Aarav-Manvi's room

A lot of sarees were scattered on the entire bed. Manvi had to get ready for the muh dikhai rasam. Ishika knocked at her room and she held her head and thought "Is ghar mein koi mujhe ek minute bhi akela nahi rehne deta"

Ishika came up to her and excitedly said "Arey bhabhi, ye itni saari saariyan, chaliye main aapki madat karti hoon taiyyar hone mein"

"Nahi, Ishika" said Nandini who had just entered their room. She was carrying a red heavy zari embroidered saree.

"Lo, Manvi, ye waali saree pehen lo" she said.

Manvi looked at the saree, she didn't like it and said "Choti-maa, main ye saree nahin pehnungi"

"Arey lekin kyun? Kya kharabi hai ismein?" asked Nandini.

"Itna goddy color, main nahin pehenti hun choti ma" she replied.

"Arey par Manvi, sasural se aai hui saree hi pehni jaati hai muh dikhai mein" Nandini explained.

Manvi touched it and checked the blouse "Dekho na choti maa, iska toh blouse bhi dheela hai"

"Arey toh safety pin laga lena"

Meanwhile Pooja came over there. She saw that Manvi was still not ready.

"Arey Manvi, tum ab tak taiyyar nahin ho, neechey sare guests aane wale hain bhayi, jaldi karo" she said.

"Wo badi bua, Bhabhi ko Choti bua ki lai saree pasand nahi aa rahi" Ishika said.

"Aisi baat nahi hai, Maa ye saree ka blouse bhi dheela hai, aur main ye rang nahi pehenti, plus mere jewellery ke saath bhi matching nahi hai" Manvi explained.

"Koi baat nahi Manvi beta tumhein inmein se jo saree pasand aaye vo pehen lo" Pooja said caressing her forehead.

"Kaisi baatein kar rahi hain aap bhabhi, yahi rasam hai, sasural se aai hui saree hi pehni jaati hai munh dikhai mein, aur fir mohalle wale kya kahenge, ki hum ek achhi si saree nahi dila paae apni bahu ko?" Nandini complained.

"Kya ye saree itni important hai?" asked Manvi.

"Nahi beta, hamare liye koi bhi chiz tumse zyada important nahin hai" Pooja said with a smile and further added "Lekin tum jaldi se koi aur saree toh choose kar lo"

Manvi looked around, her eyes fell on another saree which her mother had gifted her on the wedding she pointed towards it and said "Maa, ye pehen loon?"

Pooja agreed and said "Haan, bahot khilegi tum par"

Manvi smiled and went in the washroom to change. Nandini didn't like this and she stepped out of the room all disappointed.

A while later, all the ladies of the neighbourhood gathered for the rasam. Ishika got Manvi downstairs, her face was hidden in a veil. Manvi saw all the ladies and she thought "Uff! Main kya koi showpiece hun jo sab mujhe dekhne aaye hain"

Manvi settled down, the ladies gathered around and blessed Manvi after opening her veil one after one. They gifted her lot of gifts.

Pooja said "Chalo Nandini, sabse pehli baari tumhari hai ab"

Nandini faked a smile, Karan had noticed this and they blessed Manvi and gifted her a golden set.

"Arey kuch aashirwad do Nandini usay" Karan said.

"Sada khush raho" Nandini said and immediately got aside.

"Chaliye Mami, aapki bari" said Pooja to Anita.

Anita smiled and came along with Sharad. Sharad and Anita blessed and placed a ring in Manvi's lap.

"Manvi beta poore 10 hazar me khareed ke laayein hain Mamaji tumhare haan" Anita said and Sharad glared at her.

Aniket murmured "Ye Maami bhi na apni harkaton se baaz nahin aayengi"

"Sach mein bhai, kya zarurat thi maa ko aise bolne ki" Ishika said

"Chaliye jeejhi, ab aapki baari" said Sharad with a smile.

Anoop and Pooja came forward. Pooja sat next to Manvi, she was carrying kangan in a box. She took the kangan out , she lifted Manvi's veil.

