~It has been all smiles and tears that I nearly forgot it was just a book~

At Murthy Mansion

"Wow! Now this is what we call looking like a bride!" Mrunal had her eyes widened yet there was an impression of approval and gratitude on her face. She went around the mandap where the bride and groom were supposed to sit and stared at the Pandit, who was a little earlier than expected.

"Patha nahi inhe ithni jaldhi Kyu shadi ki. Usually bride ya groom ko hona hai excitement." Mrunal muttered to herself before moving to the next hall, while the Pandit stared at her retreating figure in distaste, which proves he did hear her.

"Oh! I'm such a wonderful wedding planner!" Mrunal gushed while staring at the decor around and felt like crying. "Why do I feel like crying, dude?!"

"Oh damn! Spare the drama, please!" Mrunal turned around hearing the voice and the dialogue. "Jealousy is an illness, fluffy."

Nandini rolled her eyes and started to tie flower garlands around the pillars, to make it look floral and pretty.

"Yeah, unfortunately it could only get treated by a psychiatrist and I'm not dying to go see one who could have a mindset like yours." Nandini babbled while shrugging and focusing on her work at hand. "Oh the appraisal! Thanks khooni!"

"My pleasure, witch!!" Nandini gave her a thumbs up who just swatted at her arms. "Shut up! I'm so tired of you talking!"

"And so are we!" They turned around to see the youngsters looking at them with faces filled with tiredness and annoyance. "Kab rukega ye radio?" Shravan blasted off, and the girls shrugged. "Non stop hai, kiddo. A radio a day keeps the sadness away." Nandini said, and Mrunal let out a snort. "Probably a television that the kid would need, with the amount of stress he takes in just with an injection prescription for his patient."

Nandini nodded in agreement and Shravan just let out a groan.

"Manik Bhai! Arijit Bhai! Handle your wives' sarcasm limit, can you?" Cabir chuckled on hearing Shravan's remark. "That's not their cup of tea!"

"Or coffee, better!" Abhimanyu intervened, leading Cabir to share a five with him.

"Grumpy coffee!" Nandini let out a sigh and looked around for her husband, who was on a ladder fixing the light bulbs while Arijit was standing on the ground instructing him about the do's and don'ts.

"Ek minute, Lilliput. Buddy, yeh teek hain?" And Arijit gave him a thumbs up. Manik got down and walked towards Nandini while dusting the mud off his palms. "Ha bol Lilliput. Kya chahiye?"

Nandini pointed at his brothers who also waited for Manik to speak.

"Handle them." And she walked away while Mrunal started to talk with Arijit by dusting the mud off his kurta.

"B-but why? What did they do now?" Manik stared at Cabir and Shravan in exasperation. "Bhai, your wife and her best friend were arguing and we asked them to stop. How's it our problem now? Come on, explain to me."

Manik stared at Shravan wordlessly, before looking at Arijit who wore a similar expression on his face. "So who asked you to talk with a cat and dog?" Arijit said, earning a glare and slap from his wife. "Ouch, Mru yaaar! Lagi na!"

"So who asked you to comment about me and fluffy?" And Mrunal too walked away while Arijit glared at his brothers. "Sab Tum logon ki galthi hai." And he rushed behind Mrunal, while Manik just shrugged.

"Sab ke sab Pagal hai Yaha." And Manik too walked away.

"Sab ke sab joru ke ghulaam hai Yaha." Abhimanyu groaned and Cabir and Shravan stared at him emotionless. "Yeah! I'm married to your sister. Bhool gaya Cabir." And Abhimanyu walked away sighing loudly.

***

"Dulha aur Dulhan ko bulao. Muhurat ka time Nikal Raha hai." The Pandit said and Manik who just came after getting ready in his sherwani set was about to leave to go get the groom.

"Aap twenty minutes early hain..in fact bas muhurat nahi balki Yaha twenty minutes pehle aa bhi gaya. Watch nahi hai Kya Aapke paas? Arijit, show him your watch na. I'm not wearing one." Mrunal said while being irritated with the fact that the Pandit had made so many distasteful comments regarding the decor.

"Mere paas watch hain. Bas pehna nahi." The Pandit glared at Mrunal, who just nodded. "Tho aap check keejiye na. Twenty minutes fast hain. Ek kaam keejiye, mujhe de do, I'll fix it." Nandini stood beside Manik and spoke to Pandit who stared at the girls in displeasure.

"Uh, why don't we call the parents? Yes, parents should be here first." Manik intervened smiling forcefully at the Pandit and asked Cabir to call the parents. "Lilliput, Kya yaar! Aaj tumhara Bhai ki shadi hai na. Aaj tho panga math kar na."

"Mein kaha koi panga wanga kar Rahi hun, Grumpy coffee? I'm pregnant and this Pandit doesn't understand that it's not good to fight with a pregnant woman." Nandini shrugged and Manik let out a sigh. "Kyu Lilliput ke Daadi ki rab ji? Kyu?" He looked up and sulked and Nandini nodded. "Exactly! Kyu Daadi ki Rab ji? Kyu iss Pandit ko laaya?!"

Manik took her for a side hug and heaved a sigh.

"Sab taiyyar hai?" Nyonika questioned and Raj nodded. "Yes! It's time to call Karan and Rudr!"

Nyonika smiled and others looked up at the staircase to see Karan and Rudr walking down the stairs. Nandini went ahead and stood at the bottom of the stairs and waited for them.

"Ready?" She asked smiling excitedly and they nodded smirking. "Of course! Iske baad mujhe daaru peena bhi hain. It's been a while now." Rudr said and Karan glared at him. "And you're going to forget to invite me this time too."

"Why should I invite you? Tu kaha ke president hai?!" Rudr retorted and Nandini ignored them before dragging them towards the seating area.

"Chalo! It's time for Dulhans, now!" And this time Mrunal along with the wives of older Murthy brothers waited at the bottom of the stairs, while the brides descended down the stairs.

Karan's bride Jenny Chopra and Rudr's bride Sowmya Bajaj!

Soon the marriage rituals began and Nandini held onto Manik smilingly.

"Grumpy coffee?"

"Hmm, yeah Lilliput?"

"Will you marry me?"

Manik laughed out on hearing her.

"It's the eighth time you're asking me this question." He stifled a laugh and she looked up at him. "And your answer was the same for the last seven times, I know. But you know I won't stop at that."

He smiled and held her closer to his heart.

"I know! And like the last seven times, I'm going to stand by my answer aur Karke bhi dikhaunga. So yes, Mrs. Malhotra, I'll marry you. Again. For the eighth time."

Every time Nandini's brother got married, she would ask him to get married to her and he always obliged to it.

Smiling widely at him, Nandini shared a hug with Manik, while smiling at the happy newly married couples at the front.

Life...was indeed beautiful for them and they hoped that it would remain the same forever!

~***~

The End!

Hey guys!

And here we are, at the end of the book. At the end of Mr and Mrs GC's life story. Because their love story will always remain a forever one and I don't intend to say we've come to the end of their love story.

It was beautiful to write about GC and Lilliput and I hope I could come with a third book.

Thank you and I'm grateful to each one of you.

With love,
Affu.