Hey Bud, how's my favorite person in the world doing?

Nandini asked a year old Aaban who squalled in happiness and replied in gibberish. On the other hand little Dhwani sat next to him with a sad pout and tears almost building up in those big fat eyes seeing her favorite aunt not talking to her rather entertaining her 15-min elder brother. But Nandini was their favorite for a reason, the sooner she got an inkling of Dhwani being at the edge of breaking into sobs to get her attention, Nandini picked her up and swung her round.

The result – Now Aaban wanted the attention and was on same place his 15 min younger sister was about a minute ago.

But again, Nandini was their favorite aunt whom they were meeting after three long months and these two little munchkins were her lifelines, so crying and being sad was a BIG FAT NO, just not allowed. She carefully placed Dhwani back on the bed and started talking to both in the language that only the three of them could understand. The room was filled with giggles and laughter just like every other time when Aunt Nandini visited.

The kids were everyone's favourites. The youngest in the group, the eldest of their generation; they were a bunch of '-ests, for instance, best, cutest, chubbiest, tiniest, adorablest; shriek that's not a word but you get the feel right. They were not just Nandini's but the entire gang's lifeline.

~~~~~~~~~~

It was in the ultrasound done in the six month of the pregnancy just after Navya's operation that gang came to know about the twins. Though Dhruv and Alya knew about it about three months earlier, they skipped sharing the information with everyone and well they had their reasons. While on the face of it everything looked picture perfect, they had successfully hidden the disapproval of their parents with regards to having a child out of wedlock. They wanted to break the news of the twins only when everything was sorted. A few days after Navya's operation, Alya's health started deteriorating. First the wedding, then Navya's state and no to forgot constant feeling of their parent not being happy with their decision took a toll on her health leading to her fainting in Navya's room when they were visiting her. That day the gang came to know about the gravity of the situation and also the fact it is two angels that are arriving and not one. That was also the day, when Manik lashed out on Alya and Dhruv for not telling then about the discord with their parents. They according to him acted stupidly by keeping it all to themselves and everyone agreed. Cabir too pointed out how both of them failed to apply the lessons recent past has taught them. Navya's illness, Manik's pain, Nandini's fear and everything else that had transpired in the past had taught them one thing that sharing the pain and troubles with your people not just lessens it but also at times craft a path to come out of it.

Had Dhruv and Alia shared the problems, the gang would have collectively looked out of the solution. But better late than never, the day they came to know about the issue with the parent, they immediately asked Dadi and Amms to intervene. Over the years their families had come very close to each other with Dadi and Amms being two elderly members of the generation, Ghar ke Bade, and it made all the sense for them to speak with Dhruv and Alya's parents. Amms flew down to Mumbai and together with all the adults they went to Dhruv's parental place where Alya's were called over. Dadi and Amms then spoke to them and made them understand that the society they have been fussing over will talk more if the half-hearted marriage doesn't work out, for Kuch toh log kahenge, logon ka kaam hain kehena. They also pointed out how in the quest of pleasing the so called society they are doing injustice to their kids whom they love to the core and who are a part of them. Little did they knew that Vedant's and Saxena's had already accepted their off spring's choice long back but hesitated in voicing that out loud. However, the moment they came to know the after effect on Alya's and their grand children's health, all the hesitation flew out of the window. The parents decided to stay with Dhruv and Alya at their home to take care of Alya since she needed them now more than ever. They apologized for missing out on the joy all these months but Dadi shrugged it off saying, Anth Bhala toh sabh bhala.

Three months later while Nandini was confirmation from Harvard, Alya was already 4 days past her due date. Being a FRIENDS fan and often called Rachael by the group for being the fashionista she was, everyone wondered if she was going through the same route the character went in the show. Nonethless, it was Mayhem at Dhruv and Alya pad with two ladies getting paranoid and anxious in anticipation. On the fifth day, right when the gang was about to leave the house, Alya's loud shriek got them to rush to her room on to rush out minutes later with each one focusing on their job assigned by the Mom to be. Alya has well in advance directed everyone on the roles on who would do what on the D-day, for instance, Abhi and Manik were assigned the driving task, Navya had to carry the essentials bag, Mukti had to inform the family, Nandini and Cabir have to ensure that everything is ready at the hospital while Dhruv has to be with her stuck like a glue. Six hours later, the nurse came out and informed about Aaban's arrival and fifteen minutes later the same lady came out and announced Dhwani's arrival. Everyone on the floor was estactic and about an hour later they were fighting for the little angels' attention, something that didn't change even a bit in the year. On the top of it, right around the same time, Nandini received a mail confirming her admission at Harvard.

Well that was a happy day !!

