Unedited

Part - 67

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"You can't blame gravity for falling in love"

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Kundra Mansion was beautifully decorated with flowers and LED lights, setting the mood appropriately for the occasion.

Guests had cramped their spacious home making Madhu regret her idea of having the Haldi and Mehendi ceremony at home instead of having at the actual venue where they would be conducting their daughter's Sangeet and Shaadi.

"Inayat, if Naira is ready can you bring her down? It's time to start the function." Madhu delegated the job to her daughter in law so that she could greet the guests.

"Haan, ammi" Inayat went upstairs to Naira's room to check on her.

"Naira, you ready?" Inayat asked as she walked in and found the beautician giving final touch to her makeup.

"Almost" the beautician answered for her.

"How do I look?" Naira asked beaming with excitement. She had worn a vibrant green lehenga with pink embroidery and stone works. It was trendy and a perfect outfit for mehendi function. Her hairstylist had styled her thick and silky hair to a messy side bride and adorned it with pink flowers.

"You look beautiful as ever. And I absolutely love your pretty pink floral jewelleries." Inayat said smiling and she couldn't resist herself from doing a silly thing. She swiped a hint of kajal from the corner of her eyes and put it behind Naira's ear so that evil eyes won't fall on her.

Naira let out a good natured laugh.

Inayat smiled. Well, that was what her mom-in-law did to her a while ago, muttering 'Kisi ki nazar na lage meri bacchi par'

"You look beautiful too, Inayat" Naira complimented. Inayat looked stunning in a dark mauve silk saree with sequin and stone works along with a matching half sleeved blouse with boat neck. Her long and sleek dark brown hair was rolled to a messy bun and hid behind her saree pallu which was draped over her head.

She smiled and asked "Shall we go down now?"

"Sure but please don't leave my side. I am so nervous." Naira held Inayat's hand and she gave her a reassuring squeeze as she remembered asking the same favour to her on her wedding day and Naira kept her promise and never left her side, not even for a second. She was a huge pillar of support on that day. And that was evident on their wedding album. Inayat stood closer to Naira than to her husband Veer.

Naira was extremely nervous today because Yash was not by her side. His mom and few of his relatives were presented.

"I won't leave your side, not until you and Yash tie the knot." She promised making Naira happy and relieved.

--0--

"Ma'am, can you please keep your phone down and give your right hand? I am done with your left hand." The mehendi artist asked politely to Naira. She was busy texting to Yash but didn't get any reply from him.

"Sure" she kept her phone down feeling dejected as she didn't hear a word from her fiance since yesterday night.

"Where do you want me to write your soon to be husband's name, ma'am?"

"At the centre of my palm" Naira pointed where exactly.

"But won't that be too easy for your husband to find his name on the wedding night?" 

"I don't care. I just want his name 'Y.A.S.H' on the centre. Preferably inside a heart design."

"Sure thing, ma'am"

"Um... Maybe you can put a small 'Y' somewhere on my left hand. I will ask him to find that as this one is going to so obvious."

"Okay" the mehendi artist agreed and was about to start her work when Naira's mobile phone started ringing, flashing Calling... Love

The mehendi artist took a quick peek at her phone and saw a handsome man's pic on the screen. "Hmm... He must be her soon to be husband... So charming... Lucky girl!"

Naira quickly grabbed her phone and put it on her ear. "Yash! You okay?"

"Of course I am okay, Naira. Why do you ask?"

"You didn't reply to any of my texts. I got worried."

"Baby, I am sorry I worried you but trust me I didn't check my phone since noon. I am actually at my office now, busy with work. I just took a moment break and thought to call you. Is there anything important you have to tell me?"

"You are at work? But I thought we had agreed..." They both had decided to take a week off from work before and after their wedding.

"I know we agreed..." It was Yash's idea to take a solid break seeing Naira work like a maniac. She was always running from office to court and back to office. She relaxes a bit only when he takes her out for lunch, everyday since they started dating, but then too she would rush back to court, barely eating anything. My workaholic wife! He often called her so and even saved her phone number in this name. "...but I got this important tight dead-line project. I need to get this hotel design ready for tomorrow's presentation."

"Tomorrow is our Sangeet if you are forgetting!"

"I know, Naira. This work will be done by 2pm. Sangeet starts at 6pm if I am not wrong."

"Can't you assign this work to your juniors and relax a bit? You sound stressed."

Yash sighed. She knows me well already. 

