"I won't change my surname after marriage" Anika repeated hearing no reply from Shivay.

"Say something Shivay" something broke down inside her, he isn't replying but a calm and soothing smile increased the glow over his face. He looked at everyone looking away from her and then stared back at her.

"Anything else?" he asked folding his hand over his chest and waited, looking at her bending his head a little to his right.

"I won't leave my job ever, be it any circumstance... I won't leave my job" she was loosing as no reaction was portrayed over Shivay's face but the smile was persistence.

"I know you won't leave your job, I know you won't change your surname ever but Anika you would be the best thing that would happen to my family. You know what, daughter-in-laws are not needed to change their surnames to show their respect and love for her husband's family. I know you love my family as your own and I promise, no one will ask you or force you ever to change your surname. Anika Mukherjee will always be Anika Mukherjee from inside out, the identity that who made for yourself was your hard work and Oberoi's would never steal the hard work by tagging you with their surname" his hands soothed her shoulders, his words calmed her and promised her security forever. 

"You are the best Bub" she uttered and hugged Shivay immediately forgetting everyone else's presence there. Shivay threw his hands up in the air looking at everyone's face awkwardly and then looking away stealing glances.

"Ahem... ahem... these days mosquitoes are giving big red love bites, did you know that Priyanka? And listen..." Rudra's rant took a great start to divert everyone towards it.

"I am sorry" Anika left Shivay and looked down in embarrassment and blushed hard, her cheeks grew red with raise in temperature and the smile reached to ears.

"We can continue this when we will be alone, maybe something more" Shivay whispered and touched his own lips and rubbed his thumb over and ended the process with a wink. 

This had a deep impact and the already embarrassed and blushing bride, blushed more.

"One more thing" Anika looked up grabbing everyone's attention again and breaking her embarrassment.

"Go ahead JAAN" he whispered the last word, so that only Anika heard it. She blushed again and gulped down.

"Shivay I would be the expense bearer of my parents along with Ishu, Oberoi's won't pay a single penny for my parents" she was stern this time, her face had a different glow of pride. 

Shivay was mesmerised looking at her, he has never seen such a girl who says the same. His sister also tries to take care of their parents but the most expenses are through Oberoi industry but his fiance is sternly disagreeing to touch Oberoi's penny ever. He knew no words to praise her or showcase the pride he has for her.

"Anika" his mother stood up with smile and walked close to his fiance.

"Anika beta... you are a self made person, you earn enough for your family, you have your own dignity and respect then who are we to snatch away that pride from you? No one... beta I am Shivay's mother and as the society says I will be your mother-in-law but I promise you beta, I would try hard to be like a motherly figure to you, after you go to our house, I would try hard to make you feel as motherly with me as possible. Yes I agree, I agree that it would really be difficult to take your mother's place and it is never possible but I won't abandon you ever, I won't think you as my daughter-in-law ever. You will be my daughter, my elder daughter." Pinky Singh Oberoi brushed the length of Anika's hair and smilingly completed her paragraph.

"Pinky Maa" Anika said and hugged Pinky tightly. Pinky kept on stroking her back.

"What is Pinky maa huh? Call my mother as Mumma as I do and I will call your mother as Maa" Shivay stepped an inch closer uttering the sentence.

"What is this my mother and your mother huh? A mother is always a mother, for her children as well as for other's too" Pinky looked up at her son and answered.

"Okay listen to me Anika bhab..." Priyanka did not complete her own sentence as they have decided that they won't call Shivay and Anika as jiju or bhabhi before the marriage and now mistakenly she named Anika in the relation.

"You can call me bhabhi Prinku" Anika said.

"No no... listen, if you want I would start to call Shivay bhaiya as Shivay jiju... see... for me the most important person would be you, Shivay bhaiya just lost that post because Mumma introduced you as my elder sister now" Priyanka went beside Anika pushing Shivay a little away.

"This is not fair, see Anika what magic you did over everyone. Now everyone loves you more, I won't marry you if this remains the case" Shivay pouted showing anger, probably fake anger.

"Ooppsss bhaiya, people do fall for my pout but that does not means that people would fall for yours too. So better luck next time" Rudra pushed Shivay a little more and stood beside Priyanka.

"Thank you so much Mumma for liking and loving Anika this much" Shivay said moving closer.

"Mr. Shivay Singh Oberoi, thanks to you for choosing a bride like Anika. Actually you are really lucky to get her" Pinky Singh Oberoi is totally and fully in Anika's side. Poor Shivay just lost his mother to his would be wife, let's say wife only.

"I understood that I am going to have a tough time after Anika comes to our place, everyone is on her side. She will be getting my share of pampering as well, I got it. Poor poor Shivay" he consoled himself and made faces. But it was already late and he has already lost his half family to Anika.

