Everyone arrives for the house warming ceremony and they celebrate it with great joy. The ladies get busy with cooking, while Sidharth and Sana sit for the rituals.

They all have the feast in the afternoon.

Prema: Oh boy!! It's so nice to be together without caring for anyone eyeing on us or having to hide any kind of relation.

Ramnath: True! We can't openly celebrate in our hometown fearing people will judge us.

Ananth: I wish, if we had Shivam between us today.

There was absolute silence. Sidharth and Sana looked at each other as they didn't know what to say. They knew that if Shivam was alive, they wouldn't have been celebrating this event. Their world would have been full of heart aches and misery.

Sidharth: Shall we play something for some fun?

Amol: Like what?

Sidharth: Team tasks. Will make a chit and then draw it to compete in team.

Amol: I'll be the judge, y'all can play in couples.

They agree and Amol makes a task chits and once done he asks Prema to pick one.

"All husband to do hairstyles for their wife"

The men look at each other since they had no idea what to do. They were giving 20 straws as a prop for hairstyle.

Each couple goes inside a room.
Vani and Ramnath sit and plan. Ramnath pokes straw in circle around her bun.

Ananth and Prema were too shy, Ananth pokes the straw in her plaits.

Sidharth: Sana, we need to win this at any cost.

Sana: Chill Siddu, they are our parents. Let them win. How about some romance? (Puts her hand around his neck)

Sidharth: (throws her hand away) No way! They are our competitors right now. Nothing else.

He ties the straws together and makes a crown for her and places on her head.

Amol calls them after 5 minutes and inspects them.

Amol: Baba, What's this?

Ramnath: Hmm.. She is an aadivaasi lady (indigenous lady)

Amol: Okay nice! (To Ananth) What's this kaka?

Ananth: God knows!! Hmm.. wait.. when you don't understand something, you can call it a modern art.

Amol: (laughs) okay kaka!!  Wow!! Sidharth, is this a crown?

Sidharth: Yes, She is my queen and she deserves the crown.

Amol: I liked the answer. I have got my winner for this round. It's Sidharth and Sana. Next round.

Vani picks the chit.

"Men wears Saree, women can only instruct without touching or speaking"

Sidharth: (whispers in Sana's ears) I only know how to untie it. I would have won if that was the competition.

Sana: (hits her elbow) Tssshh.. shameless!

Next moment, Amol was laughing rolling on the floor as the men struggled to tie the saree. The ladies were putting their best effort to signal the men to show how to wear it. Sana grabs a spare saree and wears it show Sidharth how its tied. The time was up.

Amol laughs as Ramnath hardly rolled any saree on his body instead it was on his head like a veil, Ananth just wrapped the saree around his leg making it difficult to walk, Sidharth was presentable though not perfect.

Amol: Okay, I want y'all to do fashion show in saree.

He turns on the music and they do rampwalk with great difficulty.

Amol: Winner is Sidharth and Sana Again. 3rd and final round!

Sana picks the chit

"Compatibility"

The Women were given a list of question, they had to answer the question. The men then had to answer so as to match with their wives. The question asked were wife's favourite food, colour and things which annoy them.

Both Ramnath and Ananth couldn't guess the correct answers whereas Sidharth answered them all exactly correct.

Everyone applauded and praised them.

Ramnath: Wah re wah!! Sidharth, you know your wife very well.

Sidharth: Obvious mama, I know her since birth. She is my second half.

Ananth: Yes son, but this won't go well with our wives. We have to get the taunts now.

Sidharth: Not my fault baba. If being a wife, they know our favorites and preferences, even we ought to know them.

Sana: But even Baba have to slog at office and take care of family. It's difficult for men to remember things, since their brains are made like that.

Ananth: That's like my daughter in law, see how supportive and understanding she is. Sidharth, I expected your support being a man.

Prema: If he understands us as a boy, why do you have to have a problem with that?

Sidharth: Correct Aayi, You manage house and your Boutique as well. Aatya looks after home and takes tuition. How does it make Men superior?

Vani: Right, if they have to do everything then they will understand.

Sana: But mumma, society won't say anything if a woman doesn't work but the same society will call a man useless and unemployed if he doesn't earn for his family. So men have more pressure than women hence they can't remember things.

Sidharth: Why? Even same society expects nursing and taking care of kids as woman's primary responsibility. They expect a lady to know cooking but for a man it's optional. Don't they have stress?

Amol: Order order order!! What's going on guys? Why are y'all fighting? Calm down. Let's have our dinner and go to sleep.

Prema: Yes, we will go to sleep but not with the opposite party.

Vani: Right!

Ananth: Even we don't want to sleep with our rivals.

Ramnath: I am scared for my life as well. Sana, Ananth and myself will sleep in one room.

Prema: Good for us. Vani, Sidharth and I are sleeping in another room.

Amol: Great!! I got a room for myself alone. I was wondering where am I going to sleep since there were 3 couples and 3 rooms.

Sidharth and Sana glare at each other with a smirk of rivalry. They all have dinner and go to sleep as discussed. Everyone but Sidharth and Sana snored. She quietly came out of her room and found Sidharth waiting for her already. They hugged each other and quietly laid on the mat outside in the hall.
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With the break of the dawn when Sidharth and Sana open their eyes, they find their parents staring at them.

Prema: Wow Sidharth, you lit a match between us and nicely sleeping with enemy?

Ramnath: Bravo Sana! You supported us and sneaked into another party at night?

Sidharth and Sana looked at each other and gulped.

Sidharth: Who is the enemy Aayi, I am sleeping with my wife.

Sana: Baba, no matter how much we fight with each other but it's undeniable that Man and Woman are made to Compliment and Complete each other and not Compete against each other.

Sidharth: Exactly, I was born with both your efforts Aayi and Baba.

Ananth coughed and everyone slowly disbursed. Sidharth looked at them and then looked at Sana who face palmed herself.

Sana: Is this what you speak to your parents? Shameless you are!

Sidharth: We were all born out of shamelessness and our kids will also be born out of shamelessness only.

Sana: That's behind the doors not infront of people. If you forgot then let me remind you how the Constable caught us for mere kissing in public on our date night.

Sidharth: Yes, and that kiss was initiated by you.

Sana: What do you want now?

Sidharth: A kiss!

Sana: Shut up. Shameless.

Sana blushingly gets up and goes to the bathroom.

______________________

To be continued.. ❤️❤️