Hola Everyone,

It's Monday and I am here with the next update, My sincere apologies for the delay as I was caught up with work.🙏🙏🙏
Thank you for your votes and comments. Means a lot.🙂🙂🙂

Without further ado, here is the next part of this story. Hope you like it :-

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To say that Dev and Sonakshi were stunned would have been an understatement, they looked at the picture and at each other once again, words failed them as they looked at the picture once again just as Riya spoke "Looks like bhaiya and Bhabhi are speechless looking at their childhood picture" she said as everyone chuckled looking at their faces while they were just quiet still trying to understand the happenings around them just as Dadi and Nani went up to them.

"What's the matter Tilu, you have not recognized Chutki?" asked Nani looking at Dev looked at her befuddled, she knew his nickname, he tried hard to remember the past just as Dadi asked Sonakshi "And Sonakshi, don't you remember Tilu?" asked Dadi as Sonakshi looked at her in surprise as well. They looked at each other trying hard to remember as a faint memory made way, a smile formed on their faces as both spoke at the same time "CHUTKI?" "TILU?" they said at the same time as the others chuckled while Dev and Sonakshi were looking at each other in surprise.

"Yes, Chutki & Tilu. That's what you both used to call each other" said Dadi looking at them as Nani added "You guys met 20 yrs ago at a wedding when we both had gone their along with you guys" she said as both kept looking at each other, memories from their childhood came flooding back to them as a smile made on their faces, their fights, their plays, then make-up with each other. Dev remembered his fascination with the Bengali wedding had started after that while Sonakshi remembered the brown eyed boy who used to pull her hair during their fight only to make-up by helping her sway in the swing.

"Aww..." said Nikki as she made way towards them "This is called childhood love" she said as everyone smiled just as Dadi said "You remember Dev how fascinated you were with the Bengali wedding that you wanted to have a Bengali wedding" she said as Dev ruffled his hair in embarrassment while Sonakshi looked at him in surprise while Dadi continued "And see today you are going to marry a Bengali girl according to Bengali Traditions" she said as he smiled.

"Now what are you guys waiting for? Put the ring on the other's finger" said Nani as Dev first made Sonakshi wear the ring as a smile and slight tears in her eyes made way which Dev wiped away and side-hugged her. After that Sonakshi put the ring on his finger as everyone applauded around them. There was an air of joy and celebration in the surroundings.

Nikki then pulled both the couples Dev and Sonakshi along with Jatin and Avni to the dance floor as a romantic number played in the background as both the couples engaged in a romantic dance. As the song ended the others joined them as they danced away into the night, celebrating the night of union for the two lovely couples. After around a couple of hours the night was called off.

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The ten days after the engagement passed by quickly for everyone except Dev and Sonakshi, Sonakshi had taken leave from her work for 3 weeks starting one week before the wedding while Dev was forced to take leave from his work 3 days before the wedding day. Both were instructed not to talk to each other from 3 days before the wedding. All the arrangements were done by both the families. According to the Bengali tradition, Dev's attire for the wedding was sent to the Dixit house the night before the wedding. The media wanted a scoop about one of the high-profile marriages in the city but were forbidden and were told that pictures would be released for them after the wedding and all the rituals related to it were completed.

THE NIGHT BEFORE THE WEDDING

The night before the wedding was the time for AIBURO-BHAT which is a sort of a send-off meal arranged by the families of both the bride and the groom. 'Aiburo' means an unmarried young adult male or female and 'bhat' means rice – it is the final feast that the young bride or bridegroom are served right before they get married.

While at the Dixit house the occasion was celebrated with joy and pomp, the situation was a bit different at the Bose house, there was a sense of gloom and sadness in the air. It was the last night for Sonakshi at her maternal home as she broke down after having her meal only to be consoled by her family members, everyone's heart was filled with sadness but then they were happy as well for Sonakshi was being married into a wonderful family, that night nobody slept in the Bose house which was filled with a few relatives as all of them enjoyed throughout the night.

THE MORNING OF THE WEDDING

At the dawn of the day of the wedding, the next ritual DODHI-MANGALA was performed at the Bose house, it was a ceremony where 5-7 married ladies adorn the bride's hands with the traditional bangles Shakha and Paula – one pair of red and one pair of white Conch-shell bangles and feed her a meal of curd and rice. It was the only meal that the Sonakshi and her parents had as they needed to fast the whole day after that. A similar ceremony was held at Dixit house where Dev and his parents had a meal of curd and rice as even they had to be on fast for the remaining day until the wedding was over.

After the DODHI-MANGALA, a few married ladies from both the Bride and the groom's side went to the near by water body to fill water in pitchers (JOL SARWA ceremony) which was supposed to be used to bathe the Bride and Groom after the GAYE-HOLUD (the Haldi) ceremony. According to the Bengali traditions the Haldi ceremony was first performed at Dixit house where it was applied on Dev and then the same Haldi was sent to the Bose house to mix with the Haldi that was to be applied on Sonakshi, at both the places the Haldi turned out to be a mini Holi with everyone putting Haldi on each other. After the ceremony Dev and Sonakshi were asked to take bath with the water that was collected by their family members, the water was mixed with the Holy Ganga water as it was the symbol of purity.

