I had two ideas as to where I wanted to take the next part, this part I am posting is what I originally wanted and am happy with, comments by Nitu, Gayatri, Remyavenkat, Rekha gave me even more confidence to post this part. So as always thank you for your comments. I may have time this evening to write another part. Will post it if I do. The next part is the wedding, since I am not Maharashtrian, I have to research a bit so will take time. please continue to show your love
PART 31
Only half the terrace is being used for haldi. The terrace has been lit up for evening, they had to make last minute arrangements for the second flood light, because the haldi had gotten delayed, so the sun was setting down. One part of the terrace has a Shamiana over a sofa and three chairs around, 2 girls are putting on mehendi and another side, leaning to the wall was a pain puri set up. There was also a small speaker set that had music on, and Shivani and Shilpa were dancing while Sai was having her mehendi put on. She was wearing a sleeveless off white with red flowers and green leaves flowing kurta dress. The dress had been pulled up to her knees and one girl was putting mehendi on her hands. Samrat took a few pics of her and Devyani and the girls dancing,
“Samrat Dada aao na selfie kheechte hai” Devi says standing next to Sai and he comes and stands next to her, with his one hand on Sai’s shoulder and the other around Devi.
Devyani stands aside and starts filtering it, while Samrat looks at Sai’s mehendi being put on her hand.
“Iss pe Kahin pe pati ka naam daalte hai na?”
“Abhi tak daala nahi hai, daalu kya?” Sai asks smiling.
“Of course!” Samrat grins. “ACP Virat daalna”
Sai laughs heartily, “vohi dalungi, tum rukogey na?”
“Zyaada deir nahi, main Medical college ke dean se mil raha thodi der mei, so niklunga” He says
“Paani puri toh khaake jaana”
He smiles and nods, She smiles back at him
“Samrat, I am so happy, tum aaye”
“Kaise nahi aata? Tum achi dikh rahi ho, Sai. Buss don’t let Dada get away everytime, voh apni manmaani bahut karte hai” Samrat says jokingly.
“Sach kahu, mushkil lag raha hai” she says sheepishly.
“Independent Sai, Tum bahut buri tarah phas gayi ho!” He shakes his head, teasingly grins.
“Aur iska credit sirf aur sirf tumhe jaata hai” She smiles widely.
They laugh and in that moment, it’s like two friends who have let go of their past. Devyani takes another pic of them laughing. Samrat takes pics and leaves.
Almost all the girls have finished putting mehendi on, and now each one is feeding the bride some pans puris. They are giggling, dancing and talking loudly as the workers have come to clean, empty the place and do the remaining set up for the next day.
“Ungli ki mehendi maine pani puri ke saath khaali”, cries Sai.
“Sheeeiiiiee!!!” , wails Shilpa
“Maine bhi”, says Shivani
“Kitna kadva hai”. whines Devyani
“Koi toh aaye humei pani puri khilane”, announces Sai.
The two workers stop doing what they are and stare at the girls
“Aap nahi bhaisaab, koi aur, jo hamare tarah nikamme ho”, assures Shivani
“Aap toh kaam kar rahe ho, continue continue”, commands Shilpa
The workers nod and get back to doing their jobs.
“Hai yeh mehendi vaale haath, Humei buss nikaama banake rakh diya”, says Shilpa
“Kaun khilayega Humei bina kadvahat ki paani puri”, whines Devyani.
Suddenly Shivam enters the terrace and sings loudly
“Tumne pukaara aur hum chale aaye..jaan hatheli pe leke aaye re”
The girls squeal and run to him. He starts making pani puris for all of them.
“Viru bhi aaya hai kya?” Shivani asks with a small smile
“Arrey voh kaise aa sakta hai? Ussse NO ENTRY hai” Shivam announces
“Unhe akele chodhke aa gaye tum?” Sai says without thinking, she was sure he was here.
All the rest of them go “haye haye haye!!! Akele chodh diya, haye!haye!haye!”
Devyani pipes, “Shivam aajao hum aur pics lete hai, Samrat dada ke saath bahut liye the pehle”
“Acha dikhau toh sahi” Shivani pulls her phone and Shilpa joins them too, the three are looking at photos while Shivam makes one pani puri for Sai.
