'jee...uhmm mera matlab woh nahi tha bass tumhe yahan dekh ke thora ---'''
''thora kya?'' nupur asked shuffling around with her dress, '' kuch nahi'' the person replied wanting to let go of the topic.
''nahi nahi app farmaiye, hum toh ek aurat hain ...hum pe sab kuch jaise hai!''
''jee?''
Nupur cocked her head and looked at him strangely, '' aap ki bachpan se adadat hai jee jee kehna? yan yeh jee sirf mere liye smabhal ke rakhein hain!'' Nupur was about to speak further when she interupted.
''arre mayank tum?'' nupur defintely felt irrated seeing her elder sister interupt their conversation but than again mayanks 'jees' were getting on her last nerve.
''riddhima --'' mayank stopped in his tracks wondering what to call her, all these relations where queit new to him, despite having a huge family he had cut himself off from them.
''aapi, tum mujhe riddhima appi bula sakte ho akhir ab toh tum hamare chote bhai banewale ho!'' riddhima smiled watching mayank look at nupur from time to time who was busy tracing over the embroidarary work on the dress that she held in her hand.
''riddhima appi it is than!'' gunjan walked forward not meeting nupurs eyes for a moment, which defintely struck mayank as odd after all the three were sisters, '' kya haal hai mayank''
''main theek hun, shukriya''mayank said sincerely
'' mayank tum yahan kaise?'' mayank stopped and looked at his watch for a second, '' main toh bhool hi gaya, mujhe ek dost se milna tha, accha main chalta hoon woh mera intezar kar raha hoga, aap logon se milker khushi huwi!''
''uncle aur aunty ko hamara salam kehna mayank'' riddhima asked him, Mayank smiled after bidding them goodbye, mayank took a leave.
Nupur took her hand away from riddhimas hold, '' nupur tum aur tumhara gussa bechara mayank bhag jata nikkah se hi pehle!!'' gunjan giggled abit, that miraculous smile on her face for a second made nupurs heart melt. it had been so long since she had seen her sister smile like that.
''acchi lagti ho aap ''gunjan sobered up quickly and lowered her eyes, '' murkarana ko gunnah nahi hai, gunjan'' riddhima walked over to nupur and placed her hand over nupurs shoulder stopping her from saying anything further. Because the truth was it was queit hopeless, Gunjan was the 2nd oldest but in true form at times nupur felt like her older sister. Gunjan accepted her life as it was, didn't say anything because the truth was after that house where could she go?
''nupur tume iss dress ko pehn ke dekh liya kya?'' nupur shook her head, and left for the changeroom.
''gunjan tumne samrat se baat ki?'' gunjan refused to utter a word showing her helplessness on the matter, ''aapi aap chorein na main bikul theek hoon aur yeh nishaan woh bass machis jalate jalate aag lag gayi thi aur kuch nahi'' riddhima was hesitant but took her sisters words for it,thinking she wouldn't lie to her.
''toh main kaisi lag rahi hoon?'' nupur popped out of the change room dressed in black salwar suit with silver sequencing done on it, '' masallah meri kohinoor..''riddhima kissed nupurs forhead along with gunjan and suddenly it struck nupur that her life wouldn't be the same anymore within a few days. The life that had always revolved around her parents and sisters would suddenly have a stranger within it and that stranger would be no stranger, he would be her husband.
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''ahbi kya waqat hua hai?'' her mother repeated once again shaking nupurs insides, 'aami jaan hume waqat ka bikul dahyaan nahi raha''
''maine aapse kaha tha na, mujhe aapka der tak bahir ghoomna na pasand hai'' Riddhima and Gunjan looked at each other, after their mother had silenced them and demanded that only nupur speak, ''nupur hum aap se kuch pooch rahein hain!''