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THE WEDDING EVENING

The day had passed by in a jiffy for everyone as finally it was time for the BAARAT to be leave the Dixit house. Though traditionally Bengali weddings did not have a Baarat since this was a cross cultural wedding and it was an integral part for the Dixit family, the Baarat left the Dixit house at 6:45 p.m. in the evening. The wedding hall was half-an-hour distance away. The shubh-muhurat for the wedding was at 8:57 p.m. Finally, after an hour's journey the Baarat arrived at the venue where the BOR-JATRI & BORON ceremony was completed (receiving the groom and his family). Dev's mother, Ishwari Dixit did not attend the wedding as according to Bengali traditions the mother of the groom was not supposed to see the wedding ceremony of her son. Instead she stayed at home preparing for receiving her son and daughter-in-law after their marriage.

SONAKSHI & DEV's WEDDING ATTIRE

DEV'S POV
Just as I entered the wedding hall I hear conch shells being played out by the women, Asha Maa comes forward and welcomes me by doing the traditional Aarti that is done in the Bengali traditions at the arrival of the Bridegroom. The wedding hall was decorated beautifully as I see Dadi go and meet Nani, congratulating her on the impeccable arrangements. Finally, the time had arrived for me to make Sonakshi mine forever and I could not wait for it. I had not seen her for the past three days as we were forbidden to meet or even call each other which made both of us sad much to the delight of our siblings who teased us incessantly for being desperate.

I fidget with my kurta in nervousness as my sisters tease me incessantly, though it's not like I don't know my life partner, yet I was feeling pre-wedding jitters. People say it's the Bride who generally feels it but it's such a wrong perception, even the Bridegroom has his own shares of anxieties before the wedding. Would I be able to balance my work and my personal life? Would I be able to keep Sonakshi happy always? Would she be able to adjust with me, my family after our marriage? Numerous thoughts were going on in my mind when suddenly the wedding hall turned silent, the only sound that I hear was that of the Ululation (Uludhawni in Bengali), it was a sound made by the women to ward of the evil.

SONAKSHI'S POV
I was sitting in the room feeling all the pre-wedding jitters that a bride goes through when I hear Elena shout that the Dev and his family have arrived as my breathe quicken, I look at myself in the mirror once again as I imagine Dev's expressions when he sees in the wedding attire, ready to become his life-partner. I have not seen him for the last 3 days as instructed by the elders which made me sad and led to my siblings teasing me incessantly. Though I was allowed to see the wedding attire that was sent for him by my parents. It was beautiful, and I imagined Dev in that attire innumerable times in the last couple of days as a blush formed on my cheeks, as I hear my mother say "Sona, sit on the Pidhi (wooden plank) beta, it's time for the wedding" as I quake in nervousness, I slowly get up accompanied by Elena as I sit on the Plank. My mother gives me couple of betel leaves for me to cover my eyes as I do that.

My uncles slowly lift the Pidhi with me sitting on it and start moving towards the mandap downstairs, just then my mom along with all other women present there do the Ululation and a few blow the conch shells, as I move closer to meeting Dev my breathe start quickening and hands start shivering in excitement as well as nervousness. As we walk along the corridor I hear the buzz of the crowd downstairs who have assembled for the wedding. Right as we reach the first step of the everyone turned silent and the only sound that I hear was that of the Ululation.

DEV'S POV
As I look up my world stopped for a second, there she was sitting on a wooden plank, being carried by her uncles who were descending the steps. I could see her hands covered with the golden bangles, jhumkas adorning her ears, a necklace with an intricate design covered her neck while a mukut (crown) was placed on her head yet I could not see her face, how could I as she was covering it with the betel leaves which she held in her palms.

I was waiting the moment, the moment when she would lower the betel leaves, the moment when I could see her but that had to wait as the priest instructed her uncles to circumvent her around the groom for seven times (Saat-Paak), I felt as if time had slowed down as her uncles moved her around me, I felt out of breathe and when the seven rounds were completed I could breathe again while the priest instructed her to lower the betel leaves, as she lowered them I could see her eyes and that moment it stuck to me like a thunder. THOSE WERE THE SAME EYES; MY DREAM WAS COMING TRUE......

SONAKSHI'S POV
"Sitting on the wooden plank, I could hear my heartbeat as I was being moved around him (Saat-Paak), my Dev, by my uncles, my hands which were holding the betel leaves covering my face were jittery. It seemed to me as if gods had decided to slow down the time, as the seven rounds were completed I could hear the priest instructing me to lower my hands holding the betel leaves, as I slowly lowered my hands and lifted my eyelids the first thing I saw were his dark brown eyes and that moment it stuck to me like a thunder. THOSE WERE THE SAME EYES; MY DREAM WAS COMING TRUE......

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DONE!! SO HERE IT ENDS !!! I will post the EPILOGUE soon.

My sincere apologies if you find this part boring as I have included a few Bengali rituals but being a Bengali myself i could not avoid it. I hope you guys do not mind.🙏🙏🙏

For me this was the first time I had tried writing a story completely different from the original series and I am overwhelmed with the love and support everyone has given to this story. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.🙏🙏🙏

Please do share your thoughts/comments & feedback about the story and also what did you really like/dislike about it.

Adios
SP