23 c)
The munh dikhayi rasam of the new bahu of the Shekhar family was to be celebrated in a big way. Many of the guests who were no there till now had too some and joined the celebrations. Anandi is brought down to the main hall. Ira has pulled a veil over her face. Her face would be seen only when she would be given neg. Shiv too comes to the main hall following Anandi and her female Salmaan Khans. She is seated on a specially decorated bench. "Chal Shiv sabse pehle tu Anandi ka chehra dekh. Humaare yahaan sabse pehle pati hi munh dikhayi karta hai. Tere baad hi baaki sab meri bahu ki munh dikhayi ki rasam karenge." Ira asked him to come and see Anandi's face. Shiv was very happy but he was nervous too. "Come on bhaiyya kadam kadam badhaye jaao na darr kadam badhaaye jaao. Practice makes a man perfect. Uthaiye bhabhi ka ghunghat." Mahi encouraged a nervous Shiv to lift Anandi's veil and also gave him a signal that he would have to do it again as tonight would be their second suhaagraat. As Shiv was about to lift her veil he was stopped. "Arre arre ruk kaha tha na tujhe ki koi bhi bina neg diye bina meri bahu ka chehra nahi dekh paayega. Chal pehle Anandi ko neg de phir hi chehra dekh paayega." "Neg? Main bhi? Ma not fair meri patni ka chehra dekhne ke liye mujhe neg dena hoga? Matlab ab shaadi ho gayo toh sab badal jaayega? Aap sabse pehle maine Anandiji ko dekha tha aur pasand bhi kiya tha. Pichle 8 mahino se unka chehra dekh raha hoon ab aaj achanak kya hua? Main nahi deta koi neg veg." "Theek hai neg nahi deta toh mat dekh meri bahu ka chehra. Tu nahi dekhega toh koi aur bhi nahi dekhega. Main saare mehmaano ka RAAT ko yahin rukne ka inetzaam karwa deti hoon. Bol karwa doon? Ya munh dikhayi ki rasam theek se karta hai." Shiv did not want to spend time away from her but he did not even want to give her a gift because it was a personal thing for him. He wanted to give her something from the set he had got for her. If he were to give a piece from the set it would raise questions. Anandi was enjoying Shiv's halat and he saw her smile under the veil.
Shiv whispered as he bent down pretending to adjust his mojri. "Accha aapko bahut mazaa aa raha hai? Hmm." "C S maine kya kiya aap mujhe kyun keh rahe hain. Maine thodi na rasame banayi hai. Jo rasamein humaare bado ne banayi hai wo toh humein manni hi hogi na?" Anandi said very timidly so only Shiv could here her. Shiv saw CM and Ira too smile at his bechaari halat. "OK So Bahuraani aur unki ki saasuma * 2 aapko teeno ko bahut maza aa raha hai na. Meri bechaari si halat dekhkar. Bina neg diye mujhe aapki bahu ka chehra dekhne nahi milega right? Ab main batata hoon ki Collector Shiv Raj Shekhar cheez kya hai? Mahi tu mujhe principal bolta hai na? Toh ab tu aur saare kuwaare ladko notes lo. Fine ab ma aapki bahu ka chehra main neg dekar nahi dekhoonga balki neg lene ke liye ye mujhe apna chehra saamne se khud dikhayengi. Be ready Mrs. Anandi Shiv Raj Shekhar." "Arre bhai ye tohi nayi rasam ki ijaad kar di humaare Shiv ne. Bata toh kaise karega ye sab kya neg lene ke liye bahu khud chehra dikhayegi." Anandi saw the look on his face. His smile always told her what he would do. She had begun to understand his expressions during the times they spend together.
