She took a look at her watch, "And that completes ten minutes!" she muttered. Turning every now and then to take a look at the door, Panchi could not wait for Paarth to arrive. With each passing moment her anxiety was growing larger. She decided not to wait any more and go back to her room since it was midnight already and waiting anymore had risk of being caught. She turned to leave and found Paarth standing behind herself, "I know I am late but..." Paarth tried to justify but Panchi cut in before her could complete, "I know. You were what! Now can you please tell me why did you call me here?". "Well! You see I was kinda ahm..." he got ready to express. "Kinda?" Panchi looked at him intently, "Kinda unwilling to say that but..." he was hesitating to express that. "Oh Paarth!", she reminded him about the time by pointing at her watch. "Oh... I mean. Well, haah! I so much wanted to express that but and so I went to buy flowers. Roses basically! But since it was eleven when the Sangeet ended so I had to go all the way to the other end to the city and so I am late." he explained, "And you wanted to tell me that..." Panchi was getting excited now. "That," he sat on his knees and continued, "well Panchi, I have been wanting to, I am thinking if we can. I mean can you and I become us! If we can be together! Because..." he asked, then he picked up the flowers and added "I love you!". Panchi, just replayed whatever had happened earlier, how they had been fighting, were making fun of each other and hating each other and all that had come up to such a beautiful ending. She took the flowers and replied "Well. If you insist!".
*----------------------------*
Finally, the day had come, Vrushali stood at the door, in the bridal attire, Pritha by her side, and panchi and Shubhi behind her and her friends all with her. Her heart was ringing with the sound to the dhols in the air, she could see a beautifully decorated entrance in front of herself. "Any time now, they will arrive. Shubhi get the aarti!", Pritha told. Shubhi brought the aarti and handed it over to Pritha. Chitra came in, running "they are here!", she informed. The sounds of dhols filled the air, petals were spread on the way, rosettes of gold with cold water in them were placed for the groom. "Welcome!" the sounds rang up as Vasusen and others kept their first step in. To Vrushali, the world seemed to have stopped for second, time had paused, when she saw her Vasusen in that attire. For Vasusen, a little smile played on his lips on seeing his Vrushali as his bride. Though it took only some minutes to come and stand right in front of Vrushali but to her it was like ages passing by. At the end, he was there, "Vrushali! Place this garland on him!". Times swept away as the ages went by but, again Vrushali was standing in from of her Vasusen with a garland in her hand. Finally, gathering courage, she placed the garland in it's right place. Now it was Vasusen's turn to reciprocate the same, and he did so. The two souls were united again by time's play. Again Vasusen and Vrushali became one.
Everyone then moved to the mandap. For all Vasusen and Vrushali were walking towards the mandap but for them they were walking towards a new life. They sat in front of the mandap. Fire, which was capable of clearing every impurity and purifying every relationship, was today witnessing the reunion of two souls which had been away. It was soon when the time stopped for Vrushali once again, the seven vows of a relationship. "These seven vows are not just for the wedding but for the days to come. Remember them all your life. And try to stay upon them, your life would beautify!", Pritha told. Paarth who was standing at the other side of the mandap than Panchi's, was looking at her. Panchi was looking at Paarth. In the reunion of two souls, other two were merging their souls. Panchi remembered that it was last night that Paarth had confessed his feelings to her, but to her it seemed as if she knew him since ages. The rounds around the mandap were surely the most beautiful seps Vrushali and Vasusen were taking in their life. The relationship which they were tied into was not going to then till death separates them.
*----------------------------*
Finally, Vrushali was in her room, but not with her partner anymore but with her husband. The very sight of him contented her heart away with happiness. Now she was could say with happiness that she was in a Vasusen's wife. The most beautiful part of their life had started. A part in which they were each others and could never be separated. It was not going to be their life. They were not separate earlier too but now they were one. They were one soul which resided in two different bodies!
*----------------------------*
"Pritha aunty would be feeling so alone! In that large home, alone!", Panchi expressed to Shubhi. "I can understand. but she did live like that earlier, plus Chitra is still with her!", Shubhi told her. "Yes but she had become a mother to me in all these day! Leaving her alone was really tough!" Panchi told, "Well every girl has to go through that phase once in her life!" Shubhi replied.
"Pack your bags girls!", Paarth barged into Panchi's room. "Why?" Both the girls asked, "Are we going to Pritha aunty's!" Panchi added later. "No dear! We are moving to England!" Paarth told. "What!" the replies he received were really loud. "Yes!" he replied back. Panchi went to Paarth, held his arms and said, "I am not going anywhere!", Paarth replied "You will have to, for the quest!". "He is joking Panchi!" Shubhi laughed, when Yudhishtir dashed in and said, "All of you have not packed your bags yet! We have to leave! Fast people, the flight leaves at four and it is two already!".
*----------------------------*
TBC...
Kabhi Neem Neem Kabhi Shahad Shahad
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