''aami humne socha aapi saath hain toh aap --''
''joh bhi socha galat socha, nahi aap joh bhi sochti hain woh hamesha galat sochti hain! Nupur humne aapko kitni bhar smajhjaya hai shariff ghar ke larkiyan raaton ko der tak bahir nahi rehti!!'nupur sighed in happiness that the lecture was over but her mother spoke again, '' aur woh toh hargiz nahi jinka kuch dino main nikkah honewala hai!''
''Ab bass bii karo naina jii, bacchi hai galati hogayi'' nupur switched her gaze to her father and smiled abit seeing him but her mother once again stole the thunder, '''choudhary saab aap toh is maamle mein boliye hi na, is larki ne teh karliya hamari naak katane ka poore khandhan ke samne''
''ammi ab aisi bhi koi baat nahi hai'' gunjan interupted her mother,'' aap ko itni bhi smajh nahi ke jab do bare baat kare hon toh beeh main nahi bolte??'' riddhima stopped gunjan from saying anything as it would have only aggrivated the matter further.
''ammi jaan maaf kardein, hum waada karte hain aisa phir nahi hoga'' nupur said with a smile and walked towards her mother, even though her mother appeared tough on the outside nupur knew there was a vunerable woman hidden inside her.
''naina jii ab bass kijiye iss baat ko yahan hi khatam kardein, kal mehndi ke rasam hai, ghar mein khushi ka mauka hai mahtam mat bichaiye''
after alot of sorries and promises, her mother forgave her,, 'theek hain theek hai, ainda khayal rakhna'' nupur leapt in and hugged her, '' ammi hum sach mein bahut sharminda hain age se aapko shikaiyat ka mauka nahi deinge''
With that, nupur along with riddhma and gunjan headed to their rooms. Naina jii turned around and looked at her husband, '' do teen din mein nupur chali jayegi, toh yeh ghar kitna soona soona hoga na!''
her husband was defintely suprised at this confession of hers and finally being able to see the soft side to her, ''betiyaan hoti hi prayi hain...''
''agar hamara beta hota toh --''
''bass, hum nahi suna chahte ke agar hamara beta hota, Naina jii hamara beta nahi hai aur na hi kahbi hoga betar hoga ke aap maan lein yeh sachaii. allah ne aap ko teen pyari pyari betiyon se nawaza hai aapko ko uperwale ke sajde mein phool bichane chahiye nake gila aur shikwa!''
seeing her husband walk out of their room naina jii walked over to her cupboard and pulled it open, She slowly took out a book and opened it lesiurely wiping away her tears that knew no bounds. It was like no one understood her pain or her agony, they all thought she was going against but really the only people she was going against was herself.
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'sana stop it bass lag gaya hai'' mayank whined to his little cousin who took no hesitations in pouring the whole bowl of oil on his head.
''bhai ahbi kahan laga hai, ahbi ap ka sar poora gila nahi hua!'' sana explained to mayank picking up the bowl of oil again, '' mere sar pe tumne kya poori shaadi ka khana bana hai joh tel ki barsat kar rahi ho???'' sana giggled and sat down by mayanks side.
''bhai main toh bass apko tayar kar rahi hoon bhabi ke liye'' Zaib was astounded to hear sana call his wife to be bhabi but than again he should start getting use to to such.
''kyun kya main accha nahi lagta??'' sana pinched mayanks cheeks, '' nahi bhai app toh ek dum dashing lagtein hai''
''accha ab makhan marna band karo aur jake toliya leke aao sara tel mere jism pe phel raha hai'' sana nodded and left tp grab mayank a towel while rest of the ladies proceeded with the ceremony, some were accustomed to mayank while others were not. Nonetheless all were welcomed today to bless mayank for his new life ahead.
''ami kya main ja sakta hun?'' mayank asked finally seeing his mother close by, he was really fed of the ceremony by now, all the oil engraved in his hair along with a stomach full of sweets was really getting on his nerves.