~~~~~~~~

Mukti and Navya entered the room shouting in excitement to meet the angels and soon enough the war between three thirty year ladies started on who was the most loved while the tods looked at them with a confusingly amused face as if they understood that it was their attention that was being fought for.

Aliya (spoke entering the room) – Stop troubling the my kids, you are here to help me out and not spend time with these two devils

Mukti – First of all dare you call them devils and secondly are you really jealous of your own kids ?

Navya – Well even if you are, then we are sorry we can't help, because between you and them, sorry to say but you don't stand a chance

Alya – Not even when I tell you that I am going to ask their father to marry me tonight ?

There was no other sound in the room apart from Aaban and Dhwani's laughter as if were approving of their Mom's decision or may be amused at the sudden frozen postures of their aunts. All three turned their heads towards Alya in a weirdly synchronized robotic motion while the tods giggled looking at their aunts who according to them had turned into one of their toys

Alya – Unfreeze quickly guys, we do not have much time

Getting back to their senses, three of them got up and pulled Alya in a bear hug

Mukti – When did you decide this ?

Navya – And you are telling us now, like 3 hrs before the dinner

Nandini – Thank God, my flight landed on time otherwise I would have missed it..Alya you couldn't be more sudden, could you ?

Alya – Guys relax I have got proposal thing ready, I want you to be a part of this, you don't have to do much except

Mukti – Except ?

Alya – Plan the date

All Three – Whattttt !!

Nandini – Wait if we are planning the date, then what is it that you have prepared Madam ?

Mukti – Let me guess, proposal speech

Alya – What speech, there's no speech !! I have just planned the way I am going to pop the question

Navya – Oh do we need Champagne or do you want it to hide it in a cake or oh wait flying lanterns, you can write it on a lantern and when it glows, he can read

Mukti – Navya, hold your horses madam, she said she has already planned it !! By the way looking at your excitement should be plan something for you and Cabir too

Alya – No wait, Navya whatever it is, plan it for tomorrow for Cabir, Today I am not letting anyone mess with my Thunder

Nandini – Ok Monica from FRIENDS no one is stealing your thunder, no tell us what have you planned ?

Alya – That's a surprise, guys just arrange a nice cozy dinner with family, you know our preferences, I can trust you better than those planners.. Please !! And oh Yes..please tell the boys too

Nandini – Why don't you tell them yourself

Alya – I would have if they had left Dhruv, don't know what secret meeting is going on

Mukti – Actually, come to think of it Manik is not here, especially when Nandini has returned after THREE months, something's fishy !!

Nandini – Shut Up guys, lets concentrate on Alya and Dhruv please

Navya – Let's get the men out of the secret meeting and then can probably decide

Mukti rushed to Dhruv's home office space and got the guys out. Surprisingly, they came along without any arguments or inquisitive questions. They even agreed to leave for their respective homes together, as the girls had put it, without in suspicion. About half an hour later, they were seated in the coffee house of the Taj hotel waiting for someone to speak

Mukti and Cabir (at the same time) – Alya is proposing Dhruv tonight/Dhruv is proposing Alya tonight

Manik – Wait what, not again !! You are here to prepare for Alya's surprise

Navya – And you are planning Dhruv's

Nandini – Damn, this is what the happy kind of Déjà vu feels like

Abhi – Let me guess, you guys too have to only plan the date, proposal details Alya won't share

Nandini – Copy that

Manik – Okay since it is Déjà vu, let's keep it almost the same.. same gold and mauve theme, similar dinner settings; this way we will save on the time spent in planning.

Cabir – Cool let me call the manager.

They discussed the details with the manager and strictly asked them to follow the time constraints. The manager nodded positively considering the group was the most loyal customers of their hotel. Post finalizing they returned back to their respective home to rest except for Manik and Nandini who returned to Manik's place but not to rest rather to steal few moments for a quick romance, as they term it.