“Photos se yaad aaya, Achaa hua tumne kapde change kar liya”
Sai looks at him funny while eating, while Shivam finishes eating his and grins
“Nahi haldi valle mei Saadi niche ho gayi aur Virat ne hickey dekhke mere saath bet liya ke..” He starts laughing and stops as soon as he starts because he watches Sai’s face change,
“Kya?!” She says very calmly.
“Voh mai...buss..hum buss..thoda stupidly behave kar rahe the, I am so so sorry Sai” he says whispering, it has struck him that what transpired between him and Virat should have stayed there.
“It’s ok. Tumhari galti nahi hai” Sai says with a smile that doesn’t reach her eyes,
The girls join them and they change their disposition immediately. Sai takes Shilpa aside
“Main neeche jaa rahi hun, Mujhe thoda headache ho raha hai”
“Sure? Tu thik hai na.?”
“Haan haan bilkul thik hun, fikr mut kar, main anyways thoda khana khaake so jaungi”
“Thik hai, main tujhe baad mei phone karti hun. Kal savere 5 baje aajaungi, Mavshi se kehna. Yaha manage kar lung, Tu jaa”
Sai leaves and walks down, checks on her father who has eaten his dinner and is fast asleep. Usha Maavshi is making last minute checklists, her hands mehendi almost dried off, looks up at Sai
“Aa gayi, Mai abhi aane vali thi, kitchen mei varan bhaat hai, khaake soja. Kal savere uthna hai. Mehendi kaisi kiya?”
Sai sits on her knees in the middle of all the things and shows her, Maavshi holds her hands, nods and smiles “mast lag raha hai!”
Tears collect in Sai’s eyes, she hugs Maavshi tightly and whispers
“Aapke aur Baba ke jaisa pyaar aur aadar aur kahi nahi milega na?”
Maavshi is surprised and pulls her away and looks at her
“Kya bol rahi hai Tu? Kya hua?”
Sai shakes her head and stops her tears. There is a knock on the door, she turns and walks to the main door. Aniket is standing there with flowers. She smiles big and comes forward and shows him her hands, he keeps the flowers aside on the chair and does a thumbs up. Maavshi comes to the living room, introductions are made.
Upstairs Devyani and Ashwini are leaving, Shivam is a little nervous, but doesn’t show. Them leaving is cue for Virat to come upstairs, who is waiting in another car on the opposite side of the road adjacently. He stays back saying he will help Shilpa and come over later. After they leave, he turns to Shilpa
“Sai kaha hai?” He asks
“Usse headache ho raha thaaa, toh maine usse kaha jaake so jaaye”, she is putting all the pani puris into one bag.
“I think maine badi galti kar di” Shivam says while putting all the utensils in a box.
“Kyu kya hua?” She asks
Shivam relates both the conversations. Shilpa hits her forehead with her dried mehendi hands.
“Tum admi log itney stupid kyu hotey ho?”
“Sorry yaar, solution nikalo abhi” Shivam pleads
“Abb Kuch nahi, main phone pe baat kar lungi, kal shaadi mei dulha dulhan will handle” Shilpa says casually. She then goes and instructs the men putting many chairs on the other side of the terrace
“Arrey yaar, samjho na, abhi handle karna padega” Shivam follows her
“Abhi kyu?”
“Kyunki....”
And right on cue, Virat enters the terrace singing
“Mehendi lagake rakhna..doli sajaake,,,Arrey tum dono ...Sai kaha hai? Chupake rakha hai kya?” He grins.
Shilpa glares at him and shakes her head, Shivam shakes his head and signs him to cut it.
“Kya hua? Come on yaar, humne planning ki thi, so that no one will know”
“Wah! No - one - will - know!wah!” Shilpa says sarcastically sounding each word out
“Isko kya hogaya?!” Virat looks at Shivam
Shivam drags Virat “Tu idhar aa”
Downstairs Mavshi is chatting with Aniket nineteen to a dozen while giving him some sweets from the afternoon. She insists Sai has her varan bhaat. Aniket is smiling through it all, Sai is eating and grinning at him. Aniket asks Sai about starting date at Wockhart and tells her that he is looking for the next thing too. That he has only few weeks left at the camp. He tells her how Abigail was shocked that he was coming for her wedding and ACP Virat Chauvan is the groom.
