"Irawati isse pehle ke humara pyaar mein ghayal jawan,ladkhada kar gir jaye humein ye sagai shuru kar deni chahiye" Dadu teased Shiv making his face turn pale. Shiv elbowed dadu for mercilessly pulling his leg in the middle of the gathering.
"anandi beta hamare yahan pehle ladki ladke ko ring pehnati hai" Choti ma enlightened anandi about the rituals. Dadisa gestured gehna to handover the ring to Anandi when suddenly Anandi motioned back leaving everyone surprised.
"Kya huo chori sab theek to haina" dadisa whispered to Anandi with a wave of nervousness gripping her face.
"Dadisa abhi kuch logon ka aana baki hai...unke bina ye sagai nahin ho sakti" Anandi declared looking at Shiv who was as confused as the rest of his family members.
"Par anandi beta poora pariwaar to yaheen par hai'phir tum kiske bare mein baat kar rahi ho?" Irawati asked Anandi in a concerned tone.
"Unke" Anandi gestured towards the door.
Shiv's furrowed brows straightened with surprise as he looked at the door. It was Ashi who stood at the entrance, smiling at him, dressed in a beautiful brightly-hued ghagra choli. Shiv's happiness knew no bounds as he saw his best friend coming to attend his engagement. It was such an important day for him and he so wished Ashi to be a part of it but didn't force too much when she refused his invitation the umpteenth time. He respected her feelings understanding what it may feel to see someone you love, love somebody else. Ashi's pain was something he couldn't even think to survive if it had been on him. But Ashi did surprise him turning up for the engagement that left him in sheer delight. Ashi walked towards Anandi and Shiv and greeted them with a hug.
"Ashi ki bachhci to yeh plan tha tera...bahut mazza aaya na mujhe pareshan karke" Shiv scolded Ashi thinking that she had refused jokingly.
"Nahin desi boy...yeh mera nahin Anandi ka plan tha" Ashi confessed as she smiled at anandi.
"Anandi ka?" Shiv looked from ashi to anandi and vice 'a-versa confusedly."What do you mean?"
"Desi boy tum na questions bahut poochte ho! Abhi sab pata chal jayega...tum bas apni aankhein band karo"
"aankhein band karun? par kyun?..."
"No ifs and no buts desi boy...bas apni aankhein band karo"
"Ashi tum bhi na!" Shiv exclaimed smilingly and closed his eyes.
"Ab kholo" Ashi told Shiv after a few seconds had passed. As Shiv slowly opened his eyes he saw his li'l sister standing in front of him.
"Sanchii.." Shiv sighed under his breath as a striking brotherly fondness flickered from his eyes.
Everyone from the Shekhar family stared surprisingly at their so very unpredictable daughter who had dressed herself in a ravishing fuchsia pink lehenga and matching accessories. Unable to believe his eyes dadu pinched himself making dadisa giggle to herself.
Moisture welled up in sanchi's eyes as she moved closer to Shiv and hugged him sideways.
"I am sorry bhai...I am really sorry ki maine aapke saath aise behave kiya. Mujhe aapse itni rudely baat nahin karni chahiye thi bhai. Aapne mujhe itney pyaar se sagai mein aane ko kaha aur maine na jane aapko kya kya suna diya.Aapke calls aur texts bhi answer nahin kiye.I am really sorry bhai...aapke life ke itne important din pe maine aapko itna hurt kiya. main bahut buri sister hoon na bhai...main bahut buri sister hoon" Sanchi cried hugging Shiv.
"Bas bachche...bas chup abb...shhh" Shiv caressed Sanchi like a typical big brother. "meri pyaari si behen rote hue bilkul achchi nahin lagti" he wiped her tears and kissed her forehead.
