Pressing the safety pin between her teeth, Naina adjusted the saree on her shoulder, checking the length of the pallu by turning side to side and finally securing it with the pin. This was indeed a heavy saree, but she was happy she wore it despite being initially worried about handling it. Pushing the pleats with her foot, she checked if everything was fine and was secured with safety pins at required places. At last, placing the falling pallu on her left arm, she heaved satisfactorily. The tedious task of wearing a saree was done.

She picked up her hairbrush, combing all her hair back into her hand in a pony style.

"Nainaaa...." She saw Sameer appearing in the reflection of the almirah mirror, with a big frown on his face due to obvious reasons. "Khule chhod do naa... baandh kyu rahi ho?" he said.

Naina sighed, rolling her eyes, "offo Sameer..." she said, "tumhari wajah se na mai kabhi dusri hairstyle kar nahi paati... iss saadi pe juda (जुड़ा) hi jyada achchha lagega... aur waise bhi... hum sab gajra lagane wale hai baalon mein..." She returned a big smile, squeezing her eyes.

Sameer stomped his foot on the floor, but walked closer to stand behind her. He continued to adore her as she twisted her hair in her hand to form a high bun and kept it bound with a simple black bow. With the help of the comb, she drew thin hair locks out from either temples, letting it free falling on her cheeks.

"Aisehi ghoorte rahoge ya doree bhi baandh doge?" Naina teased him, looking for her earrings in a jewellery box.

Sameer chuckled at her remark, shaking his head, he picked up the doree's of her sleeveless blouse and tied them up in a knot. Her long hair now tied in a bun gave him a clear display of her back. He was loving the way Naina had been accepting these small changes in her life.

Not that wearing sleeveless blouses and having a deep back makes you modern and others orthodox. It was just that she wanted to try a deep back and she was comfortable sporting it, not worrying about the speculative gazes and the comments coming from others.

His fingers lingered on her buttery back, making her squirm due to the ticklish feeling and himself earning a nudge on his midriff with her elbow.

"Yeh dekho..." Naina chirped, avoiding the butterflies in her stomach due to his soft touch, "parso Preeti ke sath gayi thi na? Wahi se li... imitation piece hai lekin mujhe bahot pasand aayi..."

Sameer smiled and picked the nath, the Maharashtrian jewellery, from her palm. It was a small sized nath studded with pearls and a red stone in the center. He promised to himself to buy an authentic Maharashtrian gold nath for Naina as she seemed to have developed a fondness for the jewellery. But there was time for it.

"Idhar dekho," Sameer commanded, turning Naina to him after she was done.

His eyes wandered on her from top to bottom. She had applied very little make up on her face, that too when he insisted about it. The pink Banarasi silk saree and the contrasting golden blouse added a glow to her already glowing face. The big jhumke studded with stones, that cute nath, small pink bindi and only mangalsutra as a neck piece... with the minimal jewellery and make-up, she was looking breathtakingly gorgeous.

"Aaj madam toh ekdum qayamat dha rahi hai..." he raised his brows, and while she was busy blushing to the color of tomatoes, he pulled her to his chest, securing her in his tight embrace.

"Sameer!!" Naina's eyes widened, "darwaza khula hai..." she mumbled.

"Tch.. kya yaar Naina!! Ek toh kal se itna miss kar raha hu mai tumhe... aur tum ho ki..."

Naina giggled on his grumpy face, "achchha mister? Ek hi din mein itni halat kharab ho gayi aapki? Baki ke din kaise kaatenge?"

Sameer's lips took a downward turn only with the thought of staying away from her.

"Waise.... Aap bhi kuchh kam nahi lag rahe hai heroji..." she said, stroking her palm on the fabric of the new floral blue kurta of Sameer.

As her eyes roved on him, she patted her back mentally for choosing this kurta pajama for him. The dark blue color indeed complemented his fair skin. He had cut his hair recently and not to forget the day old stubble adding to his charm.

"Naina... tumhe nahi lagta iss shopping mein tumne kuchh jyada hi kharcha kar diya?"

"Tch... Tum bhi na... aur yeh toh mera dialogue hona chahiye tha na?"

"Phir bhi Naina—"

"Sameer!! Yahi toh mauke milte hai hamein... tayyar hone ke, sajne-sawarne ke... sabke sath khushiya manane ke... warna aajkal hamein time hi kaha mil raha hai?"

"Hmmm... waise sajne-sawarne se problem nahi hai mujhe... lekin tum aise tayyar hokar mere saamne aaogi, toh hamara iss room se bahar nikalna bhi mushkil ho jayega..."

Paying zero heed to Naina's laughter at his comment, Sameer dipped down aiming at her lips, turning her silent with his act within a moment.

"Sameerrrr!!!!"

His lips were hardly an inch away from hers when the couple got startled with the voice coming towards them. Naina jolted him apart, fixing her saree.

