After a lot of searching, this was the best pic I could get... though it's a dress, you can imagine a dupatta with it... the hair is exactly like I wanted to show.

Naina stepped out of the washroom, checking if anyone was there. The silence prevailing in the house confirmed that it was vacant. She waved to Sameer to come out, asking him to leave quickly. Sameer gave the packet Rahul had given for Sonali and moved to the main entrance. As he reached there, he grabbed Naina behind the door again to give a quick kiss on her cheek, letting his hands roam freely on her back.

"Sameer, koi aa jayega," she tried to move out of his grip.

"Toh? Biwi ho meri," he grinned, loving the feel of the word.

"Par kisi ko pata nahi hai na abhi... aur bata bhi nahi sakte." She explained in a tone as if she was talking to a child.

"Uss din ka intezar mujhe kitni besabri se hai yeh main tumhe ussi din bataunga." He mumbled against her neck.

She dipped her head to the side, trying to avoid his touch that was again setting her pulse racing.

"Please jao, Sameer... mujhe toh yeh bhi nahi pata Sonali aur Mala didi kahan hain aur kab aayenge... unhone dekha toh theek nahi hoga." She placed her hands on his chest, pushing him.

Her action made his eyes slip lower than her face again... and Naina was  suddenly aware of her dupatta less state. She turned to go but his arms did not let her move away. Her fisted hand slowly moved to rest on the dipping neckline. Sameer bit the corner of his lip, bending a little to kiss her forehead before leaving.

After he was gone, Naina stood in front of the mirror... her fingers reached the colour in her hair... a smile crept up on her lips.

"Yeh kya hua kuch samajh nahi aaya, bhagwanji... aise achanak aapne ek pal mein mujhe saari khushiyan de di... main aur Sameer... iss tarah..."

The small dot seemed to be the only thing she could see in the entire mirror... her own image fading away.

She wondered where Sonali was... she was supposed to be here, getting ready with Mala didi... then, how they just disappeared... how Sameer came at the time they were not present... how did he know she was in this room... how he heard her voice from the bathroom... why did he have a tilak on his forehead... a mere touch of his tilak to her hair... could they really be called married... but she could not let him wipe it off... why... chachiji had always given so much importance to sindoor, always worn it with love and respect... the meaning of a parting filled with red was forever synonymous to belonging to someone... and a strange twist of fate had put a stamp on their relationship today... she had always belonged to Sameer, and he to her... and they had the blessing of her family, well, half her family... but still, the fear clutched her heart sometimes... maybe today was the sign from the one who was controlling everything from far above... a sign that her fate was permanently joined with Sameer... they were meant to be one... always... forever...

The questions were far too many... the coincidences were unbelievable... but her heart had more faith in the miracle that had changed her from Naina Agarwal to Naina Sameer Maheshwari in an instant.

She picked up a mang tika from Sonali's jewellery box and arranged it in the center parting of her hair... hiding his mark from the world... for now.

Sonali came back with the beautician shortly and while she changed into her bridal outfit, Naina got her dupatta arranged properly to hide the back... adjusting the border in front to cover the deep neck. The material not being sheer made the hesitation of wearing it in front of everyone go away.

Sonali insisted that Naina gets ready first but she asked Mala didi to complete Sonali's make up.

Later, when the bride was ready, Naina sat down to get her hair done.

"Aap yeh mang tika nikal do, baal set karne ke baad main laga dungi," the beautician raised her hand to take it off.

"Nahi," Naina jerked her head away, "yeh... yeh maine badi mushkil se lagaya hai... isse rehne do, aap bas thoda sa set kar do."

Though she was not happy, Mala didi set about to do her work.

At the end of it, Naina was herself surprised to see the image in the mirror.

Done with their dressing up, Naina brought out the packet from the drawer.

"Sonali, yeh Rahul ne bheja hai... tere liye." She forwarded the gift.

Sonali's eyes brightened, "Oh! Usse ab tak yaad tha."

She opened the wrapping to take out strings of beautiful white flowers, their fragrance immediately filling up the room.

Naina helped her to pin the strings to her hair in such a way that half of it fell over her shoulders.

"Ek baar hum ek film dekhne  gaye the aur wahan maine heroine ko apni shaadi mein aise phool lagaye dekha tha... tab maine Rahul se kaha tha ki inn phoolon ki mehek hi  yeh ahsaas dilati hai ki hum dulhan bane hain... maine kaha ki jab meri shaadi hogi tab main bhi aise phool lagaungi... lekin abhi inka mausam nahi hai toh yahan market mein mile hi nahi... pata nahi Rahul ne kahan se mangwaye."

Naina watched various emotions come and go on Sonali's face.

She gave a side hug to her friend, "Dekh le, Rahul ne kaise yaad bhi rakha aur laake bhi diya... kitna toh romantic hai bechara... aur tu aise hi kehti hai ki thoda aur hona chahiye."

Sonali tilted her head to touch it with hers, "Shayad Sameer ke saath rehne se asar aa gaya... hamari toh shaadi ho rahi hai... tera Sameer abhi se itna pyar jatata hai... Naina, ek baar tumhari shaadi ho jayegi na, tab dekhna, uske pyar ke nishaan chupate chupate thak jayegi."

