AWADH

It's the night before Navratri begins & the Dehwaar's has a tradition of welcoming the first day of the festival on a grand scale.

In 1800's, their fore father's began their first ever merchandise on the eve of Dusserah, making it prominent for the coming generations.

The skyscraper & the people inside are ready to hail the festival.

Contrary to the exciting air, Teja stepped out of the car with annoyance.

The reasons you know...her outfit was delivered late while she has been waiting since morning but all her enthusiasm went to zero when she saw it wasn't the same she chose. She called the store but they said it was a right delivery. Irritated by arguing with them, she called Nandu to complain but the 'unavailable' tone made her realize who is behind this not so wrong delivery.

Riling her more, her mother liked the outfit so much that she even said, "When did your choice became better?",ugh wish she knew her daughter has the best choice.

To show her anger on the deliberate mishap, she decided not to show up for the night but her innocent friend is not so innocent apparently. She sent Krish to pick her up.

That bitter Cadbury!

Huffing, she did get ready but in her mother's choice of apparels as she doesn't wanna wear that delivered outfit anymore.

"Does anyone bother about what does she want? Ughhh!"

Teja's whole mood has changed, stepping inside the Opera House, feeling the party vibrancy around. It's all light, colorful and beautiful.

All her annoyance flew out from the 6th floor leaving her with a sweet smile.

She saw Lalitha, all decked, looking over the decorations, she warily goes behind her & screamed "Lalli" right into her ear drums.

Startled, Lalitha also shouts "Aaa" making her burst into laughter.

"Itna darpok ho thum Lalli", Teja manages to utter during her cackles.

"Bunnyyy", relieved Lalitha narrow her eyes at her to which she pays no heed.More over, she puts an arm around her & whispers as if it's a secret,

"Waise kya baath hein? Itna beautiful lag rahi ho? Kisko patane ka plan hein ...ha?"

Lalitha couldn't help but giggle at her tease like compliment.

"You got the fish",she plays along.

"Ha?", Teja's eyes widen in joy, "Who are you planning to patao?"

Lalitha whispers, "Your Uncle"

And they both guffaw at their girlish act.

"Teri mummy kaha hein?", Lalitha asks about her best friend.

"Aa jayegi.Aa jayegi"

"Aaj bhi late. Aane do batathi hu.", shaking her head she looks at Teja,"Chalo ek help karo mujhe.", Teja nods, "Adhvik ke pass kuch gift bags hein. Dev family keliye laye the.Thum leke aaoge?",and her few seconds of happiness went into drain.

"Call karo na wohi leke aayega"

"Wo busy hein upar."

"Kitne log hein yaha kisi aur ko bolo na", Teja sulks.

"Krish, Brinda arrangements dekh rahe hein.Arshad Kabir ko assist kar rai aur mein guests ko receive karna hein.Tho bachi thum"

"Leke aao pls. Janaki ma aaneka time bhi hua hein.", Lalitha softly tells her & Teja agrees forcibly, "Huhuh...theekey"

Annoyedly, she's about to go, stomping her legs, when Lalitha stops her, holding her hand.

Lalitha looks at her face, she definitely doesn't wanna go.

Smiling to herself, she says, "Haseen lag rahi ho"

The long black sleeveless dress is shimmering, all her hair is on one side & with diamond ear drops & bracelet, she looked pretty.

"Hehehe.I know", and Teja scurries making Lalitha chuckle.

Since morning, she's so busy with all the arrangements that she had no time for herself & their little chat made her feel energetic & relaxed.

STOREY 22

While the whole compound is exhilarated, there he's, alone on the top floor, with his palm on the roof to floor glass wall, glancing down the enthusiastic city.

His father is occupied for the evening so he offered to attend an overseas video conference. He's in break now, still an hour more and he will join the party.

He sighs looking at the land buzzing with lights and noise, when he glanced up, contrarily, the sky is so peaceful with no moon & no stars.Just like a clean and clear black paper.

It's like like two different worlds.

He's searching for them through the glass wall when the door opened & her face reflected.

