Chapter 3
Suman enters at the coffee shop. Shravan smiles.
: Hi!
: Hello!
: Am I late?
: Yes. By 40 seconds.
She smiles & gives him flowers.
: Flowers!?
: Yeah. Remember? I mistakenly dropped your flowers that day.
: Oh! Those were for you.
She looks down & smiles. Shravan orders coffee for them.
: Okay. Now...??
: What?
: You wanted to meet so I guess you want to say something.
: Yeah actually I wanted to ask you about our alliance. I mean the way our marriage got fixed in first meeting. It was so quick. Are you happy with it?
: Why are asking this today? I mean we got engaged already.
: Yes. Because that day you were looking so beautiful & there was a pretty smile on your face which I didn't want that to be disappeared.
: Oh that means I am not looking good today thats why you're asking this now?
Shravan was surprised by her words. Is that the shy Suman Tiwari?
: Its not like that.
: kidding. You said there was a pretty smile on my face & you're asking whether I was happy or not?
He gets stunned, she smiles. Waiter serves coffee. Suman smiles gently. They sip away thier coffee.
Its raining outside. They are standing at the door of the coffee shop. She is touching raindrops happily.
: Damn!! Its Raining.
: Don't you like rain?
: Not so! You?
: I love rain!
: seriously? I thought you're not so fond of such things & quite reserved.
: Really? Then you know nothing about me.
She splashes some raindrops toward him.
: Woah! I thought you're shy! I mean the girl who agreed to marry a boy in first meeting for family's sake she must be shy!
: Who said I agreed only because of family's sake?
He looks on with holding a little smile on face, she meets his gaze. She goes outside, under the rain. Opening her arms, closing eyes she enjoys getting drenched in the rain. She's looking beautiful. He stares at her. Her kohl & a little bit makeup which she wore - all get wahsed by rain. She's beautiful - he murmurs.
She signals him to join her but he refuses with a smile. She comes to him.
: See, my makeup got washed. Now say, am I looking beautiful yet? Do you still want to marry me?
She says with smirk. He sighs & smiles.
: Who said I've agreed to marry just because you're beautiful?
She looks on. He blinks.
~~~
The wedding day.
Shravan & Suman exchange garlands.
Priest is reciting mantras. Shravan & Suman take 7 rounds.
Priest- In the first round or phera, the couple prays to God for plenty of nourishing and pure food. They pray to God to let them walk together so that they will get food. In the second round, the couple prays to God for a healthy and prosperous life. They ask for the physical, spiritual and mental health from God. In the third Phera the couple prays to God for wealth. They ask God for the strength for both of them so that they can share the happiness and pain together. Also, they pray so that they can walk together to get wealth. In the fourth round the couple prays to God for the increase in love and respect for each other and their respective families. The bride and groom together pray for the beautiful, heroic and noble children from God in the fifth step. In the sixth holy round around the fire, the couple asks for the peaceful long life with each other. In the final seventh round the couple prays to god for companionship, togetherness, loyalty and understanding between themselves. They ask God to make them friends and give the maturity to carry out the friendship for lifetime. The husband says to his new wife that now they have become friends after the Seven Vows/Sat Phere and they will not break their friendship in life.
The couple listen to every promises by heart.
Shravan puts vermilion on Suman's hairline. He makes her wear mangalsutra.
Priest make them perform all other rituals. Then he announces them married. All are happy. Shravan Suman take elder's blessings. Pushkar comes to Suman.
: So, now you're my sister in law officially.
Suman smiles.
: If you need any of my favour, don't ever hesitate. Now we are family. I know its difficult for a girl leaving own house.
Suman gets sad. Shravan comes there.
: Whats going on?
: Bhaiya! Glad you're here. Cheer her mood up. I'm hungry. Do you want something to eat?
Shravan & Suman nod "no" together. Pushkar smiles.
: What a perfect tuning!!
Pushkar leaves. Suman looks on.
: Suman.
She looks up. Did her name ever heard so beautiful ever? He's her husband. It feels different, something wonderful!
