Aryan had reached the hall having just finished mumbling about the girls and finally taking a deep breath calmed down his nerves…. He took a casual look around to see if anything was pending and remembered that he had to get someone to fix the door hanging when he saw….
A lady in pink was hanging up the garland on the door's entrance standing on a stool… He didn't see her face as she was standing high on the stool trying to hang the garland… He shrugged off and seeing everything was fine was just about to go to Ajay's room when he glanced at the entrance and saw the stool the lady was standing on, teeter…
Aryan: (Shouting) Hey!😲
Stunned he rushed to help her…. Just as the stool slid off her feet the lady lost her balance and fell… Right into his arms…. He held her in his arms sighing relieved that nothing had happened….
Worried Aryan looked down at the person in his arms to check if she was okay…. But the lady shocked by the fall had her face covered expecting a bad blow….
Aryan: Excuse me…. Aap theek to hain?❓
Hearing his voice she immediately opened her hands and looked up surprised at him…
Seeing her Aryan received a pleasant shock, not expecting her at all….
They kept looking at each other surprised and stunned a little…. Embarrassed??!? No… But surprised and actually loving…. 😍
Having no support to catch Dipika was feeling uncomfortable and her neck had started aching… Sensing it Aryan shifted his hands a little so that she felt a little more comfortable and said softly..….
Aryan: Pakado!😳
Dipika looked on at him as he nodded his reassurance… She lowered her eyes and slowly, hesitantly wrapped her hands around his neck as he pulled her higher, closer to him… Something happened to her breath due to that closeness…. She looked up at him looking at her… Only at her… Her only! She averted her eyes!😳
Aryan smiled a little seeing her blush in his arms… Then becoming stern again he asked…
Aryan: Kya kar rahi thi?
Dipika: (Looking up at him indicated the garland up at the door) Vo… Toran… It was hanging… Socho ki use…
Aryan: (Angry😡) Pata hai… Lekin tum kyun kar rahi thi? Kisi aur se karva sakti thi….
Dipika: (Indignantly) Sab busy the Aryan… Waise ek toran hi to tha…
She became upset seeing him scold that way…. Seeing her becoming dull he said…😔
Aryan: Gir jaati to? (Softly) Chot lag jaati to?
At this Dipika kept looking on at him seeing the concern in his eyes, hearing the concern in his voice…. She then realized…. Even if she had hurt herself it wouldn't have hurt her so much as it would have for him…. It had been so like that ever…. Even before when she had fractured her hand, he was the one very worried…. Most!❤️
Aryan looked at her looking up at him and breathed a relief that nothing serious had happened… If she had gotten hurt he knew he wouldn't have been able to bear it…. He himself didn't have any rights to hurt her…. So how can anybody else have…? Living or non-living…. No… No one had it… Not even Dipika herself!❤️
Just then…
Mrs. Malhotra: DIPIKA!!!!😲
Both of them broke their eye contacts and looked about and saw Mrs. Malhotra hurrying towards them from the gate….
Mrs. Malhotra: (Concerned) Theek to ho? Dara diya tha… Agar Aryan nahi hota to kya hota?
Aryan: Maasi maa… Its fine… Kuch nahi hua use…. (A little softer but heard) Main use kuch hone nahi doonga!
Hearing this Dipika looked on at him smiling a little… Even though Mrs. Malhotra heard it she suppressed her smile and said…
Mrs. Malhotra: Tum… Ise andar leke chalo…
As Aryan nodded and took Dipika inside, Mrs. Malhotra called out towards the kitchen…
Mrs.Malhotra: Are andar se koi peene ke liye paani lao!
Hearing her shout was more than enough to get the whole world together…. So it was obvious that she was heard inside Ajay's room…. Boxer peeped out having heard Mrs. Malhotra's voice… Because she must have been in the temple now, wondering whether the others had come…. He saw Aryan carrying Dipika to the couch… Puzzled he went back in and that was enough for the whole crowd to come out…. Vishal was the first amongst them all… 😉
Just as Aryan placed Dipika on the couch Vishal reached her….
Vishal: (Looking at her casually thinking the other way, smiling a little) Kya hua? Girrrr gayi? (Glancing at Aryan) Ya janaab ke haathon me….😃
Dipika: (Interrupting hastily knowing what he might say) Kuch nahi hua Vishal… Girne waali thi… Lekin…
At this Vishal became worried instantly and asked….