"Haan mummy..." Sameer replied, fiddling with his collar.

Vishakha peeped in the room, slowly walking in after Sameer's reply.

"Sameer, mai phir se puchh rahi hu... mera aana sach mein achchha lagega kya? Mai toh invited bhi nahi hu..."

"Nahi nahi Mummy... aapko aana hi hai..." Sameer affirmed, "aur Shubhamji ne subah khas aapko invite karne ke liye hi phone kiya tha..."

Vishakha's shoulders slumped, finding no way to escape from this function. "Achchha thik hai... Naina, yeh lo..." Vishakha forwarded a box, "yeh mithai hai Ganpati bappa ko chadhane ke liye... wahan de dena..."

"Ji maa..." Naina accepted it with a smile.

****

"Kahan gayi woh saree pin? Yahi toh rakhi thi maine..." Preeti Mumbled to herself, shuffling through a fourth box now. She didn't find it there either.

Pushing all the drawers of the dressing table back, Preeti moved to her cupboard and crouched on her knees.

"Preetiiii??" Shubham called her, looking in the room and finally finding her.

"Preetiiii...." He repeated, seeing his wife heavily occupied.

"Hmmmm..." Preeti said, a bit annoyed, now opening another small kit.

"Kaisa lag raha hu mai?" He asked, flashing a big grin. He spoke louder to gain her attention.

"Ekdum mast maal lag rahe hai aap Shubhamji... woh Marathi mein kehte hai na!!! Ekdum टवका!!!" Preeti couldn't be as nonchalant as she was now while praising her husband without even looking at him.

"Mil gayi!!!!" Preeti almost screamed in excitement, pushing the kit back in the shelf and turning like a whirlwind as she stood up.

She almost bumped to her husband's chest, who was gazing at her with narrowed eyes.

"Tumhare pati ka aaj janamdin hai aur tumhara dhyan tak nahi hai uspe!!" He complained.

"Shubhamji!!! Ek toh mai aapko subah subah wish kar chuki hun... uske baad aapne khud mujhse 3 baar aur 'happy birthday' bulwaya hai... lekin ab mujhe na bahot tension aa raha hai... aur ek toh yeh baarish bhi nahi ruk rahi hai kabse..."

"Baarish ka tension lene se tumhe kya milne wala hai? Woh hamare haath mein thodi hai!!"

"Aap na yeh logic apne paas hi rakhiye... Aur hatiye saamne se..." pushing him away, Preeti sprinted.

Shubham chuckled seeing her all agitated. Who would tell her that her lavender color saree, the blouse with embroidery, the falling pallu, her open hair and that one hairlock falling on her cheek made him disturb her again and again? Because she looked insanely beautiful and he couldn't miss any chance to adore her amidst hundreds of tasks at his hands. He looked in the mirror, confirming whether he was matching her beauty or not. The dark blue kurta looked good on him.

Hmmm.... good enough as Preeti's husband. He mused.

"Preetiiii..." Nirmalaji entered the room, "beta, saari tayyari ho gayi ke? Mhara BP toh subah se bass upar neeche ho raha hai... aur zara Ammaji ko bhi dekh le woh tayyar hui ke nahi..."

"Haan Mummyji... saari tayyari ho gayi hai... aur dadisa bhi bilkul ready hai... aap tension mat lijiye..." Preeti said.

Shubham, still standing near the cupboard, placed his hands on his waist, wondering who was saying not to panic to whom.

***

***

Sameer and Naina entered the Gadkari house through the open door, making their way through people who were rushing from one room to another.

"Sameer!!" Mrs. Gadkari called for their attention, decked in a dark purple Maharashtrian Paithani saree with red border, golden bangles, necklace and Nath. "Achchha hua tum dono aa gaye... Aditya ko bolo na thoda jaldi kare... der ho rahi hai... ha mulga itka tras deto na mala..." and she left to the kitchen mumbling to herself.

The Maheshwari duo only smiled at her, directing themselves towards Aditya's room.

Aditya was surrounded by Sejal, Shashank and their son Atharva in his room.

"Bhabhi!! Aur kitna powder lagayengi... ho gaya na..." Aditya remarked, saving his face from the puff in Sejal's hand.

"Arey aaj nahi lagaungi toh kab lagaungi?!" Sejal countered, holding his chin in her hand, and applying more compact powder.

Shashank and Atharva kept giggling at the devar-bhabhi exchange.

"Ho gaya kya tayyar Dulhe Raja???" Sameer commented, sauntering in the room with Naina.

"Dekh na yaar Sameer!!" Aditya pointed at his face, looking at him through the mirror, "safed bhoot bana diya hai mujhe..."

Everyone's laughter reverberated in the room, except Sejal's, who swatted his arm hard.

