Happy Reading :,)

Naina was clad in a red lehnga, her hair were pulled back in a bun. The gold jewellery made her look nothing short of a goddess. She was looking at herself in disbelief.

"Soch jijaji ka kya hoga?" Preeti joked.

"Naina! Naina! Baarat aa gayi!" Swati came running in the room.

Naina rushed to the window and saw Sameer sitting on a horse, her man on a white horse, shining with the radiance of happiness. Munna, Pandit, Mamaji, Nanu and Devang Bhaiya were all dancing in front of the ghodi on the beats of shehnai and dhol.

She waited for him to look up and when he did she waved ferociously for him to notice. He gave her his biggest smile and winked. She didn't blush but winked back instead.

"Oho!!" Preeti and Swati teased her but she didn't really care. She was the happiest person on the planet and would let that feeling take all over her.

Sameer and his family were welcomed one last time by all the Agarwals. This would be the last of all the functions.

The groom hit the toran and everyone cheered for Sameer when Bela came to pull his nose but he simply kept his head down for her to easily pull it.

"Bapa sitaram! Apna ladka ho gaya sasural walon ka." Mamaji exclaimed and everyone laughed.

They were all welcomed inside and shown their seats. Sameer obviously took the king size chair on the stage where Munna and Pandit were controlling themselves from jumping around.

Sameer's eyes were set on the entrance from where he was told that Naina would enter with her sisters and friends.

"Aa jaayengi bhabhi." Pandit told him.
"Aur Swati Bhabhi bhi."

He said while slapping Munna's head.

As if on a cue, Naina entered with her girls. All shaming the beauty of fairies of the heaven.

Naina took baby steps and sat next to Sameer. Their hearts were thumping with a mix of excitement and nervousness, one overpowering the other.

The garlands were brought and the two of them got up to exchange them.

"Kisi aur ko bhi varmala pehnane ka man kar raha ho toh usko bola dena chahiye, kyu Pandat?" Munna asked looking everywhere but at Swati.

"Haan! Haan! Bilkul. Bahar ek bandariya ghum rahi thi. Set rahegi tere liye bilkul." Pandit replied.

In between the remnant laughters Naina raised her arms and settled the garland on Sameer's neck. He did the same.

A round of claps and blessings began floating in the air.

Gradually, everyone assembled began giving their gifts to the couple and getting clicked with them. It was the engagement routine all over again.

The priest prepared the mandap and lit the holy fire. Sameer and Naina were made to sit in front of it.

Verses from sacred books were being recited and were tying the young couple into a bond beyond lives. They got up to circle the fire seven times. Sameer put the vermillion in Naina's hair partition filling it with the red colour.

"Kaha tha na." He whispered. "Haldi ke peele rang se shagun hua tha, aaj agla rang laal ho hi gaya."

He tied the mangalsutra around her neck. They were then tied in the gathbandhan with happiness and blessings radiating all around.

In between all of this four people had their eyes fixed on a pair of shoes, Sameer's joote that could cost him dearly today.

Preeti signalled Shefali, who understood and took her position next to Pandit.

"Hello?" She started talking to him.

He smiled vaguely, unaware of Preeti's eyes fixed on him, judging him.

"Tumhe itne dinon se dekh rahi hu, baat karne ka mauka hi nahi mila." She tried to flirt.

"Toh?" He answered without any interest.

Preeti's smile widened. She felt a little proud of him but this wasn't the time. Rinki was signalled and she slyly picked up the shoes and dropped it in a box which Kamya was holding. Hema quietly took the box inside with her. Swati joined her mid way and both of them hid the box in the room where Naina was getting ready.

Preeti let out a sigh of relief and signalled Shefali.

"Chalo. Bye. Khana kha ke jaana, haan?" She escaped.

________________________

Naina and Sameer were now officially married and officially SamAina. They walked out of the mandap. Naina slipped her sandals on but Sameer ...

"Kuch dhoondh rahe hain Jijajee?" Preeti asked.

"Haa ... Wo.. Munna-Pandit tumhe bola tha na ki joote sambhalna!" Sameer gritted his teeth.

"Pyaari pyaari saaliyan hai na teri, jeb dheeli kar le aaj." Pandit said while munching on a samosa.

"Inhe dhundh rahe the Jijajee?" Swati came holding the shoes in her hand.

Munna saw this as his only opportunity and snatched the shoes from her hands.

"Chori karna paap hai! Gale me tumhare saap hai!" He ran off screaming.

"He! He!" Pandit ran after him.

Swati and Preeti began chasing them in their heavy lehngas.