"Please C S aap aisa mat kijiye na. Sab hai yahan sabke saamne aap aisa karenge toh kaisa lagega. Aapko pata hai na main kaisi ho jaati hoon jab.. Sab kya sochenge mere bare mein. Mummyji C S ko aise hi mera chehra dekh lene dijiye mujhe nahi chahiye kuch." Anandi said in a very low voice. She noticed that the other relatives were also from the same mould her immediate family was from. She found it was OK to speak a bit with Shiv as no one would mind it. "Nahi nahi Mummyji ki bahuraani ab main deta hoon aapko neg." Shiv leaves for two minutes to get her neg. "Anandi bhabhi Shiv aisa kya layega jiske liye aap khud use apna chehra dikha dogi? Heere jawaharat ya sona chaandi? Chalo aap andaazaa lagao ki aapka pati kya laayega aapke liye." one of Shiv's older female cousin ask her. "Jalebiyaan." Anandi said in a very low bahu voice. "Jalebiyaan? Bas itne mein tum Shiv ko munh dikhayi karwa dogi? Arre bhai Shiv toh bada naseebwala hai itne mein hi nipat gaya. Hum toh mehnge gehne dekar chehra dekh paaye the. Ab dekhte hain ki bahu ne sahi andaazaa lagaya hai ya nahi." Anandi's mama sasur commented on his bahu's statement.
Shiv comes back with a smirk on his face and with a bowl filled with jalebi's in his hands. "Arre ye toh sach mein jalebiyaan le aaya." Shiv places the bowl in front of Anandi and tells her that if she wants jalebi's she has to show her face to him. She is salivating and is waiting for the chance to grab hold of the bowl and gobble down the jalebi's. She had no choice but to do as Shiv asked her to do. She actually herself lifts her veil so only Shiv could see her face. She saw Shiv 440 watt ka smile and and got a bit agitated. She was the bahu of the family and on her very first day he made her do such a thing. She wished that they could go back in time and they would become kids then if it were possible for her to stick her tounge out to her best friend for always making her do things she herself would never do. Suudenly as she remembers something her agitation is gone and lets out a soft sob. "Dekh rula diya ise Shiv tu bhi na hadd karta hai." "Nahi C M wo C S ki koi galti nahi hai wo mujhe kuch yaad aa gaya iss liye ye rona." Shiv understood what she remembered and why she softly sobbed. "Anandiji aap mujhe acchhe se jaanti hai na? Aur aap kyun ro rahi hai wo faisla toh mera tha na? Aur itni jaldi meri muraad poori bhi ho gayi thi. Aur haan maine sirf jalebiyaan khana choda tha baki sab dabake khata tha. Aapko pata hai na C M aur ma ghar par thi. Aapko lagta hai main halwa khaane ko mana karta. Waise bhi aapke saath ke bina meethi meethi jalebiyaan bhi mujhe vaid kaka ki kadvi dawaai jaisi lagti." Shiv does not care who was around them he just wanted Anandi to smile. She smiled as she remembered his face when he had gulped down vaid kaka's medicine for his nose bleeding. He feeds her a piece of jalebi. She too is told to feed him jalebi and she does so.
Daddu comes forward and gives Shiv a box. It was the actual munh dikhai gift that he had brought for her. It was kundan jewel set to give to Anandi. He gets up after doing the rasam. Her eyes follow him. He smiles at her childishness and assures her. "Ghabraiye mat main sambhalke rakhoonga koi nahi khaayega aapki jalebiyaan. Aap rasam par dhyaan dijiye." The relatives fondly look at Anandi as she has jewlery worth lacs of rupees in her lap but she is lusting after jalebi's. Everyone is amazed to see how well Anandi and Shiv know each other. They have known eachother not even for about 18 months now and have tuning like they had been together for 18 years. Ira's bua saas tells her to put kaala teeka to Anandi and Shiv.