The chatter continued in the room, rather teasing, where Sameer, Naina and Shashank didn't leave a chance to embarrass Aditya. After a few minutes, Mr. Gadkari peeped through the door, giving a final warning to Aditya that they need to leave in 10 minutes, also berating Shashank for not paying attention to the arrangements. The panic took over Sejal and Shashank, forcing them to hurry and Shashank dragged Sejal and Atharva with him, leaving the three people in the room.

(Hey peeps, I thought of giving a face to Shashank, so please imagine Ashi's friend Karan Sharma as Shashank. I think he is familiar to all of us.)

Aditya heaved a huge sigh after finding some peace in this chaos. Sameer sniggered looking at him, nudging Aditya to cheer up. He picked a napkin and turned Aditya to him. Aditya stood steady as Sameer wiped the extra powder from his face.

Naina had a sweet smile on her lips as she adored her husband helping Aditya. She was grateful that Sameer had found such a close friend in Aditya. She truly was. Because no matter how much you love your partner and enjoy spending time with them, you always need a friend in life. A person you share a different kind of bond with, whom you reach out to in your difficult times and also participate in their happy moments. A person who doesn't judge you for who you are, a person who only pushes you forward towards your betterment.

After leaving Ahmedabad, Sameer had this huge void in his life as Munna and Pandit were left behind too. The telephone kept them connected but what about the warmth of a hug? A supportive pat on the shoulder? The urge to find that affection in their eyes for you?

Naina was grateful because Aditya came into Sameer's life and befriended him himself. He helped Sameer open up, he took Sameer to different places in Mumbai, he made him taste different types of foods, he taught him how to deal with the absurd people.... he made him share all his happiness and sorrows as much as he did. He was there for Sameer as much as Sameer was there for Aditya.

Naina was immensely grateful to him!!

"Dekh!! Ab thik hai?" Sameer voiced.

Aditya opened his eyes and checked himself in the mirror. Yes! It was perfect! Being actors first, they knew how much makeup suits their faces. He smiled, giving a thumbs up to Sameer and adjusting the sleeves of his teal blue kurta studded with small mirrors.

"Chalein ab? Der ho rahi hai..." Sameer said, turning to leave.

"Sameer!!" Aditya held Sameer's wrist, making him stop and turn. "Thanks yaar!!"

"Tu pagal hai Aditya?" Sameer chuckled, "itni se baat ke liye kya thanks..."

"Nahi... iske liye nahi..."

"Toh?"

"Tune jo kuchh bhi kiya hai mere liye... unn sab ke liye... thank you!!"

"Aditya!!! Maine kuchh—"

"Nahi yaar Sameer... mujhe bolne de...." Aditya urged. "Tu agar apan ko woh role nahi dilata na... toh aaj yeh din nahi hota... toh aaj main kuchh nahi hota... pata nahi mai tera yeh ehsaan kaise chuka paaunga... Mai—"

"Shut up yaar Aditya!!!" Sameer's voice raised a bit. "Pagal ho gaya hai tu? Khabardar agar dosti ko ehsaan ka naam diya toh..."

"Haan Aditya!!" Naina joined, "yeh kya keh rahe ho tum?"

"Meri baat sun..." Sameer held Aditya's shoulders, forcing him to look in the eyes which he wasn't. "Maine kuchh nahi kiya hai Aditya... kuchh bhi nahi... maine sirf tujhe auditions ke baare mein inform kiya hai bass..."

Aditya was on the verge of choking. He was overwhelmed seeing Sameer's gesture towards him.

"Yeh role tujhe tere talent ke wajah se mila hai... tune prove kiya hai apne aap ko... tu aaj jo kuchh bhi hai na, woh tu khudke wajah se hi hai Aditya... aur yeh baat hamesha dhyan mein rakhna..."

Aditya's lips crept upward amidst the slight tears in his eyes. He nodded, restoring the belief in himself after Sameer's assuring and soothing words. And then he flung himself towards his friend, holding him in a tight hug.

Sameer stroked Aditya's back affectionately, absorbing his overflow of emotions. However, he had a big smile on, he was genuinely happy for his friend. He just needed to cheer Aditya, who was wrapped under self-doubt even after his selection. But what Sameer told was the truth and he couldn't be happier about not mending in the selection process.

After fifteen minutes, Maheshwari family and Gadkari family were in the lobby of the J wing along with few others, gasping at the continuous downpour of rain. The September rain was there right since Ganesh Chaturthi, as if it wanted to meet Ganpati Bappa in various pandals daily. And today, on the eighth day of the Ganeshotsav, it had rained heavily in the afternoon.

Thankfully, it wasn't as heavy as the afternoon, but not light either so that they could risk crossing the ground and ruin their looks. The men from the families appeared with umbrellas soon, forming pairs.

Rakesh pulled Naina with him as he held the umbrella on her head, while Sameer called Vishakha to join him. The Sasur-damaad duo crossed the distance till the society club house, being careful not to mess the sarees of the precious women of their lives. The other people followed too, while some men just sprinted in the rain.