"Badmaash" Pinky said and everyone smiled

"Now Anika, go to your room... at least show a bit shyness in front of your in laws, go... go" Mrs. Mukherjee said.

"See na Maa no one is scolding her for this... and no one is in my side... Maa" Shivay fake cried going towards Mrs. Mukherjee and made faces

"You are not good at making faces, so please don't try... you look horrible" Anika passed the comment.

"Maa" Shivay fake cried with no crocodile tear cascading down.

"Stop teasing my elder son, and go inside" Anika's mother scolded her and Shivay's expression was as if he won the war.

Anika smiled and went back to her room.

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Om, who was standing at the door step saw everything and felt happy from inside and thanked god for the perfect match of Shivay and Anika. Without Ishana's insistence and their tries nothing would have worked between Shivay and Anika, and he is really happy that he agreed to Ishana's proposal of Shivay-Anika's meet months back. He looked at the girl who was wearing white churidaar and her hairs tied up in plaits. She was smiling looking at the developing bonding and he smiled looking at her smiling. It felt so good to see her smiling like before after so many days. Let him ignore it in front of anyone else that he never misses his Ishu but he actually does, his heart as well as his mind know that how much he misses her and specially her rants over any topic and her own different way to make him smile even in worst problems.

He was looking at her, better let's say he was lost in her. And coincidentally her eyes collided with his and the electrons over her skin ran in opposite direction giving birth to electric feeling. Goosebumps bumped over her skin and she looked away. Her cheeks grew warmer and red just like before and she desired to look back and found him staring at her... just like before. She gathered courage and looked up, he was still staring not caring anything else and forgetting everything. It was torture, the stare... the feeling everything was a torture.

She walked close to him.

"Stop staring" she uttered moving out.

"How are you Ishu?" he asked. the concern reflected through her voice, she missed this. His concern, his scoldings and everything about him, she so missed this.

"I am good, how are you?" gestures read lips.

"I am good too... so... permanently back?" he has to know this, because it will take time for him to apologise for all his deeds. He did wrong and he knows that but he doesn't know how to apologise to her.

"Not exactly, but Shivay jiju asked me to take leave this week and the next week so I somehow managed, I will be here for next two weeks" she answered precisely making him feel good.

"Ohh... well you are looking gorgeous" his compliments, she is never bored and this compliment was special.

She often wears jeans, shirts, jackets and shrugs. Wearing churidar is very special to her and he has really seen her wearing churidars very few times. And this is the first time she wore his favourite coloured churidar, knowingly or unknowingly. But she was happy... because he complimented her as gorgeous.

"Thank you" her heart jumped in joy while she replied calmly.

"You look handsome too" gestures

"Thank You" his heart had a burst of happiness because she was talking to him.

"Ishu... bring Anika here, let's start the rasam" Mrs. Mukherjee's voice suddenly broke the trance and Ishu hurriedly went in.

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The bride again came out, this time her movements were slow... and soft. Shivay has seen her before but this time she looked more beautiful to him.

"Beautiful" his lips synced with his whisper.

"Both the sisters are beautiful" Om said from side staring his girl, his Ishu.

"When did you come inside?" Shivay asked looking at Om with readable shock written over his face.

"Then when you were lost in bhabhi's beauty" Om teased, like before.

It has been ages for Shivay as Om has not teased them from last month, but it is good to see his brother coming back. Ishana seriously knows magic, thought Shivay as he looked at Om staring Ishana continuously without blinking.

"Shivay beta, come... sit beta" Mrs. Mukherjee invited him, he followed her instruction and took his seat, just beside Anika.

Shivay's father took his seat in front of Shivay where as Anika's father took his in front of Anika. They started the rasam and blessed their respective child. Shivay stole glances of Anika and Anika did the same.

"At least for now concentrate over the ritual, entire life is there in front you both to stare at each other" Rudra passed the comment.

"Who said we will waste our time staring, we would do actions too" Shivay whispered to himself but Anika heard it too and her mouth formed a perfect O shape and she looked at the cheapster sitting beside her.

"Kuch to sharam karo... at least be ashamed a little bit, very little bit" she whispered too.

"See... staring was not enough... now they are dying to talk" Om hi-fived Rudra and Ishana Prinku smiled.

"Why you both are smiling?" Anika asked looking at her sisters, yes Prinku is her sister now.

"Bhabhi... all the best, your nights gonna be tiring" Prinku has her turn now and she perfectly used it.

"Khoto your Daadi is sitting over here, so at least think and say" Daadi said from behind and the roll of laughter followed.

The first ever ritual ended in the happiest note with feast over different bengali food items.

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I am so hungry now. so many tasty tasty food items are dancing in front of me. Okay bye, lemme go and grab something to eat and you all do share about your favourite food item so I could taste it if I haven't tasted it yet.

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