UNEDITED!

PART - 9

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"Marriage Is When A Man Looses His Bachelor's Degree And Woman Gets Her Master's Degree" (ROFL)

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"I am nervous" Inayat said, panicking.

"Don't be. Everything will go smooth." Naira assured her. "Don't sweat and ruin your makeup"

"Will you stay by my side till the wedding gets over?" Inayat asked hesitantly.

"Sure" Naira beamed. She loved the idea of staying closer to the bride because that way she would be in all the photos of their wedding album.

"For how many years you and my twinnie are in love now?" Naira asked Inayat to ease her jittery feel.

"Um... I know your brother for the past four years..."

"Ohh! So you guys are in love ever since he joined the army?"

"No... Maybe he was but I accepted his love only last year..."

"He proposed you? How? Did he get down on his one knee?" Naira asked excitedly.

Inayat let out a soft laugh and shock her head in no.

"Then?" Naira asked but didn't let her talk. "Did he keep a ring inside a fortune cookie along with a 'will you marry me?' note written in a piece of paper?"

"No but I would have loved if he had proposed me that way"

"Yeah, I hope Sabeer proposes me like that. It would be so surprising..." Naira said dreamily. Inayat smiled at her. "Well, back to your love story"

"He didn’t propose me at all. He never said 'I love you' to me. Not that I have told him..." She smiled sheepishly. "...but yeah, we do know we love each other even without vocally expressing it"

"Aww..."

"Veer asked for my hand in marriage to my brother Izzaan..."

"Omg! That's really sweet..." 

"Naira, you saw your brother?" Madhu barged into the room and asked her worriedly interrupting their talk.

"Oh no! Veer ran away from his own wedding? Now what we will do? We better get Arjun and his girlfriend Kathy married in this muhurat..."

"Shut up! Veer is here only impatiently waiting for his beautiful bride. I am talking about our little fella Arjun, he is missing."

"Go, file a complaint to daddy. He will find him within 24 hours." Naira teased. She wasn't concerned about Arjun at all because she knew her goof ball brother would be goofing around somewhere.

"Naira!" Madhu glared at her.

"Sorry" Naira whispered and pressed her lips to suppress her laugh.

"Okay, I will go ask your dad. You bring Inayat to the stage in five minutes."

"Alright" Naira gave her thumbs-up.

"Arjun is my mother's headache." Naira sighed. "My parents should have listened to me when I said ‘no’ for another baby but they went with Veer’s word and had this irritating boy" Naira rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"You don't like him?" Inayat asked tentatively.

"Nah, I love him…” Naira laughed. “…but he is a troublemaker. My mommy always runs behind him so that he won’t land himself in some trouble.”

Inayat pitied her soon to be mom in law. “I think ammi worries a lot”

“I think every mother worries for their kid’s safety and well being but my mom overdoes it.” Naira chuckled. “My dad is pretty cool…but of course he is damn protective on us, mainly on me”

Inayat smiled. She loved to know more about them though Veer had already told a lot about each and every member of his family.

“Veer and I grew up together. We shared a room, we shared our toys, we played together, and we went to school together… we were literally inseparable… but Arjun... he joined us too late…he is 6 years younger to us and we couldn’t gel well with him.” Naira said relishing their childhood. “Veer and I loved to play football and Arjun used to plead us to join him too as he feels so bored… I would say no but Veer always takes pity on him and lets him play with us and in the end Arjun gets hurt and we get nicely from our mom.” Naira snorted thinking about the scolding they used to get from their mother because of that little rascal.

"I will tell you one more incident. When Veer and I was 15 years old, Dad trained kickboxing to us and told us to practice daily by boxing each other... And there too little Arjun came wearing an oversized boxing glove and asked us to fight him but Veer and I for the first time unanimously said no...do you think my rebellious rat would have taken our no?" Naira asked. Inayat subtly laughed and shook her head in no.

"Yeah, right, he didn't listen to us. He punched us with the boxing gloves and provoked us. Veer being the nice guy blocked him without hurting him but I had enough and punched him on his nose and guess what? His tender nose started bleeding but thankfully didn't break."

"Ya Allah!" Inayat gasped and covered her mouth with her fingers.

"Once I even punched Veer and cut his jaw. You can see the faint mark even now. Then this incident with Arjun happened. My dad felt so proud of me for knocking two boys but my mom banned me from kickboxing!" Naira pouted. "All because of that over enthused kid." Naira faked anger.

She adored her little brother to core but at the same time, she was the one who puts too much of fight with him and make him cry.

She was a meanie sister to him but still he stuck to her and ran behind her like a cute puppy calling her "Naira di...Naira di..." for every damn thing and that made her love him more.

"Arjun reminds me of my brother" Inayat said with a sad smile. Naira took Inayat's hand in hers and gave it a comforting squeeze.

