"Baraat niklegi thodi der me, maine picture bheji hai dekho na! Aapki vali saree pehni hai apne blouse me." Shehnaaz told her mother over a phone call.

"Ha dekhti hu, pins vagera ache se lagayi hai na?" Parminder ji asked.

"Han han, ek friend hai, Alisha, uske sath hi tayyar huyi. Help kar rahe the hum ek dusre ki, maine uske baal banaye." She was talking when Sidharth walked in, ready in a set of peachy Kurta.

She adjusted her bindi, looking at the mirror and talking to her mother, while he took it as an opportunity to admire the beauty. She looked so beautiful in a dark coffee shaded satin silk saree paired with a designer blouse, a sleek and small choker set embracing her and enhancing the look. She walked over to her bag and applied some body mist, sprayed some on her wrist too and checked herself out.

"Dekhte rahega ya bolega bhi?" She asked, bringing him out of the reverie.

"You're looking so gorgeous baby!" He immediately spoke, pulling her closer and playing with her pallu a little.

"Toh bolne me itna time kyu lagaya?" She squinted her eyes, asking that.

"Tujhe dekh raha tha na.  I've never seen you in a saree before! You look so stunning!" He said.

"Hain? Tune kabhi dekhi nahi meri picture saree me? Ruk dikhati hu." She replied, grabbing her phone and scrolling through images to find a picture of her.

"Vaise kafi time ho gaya saree pehne, last time shayad ek cousin ki shaadi me pehni thi! Ye vali photo dekh, mere ek bhaiya ki shaadi me pehni thi maine." She showed him one.

"Beautiful!" He was quick to compliment.

"2 saal purani baat hai, tab mai thodi moti thi toh mere tummy ko avoid karna." She giggled, letting him know.

"Moti toh tu abhi bhi hai." He commented, flicking his finger on her chubby cheeks and it made her frown.

"I'm kidding." He chuckled on watching her reaction.

"Nahi thik hai, koi baat nahi." She backed away, taking back her phone from his hands.

"Baba, I didn't mean it. I'm sorry, mazak tha." He pulled her back in his arms, but it was too late.

The damage had already been done. A girl could bear anything and everything but a joke made on her weight, that shit hurt.

Baraat was ready to leave, the groom was going to arrive in a stylishly black Royal Enfield, the elderly were supposed to follow him in the cars. Kunal saw Shehnaaz walking towards them and Sidharth jogging after her.

"Hey, good looking!" He greeted her.

"Hi Kunal, black suits you! Nikal rahe hai sab?" She replied.

"Ha chalo." He said, eyeing his friend, who looked unsettled. Sidharth shook his head, following her to their car and all of them made their way to a temple.

"Acha vala band aaya hai na, dhol poore raste bhar bajne chahiye!" Jay said.

"Abey sara intezaam first class hai, tere Bhai ki shadi hai!" Vardhan smirked. A small Pooja was performed in the temple and then they made their way back to Rambagh palace as the groom's procession.

Shehnaaz and Alisha were the limelight of the dance, along with the family and friends dancing and celebrating to their destination. The boys nonetheless danced, Jay became a snake and rolled on the streets when the infamous Nagin tune was played. While Sidharth &  Kunal became his serpent charmers and wooed him with handkerchiefs symbolising the flute like instrument.

Their dance came to an end once they reached the palace and the wedding ceremony soon began, Vardhan and Mira did the Jai mala that was the exchange of flower garlands. He tied the mangal sutra, the auspicious thread, around her neck sitting in front of the holy fire and the officiant chanted mantras.

His mother walked up to them and tied a knot between the groom's scarf and the bride's sari. The couple joined hands and the rituals were continued. During the mangal phera, the couple clasped hands again and took steps around the fire, each step representing a stage of life.

"Itne khush lag rahe hai na dono!" Shehnaaz mumbled and Sidharth hummed, watching the holy matrimony from a distance.

"Pata hai, dono ko jitna maine dekha. They were never nervous about getting married, just happy and busy with preparations. Kaise?" She said and turned to him.

"Maybe they were sure about it." He shrugged.

"Hmm, lekin pata kaise chalta hoga? I mean, how would you know this is the one? How'd you find out?" She asked.

"Pata lagana itna asaan hota toh kya hi baat thi." He replied and the duo chuckled.

"I think, when they say that is for you to find out, they actually mean it. Khud hi dhundna hota hai, koshish karni hoti hai." He sighed.

"Aur bharosa bhi." She added.

