Next morning Kartik caught Sirat at her door.

Kartik- Good morning.

Sirat (nods, looking behind him)- Good morning!

Kartik (frowns)- Itni hadbadi mein kahan jaa rahi ho?

Sirat (frowns)- Practice ke liye late ho raha hai, yaha se waise hi door padega.

Kartik (shakes his head)- Tum aaj kahin nahi ja rahi ho,  (gestures behind her) aur aaram kar rahi ho.

Sirat- Par Kartik-

Kartik (takes her hand to take her inside)- Koi par-war nahi, maine tumhare coach se baat kar li hai. Unka bhi yahi kehna hai ki abhi kuchh din tumhein aaram karna chahiye. Vaise bhi main tumhein akele kahin jane nahi de raha, aur papa se tumhare ek bodyguard ke liye bhi baat kar li hai maine. Jab tum practice shuru kar dogi, vo tumhein club layega- le jayega.

Sirat- Uski koi zaroorat na hai, main ek boxer hoon agar koi mhare saamne aaya to usko punch markar bakse mein bandkar Baxar bhej doongi.

Kartik- Aur vaar peechhe se hua to, jaise aakhiri baar hua tha? Tab? Main tumhare sath koi bhi chances nahi lena chahta aur abhi to ladna bhi nahi chahta kyonki abhi tum kahin nahi ja rahi ho.

Sirat (nods)- To je sunane itni subah-subah bhage aaye the aap?

Kartik (shakes his head)- Khana?

Sirat- Aunty ji ne mhare liye pehle hi nashta bhijwa diya tha. Aur manne dawai bhi tabhi le li thi. Kuchh aur?

Kartik (nods)- Haan.

Sirat (uses her hand for gesture)- To fir kahiye na? Ab koi muhurat dekhar batayenge ke? (hits Kartik during one gesture) What my luck!

Kartik- Ow. Sirat, haan tumhein practice karne nahi jaane diya par kya iska mtalab tum mujhe hi punching bag bana logi?

Sirat (worried)- Sorry, sorry, manne jaan-boojkhar na kiya. Jante to hain na aap, mhare haath apne aap chale hain.

Kartik (sighs)- Its okay... Mujhe tumse ek aur bahut zaroori bat karni thi.

Sirat (nods)- Kahiye?

Kartik (takes a deep breath)- Sirat mujhse shadi kar lo?

Sirat (frowns)- Kartik?

Kartik- Kal maan ne mujhse baat ki, aur us samay to maine saaf mana kar diya tha par fir maine baad mein is baare mein bahut socha. Aur main is nateeje pe pahuncha, rishte ka naam badalne se hamare rishte ko badalne ki zaroorat nahi hai. Aur aage ke liye bhi is tarah se tum mere aas-paas rahogi, tumhara dhyan rakhne mein asani hogi. Shayad Kairav-Akshu ke liye bhi yahi behtar hoga.

Sirat (shakes her head)- Aapko mhare dhyan rakhne ki koi zaroorat nahi hai.

Kartik- Par mujhe tumhara dhyan rakhne ki zaroorat hai, aur mere bachchon ko ek maan ki. Pehle bhi to hum aisa karne wale the na, ab kya problem hai?

Sirat (holds her head)- Tab cheezen itni uljhi hui na thi Kartik. Ab-

Kartik (stares at her)- Aisa kya ulajh gaya Sirat, jo suljhaya nahi ja sakta.

Sirat (shakes her head)- Mhare se na hoga. (looks up) Aapko mhari wajah se jitna sab jhlena pada wo kaafi na tha ke? Aap mein sabra hoga Kartik mhare se na jhela jayega main aapke upar bojh ban jaoon.

Kartik (frowns)- Sirat. (holds her forearms) Sirat! Meri baat gaur se suno. Tum mere upar koi bojh nahi ho. Main tumhein apni life mein chahta hoon kyonki tum mere liye important ho, mere bachchon ke liye important ho. Meri dost ho, hamesha rahogi. Tum mana bhi kar dena par tumhare liye ye janna bahut zaroori hai ki tum kitni special ho. Tumhara dhyan rakhna chahta hoon to sirf is wajah se ki tumhein dukhi ya akela nahi dekhna chahta, bahut kareeb se mehsoos ki hain ye cheezen tumhein vaise nahi dekh sakta. (lets go, steps back) Mujhe jo kehna tha maine ke diya, ab tumhari baari hai.

Sirat (wipes her tears)- Gayu di aur Aunty ji, ne bhi kal mhare se yahi baat kari thi. Manne bhi is baare mein bahut socha aur mhare ko mera pehla fasila thik laga. Par aapki baat sunkar, mhara man badal raha hai.

