Vignettes- 18. Hai re Nandkishore! Finished! Thread 2 - Part 30/ Pg 18 - Page 8

"Par Khushi didi, mujhe neele rang ki achkan chahiye!", came a petulant boyish voice from one corner of the room.

"Par Meenaji, itna mehanga! Hum kaise pehnenge?", came a stunned voice from another corner.

"Par Payal bhabi, mujhe green, blue, red or green colour ki saadi nahi pehenni... aap aur Khushi bhabi apne apne shaadi mein in rangon mein itni sundar jo lag rahi thi. Mujhe koi simple si soft colour chaahiye...", came a soft voice from another side.

"Excioose me peleej! Kaa ho raha hai iss ghar mein? Sab dreesing up aur Manorama not informed! Hello-hai, bye-bye!", grumbled another voice from the door.

Leaning against the wall at the far end of the room, Dhruv shook his head at the circus that was being staged in the name of an engagement ceremony. He had been a silent supporter to his cousin in all the weeks that had passed since they brought Pooja and her family to Delhi, and had efficiently played the various roles of chauffer, night-by stander, baby-siiter to Bittu, and body-guard to his two Bhabis as they shuttled to-and-from from the hospital with their husbands busy with work.

A bit too efficiently apparently, since he was currently being forced into being an errand-boy for the dress-selection hungama that was going on at home. And with the institute closed for a semester-break, the poor boy had no excuse to escape the mad-house, unlike his brother who made it a point to leave at first-light in the name of work.

He was shaken out of his zoned-out state by his mother's exclamation, "And you, mai own son! Apan mother ko inform tak naahi kiya!"

Ginning now, he stalked across the room and caught her up in a bear-hug, lifting her clear off her feet. Shushing her squeals, he yelled into her ear, "Meri Maa, aap toh itni beeeaaauuutiful ho ki aapko dress-up karne ki zaroorat hi nahi!" Turning to wink at his Dadi, he asked, "Kyun Dadi?", to which pat came the reply, "Aur nahi toh kaa?"

Mollified and blushing, and squirming away from her son's clutches, she marched across to Khushi and asked Bittu, "Bhaat haippended? Bhy bilue, Bittu?"

Suddenly realising that he had every eye in the room focussed on him, Bittu ducked his head and muttered, "Mujhe Dhruv Bhaiyya ne Khushi didi aur Arnavji ke shaadi ke tasveer dikhaaya tha, aur uss mein woh bahut hi achcha dikh raha tha, neele rang mein...", he trailed off. By know everyone knew that Bittu worshipped the very ground Arnav walked on and they all laughed indulgently, while Dhruv smiled and shook his head, "Another unknowing conquest by Bhaiyya. Ajeeb aadmi hain, he captures hearts without even knowing or trying!"

"Okays, then! Phati-saadi, then arrange ones bilue kurta pileej, aur piraablem solved!" Manorama turned to her daughter-in-law who was trying her best to convince Pooja to wear a maroon lehenga and asked,"Payaliya, bhaat is the piraablem iyaan? Agar Pooja bitiya ko aur koi colouriya chaahiye, toh bhy naat?"

While Payal was trying to explain that bright rich colours might suit Pooja's gorgeous dusky complexion better than pastel ones, Manorama exclaimed, "Payaliya, I remembers! Tumhein yaad hain woh saadiyan jo tumhari yeh sister selling ke liye laayi thi, for the first taime iyaan? Aisi chikkan work bahut hi beeutiful lagega humri Pooja par. Bhaat says, saasuma?"

Her face lighting up at the memory, Devyani said, "Arre waah, Manorama! Humein toh yaad hi naahi raha!" And turning to Payal, she continued, "Payal bitiya, agar aisan kuch ho jaaye, toh yeh humri taraf se tohfa bhi hogi humri nayi bahu ke khaatir!"

Leaping across the room to her beloved Jiji, Khushi shouted, "Jiji, yaad hain, aap woh alag-alag rang ke dhaage milaake banaaya karte the, jab hum Lucknow mein the? Aise hi kuch keejiye naah!", to which Dhruv added, "Bhabi aap custom designs kiya karte the? Wow!"