Sharp at 9 all of them gathered the hotel. The hotel staff had outdone themselves with the preparation. Alya and Dhruv passed a thankful smile to the girls and boys respectively. They settled down for dinner and both Alya and Dhruv pulled out aprons for kids.

Alya – Dhruv I have got new ones, I thought we can use them tonight

Dhruv – I too have new ones, I picked it up from the store last week, was looking for the right time for them to wear it, Let them wear the one I bought today and you make them wear yours next time

Alya – No mine

Dhruv – Please don't argue, they will wear the one I bought

Alya – Nope, Nada not happening

Dhruv – You stubborn woman , my kids will wear the apron Daddy bought

Alya – My Kids seriously Dhruv, well I was the one who sheltered them for 9 months, they will wear the apron I bought

This continued for about five minutes before Cabir got up and snatched the aprons. He first went to Aaban and showed him the aprons to pick one. Then he did the same with Dhwani. Aaban and Dhwani picked one apron each and looked at them amused

Cabir – Looks like your kids are saner than you guys, Aaban has picked Alya's apron and Dhruv Dhwani has picked yours, let me tie this and then we can start eating

Alya and Dhruv – No wait I'll do it

The rest of the gang looked at them surprised, somewhere they knew the reason for their friends acting as if they have grown horns in their head

Alya and Dhruv – Can you feed Aaban/Dhwani their baby food ?

They picked them up and grabbed a spoon of baby food. Just before putting it in mouth, out of habut they straightened the apron, and sat their shocked for the aprons read;

Aaban – DADDY WILL YOU MARRY MOMMY ?

Dhwani – MOMMY WILL YOU MARRY DADDY ?

Cabir looking at the stunned expressions of Alya and Dhruv, opened the other apron he had in his hands.

Cabir (showing the aprons to everyone on the table) – Issued in public notice, in case you guys are waiting for the big proposal that has already happened, so Mommy and Daddy will you marry each other ?

Alya and Dhruv – Yes !!

Everyone went awed and then hooted at the cutest proposal ever.

Manik – Wait how did you guys came up with the same idea ?

Alya – I saw a similar picture Instagram and saved it to my collection

Dhruv – And I check out the saved tab of her profile

Nandini – Stalking your wife's phone Dhruv, not a good habit !!

Dhruv – I know but that was the only one time and in my defense it was her who gave it to me to show a dance video

Later, all of them indulge themselves in the delicious dinner skipping the dessert for Alya and Dhruv planned to do that with their parents. Later that night, they informed their parents and next day after noon they were seated in the Manik's house for the discussion

Manik – Dadi called to inform that the pandit says there is an auspicious muhurat 7 days from now and other in a month, I think we should go for the month

Dhruv –  No, we will go for 7 days one

Abhi – Seven days... !! you have grown crazy or what..!! Invites need to be sent out, there is so much to be done or wait !! is someone getting impatient here

Alya – Impatient, may be !! But we talked last night and we want to do it as soon as possible

Mukti – But Alya, you always wanted a white wedding, princess theme remember, arranging that will take time

Alya – No we will only have the traditional wedding,  my parents wish to give me away in the traditional manner, I donot wish to take that away from them. Besides White wedding can happen any time in future, we are not running away

Nandini – You are not running yet you are rushing, guys is there an issue

Dhruv – No, no issues, it just that after being parents ourselves we realised that mosyly we take our parents for granted as in we expect them to understand us everytime while we don't . Yesterday when we spoke to them, you remember how they told us they always envisioned an intimate wedding for us, somewhere down the line we also want that

Alya – Especially with Aaban and Dhwani, we donot want any outsiders to be a part of the wedding for we haven't exposed the kids to paparazzi yet and don't intend to do so either. A grand wedding means lots of paps and that is something we definitely are trying to avoid at all cost. Plus it's just you guys and our families; one week is more than enough a time for all of us.

Dhruv – Also if we do it in a month, Nandini will not be a part of it as she is returning in fifteen days.

