Prem Vivah

• Jaanu Meri Jaan •

Sameer hummed, looking here and there with the hope to locate the clown hidden somewhere between the huddled crowd.

"Aaj toh tum bilkul yahan se bina mujhse meri shadi ka gift liye nahi jaoge." He thought with a sinister smile gripping his face and continued shifting his gaze from one corner to another in eagerness.

"Agar tum shared se badla lene ka soch rahe hona toh ek baat saaf saaf sun lo meri. I won't tolerate it." Naina had a strong intuition in her mind that the restless man beside her was plotting against the clown because he irritated his wife.

"I am not asking for your permission," Sameer said irately.

"Sameer," Naina pronounced his name with annoyance in her voice, and consciously looked around the massive crowd to confirm that nobody was staring at them. She gently held his hand which was resting on his thigh and said further - "Aaj humara reception hai for god's sake, this day is so special for us, don't ruin it because of someone who isn't even important. Jaane do usne jo kuch kaha, aaj koi bhi negativity aur evilness ko overpower mat karne do tumhey. Please for my sake don't take any sort of revenge on Sharad, let god decide his punishment. Tum sirf enjoy karo."

Sameer stared at his wife with disappointment mirroring his face as he genuinely decided to punish the clown for annoying Naina and saying something bad and jinxed to her because of which she looked too tense, but now he calmed down his repugnance for him and exhaled a deep breath, his blazing eyes showing his urge to secretly punch and kick Sharad.

"Please?" Naina requested more meekly, hopefully staring at her husband.

"Fine." Sameer agreed, looking away.

"Ab itna muh mat banao, I have become your wife today, is baat ki khushi zyada honi chahiye hai ya phir Sharad ke unnecessary interference ka gussa?" Naina asked him with a sweet smile while stroking her thumb on his fingertips.

Sameer veered at his wife with a morose expression, and she pleaded with him with an adorable smile. He released a long-held breath and said - "chocolate ka ek piece bhi nahi diya tumne mujhe."

Laughing at his cute complaint. Naina replied lovingly - "Aww babu, mujhe na itni bhuk lagi thi ki agar mujhe aur do teen aise chocolate slab diye hote na toh woh bhi kha leti."

Sameer broke into an understanding smile while caressing her balmy cheek and said solemnly - "Tumhe pata hai Naina, tum meri jaan ho, aur jab koi meri jaan ko tang karta haina...toh dil me ek alag si aag lag jati hai mere, mann karta hai ki jake us insaan ko thappad laga aau."

"Itna aag babula hone ki zarurat nahi hai pati dev, tumhari biwi itni toh confident aur brave hai ki muh tod jawab de aise logo ko." Naina coaxed her baby hubby with an affectionate smile and Sameer revealed his pearl-white teeth to his fullest.

"No doubt, mujhe bhi itne saalon me sab ulte sidhe jawab hi mile hai." Sameer giggled, earning a playful slap from his delicate girl.

• Guests were congratulating the couples and offering cash envelopes but they refused to take them. Both SamaiNa and AdiKa were giving amiable smiles to their respective relatives to look happy with their presence, and most of the Indian uncles and aunts forcefully dragged themselves beside the Bride and the Groom with their mischievous kids squealing around, ruining the photographs. Naina uncomfortably posed for a good picture while standing next to her tall husband, opening her mouth to deliver a wide smile. She was tired of smiling unstoppably, and now even her jaw started to hurt badly, making her feel more infuriated. Sameer glanced at his wife for a moment and found her adorably muttering underneath her warm breath, her facial expressions stealing his heart for thousand times in a fraction of a second.