***

"Aa gaye aa gaye!!!" Jatin hollered, now turning towards the club house entrance, "hamare aaj ke utsav moorti aa gaye..." he commented, welcoming Aditya and Gadkari family.

Soon, Nirmalaji, Shubham and Preeti walked to the spot, taking over the role of the hosts. Shubham shook his hands with Shashank, followed by a quick hug and repeated it with Aditya. Among the ladies, Preeti hugged Sejal while Nirmalaji hugged Mrs. Gauri Gadkari. Shubham and Preeti then joined their hands and bowed down slightly to welcome Mr. and Mrs. Gadkari in.

The pleasantries were exchanged with Maheshwari family too while they wished Shubham for his birthday. By 5:30 pm, almost all the invitees were gathered— including only close relatives of Gadkari Family and Shubham's family— taking places on the white laid mattresses and chatting in the form of clusters. Due to Sunday and despite the rain, people still showed up.

"Wow Preeti!!!" Naina chirped as she joined Preeti, them helping one another to tie the gajra, "kya color theme chuna hai tune... lagbhag sabhi log pehen ke aaye hai, hai na?"

Preeti wandered her gaze across the hall and heaved in happiness. For the first time, she thought of keeping a color theme among the guests— shades of pink and purple for the ladies and shades of blue for the men. And it made her jump on her feet that almost all the guests have followed the color code, with some exceptions here and there.

"Haan..." Preeti said, "mujhe laga hi nahi tha sab itne seriously lenge is theme ko..."

"Preeti!!" Naina grabbed both her hands in hers, "mai na bata nahi sakti mai tere liye kitna garv mehsoos kar rahi hun... jis tarah tune yeh saari arrangements ki hai... aur khaskar jab mujhe pata chala tune yeh saaree aur jiju ke kapde tere apne paison se liye..." Naina heaved again, grinning widely, "mai bahot khush hun tere liye..."

Preeti squeezed her shoulders, smiling ear to ear upon hearing the compliments. "Sirf maine akeli ne kuchh nahi kiya hai... Shubhamji har kadam par mere sath the..." and she blushed.

"Ayee hayyeee..." Naina nudged her shoulder, making her blush even more.

"Preeti beta!!" Nirmalaji stopped before rushing somewhere, "ja Tanvi ko lekar aa... Sagai ki rasam shuru karni hai..."

"Ji Mummy ji..." Preeti responded and rushed to their home C302.

The society club house had taken the form of a banquet hall– the festoons of yellow and orange marigold flowers all over the hall, colorful drapes on the backdrop of the stage, series of warm white lights on the walls, white mattresses, chairs and a table in the corner for water, orange juice and coffee for the guests.

And amidst all the engagement ceremonial look, there was a Lord Ganesh idol, sitting gracefully in a flower studded mahirap on the occasion of the 10 days Ganeshotsav. It was decided to conclude the engagement ceremony first and then have the regular aarti of Ganpati Bappa by 7:30pm. Dinner was to be served to the invitees from 8pm onwards.

While everyone waited for Tanvi, the men– Jatin, Sameer, Shashank and Aditya's friend Gaurav– pulled Aditya in a corner.  Aditya was almost frightened as if caught in the group of predators.

"Kamaal karta hai yaar tu Aditya!!" Jatin commented, "hame kuchh pata hi nahi chalne diya? Yeh galat baat hai... hai na?" He looked at the others.

"Lekin Jatinji... mujhe toh pehle hi pata tha..." Sameer divulged, grinning, "woh Aditya mera achchha dost hai na... toh mujhe usne pehle hi bata diya tha... aapko nahi pata tha?" He made an innocent face.

Aditya could only open his mouth in between, but didn't get to speak.

"Mujhe?" Jatin sighed, "mujhe toh iss Shashank ke baare mein bhi sabse aakhri mein pata chala tha..." He swatted Shashank's shoulder lightly, making them all chuckle. "Khair, aaj hamara target Aditya hai... main nahi..." he prodded.

"Toh Aditya!" Jatin placed his arm on Aditya's shoulder, pulling him closer, "tumhari aaj sagai hai... matlab shadishuda mard banne ke taraf tum ek kadam badha rahe ho... toh aaj hum sab tujhe kuchh tips denge..."

"Kk... kaise... tips?" Aditya stuttered.

"Arey yahi," Aditya's friend Gaurav, who was also married, spoke, "ki abse tujhe apne hone wali biwi ke sath kaise rehna hai..."

"Kaise rehna hai?" perplexed, Aditya asked.

"Ekdum sher ki tarah...." All of them startled due to Jatin's over-enthusiastic action, "dekho Aditya... isse pehle tumhari ek bakri bann jaye—"

"Bakri?" the men enunciated together.

"Matlab bakra..." Jatin corrected, "matlab isse pehle tumhara bali ka bakra bann jaye... tum na sher bann jao... hai na Sameer?"