And thus proceeded the arrangements for the engagement at Shantivan, a couple of weeks after NK's parents arrived and finalised NK's and Pooja's wedding. Now that the major share of Pooja's surgeries were over, they were going ahead with the engagement ceremony, with the understanding that the remaining plastic surgeries would take place over the coming year and that the wedding would happen in a year's time.

*********************

The next few days passed in a blur of activity with planning a small intimate ceremony. Pooja's parents had consented to holding it at Shantivan at the express condition that the wedding would happen at their village. A few of their dear and near ones had come and were put up at a delighted Madhumatiji's house, who along with Garima was over the moon at having some proper "Lucknowi-log" to talk to and play host to.

As for Payal, after an initial panic session, dealt with swiftly by Khushi and Akash, she had been happily ensconced in her "work-room" as an unused guest-room had been titled, with only her mother-in-law, Dadi and Khushi admitted. The chikankari saree that was to be her and Khushi's gift to their "devrani" was proceeding at a fast pace under their nimble fingers.

And finally, the D-day arrived and in the pale morning light, Pooja was woken up at her room in Madhumatiji's house by the sound of a car coming to a stop outside. Hearing the voices murmuring, and identifying the voice of the ladies of her prospective sasuraal, she leapt out of bed and ran to open the door, only to be greeted with the smiling faces of Devyani, Meena, Manorama, Payal, Khushi and Anjali. After greeting them and getting their blessings, she was about to ask them about their surprise visit when Payal and Khushi turned and took a box that had been set aside and handed it to her with wide grins.

Realising now that she was finally going to see her dress for the day, she turned to her mother with shining eyes and at her nod, opened the box, only to draw in a sharp breath. For, lying safely cushined in a layer of tissue paper was a gorgeous yellow georgette saree with contrasting chikan-work done in a rich orange thread. As her mother touched it reverently with trembling hands, Pooja handed it to her, and walked forward to hug first Payal and then Khushi tightly, and murmured, "Thank you", for every single thing they had done for her over the past months.

Soon, the ladies returned back to Shantivan, leaving the bride-to-be in the able hands of Madhumati and Garima, who would be arriving along with the bride's party for the function. They arrived back to a see a perspiring NK being teased and taunted within an inch of his life by his three cousins, aided and abetted by his own father! At Payal and Khushi's reproachful looks, their husbands withdrew half-heartedly, only to have the ribbing carried on enthusiastically by Dhruv, Jagraj and Manohar.

The bride's party arrived within a couple of hours and without much ado, the ring-exchange was done and the dance-floor was thrown open, much like it had been after Arnav and Khushi's Roka ceremony. Noting Arnav casting apprehensive glances in his Di's direction, Khushi pressed his arm gently and walking up to her Di, said with a smile, "Di, ek baar phir humaari puraani Ooh-la-la ho jaayein?"

And thus started the party, with Devyani, Manorama, Khushi and Anjali dancing to the popular song much as they had that day more than two years ago, and every single person except Arnav watching open-mouthed at the show put up by the Raizada women. With the ice-breaking done, Khushi retreated back to her husband's side, who was watching her with a fierce, proud, blazing with love look, and whispered, "Aap fikar mat keejiye, Di theek hain."

Pulling her to his side tightly and dropping his mouth against her head, he murmured, "I love you, Khushi!" Tilting his head against her head so that he could watch his sister dancing along enthusiastically to the beats of "Balam Pichkaari" with Dhruv, he asked, "Kaise jaan jaati ho tum ki mujhe kaya chaahiye?", to which a firm squeeze and a loving smile from his wife was all the answer he needed.

Soon they were also pulled onto the dance floor by Akash and Payal, and after a series of songs with fast beats, Jagraj asked for a few slow numbers, and soon all the pairs were swaying along to soothing music. After alternating between his wife and his sister, Arnav turned around to pull his Nani up, only to have Akash whisk her away and looking around and spotting Buaji being waltzed around by Bittu, he laughingly made his way over to his wife again. Drawing her close and swaying to a soft song, he looked over at a blissful NK sitting with Pooja, talking and laughing, lost in theri own world.

"Khushi..."

"Hmm..."

"Aakhir NK ko usski lkdi mil gayi..."

"Ji... story aur direction - Arnav Singh Raizada...", his wife laughed. Pulling her closer, he smiled down at her, "...and, Khushi Kumari Gupta Singh Raizada."