The marriage hall buzzed with life as guests mingled, laughter bouncing off the walls. Families posed for photographs with the newlyweds, capturing the day's bliss in bright smiles and candid moments. Some of the younger cousins raced around, trying to photobomb at every opportunity, while the elders gathered in corners, chatting over cups of piping hot coffee.

As the day rolled on, people indulged in the grand feast—a lavish spread of authentic South Indian delicacies. Long rows of banana leaves were placed on tables and servers swiftly moved down the line, spooning out fragrant dishes. The aroma of sambar, rasam, vadai and payasam filled the air. Guests marvelled at the taste of the perfectly spiced curries, the softness of the rice and the crispy dosas.

"Did you try the paal payasam?" one aunt asked excitedly. "I swear, it's the best I've had in years!"

"I couldn't get enough of the vadai," another guest chimed in, laughing. "I had five already!"

The atmosphere was light, joyous and celebratory, with everyone savoring the meal and chatting happily.

As the last of the guests began to leave, the evening drew to a close, but the energy remained alive with family members and close friends still bustling about. The rituals for the day were slowly coming to an end, signalling the next phase of the night—the newlyweds' marriage night.

Tamizh and Prabhu, along with their cousins and close friends, had been entrusted with a special task—decorating the marriage room for Meera and Ram. It was a job filled with excitement, teasing and endless chatter.

The room was filled with laughter as Prabhu and his friends entered, armed with garlands of jasmine and roses. His magenta shirt from earlier had been swapped for something more casual—a dark grey kurta—and black jeans, his gold watch gleaming under the room's soft light. The cousins and friends couldn't resist poking fun at the task at hand.

"Ah, the infamous marriage night," one of Prabhu's friends, Karthik, said with a grin. "The pressure is on!"

Prabhu shook his head, smirking as he adjusted the flowers on the bed. "I don't think Ram needs any help from us, man. The guy's been preparing for this day for years."

Dhurva, Prabhu's Friend, chuckled and added, "Yeah and here we are, decorating the battlefield for him."

As they worked, Dhurva nudged Prabhu with a sly smile. "By the way, I've been noticing something."

Prabhu raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And what would that be?"

Dhurva grinned, his voice lowering conspiratorially. "You seem to be spending a lot of time with a certain someone lately... Tamizh."

Prabhu rolled his eyes, brushing off the comment with a chuckle. "Oh, come on, Dhurva. We've just been... you know, around each other a lot for the marriage preparations. That's it."

But Dhurva wasn't buying it. He leaned closer, smirking. "Is that all? Because from what I've seen, it's a bit more than just 'preparations'..."

Prabhu shrugged nonchalantly, though a smile tugged at his lips. "You're imagining things, man. We're just teasing each other like everyone else."

Meanwhile, on the other side of the room, Tamizh was in the middle of her own round of teasing. She had gathered a few of her cousins and friends and they were arranging cushions, spreading a soft silk bedspread and lighting a few scented candles for the special night.

"Poor Meera Akka," one of Tamizh's cousins, Divya, said with a teasing grin. "Do you think she's nervous?"

"Of course she is!" another cousin chimed in. "I mean, it's her first night with Ram. Who wouldn't be?"

Tamizh smiled fondly as she fluffed a pillow, but she couldn't resist joining in on the banter. "Akka's going to be fine. Knowing her, she's probably more nervous about the bed breaking than anything else!"

They all burst out laughing, imagining Meera being her meticulous self even on her marriage night. The teasing only got worse as they began speculating what might be going through the newlyweds' minds.

"I bet Ram is rehearsing lines in his head right now!" one of the elder cousin who had been marrie for five years now, joked. "He's probably like, 'Okay, I need to say something romantic... Should I start with 'You look beautiful' or maybe 'Are you comfortable?'"

They were all in fits of giggles at this point, wiping tears from their eyes as they continued to tease one another.

"Speaking of marriage nights..." Divya's voice dropped as she sidled up to Tamizh. "When's yours going to be, huh? Any special someone we should know about?"

Tamizh groaned, pretending to be exasperated. "Oh, please. Let's focus on Akka's night, okay? I'm not in any hurry to get into that mess."

The teasing didn't stop there. Tamizh's friends couldn't resist throwing in their two cents. "Don't lie, Tamizh. You've had plenty of admirers, haven't you? Don't act so innocent."

"Yeah and I bet you've got a few ideas about your own marriage night, don't you?"

Tamizh blushed, waving them off. "I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. For now, let's just make sure Akka's night is perfect."

As the teasing continued, Prabhu made his way over to the group. He overheard bits of their conversation and the mischief in his eyes was unmistakable.

Standing just behind Tamizh, he smirked and said, "So, when are you planning for your marriage night, hmm?"

Tamizh turned to him, her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you get enough teasing already?"

Prabhu chuckled, unfazed. "Not at all. In fact, I'm quite enjoying this."

Tamizh rolled her eyes but couldn't suppress her smile. "Well, for your information, I'm in no rush. Unlike some people, I prefer taking my time."

"Oh, really?" Prabhu said with a grin. "I'm sure you've got it all planned out, though. I mean, with your attention to detail, I wouldn't be surprised if you've got the whole night scripted."

Tamizh let out a laugh, shaking her head. "You wish, Mr. Architect. Maybe you should focus on your own marriage plans instead of mine."

Prabhu winked playfully. "Don't worry, I'm working on it."

Before Tamizh could retort, Dhurva interrupted with a mock-serious tone, "Alright, alright, enough of that. We've got work to do! Let's finish decorating this room before the bride and groom get here."

As everyone got back to work, the banter continued, light and playful, filled with inside jokes and endless teasing. It was a night filled with laughter, joy and a sense of togetherness—one that would be remembered long after the marriage was over.

Finally, as the last touches were added to the room, the cousins stood back to admire their work. The bed was strewn with rose petals, the air was filled with the soft fragrance of jasmine and the candles flickered warmly, casting a gentle glow.

Prabhu clapped his hands together. "Alright, team. Mission accomplished."

Tamizh stood beside him, arms crossed, a satisfied smile on her face. "Perfect. Now let's leave Akka and Ram to enjoy their night."

As they all filed out of the room, Dhurva gave Prabhu a light shove. "And remember, man, no sneaking off to find Tamizh again tonight!"

Prabhu laughed, shaking his head. "No promises."