Navya was now recovering while everyone else took an extra care of health by giving her proper diet and keeping her as stress free as they can. The wedding festivities kicked off with the pre wedding rituals with Murthy's organizing a prayer to please their deity Ayyappa while the Malhotra's offering their prayers to God, through Mata ki Chowki, for a peaceful, joyous and uninterrupted wedding before moving to Mahabaleshwar where the "Bright Land Holiday Resorts" were hosting the grand destination wedding for Mukti and Abhi. On reaching the resort, the families and friends occupied the rooms allotted to them. The Murthy's occupied the Tulip Wing of the resort while the Malhotras along with Fab5 occupied the Maple Wing.

The first grand event of the wedding was the Sangeet Ceremony with the pool side being the perfect location for the event. The stage had the hills as the natural backdrop and a rectangular frame at the centre which had the photos of both families hanging down with messages and quotes in between. Centre pieces of boxed succulents paired with classic blooms, like roses, dahlias and seeded eucalyptus adorned the round tables with pink and orange flower hangings covering each table.

(The Sangeet Venue)

(The Backdrop...imagine the photo frames NOT empty, rather with photos and wishes)

(The center-pieces)

(The Hangings covering the table)

As for the dresses while Amms and Dadi chose traditional Silk Sarees, Raj  and Neyonika opted for a light blue color coordinated outfit while Raman and Supriya went for  yellow color coordinated outfits. Mukti decided to wear an olive green gown with a belt at her waist and a duppatta draped at front while Abhi wore a green base raw silk light gold embroidered sherwani with a cream turban. The rest of the gang opted for bright yet casual floral outfits with the girls including Abhi's maternal twin cousin wearing floral skirts and crop tops and guys including Rishabh dressing up in floral sherwanis with plain single colored turbans. Though turbans were not really necessary for a Sangeet ceremony still they wore it on Cabir's insistence and also because the reason given by him sounded well to everyone, that is, one turban will add a tinge of royalty to the costumes and it will also be a good trial practice for  wedding ceremony where heavy turbans are unavoidable.

(Dadi and Amms)

(Neyonika and Raj)  

(Supriya and Raman)

(Abhi and Mukti)

(The rest of the gang)    

The ceremony started with music and dance with several performances from the bride as well as groom sides. The highlight of the event though was the toasts raised by the friends and family for the couple. While Mukti parents got teary-eyed remembering the remembering the younger days of their daughter, the Murthy's shocked the crowd by giving out secrets that completely negated the sophisticated image of Abhi and painted him as a prankster and the naughtiest soul around. Finally it was Manik's turn to speak

Manik – Hello everyone, ever since I was asked to prepare for the toast, I kept wondering what should I speak about, should I concentrate on the Mukti or on both of them or what difference their relationship has brought to my life and after shuttling between several possibilities, I just decided to go with the flow...Okay so Mukti..My little sister, my first friend..going through my childhood videos, I found a video of the a year old me and just born Mukti and I would wish you all to see it before I continue

Manik then instructed the organizer to play the video. The video started with a wailing sound of a baby and soon the focus of the video was shifted to the bed where one year old Manik was lying crying his eyes out. Soon enough Mnaik is joined by his mother and Chachi on his respective side with his mother holding a new born Mukti whom she placed next to him and in a about few seconds later Manik stopped crying as he got busy adorning and playing with the little angel next to him. The screen then turned black and the smiling faces turned to Manik

Manik – This is what Mukti has been to me all these years, someone whose mere presence made me happy and joyous like never before...She has always been the source of happiness, joy and pride...My heart swelled with pride each time her name was announced for a prize in School Annual Event...I remember getting up from my seat to clap for my little sister while every eye around gave me annoyed looks...Cabir, Dhruv and Alya used to join me to save me and Mukti from the embarrassment and annoyance...We fought, we argued, actually we still do...Mukti and me carry different perspectives for a similar situation and conflict is inevitable and that has impacted our relationship too only to come out stronger than before. She still knowingly or unknowingly becomes the road to my happiness, especially in the recent years when Abhi came to our lives, he became my friend but it was his relationship with Mukti that strengthened my bond with him and it was their relationship that eventually paved way to my happiness, my girl, my Nandini. Nandini is a part of my life again only because of you two and I can't thank you enough for it. Thank you Mukti for falling in love with this incredible man here...Thank you to bringing back my love to me...Here's raising a toast to your happy marriage...and Nandini, "I love you"..!!