His eyes gleamed,"Yeh rahi"

She walked in and he turned around when he noticed her in traditional outfit.

"What's with the dress?",this isn't the one she wanted in the store. It was western, he remembered it.

She looked at herself and sighs, "I don't know. Dadi ma sent me to wear this".

He pauses hearing her.

Why would Dadi ma do that?

Meanwhile, she asks with full of doubt & uneasiness, "Do I look good?"

He smiles at her hesitance, "Chamak rahi ho. Star jaise", and kisses her head making her feel good.

"Aap aise hi bol rahe ho. Zaid Bhai hotha tho bolta 'Party mein lehenga kaun pehentha hein?'Huh. Sab ache dresses pehenthe honge aur mein yeh duppatta leke ghum rahi hu",she complains softly.

He chuckles & she continues, "Aur Bunny..meine uska dress liya tha aur upar se uska phone bhi nai uthi agar usko pata chalegi meri halat wo itna sadistcally hasegi na...God!",she imagines the entire situation & gets horrified,"Mein kya karu?"

"Dadi ma ki naam batao dono ka muh automatically band ho jayega",he solves her problem coolly.

She laughs.

"Zaid Bhai ka face white bhi hojayega.Ghost ki tarah",they chortle knowing his fear for the elder woman when they hear a well known voice, "Oh! Really?"

Looking aside, both are surprised to see Zaid and...Teja as well, shooting daggers on their respective best buddies.

The brother & sister stop their laugh & look at eachother while Zaid & Teja come near them.

"Ab aap dono ka muh kyun band hogayi? Haso, haso aur zyada haso na", Zaid taunts them clear implying that they heard everything.

Nandu sheepishly looks at Teja who's inturn  glaring at her, "Umm.Wo..Sorry Bunny"

"Kisliye?", Teja sarcastically asks folding her arms.

"Dress keliye ya meri mazak udane keliye?"

Nandu feels like cat getting caught, "Dono keliye"

She tries to hold her hand while Teja pushes it away murmuring, "Dongi kahiki"

Nandu pouts,"Yaar meine nai Bhai ne kiya tha sab kuch."

Teja angrily glances at Adhvik says to herself ,"Pata hein"

And he remains unbothered until his best friend pitches in loudly,"Ha sab yeh insaan hi kartha hein aur aise khada hota hein ki jaise usko kuch malum hi nai."

Nandu giggles at his incoherent blames," Bhai aapko pata hein ham kis baare mein baath kar rahe?"

Zaid clicks his tongue but he doesn't back off, "Umm..No. Par jo bhi hein wajah tera bhai hi hein"

"Uska bhai thu bhi hein", Adhvik's witty reply comes in seconds making Nandu laugh out loud.

Teja shakes her head while Zaid narrows his eyes at Adhvik.

"Waise thum yaha kyun aaye ho?",he asks Zaid but his question is directed to Teja.

"Matlab mein tera ghar bhi nai aa saktha", Zaid asks loudly not at all understanding Adhvik's implication but Teja gets the point.

"Lalli asked me to get the presents for Dev's family", she tells the purpose of her arrival to the three of them.

She met Zaid on 24rth floor & they accidentally heard bro sis conversation.

Adhvik sharply looks at her, she knew that he doesn't like his mother being called with that silly name. What's Lalli? She's Lalitha Dehwaar, the elite person after Janaki Devi, even the first lady of America is glad to meet her. And this girl is calling her with this child names as if she's her school best friend.

"It's Aunty or Ma, not any other word",he counsels her signing where the gift bags are.

She ignores him completely & goes to collect the bags placed on the tea poy.

Taking the brown bags, she passes by them to the door when Nandu halts her,"Arey Bunny itna jaldi kya hein?", she tries to talk.

"Mein tujhe baad mein dekhungi", Teja subtly warns & psuedo smiles "matlab milungi Nandana filhlal ab mujhe Jana hein mere liye Lalli wait rahi honge"

Stressing the name, she waltz away with the bags making Nandu gulp, Adhvik grit & Zaid laugh.