"I did assign this work to my junior and she fucked it. If she had done it properly then I wouldn't be re-doing it at the end moment."

She?

"Then fire her from the job!" Naira said feeling irrational anger on that girl.

Anger or jealousy? Her subconscious mind asked. She couldn't decide on that.

Why does he have female staff in his office? She thought irately.

Why do you work with Roshan and not with some Roshaneeee? Her subconscious mind mocked her again.

"Nah nah! That's quite a harsh decision. I can't take that on her." 

So much of concern on her!

"She has been so good at her job so far despite being a fresher. She has learned a lot so quickly with so much interest."

Too much of praises! She rolled her eyes knowing full well he couldn't see her doing that.

"I saw great potential in her and that's why I delegated this job to her but she couldn't live up to my expectations. But that's fine. I will give her another chance. Everyone deserves a second chance, right?"

"If the mistake is unforgivable then no second chance at all!" Well, that was her policy.

"Then I better not make unforgivable mistakes"

"Yes. You are forewarned so you better not do that."

"Alright, Naira."

"Yash..."

"Hmm?"

"I know you are busy but can you spare few more minutes with me? I have missed you so bad." She sounded desperate.

"I am sorry..."

"It's okay..." She said thinking he was saying sorry as he couldn't stay on-line.

"I am sorry for making you miss me."

"Oh"

"Talk to me, Naira. No time limit for you."

"But your work?"

"Be damned!"

"Okay, then give me a second. I will connect to my bluetooth headset so that I can put the phone down and give my hand to my mehendi artist. She has been so patiently waiting for me." Naira said smiling at the girl.

"Sure" Yash said and took a sip of his coffee.

"Yash? You there?"

"Yeah" he too connected to his hands free headset and started working on his design. He could manage talking and working at the same time.

"I was fuming since morning..."

"Why, darling?"

"Who are those girls who were feeling up your bare chest?"

"What?" He asked in momentary confusion.

"I saw your haldi photos! Your mom sent me this morning." She paused. He waited. "How could you let those girls touch you so intimately?" She accused.

"Naira, they weren't touching me intimately. They were just teasing me."

"Whatever!"

"They are my distant cousins!" He said hoping that piece of information would ease her mind.

"Oh"

"Yeah-oh!"

"But still... I didn't like it." She felt so possessive for him.

"Neither did I. It was so embarrassing you know." He closed his eyes, irately. "I so wanted to push their hands off of me but I somehow tolerated it for my mom." He sounded like he really hated the experience and that made her happy.

"Oh poor you" Naira wished to give him a tight hug.

"I had never been in such position ever before in my life and I will never ever be for sure..."

"Oh no no! I want to do that."

"Do what?"

"I want to apply haldi (turmeric) all over your body with my hands." She whispered, blushing. "Ever since I saw your bare chest covered with haldi, this is what I have been dreaming to do."

"Oh Naira!" He groaned. He didn't think he would get any work done if she was going to talk like this.

"Will you let me do that?"

"With pleasure. I am yours. Only yours to do anything as you please."

"Aww... I love that." She grinned and she could sense his smile.

"I miss you, Yash. Wish you were here."

"I miss you too..." He paused, fighting his urge to throw the things and come to her. "...how is your mehendi design coming out?"

"Very pretty. Hope it turns dark." 

"It will."

"Such confidence?"

"Yes!"

The darker the bride's mehendi, the deeper her husband's love is! - it was something commonly believed in Indian tradition.

And I love you so fucking much, sweetheart! Yash thought.

"We will see" she blushed, maybe she heard his mind voice.

--0--

"Come fast! We are late already" Arjun literally dragged his girlfriend into his house, smiling and nodding at his relatives on his way.

"You only made me wear a saree and got me late." Kathryn hissed. If she had worn her casuals she would have been here an hour ago.

She was wearing a sea green and yellow butterfly pallu saree with backless blouse. She looked sensational in it but Arjun was worried about his relatives reaction. Already they were giving her strange looks. Well, fuck them! He thought shaking his head.

Madhu eyed Kathryn warily but didn't make any comment on her. She just asked her to sit on the other side of Naira and start getting her mehendi done before going back to her conversation with Yash's mom Swetha. They are best friends now.

"I will help you select a design." Giving that as an excuse, Arjun sat next to Kathryn.

"What's in that cone like thing? Will it affect my skin? Is it permanent?" Kathy asked as she glanced at Naira's painted hand.

