It was supposed to be the most beautiful, most surreal moment of both their lives, leading up to now. The moment that could only be rivaled to the moment of them being pronounced husband and wife in their own wedding.

The kind of faith that Janvi had shown in their prayer and good wishes today was both endearing and overwhelmingly sweet to the two of them.

Of course, the moment wasn't going to last.

Not in the presence of a certain family at least.

Just as Shehnaaz was about to hand one of the Kaleere to Sidharth, she heard her not so dear and very old mami-ji exclaim dramatically.

"Yeh kya kar rahe ho, behen-ji? Rasam karne ke liye koi aur nahi mila kya?" She shouted urgently, as if somehow the world had been caught on fire.

Sidharth rolled his eyes, sighing so loud that Janvi couldn't help but let out a small giggle.

"Koi sensor laga hai kya inke ander. Tu jab khush hoti hai, koi naya tamaasha leke baith jaate hain yeh log?" Sidharth asked Shehnaaz in a low whisper.

Shehnaaz sighed. "Pata nahi. Saari zindagi yahi sawaal khud se kia hai. Ab tak toh koi jawaab nahi mila. Aage bhi nahi milne waala." She responded dryly

"Kyon aunty ji. Shehnaaz me kya buraai hai?" Janvi asked.

Harnoor scoffed. "Kya bhala hai iss ladki me beta-ji? Rasam kisi shadi shuda ladki ke haath se karwa puttar, taan-ki teri nayi zindagi ko rabb ki mehar mil sake. Rasme aur dosti dono alag cheezein hoti hain. Dost hai, dost ki tarah rahe? Kyon tere vyaah ch aapni naak ardha rahi hai?" She asked sarcastically.

Shehnaaz cleared her throat, holding Sidharth's hand firmly. "Please shaant reh. Desperate ho rahi hai yeh, shaadi ke dinn koi bada tamaasha nahi hona chahiye. Baraat 2 ghante me hai, Sidharth '' She said quietly.

"But Shehnaaz..."

"Please. Yeh rasam shaanti se hone de, meri jaan. I know tujhe gussa aa raha hai, but kudi da vyaah eh. Saara pind baatein banane lagg jaayega." She practically pleaded with him and Sidharth sighed softly.

"Mene bola tha, mere hatthe charh gaye toh ek-ek ki band baja dunga mai." He gritted out. "Samajhte kya hai yeh log?"

Shehnaaz sighed, "Sidharth.."

"Woh naak nahi ardha rahi hai." Janvi scoffed. "Aap ardha rahi hain naak. Rasam beech me aapne roki hai."

Harnoor chuckled, "Mai toh tere liye kar rahi hoon puttar—"

"Kis se mattha maar rahi hai, Jannu? Saari zindagi Shehnaaz me kamiyaan hi toh dhundi hai unhone." Sidharth scoffed. "Ek do toh imaginary kamiya hi nikal denge usme."

Shehnaaz chuckled softly to herself. There's no one gutsy and fearless enough to stand up to the world for her. She was so much in love with her man, it was overwhelming.

"Mai koi paagal thodi hoon, jo bina baat ke ek insaan ke peeche pad jaungi." Harnoor exclaimed.

"The last twenty years of Shehnaaz's life tell a different story, madam." Sidharth said calmly. "Her only fault is that she's related to someone like you, and has tried repeatedly to respect you even though you don't deserve it."

"Izzat toh isne kabhi apne Maa-Baap ki nahi ki, humaari kya karegi?" She scoffed. "Ghar ki izzat ladki ke haath me hoti hai, woh izzat toh saalo pehle gawa chuke hain, Didi aur Jija-ji. Ek aur ladki k0 uske jaisa banana hai kya?"

"Chup karo parjaayi ji!" Shehnaaz's mother exclaimed, eyes widened in fear. "Kya nikal raha hai mooh se, kiske liye nikal raha hai, samajh me aa raha hai aapko?"

Shehnaaz hissed.

"Kya galat keh rahi hoon, Didi? Aapki beti kehti hai ghar se kaam karne ke liye nikli thi, aap maan sakte ho! Hum log itne bhi bewakoof nahi hai." Harnoor said firmly.

"Bas karo." Shehnaaz said quietly. "Please.. bas karo!"

Harnoor scoffed, smirking at her. "Sabko pata hai tera kaam kitna saaf-suthra hai. Kya kya nahi karna padta kaam paane ke liye. Haina?"

