Something is different, definitely it is. Maa is running here and there with sweets in hand while Baba is calling the neighbourhood uncle. What is going on? The sleepy head stood at her doorstep and thought whether any festival is around? Durga Puja? Nope... there is a month time.

"What is going on?" she voiced out yawning a big mouth.

"Today is your aashirvaad" her mother hurriedly passed the statement and walked to kitchen.

What? Wait... she is dreaming.

"Di..." Ishu dropped her bag at the doorstep and came running.

"Today is my aashirvaad" Anika spoke out looking at the void outside in the lost voice.

"Yes di... Shivay bhaiya informed this to everyone yesterday afternoon and asked us not to reveal this to you until today morning" Ishu was excited, thrilled and super happy at this sudden notice of marriage.

"That means... I am going to marry that dumb head soon, wait... wait wait" Anika freed herself from her sister's tight embrace and stared at her sister from top to bottom, then bottom to top.

"Di... I am your sister" Ishu kept her crossed hands over her chest.

"I am going to kill him" Anika shouted, then the 'dham' sound, actually she shut the door and then few mouthed shouts saying stupid, idiot, non-sense and then all silent.

Time has stopped for these few seconds, while eyes spoke words. 

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"Today we are going to celebrate our first marriage ritual and I got to know this now... how dare you?" she has completely lost it, poor Shivay. 

"Relax... relax D... I thought to surprise you, moreover I said na unplanned wedding" he had a proud face on.

"That does not mean that bride would look like a bhaloo... a perfect bear" she still doesn't know that he likes his bhaloo only.

"That would be great na, then only I would have my eyes on you and no one else" haq as we call it, also known as claiming her only as his.

"Why do you want that?" her voice slowed down and breath became uneven.

He could feel the rise of tingles inside his stomach suddenly.

"You are my bride" he breathed out.

"Why can't you see me with someone else" she repeated using different and distinct words.

"Get ready Anika... or else... you will get late" he tried to divert but little did you knew what kind of stubborn kiddo she is.

"I won't, you didn't inform me right... then I won't get ready and if you want the aashirvaad today then let me be in casual clothes, because I did not choose the saree that my mother bought for me, I am not going to dress up" she curtly denied.

"For me" he insisted.

"No means no" she cut down the call.

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The happiness spoke louder than the void present in Ishu's eyes. Less sleep and hard work has got over her and she became more thinner than before, the sisterly eyes read. Anika and Ishana looked at each other but Ishana soon looked away and bent her head down. The elder sister sitting in front asked nothing and hugged her younger sister tightly, as if trying to become her support.

"How are you Ishu?" the elder one asked brushing sister's back.

"I am fine di" she tried to hide the emptiness in the voice, but... she was the older one.

"Good, and how is your work going on?" Anika distanced herself a bit to have a keen look over her sister's face.

"Well, work is going good but there I miss everyone. You know what..." Ishu took a pause to read the growing excitement over her di's face and got lost into some thoughts.

"What?" few moments Ishu missed before waking up from her thoughtful dream with Anika's jerk.

"When I sit to eat... I feel so lonely, here I always complained whenever Sahil used to snatch away the pickle from my plate but there pickle seems tasteless without him snatching it away. There Maa is not there to scold me to eat a chapatti more and I have very less hunger to eat even a single chapatti... I miss you all a lot" she kept her head over Anika's lap while hugging her waist.

"Ohh... so Ms. Ishana Princess missed her brother and her mother, what about the poor poor elder sister and father... we are no one to you, I know that... huuhh" Anika knew that the atmosphere is becoming emotional and she has promised to herself that she won't let anyone get sad at least until she is there at home.

"Ohh... I know what are you trying to do" Ishana got up wiping her tears and smiling a bit.

"What am I trying to do?" Anika looked at Ishana as if she doesn't know anything and she is the most innocent kiddo.

"Di..." Ishana hit her di's thigh and the sisters hugged laughing aloud and falling down from bed due to the sudden actions. 

*NO EVIL THOUGHTS*

"Now get up and get ready" Ishu pulled Anika up and walked towards the wardrobe.

"You know what, I will teach a good lesson to that cunning fellow after marriage" Anika complained.

"Okay... then he will be having his ways" Ishana winked with a known shining smirk.

"Haan... but then, I won't let him touch me" bride sat upon the bed again.

"Hawww cheapster, when did I say that" after all Ishana is Anika's sister.

"Haawww as if you are sati savitri" taunting game you see.

"Now get ready before they arrive.

Ishana pushed Anika and made her sit in front of the mirror and looked on. Her di is already looking beautiful without make up, the smile over her di's face makes it more beautiful. The brown eyes that has a tinge of naughtiness playing in it every time adds to the flavour. Ishana kept aside a red borderd cream coloured saree. She gave the blouse and petticoat and asked her to wear it soon. She followed Ishu's words and soon switched to the blouse and petticoat. Very carefully Ishu opened the saree part by part and wrapped it around Anika in bengali bridal style. The saree hugged the bride smoothly. Now came the turn of jewelries, gold bangles, gold earrings and gold maangtika occupied the correct areas. Light mascara, stroke of eye liner and kajal and red lipstick adorned her with a red bindi in the middle. Hairs got tied up in a bun leaving few loose curls in front of the face and she was ready for the very first rasam of her marriage.

