.
"Thanks for coming bua ji." Ishita handed her aunt-in-law a silver box of sweets and dry fruits, as she left the pavilion.
"We hope you had a good time," Raman said.
They bid farewell to the rest of their guests as they left the venue. Some of them were pleasant enough to praise their arrangements and wish the new couple a lifetime of happiness. Some of them were ungrateful of their efforts, finding faults in the food arrangements, unhappy with only a box of sweets and dry fruits in return. But one guest they met shocked them both.
"The wedding was really beautiful," Mani said, taking the box of dry fruits and sweets from Ishita's hands.
"Mani...? Tum yahan?" Raman asked.
"Haan, Madhu Aunty ne invite kiya tha..."
Ishita gazed at him, shocked. She was at a loss for words. The last time she had met him, she had rained hellfire on him, and rightly so. He may have deserved it at the time, but Ishita still felt awkward facing him again.
Raman's nostrils flared in irritation. The last time he had spoken with this man, he had almost gone down a self-destructive spiral. If it weren't for his wife, god knows where he would've landed. All because of this man's misconceptions.
"Guys, I um... I wanted to apologize," Mani began, being the first one to break the ice. "For whatever I said last time. I um... I crossed a line. I'm sorry."
Raman breathed a sigh of relief.
"I'm sorry too, Mani," Ishita replied. "Main kuch zyada hi bhadak gayi thi tum par."
"Koi baat nahi Ishu." Mani waved his hand dismissively. "Mujhe bura nahi lagaa. Lekin dar zaroor laga tha."
"Matlab?"
"Matlab kitni khatarnaak ho chuki ho tum?" he chuckled. "Ab to tumhe Raman hi sambhaal sakta hai."
"Main ise nahi, yeh mujhe sambhaalti hai," Raman said.
"I'll take your leave now guys," Mani said. "Congratulations on such a beautiful wedding again. And many congratulations to Mihir and Mihika."
Ishita and Raman nodded at Mani as he left the venue. Subconsciously, Raman stepped closer to his wife, pulling her towards him. No one... absolutely no one was going to take her away.
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Bhalla House, Raman and Ishita's bedroom - 11:30 pm
Ishita entered her room in her night clothes, yawning and dabbing her freshly cleaned face with a towel. She hung the towel on a chair before sitting on her bed, where her daughter was already sprawled on her stomach, fast asleep in her pajamas. Ishita ruffled her hair lovingly and dropped a kiss on her head. Her little girl had been so tired at Mihir's house during the post-wedding games. Thank god she had gotten her changed before they left otherwise she would have fallen asleep in her lehenga.
Ishita leaned back on the headboard and waited for her husband to return. He was riding back in another car with Toshi and Omprakash and was yet to return. She was so exhausted, she could barely keep her eyes open. But still, she couldn't fall asleep until her husband came back.
A knock on the door jerked her awake. The door opened, and Adi peeked in.
"Is Ruhi here?" he asked.
"Yes beta, she's sleeping here," Ishita answered. "She fell asleep in the car so I brought her here."
"Oh okay. She wasn't in our room so I came to check."
After a moment's hesitation, Adi asked another question.
"Can I join you guys?" He had had such a fun couple of days, surrounded by so many people, and he did not want to be alone now. Besides, he knew now that he wouldn't be wronging his mother by having a relationship with Ishita Aunty.
"Of course, beta!" Ishita brightened up. She scooched her daughter to the side and moved to the middle of the bed, making room for her son on the other side. She patted the empty space and welcomed Adi. "Come here."
Adi walked in and got under the covers with his sister and stepmother. He lied down beside Ishita, who sat between her children. She patted their backs, sending them into a smooth slumber.
Mila hoon ab jo tum se
Hai dil ko mere kasam se
Sukoon mila, sukoon mila..