Sidharth reached over to hold her hand— "Baby.." but Shehnaaz shoved his hand off, shaking her head. "I am so sorry.. Janvi."

Janvi sighed, looking at Sidharth worriedly as Shehnaaz started to walk away. Sidharth held her hand firmly and pulled her back into his arms. "Uski baraat aa rahi hai na do ghante me, kaleere daalne hai." He mumbled to her softly.

Shehnaaz looked at him, close to sobbing. Sidharth pressed her head into his chest and kissed her hair gently. "Rasam karni hai baby. Beech me chod ke nahi jaa sakte na?"

Shehnaaz shook her head. "Please— koi aur karlega.."

Sidharth sighed, "Tu karegi aur mai karunga. Janvi ki shaadi ki rasme kaise hongi, kaun karega, yeh uske parents decide kar sakte hain, aire-gaire badtameez, beghairat log nahi. Yeh decide nahi karenge tera character."

"Aap kitna jaante hai isko?" Her mama-ji asked rhetorically. "2 saal.. 3 saal? Saari zindagi bitaayi hai iske sath hum ne. Paala hai isse. Chat di, roti di—"

The chatt and Roti argument. Of course they were getting there in the end. These people knew they had absolutely no upper hand on Shehnaaz or her family, at least not now that Shehnaaz and Shehbaaz were both doing well in their career, were strong enough to stand up to the world for themselves.

Of course, they would attack her this way, for feeding and clothing her for a few years, when she had stayed with them even though Shehnaaz and her family had always maintained that neither Shehnaaz's education nor her clothing was her mama-ji and mami-ji's burden to bear.

Sidharth had been told that Papa had always provided for her education, her clothing.

He had been disgusted of her uncle and aunt's twisted minds even before, but today he was enraged at the way they thought of her.

Sidharth rolled his eyes. "Aaj yeh clear kar dijiye mumma— Shehnaaz ki school fees kaun bharta tha?" He asked Shehnaaz's mother.

"Hum hi bhejte the puttar. Fees, chota mota kharcha.. kapde. Tere papa-ji agar kisi maheene ghar ke liye zyaada na bhi bhej paayein, toh bhi Sanya ke hisse ka 8-10 hazaar har mahine pahunch jaata tha." She responded.

"Raashan khaati thi, aapke yahan se?" He asked sarcastically. "Iske hisse ki do roti itni bhaari thi aapko?"

Shehnaaz sighed softly,

"Yeh aukaat hai aapki.." Sidharth said remorsefully. "Itna chota dil hai aapka." Feeding a kid of their own family was a burden for these people, that's how low they were.

"Humne toh mann se hi kiya tha–"

"Mann se kiya hota toh itne saalo baad bhi jataane ki zaroorat nahi lagti aapko. Ghar ke har kaam me baraabar haath bataati thi yeh aapka. 8-9 saal ki umar me toh bacchon ko kitchen me ghusne nahi deti hai maa-ein— ki kaheen khel khel me jala na le khud ko mera baccha. Uss umar me rotiyan banwaayi hain aap ne us se." Sidharth said coldly. "Bartan majhwaaye hain.. you think I don't know?"

"Ladki hai. Yeh sab kaam toh aane chahiye hi na?" Harnoor scoffed, justifying herself.

"Aapki beti ko aate hain, aunty-ji?" Janvi piped in curiously. "Kitchen ka rasta bhi maalum hai usse?"

"Tu chup kar, kuddiye."

Sidharth laughed, "Kyon? Kya galat pooch rahi hai yeh?" He asked, confused. "Bataiye na?"

Harnoor looked away.

Janvi chuckled. "Sanu ke liye laaye hue kapde uss se cheen ke heroine banke khumti thi, show off se fursat milegi tabhi toh kitchen ka rasta yaad hoga." She scoffed.

"Nahi aata kaam? I won't judge her par aapne sikhaaya kaise nahi, aunty ji? Woh bhi toh ladki hai. Kahan ki maharani hai aapki Nikki?" Sidharth asked curiously.

Shehnaaz gulped, just as Harnoor was about to launch into another one of her rants. "Zabaan sambhal ke baat kariye-ga, aunty-ji? Mujhe duniya ka lihaaj ho sakta hai, aap logon ka kabhi nahi. Ek aur shabd nahi nikalna chahiye aapke mooh se meri Shehnaaz ke khilaaf ab, warna mujhse bura koi nahi hoga. Chaar din aapne itni bakwas kar li hai, woh kaafi hai." He snapped.