"Look at yourself di... you are looking gorgeous, Shivay bhaiya will die to have a look of yours today" Ishu praised her di looking at her in awe.

"Don't say like that" Anika blushed but feared too, what if she loose her Shivay again? No... she can't.

"Believe me di, he is the luckiest person to get you" she dropped a kiss over her di's forehead.

"And I am the lucky one to get a family like that" Anika replied.

"Where is my daughter?" Maa entered.

"Here she is Maa" Ishu said moving aside and pointed at her sister.

Maa got awestruck looking at the beauty in front of her. She never believed that her daughter could look this much beautiful. Mother Mukherjee soon went close and marked a kajal tika behind Anika's ear so that nothing bad happens to her daughter ever.

"Kisi ki nazar na lage" she said and kissed over Anika's forehead.

A drop cascaded down from mother's eye and landed above Anika's face.

"Why are you crying mother? Today is a happy day, you always wanted to see me marrying off a good person... today is the initiation of that happiness maa... don't cry, if you cry like this then how will I be happy? Don't cry" Anika wiped her mother's tear but her own tears betrayed her which she held back since morning after knowing her aashirvaad news.

"Now see your makeup will get smudged, you don't cry now... I know it hurts because Maa will only love me after you will be gone, but it's okay... I will share that with you when you will be here for few days" Ishu teased wiping off Anika's tears.

"If that's the condition then I am not marrying" Anika looked at the mirror at last and looked down blushing hard.

"No... Ishu... don't tease my daughter" mother held Ishana's ear and said.

"Not fair maa" Ishana made faces while Anika showed her tongue.

"Love you Maa... you are the best" both the daughters hugged their mother as tight as they could.

"Pagol meye duto... mad daughters" mother murmured and brushed her right hand over Ishu's head while left one over Anika's.

"Maa... Maa... they arrived, Maa" Sahil came running and excitedly said.

"Who gave you that chocolate?" oopppsss Sahil was hiding it but mother's eyes you see.

"Rudra bhaiya" he looked down and answered fearing to get scolded.

"Okay listen sit beside Anika didi quietly, we both are going down to attend them. Don't irritate your didi and be a good boy and eat that chocolate" mother advised moving towards Sahil.

Sahil's head sprung up hearing that his mother has not scolded him for taking the chocolate. 

"Okay Mumma" he jumped once and twice and ran towards his di.

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"Please come... have a seat" Anika's father folded hands and welcomed the Oberoi family.

"Don't do gestures... we are friends before anything else Mr. Mukherjee" Shakthi said.

"No no... it is our duty to see to your comfort" Anika's father said.

"And didi's duty to see to Shivay bhaiya's" Ishana passed the comment.

"Chup badtameez... shut up you naughty girl" mother Mukherjee hit Ishu's head lightly and smiled, Ishana smiled back naughtily and went inside to bring tea and sweets along with her mother.

"She has not changed a bit" words came out from Om's mouth, poor he, now he will understand what can teasing be.

"She is lucky enough that you left her... I can't see my sister-in-law pampering a man like you, so it's better for her to get someone else" Shivay said.

"What? Listen... I... okay leave it" he knew there is no point in arguing back.

"Listen O... we will search for a good groom for Ishu di, definitely you will be knowing her likes and dislikes" Rudra said.

"See it is going too far now" Om argued back.

"No, we are sitting right beside you" Rudra has his sense of humour to answer back.

"Stop it Rudra" Om got up and walked out.

"What happened to him?" Mr. Mukherjee asked.

"He went out to call someone urgently, he will be back" Shivay managed the situation with a smile but decided to give it all back to Om after they return.

He can tolerate anything but not his family's insult and the way Om went away was a insult to their family.

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"Di... you want to have chocolate? It's so yummy" Sahil insisted extending the half eaten chocolate.

"No you have" Anika who was staring at her brother lovingly denied nodding a no.

"Achcha di, tell me something that... why is it needed for a girl to change her surname after marriage? And why the same rule doesn't apply for a boy? You will also change your surname after marriage?" three valid and very basic question made a big question mark inside Anika's head too.

"Di, Anika Mukherjee sounds better as compared to Anika Singh Oberoi" Sahil took the next bite of his chocolate while pushing his didi more to the thought of surnames.

"Di... say something na" he looked at her sister as she answered nothing.

"Thank You Sahil, you have the chocolate and I will be back" Anika kissed over both Sahil's cheeks and ran out of the room.

"I asked you to not shower wet kisses like that" Sahil said irritated and took a big bite.

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"Bhabhi... bhabhi" Rudra whispered in silent excitement.

"She is looking gorgeous" he got mesmerised looking at her descending down in saree.

"I want to talk to you Shivay before everything else" Anika stood in front of Shivay and demanded without caring anything else.

"Yeah say" Shivay got up too and looked everywhere in awkwardness.

"I won't change my surname after marriage" Anika uttered the sentence in a go and looked on.

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A surprise post, I know I have missed many days and apologies won't make up to it. So let's see how I get to make it up. Loads of love to you all who stood with me in every situation. Please do share your thoughts about the episode.

Lastly Missing you SwathiV2 and MeMadhu  do comeback soon please.

Thank You so much to everyone who read, voted and commented. Hope you have enjoyed this part as well. If so then please do hit the star button and leave your comment or criticism down.

-NILANJANA