"Henna. It's naturally made so it won't affect your skin. And, no, it's not permanent. It will last only for a few days." Arjun told her as he looked at the designs.

"Okay but why do we put this henna tattooing?" She asked. 

Henna tattooing? He mentally chuckled.

"It's a tradition." He finally found a design that would fill both her palms.

"Tell me more about this tradition?" she showed genuine interest so he decided to elaborate. She gave her hand to the mehendi artist to get it designed.

"Mehendi function is held a day or two before the wedding. The bride's hands and legs are painted with henna to symbolise joy and beauty."

"Oh"

"But scientifically speaking, mehendi can prevent stress because it cools the body and keeps the nerves from becoming tense. At the time of wedding, the bride will be under so much stress and mehendi helps to calm her nerves." 

"I see" Kathy adored him for beautifully explaining it to her. My charming desi boy! She couldn't resist herself from planting a quick kiss on his cheek, shocking him.

He quickly looked around and sighed in relief. No one caught our moment!

But why bhabhi is blushing?

"You saw?" Arjun mouthed at her. Inayat nodded her head smiling. "Then see that also"

"What?" Inayat mouthed back.

Arjun pointed to the door way.

Inayat turned her head to her side and frowned seeing her husband talking with their neighbour Thea.

"I will be right back" saying that to Kathy, Arjun sneaked closer to the door and stood behind it to eavesdrop.

--0--

"My goodness! Finally I am getting to meet you after a year long gap. Last time when I saw you, you were single and now you are married. That's the only change I see in you, nothing else has changed. You are still my hot and  handsome Veer..." She confessed with gleaming eyes.

"I am not yours, Thea." He said feeling uncomfortable.

"Yeah, right." She looked upset.

"Heard you have moved to Bangalore." He tried to change the topic.

"Yeah, I did. I didn't have a purpose to stay here so I found a job there and moved out."

"Good"

"Veer, can I ask you something?"

"Sure"

"You do know I had and I still have feelings for you, right?"

"Yes" he knew she had admired him from afar but he had never paid attention to her. She was not his type! Just customary 'hi-s and hello-s' he would say to her when they accidentally bump in to each other. "...and you do know I never felt and will never feel anything for you, right?" He asked back. "I love my wife. You better move on, Thea." He didn't think he could make it anymore clear to her.

"What did you see in her that you didn't see in me?" She asked glaring at someone behind him.

Without looking back he knew she was referring to his wife.

"Thea!" He warned her. "Let's stop here. I don't want to spoil my mood on this good occasion."

"Thea didi?" Arjun jumped in and gave her a knocking hug.

"How many times I have told you not to call me 'didi'? Don't you get it, Arjun?" She asked angrily pushing him away.

"You look fab in shorts." Arjun said ignoring her attitude. "You have great legs." He flirted.

"Thank you" Thea forgave him for calling her didi.

"Come on in. Get your soft hands and slender legs painted with mehendi."

"No! No! This chemical will affect my skin."

"Then what about this chemical on your face? Won't it affect your skin?" Arjun asked teasingly as he swiped his finger on her cake-face.

"That... That..." Embarrassed she placed a hand on her face, covering her mask-like makeup.

"It's okay. All are not as gifted as my bhabhi who has a beautiful face that requires no makeup at all. All she needs to beautify her face is a small smile and she will look divine. Maybe that's what my brother saw in her, her natural beautiful, and fell in love with her." Arjun politely answered to the question Thea asked to Veer. Stomping her leg, she left their house.

"Great insult to her" Veer chuckled.

"Thank you. Now, I will get back to my girl. She is looking sexy in saree." He winked. "Did you see her?"

Veer shook his head in no. He was just coming home after having a busy day and was cornered by Thea. He didn't even get to see his wife properly. He just got a glimpse of her.

"Thinking of suggesting her to get a 'henna tattoo' on her bare back. A huge filigree design spread on her pale skin... Gosh! The mere thought itself is making me hot!"

"Don't embarrass that poor girl or our maa for that matter in front of our relatives, Arjun!"

"Hmm... Then how about me putting a small sign on her back with a mehendi cone? Branding her as mine! Arjun's Asset! Priceless and Precious"

"That's ridiculous, Arjun!" Veer scolded him and walked into his house to greet his relatives first and then take a look at his sister's and wife's mehendi designs.

"Which design do you like the most? Mine or your wife's?" Naira asked smirking. Inayat smiled.

"Both are good" he tried to play safe but his twinnie wasn't accepting it.