Harnoor's eyes widened. "Theek hogaya didi. Jawaai bhi kuddi varga mil gaya. Bado ki izzat karna dono ko hi nahi aata." She sighed dramatically.

"Bina baat ke Sidharth ko beech me laane ki zaroorat nahi hai, mami-ji. Saada jawai bahot izzat karda eh chote bade di. Par oh izzat kamaani vi pendi hai." Shehbaaz said.

"Pehli baar mil rahe ho uss se. Jis din se aaya hai aapki harkatein dekh raha hai woh bhi. Ohdi hovan waali vohti (wife) nu ruwaa ke ohdi izzat di umeed na rakheyo." He added curtly.

"Koi nahi chote. Jhoothi shaan hai. Jab tak zameen ke upar reh sakte hain rehne de. Udd ne de apni jhoothi izzat ke balboote. Jis din yeh jhoothi shaan ka gubara phoota aise neeche aayenge ki mooh ke bal girenge sab ke sab." Sidharth said casually.

Harnoor's eyes widened. "Chaliye ji. Iss se zyaada beizzat hone ka intezaar kar rahe hain hum?" She asked her husband, tugging at his hand insistently.

"Haanji. Chalte hain. Itna karne ke baad bhi yeh sila mil raha hai hume..." Her husband agreed.

"Ek minute.." Sidharth exclaimed, stopping them midway. Shehbaaz frowned. "Kuch kiya nahi hai aapne uske liye".

"Kya kar raha hai bhai."

Sidharth sighed, pulling some cash out of his kurta pocket and rotated it over Shehnaaz's head a couple times before pressing the cash into her mama-ji's hands. "You have done nothing for her, magar phir bhi, jab jitna mooh phaadna ho, phaad lijiyega. Magar kabhi yeh tamasha dobara kiya toh anjaam acha nahi hoga. Saari zindagi aapko paal sakti hai woh. Ek naye paise ka Ehsaan nahi rehne dunga uspar aap logon ka." He said firmly.

Within seconds, the couple had left the house. The whole village was still gathered all around them.

Sidharth dragged her back towards Janvi and placed the kaleere in her hands. "Now that that's over. Important kaam pe waapis aate hain." He said softly. Shehnaaz nodded.

They tied the Kaleere to Janvi's wrists and then kissed her henna and jewellery clad hands gently. "Rabb kare tujhe zindagi ki saara sukh, saari khushi mile." She mumbled quietly

Janvi smiled at her. "Thank you."

Shehnaaz kissed her forehead gently.

Just as she turned away from Janvi, she hid herself into her fiance's arms, guiding his arm to wrap around her. Sidharth rubbed her back, kissed her head affectionately. "It's okay."

"I hate them." Shehnaaz mumbled against his chest. "I just hate them so much."

"It's okay, baby." He repeated gently. "You were so strong, for so long. You did so great, baby."

Shehnaaz pulled away. "They're horrible."

"I know they are." He agreed. "I'm sorry, sweetheart."

A few minutes later, Sidharth walked over to Janvi's parents. "I'm sorry uncle-aunty. Meri wajah se.. aap logon ki—"

Janvi's father shook his head. "Jo unhone aaj kiya, uske baad chup rehna na-mumkin tha beta. Khud nahi jaate toh him bhej dete unko yahan se."

Janvi's mother nodded in agreement. "Shehnaaz deserve nahi karti hai yeh sab. Uske dil me kisi ke liye kabhi koi malaal nahi raha hai aur unn logon ne usse nafrat ke alawa kucch diya hi nahi saari zindagi." She said quietly. "Woh humaari beti ke jaisi hai. Baccho ke aage toh duniya nahi dekhi jaati hai na puttar?"

"Ji." Sidharth agreed.

Both of Janvi's parents hugged him. "Jaao, Shehnaaz ne aur aapne hi toh barat ka swagat karna hai."

Sidharth smiled at them.

"Usko yeh pyaar.. yeh protectiveness bahot pehle mil jaani chahiye thi." Janvi's father said quietly. "She deserves it."

"She does. Mai poori koshish karunga ki woh humesha khush rahe, protected rahe." Sidharth promised him. "Woh mere liye bahot important hai, sir. Bahot pyaar karta hoon mai Shehnaaz se.."

***

New Part. Only one more chapter left!!! Do let me know how you like it!!

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