"Barati aa gayi!!" announced Trishna. Immediately all the girls and elderly women surrounding Simran in her room stood up and rushed towards the door. "Arey, why are you all going, leaving me alone in here?" spoke out Simran in nervousness. Everybody, including Trishna, was too eager to see the dulha, so no one paid any attention to the bride. "Don't worry, I will stay back with you," said Madhu smilingly. "Thanks di," replied Simran happily.
After everyone left the room, Simran started blabbering things out of nervousness, and Madhu kept on assuring everything would just be fine. All of a sudden Simran said, "You know something Madhu di, I had a huge HUGE crush on Amit, when I was in school." Madhu stilled for a moment, but held her smile in place. "I used to wait for Bhaiya to come back home with his friends from college, so that I would be able to see Amit, and do all sorts of stupid things to get his attention," chuckled Simran and continued, "I thought he was my Prince Charming, and one day he would come riding on a white horse and claim me." Madhu stared at her dreamy expressions, without blinking her eyelids. "One day, Bhaiya, Rishu bhaiya and Amit got to know about my crush for him. Bhaiya tried to explain me, scold me, but I was such an adamant child that I was not ready to listen to anything otherwise. Then Amit came to our house one day and told Bhaiya that he wanted to talk to me. I was so elated to see him coming for me," said Simran and sighed. "And?" asked Madhu under her breath. "Haha, Amit told me, Simmu, you are just a kid. You have not seen anything outside your school walls. What you think as love is nothing but infatuation. It happens at your age, but don't get carried away. When you grow up, you will see more of the world, you will definitely find your true love'," replied Simran and shook her head smiling. Madhu waited with abated breath for Simran to continue. "I remember, I had cried buckets that night, and promised to myself that I will never fall in love again, never. Then with time, I grew up, I saw the world, and one day I met Uday," smiled Simran and looked into Madhu's eyes. "We were very different from each other, but somehow that difference brought us closer, as it made us more complete. You know di, the day I realized about my true feelings for Uday, Amit's words flashed back in mind. I had not forgotten Amit, how could I, he was my childhood crush, but that did not stop me from finding my true love and making him mine forever." Simran took Madhu's hands in her hands and said, "Madhu di, don't shut off yourself from this life. Life gives you chances, you just need to identify and grab it. If not for yourself, then at least for Adit's sake." Madhu's eyes glistened, but her voice was choked with emotions and she could not utter any sound in response. "Arey, the pandit is calling the bride, come Simran," one of her cousins shouted as she barged in the room. Simran pressed Madhu's hands a little with an assuring smile and left with the girl. Madhu could not move for some moments further, as all her thoughts had been tossed and turned. She breathed heavily, then tried to compose herself taking deep breath. Slowly she left the room and headed towards the mandap where the varmala ceremony was to be held.
[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stsg5Rpfc5E[/YOUTUBE]
"Here comes Mumma," said Rishabh to Adit, as he saw Madhu approaching the mandap. Madhu smiled at Adit, who was looking like a little prince, in his little sherwani. "Come to Mumma," said Madhu as she raised her hands to take Adit. "No, Adit will start pulling Mumma's hair and jewellery. Mumma is looking like a princess today, so Adit will stay with Rishu," smiled Rishabh and Madhu stared at him amazed. "Now will you come to the mandap, or just keep on glaring at me like that?" asked Rishabh amusingly. Madhu shook her head and followed them.
At the time of saath phere, everyone was given rose petals to shower on the bride and groom. Madhu was also showering the petals when she felt some petals landing on her head. She immediately turned back to see Rishabh with Adit in his hand. "Rishabh!" muttered Madhu embarrassed. "What?" asked Rishabh confusedly. "Stop doing that," replied Madhu angrily. "What am I doing?" asked Rishabh, still confused. Just then Adit threw the remaining petals in his hand on Madhu's face. Both Madhu and Rishabh looked at Adit in amazement and started chuckling. "I am sorry," mumbled Madhu. "Don't be, even Adit could not help showering you with rose tonight," smiled Rishabh. Madhu turned towards the wedding immediately, as her heart had started beating faster.
After the wedding was over, Simran requested everyone to take group photographs with her and Uday, which she would take back to US. First one was with Meera, Radha and all the elders of both the family. Then there was a photograph with all her school and college friends. And for the last one she asked her brother, Rishabh and all the cousins. Sultan and Trishna stood on one side of the groom while Rishabh and Madhu stood on the other side near Simran, with Adit on Simran's lap. This was a big group, so the photographer kept on asking everybody to get closer to fit in the frame. Suddenly Madhu felt Rishabh's hand on her shoulder, pulling her closer to him. His touch sent a chill down her spine and she immediately looked at Rishabh to find him smiling at her warmly. Click came the sound, as the photograph was taken, and both of them realised they had been looking at each other instead of at the camera in the photograph.
Cricket