OPERA HOUSE

The Opera House is the stupendous lotus hall in Awadh where family parties or gatherings are held.

On the 8th storey, the night began with programs.

Few reputed media is also invited for capturing the prominent personalities invited for the night.

Kabir & Lalitha recieved the Dev family courteously & told Nandu to accompany them.

Through out the time, Teja made sure she's around Nandu to make her feel calm. Their scuffle is going on but this is different, Nandu needs her & she won't go anywhere.

Janaki Devi took glance of the magnanimous hall filled with their close friends,relatives,associates & the prominent personalities enjoying the ambience.

She is pleased seeing everything going on accordingly.

This year is as always kind to them & beneficial too in person as well as in profession.

The first being Nandu's alliance with Dev's, which is delightful and second, the prestigious Nuclear Power Plant Project, she thought they lost the bid but Adhvik's master plan brought that back. It is one of the milestone achievements for Dehwaars & she's grateful for both.

She just prayed this festival brings in prosperity & happiness in the coming times to all of them & their business empire.

As the live entertainment programs are about to complete, she got onto the higher platform with a prideful smile & signs for the Mic.

"Jai Mata Di", she first recites with all the guests reciting the same.

"Well, Thank you so much everyone for gracing us with your presence. It's truly a starry night."

"Kali Mata has poured her blessings on all of us, our families, our professions & we are forever indebtful to her.I'll only wish that the coming year would be even more better to all of us."

"Jai Mata Di", the hall recites again praying.

"To make this graceful night even more special, I would like to share with all my people, that my grand daughter, the heiress of Dehwaars, Nandana Dehwaar is getting engaged to the prince of Dev's, Gautham Dev."

The announcement invoked claps from the guests, shouts from their relatives, smiles from the media but a great shock to Nandu & Teja.

They became statue hearing the news that they didn't know when her cousins pulled Teja beside, pulled her into hugs.

"Nandana & Gautham, let's get you hitched. Come on", Janaki Devi welcomes them with a content smile.

Her mother & aunts, take her up while Dev's come from the other side.

She remains unfazed till she saw the rings in the velvet boxes, on the silver plate.

That was the moment she got back to her senses & understood the whole.

She's getting engaged.

That means it's half a marriage.

That means she will be going away soon.

She looks around, there's a lot of noise, claps, music but she heard nothing.

What is she doing? And why is she doing it?

The answer lied just before her eyes, her family.

They are so happy and it is seen in their eyes.

She couldn't compromise but will have to do it.

That's it.

Rock hearted, she prepares for the ring ceremony.

Meanwhile, Teja searches for Adhvik desperately. They didn't know that this was coming & by looking at Lalitha, even she seemed unaware of it.

It is even a surprise to other Dehwaars because Dadi ma didn't even tell this to anybody.

Does her brother know? What's his plan? Where's he?

Teja couldn't get any idea. Now, her only hope is Advik.

She wandered her eyes but there's no sight of him.

Even Zaid is no where, time is ticking & she's searching corner to corner through the masses.

As she failed to get him, she remembered Arshad. If she could get to him, he could pass the message to Adhvik.

She again started searching in that Opera hall but  failed again.

"Where the hell these three are? Koi nai mil rai.", she saw that the pujari there completing the ritual & asking for Gautham.

Teja feels devasted & furious as she saw Nandu with lowered head, succumbing to her family's honor, burying all her ambitions.

Not able to see her best friend in that state, Teja turns around disappearing in a corner, an angry tear falls from her eye because of her helplessness.

"Nandu..."

She punches the wall, tightly closing her eyes, leaving the tears.

Suddenly, she sensed helpers hurrying in corridors & slight murmurs.

Frowning, she jumps out of the corner & peers ahead at the stage.

Everything is in place.

Then why does she feel something is wrong there? Some tension brewing in?

She again clearly observed to find out what's that and she did.

The Pandit is there, rings are sitting in the boxes, photos are being clicked, guests are waiting, flower showers are ready, families are present on either side, Nandu is right before and Gautham...

Gautham!

The groom.

Where's the groom?