"I am really sorry bhai"
"Its ok sanchi...tu meri choti behen hai.Tera haq banta hai mujhse naraaz hone ka.Aur isiliye Sanchi mujhe bura is baat ka nahin laga ki tune mujhse gusse se baat ki balki iss baat ka laga ki tune anandi se bina mile hi use itna galat samjha.Mom ne humein kya sikhaya hai sanchi..Yehi na ki kissi ko bhi jab tak achche se jaan na lo uske bare mein koi opinion nahin banana chahiye.Phir meri behen ye kaise bhool gayi. Tune iss baat se mujhe bahut disappoint kiya hai sanchi...I expected my sister to act much more maturely." Shiv scolded sanchi as she looked down in embarrassment.
"Main janti hoon bhai ki maine aapko aur ghar mein sabko bahut naraaz kiya hai.Mujhe anandi bhabhi ke bare mein aisa nahin kehna chahiye tha.Aur ye baat mujhe tab realize hui jab ashi ne anandi bhabhi se meri chat par baat karwayi.Tab mujhe realize hua ki actually mein aapki choice kitni perfect hai.Anandi bhabhi bahut achchi hai bhai...she is so understanding.Maine unse chat shuru karte hi na jaane kya kya kaha par unhone phir bhi meri sari complaints patiently suni...mere sare questions ka jawab diya'mere point of view ko samjha aur mujhe bhi samjhaya.Then I realized ki main kitni badi dumbo hoon ki maine unhein galat samjha.I should have met her first.Ye zaroori nahin ki agar koi gaon mein rehta hai to woh backward ya boring ho...woh bhi hamari tarah progressive aur understanding ho sakta hai.And ye mujhe anandi bhabhi se baat karne aur milne ke baad pata chala" Sanchi enlightened Shiv about her secret interaction with Anandi leaving Shiv and all other family members surprised.
"Yes desi boy sanchi sach kah rahi hai.Anandi ne hi convince kiya usko yahan aane ke liye.Kal tumse baat karne ke baad mujhe anandi ka call aaya and she requested me to come. Usne aise kaha ki I just cudnt say no. And then anandi requested me ki main Sanchi ko bhi convince karun to attend the engagement. And not just that anandi ne khud bhi baat kare us se...use sorry kaha for running through the ceremonies in her absence and finally usse convince bhi kar liya yahan aane ke liye.It was all anandi's plan desi boy. Kyunki woh nahin chahte thi ki apne sagai ke din tum thode se bhi udaas ho.She wanted you to enter this relationship without any grudges in your heart...she wanted you to be feel absolute happiness."😳
Dadu and all the family members felt proud of anandi and praised her for what all she did for sanchi and shiv. She had once again proved what a gem of a person she was.
"Dekha tumne meenakshi beta hamari Anandi kitni samajhdar aur suljhi hu hai...apni gusse wali nand ko kaise pyaar se mana liya usne.kalyani jee ki words mein kahoo to kitni phutri hai hamari Anandi" dadu blessed Anandi in his typical joking style tickling everyone's funny bone.
Shiv felt flabbergasted as reality sank in. He remembered how yesterday in the office he himself had informed anandi about ashi and sanchi not turning up for the engagement when she scolded him for absent-mindedly bumping into a wall and hurting his shoulder. She had intelligently made him confess the reason behind his gloominess and distraction while she gently massaged his aching shoulder.
Moisture formed up in Shiv's eyes as he tried hard to suppress his emotions. She did so much for him when ideally it should be the other way round. He felt ecstatic seeing the happiness that Sanchi's arrival had brought to his family. And the fact that it was Anandi behind it all made it all the more prefect😳
"Thnx anandi...I really can't tell you what it means for me. Thank you so much." shiv sighed in a heavy tone that almost had a resonating effect probably bcoz of the tears that choked his throat. Finally anandi smiled this time and accepted his token of gratitude with a graceful nod.
"Irawati is se pehle ki time out ho jaye humein sagai shuru karni chahiye...warna miss ginger ki words mein kahen to apshagun ho jayega" everyone rolled their eyes seeing dadu start again.😆
"Prem kishore ji hum samajh gaye aapki baat'zyaada samjahyenge to je dono sagai ka intezzar karte karte aapki aur meri umar ke ho javenge" dadisa shut dadu's mouth and ordered pandit jee to start the ceremony right away.