'''haan haan tum jake aram karo aur main tumhare dad ko yahan mehndi ki rasam ke liye bitha deti hoon'' her sarcasm didn't go unoticed by mayank, ''meri tarah se haan hai, dad kahan hai main unhe ahbi bulata hoon'' he joked around but his mother on the other hand was not at all amused, '' khabardarr agar tum yahan se hile, mayank abhi to bahut sare logon ka ana baki hai'' mayank sunk in his seat and sulked watching people smiling and talk among themselves.
While on the otherside, it was quite a similar atmosphere except for the fact that instead of mayank on the seat it was nupur.
''mooh kholo nupur'' nupur giggled keeping her mouth closed off, and shook her head, '' agar tumne apna mooh isi waqt nahi khola toh main mayank ko tumhari sabse buri adadat ke bare mein bata doongi''
nupur eyes widened seeing her elder sister threatened her but nupur opened her mouth, ''aapi, main mooh is wajah se nahi khola kyunke main mayank se darti hoon balke is wajah se ke, agar is gulab jamun ko khane se aap ko khushi milti hai toh main hazar gulab jamun khane ke liye tayar hoon'' riddhima looked at her sister in awee, '' tum na, ...'' pausing riddhima abruptly hugged nupur grasping her in her arms, 'merii jaan ho''
Gunjan watched from afar, Nupur who was adorned in a yellow salwar suit along looking beautiful as ever and riddhima was not far off she was wearing a henna colored churidaar style suit with her wavy hair left open, '' samrat nahi aya?''
gunjan grunted ''ammi kaha na unhe koi zaruri kaam agaya tha! meri shaadi hogayi hai aur main apne ghar mein khush hoon apko ab pareshaan hone ki koi zarurat nahi!'' gunjan left her motherside stiffly, and walked over to nupur.
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Riddhima beamed with happiness sliding the veil over Nupurs head, 'aaj toh chand bhi tumhare samne phika par jayega'' nupur blushed covering her face with her hand, '' Mrs sharma aap sharma rahi hain?'' gunjan smiled and placed a necklace around nupurs neck, '' sharam aur laaj aur woh bhi hamari nupur mein, lagta hai zamana sach mein badal raha hai''
Nupur broke free from her sisters and the suddenly queit bride to be found her voice, ''aapi tang mat karo, warna main arman bhai ko kahungi ke woh apko dante!'' riddima giggled along with gunjan watch their little sister dressed up like a bride.
''dulhan ko neeche bulaya jah raha hai!'' nupur looked stunned hearing that, Riddhima and Gunjan tried to calm her down but nupur knew at this moment nothing would calm her down.
Her sisters led her into a seperate room where the Quadi was waiting for them to begin the ceremony.......
While in the hall residing among the rest of the men, another Quadi questioned mayank,
''Mayank Sharma kya apko Nupur ul - Chaudhry panch hazar haqe mahar qubul hai?''
Mayank watched his father place his hand over his, 'Jee qubul hai , qubul hai, qubul hai'''......
On the other hand, in the room seperately away from the men,
Nupur hesitantly looked at riddhima and gunjan , 'jee qubul hai, qubul hai, qubul hai''
''is nikka - e - nama pe dastaq khawa kardein'' Alisbha took the pen into her hand and signed on to the paper not once but thrice, she rested the pen on the table once she was done.
That was it, she was married, she was no more nupur, rather she was a Nupur attached with Mayank. She was someone else's wife....and now there was defintely no turning back.
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That was it, here is another part.
Like i said i have already written out this story, so if i were to change the dialouges it would take me alot of time, which i really don't have! I barely get time to change the characters names to mayank and nupur ..😆
But if you need help understanding some words, do tell i'll be more than happy to define them for you
@ Suja - Khawishat means Wishes!
tabeer means thought
In respect you call your elder sister aapi and not by her name like di in india
hope you like it.
Do Comment/ Do Criticize
Sajjal
Mannat Har Khushi Paane Ki
19