The elder most family member Daddu comes and does her munh dikhayi. He gives her a beautiful chandelier styled diamond earring set. Alok and Ira give her jadaao bangles. Meenu gives her a pearl set. Mahi gives her an i-Pod,"Bhabhi maine i-Pod mein bahut saare romantic songs download kiye hain. Aap bhi suniyega aur bhaiyya ko bhi sunaiyega. Par haan ek saath suniyega." He meant for them to share the earphones so that they would be very close and listen to romantic music. Mahi touches her feet to take blessing which stuns Anandi. Ashi gives her a photo frame in which there were pictures of Anandi and Shiv. The one's she had taken of them on her visit to Jaitsar. Everybody praise the frame which contained the pics. She reveals to all that Anandi had hand made that frame for her. Saachi gives her bhabhi a honeymoon special gift basket containing natural beauty products. She knew the products Anandi used and liked and had ordered them for her. She had also gives her a beautiful saree she had designed exclusively for her bhabhi. She sees her bhabhi's face. She hugs Anandi tightly and kisses her on both her cheeks making loud 'Muaah' noises. Someone passed a comment that she is stealing Shiv's right. Anandi and Shiv blush and are very nervous for the night to come. The rest of the relatives follow. Ira and Meenu introduced her to every single relative. Everyone gives Anandi gifts and blessings. She touches everyone's feet. All the kids had got together and given her an enormous box of chocalate as they too wanted to see their new chachi/maami as per their relation to her. Anandi was very happy to be part of the family.The munh dikhayi rasam was done.
The distant relatives, business associates of Alok and friends left after snacks and refreshments. Now only the Shekhar's and their first relatives remained. There were still many people. The gifts were taken to Anandi and Shiv's room. There was still time for dinner to be served so everyone start asking their nayi bahu questions. They asked her about her likes and dislikes. She answered to every question after looking at Shiv. Someone cracked a joke,"Arre bhai nayi bahu se ab kuch nahi poochte. Shiv idhar aa humaare saamne baith ja. Hum tera chehra hi dekh lete hain. Humaari bahu se kiye gaye har sawaal ka jawaab toh tere chehre par hi lkiha hai. Jo poochte hain tujhe dekhkar jawaab deti hai." Anandi was very easily teased. Shiv's older cousin asked him. "Shiv tu bata Jaitsar ka pehle Collector hai Jaitsar ki unatti ke liye kuch kiya ya sirf apni hi unatti ki tune." Shiv got what he was asked. He just smiled and shook his head and thought how many more ways were there for them to tease him and Anandi. "Nahi nahi jethji C S jab se Jaitsar aaye hain unhone Jaitsar ki pragati ke liye kai saare kadam uthaye hain. Nahar ka kaam shuru karwaya hai, Jaitsar mein ab saari facilities ke saath laboratory hogi, Railway project bhi shuru hoga, bal vivah ke khilaaf meri ladaai mein bhi mere saath hain aur mere school ko bhi grant mila hai jisse ladkiyon ko behtar padhne ke saadhan milenge." Anandi was very proud of Shiv and his achievements as a Collector. She never failed to tell people about them. After she finishes praising Shiv everyone laughed as she was so innocent. She did not get the joke. They were also very proud that she was so proud of Shiv. Shiv explained to her what his cousin had meant and she blushed and mentally smacked her self for her non stop chapar chapar.
Dinner was served. Shiv and Anandi were made to sit together. They were to eat from one plate. They had already eaten from one plate so it was not considered to be a hassle for them. This case was different Anandi was in her sasuraal. It was OK for her to do so when they were alone. But it was ackward for her to do front of Daddu and the others and even more here her other saasrawalas were there too. She was clearly nervous about sharing a plate with Shiv. They were asked to feed each other. They thought it was the prank played on them as a counter attack by Daddu and Mahi. They were explained that it was actually a rasam. They were blushing and nervous while doing so. Anandi was so nervous that she accidently bit on Shiv's finger while he was feeding her. He let out an "ouch". He cleary saw that Anandi was very nervous as the next step was their suhaagraat. He too was nervous but did not let it show. Dinner was done.
Edited by chahat11 - 12 years ago
Cricket
Anupamaa