Manik winked at Nandini before leaving the stage and next on the stage were Fab4 who read out a poem for Mukti and Abhi

(Alya) Look around at this hour of night, you won't spot a face without a smile

(Navya) Let's raise the toast for our gorgeous bride, who's killing it in style

(Cabir) Hold on Lady, dare not under estimate the groom for he seems to be a fine choice

(Dhruv) And so let's raise our glasses to thank the couple for this moment of rejoice

The hall echoed with laughter and claps

Cabir – Well..well when Alya suggested this idea of impromptu verse, I was almost ready to be embarrassed but I guess we actually pulled it off gracefully...and hence I was proved wrong again...Oh yes..!! Me "The Great Cabir Dhawan" has been proved wrong and trust me guys when I say this there are just a very few instances where things have not gone as per my instincts.. And one such instance was when Mukti and Abhi started dating... Not many of you here would know this but the initial days of their relationship were quite scary for me as I was sure in my head that this won't last more than a few months maybe...Mukti and Abhi were poles apart and I know...I know opposites attract but guys in case you realize things just end at attraction for geographically too North pole is still in the north while the South pole hasn't shifted either

Before Cabir could continue, Dhruv stopped him in the middle

Dhruv – Hold it Cabir, North pole, South Pole seriously...!!...Well if the verse didn't get you embarrassed, I am sure your speech might leave you red faced.. So before your horses of imagination take a flight, let me make people aware of the ground reality... Ok so not just Cabir but I too was quite unsure of Abhi and Mukti's relationship because let's just face it, they weren't or rather still aren't the ideal mush-mushy couple neither the complete adventurers, they just did not seem to fit in any category and it scared us because Abhi was our music producer and past experiences too had taught us not to mix personal and professional life... But amidst all insecurities there was someone called Manik Malhotra who for some reason unknown knew that it wasn't just a casual fling, may be his brotherly instincts told him that or may be his trust that he had in Abhi...

Alya – But Manik was sure they were the missing pieces in each-other's puzzle...and as days progressed we too realized how different they are from the usual definition of an ideal couple...For instance, when you fight with your partner, the first thing that most of us do is to stop talking but Mukti and Abhi never stopped talking, no matter how big the fight is, giving a cold shoulder to each other was something they never did...but that nowhere meant that anger was not shown, it was clearly indicated by avoiding the good mornings and the good nights or by serving the main course that the other one hated or by occasionally passing sarcastic comments, wait did we tell you the couple here actually have a Doctorate in Sarcasm and mind it they never shy away from showing it

Navya – But then they introduced us to a new world of love...A love that indeed was and will be remembered as a fairytale but with a prefix name "Personalized" added to it... Yup a "Personalized Fairytale" where Abhi is the King and Mukti is the Queen...where the idea of spending time together ranges from a scary roller coaster ride to a movie-date at home...I won't say they shall never fight...of course they will, rather they should for "making up" is not fun without a fight but all those moments of loving one another, caring for each other, fighting with one another, lazing around together would eventually become the bricks of the paradise they shall build one day and therefore let's all raise a toast to this "Norms defying beautiful self-crafted fairytale" of Abhi and Mukti...Cheers.. Over to you Nandini..!!

Nandini got up and moved to the stage

Nandini – Well...thank you guys,,,Thank you for giving me an insight to their love story...for I wasn't around to witness it myself...!!.. I have known Mukti for a long time...a girl who could fight against the world for the people she love...sounds dramatic...but that's what she is...a Protecting Guarding Angel and I am so glad to be related to you Mukti...Thank you for coming into our lives...But...Pardon me Mukti...Today I am just gonna talk about that one person who has been my Guarding Angel all my life...and not just the Guarding Angel.. he's been my personalized agony-ant, personalized Santa, my very own Sabu yup I am referring to that man from the Jupiter...I was no Aladin...I had no magic lamp but I did own a Ginie...A Ginie who would fulfill all my wishes big or small, the wishes I would never tell him and even the wishes I wouldn't realize I had until they were fulfilled by him...My mom used to scold him saying that he was spoiling me silly but then he would just shrug it off saying, "That's my right to do"... I remember I was 8 years old when one day walking through a toy shop I saw a Doll House, it was a beautiful doll house probably one of the prettiest I had ever seen and naturally my steps halted so did Abhi's as he was walking right beside me...He asked me what and I replied nothing and walked past after a few minutes... Amms had gifted me a doll house just a month back and so I neither needed nor wished for it...But something strange happened a few months later, It was Abhi's birthday and he explicitly asked everyone to give him money and not gifts, naturally everyone was against giving a nine year old money so he got his money bank and handed over the keys to Amms, he asked everyone to just put in the money in the money bank and he would use it only with Amms permission...A few months later when I woke up on a Christmas morning which also happens to be my birthday, I saw the exact same doll house right infront of my bed and no point for guessing who got me that...from that day till today, Abhi has dutifully fulfilled all my wishes big or small, silly or random, known or unknown...I wished him to be next to my during my school results and he was...I wished to stay alone and he allowed me to...I wished to comeback in his life after disappearing for years and he accepted me with open arms no questions asked...and Above all...In my head I had moved on life but then my heart was still longing for its soul and Abhi gave my heart what it longed for...He brought me closer to my friends...my happiness...My Manik...In short My Life...Honestly in these five years I never realized what I was missing out on until you brought it all back to me...Thank you Abhi for being the best brother in the world...Thank you for being YOU...Abhi remember the warning I gave you that day to told me you are gonna marry Mukti, "Dude Dare you break her heart or hurt her, I'll break your face"...!!....Wishing you both a Happy Married life... Wait..Wait before I finish......and Manik "I love you too"...!!