Kartik (makes eye contact)- To Sirat, tumhara aakhiri faisla kya hai?

Sirat (zones out, focuses again, hums)- Haan, main aapse shadi karne ko taiyar hoon.

Downstairs, different family members took the news differently.

Dadi (smiling, disbelieving)- Kittu? Sirat? Tum donon sach keh rahe ho?

Kartik (nods)- Haan Dadi, hum donon shaadi karna chahte hain.

Swarna (smiling, reaches out to take their hands)- Tum donon shadi karne ke liye taiyar ho, ye to bahut hi khushi ki baat hai.

Surekha (frowns)- Par Kartik ab iski kya zaroorat hai? Ab to bhaisahab bhi Sirat ko yahan rakhne ke liye maan gaye hain. Pehle to tumne mana kar diya tha.

Kartik (nods)- Haan Chachi, pehle hum donon hi shaadi nahi karna chahte the. Lekin tab humne is baare mein zyada nahi socha tha aur ab humne ye faisla soch-samajhkar kiya hai. Is tareeke se Sirat bhi akeli nahi rahegi aur Kairav aur Akshu ko bhi maan ka pyar mil jayega.

Manish- Kartik, bachchon ka dhyan rakhne ke liye hum sab kaafi nahin hain kya?

Kartik- Maine aise nahi kaha par agar maan nahi hoti to shayad main jaisa aaj hoon usse bahut alag hota. (his phone rings, turns to Sirat) Ek minute. (moves away answering his phone)

After talking he turned around to find his father standing behind him.

Manish (frowning)- Kiska phone tha?

Kartik- Jis officer ko Sirat ka case mila hai uska tha, ye batane ke liye ki vo investigation shuru kar rahe hain par usse pehle unhein Sirat ka statement lena hai.

Manish (hums, thinking, looking at Kartik)- Beta kya tumhein ye faisla sachmuch thik lagta hai? Aakhiri baar bhi halaat aise ban gaye the par fir tum donon ki shaadi nahin ho paayi thi. Tumhein nahin lagta aisa isliye hua kyonki ki vo rishta sahi nahi tha?

Kartik (shakes his head)- Papa ye rishta mere liye thik hai ya nahi, mujhe nahi maloom. Par (remembers Naira's words and Sirat with Akshu and Kairav) mere parivaar ke liye Sirat se behtar kuchh nahi ho sakta. Naira ke jaane ke baad jo kami meri life mein hai vo to nahi jayegi, lekin kam se kam agar mere bachchon ki zindagi se khalipan kam ho jata hai mere liye wahi kaafi hai.

Meanwhile, inside.

Dadi (teary eyed)- Humein to pehle hi yakeen tha tum donon ki jodi sahi hai par ye ishwar ki marzi thi tum donon ki shaadi ab ho, to abhi hogi. Hum aaj hi pundit ji ko phone karke sabse paas ka muhurat nikalwa lete hain.

Swarna (nods smiling)- Haan maan, aur kitni saari taiyrariyan bhi to karni hain.

Sirat (frowns, sighs)- Aunty ji us sabki zaroorat na hai.

Surekha- Haan vaise bhi kaun sa ye in donon ki pehli shaadi hogi. Khaastaur par Sirat, isko haldi lage waqt hi kitna hua tha.

Sirat (remembers Ranveer)- Mhare ko yaad aaya, apni ek dawai nashte ke baad lena bhool gayi thi. (leaves in haste, Kartik arrives)

Dadi (frowning looking at Sirat)- Surkeha!

Surekha- Main kya jhooth kaha kya, isi wajah se to chhoti si shaadi chahte hain na donon?

Swarna (sighs)- Tumne kuchh galat nahi kaha par tumhein aise uske saamne nahi kehna chahiye tha. Ismein tumhari galti nahi thi, par Sirat to udaas ho gayi na.

Kartik (frowning)- Sirat udaas ho gayi?

Swarna (shakes her head)- Kuchh nahi, hum baat kar rahe the ki shaadi mein kitni taiyrariyan lagti hain. Aur bas uski aur Ranveer ki shaadi mein jitni saari rasmein hui thi unki baat beech mein aa gayi. (turns to him) Par tum pareshan mat ho, agar tum donon ka hi man nahi hai to hum pheron ka muhurat nikalwakar ek chhoti sa function rakh lenge.

Kartik (nods)- I think vo better hoga, vaise bhi hum donon ke hi paas usse zyada rasmon ke liye na waqt hoga aur na hi man.

In the guest room, Sirat stumbled upon sofa lost in her earlier pre-wedding rituals. Her trance self ended-up walking to the sofa and settling down with her hand over her head. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she remembered his death.

