Bengal, Chatterjee Residence

"Really Tripti, now Subho is also out of my hands?" 

Tripti angled her head towards her friend and raised a brow, while Meghmaala was busy pinning the chain from her sister's earring to her hairs, "Tripti, sit straight!" She smacked her head lightly, but Tripti ignored her, "Huh?"

"What Tripti, I asked you to tell Subho about me! Why didn't you?" Vandana whined, striding with the heavy set of bangles and sat beside her, while Meghmaala giggled abruptly hearing her, "You're hopeless Vandu," 

"Didi, you only conclude how a friend is Tripti? Huh, she is getting married herself and I told her to talk about me to Subho or Anirban, but she did neither!" 

Tripti couldn't control snickering further, "Why? Can't you speak yourself? Your tongue works like scissors everytime so why do you now need my help?" 

"Don't you drag me into this, you both only look after your personal stuff," Meghmaala shook her head, smoothening Tripti's hairs with the comb.

"First Anirban, and now Subho is also gone out of my hands, uh!" Vandana dramatically whined, pushing the bangles into Tripti's wrist who grinned at her. "Don't laugh, I will break your teeth."

"Arrey, what did I do?" Tripti blinked innocently, "I only told you to speak with Subho, you did how come it is my fault?"

Vandana smacked her arm, "You know why!"

"Why?" Tripti responded her with the same tone but in an annoying manner, causing the latter to flush her cheeks. Meghmaala was watching the duo with amused glances, snickering in between. 

"That's why I say, gather a bit of courage and confess your feelings before someone else gets it," Tripti winked at Vandana, who looked at her with raised brows, "Uh really? You are asking me to gather courage? What about the letters you wrote about Indranil and never sent him?"

Tripti's smirk faltered at the mention of them, "What....?"

It was Vandana's time to smirk, "Aha?" 

"How did you know about them?" Tripti blinked at her and then snapped her gaze at Meghmaala, who shrugged, "What?"

"Didi?" Tripti widened her eyes.

"What? I did not do anything okay?" Meghmaala tried to avert her gaze but Tripti shot her sister daggers. 

"Don't blame Meghmaala Didi now Tripti, now tell! Why didn't you give those letters to Indranil? You are yourself shy and talking about me huh?" 

"What nonsense...." Tripti's heart thudded faster, a pit swirling in her stomach. She was trying hard to mask herself when Vandana was talking about marrying Subhankar, her little flicker of jealousy had already began to etch in her heart which she was trying to deny. But the mention of the letters got her off guard. 

Indeed, she had written those letters imagining Indranil, but she didn't knew why her heart faltered the next time she had tried to write them 

And that happened exactly after Subhankar returned from London. What she had written in them was only known to her.

And no one else should be knowing about it. No one. 

"Now feeling shy and all that huh?" Vandana nudged her elbow, while Tripti just looked away, lowering her lashes. 

.

.

.

The entire Chatterjee House was appearing vibrant, as workers went helter skelter, decorating the palace. Rooms thoroughly cleaned and polished, curtains and sheets washed and floral garlands were being hung. 

Not marriage, even the engagement had to be grand enough for the Chatterjees. 

The Bhoumiks, specially Indranil's mother being Punjabi, had the fashion of engagement also known as 'Roka' where the bride and groom would be officially betrothed to each other in public. The ceremony had to be grand since the Bhoumiks did not have a taste in anything less than that, and Manikant had made sure that nothing would fall short in their grace. 

"Be careful please...." Subhankar furrowed his brows with hands on his waist, gazing up at the two servants who were trying to attach a marigold garland at the first floor, with the help of a long stool. The former was looking after the decorations along with Anirban, who was busy looking after the guests. Respectable families were going to be a part of the celebration, both from Indranil's side and their side. 

"Master, is this fine?"

"A little on the left?"

The servant nodded, adjusting it further. 

"Hnn..." 

"Oyee, Subho!" Anirban came rushing towards him, "What are you doing here?"

"What happened?" Subhankar raised his brows, blinking, "I was looking at the work here..."

"First time I am looking at a man who is more concerned than anything else apart from his beloved....Gosh," Anirban sighed dramatically, gazing up, "I am really feeling sad for my Savitri Bouma,"

Subhankar rolled his eyes with a smile, "You're so...."

"Brilliant, thanks for the compliment! Now will you come? Savitri is waiting for you since when!" 

.

.

.

The courtyard of the mansion was chirruping with guests. 

Subhankar walked up towards Somnath and Damini, who were involved avidly in talking with Chiranjeevi and Ashalata, while Savitri was smiling softly at them. Subhankar smothered his kurta slightly, feeling a bit conscious as he came and stood beside his family.

"Arrey, here he came....son seek their blessings!" Somnath patted Subhankar's back, who nodded with a smile and bent to touch Chiranjeevi's and Ashalata's feet.

"It's okay dear, no need for that young man! Afterall, we are going to be a family soon!" Chiranjeevi chuckled and lifted Subhankar up, engulfing him in an embrace.

"Now all we need is to get a Pandit and sort the date of their wedding too!" Damini chuckled, cupping Savitri's cheeks who lowered her lashes timidly, "Really can't wait for their wedding! They indeed look like a match made in heaven," 

Subhankar smiled a bit at them, and then at Savitri, who's cheeks slightly turned red at his gaze. She was indeed wearing a yellow saree, draped on both sides of her shoulder in the Bengali style, paired with a designer red blouse. She raised her brows at him with a half smile, while Subhankar bit his lips and grinned at her in approval.

He kept smiling at her, breathing deeply his heart swirling with some sort of incomprehensible sensation, which he wasn't aware of. 

Nervousness; he concluded.

What else could be the reason? 

"Please come in, this way!" Somnath smiled warmly, taking Savitri's parents inside from the gate, while Savitri strode towards Subhankar with a smug smile, "So? How am I looking?"

"En-enchanting!" Subhankar breathed out, feeling a bit off guard at the sudden call. 

Savitri giggled at his response, "I knew it! Now shall we?"

"Yeah sure sure!" Subhankar stepped aside, his lips tugging into a grin as he extended his hand to make a way for her. Savitri gathered the edge of her saree and walked forth as the latter trailed behind her, shifting abruptly towards a side as a worker almost collided with him, "Sorry Master...." he mumbled and went away, but Subhankar had accidentally stepped a bit over Savitri's saree's hem.

"Oh..." Savitri gasped softly, pushing her hairs behind her ear.

"Oh God I am so sorry!" Subhankar shifted back, clicking his tongue, his brows furrowing apologetically. 

"It's okay okay," Savitri immediately responded cordially, crouching below to adjust the fold of her saree, and smothering it.

"Let me help, okay?" Subhankar inhaled a deep breath, gazing at her with a warm smile, while Savitri just pressed her lips into a smile, nodding a bit shyly, "Okay...." He nodded back, crouching on below on one knee, as he held the lowermost fold of her saree, while she was smothering it. 

It was done. Subhankar released the hem of her saree, and was about to get up, when his gaze fell upon the figure approaching towards them, dressed in the teal green saree.

And for a moment, he forgot to blink. 

★★★★★★★★★

A/N

Subho be like-- Na jaane mere dil ko kya hogya.....abhi to yahi tha aur abhi khogaya- 👁👁

Signing off for today!

Nushkie