“Phir Usne kaha ki meri vajah se hi dono mile, Abigail ko credit lena bahut pasand hai, tumhe pata hai na?” Aniket smiles
“Haan haan, yaad hai, jab voh gastric case aaya tha?”
And they start reminiscing the days at the camp.
Upstairs Virat is being stubborn
“Toh kya hua? Main jaake sorry bol dunga”
“Please meri baat suno, abb mut jao, ghar ke andar hai, bahut mushkil hai. Phone kar lena. Voh kaafi upset hai” Shilpa warns
“Voh phone nahi uthayi toh!” Virat whines
“Main usse keh dungi”
“Nahi mai yaha tak aaya hun, Mai usse milke hi jaunga”
He ignores them and walks down the stairs. Shilpa sprints behind him and says
“Rukk, check toh karne de, Maavshi andar hai ki bahar”
“I don’t care!” Virat carelessly
Shivam hits him on his head, And Shilpa comes down the landing,
“But Maavshi does, respect kiya karo.” They are at the landing above the first set of steps, under which is the main door. The main door clicks open. Voices are heard. Shilpa moves Virat back and he hides, Shilpa peeps to see who the voices are.
Byes are being told, Aniket is leaving.
“Yeh kaun hai?” Shilpa says
“Aniket” Virat growls
“Kaun?” Shilpa asks again
“Aniket, Dr Sai Joshi ka camp ka yaar” Shivam winks
Shilpa giggles, Virat glares at both of them
“Mujhe jaane do” Virat pushes them and moves to the top of the stairs.
Shilpa and Shivam lean on the far wall to his left, they cannot be seen at all from downstairs, where near the door, Mavshi says she is going inside and that if Sai can quickly go and check upstairs, Sai says ok.
There she is at the foot of the stairs sprinting up the stairs, like she is coming to him, except she doesn’t know he is there. She looks up suddenly and sees him, stops at the the middle of the staircase. The light from the terrace falls in between, they can make out each other in that light, easily. He doesn’t step down, she does not step up.
“Aap yaha kya kar rahe ho?” She says flatly
“Aniket yaha kya kar raha tha?” He replies flatly
“IDIOT” mutter, Shilpa and Shivam together.
“Aap jaake usise puch lijiye” she says tightly
“Not bad. Tumne uske saath apne shaadi ke plans share kar liya?” He says.
Shivam and Shilpa hit their heads.
“Main aapke Jaise over share nahi karti, jitna batana thaa, maine utna hi bataya” she replies firmly,
“Maine sirf Shivam ke saath Kuch stupid...” he says pleadingly, feeling guilty immediately.
“Aap mera ek kaam karenge?” She interrupts
“Kya?” He asks softly
“Agar upar sab Kuch thik hai, toh please chale jayiye, anyways Humei Aise milna nahi chahiye” she says firmly and turns
“Sorry toh keh raha hun na, Itni badi pahaad kyu bana rahi ho?” He says slightly irritated and comes down a step.
She waits on her step, he waits on his. She turns, he stays
“Aap sahi ho, Mai galat. Sorry aapko nahi, Mujhe kehni chahiye. I am sorry ki maine aapko Mujhe chune ki permission di, I am sorry ki maine thik se apne aap ko dhaka nahi. Na main aise karti, na aapko Kuch nazar aata aur naahi aapko Shivam se share karni ki zrurat lagti” she says resolutely. And turns again.
“Sai, please” he whispers, coming down the stairs, standing behind her on a step above her’s. “Please” he whispers again, into her hair.
“Humei milna nahi chahiye tha” she whispers back, not turning back. And walks to the house, enters and shuts it.
All through the drive back Shivam is very quiet and Virat’s heart beats so loud that he cannot hear himself think.
All night, the bride sleeps with a headache, and the groom is wide awake, her final words play in his mind repeatedly.
——
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Edited by columbia - 3 years ago
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