Every one of Adi's muscles relaxed as he fell asleep. He tossed and turned a bit, trying to find a comfortable position, until instinctively, he twisted onto his side and brought his arm around Ishita's waist. His eyes were closed and his mind was in that weird place between consciousness and deep sleep, but he could tell he was warm. Warm and loved and protected. Whatever this warmth was, he loved it. He burrowed closer the source of warmth, cuddling like a baby to a mother, something he hadn't done in a long time.
Tujhe hai paaya Rab se,
Hai dil ko mere kasam se
Sukoon mila, sukoon mila..
Ishita struggled to contain her shock and her overwhelming affection for Adi at that moment. His arm was around her waist and he snuggled into her, the lines of tension easing from his forehead. He looked like an innocent baby, not a kid who had been forced to grow up too quickly. She felt the overwhelming urge to kiss him on his forehead, but she was scared to overstep. Adi had asked her not to be his mother. Maybe he might disapprove of it. Instead, she merely stroked his head repeatedly and poured all her love and affection into that simple gesture.
Har pal haseen sa huaa hai
Saanson ko tune chhuaa hai
Badhi tujhse nazdeekiyaan
Sukoon mila, sukoon mila.. mm..
As she was lost in the warmth of her children snuggling into her, the door opened and her husband walked in... and stopped in his tracks. His wife was seated on their bed, flanked by their sleeping children. It was a sight he had prayed for years, and seeing it in real life sent a punch in his gut. He tiptoed to the bed and sat on the edge, not wanting to disturb his babies, even as his gaze remained fixed on them.
Mila hoon ab jo tum se
Hai dil ko mere kasam se
Sukoon mila, sukoon mila.. mm..
Suddenly, he heard a snuffling sound, which caused him to tear his gaze away from his children. It was then that he realized that tears were streaming down his wife's face, and his heart fell into his stomach.
"What happened?" he mouthed, his voice barely a whisper.
Ishita shook her head. She had no words. And even if she did, she didn't have the strength to say it. Instead, she took a hold of her husband's hand and held it close to her chest. She kissed the back of his hand, her tears falling on his knuckles. Raman understood her without any speech, as he leaned over and wiped her tears.
Jab se juda tujhse jiya
Chain o qaraar dil ko mila
Jab bhi rahoon sang tere
Bhoolun har gham shiqwa gila
Anyone else witnessing this sight would not understand the sheer joy that ran through their veins. Only they could. Ishita had gone through hell and back in her ordeal to become Ruhi's mother. And she was still working to build her relationship with her son. Raman had been separated from both his kids for five long years, and he had fought tooth and nail to get them back. Both of them had been robbed of so much time with their children; they had been robbed of so many of the normal joys of parenthood. So much so that even this simple act of watching their children sleep was extraordinary.
Tere ishq ka hi nasha hai
Meri rooh tak mein basaa hai
Tune aankhon se jo chhuaa
Sukoon mila, sukoon mila.. mm..
Raman turned off the bedside lamp as Ishita dozed off with her head leaning against the headboard. Raman got up from the bed and laid out his bedding on the couch, unwilling to disturb his wife and children. Truth be told however, he didn't know if he could fall asleep. For he could've spent eternity looking at his wife and children in peaceful slumber.
Mila hoon ab jo tum se
Hai dil ko mere kasam se
Sukoon mila, sukoon mila..
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Bhalla House - next day, 9 pm
"I want to watch Barbie!" Ruhi insisted.
"Come on Ruhi, that's been on forever!" Adi complained. "Can't we watch Marvel now?"
"Guys, play nice," Raman interrupted. "Ruhi, you've been watching it for long enough. Let bhaiya watch what he wants now."
Ruhi pouted and handed her brother the remote, who gleefully switched through the channels until he found the Spiderman movie he was looking for. Upset at having lost control of the remote, Ruhi ran into her room, choosing to play with her dolls instead.
Raman leaned back on the chair of the dining table and stretched his back until he felt his joints crack. Both he and his wife had taken the day off today, owing to their exhaustion after the long wedding yesterday. But it turned out that looking after his two kids was a full-time job in itself.
