"Aao Sameer, panditji bula rahe hain." Anand called out to the groom.

Sameer stood up with a beaming smile, looking around for Naina. She was nowhere to be seen. He frowned... why she had to take so long today. She was not the one to take time to get dressed... then what was keeping her today, of all the days... when he was yearning to see her... and she was delaying the ceremony as well...

"Arre aao beta, kya soch rahe ho?" Anand turned to see him still standing at the same place.

"Naina toh aayi nahi." He blurted, making quite a few guests and family members snigger.

"Naina baad mein aayegi... pehle tumhare saath pooja hogi." His mother came forward, holding his arm to escort him to the mandap.

He looked down at the hand on his arm... it was rare that his mother showed this kind of closeness with him. In fact, he couldn't remember the last time she had touched him with affection, before today. Any touch from her was a slap on his cheek... nothing more than that. His eyes went to her face... she was genuinely smiling. The happiness reflecting in her eyes was no pretence... she was here to be a part of his special day... to see his dream turn into reality.

Sameer felt the warmth from her hand seep into him, through the kurta and sherwani. He could feel the ice inside him, that was surrounding her name, beginning to melt. Her one step had made the hatred subside, giving way to a new hope... hope to be loved as a son.

"Aap yahan baith jao." Panditji broke his chain of thoughts.

Sameer settled on one of the cushions. He could not understand what was being said... the chants seemed to be in some other language. But he decided to stay quiet.

About ten minutes of pooja with him that made him more impatient, lighting of fire in the hawan kund... and panditji said the words that made his heart flutter.

"Kanya ko bula lijiye."

He turned to stare at the empty passage, from where Naina would emerge soon.

And she did... looking like a soothing prayer that had blessed him, a song that had filled his life with melody, a sprinkle of soft rain that had fallen on his parched heart...

"Muh band kar le, bhai... ghar jaake ghoor lena warna sab hansenge." Munna shook him from behind.

He quickly turned his face ahead as Naina came and sat next to him.

Panditji started with more chants. He stole a glance at her... and found her looking at him. The moment their eyes met, she winked.

He gasped... making his friends tap his back.

"Kya hua beta, dhuen se dikkat ho rahi hai kya?" Panditji asked.

"Nahi, aag se." He murmured.

"Kya kaha?" Panditji leaned towards him.

"Jee kuch nahi, main theek hun." He smiled sweetly towards the old man, who seemed to be convinced, going back to his reciting things in some unknown language.

At the end of his mantras, he gestured to Bela, "Ab ladki ki maa aake gathbandhan karein."

Bela got up, holding a long pink dupatta of soft cotton. She placed one end of it over Sameer's shoulder and other one was tied to a red dupatta on Naina's shoulder.

Sameer looked at Naina... he could see the sadness that she was trying to hide... mention of her mother had pinched her heart.

He gently placed his hand on hers, that rested on her knees.

Naina peered at him, he smiled in assurance. Her heart softened... he had understood the emptiness she felt, and had filled it with his warmth.

She placed her other palm over his hand, letting out a relieved smile.

Behind the bride and groom, Preeti and Swati were whispering to each other, not planning to include Pooja didi in this. She had been angry during her wedding for Varun jijaji's shoes. Now, the girls wanted to execute the plan of stealing Sameer's shoes on their own. But the problem was, they could not reach the shoes. Munna had been holding the box close to him. Swati's repeated cajoling had no effect.

"Tu Pandit pe try kar." Swati said hesitantly.

Preeti jerked her head at Swati... then looked at Pandit, who was sitting with Munna but seemed to be in a daze.

"Ruk, jijaji pe koshish karti hun." Preeti got up and went to the other side.

"Jijaji, woh bahar jo phoolon wali car hai na, abhi kisi ne aake kaha ki uska tyre puncture hua hai." She leaned behind Munna, whispering to him.

Munna was nervous... if anything happened to the decorated car, Sameer would be mad at him. He contemplated whether to ask someone to go and check it or do it himself. He decided it was too crucial a thing to be offloaded to someone else.

"Pandit, yeh sambhal ke rakh, main abhi car dekh ke aata hun." He handed the box to a lost Pandit and rushed out.

Preeti winked at Swati. She shifted close to Pandit.

"Aaj Preeti ne jaise tera dhyan rakha, mujhe lag raha hai kuch toh hai uske dil mein." She said in a low voice.

"Huh... " Pandit responded, hearing Preeti's name.

"Usse yaad hai tujhe mirchi bardasht nahi hoti... mujhe nahi lagta itna toh Munna aur Sameer ko bhi yaad hoga." She gave him a flicker of hope.

Pandit looked at her, "Bhabhi, kya tum usse puch sakti ho?"

Swati appeared to be thinking, then asked, "Tu apni mehendi dikha zara."

Pandit promptly placed the box on the other side and opened his palms.

Swati concentrated on his mehendi, checking it from all angles... till she noticed Preeti opened the box quietly and took out the shoes, putting some old newspaper in it so that no one comes to know it's empty.

"Pandit, rang toh batata hai ki tujhe pyaar zaroor milega. Bas ummeed rakhte hain ki Preeti ka hi ho." She nodded with a solemn expression.

Pandit stared open mouthed as she got up and moved away.

Preeti held the shoes, exclaiming happily, "Mil gaye jijaji ke joote... ab achhe se pocket katenge unki." 

Swati held her hand, "Preeti, Pandit ko aise dekh ke achha nahi lag raha, yaar. Kaisa chup sa ho gaya hai... tune kya socha hai uske liye?"

Preeti didn't want to discuss about it presently, "Swati, hum kal baat karte hain... chal abhi Naina ke phere shuru hone wale hain."