Vishal: Kya?!!? Such me giri? Chot to nahi aayi?
Dipika: (Smiling at his concern) Tch… Maine kaha naa kuch nahi hua… Vo… Ar….
She looked up at Aryan who was looking at her stunned…. Lost…😲 😍
Only after Aryan had placed her on the couch did he look at her fully from top to bottom…. Mindblowing… Stunningly beautiful…. He kept on looking at her bound by her beauty gaze… She looked a perfect fit in such costumes!👍🏼
She was looking damn beautiful in the pink ghagara with minimal make up and jewels… her hair left lose completed her serene look… But somehow he knew he had expected something else… He had actually expected to see her in a saree….. After all it was marriage and mostly that was selected for attire by women… But he had to agree she looked gorgeous in this outfit too… He wondered how she must look in a saree?\😉

Little did he know he was soon to find it out! 😃
Seeing him look at her like that Dipika felt self conscious and slowly put down her gaze blushing… She could still feel his soft gaze on her and she felt like running off from there…. But couldn't as everyone were surrounded!☺️
Mrs. Malhotra had just paid the taxi and turned around when she had seen Dipika fall and Aryan coming to her rescue…. Dipika didn't hear Mrs. Malhotra telling Vishal and the others what had happened…. Nor did she hear Vishal scolding her left, right and center for been so careless….
After scolding breathless for few minutes he asked again repeating his question…
Vishal: Kuch bolti kyun nahi? Ye to bolo ki phir se….
Vishal stopped speaking as he saw the look on Dipika's face… Seeing her blushing face he looked up at Aryan and sighed….
Vishal: (Hand on his head) Please don't tell me my scolding has gone waste! Into deaf ears!😵
Hearing this comment Mrs. Malhotra and the others puzzled looked at him… They saw him look at Dipika and Aryan in turns and they themselves saw and understood…. His scolding definitely had gone waste… Into deaf ears!
Boxer: (Clearing his throat) Definitely Vishal…Your scoldings have gone into deaf ears!😆
They all smiled to themselves as Mrs. Malhotra smiling a little shook Dipika out of her trance and gave the glass of water which one of the maids had bought…
Mrs. Malhotra: Dipika! Pehle ye paani piyo!😊
Dipika nodded a little and slowly taking the glass drank the water….
Giving it back she asked surprised….
Dipika: Aunty!! Aap yahan?!!? Mandir nahi gayeen?🤔
Mrs. Malhotra: (Smiling) Gayi thi aur wapas aa gayi… (Hitting her head) Lo… Main to bhool hi gayi… (Looking at her watch) Are vo sab abhi dus minute me nikaalne waale hain…. Ussse pehle Ajay ko wahan jaana hai naa… Tabhi to baaraat leke aa sakte hain ladke waale….
As if on cue outside the shehanai started to play and Vishal standing up looked at his watch….
Vishal: Exactly on time… Maine jis samay bajane ko kaha usi samay start kiya hai unhone!😛
Mrs. Malhotra: (Grinning😃) To chalo… Shaadi hai…. (To Dipika) Tum jaake jaldi se Neha ko ready kar do!
Dipika: (Getting up smiling😊) Aunty… Neha to kab se taiyaar hai… Aap bas kahiye kab neeche aana hai tab aa jayenge….
Mrs. Malhotra: Tab to theek hai… (Looking at Aryan) Aryan tu to pehle se taiyaar hai… Phir tum yaheen ruko…. (To the others) To chalo… Sab baaraat ki taiyaari karo ladke waalon… Vishal tum kuch logon ke saath Ajay ko mandir le jao… Tabhi to baaraat leke aa sakte ho…. Tab tak ladki waale baaraat ke swagat ki taiyaari karte hain!
Saying Mrs. Malhotra dispersed everyone… Before going she looked at Ajay impressed and said…
Mrs. Malhotra: Dulha to bahut achcha lag raha!
Everyone looked at Ajay who smiled in response and took her blessings…. Then she and Dipika went upstairs to check on the girls…
Aryan walking towards Ajay's room glanced once to the top and saw Dipika looking at him….

Seeing from this far she looked at him appreciatively… He looked damn handsome in that suit…. The one she had selected for him while they had marriage shopping.... She was right.... Gold and black suited him a lot…. Her eyes filled with his image she went inside the room smiling!😳