Gayu- Sirat.

Sirat (wipes tears before looking up to the door)- Gayu di, aap? Aap to aaj Vansh aur Kairav ke saath-

Gayu (walking closer)- Haan unhein unke dost ke yahan chhoda aur main aa gayi. Yahan pahunchi to suna tum aur Kartik shaadi ke liye raazi ho gaye ho.

Sirat (nods)- Bas abhi bataya niche sabko, aapke jaane se pehle bata dete par tab tak humara khud ka decide na tha, ke karein, ke na.

Gayu (breaks into a smile, sitting beside her)- To Sirat yeh to itni khushi ki baat hai, tum itni pareshan kyon ho?

Sirat (smiles)- Gayu di, shadi ko haan to keh di hai par Ranveer ki mhare dil mein, zindagi mein jo jagah thi uska ke karoon?

Gayu (sighs)- Vo tum apne paas rakho, aage badhne ka matlab ateet ko chhodkar aage badhna nahi hota. Use apne sath lekar bhavishya mein chalna hota hai. (squeezes her hand) Ab tum aise gumsum mat baithi raho, neeche chalo, hum sabke saath rahogi to akeli bhi nahi rahogi aur humse baat bhi hoti rahegi.

She nodded, and followed her downstairs.

***

She nodded, and followed him downstairs. 

Her journey in the heavy bridal gown which Dadi insisted she wore, ended when she reached the mandap inside the hall. Kairav noticed his father and beamed.

Kairav- Sirat kitni pretty lag rahi hain na papa? Maine inse bola par shayad mujh par believe nahi kar rahin.

Kartik (smiles, standing up to extend his hand)- Sirat bahut achchhi lag rahi ho.

Sirat nodded, took a deep breath and took his hand. What followed was quick work of marriage ceremony. Dadi's pundit ji gave a quick date as asked of him. Since, there wasn't much to be done it was accepted quickly. Kairav, Dadi, Swarna and Gayu were rather pleased with the prospect of her formally becoming member of their family. Others not quite displeased, at the moment. Even Manish was dealing better with everything. 

In fact, worse of the lot were Kartik and Sirat herself. Too confused, too nervous. Sirat had nothing to do because she couldn't go and practice at club, Kartik didn't have time to sort out any of his emotions because the work pressure on them was beginning to ease but not enough. However, the routine to talk to each other about their days helped which persisted because Akshu was under Sirat's care for most part, Kartik generally ended up spending evenings together with both of them after returning from office. With Kairav joining them when he didn't go outside to play. To them it wasn't quite different to what they were used to do. Probably, not as regularly.

Maybe the routine of it was what, softened hearts of those displeased with the match. Whenever they caught a glimpse of those moments, their well wishes went out to not a single person but a family. The same thing happened as they watched Kartik and Sirat promising themselves to each other around sacred fire. 

After the ceremony, Keerti and Gayu involved everyone in a quick dance competition when children complained things were getting boring. The victory remained dubious because both Naksh-Kartik and Sirat-Keerti remained sure they performed better. To add fun Gayu brought out Kartik's shoes demanding gift in return.

As overwhelming the day was nothing prepared them for the decorations in Kartik's room after it all. It was nothing much, no flowers or candles... For the most part. But it was the change of sheets and dim lighting that struck them.

Kartik (turning on the main lights, shakes his head)- Ye log bhi na, pata nahi inke dimag mein kya-kya chalta rehta hai? 

Sirat (still in shock)- Ye sab Keerti di aur Gayu di ne kiya.

Kartik (sighs)- Apparently. Tum bathroom mein change kar lo mein yahan kar leta hoon aur dekhta hoon is kamre ki soorat kaise thik ki jaa sakti hai.

Sirat (nods)- Haan. (in front of bathroom door turns around)

Kartik (looking at the flowers, turns to notice her)- Kya hua?

Sirat (blinks)- Mhare kapade.

Kartik (hums)- Right. Kapade. (gestures towards the cupboard) Tumhare jo bhi kapade tumne abhi liye hain vo us cupboard mein hain. 

Sirat (nods)- Thank you.

Kartik (shakes his head)- Uski koi zaroorat nahi hai, tum fresh ho jao. Fir mujhe tumhein kuchh batana hai.

***

Precap

Naira (smiles)- Jao, meri yaadon se bahar aane ka waqt ho gaya hai.

Kartik (frowns)- Subah ho gayi?

Naira (shakes her head, smiling)- Main subah ki baat nahi kar rahi, par haan tumhare uthne ka waqt ho gaya hai. Mujhe jana hoga.