The morning started with lots of activities in both houses. Being the wedding day, there was no ritual in the morning where both families had to meet. Sameer was not aware of this. He got ready in the morning and stood whistling in front of the mirror as he brushed his hair.

Rahul entered the room, still in his tracks.

Sameer looked at him in surprise, "Arre tu abhi tak taiyar nahi hua? Late ho jaayenge."

Rahul was puzzled, "Late? Kahan jaana hai?"

"Kahan jaana hai matlab? Roz ke jaise Sonali ke ghar nahi jaana?" He shot an uncertain look, fearing what would be coming.

"Shaadi ka muhurat toh shaam ka hai bhai, abhi se jaake thodi baithna hai." Rahul sprawled on the bed.

He tried to hide his disappointment, "Oh achha... chalo koi nahi... main toh isliye ready hua tha ki roz kuch hota hai... aaj bhi hoga."

Sameer was not happy with the situation. He had expected another function or ritual where either they could go to Sonali's house or their family could come here.

Rahul could see the sadness... he sat up, waving at Sameer to sit with him.

"Yaar tu na aise dukhi mat ho... mujhe achha nahi lagta... tu aisa kar, jaake Naina se mil aa." Rahul said seriously.

Sameer stood up in an instant, "Haan, main usse kahin bahar le jaata hun... bike pe, shaam tak wapas aa jaunga."

Rahul pulled him back, "Chup kar ke baith, mazak kar raha tha... chal pada usse milne... aaj ghar pe rehna hai shaam ki taiyari main madad karne ke liye."

"Yeh achha hai... tu shaam ko apni dulhan le aayega aur uski taiyari ke liye koi aur apni dulhan se na mile." Sameer showed his annoyance.

Rahul laughed, "Oye, abhi teri dulhan bani nahi hai Naina... jab ban jayegi tab kiski himmat jo tujhe roke."

Sameer made a grumpy face, "Shaam ko kitne baje jaana hai?"

"Saat baje ka time hai," Rahul replied.

Sameer laid back on the bed... it was too long a wait.

"Rahul beta, tere kapde aa gaye hain press hoke... dekh le zara." His mother called from the living room.

Rahul jumped up, waving at Sameer to follow him.

The sherwani in gold looked elegant. Rahul checked the complete set properly.

"Kitne badhiya kapde diye hain tere sasural walon ne, Rahul, " his father exclaimed.

"Badhiya toh dene hi the... ek jodi ladke ke kapdon ke alawa aur kuch toh diya nahi... ab kya woh bhi dhang ke naa dete?" Rahul's tauji said in an irritated tone.

Rahul turned towards him angrily but stopped as his father shook his head at him.

"Bhai sahab, yeh bhi isliye le liye humne kyonki shagun hai warna unse kuch lene ka matlab nahi banta." He tried to explain to his elder brother.

"Kyon nahi banta? Ladki wale hain... unko toh zabardasti dena chahiye tha sab kuch... yeh kya baat hui ki tumne mana kiya aur woh aa gaye khaali haath hilate hue." Tauji retorded.

Rahul's mother stepped out of her room, "Khali haath kahan bhai sahab, woh toh apni ladki de rahe hain... aur kuch dena banta hi nahi hai."

"Tum sabka dimag kharab hai, aise koi apna ladka muft mein nahi deta... ladki walon ka farz hota hai sab kuch dena... lekin unko jab tum logon jaise bewakoof mil gaye hain toh unki chaandi ho gayi...  bas mehmano ki tarah baith jaate hain har rasm mein... na koi rishtedaron ko lifafe diye na sikke... Arre kam se kam sabke kapde toh dete... hum toh aise hi kiraya laga ke aaye... pata hota ki yahan upar se milna toh chodo apna kharcha tak nahi nikalega toh bhai hum aate hi nahi." Tauji bitterly remarked.

Rahul clenched his fists, ready to answer but Rishi placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Papa mummy ne mana kiya hai... woh khud sambhal lenge... tu mat bol kuch... bekar mein tauji ko mauka mil jayega ki tune unki beizzati ki hai," Rishi stopped him in a low voice.

