[And all of you were right. It's Ranbir. Hope you all like this part. Will reply to all your comments on the previous parts soon. I wasn't planning on updating today, but couldn't say no to @Pranbirforever who requested so sweetly.]

"Prachi! You have already forgotten me? Even before our official engagement? Oh God! My life is ruined! What will happen to me? The love of my life has forgotten me already. She is asking me who I am." Ranbir began his histrionics.

Stunned at the sudden outburst, for a moment Prachi was speechless and then burst into fits of giggles.

"How cruel you are! You are laughing while my life is being turned upside down." Ranbir accused Prachi dramatically, making Prachi laugh harder.

"Done with your histrionics or is there some more of it?" Prachi managed to choke out through the incessant giggles.

"Here, I am crying over my cruel fate and there you are, dismissing my miseries as mere histrionics. Such an injustice to my poor feelings!" Ranbir sniffed dramatically.

"Ranbir! I will cut the call." Prachi finally threatened, knowing that it was the only way to culminate his histrionics.

As she had known already, the simple threat worked like magic.

"Okay, okay, sorry, sorry. But don't cut the call." Ranbir chuckled.

"Finally!" Prachi grinned.

"Now, the reason I had called you is to see your engagement outfit. Come on, show me, please. Send me a photo." Ranbir entreated.

"Umm...okay. But you show me your outfit first." Prachi smirked.

"I knew you would say that. So, I have already send it." Ranbir grinned.

"Wow! Wait. Let me check." Prachi checked the photo and smiled seeing it.

The immediate thought that occurred to her was Ranbir would look like a prince in this outfit.

"So, do you like it?" Ranbir asked eagerly.

"No." Prachi responded.

"No? You don't like it? Okay...I will ask mom to..." Ranbir stared gloomily ahead as he continued.

He had loved the outfit but if Prachi didn't like it then what was the use of it? So, he had decided at that very instant to ask his mother to change the outfit.

"Because I love it. And you, my prince, will look exactly like a prince in that outfit." Prachi smiled.

"Yeah, don't worry, I will....What?" Ranbir stopped in mid sentence, baffled.

"Yes, baklu." Prachi giggled.

"You scared me. Chikchiki. You really think so?" Ranbir asked eagerly.

"No, I was just saying it for the heck of it." Prachi replied, grinning.

For a moment there was silence and then both burst into gales of laughter. After their laughter subsided, Ranbir plonked down on the bed beside the sherwani.

"Now show me my princess' outfit. I am sure she will look like a princess in any outfit she decides to wear." Ranbir stared up at the ceiling with a dreamy smile playing on his lips.

"Nope." Prachi smirked.

"What? But why?" Ranbir frowned.

"Because I want it to be a surprise." Prachi giggled.

"Hey, that's not fair. You have seen my outfit." Ranbir whined.

"But you won't see mine till I come down for the party. And everything is fair in love and war." Prachi grinned.

"But how can I show my appreciation in front of others?" Ranbir complained.

"Hmmm...okay, come in front of my room after an hour and you will be the first one to see me in the outfit and also the only one to escort me downstairs. Deal?" Prachi asked in an amused voice.

"Deal. Be ready for my kind of appreciation, my princess, which is reserved only for you." Ranbir grinned playfully.

"Bye, my prince. See you in an hour. Love you." Prachi smiled lovingly.

"Bye, my princess. Can't wait to see you. Love you more." Ranbir smiled.

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An hour later

Ranbir was pacing to and fro restlessly in the corridor just in front of Prachi's room when the slight noise of a door opening made him whirl around. He was just rooted on the spot, lost in a dreamland of his own, as his eyes met the exquisite sight that Prachi made in the silver grey lehenga with matching accessories and with her hair left open. He was mesmerized seeing the exquisite beauty approaching him.

Things were not much different on the other side too. In the blue gold sherwani he was looking like the handsome prince that Prachi had known he would. However, he was looking way more handsome than she had thought or imagined. Even she was mesmerized seeing him.

Ranbir closed the remaining distance between them and stood in front of her, both admiring each other.

"So, how is the surprise?" Prachi was the first one to break the simmering silence.

"I will show you." Ranbir smiled.

"Show me? How?" Prachi stared at him, bemused.

Ranbir leaned towards her and kissed a soft, feminine cheek.

"This is how." Ranbir grinned as he straightened again.

A crimson hue surged up her neck and tinted her cheeks as Prachi looked down, smiling shyly.

"Now, how do I look?" Ranbir smirked.

Prachi looked up and there was a mischievous twinkle in her beautiful, dark eyes.

"I will show you." Prachi raised herself on her toes and kissed a slightly bristly, masculine cheek.

Ranbir's lips split into a wide, mischievous grin.

"Not bad, Chikchiki. You are a fast learner." Ranbir grinned.

"Baklu. Shall we go now? Otherwise our families will send a search party for us." Prachi grabbed his arm and almost dragged him away with her, more to divert him from this naughty mood than anything else.

Laughing, he went along without a single protest.

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The hall of the mansion was decorated with blue and white lavenders. Beautiful snow white silk draperies adorned the glass windows. Waiters in blue and white uniform were moving around with trays containing delicacies by famous chefs. In the middle of the hall a platform had been raised which housed a couch whose backrest was blue while the seat was white. A little away from the hall was the dining area. The tables were covered with white draperies while the chairs were blue. On the left of the dining area were numerous stalls carrying multifarious cuisines.

All the elders of the Mehra and the Kohli families were mingling among the numerous guests who were engrossed in conversation along with munching delicacies and sipping their respective choices of beverages.