Madhu had roughly told Naira and Arjun about what happened to Inayat's brother but didn't go in detail.

"At times I would get the feel that mommy started caring only for Arjun and she totally forgot about us but Veer would explain to me, time and again that ‘No, Naira, it’s not like that. Mommy still loves and cares for us but she worries a little more for Arjun because he is little and he feels so lonely.’ Veer is just like my dad so mature and understanding.” Naira smiled fondly. Inayat nodded her head agreeing with her.

“I think it’s time for me to take you down to your man” Naira said with a wink and stood up. Inayat stood up too and checked her appearance for one last time in the mirror before going down to the stage.

--0--

Veer was already standing on the stage and talking with Roshan. "Is the nikahnama ready?" He asked.

"Yep!" Roshan nodded. "But Veer, you do know this marriage contact is not valid if you are not going to register it?"

"Of course, I know that." Veer shrugged.

"Then what's the need for this contract"

"Nikahnama is a major requirement in Muslim wedding, right?" Veer asked incredulously. Roshan nodded affirmatively. "Well, I want to make my Inayat happy by giving her their style of wedding..." He trailed off hoping Roshan would get why he did what he did. Roshan smiled and patted Veer's shoulder in a friendly manner. "Moreover, Inayat will not agree to stay with me just after getting engaged to me and I can't wait any longer to make her mine. I know she will expect a proper wedding and that's why I made this arrangement"

"Alright! But I would advise you to go for a court wedding to solemnize your marriage according to the law as soon as possible…” Roshan suggested as a lawyer.

“Yeah, yeah, I know. I will give the notice of marriage to the marriage officer in Kashmir as soon as I go there and after 30 days I will ask my parents to bring Inayat there…”

“You are not going to register your marriage here in Mumbai?” Roshan shot his brow up questioning him.

“No, I won’t be getting leave again to come here and complete the wedding process after the notice period…”

"Hmm... right. Since you both are Kashmir residents, it will be easy for you to register your marriage there otherwise either one of you have stay here for 30 day before issuing the marriage notice and wait for another 30 days for the notice period to elapse and then get married. Uff! It's too time consuming."

"Yeah, only after calculating all that legal shit I decided to register my marriage there..."

"And also have your honeymoon there" Roshan winked. Veer punched his gut playfully.

“When are you leaving back?” Roshan asked.

“Next week”

“So soon?”

“Yeah, I just got 10 days leave.”

“Are you going to take sister along with you next week or after the official wedding?”

“No! She will be staying here with my family even after the court wedding…”

“Why? Every new bride would love to stay with her husband and that too in a romantic place like Kashmir…”

“Roshan, Inayat’s little brother Izzaan passed away six months ago. That place doesn’t hold good memories for her so I think it’s better for her to stay here. Mumbai will be a good change for her and I also know she will safe here with my family”

“Oh, I am sorry” Roshan didn’t probe much on that subject as he guessed that was the matter Veer wanted to talk about with his parents earlier that evening. “Sister is here” Roshan said and he got down from the stage.
 

Veer turned around and contained his urge to offer his hand to her and help her step up.

Inayat slowly walked up on the stage minding not to step on her long gown and trip over.

He smiled when Inayat shyly looked up at him. "You look breathtakingly beautiful, Inayat" he said standing two feet away from her. She blushed and nervously held Naira's hand. She was too shy to reciprocate his compliment though she found him drop-dead handsome in his black tuxedo with wine red tie.

"It feels so awkward to stand here" Inayat whispered to Naira nervously glancing at the guests seated in front the stage and gawking at the bride and groom as if they were creepy critters.

"Today, you guys are the centre of attraction so everyone will look at you two only." Naira muttered softly and posed for the camera and video.

"But that's what making me even more nervous." Inayat forgot to smile for the camera in her nervousness.

"If you are nervous then stay closer to Veer and hold his hand" Naira said and gently shoved Inayat making her lose her balance and fall back but Veer quickly stepped closer and supported her body with his but didn't hold her with his hands.

"Careful" Veer whispered and Inayat straightened her back from leaning on his chest.

"I am sorry" Inayat said and maintained a reasonable distance with him.

"Dadi" Veer called his grandma who was talking with Roshan's mother Shreya. "Come here" he waved his hand and gestured her to come.

"Inayat, this is my dadi and dadi, this is my sweet Inayat" Veer introduced each other.

"Oh Veer, from where you found this Kashmir apple?" Radha gushed in delight cupping Inayat's pink cheeks with both her hands.

"From Kashmir, dadi" Veer said with a soft laugh. Inayat blushed and took Radha's blessings.

"I think it's time for the ring ceremony" Radha said and looked around to find her son and daughter in law.

"Naira, go get your parents here" Radha ordered. Naira nodded and got down from the stage and went to her parents who seemed to be having a heated argument.

"Mommy..."

