Chapter : 64

Rishav's POV

"They are close by, be careful." Sameer whispered to me as he looked behind at me while the pandit went on with the mantras of the wedding.

I turned around to look at the girls. There were four. Two of them looked around, feigning extra innocence on their faces to cover up their intentions and the remaining two getting busy with their phones. Too lame an idea, girls. I thought.

It was the 'jutaa churaai' ritual that the girls were trying to do. The words mean 'shoe stealing' where the girls from the bride's family try and steal the groom's shoes while he is busy performing the sacred rituals. If they succeed in stealing the shoes, they start demanding money in exchange for the shoes. Usually the demands are unbelievable high and the Groom has to undergo embarrassment as he tries to bargain down the demand.

I recognized that one of the four girls were Usha. But I too had my gang by my side to protect the shoes. Ravi sat to my right and Kabir, though late, was settled to my left. The shoes were under our guarding. Ananya was busy taking perfect shots of the wedding on her camera which she had brought along.

We three boys turned back to look at the ongoing rituals. When the girls didn't make a move to take the shoes, I thought they gave up and resumed to attending the rituals. Well, I was wrong. Out of the blue, Ravi jumped into action as he held the arm of one of the girls who had sneaked close to us and picked up both the shoes. She escaped out of Ravi's grasp and ran for the corridor. The three of us got up and dashed after them to get the shoes as Sameer looked at us with a look of 'Oh why did I even give you this responsibility?'. I couldn't let down my brother.

The entire crowd turned their attention to the little havoc that we were creating amidst the sacred wedding. The girl with the shoes was clever. When Ravi and Kabir had cornered her successfully, she threw the shoes in two different directions. One landed in the the hands of Usha while the other landed somewhere amongst the aunts who cursed out in anger as the shoe hit them on their heads.

"I'll get that one." Ravi said and jumped among the aunts who were peacefully seated. The aunts cussed at Ravi in anger as he looked around for the shoe. He smiled in victory as he found the shoe. But the other shoe was yet to be brought back. I looked around for Usha and realized that she was looking down at me with the shoe in her hand as she stood by the stairway.

"Oh man." I sighed as I followed the path to the stairway. She started running away into the deserted corridors as I followed her.

"Stop the childishness now Usha." I called after her as she walked ahead of me with a giggle.

"Take it if you can." She said and held out the shoe to me.

I tried to get hold of it but damn, she was fast. She held it behind her with a grin. I frowned at her.

"Come on, I can't let you have it. Please." I said as I held out a hand, asking for the shoe.

"If you want the shoe then go down on one knee and say something that can impress me." Usha said.

Her words left me surprised.

I laughed when someone snatched the shoe out of her hand from behind her. Well, it was no one but Ananya. Her face resembled an angel as she smiled at Usha but I knew what hid behind that face.

"I guess this belongs to you honey." Ananya said and handed the shoe to me.

"Honey?" Usha repeated the last word in confusion.

"Oh yeah, Rishav's my boyfriend you know. He goes down on one knee just for me." Ananya said as she stood beside me with a smile that threw daggers on Usha.

"What are you doing up here anyway?" I asked, amused at the way Ananya was acting.

"I came up here because you get a great view of the wedding from up here and I could get a good shot. But that's not the point right now." Ananya said and looked back at Usha.

"We'll go back to attend the wedding." Ananya said haughtily as she held my hand in hers and led us down the stairs.

"Way to go girlfriend." I said and chuckled to myself as we head down to find Ravi and Kabir. I held out my hand to Ravi, asking for the other shoe which he had successfully retrieved but I frowned when he gulped silently.

"Where's the shoe?" I asked Ravi.

"Well, we would still have it had someone not get carried away to looking at Naina over there among the guests." Kabir said gesturing towards Ravi.

"Oh are you serious?" I sighed as Ravi grinned at me shamelessly. God help this moron.

***

Ananya's POV

We all stood in peace and silence as the garlands were thrown by the bride and groom on one another's neck. It all created such a sweet scene. Well, Now was going to be the actual drama as Sameer, Rishav's brother and the groom, stepped down the makeshift stage to look at Rishav with a frown. Rishav pointed a finger innocently at Ravi who held just one of the two shoes in his hands.

"It's all his fault." Rishav said, still pointing at Ravi.

Honestly, they two looked like little kids waiting to be punished by the elders for creating some mischief, blaming one another.

"Well, where's our money now?" Usha and the other three girls said, huddling up in front of Sameer with sly eyes full of victory.

"Seems like you love that shoe more than I do." Sameer said.

"Oh yes, we do. But if you want it back, hand out 9000 now." Usha said and held out her free hand for the money.

Many gasps ran around the crowd. It was indeed a lot to ask for a single shoe!

"Well, thank God that I always have a plan B." Sameer said.

The girls frowned at his words as Sameer gestured to one of the fellow relatives who showed up with a little box. The box was uncovered to reveal a pair of shoes, better than the previous one Sameer wore. The girls had a face worth capturing as Sameer got the new pair of shoes on and bid a goodbye to everyone.

Well, the guy has got some brilliant brain after all.