Aryan was walking briskly towards the dining area to check the preparations while simultaneously checking a list clutched in a tight grip. Someone placed a hand on his shoulder causing him to stop and turn around. Abhishek and Vikram were standing in front of him.

"Where are the bride to be and the groom to be? Everyone has come. And yet there is no trace of the duo for whom everyone have gathered here. Where are Ranbir and Prachi?" Vikram looked at Aryan questioningly.

"Calm down, oldie. Take a deep breath. And let poor Aryan breath too. How many questions will you barrage the poor chap with?" Abhishek teased his friend.

Before either Vikram could respond to Abhishek's teasing or Aryan could answer Vikram's query, a voice enticed their attention.

"We are right here, dad."

The trio whirled around to see the most handsome couple descending the flight of stairs leading to the 2nd floor of the mansion.

Pragya and Pallavi, who had just joined them, smiled with eyes brimming with tears due to sheer joy. They gushed about how beautiful their children look with each other. Abhishek and Vikram agreed that Prachi and Ranbir, indeed looked perfect with each other. Aryan too joined them in praising the couple.

As Prachi and Ranbir reached the hall, they walked over to their parents and touched their feet. The parents in turn blessed them with a long, happy and prosperous life and lifelong togetherness. Aryan hugged both his best friend and brother in law and his sister and wished for all the happiness that they deserve and more for them.

"Arey! You all are here. And I am searching you everywhere. The auspicious time for the engagement has arrived. Come Prachi and Ranbir. Let them talk here the whole night." Dida feigned anger, making Ranbir and Prachi laugh while their respective parents and Aryan smiled sheepishly.

"Where is Sahana?" Prachi looked around quizzically.

"Sorry, sorry, I was a little late." Sahana was hurrying towards them.

"Yeah, she is late because she had been getting ready since three hours. Had she started getting ready an hour or two earlier than that, she would have been on time, isn't it Sahana? Who is the bride here again?" Aryan smirked sardonically.

"Oh please. How would you know how much time it takes a girl to get ready? We are not like you guys, wear a nice dress, spray a nice perfume, comb your unruly hair and you are done." Sahana jeered.

Aryan was about to retaliate when Purab, who had just joined them, hold his shoulder.

"Aryan, you can't talk like that with a girl. And don't complain if she retaliates as you were the one to start it." Purab smiled.

Sahana grinned while Aryan frowned. Everyone else laughed.

Dida led the young couple to the platform housing the couch and made them sit down. Prachi and Ranbir stooped down and touched her feet. She blessed them and moved away with a smile, gesturing parents of the bride and groom to come and give them the rings.

Abhishek, Pragya, Vikram, Pallavi, Purab, Aryan, Sahana, Saritaji and the rest of the Mehra family had been standing nearest to the dias.

Abhishek and Pragya and Vikram and Pallavi walked up the stage and gave their respective rings to Ranbir and Prachi.

Prachi and Ranbir looked at each other. An exhilarated smile was playing on their lips and their eyes were shining with unadulterated rapture. Till date they had gone through several predicaments but they had only served to strengthen their bond, their mutual love and trust. Today, when their relationship was officially going to see a new beginning in front of the whole word, their shared past caught up with them. Like a kaleidoscope, every moment of the relationship till date that began with fight at first sight and gradually transformed into one of unwavering trust, friendship and boundless love flashed in front of their eyes. At that moment they appreciated each other even more than earlier.

Still smiling, Ranbir outstretched his hand, palm facing, towards Prachi, who put her smaller hand in his larger one with a shy smile. As Ranbir pushed the ring gently down Prachi's ring finger the whole hall burst into rounds of applause. Prachi looked down at the ring that marked the beginning of their journey through life together.

"Prachi, now it's your turn." Abhishek smiled as he gave the ring for Ranbir to Prachi.

Prachi looked up with a smile and took the proffered ring. Turning towards Ranbir, she slowly and carefully pushed the ring down his ring finger. Yet again the hall burst into rounds of applause. Ranbir looked down at the ring that officially marked in front of the whole world that he belonged only to Prachi and she to him.

The applause brought them out of their reverie and beaming happily they got to their feet. Their respective parents hugged and congratulated them. Then Dida and Dasi too came forth and congratulated them after kissing their foreheads lovingly. Purab hugged both the youngsters and congratulated them. Saritaji kissed Prachi's forehead and blessed her with all the happiness in the world. She patted Ranbir's cheek and blessed him with all the happiness in the world too.

Now, it was Aryan and Sahana's turn to congratulate their best friends.Aryan hugged his best friend while Sahana hugged her best friend. Sahana, then, gave Ranbir a cordial side hug while Aryan hugged his sister.

"Congratulations guys. So, finally, you are engaged. Thank God! Otherwise Ranbir would have driven me crazy with his his rants about how the world was doing injustice to him by keeping you away from him. He was just this close to becoming 'Devdas'." Aryan chuckled.

"Even Prachi's condition wasn't much better. She was missing Ranbir so much that she would just wander off into her dreamland every now and then, even while talking to me." Sahana giggled.

Ranbir was embarrassed and a slight redness tinged his handsome visage while Prachi turned a darker shade of crimson. Ranbir had just opened his mouth to rebuke them when a voice cut across.

"Why are you both teasing them so much? Hmmm?"

Precap – Engagement party continues. 

Note – Hey buddies, I will update the next part on Tuesday or Wednesday. No sooner than that. I have to reply to all the comments on the previous parts of my stories and also read the updates of the other beautiful Pranbir stories too. :)