Chapter 29
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[MEMBERSONLY]
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[NOCOPY]
MARRYING KHUSHI
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Part 29
Section 2
The brides came to stand in front of the grooms for jai mala.
Payal and Akash garlanded each other amidst loud laughter and jokes, men lifting him up to avoid the noose.
"Let me go." Akash pleaded. Why were the men making it more difficult for Payal to accept him as her groom? If it were left to him, he would bend on his knees so that she could place the flower chain around his neck with little effort!
When it was time for Arnav & Khushi, she lifted her lashes to look at him, her Rakshas looking handsome in black.
His eyes were on hers, speaking a language she did not understand fully. But her heart picked up its beat, and her breathing deepened.
His eyes slipped from her eyes to her lips.
Khushi swallowed, her mouth dry.
His eyes slipped to her neck, halted there for a long second, and then lifted to meet her eyes.
His Mama's necklace!
His eyes moved to her ears. The earrings!
Khushi lifted her arms slightly to draw his attention to his mother's bangles adorning them.
His eyes lowered to her arms. His Mama's bangles!
Joy rushed through his veins like a flash flood. He stood looking at her, feeling as though his Mama had showered her blessings on them, had approved of his choice of wife, had marked Khushi as her own bahu.
Khushi's lips trembled in a smile.
ASR could only smile tenderly at his bride.
Someone handed over a rajnigandha and red rose garland to Khushi and asked her to place it around her groom's neck. Khushi raised her arms, her eyes still caught in his.
As the boys tried to lift ASR, he said, "No." Their arms fell away.
Khushi garlanded Arnav easily. The white and blood red floral chain stood out against his dark sherwani. Khushi lifted her arms to arrange the chain neatly around his shoulders.
Arnav lifted his fragrant garland and placed it around her neck. As she lifted a shy face to smile gently at him, he cupped her face in his large palms and pressed a warm, long kiss on her forehead.
Those chachis, maasis, maamis, and assorted relations from Kanpur, Allahabad, Varanasi etc who had not been privileged to have a sneak preview of ASR's open & public display of affection for his bride, gasped. Covered their open mouths with their hands. Eyed each other with shocked eyes. Whispered among themselves.
But the Guptas, the Raizadas, and the neighbours smiled, now used to ASR's Kissing Syndrome that he had developed since meeting Khushi.
Khushi blushed, feeling warm and cherished. The crowd vanished as her eyes became trapped in his gentle ones.
The four of them sat down in front of the havan kund.
The purohit chanted mantras. ASR looked at Khushi. Her hands were folded and her eyes shut. He followed suit, but kept his eyes open to spy on her. he did not want to miss even a single moment of his wedding with Khushi by shutting his eyes.
They did everything they were told to do. The gath bandhan, the kanya daan, the seven vows, the mangal sutra, the sindoor, the touching of hearts, the taking of blessings from the Purohit and all the elders happened as though in a dream.
The guests clapped their hands in joy. The Guptas and the Raizadas shed many a tear of joy. Mittu whistled and made a sound like a police siren.
Aman sighed in relief. Maybe this wedding would ensure that ASR's temper improved and that he stopped working all ungodly hours!
Manju blinked away a tear of joy. Finally ASR was settling down, and that too with a lovely, hard-working girl with a heart big enough to encompass the world and enough courage to go head to head with ASR when he became arrogant! Manju smiled. ASR was going to learn a lesson in humility, she thought. And she was lucky enough to sit on the sidelines to watch it!
The feast was a lavish and delicious one, tables loaded with delicacies and sugar-free sweets for their new damadji. The guests savoured the food and chatted and laughed as they celebrated the double wedding.
A relation from Kanpur said to Buaji, "Is something wrong with Khussi's husband?"
Buaji frowned at her.
"He was giving her chumban during the shaadi, and even now is holding on to her hand as though he is scared she will fly away!"
Buaji smiled. "Hamre donon Damadji heere hein, Nandkisore! They are Ram and Lakhan. Our girls are blessed to get such loving husbands."
"Phir bhi!" another lady persisted. "Why do they want to show their divine prem before all the guest?"
Another lady added in disgust, "It is all the corrupt influence of western culture! The new generation!"
Buaji sighed. "The boys love our girls. What more can we ask from them?"
Another lady opened her mouth to crib, but Buaji cut in. "We are happy with them. Their relations are happy with them. And the girls have no complaints. Then why are you complaining, Nandkisore?"
This silenced the crabby ladies.
Buaji continued, "Let me meet your husbands. I will ask them to learn from Arnav Bitwaa and give you chumban in public! That will silence you... ha... ha..." she guffawed.
The ladies had to smile and blush at that.
It was time for bidai.
Payal cried like a leaky tap, clinging on to Garima, Buaji, and Babuji's shoulders. But Khushi remained strong, smiling at every one, packing Mittu in her cage, making sure that her Devi Maiyya's idol and channa were safe in her bag, accepting the good wishes of the guests, touching Ramu Chacha's feet and packing away the pickles he had gifted her, and generally being her cheerful self. If there were signs of strain around her eyes, if her lips were in danger of drooping at times, her bright smile distracted the audience from them.
But two pairs of eyes noticed them.
ASR viewed her frenzied activity and cheerful face with pain in his chest.
Manju handed over a cover of tissues to Aman. "Please keep this in ASR's car."
Aman looked at the tissues and then at Manju. "Why?"
"You will know soon enough when the storm breaks over ASR's head." she said.
Aman ran to do her bidding.
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