"Tell me one!"

"Alright, Naira. Yours is the best of all!"

"Aww... I love you." She lifted her arms up for a hug.

Veer gently hugged her and kissed her forehead, affectionately.

His sister was in foul mood all day but now she was relaxed and happy so he presumed she got to talk with her man. Cool!

--0--

"Can I put my signature on your back, Kathy?" Arjun asked as he sensuously circled her back with his finger.

"I will kill you!" She hissed

"Alright" he took his hand off her. "Just put my name somewhere on your palm"

"Why should I do that and spoil my design?"

"It's a tradition"

"I don't believe you"

"Trust me! It is. You can ask my sister if you doubt me." He said knowing full well she would have written her soon to be husband's name on her palm.

"Hmm... How about I put a small 'A' on the pad of my thumb?"

"No! Write my full name - A.R.J.U.N"

"Why?"

"There is only one 'Y' in my sister's life and one 'V' in my bhabhi's life but there are two 'A' in your life so which one does it stand for? Arjun or Alex?" He asked mockingly.

"Asshole!" Kathy yelled, and suddenly everyone went silent and turned to her side.

--0--

Once the ceremony got over, Rishab took his three daughters Naira, Inayat and Kathryn to the pool side to feed them dinner as their hands had semi dried mehendi. He had a huge tray on his lap with one bowl of Poha for Naira, one bowl of Pulav for Inayat and one bowl of Pasta for Kathryn and fed them in succession.

"Rishab, I will never forgive you for not feeding me" Madhu grumbled as she walked past them and sat on the swing.

"You have your sons to help you, Madhu!" He stated. Veer was feeding her. Since Yash was not there, Arjun offered to feed Shwetha and she accepted it graciously.

"That I do. My darling boys!" Her eyes shown with pride.

"Mom!" Naira protested.

"You are also my darling so calm your tits and eat!"

Naira gasped in shock. She couldn't believe her mom said that in front of her soon to be mom-in-law.

She turned her gaze at Shwetha and she was laughing. She didn't mind it seems.

"Your mom is crazy" Rishab said shaking his head.

"I appose!" Naira said.

"Why are you two so silent? Is anything wrong?" Rishab asked looking at Inayat and Kathryn.

"Nothing, uncle"

"All cool, uncle"

"No, dad. They are upset." Naira interjected.

"Why?"

"Meera dadi spoiled their mood." Naira said making a face. Meera was Radha's cousin and she always had the habit of making offensive comments people. She was not all cool as Radha.

"What did she say this time?" Rishab asked irately. He never liked his maasi

"She asked Inayat why she isn't keeping sindoor on her forehead knowing full well she is a Muslim and she scolded Kathryn for using a vulgar Slang."

"You did?"

"Arjun was irritating me, uncle, so I shouted at him - 'Asshole'. I am sorry."

Rishab couldn't help but chuckle.

"She even scolded Naira di for staying on the phone for so long and completely ignoring the guests. She was so mean to us. I didn't like her, uncle." Kathy said openly.

"How dare she hurt my babies with her words? I'll talk to her." He growled.

"Uncle, no. Ammi supported for me and Kathryn so you please let it go." Inayat requested.

Though Madhu was mad at Kathryn for using that slang she didn't let Meera talk nonsense about her.

She just had a word with Arjun in private asking him to behave at least until his sister's wedding gets over and also asked his girlfriend to mind her language.

If his wife had talked in favour of them then there is no need for him to talk to his maasi because he knew his Madhu would have effectively shut her up. She takes no shit from shitty people. Rishab thought. 

"And I defended myself daddy" Naira told her daddy proudly. "I said 'I love talking to my fiance more than to you, dadi so sorry I can't hang up' and I continued talking with Yash."

"That's good, darling." He said, smiling and then looking at Inayat and Kathryn he said "Don't take her insensitive remarks to heart. She is no one to this family."

--0--

Inayat was admiring her mehendi design when Veer joined her after taking his shower.

"Beautiful design" he said and kissed her cheek. He was about to turn off the lights when she stopped him.

"Veer..."

"What?"

"Should I keep sindoor?" She asked looking at his eyes to get an honest reply.

"Inayaa, you heard what maa said to Meera dadi and I am not going to say anything new now. We are not going to force anything on you and try to change you."

"No but I feel I should do this for you."

"For me or for the fake people who live for the society and not for themselves?"

"Veer, you guys have given me love, care, protection, a home and a job. For all that, this is the least I can do... I... I better convert..." 