The front door clicked open, and Ishita and Mihir walked in.
"Tum dono saath mein kaise aaye?" Raman asked.
"Main apni gaadi lekar waapis aa rahi thi, tab Mihir bahar hall mein mila. Toh main use bhi le aayi," Ishita explained.
"I know you went to get your car back, but why is Mihir here?" Raman asked. "Shouldn't he be with his new wife?"
"Kahaan se bhai?" Mihir groaned and sat down in a chair beside Raman. "Mihika's staying with Periamma and Periappa tonight. Pag phere ke liye. So I'm all alone tonight."
"Awww you poor thing," Raman mocked. "Don't worry. Stay here tonight. Sab log yahan hai, including Mihika. It doesn't make sense for you to drive all the way back home for one night."
Ishita shook her head and walked into her bedroom, leaving her husband and brother (in-law) behind at the dining table.
"I'm so glad the wedding is finally over," Mihir groaned. "That was so exhausting. Three days of non-stop rituals and parties and what not..."
"Speaking of the wedding being over... Adi?" Raman called out to his son, who turned around on the couch to face him. "Do you want to change rooms now? We can convert the guest room to your room if you want," he asked.
Adi mulled over his father's suggestion. And he decided against it.
"No dad. I like sharing my room with Ruhi. It makes me feel less lonely."
Adi immediately turned his attention back to the TV, but his simple statement pierced Raman's heart. His chest burnt like acid thinking of how lonely his kid had been for so long. Both his kids. All because of Shagun.
"Bhai, all okay? Aap ko achanak kya hua?" Mihir read his brother's face.
Raman shook his head and sighed. "Just... I was just thinking about Adi and Ruhi. How much pain they have endured. All because of Shagun's selfishness. I can't believe I ever married her." He made sure to lower his voice enough so that Adi couldn't hear them.
"Why are you thinking about all that now?"
"I just... I wish I had married Ishita first." He thought about how his wife had cradled their sleeping children last night. "If she would've given birth to Ruhi and Adi, our entire family would've been saved from so much pain."
"I guess I can't disagree with that," Mihir admitted.
"I still can't believe I ever married Shagun."
"Bhai, ab jaane dijiye na in baaton ko. Jo hona tha woh ho gaya. Maybe it was all fated."
"Maybe it was. But still... I truly regret marrying her."
Behind them, a pair of steps retreated from the living room, leaving behind the pieces of a broken heart.
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Hey ya'll!
Our precious Mihir-Mihika are married now! ❤️🎊🎉 Yay!!
Okay, so it's truth time for your author. I want to share some of my original ideas I had for this fic, which I have since then scrapped.
So originally, when I drafted this fic, I was planning on following the same pairing as the show. Which meant I was planning on breaking up Mihir & Mihika and pairing up Romi-Mihika and Rinki-Mihir. Obviously I didn't go through with it, mainly owing to the readers' wishes, and because I was frankly not as interested in the side stories more than IshRa's story. But I still think the other pairings could have worked too, only if it was executed properly.
MiMi's break-up could've worked if they had a solid reason to break up, like career choices or different priorities in life (career vs family).
Rinki and Mihir could've gotten together after Rinki's broken marriage. Sooo many tropes that could've worked: friends to lovers, healing broken hearts, office romance, brother's best friend, and whatnot.
Even Romi and Mihika could've worked if the story was developed right. They could've had an enemies to lovers arc, where the bad boy Romi falls for the feisty girl Mihika and reforms himself. Considering how they started, it would've made for a very interesting story. Also, Aly Goni and Mihika Verma had great chemistry together.
Oh well, what's gone is gone... I just wanted to share this stuff with you.
As far as this update is concerned, I want to let you know that all my wedding research comes from the internet (I'm not Tamilian or Punjabi). So I apologize for many cultural mistakes. Also, not all rituals were shown on the page. If you don't see them happening, just assume they happened off the page.
Keep reading and voting and commenting guys!! I love you people! ❤️❤️
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