The house was swarming with relatives on the eve of the wedding, with everyone busy in attending to their needs- more like- tantrums-

"Main keh rahi hun Naina. Ab yeh maine pakka kar liya hai. Meri shaadi mein yeh log nahi aa rahe" Preeti complained keeping the empty flask of tea on the table with a thud

"Toh kya karegi phir? Mandir mein shaadi? Saali-Jija mein koi fark hi nahi hai" Naina clicked her tongue, pouring out the tea, arranging the cups carefully

"Haye. Tune toh yeh baat mujhe kabhi bataya nahi. Jijaji ko itni aag lagi thi ki woh tujhse mandir mein shaadi karna chahte the. Waah! Maan gaye unko"

"Tujhe kaise pata chala" Naina said, a cup almost slipping out of her hand

"Unke doston ne baaton baaton mein bataya. Tune mujhse itni badi baat chupayi" Preeti hit Naina, pretending to be angry

"Yeh koi bohot acchi baat nahi hai, haan. Aur tu bilkul mat karna aisa" Naina said, acting like an elder sister now

"Behen. Aisa karne ke liye koi waisa pyar karne waala bhi toh milna chahiye na. Mere naseeb mein papa ka laya hua koi boring sa hi milega. Dekh lena" Preeti lamented

"Tu bhi na!" Naina tapped her side of the head, as both the sisters laughed out together.
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(I don't know how this function functions)

*Sangeet Night*

A huge arrangement was made in Maheshwari residence for the function in the vast area behind the house. The only people from Sameer's side happened to be Munna Pandit's parents and his grandfather's friends

The dais was adorned with banners, all arranged by the duo, as they looked on at their handiwork-

"Kaisa laga? Tune bataya nahi?" Munna nudged Sameer who stared in awe at the decorations

"Tum log toh chupe rustam nikle. Kya sajaya hai. Matlab bilkul kamaal lag raha hai"

"Ab dekhte jaa aur kya-kya sajate hai tere liye" -Pandit smiled, giving a wink to Munna

"Abbey, haath bhi mat lagana. Main khud sajaunga- phoolon se"

"Tu apni hi reception mein hoarding aur stage ko phoolon se sajayega- bohot mehnat lagegi yaar" Munna chimed in, smirking back at Pandit

"Accha, tum log reception ki baat kar rahe the kya" Sameer tried to avert his eyes now

"Haan. Tujhe kya laga?" They said in unison, acting as innocent as possible

"Kuch nahin"
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Naina looked in awe at the decorated bungalow, with her family looking around, the same astonishment in their eyes.

"Aree aap udhar kyun khade hai. Ayee na. Pandit. Ja jaldi se thandi sharbat leke aa" Munna came rushing towards them, signalling his friend to rush

"Hamare samdhi kahan hai?" Tauji looked around, searching for someone from Sameer's side to come forward

"Hum hain na aapke samdhi. Koi bhi baat ho toh bas hume bata dijiye" Munna tried covering up

"Koi bada toh hona hi chahiye. Yeh kaisi shaadi hui bhai. Sab kaam ab dost hi karenge kya?" His wife taunted

At the very moment, Munna's parents intervened and introduced themselves as Sameer's relatives, somehow dousing the fiery questions
____________________________________________

An orchestra of sorts had been hired that was doling out classical melody, a few women sang at the dias, while everyone chatted among themselves-

"Yeh koi sangeet hai kya? Koi naach gaana nahi, koi tadakta bhadakta programme nahi. Sab mariyal ki tarah gaane baja rahe hai. Dhatt!" Pandit complained to Sameer, as they sat together, Naina and her family at the other side

"Chup ho ja. Disco dance nahi karne dega koi tujhe yahan. Sochna bhi mat. Baith ja aur yeh paramparik program dekh" Sameer thrust a bottle of coke in his hands

"Tujhe mann nahi kar raha- Naina ke saath dance karne ka"

"Mann toh bohot kar raha hai, par woh yahaan mere saath baith tak nahi sakti, dance kya hi karegi" he said, his gaze fixed at her

Naina heard him, and gave him a glare, mouthing-

"Baad mein dekhungi tumhe"

Then someone suggested that Naina's father used to be a singer in his college days and asked him to sing-

" Ab yahi dekhna baaki reh gaya tha. Aisi punishment toh school mein bhi nahi mili thi kabhi" Munna buried his face in his hands

"Sachme yaar, ab unka gaana bhi sunna padega? Nainaaa. Kya kya karna pad raha hai tumhe apna bana ne ke liye?" Sameer muttered under his breath

Rakesh started with a bhajan in his loud voice, going towards a high pitch, while Sameer tried to block the song- or whoever was calling it a one-

"Balcony mein kuch bhool gaya tha. Abhi aata hun" and sped as fast as he could

Naina chuckled, knowing fully well why he was gone and drained a glass of juice on her dupatta-

"Pagal ho gayi hai? Meri saari mein gir jaati toh" Taiji, who was sitting next to her, shrieked, standing up

"Naina, andar ja aur isse dho le. Daag lag jayega, beta" her chachi said

"Yahi theek rahega. Main abhi aayi" Naina said, her pace steady and on a running spree once she was inside the house
_____________________________________________

Kaisa lagta hai
Accha lagta hai
Pyaar ka sapna
Saccha lagta hai..

The slow sound came from the balcony, as Naina rushed towards the area from where the music was coming from-

"Toh madam, aap aa hi gayi. Pata tha mujhe" Sameer smirked, his one hand outstretched towards her-

Naina put her hand in his, and he pulled her towards him, their bodies colliding, as their hearts beat rapidly in being such close proximity-

Tu jo kareeb hai
Mera naseeb hai...

"Dance karein? Ya poori shaam mujhe dekhkar hi bitani hai?" Sameer whispered in her ears,

"Main woh bhi kar sakti hun" Naina teased him as they danced slowly to the rhythm-

"Mere bacchon ke sangeet mein unko khulkar dance karne ki azaadi hogi. Aise chupke dance karna hi nahi padega unko. Kabhi bhi nai" Sameer said, sighing, his chin on her head as Naina smiled against his shirt
_____________________________________________

Rakesh came down from the stage, thinking everyone was giving a loud applause for his performance, not knowing everyone was relieved it was finally over-

"Namaste uncle. Aap bata sakte hai ki Naina kahan hai?" Someone approached him suddenly

"Pata nahi. Abhi toh yahin kahin thi. Tum kaun?" He looked at the girl, not recognising her a bit

"Main Hema, Naina ki dost"

"Accha toh tum ho Hema? Sameer ki chacheri behen?"

"Kaun Sameer?" Hema said, confused

"Tumhara bhai Sameer. Jo tumhare Mumbai wale ghar mein reh raha tha. Wohi"

"Maine khud kabhi Ahmedabad ke baahar kadam tak nahi rakha, toh Mumbai jaane ka sawaal hi paida nahin hota"

Naina came back to get the shock of her life as she saw her father about to burst a bubble while the pawn of their lies- her imaginary friend, come to life in front of her

She'd a lot to explain now.

This was in my drafts. ☺️