"Bhai sahab, beta hai mera koi samaan nahi jo aap uske liye mol bhaav karne ko keh rahe hain... aur woh hamara beta nahi hum unki beti leke aa rahe hain... dekha jaye toh agar kuch dena chahiye toh humein dena chahiye." Rahul's father gave his point of view.

Tauji was more agitated, "Lo, aur lo... ab yeh nayi reet shuru karenge... ladke walon se dahej lene ki... shaadi ke baad ghar ka saara samaan aur usko chalaane ke liye cash dena zaroori hota hai... warna dahej ke bina inki zindagi ki shuruaat kaise hogi?"

"Meri shaadi mein yeh dahej jaisa shabd istemaal nahi hoga, tauji... shaadi karna hum dono ka faisla hai... ghar bhi hum saath milke banayenge... uska kharcha Sonali ke mummy papa kyon uthayenge," Rahul could not stay quiet any longer, but he kept the anger hidden and spoke with forced respect.

"Tu bachha hai abhi... kuch nahi samajhta... yeh tere maa baap ka farz tha tere liye intezaam karna ki ghar ko set karne ka jimma unko dete... arre main toh kehta hun ki ghar bhi unko hi leke dena chahiye tha... unki beti ka hi toh hota." The age old notions set in tauji's mind could not accept the new thought process.

"Rahul apna ghar khud chalane ki kabliyat rakhta hai... itna bharosa hai mujhe apne bete par... kisi ko uski fikr karne ki zaroorat nahi hai... aur jahan tak aapke nuksaan ki baat hai... aap mere ghar aayein hain isliye aapka saara kharcha main uthaunga... humne aap sabke liye kapde aur kuch tohfe le rakhe hain... aap khaali haath nahi jayenge." Rahul's father was aware of the greedy nature of his brother.

"Theek hai bhai... tum log mahaan bano... sabse kehna hum bahu nahi beti laa rahe hain.. usko hamesha apni beti samajh ke rakhenge ghar mein," tauji spilled more venom.

"Kabhi nahi kahenge... hum bahu laa rahe hain aur bahu hi banake rakhenge... beti ko toh vida karna padta hai... Sonali meri bahu banke aayegi jo hamesha mere ghar mein roshni failayegi... usko bahu manti rahungi jisse yaad rahe ki usne apne maa baap, apna ghar parivaar humare liye choda hai... mere bete ke liye saare rishte peeche rakh ke aayi hai... ek beti se zyaada sammaan milna chahiye ek bahu ko... pyaar ki haqdaar dono hain par   apna ghar chodne ka dukh kam karne ke liye humein usse iss ghar ko apnane ke liye sahi mahaul dena chahiye... meri koi beti nahi hai par Sonali meri bahu hi rahegi humesha." Rahul's mother clarified the doubts of her brother in law.

"Tum jaise log iss desh ka beda gark karenge... alag hi soch hai tumhari... har ladki shaadi karke aati hai, isme badi baat kya hai jo tum usse sar pe bithane ki baat kar rahe ho... tum bhi aayi thi ek din... aur tumhari beti hoti toh woh bhi jaati." Tauji was not the one to accept the changing mindset.

"Karti hai har ladki... lekin shaadi hote hi usse ummeed kee jaati hai ki woh saare purane rishte bhula de... apne maa baap se milne ke liye bhi usse puchna padta hai... unki kisi tarah ki madad karne ki azadi nahi milti usko... na kabhi paise ki zaroorat pade toh de sakti hai aur na hi kisi mushkil waqt pe apne ghar mein rakh sakti hai... kyon? Yeh soch badalni chahiye." Rahul's father could not keep his voice down.

His wife came to sit near him, keeping a hand on his arm to calm him. He took a long breath and smiled at her.

"Tum apne tareeke se chalao apna ghar... humein updesh mat do... yahan aate hi nahi agar pata hota ki yahan shaadi nahi samaaj kalyan ka  kaaryakram hone waala hai." Tauji walked out of the room, annoyed that no one was of the same views as his.