The innercircle which included the Fab5 and Navya along with their families, the Murthy's had tears in their eyes with a smile on their face as Nandini ended her speech. Cabir came on to the stage and announced

Cabir – Okay guys, that was intense and sweet at the same time or rather I should say that was "Nandini" for you..so now before you the DJ wala babu weaves magic, here's a special song...from us Fab5, Nandini, Navya and Abhi...Cheers to love

****(Writers note - Before you guys read further, the verse below is not a movie song but something that has been written by me...so you are free to add your own music to it...also people who are following me on insta would know a few initial lines as I had posted them there...also the one saying the lines would be mentioned at the beginning)****

(Nandini)

बाँसुरी की तनो में खोयी, घुंघरू की छन – छन में थिरकती

रंजिशों में उलझी सी, ख्वाबों को बुनती सी

बस यूँही गुज़र रही थी रह गुज़र, अंजान, बेख़बर,

कि साँसों के दूर एक छोर पे हमसफर ने दी थी दस्तक

(Manik)

बनी जो मेरी हर ख़ामोशी की आवाज़, बिखरे सुरों के जोड़े जिसने साज़,

इश्क़ के सवेरे से वाकिफ़ करा कर कुछ यूँ बनी वो इबादत मेरी,

किअब इश्क़ के सिवा मेरा ना कोई मज़हब,

जब से बनी वो मोहब्बत है मेरी, बस एक वही है रब

(Mukti)

हैरान हुई यह निगाहें जब यह समां देखा,

रोशन हुई राहों पर चल रहा कारवां देखा,

(Abhi)

न जाने हैं ये खुशनसीबी या फकीरी,

पर अब ज़िन्दगी हैं वो मेरी,

(Dhruv and Alia Together)

दूर होके भी लगे वो हरदम है पास, मेरी हर दुआ का असर हैं वो, वो ही हैं आस

(Navya)

अब जाना उन खामखां से लगने वाले ख्वाबों का मतलब

(Cabir)

जब से बनी वो मोहब्बत है मेरी, बस एक वही है रब

(All Together)

रूह को मिला सुकून हैं जैसे, जैसे पूरी हुई मेरी हर मन्नत

वो हमनवां, वो हैं हमसफ़र,अब वो हैं जहाँ, हैं वही जन्नत

मेरी शोहरत, मेरी दौलत, मेरी बरकत, मेरी इबादत

कुछ ऐसी ही वफ़ा के रैशे से पिरोई खूबसूरत सी अपनी मोहब्बत

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------End of Chapter 28.3-----

OK So it is 4:50 AM and I have been up the whole night writing down the update and searching for the apt pictorial representations. I have a office tomorrow so I should sleep but wait there's something I have been wanting to say, you can read it below if you wish to or you can skip it too..The choice is yours..!!

I Know I had initially said that i would be wrapping the story up in 3 updates but while I was on a break I got some new ideas and I am just contemplating on how to incorporate the same here...So, the number of chapters might increase and don't worry the extension won't be based on your response for then all I would receive is a negligible response with only 9 or 10 readers giving their views just like you guys did in the only competition I had ever asked you to support me for and where I ended up getting 9 votes...

Also, I know these 9 votes that I had received will only vote in favor of extension...so the extension is only dependent on 2 things - 1. My comfort and 2. My ability to present the thoughts running in my head.

Nonetheless, the first quarter of this year has taught me a lot. It has taught me to lead a live without any expectations, I am still not hands on with the No-Expectation-Lifestyle but don't worry I am getting there. For People who didn't get to read my note on my board, here's what i Had post on Sunday - "You would have got a few notifications regarding Cloud today and that is because i have removed a part from each update...!!

Yes a part...A part where I ask (or may be in some people's language beg) to vote or comment for any which ways most of you wont do that and the one's who would and who have always been there, shall continue to do it irrespective of whether i ask or not...This act of mine is solely for my peace for whenever I used to post something I used to expect a reaction and lack of a reactions proved to be a great blow to my hopes..I so I have decided, to begin with no expectations in order to end with no hurt eventually..!!"

That's it from me for today people...!!!

Stay Blessed...Take Care..Cheers..!!