Hey friends, before you all get to reading, let me tell you this
is a continuation of sorts to one of the best fictions in IF, Life partner
written by my dear friend, Palindrome. Those who have read it would understand
who Laddu is. Those who didn't, I would ask you to go read it, you're missing
an awesome story. By the way, Laddu is Maan.
So anyway this OS is born from a comment one of her readers made in her thread,
and though I am posting it, this story isn't entirely mine. It is
co-authored by Nisha di(Susegad). Special thanks to Avi for her inputs.
Note: Though Maan and Geet are present, this story isn't entirely about them,
it's about one of my favorite characters of Life Partner, and IF- Palindrome.
My bak bak done, go ahead and read it :)
The Curious Case of Unsolved Mystery- Laddu's
Conspiracy
"Stop obsessing with the Kurta Laddu, it isn't your wedding, it's Palin's" Geet said muffling her laughter watching Maan trying to button his kurta but failing miserably. And why won't he anyway, he was twitching with the buttons, not paying any attention.
She moved forward and turned him around, and started doing the buttons.
"Are you sure you want me to come?" he asked and Geet looked at him surprised.
"Of course I want you to come, else who will hold Smiti when I will be happily enjoying gossip in bride's room, getting her ready?" she said raising her eyebrows.
Smiti was their two year old daughter, and much to his irritation, was named by Palin. He might have rejected the name out rightly if not for the meaning and how he liked it so very much. It meant smile, he was told and he knew it would suit his darling daughter since she was ever ready with a dimpled smile that stole many hearts including his.
"You are done" she said dusting her hands. "Challo" she said holding his arm, taking him with her towards their car while he followed her suite although reluctantly. It has been exactly three years to the day when they confessed to each other and had their first kiss. He wanted to make the evening special for her, celebrating the anniversary of that beautiful day, but to his astonishment Palin proved to be a perfect kabab mein haddi this time too, through her wedding. Only if God gives him a chance to take revenge…
* * *
She stroked her pet cat lovingly, carrying it to the wedding that they are going to attend.
"Pelli ki velthu pilli ni teesuku velladam enti chandalanga?" she heard her husband mumble in Telugu and she turned to him, her eyes slits, asking for translation.
But he had went away excusing himself with a call he just got.
"Disadvantages of marrying a multilingual man I tell you" she told her friend Avi, who was more interested in the rose bouquet that she was carrying, than anything else.
"He means who carries a cat while going to a wedding? That's a Telugu proverb Di" grinned Shika making Nisha smile.
"Advantages of having a Telugu speaking sister?" Avi asked raising her eyebrows.
Nisha grinned. "How can I attend Palin's wedding without her gift?" she said stroking the cat's fur and giving it a kiss.
"She herself is the biggest Pilli di, you need not give another one to her" Shika said grinning, but their conversation was cut short as Nisha's husband was back and they all started for the wedding of Nisha's dearest sister in law, Palin.
* * *
Maan was damned irritated at that woman who was currently enclosed in the room upstairs with her husband enjoying her suhaagraat. All this, after she had hogged his wife and daughter's attention even at her own wedding. Every time Geet was with him, that chudail would call her over on the pretext of fixing something or other, sometimes it was her hair, sometimes her dress or her jewelry. He would not rest in peace until he'd had a chance to get back at her. As he was pacing restlessly with a sleeping Smiti on his shoulder, he saw all the ladies gathered on the sofa including that woman Diva, with her impossibly high heels, who kept on disappearing in between the marriage to God knows where. She was supposed to look after the bride and because she was not doing her job properly, his Hemamalini had suffered. He saw Nisha Di with that cat on her lap. That was one crazy cat lady. She hadn't let that cat out of her sight since she had dragged it along with her, to a wedding of all places. The cat had a name tag attached to his neck which made his wife extremely happy. It was called "Shinachan." Suddenly a brilliant idea struck him and he walked over to Nisha Di with his most charming smile and offered to take the cat out for a walk.
"It's a cat Maan, not a dog and they don't need to be taken for a walk. Also, since when have you taken a liking for cats?" His overly smart Hemamlini piped in, taking Smiti from him.
"Oh stop it Geet. I am sure the cat will be happy to cuddle against such a handsome man, just as you are." Avi chimed in after lifting her nose that had been buried in a bouquet of roses that had been gifted to Palin.
Maan picked up the cat without further delay, pretended he was going out and sneaked upstairs. He looked around carefully at the room in which the bridal couple were. He found a window with a small opening on top and threw the cat inside through the opening. He grinned as he rubbed his hands,
"Rukawat ke liye khed hain chudail.(Sorry for the disturbance)
"Tit for tat."
* * *
Palin's husband had finally gotten his wife horizontal and their lips were about to meet when he saw two shining green eyes staring at him in the darkness. He let out an ear splitting scream. Palin's eyes popped open at that scream. She had been hyperventilating and breathing so hard, she felt she was about to pass out from the anticipation when her husband had let out a deafening shriek that had made her ears ring.