: I really don't know what to say. I mean if I say, I can understand your pain. That would be a bluff. Guys can't ever understand the pain of leaving own house. So please don't cry!
She sighs & nods ok. He blinks.
Its time to bride's bidaai.
Suman hugs all her family member. All members give her some gifts. Daboo gifts her a MP3 player.
: Suman di, I've installed all your favourite songs in it. You can hear them whenever you'll miss us.
Suman gets emotional & hugs Daboo. Everyone smile.
Malhotras get into the cars. The bride & groom get into one separate car. Suman is crying so hard. Shravan gives his shoulder to put her head on him. She does so.
~~~
They reach Malhotra mansion. All the ladies do Suman's greh pravesh. Vandy takes Suman to Shravan's room while Shravan goes to Terrence for some fresh air.
After a while.
Shravan gets into his room & gets stunned to see flowers & candles everywhere.
: Whats these!?
He removes his sherwani. That moment Suman comes out of washroom & turns back seeing him shirtless.
: OMFG! what are u doing!?
: Gosh! What are u doing at my room at this hour!!
Suman laughs out loud.
: I guess wife lives in husband's room!?
Shravan feels embarrassed. Opss! He got married.
: Sorry!
Suman giggles. He stares at her. Her laughter sounded like music. She wore red color kurti. The sound of her bridal bengals, water drops falling from wet face - everything of her is mesmerizing. This girl! She's his wife? For lifetime! How many good things he did that he got her? Will he ever be angry with her? Never! He can't! Even if she does any major mistake, if she stands in front him with this smile, he will just take her in his arms & hug, nothing else. Her smile feels like magic.
: What?
Suman gets surprised. Why is he staring? he nods & leaves. She goes to the balcony, inhaling some fresh air. Shravan comes back with 2 cups of coffee.
: coffee!
: At this hour?
: I feel that people should have coffee when they're stressed.
: But you don't look stressed.
: Yes. I am not. but you are. I'm just giving company.
Suman smiles. She takes a sip of coffee. Shravan also takes a sip.
: So tell me why are you stressed?
He asks, she is silent, just sighs. He changes the topic. She must be sad for leaving own home, family.
: You must be tired and sleepy. Go to sleep.
: Aren't you?
: Actually I can't sleep so easily at total new place.
Saying that, she gets sad again.
: Then I'm accompanying you till you feel sleepy.
: Are you serious? I mean what if I remain awake till the morning?
: Then I'll be too.
She gets stunned by his words. It was so honest, it was so heart warming. She looks down & smiles. They have an intense eyelock till it starts raining, they get into their room again, standing at the door,looking outside.
: I love monsoon!
: Yeah I can see! Raining did the thing which I couldn't.
: Whats that?
: It made you smile.
: Its definitely not just the rain. It rained thousands time before, but it never felt so special as it is at this moment.
~~~
: What are you doing?
: Nothing much. Just to make you feel like home.
Suman is confused as Shravan picked up a pillow.
: See,if I go out of the room & sleep at the guest room, my melodramatic family, sorry, our family will question about it. So I'm going to sleep at the couch. See you must be not comfortable with the fact that a totally stranger...ok a little known guy sleeping beside you every night without asking you about it. Obviously you slept alone at you big room & is habitual to it.
Suman laughs.
: See, you're being dramatic now. C'mon I already know about these changes of my life. I mean I was sure about these things like one day I have to leave my own home, my room, my reading table, my swing, my closet everything. I am not bothered about it. So kindly sleep on your bed & don't change any of your habit because of me. Just decide on which side of the bed you would like to lay.
Shravan giggles.
: On that side where you'll lay.
: What??
: I mean on that side where you won't lay. You decide first.
Suman laughs & lays on the right side of the bed.
Shravan lays on the other side with a content smile. This girl is making him go crazy! Sometimes innocent, sometimes intelligent, equally silly! What is she? He looks at her with so much love. She looks back.
: Good night, hubby!
She chuckles & turns back. He smiles. "Hubby?" - why it sounded so blissful?
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