I wasn't posting because I don't want to distract anyone from the trend and protest in general but I guess I can't delay more ...

Happy Reading

Naina felt her heart thumping when the rings were brought near the stage. She looked at Sameer, who was smiling nervously. Their friends had big, goofy smiles on their faces. Everyone seemed to be happy.

Sameer asked for her hand, she could feel her heart still beating loudly. She gave it to him. He saw her hands shaking and gently took them in his.

She sighed and looked up at him. He beamed his brightest smile at her and she loosened up, lost all her tension.

Her hand was in his and it fit just right. She felt right when he made her wear the ring that sealed their fates and when she made him wear her ring. Their eyes were locked all the time.

The entire crowd broke into a round of applause. Munna and Pandit began whistling and dancing without music.

A glow crept on the bride and groom to be's faces. This was the first step in entering a relationship that would exist beyond life.

The gathering broke into claps again as the ceremony continued with the shagun being exchanged and- acchu!! - sneezes happening in between.

Relatives Sameer and Naina knew and even the ones they were seeing for the first time were congratulating them but all they wanted was a little alone time.

Munna had sneaked Swati away from the gathering. He had taken her out of the pandal. They were standing at the end of the end street. It was empty because everyone had gone to attend Samaina's engagement. They had a fair chance to talk without being noticed, or so they thought.

"Munna- acche, kaha lekar jaa raha hai?"

"Tu theek hai na. Ghar pe sab zyada pareshaan kar rahe hai kya?"

She smiled at his concern and mouthed a quiet no. Munna's face was washed with relief

"Waise ... Pandat aaj bada sundar lag raha hai tu. Acche!"

"Thank you."

"A-aur mai?"

"Ekdum bandar jaise." She said, her smile not leaving her face for a second.

"Thank you."

Munna shyly ran a hand through his hair at the compliment.

"Sab ko khasi lag gayi na?"

"Pakode jaisi laal naak hui padi hai."

"Tumhare ghar wale mane?" She asked, abruptly, urgently.

"Aa-ah." Munna was looking for the right words. He held her hands and said, "Man jaayenge."

Sameer and Naina were surrounded by elderly couples who were wishing them. As soon as they dispersed, Naina let out a sigh of relief.

"Bhook lagi hai." She said in a baby like voice.

"Kuch paane ke liye kuch khona padta hai. Maaa- acchu - dam" Sameer tried to assure her but then another group of people circled around them.

Munna felt as if he saw someone looking at them but then they disappeared like a flash of light.

"Koi tha kya?" Swati turned around.

"Nahi. Shayad nahi." Munna said, unsure. "Acche!!"

"Oh! Ladki walon, humari koi khatirdari hogi ya nahi." Pandit said while rolling his sleeves.

"Kahiye na, kya khatirdari karu aapki?" Preeti batted her eyelids.

"Chai pilao."

"Accha." She said, smiling.

"Nahi! Nahi! Nahi!" Pandit stopped her suddenly. Flashes of the day they had come to see Naina came back to him.

"Ice cream khila do." He said after thinking a little.

"Ji." She said, obediently with a wide smile but something about it scared Pandit again.

"Accha! Accha! Ruko! Pani de jao."

"Ji. Ji."

Preeti walked ahead and called Pralay loudly.

"Pralay! Pralay!"

The kid came running towards her.

"Sun, ek glass pani leke aayega?" She bent down to his height and asked him.

He nodded vigorously.

"Accha sun." She whispered. "Ab mai jo bolu usme bas haa bolna, theek hai?"

He nodded again.

"Accha Pralay..." Preeti began speaking loudly again. "Tumne wo news suni kya?"

"Haa." He said.

"Are abhi nahi." Preeti whispered.

"Wo news..." She continued. "ki aaj kal market me aisa zehar mil raha hai jo ek baar glass me ghol do toh pani ki tarah mil jaata hai aur kisi ko pata nahi chalta."