Veer sharply pinched her arm.

"Ah Allah" she yelped in pain.

"There you said it! Will religious conversion change this?"

Inayat bit her lip and looked down at her lap.

She could never stop herself from uttering the word 'Allah' or stop worshipping him.

"When I said I wanted to marry you to my parents, my maa had only one condition."

"What?"

"You can marry the girl you love, Veer, but neither of you are going to convert from one religion to another, ever."

"Oh"

"So I am not going to convert from my religion and I won't let you too." He said sternly. "And remember this Inayaa, you are not an orphan or refugee or a slave here and you don't have to feel compelled to do things for us. You are my adorable wife, my dadi and parents' sweet daughter in law and my sister and brother's loving bhabhi. We all love you. Tum is ghar ki lakshmi ho, Inayaa."

She frowned.

"We Hindus see our daughters and daughter-in-laws as Goddess Lakshmi."

"I see" she smiled feeling contented.

"It's your home and you will live here as you wish. No compulsion. No compromise. No regret."

"I am sorry, Veer. I didn't mean to hurt you. I just thought if my religious conversion would put an end to all the unnecessary questions ammi and abu had to face because of me, then I would do it for them"

"Kathryn is one typical American girl and you can't change her face and make her look like an Indian, Inayat!"

"I understand now."

"Good. Shall we sleep now?"

"Wait. I have to ask you something else."

"Hmm?"

"What were you talking with that girl Thea?"

"Nothing important." He kissed her lips softly.

"Hmm..."

"Don't think about her. She means nothing to me. I love you."

"I love you too" she said shyly.

"Now will you let me turn off the lights?" He was feeling too sleepy.

"Wait. Wait. Wait."

Veer sighed and flopped back on the bed. "What now?" He asked throwing an arm over his head.

"I want you to find your name"

"Haan?" He removed his arm off his head and looked at her, confused.

She showed her palms with dried mehendi on it. "Your name is hidden somewhere in this design. You have to find it."

"Oh?"

"It's a tradition it seems. Naira told me today. Since we didn't play this game on our wedding night, I thought why not we play it tonight."

"Inayaa, there is one more important game we didn't play on our wedding night. Why not we play that game now?" He asked huskily as he buried his nose in her hair and pulled her closer to him.

"What game?" She asked curiously. He whispered something in her ear.

"Chee, Veer! You are so dirty." She shoved him away but she couldn't control the blush creeping up her cheeks.

He laughed. "C'mon, let's play the game I suggested. It's more fun and interesting."

"Do you have anything other than... Um... sex in your mind?"

"Yes. You."

"Veer, please. Find your name and then I will give you a gift."

"You will give me whatever I ask! Deal or no deal?"

"Okay. Deal"

"Show me your hands"

She showed and he scrutinized her hands and it didn't take him too long to find out his name. "Here. On your wrist. On your pulse point." He pressed there feeling her pulse. "Interesting choice of place to write my name." He kissed there and then kissed his wife's lips.

"One sec. I will get your gift." She got out of the bed and went to her cupboard. From under her clothes, she pulled out a small gift wrapped box.

"Here. I got this gift for you before our Goa trip. I was just waiting for the appropriate time to give it."

"Oh, so, you already had a gift for me and that's why you didn't buy another one in Goa."

"It's not like that. I just couldn't find anything better there. Well, apart from the T-shirts and jeans I got you."

"Hmm"

"Open it."

He opened the gift wrapper and found a velvet box in it. He was hoping to find a ring in it but he found a thick silver coin.

"Wow" he was surprised and thrilled at the same time to find his side face engraved on that coin.

"Flip the coin" she instructed and he did the same.

"Omg!" On the other side, Inayat's side face was engraved. "This is so beautiful."

The edge of the coin was circled with this ~~I❤V ~~ design.

"This is such a thoughtful present, Inayat. I love it." He kissed her forehead, lovingly.

"I am glad you love it. I didn't know what else to give you as you can't carry electronic gadgets with you. I am hoping your army folks will permit you to keep this coin with you all the time. This way you won't miss me."

"Oh Inayaa, I love you so much. Thank you for this. I will keep it safely with me." He hugged her tightly, overwhelmed with unconditional love for her.

"Thank you." She hugged him back.

"Now coming to the deal we made." He placed the coin back inside the box and put it on top of his bedside table.

"What do you want from me?"

"You. Obviously." He winked and rolled on top of her.

... To be continued!

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