What, what what, she thought. Oh my god. I was probably breathing too hard with my garlic breath on his face she thought and he couldn't bear the stink. She silently tested her breath on her palm. It smelt fine to her. By then her husband had turned on the night lamp. They both saw fat little Shinchan sitting on beside the night lamp, lapping away at the glass of milk that neither of them had drunk. The cat tried to pull his head out of the glass, but it was stuck. He started jumping up and down trying to get his head out.
While Palin's eyes fell on the name tag and her stomach lurched.
"Shinchan, shinchan" she screamed.
* * *
"Shinchan, Shinchan" Palin was screaming at the top of her voice.
The married ladies downstairs, namely Nisha and Avi were grinning ear to ear.
"This girl even at the most profound moment of her life is calling out for that cartoon character.Tsk, Tsk Tsk" Avi shook her head sadly.
Diva who was sitting beside them could not contain her curiosity and ran upstairs.
* * *
"Oh my God pull it out, pull it out.". Palin was shrieking at the top of her voice.
"I am trying, damn it, but it's stuck. Just keep quiet will you. Your shouting is making me nervous." Palin's husband yelled back.
"Ow shit you hell cat, you scratched me."
* * *
"Haila" Diva exclaimed who had her ears against the door. "Oh my god they are solving the mystery already" she said hyperventilating catching his attention.
Maan walked towards the door in a mind of listening to the drama that will unfold due to the little shinchan, but he had to suffice hiding himself behind a nearest pillar as he saw that Diva lady sticking her ear to the door and exclaiming about mystery solving.
He wondered if all of Palin's friends are like her, eavesdropping on someone's wedding night? But he didn't mind as long as it was Palin at the receiving end.
He scratched his chin as he walked towards the garden wondering how come his plan failed, how the hell was the mystery being solved. Just when he thought he lost a wonderful opportunity to be a pain in Palin's molar, he saw a girl sitting in the swing in the garden, her nose buried in her laptop. He recognized her immediately. That must be Shika. He grinned as he made his way towards his Bramhastra.
* * *
She felt him sitting on the bed, and clutched her stomach, not because of butterflies in her stomach, but because she felt some halchal in her stomach. She chided herself for stuffing a lot of Dahi bade. Now when her husband was in romantic mood, all she wanted to do was run away to washroom and feel relieved, and if possible moan with happiness.
After the Shinchan fiasco and finally when both of them ended up panting, finally freeing the poor cat, she mumbled to herself that they started everything on wrong foot. Much to her dismay, her husband had heard her and told her that they shall start all over again. So here she was sitting in a typical bride posture, with her veil on her face, again and waiting him to come remove her veil again.
Just when she thought he would raise his hands to remove her veil from her face, in typical bollywoodish style, they heard a large thump, rather kick on their door.
He dropped his hands momentarily as he whispered "Who's that?"
That was an open ended question and he wasn't expecting any answer from his bride, after all how would she know, but surprising him, he saw his wife swinging her veil off of her face, as she closed her mouth with her palms in recognition.
"That's Shika" she whispered looking at him.
"Shika who?"
"My friend" she muttered, and before he could ask what was her friend doing disturbing her at her wedding night, she was off of the bed, after mumbling an inaudible excuse me.
"Palin," she heard someone pant with short of breath "I want to tell you something and this is urgent"
"What's it?" Palin asked from other side of the door, wondering how to open the blasted door. It seemed to have stuck. And Shika's quivering voice gave her an inkling that whatever the news was, must be serious.
"I found a name for your daughter. Nirvi, how's it?"
"WHAT" Palin heard her husband bark in surprise "You have a daughter?"
"Not that I know of" Palin said to him and turned towards the door in irritation "Shika what are you talking about?"
"Naming your to-be-daughter of course" Shika said confused. Here she was searching for perfect names for Palin's to-be-children and finally found one but no one seemed to be as excited as her.
Thinking that Palin didn't understand the name's worth, she explained "Nirvi means bliss, see how nice the meaning is" she tried again.
"Excuse me" Palin heard her husband speak before pulling her away out of the door way "Shika Ji, I would be grateful if you leave us alone for this moment since we wish to do some physics that would eventually lead to you naming our daughter. You leaving us alone will be the ultimate Nirvi we can ever have"
"But wait Jijaji that was just the first one. I have about 11 more girls and 12 more boy names. Did you not want a cricket team?"
Palin saw her husband turn towards her with an angry scowl on his face. "Do you have some music?" he barked in irritation.
"Eh?"
"MUSIC"
"Oh yeah" she said running and played a random song in her mobile.
He snatched her phone in his hand and increased the volume until he could drown that irritating Dayan aka Shika's voice.
Milan abhi adha adhura hain, played in full volume as the couple looked at each other with single thought running in their minds.
How ironic!
* * *
Shika kicked on the door some more before shrugging her shoulders. "Kamaal hain, he doesn't want to name his children? What would he call them? A, B and C? Bhaad mein jao jeeja ji ke bachey, if you are not interested then" she thought for a moment before coming with a brilliant plan "Of course I can always bug Avi and Nisha Di to name their children." She grinned as she sprinted off towards the two woman not noticing Maan who was choking on his laughter.
"With friends like this Palin," he whispered "You don't need enemies" with that he chuckled some more to his heart content.
* * *
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