Nandini – You are doing it for me, I am overwhelmed

Alya – Actually that's also the reasoning, we will give to the elders when they ask, please play along

Nandini – And take all the disappointments in my account !!! Things you have to do for your friends...!! Okay Amigos, I will crucify myself for your happiness    

Alya – We knew you would agree

Seven days passed in a jiffy. Mehendi, Sangeet and Engagement happened on 6th day while 7th day was the Haldi in morning and wedding in evening. Not to mention it was a complete secret and no one outside the family had an inkling of it. On the wedding day, the girls were getting ready when Cabir walked in.

Cabir – Navya, Mom's calling you !!

Navya (checking her phone) – What for ?? She didn't call me!!

Cabir – Aray, she sent me here to call you, can you please check

Navya – You aren't fooling around, are you ?

Cabir – ya right !! Sorry ma'am to break your bubble, I have better things to do, now will you ?

Navya – You don't have to sarcastic, fine I am going !!

Navya stomped out and girls looked at Cabir curiously. Cabir went straight to Alya and kneeled infront of her

Cabir – You are looking really pretty, (checking her hand jewellary), this is that Kaliren thing right, the one's on whose head it is dropped, is supposed to be the next in line to get marries

Alya – Yes...why are you asking ?

Cabir – Can you deliberately drop it on Navya's head ?  She kinda believes in all this and always gets super excited in such rituals, so please

Nandini – Oh so you want to get married next, you could have said it directly Cabir !!

Cabir – Yes I do want to get married next, there I said it, so can you do it now !!

Mukti – Not before you tell the entire plan

Cabir – There is no plan

Mukti – Right we believe you .. Huh !!

Cabir – Good then, Alya please !!

Alya – Sure Cabir !!

The wedding got over and it was Kaliren dropping ceremony. First in the row was Nandini, Alya shook the Kaliren over her head and none got dropped. Then there were a few of Alya and Dhruv's first cousins but the result was same. Lastly it was Navya, contrary to what Cabir said, Navya didn't even stand in the line for she was busy playing with Aaban and Dhwani. Alya moved towards her and gestures Manik and Abhi to hold the kids. Next she stood infront of Navya and shook the kaliren.

Well no points for guessing, one of them fell directly on head. Smiling she stood up and hugged Alya tightly when some tapped her back. She turned around only to mirror the same expression that everyone in the room had, SHOCKED

Cabir Dhawan was on his knees with a opened right box in his hand.

Cabir – You know there have been a zillion of occasions when our friends have eaten up my head asking how I fell for you ? How did we fall in love ? Who proposed whom? Well I don't know when I fell for you, I can't pin point the time I fell in love with you. I remember that stroll on the street when while dropping you off the hostel, I suddenly stopped in the middle of the road and asked you if you would wish to explore both of us together and you just agreed. We never said I love you until we saw Manik and Nandini confessing that on his birthday. We have been through tough times, the real tough ones, you remember you used to ask me in one of those low day, why am I even putting up with you ? Well Ms. Navya let me correct you I wasn't putting up with you, I was just exploring a side you, a side of our relationship just as we had decided on that stroll. And today I wish to explore my entire life with you, will you ?

Navya (teary eyed) – I want to say a lot, but I can't seem to form the correct words. Will it be okay if I just say "YES"

Cabir (smiling) – It will be more than okay darling. (turning to his friends) And just for the record, this is the first time either of us had proposed, so always remember that I proposed first and please don't trouble me with this question ever again

Alya – You know you did steal my thunder but guess what I am feeling ecstatic about it

Everyone hooted for the newly engaged couple. Nandini moved next to Manik,

Nandini – I also want to get married

Manik – Like right now

Nandini – Shut up !! not right now, but some time sooner

Manik – We will have to wait for one and a half year

Nandini – Why ?? I mean I know that is exactly the time my MBA will take to complete but can we marry sooner

Manik – Nope not because you are in US and I am here

Nandini – Then why

Manik – There is something I have in mind and that will take at least a year and half to complete

Nandini – And what's that

Manik – you'll get to know tomorrow, I promise

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————end of part 30.1

And so will you guys, I have around 7.7K words written, however the last bit of 4000 words is not coming out as per my expectations. I have tried rewriting it in past couple of hours but the impact is not even close to what I wish it to have. It's already late and if I stay up anymore, I would be receiving a good scolding from my parents. Hence, I would rework on the update tomorrow and publish it.

Till then I seriously hope you like the parts posted above,

Before you think I am just making an excuse, here's the proof

Stay blessed..Cheers