Sameer, who was stifling his laughter knowing where this was coming from, stopped grinning. He was caught off guard.

"Hh.. haan... Aditya!" Sameer tried to sound casual, "Jatinji sahi keh rahe hai... yeh biwiyaan na... agar tum unhe time par control na karo na... toh tumhare sar pe baith jaati hai... mai... toh... wahin karta hun..."

"Kya?" Aditya frowned, "yeh tu keh raha hai, Sameer?"

"Kyun?" Jatin stepped in, "tujhe Sameer pe doubt ho raha hai? Mujhe toh pehle din hi pata chal gaya tha, ki Sameer Naina ko apni muththhi mein rakhta hoga... Right Sameer?"

"Kya? Sach mein?" Shashank, who was only enjoying the teasing of his brother, voiced, "bhai Sameer, mujhe bhi tips dena please... bhai meri wali toh roz mere sar pe garba karti hai... bata na yaar kuchh..."

"Haan haan Sameer.... Bata na..." Gaurav supported Shashank.

"Mm.. Maii... kyaa... bataun?" Sameer smiled, though his heart was beating with speed.

"Arey sirf batana kya hai..." Jatin Said, "Sameer toh hame live demo de dega... hai na, Sameer?"

Sameer smiled and frowned at the same time. He couldn't figure out how he got carried away and when the niddle of the game turned to him from Aditya.

"Ek kaam karo Sameer..." Jatin continued, looking around in the hall, "woh wahan Naina hai... usse na zor se aawaz lagao... aur yahi se coffee ki demand karo... ekdum sher jaise..."

Sameer looked at the direction Jatin pointed. Naina was serving coffee and orange juice to the guests alongside Sejal. Sameer wiped the sweat from his forehead, licking his dry lips.

"Aapko coffee chahiye Jatinji?" he said, "mai la deta hu na?"

"Arey ruko ruko..." Jatin stopped Sameer from leaving, "bina Aditya ko demo dikhaye kaise ja sakte ho? C'mon yaar Sameer... apne dost ki fikar nahi hai tumhe? Chalo... aawaz lagao Naina ko... kadak ekdum..."

The men turned towards the hall, placing Sameer in their center and patting his back for the support.

Sameer wiped his mouth, adjusting his collar, "Na... uhmmm..." he cleared his throat as words didn't come out at first, "Nainaaa..." he voiced.

Naina continued to serve with the tray in hand.

"Thoda dum dikhao yaar aawaz mein..." Gaurav prodded.

Sameer fiddled with his collar again, "Nainaaa!!!!" this time, it was loud enough to grab Naina's attention.

She turned to him, raising her brows and asking what it was.

"Coffee!! Coffee!!! Coffee!!" Others whispered near his ear, poking at his back. Sameer was dumbstruck.

Seeing Sameer not responding and observing his face, Naina walked to him carrying the tray. Everyone except Sameer started looking at anything but her, talking about the decoration with one another.

Sameer could easily detect her lioness walk.

DANGER!! DANGER!!!! His system alarmed him.

"Kya hai?" Naina asked, standing a few feet away from the group.

"Nainaa... woh... mai... matlab mujhe..." Sameer looked for words to form a coherent sentence.

"Bolo na jaldi... kaam hai mujhe..." Naina pointed at the tray.

"Jatin...!!!!"

"Haan Vanu(वनू)..." Jatin responded within a second.

"Wahan kya kar rahe hai aap? Yahan aaiye thoda..." Vanita ordered from a corner.

Jatin dashed to his wife, stumbling at a mattress in his way.

"Shashank... Gaurav.... Ikde ya 2 minute..." Mr. Gadkari called the two men and they left the place dragging one another, leaving now only Aditya and Sameer behind.

Seeing the men sprinting like kids here and there, a frown appeared on Naina's face. She strolled closer to the two, "kya chal raha tha yahan pe?" she enquired.

"Nahi nahi... kuchh nahi Naina..." Sameer affirmed, easing the creases on his forehead.

Naina could see the men were definitely upto something, but she kept it for later. "Aur tum yahan timepass kya kar rahe ho? Jao, jiju ka haath batao(बटाओ) na thoda..."

"Haan haan... jaata hun..." Sameer said, and heaved a huge sigh after Naina left to resume her work.

Aditya spurt out the laughter he was holding for long, taking Sameer's support as he was about to fall.

"Huhh... aya bada sher banne..." he remarked after his laughter subsided.

"Saaleee..." Sameer grabbed Adtya's neck in his left arm, "Tanvi ke saamne tera bhi yahi haal hone wala hai... samjhe?"

The duo was engaged in friendly banter, when Aditya's eyes stopped at the entrance. It was Tanvi who entered the hall along with Preeti, flashing a big smile but with a pinch of shyness. Her light pink organza saree with embroidered flowers, which he chose himself in the shopping, looked gorgeous on her. Her hands colored in subtle mehendi, with only a wrist-watch in the left one, her open hair and one small bindi on the forehead reminded him how she always liked to be a simple girl.