"Ha, bilkul." He agreed, trying to figure out what she was thinking about.

"Kya soch rahi hai?" He asked.

"Soch rahi hu, tujhe dhund toh liya hai, bharosa karna chahiye ya nahi." She chuckled, teasing him.

"Acha. Right, right." He bobbed his head, looking away.

"Abhi kya pata? Tereko moti ladki pasand na aaye baad me." She taunted.

"That was a joke!" He replied.

"Kya hua?" Alisha came up to them when she heard them talking.

"Kuch n-" Before Sidharth could tell her it was nothing, Shehnaaz spilled it.

"Isko lagta hai mai moti hu!"

Alisha glared at her friend for doing so, "How could you say such a thing Shukla?" She took Shehnaaz's side.

"You shut up okay!" He hissed at her friend and tried to take Shehnaaz away.

"Maine nahi jana kahi!" She said, standing still.

"Yaar mazak tha meri maa! Kitni baar bolu? Kal se natak chalu hai tera." He tiredly sighed. She has been acting all pricey since Rita ji has asked Sidharth to feed him. His friends had made enough fun of him to bear with anymore tantrums.

"Ha ab mai jo bhi karungi vo toh natak hi lagega na?!" She spat, this time upset and joined Kunal and Jay who stood at a distance. She hadn't made any further fuss about the fact that she felt left out while he was with his friends because it wasn't his fault really, they had met after a very long time and they deserved to spend all the time together that they could.

"Chid kyu raha hai? Ja baat kar." Alisha told him.

"Arey har time, har baat pe muh fula leti hai yaar! Itni badi baat nahi thi jitne ka uska reaction tha." He irritatedly replied.

"Kisi ladki ko moti bolne ka mazak karke, light reaction toh expect nahi karna. Aur kyu itne acche occasion pe ladna?!" She laughed and made him stand next to his girl till the end of the rituals.

Mira's cousins were trying to steal Vardhan's shoes and that was a banter in itself when Sidharth and gang had kept it in a safe place.

"Shehnaaz, tu toh apne side se thi na! Pata laga na joote kaha rakhe hai un logo ne." Rishi asked.

"Mai dono ke side se hu! Filhal Vardhan ke side se!" She chuckled.

"Come on yaar, I thought we were friends." He requested, taking a hold of her hand.

"Rishi!" She shrugged away his hand, it was uncomfortable and moreover there were guests around.

"Kya samajh nahi aa raha hai tujhe?" Sidharth intervened, wrapping an arm around her.

"Listen, mai sirf puch raha tha." Rishi clarified.

"Mat puch, cheating hogi. Khud se dhund aur chura le joote aur yadi nahi mil rahe toh had me reh." Sidharth replied.

Shehnaaz being impressed would be an understatement, she wished she could do a little dance then and there and kiss him, she somehow contained her smile to herself as they walked away from the crowd.

Sidharth gestured to his friends through the eyes that he'd be back in a while and took her to their room. The sight of that guy was itching him for a while and the way Rishi was taking the liberty, he knew he had to step in.

Closing the door behind them, he kissed her on the lips with all his might. She parted her lips and felt him washing over like a wave of warmth, curling her toes and unfurling all her senses as the taste of him nearly silenced all her thoughts. Giddiness took over both of them as they mirrored a dumbstruck smile and lightness. Whatever rush this was, whatever his lips brought, she loved it.

He pushed her upwards, allowing her legs to cross around his waist and parted only to look at her flurried face, searching for reassurance. And she kissed him back as the answer, she knotted her fists in his Kurta, pulling him harder against her. He groaned softly, low in his throat and then circled his arms around her tightly, gathering her against him.

They lost themselves to their own world, forgetting any kind of argument and unnecessary words, getting over them with a lovely and needy make out session. "I love you!" He said and pecked her lips.

"I love more, Mera baby! Mera Ganda bacha! Kinna possessive hai tu!" She chuckled and it made him chuckle too. She was about to kiss him again when there was a knock on the door and they were being called.
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Chalo Bhai ek shaadi nipat gayi.. abhi doosri ki planning karenge.. hehe ..

Talking about Sidharth ka joke .. bhari pad gaya bichare pe.. madam bhadak gayi aur rahi baat madam Shehnaaz.. she was mad at him but can she stay like that for any long?! Nahi.. she could never ...

It was a simple chapter with a tint of love and stupid arguments and yeah.. how could I forget.. Rishi got an earful! Haha!