After Bela left the room, Preeti nudged her sister, "Aur jo doosri baat hai... uske liye jijaji ne achhi khaasi planning pakka kar rakhi hogi... bata dun mummy ko ki tere unko Golu kitna pasand hai?"

Naina surprisingly didn't get annoyed, rather bit her lip.

"Preeti, Sameer ko sachmuch Golu bohot pasand hai... kyonki woh ek wajah hai hamari kahani shuru hone ki." She recalled the rainy day of three years back.

Preeti looked at her with wide eyes, "Golu? kaise?"

Naina told her how her kurta had got torn playing with him... how she was left with no option but to wear Pooja didi's green saree... how she was caught in rain when Sameer came to help her... and she had seen something in his eyes that gave her first ray of hope... that one day changed everything for both of them.

Preeti listened with rapt attention, her mouth open as she remembered how Sameer's face always brightened whenever Naina wore anything in green... but then, it was same when she wore pink... or yellow...

"Sunn, Naina, jijaji ka favourite rang akhir hai kaunsa? Matlab hara rang toh tune bata diya lekin unke chehre ka bulb toh tujhe pink mein dekhke bhi jalta hai... uss din pila suit pehna tha tab bhi unke hosh udde hue sey lag rahe the." Preeti wrinkled her nose, tapping a finger on her temple.

Naina chuckled, "Sameer ki aadat ho gayi hai, har rang se kuch na kuch jod dene ki... bas aise hi kho jaata hai kuch bhi yaad karke."

"Oho, toh itni yaadein bana li hain tum dono ne... kya baat hai behen... yahan se Mumbai gayi thi toh badi seedhi shareef thi... wahan jaake ekdum Rangeela ki Urmila ban gayi kya?" Preeti tilted her head, raising her brows mischievously.

"Rangeela? Yeh kaunsi picture hai?" Naina could not recall any movie by this name.

"Abhi abhi aayi hai... uske posters lage hain sab jagah... ab main toh jaa nahi sakti dekhne... lekin tu jijaji ke saath dekh ke aana... hamare rangon mein doobe hue jijaji ko isse bhi koi naye rang ki yaad mil jayegi." Preeti winked, making Naina go red.

Sameer reached home after meeting Naina to see the packet that had come from her house... with his outfit for the evening. He excitedly opened it to find not only the sherwani but a box with gold chain. He frowned, but the next moment, his eyes fell on the note along with it.

Chachaji had conveyed that the chain was a part of his wedding attire and he should not say no to it. Just as they had accepted jewellery for Naina along with her lehenga, he should keep it as a blessing of all elders.

With a teary smile, Sameer touched it to his heart... he had very few things that he could call blessings from his elders... this chain would forever remain precious to him.

"Sameer, main phool le aaya hun sajane ke liye." Pandit said in a loud voice as he entered the house.

"Itna zor se kyon chilla raha hai... sabko sunana zaroori hai kya?" Sameer immediately stood up,waving at him to lower his voice.

"Sabko sunane mein kya hai? Sajne ke baad sabne dekhna hi hai... yahan bhi aur bhabhi ke ghar wale bhi toh dekhenge." Pandit was confused.

"Sabko kyon dikhana hai? Ticket bechega kya mera kamra dikhane ki?" Sameer was infuriated.

"Kamra? Main toh car sajane ke phool laya tha... ismein kamra kahan se aa gaya?" Pandit scratched his head, completely flummoxed.

"Car?" It was Sameer's turn to be stumped.

"Haan bhai, car... jismein bhabhi ko leke aayega." Munna came in with another basket of flower strings.

Sameer looked at both his friends, then pursed his lips, leaving the room with his clothes. The peals of laughter that erupted from the living room made him blush and he squeezed his eyes shut, rubbing his forehead.

He opened the door of his room to see Rahul and Sonali talking to an unknown person.

"Rahul, tum log yahan kya kar rahe ho?" He was surprised as his room was not being used, the renovation work completed just the day before.

"Decorator ko samjha rahe the... tujhe kuch khaas chahiye toh bata de." Rahul looked at him.

"Khaas kya? Munna Pandit kar rahe hain na sajawat... phool bhi le aayein hain." He placed the sherwani on the bed.