No wonder why all the guests were looking at her.

Aditya was called by Mrs. Gadkari and they were taken to the stage. Panditji performed the Ganpati pooja first, with betels as its symbol, and the Engagement rituals started.

The ceremony included both Maharashtrian and Marwari rituals as Aditya and Tanvi sat next to each other. With the offering of presents to the bride-to-be and groom-to-be at last, the rituals were concluded.

It was time for the ring ceremony, and the two families stood on either side below the stage. Preeti accompanied Tanvi on the stage, backed by Nirmalaji, Shubham, and Dadisa on her wheelchair down the stage. From the Gadkari's, Sejal took Aditya to the stage with the ringbox in her hand, while Mr. Gopal Gadkari, Mrs. Gauri Gadkari, Shashank and Atharva showed their support and excitement from the right side.

Preeti passed the ring to Tanvi, while Sejal forwarded the one to Aditya. However, Aditya was hesitant to accept it.

"Nahi!!!" He mumbled, shaking his head.

Frowns and gasps took over the hall, the hush talks and murmurs among the guests prevailed. The faces of Shubham, Preeti and Nirmalaji turned white, while Tanvi's heart skipped a beat.

Naina, who was standing next to Sameer, held his arm tensely, and Sameer only stared at Aditya, observing his facial expressions and body language.

"Aditya!! Kya kar rahe ho?" Sejal prodded, bringing Aditya to present who was slightly lost.

Aditya cleared his throat and walked a few steps further. "Tanvi ko ring pehnane se pehle... mujhe... aap sab se kuchh kehna hai..." he said, raking his gaze over the people, "agar aapki ijajat ho toh..." he finished, looking at Shubham and Nirmalaji.

Shubham was palpitating thinking whether all his efforts of convincing his mother for this alliance was going in vain or what. But looking at Aditya wanting to say something, he calmed himself and nodded, gesturing to Aditya to proceed.

Aditya stood in the center of the stage — Preeti, Tanvi and Sejal behind, all shocked and worried.

"Mai jaanta hun pichhle 2 mahine hum sabhi ke liye bahot mushkil rahe hai..." Aditya started, remembering the difficult times when they opened up about this relationship to the family. "Sabse pehle mai sabhi badon se maafi maangna chahta hun... mere aur Tanvi ke wajah se aapko jo dukh hua, jo nirasha hui, do parivaron ke beech aapsi anbann hui... mai us sabhi ke liye maafi mangta hun..." he joined his hands, putting a pleading smile on his face and seeking apology to all the elders.

Mr. and Mrs. Gadkari had turned emotional listening to their son. They smiled and told him 'it's okay' through their eyes. Nirmalaji still had the frown on her face, she adjusted her pallu, not budging yet.

Aditya continued, "pata hai hamare samaaj mein jab koi ladka 22-23 saal ka ho jata hai, apna college khatm kar leta hai... toh usse sabse pehla sawaal kya kiya jata hai? Ki beta kaam kya karte ho...

"Iss sawaal ka ek expected jawaab bhi hota hai... jaise, uncle main bank mein naukri karta hun, ya phir sarkari daftar mein accountant hun... aur agar iska unke apeksha se jawab na mile, toh agla sawaal hota hai, beta tum jo kaam karte ho usme kitni salary milti hai...

"Mai maanta hun apne samaaj mein ek aadmi ke upar bahot si zimmedaariyaan hoti hai... aur woh hamesha se rahegi... hamare samaaj mein kabhi kisi ladke ko yeh nahi puchha jayega ki beta tumhara kaam karne ka mann hai ya nahi... nahi, hamare yahan woh facility hai hi nahi, kabhi hogi bhi nahi aur mujhe usse koi problem nahi hai..."

Aditya's breaths came in an uneven pattern, his hand turned in fist yet his voice calm and composed.

"Problem usse hai jab koi aapko yeh bhi nahi puchhta... ki beta tum jo kaam kar rahe ho, tum usme khush ho ya nahi? Tumhara mann lagta hai ki nahi usme ya sirf ek machine bankar reh gaye ho?"

All the men in the hall held a deep stare at Aditya, some gulping the lumps in their throats, some locking their hands on chest or behind. In the right corner, Gopal Gadkari wiped the lone tear in the corner of his eyes, while among the guests, Rakesh papa turned his head around to blink his eyes multiple times.

"Maa kehti hai bete ka office dekhte hue gardan itni upar karni padti hai ki dukh jaati hai... lekin wahan uska beta ghut-ghutkar mar raha hai yeh shayad usko pata bhi nahi hota..."

He sighed and took some deep breaths. He couldn't choke at this moment. And before he continued, he found a soft hand sliding into his– hand adorned with mehendi—Tanvi's. A glance at her and Aditya found more courage to speak.