"Oho bhabhi! Shagun ke khandani kangan milne wale hain haan" commented Ishika.

"Haan Manvi beta, ye kangan, tumhari daadi saas ne diye thay mujhe, aur ab, main de rahi hun tumhein" said Pooja with a smile and made her wear it.

"Chal Ani, ab teri baari, tu bhi toh kuch dega ki nahin apni bhabhi ko?" Anoop asked.

Aniket smiled and said "Main toh chota hun na, bhala main kya gift dun?"

Karan held his shoulder and said "Tujhe koi gift nahi dena hai, balki tujhe milti hai duty, sasural mein bhabhi ka sabse achha dost uska devar hota hai, usi se toh sabse zyada sneh rakhti hai vo, toh aaj se teri zimmedari hai ki tu kabhi bhi Manvi ki aankhon mein aansu nahin aane dega"

Aniket saluted Manvi and said "Aye aye captain, aap bas hukum farmaiye" and everyone laughed.

"Arey bhai koi Aarav ko toh bulao, aakhri par sabse khaas taufa usay hi toh dena hai" said one of the ladies.

"Ani, maine toh subah se kahin nahi dekha Aarav ko, tune dekha kya?" Karan asked.

"Nahi chote Papa, mujhe bhi bhai subah se kahin nahi dikhe bhai" Aniket replied.

"Main phone karta hun" Anoop said, he took out his phone and dialed Aarav's number but it was switched off.

"Kya ladka hai ye, kahan chala gaya, phone switch off aa raha hai iska" he complained.

Everyone tried his number but it was either switched off or came out to be unreachable. The guests started to leave one by one but there was no clue of where Aarav had gone.

INDIA GATE

Aarav was standing in front of this huge monument, thinking about whatever had happened.

"Shadi toh ho gai, lekin is ladki ko zindagi bhar kaise sambhalunga main" he thought.

"Sambhalne tak toh thik hai, par meri samajh ye nahi aa raha ki is ladki ne shadi ke liye bhala haan kyun ki, sirf parivar ke liye? Ya mujhse badla lene ke liye?" he said to himself.

He was thinking about all this stuff and he saw his phone, he saw that there were many missed calls from home. He thought that he had to rush as everyone might be waiting for him.

After some time Aarav reached home. The guests had left by now and everyone glared at him for not being present at the home.

"Time dekh raha hai tu?  Kahan? Chala kahan gaya tha tu subah se?" asked Anoop but Aarav was silent.

"Arey bol bhi kuch, ya laal kile pe khade hokar announcement karega" said Karan.

"Jaane deejiye na aap log, rasam abhi baaki hai, aaja Aarav, Manvi ko ye paayalein pehna" said Nandini with a smile. Aarav went up there and Nandini gave him the box of anklets. He quietly took the anklets and bent down to make her wear them.

"Kya musibat hai, ab iske kadmo mein girna pad raha hai" he thought while lifting one of her feet, he made her wear both anklets.

Aniket clapped and said "Dada, ye hui na baat"

Aarav stood up and faked a smile. He turned to Nandini but even saw her a little disappointed.

"Chalo ab main sabka nashta lagati hun" Nandini said and went to the kitchen.

Aarav followed her there

"Arey Aarav tu kyun aa gaya yahan?" Nandini asked.

"Choti maa, kya hua? Aap thoda udaas si lag rahi hain" he asked.

"Kuch nahin Aarav wo bas thakaan hai shaadi ki" she said and did her work silently.

Aarav noticed that she was lying but he didn't say anything. He saw Ishika approaching to the kitchen and took her aside.

"Kya hua bhai, kitna kaam hai, chodo mujhe" she said.

"Ishi, ye choti maa ka mood kyun off hai, kuch pata hai tujhe?" Aarav asked

Ishika nodded and told him everything that had happened earlier

"Oh! Achha! Koi baat nahin main samjha dunga teri bhabhi ko" he said and smiled.

Ishika smiled and started helping Nandini in the kitchen.

