No one had expected things to take such a turn... taiji and Rakesh stared at Anand... frozen at their places.

Tauji had his back towards everyone but his clenched fists showed his state of mind.

Phulla bua held her forehead in her palm... fed up with the drama.

Bela paled at her husband's decision.

Preeti wanted to hug her father... getting rid of them would be the best thing for their family.

Naina stood drained of energy and voice... not wanting to be the reason for such a big drift in relationships.

Anand stood in the center of the room... firm on his decision.

Without a word, tauji walked out after a few minutes of silence.

Taiji and Rakesh followed him after realising that Anand would not change his mind.

"Yeh aapne kya kiya?" Taiji whispered to her husband the moment they entered their room.

He looked back at her, "Kya kiya? Ab Anand ne keh diya toh kya main apni baat se palat jaata?"

"Arre toh palat jaate na... kaunsa yahan koi dekh raha tha... sochiye toh... shaadi ho chuki hai... hum chahe ya na chahe ab Naina rahegi toh uss ghar ki hi... toh isse humein kya mil sakta hai yeh sochiye... Maheshwari naam kitna bada hai... kitna rutba badh jayega hamara... waise toh itna bada ghar us ladki ka sasural bane yeh main nahi chahti thi... par ab woh sab chod ke apna faayda dekhiye... yeh ladka itni factorion ka maalik hai... iske office ke ek do case aapko mil gaye toh aur bade bade log bhi aapko janne lagenge... inke ghar aana jaana karenge toh bhi aise logon se milna hoga... hamara bhi naam bade logon mein liya jayega... hamari shaan hi alag ho jayegi." She started to think about her own benefits.

Tauji pondered over what his wife said, "Keh toh tum theek rahi ho... lekin ab wapas aa gaye hain toh fir se jaana khud ko jhukana hoga unki nazaron mein."

Taiji adjusted her pallu over her head, "Woh sab aap mujh pe chod dijiye."

Bela was upset about the way things turned out to create a sourness in blood relations.

"Buaji, aise rishte thodi toot te hain... yun saath saath rehte hue kya hum log ek doosre ko pehchanna bhi band kar denge? Aisa nahi ho sakta... aap samjhaiye na Preeti ke papa ko... thodi aur koshish kar lete hain bhaisahab ko manane ki." She pleaded to Phulla bua.

The old lady looked at her innocent daughter in law, "Tu alag hi hai, Bela... teri jaithani saara din tujhpe hukum chalati hai, tujhe kosti hai fir bhi tu uske jaane se dukhi hai."

Bela wiped the wetness in her eyes, "Ab buaji, bartan toh apas mein khatakte hi hain... koi baat nahi... lekin parivaar bikharna nahi chahiye."

"Tu chinta mat kar... main Naresh se baat karungi... chal abhi jaldi se naashte ki taiyari kar... gyarah baje panditji aayenge." Phulla bua tried to divert her attention.

Bela quickly got up, getting busy with the preparations for breakfast.

Naina was upset that chachaji had go take such a big decision.

"Naina, tu pagal mat ban... yeh khushi manane ki baat hai rone ki nahi... soch, ek jhatke mein taiji ke taano se, unki maar se, unke kaam karaane se, unke tokne se... har cheez se chutkara mil gaya." Preeti grinned, swirling around in elation.

"Lekin Preeti, shaadi mein sab poochenge ki baaki ghar wale kahan hai toh kya jawab denge?" Naina was upset.

Preeti frowned at her, "Tujhse poochenge? Nahi naa... fir tu kyon pareshan ho rahi hai... jaane de... bas ab shaadi ki taiyari shuruuuu."

She jumped in excitement.

Naina could not hold back a smile.

When panditji came later, she wanted to be with the elders in the living room... but stood at the door of her room... wrenching her fingers.

"Dekhiye panditji, yeh hai dono bachhon ki janm tithi... aur ek baat... inki shaadi court mein ho gayi hai... isliye yeh sirf rasm hai... aapko kundali wagerah ke chakkar mein nahi padna hai... bas sabse pehli tareekh bata dijiye." Anand gave him the details.

Panditji was initially puzzled as to why the couple needed to marry again but quietly went about his calculations.

After a few minutes of silence, which seemed extremely long to Naina, he looked up at Anand and Phulla bua.

"Agle mahine ki 12 tareekh bohot shubh hai." He smiled.

"Agle mahine?" Naina blurted, immediately slapping her hand on her mouth.

Thankfully, her voice did not reach the elders as Phulla bua started speaking at the same time, "Usse pehle koi nahi hai kya? Humein jaldi se jaldi chahiye."

Panditji looked at them strangely, "Issi mahine ki?"

"Jee panditji, issi mahine, issi hafte... matlab sabse pehli wali." Anand said earnestly.

He bent down again over the papers, counting and calculating.

"Agle budhwar ka din inn bachhon ke liye theek rahega... 23 April." He smiled.

"Budhwar, yaani aaj se panchwa din... theek hai... saari rasmo ka samay bhi mil jayega aur rishtedaar bhi aa jayenge." Phulla bua nodded in acceptance.

Naina held the door... to save herself from collapsing... she wished Preeti was here...