Duhle ki saaliyon o hare duppate waliyon (x2)
Joote de do paise le lo (x2)

Dulhan ke devar tum dikhlao na yun tevar (x2)
Paise de do joote le lo (x2)

Swati spotted Munna sipping cold drinks in a corner.

Aji, note gino ji

Joote lao

Zid chodo ji

Joote lao

Fraud hai kya hum?

Tum hi jaano akdu ho tum

Jo bhi maano

Aji, baat badhegi

Badh jaane do

Maang chadegi

Chadh jaane do

Ado na aise

Pehle joote

Pehle paise

Pehle joote, pehle joote

Joote liye hain nahi churaya koi zevar
Dulhan ke devar tum likhao na yun tevar
Paise de do joote le lo

The boys had hidden the shoes and the girls were having a tough time finding them. Preeti saw Pandit and ordered everyone else behind her,

Kuch thanda pee lo

Mood nahi hai

Dahi bade lo

Mood nahi hai

Kulfi kha lo

Bahot kha chuke

Paan kha ko

Bahot kha chuke (x2)

Aji rasmalai,

Aapke liye

Itni mithai

Aapke liye

Pehle joote

Khayenge kya?

Aapki marzi

Na ji tauba

Na ji tauba (x2)

Kisi betuke shayar ki besuri kawaliyon

Dulhe ki saaliyon o hare duppate waliyon

Joote de do

Paise le lo (x2)

Kamya's eyes fell on something golden under a chair. She ran in its direction and picked it up. She held them up for everyone to see.

All of Sameer's saali sahibas rushed to him with their demand.

"Poore hazar rupay, Jijajee. Na ek paisa kam na ek paisa zyada." Preeti demanded.

"Sameer tu mere joote pehen le." Munna offered.

"Aapki shaadi me do hazar rupay maangungi Jijajee agar aapne apne joote de diye toh." Preeti warned.

Munna quietly slipped his shoes back. Sameer took thousand rupees out and handed them over to his sister in laws.

"Bhai doosri team ka ho hi gaya." Pandit observed.

The girls returned Sameer's shoes with respect and the rest of the night was spent in chit chats, eating, telling tales and the arrangements for the pending bidaai.

The moon had travelled the sky and was ready to set. The sun was waiting for it's turn when Vishakha told Bela that the time for Naina's bidaai had arrived.

Bela started making the final arrangements. Naina was sitting with Sameer, Munna and Pandit. She called her and Naina's face fell. She knew that this was it. The moment that would make the happiest day of her life bittersweet.

Shefali and Swati were given the duty to round up all the relatives near the gate.

"Preeti kaha hai?"

"Pata nahi yaar. Joote churane ke baad dikhi nahi."

Pandit heard Kamya and Hema talk. He had observed how close she was to Naina. The final moments would've been too hard for her to witness but she had to give her sister a farewell both of them deserved. So he began searching for her.

He looked all over the main hall, food counters - ahead and behind them. He finally left for the room where Naina was getting ready. He could hear loud, violent sobs. The door was shut, not locked.

He knocked.

"Kya hai? Jao na! Sab chale jao!"

Preeti's voice came from inside.

Pandit opened the door slowly and saw her crouching in a corner, crying like he had never seen anyone cry.

"Mazak udane aaye ho mera?" She shouted.

"Nahi."

"Fir?"

He walked up to where she was sitting and sat down on the floor next to her. She slapped his arm in annoyance and then took it to cry her heart out. It was too difficult for him to not sob seeing her break down but he provided her the support she needed.

They walked down next and joined everyone. Naina was hugging people and crying. Preeti ran to her and held her as tightly as she could.

"Milte rehna." She said.

"Mai nahi aaungi. Tu kitni kharab hai Preeti! Mujhse milne bhi nahi aa rahi thi?" Naina complained while parting from Preeti.

"Sorry na!" Preeti hugged her sister again. Swati joined them and the girls cried their hearts out together.

That was it. The end of Naina Agarwal's maiden life.

"Chalein Naina Magarwal?" Sameer asked her.

She smiled at the name and the understanding suddenly set on her that she couldn't be only Maheshwari or only Agarwal now. She'll be part of both the families and this was her story which wouldn't have been possible if she wouldn't have selflessly saved an old man on the day of a samaj samellan which she wasn't even willing to attend in the first place.

Her story and Sameer's. A story in millions. One in a million.

There was no sun rising behind mighty mountains or no beaches with beautiful sunsets but this place was the closest to Naina Agarwal's heart - Ahemdabad. Another lazy city waking and working with its own pace, hiding a million stories in its heart. One such story belonged to Naina Agarwal and Sameer Maheshwari.

One such story.

That will go on and on forever.

Precap: Epilogue.