Her teasing made Naina colour to the roots... her hand flung to the shoulder he had kissed. She had seen the mark turning blue later. He had purposely done it at a place where no one could see it. The colour on her face deepened.

Sonali looked at her and chuckled, "Kitna sharmati hai tu... chehra aise laal hua hai jaise shaadi meri nahi teri hai."

And Naina felt her body fill up with a pleasant warmth... she wanted to share with Sonali... she wanted to scream out to the whole world... but she remained silent.

This was not the time.

It was Sonali's big day.

It turned out to her's too.

Naina got up to stand in front of the mirror. She adjusted her mang tika, lightly touching the mark in her hair.

Sameer reached home when everyone was busy preparing for the baraat. He went to his room. Rahul had taken a shower and dressed in a kurta.

"De aaya Sonali ko? Kya kaha usne?" He looked eagerly at Sameer.

Sameer stared blankly at Rahul.

"Bhai diya ya nahi? Kuch gadbad toh nahi kar di? Kisko deke aa gaya?" Rahul shook his friend, bringing him out of the dreamland he had been in all the way from that house to this.

"Haan, de diya." He blurted.

"Kuch kaha Sonali ne?" Rahul asked hopefully.

Sameer tried to recall what Sonali said. And he remembered he never met her.

"Woh Sonali wahan nahi thi... kahin gayi thi... isliye main Naina ko de aaya... usne kaha woh de degi." Sameer stated.

Rahul nodded in understanding. Sonali must have been getting ready... she could not have come out to meet someone.

"Chal theek hai... ab tu bhi naha ke taiyar ho ja... aur yeh tika dho lena... pata nahi har cheez mein yeh itna bada laal tika kyon laga dete hain." He mumbled to himself after talking to Sameer... showing his displeasure for the tilak.

Sameer picked up his clothes and went for a bath. The mirror reflected the tilak which was now faint in colour, having given away a part of itself to her. For him, the red tilak was the most auspicious thing from today... it had given him the most valuable gift of his life.

This red tilak had been a miracle that had changed Naina Agarwal go Naina Sameer Maheshwari in an instant.

Sameer and Rahul walked into the living room where most of the relatives were gathered for his traditional sehra... the turban for the dulha. He sat in the chair as the sehra was tied and a jeweled pin placed in the center.

"Chalo ab baaki sab bhi pagdi bandhwa lo... Rishi, Sameer... baitho beta." Rahul's father directed them at the chairs.

Sameer had seen Salman Khan wear such a pagdi for his brother's wedding in the movie and had also seen Naina going all dreamy over his look... he quickly sat down.

With the sound of band playing filmy music and everyone dancing to the tunes, the baraat started for its destination some time later, with Rahul on a white mare.

Sameer stayed away from the dancing group but as they approached Sonali's house, Rishi and his cousins dragged him to join them. Sameer could not say no... his own heart dancing at the thought of seeing Naina within a few minutes.

As the sound of band neared their house, Naina removed the curtain a bit and looked out, to see the groom's party close to the decorated area in the garden. She looked for Sameer amidst people standing around the dancing group but be was not there. She searched around Rahul but he wasn't there either.

"Kahin woh yahan toh nahi aa raha?" Her heart lurched at the thought.

Sonali joined her at the window to look at her dulha... smiling gloriously, sitting on the horse... stealing glances at her balcony. She laughed... he wasn't aware that she was in this house... he was hoping to catch a glimpse of her in the balcony of her room.

"Naina, sun na, jaake bata ke aa na Rahul ko ki main yahan hun." She tugged at Naina's elbow.

Understanding her friends' need to see each other once before they stepped out in front of the entire gathering, she walked out.

Not able to locate Sameer, she decided to tell Rishi. As she reached the baraat, her breath stuck in the throat. She had not recognized him because Sameer was wearing a red pagdi... something she had never seen before... and he looked like a groom himself... in a white closed neck coat with white trousers. She stared with open mouth at him as he danced happily to the tune of

'Le jayenge, le jayenge, dilwale dulhaniya le jayenge... '

Sameer noticed Naina as he turned... and stopped in the middle of the step.

She stood like a dream... dressed in the same lehenga, yet looking so different... the light colour making her look more soft, more glowing, more enchanting... her hair were soft rings falling over the shoulders... a simple pearl necklace was the only jewellery she wore today, still she looked heavenly... the dupatta was nicely wrapped around her, had he not seen what laid beneath, it would have been difficult to imagine.

A shove from Rishi brought him out of the trance.

"Kya hua? Ruk kyon gaye?" He looked in the direction of his gaze and saw Naina.

"Arre Naina, aap bhi aao na, bhai aapka bhi toh dost hai... toh ek dance toh banta hai." He nudged Sameer to get her.

Sameer didn't need more prompting. He held Naina's hand and pulled her in the center.

Naina was suddenly conscious. In Ahmedabad, dancing like this would have caused a furore. She looked back at bhabhi who stood near the main entrance with pooja thali. She smiled and raised her brows, dipping her head to one side in acceptance.

Naina looked back at Sameer... and matched step with him... dancing together for the first time.