"Meri choti maa ko naraz kiya? Meri choti maa ko? Arey ek saree ki hi toh baat thi, unka dil rakhne ke liye hi pehen leti lekin nahi, madam ka ego beech mein aa gaya, theher jaiye madam ab maza main chakhata hun" he thought.

NEXT MORNING

NiVi Mansion.

It was 8 am and Nitya had got ready to get Manvi home for the pag pheraas. She was so excited that she had gotten ready two hours earlier.

"Arey Aman ke bachhe, jaldi kar" she said looking at the watch.

Aman came over there and complained" Kya di, abhi bas 8 baj rahe hai, hame 10 baje jana hai"

"Achha?" Nitya asked.

"Haan"

"Thik hai, lekin thik 10 baje haan" she said, Aman nodded and went away. Just then Nitya corrected the time in her watch to 10 and she shouted again calling Aman. Aman was irritated and he came over there "Di, 5 minute bhi nahin huye hain"

"Ye dekh 10 baj gaye" she said showing him the watch.

"Nitya di wo dekho" he said pointing towards the wall clock "8 bajke 2 minute bhi nahi hue" he further added.

"Chal na Aman, kya farak padta hai"

"Di, ham wahan jaane ke liye thik 10 baje niklenge uske 1 minute pehle nahin, samjhi tum" he said and Nitya made a face and left.

Malhotra Niwas

It was 11. a.m now Nitya and Aman had arrived there to pick up Manvi for the pag pheras. Manvi was waiting for them excitedly. Nitya was about to enter the door when she bumped into a maid and the rice grains on the plate which the maid was carrying fell down. Aniket saw all this , he stepped forward and said "Kya baat hai, aap bhi ghar mein pehli baar aai, aur aapne apne in shubh haathon se shagun kar diya"

"Ji?" a confused Nitya asked.

"Ji haan, ye chawal ke daane girna shagun hi toh hai" he replied.

Nitya blushed and looked down, she smiled and stepped forward to get inside the hall but Aniket held her dupatta.

"Ke hum tum chori se, bandhe ik dori se, jaiyo kahan ae huzoor" he said looking at her. She blushed even more and got inside the hall where everyone was present.

"Arey aao beta aao" said Nandini.

"Hum didi ko pag pheron ke liye lene aaye hain" Aman said.

"Haan haan le jao beta, lekin haan hamai amanat ko sambhal kar rakhna" said Anoop.

Meanwhile, Ishika informed Manvi that Nitya and Aman were there to get her. She got too excited and immediately stepped downstairs. She hugged Nitya and Aman.

"Chalo di, hum tumhein lene aaye hain" said Aman.

Manvi smiled and said "Haan, main toh kab se intezaar kar rahi thi, aur tum ab aaye ho"

"Mannu sab is Aman ke bachhe ki galti hai, main toh kab se keh rahi thi par ye h aa nahi raha tha" Nitya complained.

"Ab aa gaye hain toh chalo" Aman said.

"Par kaayde se toh Aarav ko bhi saath jana chahiye, Aarav kahan hai" Pooja asked.

"Maa apne bete ko kuch samjhao, office chale gae hain vo " Aniket complained.

"Kya? Aur tune roka nahin?"

"Vo meri baat sunte hain kya?"

"Ye ladka bhi na, phone toh laga Ani, main iski khabar lungi" Pooja said sternly.

Aniket dialed to Aarav and when he picked it up Pooja took the phone and started scolding him "Ye kya hai Aarav? Shadi ke doosre din tum office bhaag gaye, arey ye bhi koi baat hui bhala?"

"Maa zaroori kaam tha isliye aana pada" Aarav explained.

"Aur yahan kaam zaroori nahin tha? Arey tumhe aaj Manvi ke saath jana tha pag pheron ke liye" she said.

"Maa lekin..."

"Main kuch nahin sunungi, gaye nahi koi baat nahi, lekin office se seedha wahin jaoge samjhe, aur haan usay saath hi lekar aana" she ordered and disconnected the call.

Aarav smirked and said "Ab toh main isay lene jaunga hi nahi, sorry maa, lekin is ladki ne meri choti maa ka dil dukhaya hai, main nahin lene jaunga isay"

To be continued...