"Where is Arjun, Rishab?" Madhu asked him for the tenth time now.

"Um...I asked him to run an errand for me" Rishab lied.

"What?" She frowned

"Mommy?" Naira impatiently called her again.

"What's your problem, Naira?" Madhu growled.

"Dadi said it's time for the ring ceremony..." 

"See, it's time to exchange the rings but this boy is not here. Where the hell you have sent him to Rishab? Where is that girl who came with him? Both are missing. I will kill him if he had gone with her..."

"Shush! Here he is" Rishab shushed her and turned her around. Arjun rushed towards them dragging Kathryn's along with him. She looked relaxed and contented. Well, why wouldn't she look so? He did pacify the baby by giving her what she needed, didn't he?

"Where were you, Arjun?" Madhu roared not even bothering people were watching her.

"Mom, I ... er... I went... Dad..." He stammered and looked at his dad for help.

"Madhu, there is no time for this now. Everyone is waiting for us" he brushed the topic aside and dragged her to the stage.

"You are hiding something from me, Rishab, but don't worry I will find it out soon" she hissed and withdrawing her hand from his grip, she walked ahead.

"Mommy is mad at you too, daddy" Naira found strange happiness that her mommy was not only mad at her but on her daddy too.

"Thanks for stating the obvious, Naira" Rishab mocked her with a mocking smile. Naira pouted.

--0--

"No, Veer... I can't accept this" Inayat refused to take the cheque worth of 10L which Veer handed over to her as Mehr (dowry presented to the bride by the bridegroom)

"It's mandatory to give Mehr at the time of Nikah right?" Veer asked.

"Yeah, but this amount is too much"

"Oh please, everything mine is yours now so this is nothing actually" he said and even his family members insisted her to take it.

Reluctantly, she accepted the cheque but wholeheartedly accepted to marry him by uttering the two sweet words "Qubool Hai" (I accept). Veer beamed in euphoria and resisted himself from kissing her. 

Then they both sighed the marriage contract and Madhu and Rishab sighed as witnesses.

"Who is having the rings?" Madhu asked.

"I am having the rings, mom" Arjun said and fished out a small velvet box from his pocket. "Kathy and I went to get the rings only" he unashamedly lied.

"Really?" Madhu grinned in relief. He nodded his head and opened the box revealing the gold couple bands. "I even made the jeweller to inscribe Veer bro's name in Inayat bhabhi's ring and Inayat bhabhi's name in Veer bro's ring" Arjun said proudly.

Rishab coughed indirectly asking him to shut his bullshit and at the same time Kathy stomped her shoe clad foot on his as she couldn't take his bloody lies.

"Ouch" he yelped.

"Sorry" Kathy gave him an innocent look and went across to stand next to Rishab.

"My smart baby" Madhu innocently believed her son's lie and hugged him. "You did a great job, sweetheart. The rings are just perfect"

"He is such a liar, uncle" Kathy whispered to Rishab. "You got the rings from the jeweller and gave them to him so that he can escape from his mom but he is acting as if he really took the pain of getting the rings from the shop... And that name inscribing thing... That's too much... That's toooo much!!!" Kathy shouted in frustration.

"Shush!" Rishab asked her to reduce her voice.

"What's too much?" Madhu asked her with a frown.

"Nothing, Madhu. You give them the rings. They are waiting" Rishab distracted her. Madhu glared both Rishab and Kathryn before turning to give Veer and Inayat the rings.

"Inayat..." Veer asked for her hand. Inayat slowly lifted her shaky hand. "Inayat just look into my eyes..." Veer softly said. Inayat obliged to his words and looked up straight at his mesmerizing eyes. "Keep looking at me" he whispered. She nodded her head as if hypnotized by him. He took that chance and gently slipped the ring into her thin finger, barely touching her skin.

"Now, your turn" he said and spread his left hand fingers wide for her to easily slip the ring in.

Inayat blinked her eyes twice before looking down at her finger to make sure he really had put her the ring.

Only after seeing the simple yet elegant gold band with Veer's name beautifully engraved in black cursive letters sitting on her ring finger she did believe.

"Inayat, you can admire your ring later. Now put the ring. My poor grandson is waiting" Radha teased. Inayat's face turned red in embarrassment and she quickly slipped the ring in his finger.

"Now you may kiss the bride" Kathryn blurted out as if she was attending a Christian wedding and clapped her hands in glee like a small kid.

Rishab chuckled.

Madhu glared.

Naira blushed.

Inayat panicked.

Veer smirked.

Arjun said "Sure" only hearing the word 'kiss' and took a step towards Kathryn to kiss her but Madhu pulled him back by his shirt and warned him to stay away from her.

Then the family members stood together for a group photo. To Veer's left Rishab, Arjun and Kathryn stood and to his right Inayat, Madhu, Naira and Radha stood and they all smiled happily looking at the camera.

... To be continued!

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