Rahul's mother looked at her son, "Tu inki baaton pe dhyaan mat de.. pata toh hai hamesha aisa hi bolte hain... aur Sonali aur uske parivaar ke samne inhe kuch nahi bolne denge... tu ghabra mat... jitna tu pyaar karta hai usse utna na sahi par hum bhi bohot pyar karte hain apni bahu se."

Rahul shyly scratched his head at her teasing, then bent down and hugged his parents, "Thanks mummy, thanks papa... aap log best ho."

Back in the room, Sameer was still in a shock at what transpired between the elders outside.

Rahul could see that he was uncomfortable.

"Sameer, yeh tauji kuch zyada hi parane khyal ke hain... waise hum log inse zyada baat nahi karte par shaadi mein bulana padta hai, yaar... lekin mummy papa unko sambhal lenge... bas Sonali ya uski family ki insult na kar de iska dhyan rakhna padta hai." He explained his clueless friend.

"Lekin woh aisa kaise bol sakte hain... Sonali ke ghar walon ko yeh sab kyon dena chahiye?" Sameer could not fathom.

"Chod na... inke jaise logon ki soch nahi badal sakti... mere ghar mein aisa koi nahi sochta isliye main khaas parwah nahi karta... tu bhi dimaag se nikaal de...  har shaadi mein ek na ek aise aag lagane wale rishtedaar hote hain... dekhna teri mein bhi aayenge... bas unhe control mein rakhna." Rahul said.

Sameer looked sharply at him, then looked away...

"Meri shaadi mein koi nahi ayega... Munna Pandit ke alawa." His voice was low but Rahul heard it.

"Kyon? Teri family nahi aayegi Delhi se?" Rahul was surprised.

Sameer remembered his mother's words about Naina... she was not much better than Rahul's tauji... he was sure she would insult Naina and her family openly if she came... the only person who would have been genuinely happy with his marriage would have been nanu and he was not with him anymore.

"Mere paas koi family nahi hai, Rahul." His voice was dry.

Rahul instantly pulled him into a hug, "Ab hai... teri family main hun... Sonali hai... mere ghar wale hain... hum sab milke karenge teri shaadi... poore josh aur masti ke saath."

Sameer felt a lump in his throat... he hugged back Rahul with the acceptance that his own mother might not love him but there are people who keep him close to their heart.

When he was finally able to speak, he told Rahul about the equation with his mother, her devotion towards her family at Delhi and her criticism for everything that he did.

"Par aisa kyon hai, Sameer? Aakhir woh teri sagi maa hain... saath nahi reh sakti par pyar toh de sakti hain na...  tune pucha nahi kabhi unse?" Rahul was not able to understand her behavior with her own son.

"Unhone mere saath sawal jawab wala rishta hi nahi rakha... jab chota tha toh unko khush karne ke liye unki baatein maan leta tha... ab mujhe unse ya unki khushi se koi matlab nahi hai." Sameer was bitter.

Rahul gave a side hug again, "Tu ab aur kuch mat soch... teri shaadi ka dhamaal hum milke karenge... main, Munna aur Pandit... aur kisi cheez ki kami nahi rehne denge... aise rishtedaron se achha hai rishtedaar aayein hi nahi... jab unhe rishton ki kadar nahi hai toh nibhane ka dhong kyon karna."

Sameer placed a hand around his shoulder, smiling.

Rahul got up rubbing his hands, "Aur ab zara meri shaadi pe focus kar lein? Lunch kar lete hain fir sochenge ki joote kaise bachaane hain saaliyon se... aur tu bhi soch le Naina se romance ke liye kaise mauka dhondega."

He winked at Sameer.

"Mauka kya dhoondna hai... Naina ke samne aate hi mere dimaag mein aur kuch aata hi nahi... uske saath toh har minute, har second bas yehi soojhta hai," Sameer winked back.

Rahul was pleasantly surprised... seeing him express his emotions freely was something new.

They went down together for lunch.