At the end of the hall, near the club house's entrance, Naina found herself pulled into Sameer's arms in a side hug, they both were remembering their own engagement where Sameer had opened his heart out.

"Nirmala aunty, mai jaanta hun aap ab bhi iss rishtey se khush nahi hai... shayad aap Tanvi ke liye aisa ladka dhundh rahi thi jiski ek fixed salary ho, jo 9 se 5 kaam karke time pe ghar wapas aa jaye... Mai maanta hun mera kaam isme fit nahi baithta... kyunki mere kaam ki na koi guarantee hai na hi ek fixed income.

"Mai bass aapse yeh kehna chahta hun, ki mai jo bhi kaam karunga, mai usme khush rahunga... aur mai Tanvi ko bhi utna hi khush rakhunga... Yeh sach hai ki yeh show jo mai kar raha hun, woh kabhi na kabhi khatm zaroor hoga... aur mera struggle chalta hi rahega... lekin mai waada karta hun, mai kabhi Tanvi par ek aanch nahi aane dunga...

"Aur mujhe bahot garv hai Tanvi par ki woh bhi ab job kar rahi hai... apne pairon par khadi hai..." He squeezed Tanvi's hand, not worrying about the gasps among the ladies. "Nirmala aunty, hum dono milkar apna ghar chalane ke kaabil zaroor ho jayenge... thoda girenge, thodasa chukenge... lekin phirse sambhal jayenge... hum dono ke liye hamara pyaar inn mushkilon ka saamna karne ke liye kaafi hai..."

Nirmalaji had a stream of tears on her cheeks, which she tried to wipe with her pallu. Shubham gave a squeeze on her shoulder, as the couple on the stage was waiting for her response.

Shubham took her to the stage with him, holding her hand. They stood in front of Aditya and Tanvi, as if a border was drawn between them.

Nirmalaji put her usual smile on on her face while she spoke, "woh ke hai na beta... ek maa ko yahi lagta hai ke sirf wahi apne bachchon ke liye sahi sochti hai... mhare bi Tanvi ke liye yahi vichar the... lekin maa bhool jati hai beta, ki uske bachchon ka jeevansathi bhi unke liye sahi aur kabhi kabhi usse behtar soch sakta hai..."

The smiles and happy gasps were taken among the ladies on the stage. Preeti clung to Shubham's arm, while Sejal turned to her family with a wide grin and moistened eyes. And somewhere in the hall, Vishakha made way for the happy tears as she kept smiling.

"Mhare ko ab thare se koi shiqayat na hai Aditya... mai khush hun iss rishtey se..." she said, taking their already linked hands in hers and putting her another hand on top of it.

Claps and cheers erupted among all the invitees. This finally looked like an engagement ceremony. Aditya and Tanvi were now made to stand in their respective places and handed over the rings.

They exchanged the rings... everyone clapped again... the photographer clicked their pictures... hugs were shared... the environment gave all the happy vibes.

"Yeh speech wala idea tumhara tha?" Naina asked Sameer, rounding her arm to his midriff.

"Nahi..." Sameer answered, his eyes sparkling with happiness for Aditya.

"Toh?"

"Jab ek aadmi ke aatmasamman ki aur pyaar ki baat hoti hai na Naina... toh usse kisi doosre ke push ki zaroorat nahi padti..."

Naina leaned her head on Sameer's shoulder, her heart filled with contentment seeing the happy faces of Aditya and Tanvi.

"Kabhi socha nahi tha... ki hamare show ka hero uss role mein itna sateek baithega...." She voiced.

"Hmmmm..." Sameer only hummed, pulling her more towards him.

They were now looking at the hero of their show 'Tum Dena Sath Mera...'

Aditya Gadkari.

***

A week had passed and it was another Sunday night. Sameer placed the coconut oil bottle on the tea-table and took his seat on the floor in front of Vishakha, who was sitting on the couch. After setting the bed for Naina and Vishakha in the bedroom, he thought of spending this time with his mother as Naina had gone for a walk with Papa.

Vishakha smiled, spilling some oil on her palm and applying it on Sameer's head. She chuckled to herself, remembering how her son used to hate oiling his head. But things do change over time and so her son had adapted some small but beautiful changes in his life.

"Mai aise achanak se hafte bhar ke liye yahan chali aayi... tum logon ka schedule toh disturb nahi hua na?" A thought crossed her mind, so she shared it.

She had surprised Sameer and Naina by ringing the house bell a day before Aditya and Tanvi's engagement. It was Sameer who had opened the door and his happiness knew no bounds seeing his mother right in the front. It was truly a great surprise for him.

"Kaisi baat kar rahi ho mummy..." Sameer chuckled, his eyes closed as he was feeling relaxed with the head massage. "Mai toh itna khush hun ki mai yahi soch raha tha ki aap pehle kyun nahi aayi..."