Five days... she would be Sameer's bride in five days... after a proper marriage... she would leave for his house, dressed in all bridal finery... after five days...

It was surreal...

She ran to the phone, dialling his number... he needed to know... the time had come... finally they had been able to achieve what they had been dreaming of... for so long...

"Sameer..." She burst into tears at the sound of his voice.

"Naina, Naina, kya hua? Kisine kuch kaha? Taiji ne fir se tumhe chot pohochayi hai kya? Rakesh sir ne kuch bola? Please Naina, kuch toh batao.... mera dil ghabra raha hai..." He was stunned, himself almost in tears.

"Sam... Sameer...chachaji... ne," She hiccupped, "chachaji ne shaadi ki... ta... tareekh... "

He stood rooted, holding the phone... was she saying what he was thinking... she was crying... that meant bad news...

He tried to console both her and himself, "Tareekh nahi nikalwayi? Naina, tum ro mat... main aata hun... chachaji se baat karunga...hum dono unse baat karenge... woh..."

"23 April... paanch din baad." She cut him midsentence.

There was a sharp intake of breath... then silence...

She waited... holding her breath.

"Naina... 23... 23 April... abhi... agle hafte..." He stuttered.

"Haan, Sameer... hamari shaadi... tum ghodi pe baith ke aaoge... band, baaja, baraati, naach gaana, haldi, mehendi... sab hoga... bilkul waisa jaisa humein chahiye tha." She was not aware of a fresh stream of tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Mujhe tumse abhi milna hai, Naina... abhi... main aa raha hun." He had to see her.

"Mujhe bhi milna hai... lekin yahan nahi... mandir mein hi aao... abhi poojaghar toh band ho jayega par hamari jagah pe milenge... I Love You, Sameer." She couldn't contain her happiness.

"I Love You too, meri jaan." He was ready to fly to the temple.

"Munna Pandit, bohot zaroori kaam hai... thodi der mein aata hun." He picked up the bike keys and ran out before his bewildered friends could ask anything.

"Kamaal hai... subah se roni shakal banayi hui thi aur abhi aisa hawa hawaai ho gaya." Pandit stared at the empty door after him.

Munna also wondered, "Haan yaar, aisa kya hua? Khush bhi lag raha tha."

"Abe... kahin pagal wagal toh nahi ho gaya na... matlab koi daura pada ho... shayad sadak pe naach raha ho ya kahi jaa ke akele mein gaane gaa raha ho." Pandit rounded his eyes, imagining Sameer doing either of these things.

"Chup kar, Pandat... kabhi toh dhang ki baat socha kar." Munna smacked him.

"Ab isme mera kya kasoor ki woh kaam hi aise karta hai... koi bhi bhola bhala insaan dhoka kha jaye." Pandit rubbed his arm.

Naina was waiting in the temple when Sameer reached. He spotted her before he had started to climb down. The entire temple was deserted. He carefully went down the stairs, wanting to surprise her.

She turned the moment his foot touched the lowest step.

And she ran to him, crashing against his chest so hard that he fell back against the wall surrounding the stairs.

Her arms went around his neck... her toes barely touching the ground... she had lifted herself up to the maximum.

His hands wrapped around her slender waist, drawing her to himself.

The words were not needed... the warmth they felt with each other was enough to comfort and soothe them.

Her cheek touched his, the one her father had dared to mark... and her heart wrenched. She quickly pulled back, holding his chin to tilt his face.

Sameer was perplexed... one moment she was clinging to him, making it difficult even for air to seek a gap, and next, she was checking his face... like she was looking for something.

"Kya hua?" He frowned, not wanting the softness of her cheeks away from his face.

"Woh... woh... papa ne... sorry Sameer." Her eyes got misty.

So much had happened since morning that he took some time to recall what she was talking about... and when he did, he pursed his lips, flicking up his brows.

"Woh majnu hi kya jo apni laila ke liye pathar na khaye... maine yoh sirf do thappad khaye hain." He grinned.

A lone tear spilled out of her eye... not because of crying... but because of her cheeks pushing up against her damp eyes as a giggle erupted from her mouth.

"Tum na pagal ho." She ruffled his hair, making them fall on his forehead.

"Haan, bilkul pagal hun... tumhare pyar mein... tha... hun... aur rahunga... hamesha." He rubbed his nose with hers.

She narrowed her eyes, "Itne pagal ki bhool gaye thappad khaye nahi, khaya hai... ek tha."

He bit his lip for the slip... but she caught it.

"Sameer, kuch chupa rahe ho tum mujhse?" She lowered herself to stand on her feet.

He knew there was no point trying, "Ghar pe... aaj unko yaad aaya ki woh maa hain."

The pain was more in his eyes than the sting on his cheek.

Naina placed one hand on his cheek, the tears this time were real.

"Yeh log kyon nahi samajhte Sameer... pyar ko paana itna mushkil kyon hota hai?"

He smiled at her innocence, "Kyonki Naina, pyar anmol hota hai... aur har anmol cheez ke liye bohot saare imtihaan dene padte hain... mushkilein uthani padti hain... aur inn sab ke baad jab apni manzil pe pohochate hain toh ek alag khushi hoti hai."