She looked sideways at Pandit, he shivered.

"Haa! Haa!" Pralay said, smiling mischievously.

"Arey rehne do! Ab toh hum sab ek hi parivaar hai. Mai khud paani le leta hu." Pandit stopped Pralay and ran to take his own water.

Preeti gave Pralay a high-five and was laughing with him when they heard Taiji shouting,

"Tu chal mere saath. Ab rone se kya fayda?"

All the heads turned to look at her. She had grabbed Swati's wrist and was dragging her back to the gathering. Munna was following them.

"Naina! Naina, yaha aa." Taiji was fuming with anger.

The colour had drained from Naina's face as she looked at the scene unfolding. She walked up to them, Sameer followed her.

"Ye? Ye dost hai teri? Aisi sangat me rehti hai tu?" She was screaming, unmindful or too mindful of the guests.

"K-kya hua Taiji?" She asked in a meek voice.

"Pooch apni dost se." She jerked Swati's hand out of her hold.

"T-Taiji hum aaram se baat karte hai na." Munna tried to intervene.

She turned around looking like she would eat him, "T-tum jaise ladko ne toh -"

"Bhai hai wo mera." Sameer interrupted her. His tone was polite but firm.

"Bhabhi, kya ho gaya hai baith ke baat karte hai na." Anand tried to calm her down.

"Isse poochiye." She shook Swati by her hand.

"Bas. Bas ho gaya." Nanu joined them. "Aap ko jo bhi kehna hai andar jaa kar kahe. Yaha nahi."

"Maheshwari ji-" Taiji tried to say something but Nanu dismissed her and said,

"Munna mere liye Sameer jaisa hai."

"Arjun, sabko khana khilwao. Preeti, baaki baccho ko lekar bhaiya ki madad karo." Anand said.

"Sameer, Naina tum bhi khane baitho. Munna, Swati beta humare saath andar aao." Nanu told them.

Taiji, Anand, Nanu, Swati and Munna went inside Tauji-Taiji's home.

"Kya baat ho gayi?" Anand asked.

"Ye dono tota-maina pandal ke bahar mile mujhe. O bai!! Kaisa zamana aa gaya." Taiji said.

"Chachaji, humne aisa kuch nahi kiya. Hum bas baat kar rahe the." Swati was in tears.

"Neeche meri beti ki sagai chal rahi thi, Bhabhi." Anand tried not to lose his calm.

"Aur in dono ka tinchu-tinchu..." Taiji opened her mouth to trash talk again but Nanu interrupted again.

"Neeche sagai chal rahi thi. Sameer mujhe bahot pyara hai aur Munna-Pandit, Sameer ke sirf dost nahi, bhai bhi hai. Munna aur Swati ek dusre ko pasand karte hai, shaadi karna chahte hai. Ye baat in dono ke gharwalo ko bhi pata hai. Munna humare saath kaam kar raha hai taaki wo apne pairon par khade hokar, poori izzat se Swati ka haath maang sake. Bacche agar keh rahe hai ki unhone aisa kuch nahi kiya jisse hum mein se kisi ko sharminda hona pade toh fir unhone aisa kuch nahi kiya hoga."

"Mai toh bas humare ghar ki izzat ke liye keh rahi thi." Taiji tried to act innocent.

"Ab kaafi der ho gayi hai. Baat yaha se aage badhegi aur dono baccho ke ghar tak jaayegi. Munna, yaha se hum seedhe tumhare ghar jaayenge aur sab ko lekar shaadi ki baat karne Swati ke ghar chalenge." Nanu said.

"Mai aapke saath chalunga. Swati ki beizzati mere ghar par hui hai aur waise bhi Swati bhi meri beti ki tarah hai." Anand said.

"Theek hai fir." Nanu replied and then looked at Taiji "Inki shaadi me aapko zaroor aana hai."

He folded his hands in a namaste and walked out of her house, followed by Swati and Munna.

Precap - Balcony diaries

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