"Ghar ki zimmedariyon ne bandh kar rakha tha beta... woh toh abhi Bobby US gaye hue hai Rohan ke sath... usse wahan university mein settle karane... isliye socha tujhse aur Naina se milne chali aati hu..."

"Toh aap Deepika ko sath mein lekar kyun nahi aayi?"

"Arey!! Uska school chhodkar woh kaise aa sakti thi? Aur usine mujhse kaha... mumma aap jao... mai reh loongi..."

Sameer smiled, remembering the kid Deepika he used to play with while in Delhi, who was now a teenager.

"Aapko Mumbai shaher kaisa laga?" he asked after a while.

"Bahot achchha... aur yahan ka Ganesh Visarjan dekhke toh mai hairaan hi ho gayi... kitne bade level pe manaya jaata hai yahan!!! Woh dhol, lejhim dance, gulaal... mai toh bahot si yaadein lekar jaane wali hu Mumbai ki... yahan ka vada pav... aur woh uss din Naina ne kya banaya tha? Haan, mirchi ka thecha... uff... maza hi aa gaya mujhe..."

Sameer laughed at his mother's childlike enthusiasm. He had taken some days off from AK Films, and he used this opportunity to show his mom all the famous places of Mumbai. The other day, they all went out to a restaurant– Sameer, Naina, Rakesh and Vishakha– and had a good time together.

But that smile dwindled soon. He turned to face Vishakha, taking her still oily hand in his, he said, "mat jao na mummy..." his eyes pleading like all those years.

Vishakha took a deep breath, feeling it heavy in her chest to know that she has to part from him always after meeting for a few days. She ran her fingers through his messy hair, fixing them as she used to do it when he was a kid.

"Apne ghar toh wapas jaana hi padega na beta... lekin mai aati rahungi yahan... tum sab se milne... pakka..."

Her glittering eyes made the smile reappear on Sameer's face. He nodded, kissing the back of her palm.

"Waise, tera yeh show kabse shuru hone wala hai?"

"Ummm... 6th October se... ab toh shoot bhi shuru ho chuka hai... aur jald hi tv par iski ad bhi aane lagegi..."

"Arey wah!!! Mai na Delhi wali meri saari saheliyon ko batane waali hun... ki yeh show mere bete ne aur bahu ne likha hai... toh zaroor dekhna..."

"Nahi... bahu ne aur bete ne likha hai..." Sameer corrected her, which she took time to realize and then laughed out loud.

"Mera beta itna bada kab se ho gaya pata hi nahi chala?" she held his chin, shaking it affectionately, "mujhse naaz hai tujhpe Sameer... I'm sooo proud of you..." leaning forward, she placed a gentle kiss on his forehead.

Sameer was basking in the love of his mother, absorbing the soft touch of her lips not just on his forehead, but across his soul.

"Achchha sunn... meri ek baat maanega?" Vishakha said.

Sameer wiggled like a child in his place, ready to do anything for his mother.

"Naina ko kahi ghumane le ja na... at least 2 dinon ke liye... jab se tum log Mumbai aaye ho, kahi ja hi nahi paaye ho... aur woh toh tumse kahegi nahi..."

Sameer's gaze fell down. It wasn't that he was not thinking about it for a long time, but this coming from someone else hit him harder.

He rubbed his thumb on her knuckles, "abhi toh hame ab tak ka sabse bada kaam mila hai mummy... ab toh hamari zimmedariyaan aur badh gayi hai... lekin mai iske baare mein sochunga zaroor..." he assured.

"Thik hai... jab bhi tum dono ko waqt mile, chale jana..."

Sameer nodded, putting his head on her lap as she played with his soft hair.

They were busy like anything in these past four months after joining as co-writers in AK Films. The writers' meetings, brainstorming, designing the bigger plotline of the show, character development— they were working hard on every department.

All this with managing the household, Rakesh Papa's library timing and them finding the family time in this hullabaloo....  they were being tested at their best.

A corner of his heart saddened to know that he really hadn't taken Naina anywhere outside of Mumbai in these two years. And even his mother noticed it.

But where did they have any time for it at all? They were busy making a living in this city of dreams. They were busy fulfilling even the basic needs at first, forget the dreams. They were busy finding their own space and place in this city and in this industry.

Yes, Naina deserved a vacation with him. He knew it. His heart knew it, his mind knew it. But there was time for that.

Currently, this project demanded their hardwork, sweat and blood. And they were giving it all...

*******

For the curious readers, Shubham's birth date- 14th September 1969 😊 (Eventually the engagement date.)

Some of the lines from Aditya's speech are inspired by my favorite storyteller Zakir Khan.

How was the chapter guys? I hope you enjoyed some light-hearted convos and some deep talks.

Let me know in the comments.

Do vote and interact with the chapter with inline comments. I really like to read them.

How do you feel about Naina, Sameer and Preeti's journey till now?

And yes, we're concluding this story in a few more chapters. Thanks in advance for bearing with me till here.

Love, Mugs ❣️