With a sigh, Swati followed her out, going to sit behind Naina. Munna came in, looking for Preeti, as he found nothing wrong with the car. Seeing her sitting quietly, he checked the box... it was secure in Pandit's hands. Relaxed, he settled next to him.

Panditji asked the couple to stand... telling Naina to remain ahead while going around the holy fire. Amidst the chants and shower of petals, Naina started to take slow steps, Sameer behind her... tied with the bond of their dupattas.

While she looked down with a shy smile, Sameer was not able to wipe off the wide grin from his face... getting teased by his friends in each round.

"Saari photo mein daant bahar aayenge... thoda toh muh band kar le." Munna joked as he crossed the boys.

"Rehne de, Munna, yeh chal ke phere le paa raha hai utna hi kaafi hai... warna iska dil toh uchal ke chakkar lagane ko keh raha hoga." Rahul quipped, making everyone laugh, and Naina lower her head further.

After four rounds, they were asked to sit down. Panditji made them make four vows to each other, one for each phera.

When he was asked to promise that he would never look at any other woman with a bad intention, Sameer's eyes went wide.

"Arre panditji, iski aankhen ek jagah se hatein toh kahin aur jayengi na... apna bhai toh humein na dekhe aap kisi aur ladki ki baat karte ho." Munna teased, bringing about more laughter.

The promise of taking their family ahead and providing the best for their children made both of them blush.

"Sameer ne fauj khadi kar deni hai... iska bas chalta toh do teen toh apni shaadi mein bhi le aata." Rahul whispered in a low voice, heard only by Munna, Sameer and Naina.

She was mortified... even Sameer lowered his eyes, pressing his lips under the teeth... Munna grinned.

When Panditji asked them to give the same respect to each other's families that they gave to their own, Naina looked at Sameer, knowing that he could never fulfil this promise... as he would always respect chachaji chachiji more than his own mother... and consider Phulla bua much above anyone from his own family.

A few more vows, and it was time for next three phere. When they stood up again, Sameer was asked to move ahead of Naina.

Once the three rounds were done, with more petals being showered on them, they were asked to make more promises to each other,

"Main waise bhi wohi karta hun jo Naina kehti hai." Sameer said when he was told to promise that he would always ask his wife before taking any big decision.

"Shaadi se pehle sabhi maante hain beta, lekin shaadi ke baad maane toh jeevan mein shanti rahegi." Panditji said with a smile as everyone nodded knowingly, smirking.

"Ab ladki ke pita kanyadan ke liye aaye." He said in a loud voice.

"Anand, Bela... aao kanyadaan ke liye." Phulla bua's voice surprised many but shocked Naina.

She looked back at bua dadi, who smiled, nodding. Her eyes searched for her father... but she could not see him.

Rakesh stood partially hidden behind the pillar, his eyes moist.

Arjun placed one hand on his shoulder, "Papa, aap chahe toh abhi bhi..."

"Nahi Arjun, main toh chahta hun ki meri beti ka kanyadan uske asli pita ke haathon se ho... sirf janm dene wale ko pita kehlane ka haq nahi hai, bachpan se shaadi ke din tak jisne uske sar pe haath rakha, jisne usse god mein khilaya, jisne uske aansu ponche, jisne uska margdarshan kiya... wohi asli pita hai... yeh haq Anand ka hi hai... aur mujhe khushi hai ki meri beti ko aise pita ka haath mila apne sar pe... warna pata nahi aaj woh kis andhere mein hoti." Rakesh was feeling guilty about the decisions he had taken in life.

He had realised that blaming his elder brother and bhabhi would be another sign of his own weakness. It was his mistake that he blindly followed what bhabhiji told him... he was after all a teacher, he should have used his own mind and contradicted her when she filled him with venom against his newborn baby.

But it was too late to think about all this... he just wanted his daughter to have a happy, blessed life.

Anand applied some haldi on Naina's hand, put a coconut in it, and placed it in Sameer's hand, as panditji chanted some more mantras.

"Aaj se aapki beti inki patni hui."

The words reminded Sameer of the time when he had promised Naina that he would wait for her till chachaji himself placed her hand in his... and today, chachaji had literally done that... in front of all the people whom they both considered family.

He pressed her hand, and she looked at him... thinking about the same promise.

"Ab mangalsutra le aaiye." Panditji asked.

Bhabhi brought a box, opening it to reveal a mangalsutra which had no equivalent in the entire world...

A beautiful gold and black chain with a pendant of their initials... N and S... this time the letters were joined... unlike the pendent he had gifted her earlier where the initials had a big diamond between them.

Sameer picked up the mangalsutra, still not sure how to pronounce it... but he was glad he didn't have to.

His hands went around Naina's neck, putting the clasp in place behind her, which he did in a few seconds. He did not bring his hand back immediately, lingering to touch her, smiling innocently as if he was trying to fix the clasp. Her eyes shot up to him... and he winked. She bit the inside of her cheek... his fingers were lightly rubbing the side of her neck, giving her goosebumps.

"Mushkil ho rahi hai toh main madad kar dun, jijaji? Kabhi kabhi kisi chain ki kadi tight hoti hai." Preeti raised one brow, looking at him in understanding.

He pulled his hands out, smiling, "Kaafi tight thi... par maine laga di."

It was time to put sindoor. Bhabhi opened a small ornamental box. He was asked to take some sindoor in a coin. He did so. Preeti lifted Naina's maang tika... and he put the red vermillion in the parting of her hair.

Naina closed her eyes... a few specks of red falling on her nose.

"Oh sorry." He muttered.

"Yeh shubh hota hai, beta... sorry mat kaho." Bela smiled, her eyes glistening with tears as she saw her daughter achieving her dream.

"Shaadi ki saari rasmein poori hui... aaj se aap dono pati patni ho gaye." Panditji announced.