"Munna Pandit? Woh kyon karenge? Yeh achhe florist hain, inse karwayenge na." Rahul was amazed... Sameer had never shown any stinginess... then why was he reluctant to spend money for his own wedding...

"Arre Munna Pandit ne toh sajana shuru bhi kar diya hai... bahar jaake dekho zara." Sameer told them.

"Baahar kya dekhen? Kamra sajane ka kaam bahar se kyon shuru karenge?" Rahul was definitely concerned now... Sameer was not being normal.

"Kamra?" Sameer's eyes turned wide.

"Sonali, tum inko baahar le jaa kar zara phool decide karo, main thodi der mein aata hun... Sameer se kuch baat karni hai." Rahul whispered to Sonali, who nodded, going out of the room with the florist.

Rahul looked strangely at Sameer, "Kya hua hai tujhe? Teen saal se toh romance mein saari degree le raha hai aur aaj tujhe itni si baat nahi samajh aa rahi ki kamra sajana hai?"

Sameer rubbed his forehead again, "Yaar, yeh Munna Pandit ne ghuma diya tha mujhe... ek toh waise hi dimag mein itna kuch chal raha hai... upar se tum sab milke pata nahi kya bolte rehte ho... bahar maine kaha kamra sajana hai toh woh dono hansne lage ki sajani toh car hai... aur yahan kaha ki car ke liye phool chahiye toh tu aise dekh raha hai jaise..."

"Sameer, Sameer, Sameer." Rahul held his shoulders to stop his blabbering, "kya hua hai tujhe? Khush hone ki jagah itna baukhlaya hua kyon hai? Koi baat hai kya?"

Sameer sat down with a loud exhale leaving his lungs, "Rahul, darr lag raha hai, yaar... sab theek hoga na... kahin koi galti ho gayi aur Naina ke parivaar walon ko bura laga toh? Mujhe kuch pata nahi hai kya karna chahiye aur kya nahi... na mere ghar ke badon ko koi lena dena hai ki meri zindagi ka sabse khaas din hai aaj... jinko fikr hoti unhe bhagwan ne mere paas rehne hi nahi diya."

Unknowingly, a hint of bitterness and sadness spread in his words at the end.

Rahul realised he was missing his nanu... and even his mother, though he would never admit it.

Sitting next to him, Rahul wrapped his arm around the slumped shoulders of his friend, "Sameer, tu itna dukhi mat ho... nanu bhale hi saamne na ho par tere saath hamesha hain... unka haath tere sar pe hai... aur yaar, teri mummy ka tujhe pata hai toh umeed kyon rakhta hai... rahi baat Naina ke parivaar ki toh unki taraf se mujhe koi tension nahi hai... uske chacha chachi kabhi koi shikaayat karenge hi nahi... aur sach kahun toh uske papa ko dekhkar aisa laga nahi ki woh itne pathar dil honge jo unhone tab rishta kar ke saabit kiya tha... ek woh dadiji hain, unko dekh ke lagta hai galti se budhhi ho gayi, har baat mein masti mazak, chedna, taang kheechna... unke liye tu ghar ka bachha hai, tujhse kya gussa hongi... baaki bachi woh moti aunty aur unke sooje muh wale husband... woh dono toh shayad hi apni zindagi mein kabhi khush hue hon... shakal pe hi jalan likhi hai dono ke."

Sameer could not help smiling at Rahul's analysis of his in-laws... which fitted each one of them aptly.

"Aur teri saali toh fida hai tujhpe... nahi, galat tareeke se nahi, mera matlab apni behen ke liye itni khush hai ki lagta nahin usse tum dono ke alava koi dikhta hai." Rahul defined Preeti, correctly again.

Sameer smiled wider.

Rahul was relieved to see him relaxed, "Waise mummy papa hain yahan... woh sab dekh lenge... fir bhabhi bhi toh hain... chinta mat kar... koi dikkat nahi aayegi... meri aur Sonali ki shaadi mein isse zyada problem thi bhai... mere tauji yaad nahi... kitna drama kiya tha... shukar mana tere yahan aisi nautanki karne wala koi nahi hai... main toh kehta hun aise rishtedaar hone se achha hai ho hi nahi."

"Thanks Rahul, tune dil ko raahat de di bhai... mujhe badi ghabrahat ho rahi thi." Sameer smiled wholeheartedly, and pulled Rahul in a brotherly hug.

