Conspicuous Obscurity...Note on page 3!

"Oh ya! What a catch Riddhima....I bet all the girls down there, welcoming your bride-groom are burning into green flames of envy...but then you love butter chicken and the girls wouldn't be spared huh?"Riddhima's cousin, Tanvi, said

"Mein toh kehti hu, ain't he as delicious as butter chicken....hume kal subah batana Riddhima!" said another one.

"What about the other one, ain't he more handsome? What's his name? Armaan, eh?", Riddhima's cousins giggled and chanted his name, putting the lousy loser onto the pedestal of demi-gods!

And Riddhima blushed a crimson red! Today, was her big day...she was getting married to a handsome hunk, as they say...the guy of her dreams. Yes, she had a great family, friends to back her up, but just like the girl-next-door, she had awiated the arrival of her knight in shining armor, her prince charming eagerly...she, indeed, was lucky to have the dream of all the XX-chromosomes all to herself!The flamboyant, hunky-dory, grey-eyed "GUY" with eight-pack abs and the most seductive smile had fallen for the plain Jane, Riddhima. Oh how she loved this dream of hers, her soon-to-be husband...ABHIMANYU MODI who had sneaked into her room an hour back to be the first one to see her dressed as his bride, and to slip a Tiffany's' into her finger as a testimonial to his love! Riddhima turned scarlet red as she looked at herself in the mirror and....THUD! went her make-up box, down the dresser to the floor...as she shouted out loud..."Girls, get the hell outta here!"

The girls looked up at her, shocked, but soon grinned like a bunch of jerks..."OOOOH! Privacy, huh? Or are you planning to give him a last minute call." "Well, bye, Riddhima..I'm sure Abhi, down there would freeze when he spots you coming down the stairs, but I know I'm going weak in the knees!"

Ugh.....SCRATCH IT ALL OUT and REWIND!

OH MY Good Lord! What a bunch of creeps, salivating like a hungry dog at Abhi..soemthing's wrong with the genetic make-up of these retarded females! Do all girls just wait for their Prince Charming? Maybe, I'm not a girl, then....

" I knew it!", Riddhima turned around to find Armaan, smirking at the doorway. "Perhaps, that's the reason you were so upset about marrying Abhi!

"ARMAAN!"...and a pillow went flying across the room hitting Armaan's torso, and in the process, flipping the cover of a tin box Armaan held in his hands in order to safely deliver it to the panditji as told by Shashank, Riddhima's dad!

"Sheesh! Easy, girl, easy!...and what's with this vermilion on my hands!" Armaan rushed to the bathroom as Riddhima turned around only to bump into her jerk of a friend!..."OUCH!" and Armaan brushed his hands on Riddhima's hair while making an attempt to save her from falling and spoiling her bridal ensemble. While Armaan saved the day, he ended up on the floor as a result of his heroic act!

"Uh-huh! GIVE ME A HAND RIDDHIMA!"Scowling, she offered him a hand as Armaan came back to his feet. Riddhima shrieked as he brushed off his pants. "What? These are my pants not yours, basket!" said Armaan.

"Wipe that stupid grin off your face and look at this!" Armaan shrieked into Riddhima's ear as he saw the scarlet red vermillion in Riddhima's maang, "AHHH! Did I do that?"

"Get outta my way, you moron...tumhe bhi yeh sab aaj hi karna tha, meri shaadi ke din! kal karte toh nai chalta? Kalse toh waise bhi mujhe lagana hi tha sindoor....Armaan, pass me a few wet tissues!

"Right Away! Yeh lo aur jaldi se wipe it off your head....before those girls come rushing in and create a scene! Kya zarurat thi mujhse takrane ki?

"Ya right! Help me now!" Both Armaan and Riddhima got engaged in rubbing off the vermillion in Riddhima's hair..."Phew! All Set!" said Armaan pretending to wipe the sweat off his face as they were almost done with rubbing it off.

"Riddhimmmaaaa...Ridhimmmmm!!! What's going on guys?" screamed Muskaan as she barged into the room followed by Nikki.

"Muski, come help us wipe this sindoor off Riddhima's head!" said Armaan.

"Sindoor? What the hell are you guys talking about...Abhi ne use abhi hi sindoor laga diya?" said a flabbergasted Muskaan.

"Gosh! Muski, Armaan ne galti se apne haath pe laga sindoor mere sir pe laga diya!" replied Riddhima as she rolled her eyes and cursed Armaan under her breath.

"Oye, toh tum dono ki shaadi nahi hogayi kya?"said an excited Nikki.

"SHAADI !!! Aur isse" replied both Armaan and Riddhima simultaneously.

"Ummm...guys, don't create a scene and just help get Riddhima ready while I go downstairs and help Padma mom with handling the guests!

"Chalo..."giggled both Muskaana nd Nikki as they shook their heads at their stupid friends.

"Ridzi, tu sacchi mein iss shaadi mein itna dis-interested hai ki Armaan ne teri maang bhar di aur tenu koi farak hi nai penda!" said a distressed Muskaan, who was worried the way things were going on between Riddhima and Abhi.But as she saw a frown on both Nikki and Riddhima's face, she continued,"Chaddo, yaar...hume pata hai Abhi and you are the closest friends ever; Abhi aur Nikki can continue their relationship as long as it doesn't come in the eyes of you families' aur tu apne career pe focus rakhegi!" ranted Muskaan.

"FINALLY! You guys get it, Armaan, main aur Abhi pichle do mahine se yehi samjha rahe haina tujhe aur hamari clique ko", said Riddhima.

"Nikki, tujhe Abhi bula raha hai, yeh kuch gifts uske paas rakhne ke bahane chali jaa aur Ridzy, what did Armaan just do to you?"said Rahul gasping for air as he rushed into Riddhima's room while handling other chores.

"Rahul!!!! It was an accident and moreover, where have you been...I said I want to get a group hug before they call me downstairs.Anyways, I need you guys to support me through this decision...it's a big thing I'm getting myself into aur..."

"Aur hum tere saath hai Ridzy!" said Atul as he walked into the room for the group hug, to boost Riddhima's confidence before the game of deception began.

"Haan, Basket...Don't worry, we'll deal with it as it comes!" said Armaan followed by Anjali and Sapna who rushed in and gave Riddhima a tight hug.

The group inter-twined their hands and gave Riddhima a hug full of warmth, love and support. Their eyes reflected an understanding of the situation as they finally took Riddhima downstairs. Armaan held Riddhima's hand and pressed it a little to ease off her worries while Riddhima gave him a side-hug.

Abhi looked up, mesmerized by the figure descending the stairs in a red lehenga, adorned with jewellery and radiating a glow even the bride herself couldn't manage to emanate.

The gang looked at Abhi and smiled at him to ease off his worries too. Sapna winked at him to divert his attention from Nikki and Abhi thanked her through his eyes.

As her friends made her sit in the mandap comfortably, Riddhima embarked on a journey that would set her life on a fate undecided; behind the brave facade, she was fearing the consequences herself but chose to ignore the feeling of the impending doom in her stomach so as to fulfill her dreams of becoming a successful cardiologist. Little did the tight-knit clique know that soon, their world would be set ablaze with the very, holy fire that lit up the mandap, tying the eight friends into a vow of holding together....entangling them into a web of love, life and regret!