As choti ma had suggested, it was Anandi who first slid the ring into Shiv's finger as everyone sprinkled roses on them. Anandi's face flushed pink as she felt all eyes rested on her and Shiv. Dadisa circled money upon them while Ashi took their pictures. Next, Shiv offered his hand to Anandi as the ritual had to be replayed from the boy's side this time. As she slowly gave her hand into his, he gently slipped the cushion cut solitaire into her ring finger. Thunderous clap filled the air of haveli as Anandi and Shiv concluded the celebrated ring ceremony. Everyone congratulated them while they subsequently took the blessings from the elders.
As pandit jee finally declared them engaged, Shiv looked at Anandi with a blissful smile on his lips that vanished into air almost simultaneously as he saw her secretly wiping a few tears from the corner of her mascara filled eyes.
Shiv flinched at his place seeing her like this. So much pain dwelled in her eyes but she constantly tried to fight it back just for the sake of the promise she had made to her dying mother. A jabbing pain gripped his heart as he sensed the depth of her pain. Shiv promised himself that he would devote the rest of his life ensuring her happiness. He promised not to leave her side even for a single passing second of his life and to take all her impending troubles upon him as he kept on staring at her with a penetrating gaze.
Feeling Anandi and the kindle of her pain cutting through him, Shiv gently closed his eyes as he felt all the lights diming down and guests vanishing leaving him alone with her. The curtains danced in a mystical fashion and a tune played in the background as Shiv moved closer to anandi and cuped her innocent face with his gentle hands. The lyrics flowed in the air as he lost himself into a passionate eyelock with her...
[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqNru9dATb4[/YOUTUBE]
Zindagi se choora ke
Zindagi mein basa ke
Zindgaani banaya hai tujhe...
[He gently circled his arm around her neck and hugged her from the back, making her wheeze as he passionately rested his chin on her shoulder breathing her scent]☺️
Roothe rab ko mana ke
Aasmaan ko jhooka ke
Zindgaani banaya hai tujhe
[She closed her eyes feeling his tongue tingle the skin of her bare neck]😍
Tu mila jis tarah sabah mile
Tu mila jis tarah silah mile
Tu mila jis tarah duaa mile, bakhuda
[Circling his other arm around her waist he softly clinged her more closer to himself as he felt her sigh under his breath.]😳
Tu mila toh jaise main ji gaya
Tu mila mukammal main ho gaya
Tu mila toh phaila hai noor sa bakhuda
[A drop of her tear touched his cheek as it escaped from the corner of her eye. He circled her around, making her face him]
Mehfoos tu mehsoos kar
Tere paas hoon main sada
Tujhse nahi ho sakta main
Pal bhar bhi ab judaa
[He caressed her cheek, stepped closer , touched her cold tear with his moist lips and sucked it in. Tucking a strand of her falling hair behind her ear he delicately planted a peck on her forehead.]
Ab saath hain hum iss tarah
Aankhon ke sang palkein
Aa waqt ko yeh baat hum
Ik baar phir se kehde
Saare ghum se chupake
Har nazar se bacha ke
Zindgaani banaya hai tujhe
[She sighed and smiled.His gaze was so gripping that she didn't realize when another tear escaped from her eye]
Baahon mein aa ho jaayenge
Shikve sabhi khud fanaa
Honthon se main tujhko suno
Aankhon se tu kuch suna
Tu aks hai, main aayina
Phir kya hai sochna
Ik doosre mein kho ke hai
Ik doosre ko paana
[Their eyes were locked in each other's for quite some time and then she hid her face in his chest, as he wrapped his arms around her.sticking her close to his heart.It seemed to Shiv as time had squeezed into that one moment...nothing before nothing beyond]☺️
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