"Chal, chal, ab bohot hua... ab aage ke liye ghabrana shuru kar de." Rahul patted his back.

"Kya matlab?" Sameer moved back, not able to understand.

"Abe, thoda bohot toh dikhawa kar lena kamre ki sajawat ko leke... humein pata hai ki tum dono ek mahine se saath hi ho par auron ko toh nahi pata na." Rahul said in a low voice.

Sameer lowered his head, not keen to say anything about his relationship, or rather restraint, with Naina.

"Bas aise hi thoda sa sharma dena... kamra main ekdum A1 sajwa dunga." Rahul was satisfied.

"Mujhe dher saare phool chahiye... har taraf... safed wale, jinme khushboo ho... aur har table pe gulaab... vase mein... koi doosre phool nahi." Sameer stood up, looking around... giving words to his dream.

Rahul got up, gently punching him on the chest, "Yeh hui na baat, ab lag raha hai woh college wala romeo... bas ab tu apne bhai ka kamaal dekhna."

Sameer grinned, knowing that Rahul would handle everything.

Once the lunch was done, Rahul's mom told Sameer about the pagdi and aarti that is usually done for the groom by his mother and bhabhi.

"Aunty, aap hain na pagdi ke liye... aur bhabhi aarti ke liye." Sameer simply stated, a smile on his face.

"Main toh neg lungi, aarti ke liye... yaad hai na, Sameer?" Bhabhi reminded him.

"Ab mujhe pata hai neg kya hota hai... main de sakta hun." He grinned.

"Hat budhhu... tu kyon dega... teri maa degi na... shaadi mein dulha apni shaadi ki sherwani mein paise thodi leke ghoomega... jo bhi neg dena hota hai woh maa baap hi dete hain... tu uski chinta mat kar... main aur Rahul ke papa dekh lenge." Rahul's mother reprimanded him affectionately.

Sameer couldn't say thank you to her... the word seemed too small for the feeling of completeness she was giving him by being a perfect family.

As the evening descended, euphoria in the house increased. Rahul had been in Sameer's room for a long time, along with the decorator. He had locked the room and even Sameer wasn't allowed to see. Munna Pandit had bedecked the car with flowers, keeping a big board in the trunk which announced 'Just Married'. It would be attached to the car later. For now, all the cars had a heart shaped board covered with yellow and red flowers, with words
'Sameer sang Naina'.

Sonali and bhabhi were getting ready, helping each other.

Sameer got dressed in the sherwani. He was to wear another outfit after reaching there, and change into the same dress again for pheras.

The white long jacket made him look like a prince. He smiled... he needed to be a prince as he was going to bring his queen. The golden chain sent by chachaji rested around his neck, as if to protect him from all evil.

"Kya baat hai bhai... janch raha hai." Munna exclaimed, coming in with Pandit.

They both were already dressed in suits... Pandit in a blue one and Munna in a white bandgala.

"Aaj toh ekdum asli wala hero lag raha hai tu... bhai aisa lag raha hai jaise teri shaadi ho." Pandit looked him up and down.

"Abe shaadi hi hai uski." Munna hit him on the arm.

"Oh haan." Pandit grinned sheepishly.

"Tum dono bhi naa." Sameer waved a hand in the air, chuckling at the foolish banters of his friends.

"Chal tujhe bulane aaye hain. Aunty keh rahi hain pagdi ka time ho gaya. Pehle pagdi pehnayenge fir sehra sajayenge... tab jaake apna dulha taiyar hoga." Munna gestured with his hands.

Giving one last look to himself in the mirror, Sameer walked out to the living room.

A chair was set in the center of the room. He was made to sit on it.

"Yeh pagdi aur sehra ek maa apne bete ke sar pe bandhti hai... aur yeh mauka uske liye sabse bada khushi ka mauka hota hai." Rahul's mom stood in front of him, informing him about the importance of this ritual.

"Jee aunty, lekin har maa isse khushi nahi manti... par main kismat wala hun ki aap mere paas hain, yeh rasm karne ke liye." Sameer suppressed the pain in his heart.

"Main ek maa se uska haq nahi cheen sakti, beta." Rahul's mom placed a hand on his head... and moved aside.

Sameer stood up in shock.

In front of him was his mother... Vishakha.