Prem Vivah

• Jaanu Meri Jaan •

The couples kept dancing and singing unrhythmically along with the famous songs buzzing around, and though their bodies were completely exhausted, they wanted to enjoy these moments and live cheerfully the night which was written with fun in abundance. Sameer couldn't articulate how happy he was feeling at this moment with Naina in front of him, not anymore as his girlfriend or fiance, but as his Wife for life. The marital ornaments glowed sincerely on her exquisite face and crept his heart with tremendous delight and pleasure.

It was 11:55 Pm now, and all the youngsters were still grooving to the powerful songs. Anjali opened the reminder clocking on her cell phone and grinned to her fullest. She started to look for Anshuman in the minimal crowd, but he was nowhere to be seen. Perhaps he already went to the garden in the backyard of the hotel. Thinning her lips in nervousness she escaped from Pratiksha's sight and marched towards the location where her life would change. Either for good or bad. It depends on Anshuman's decision, but she will undoubtedly respect his thoughts, feelings, and response.

Anjali saw the punjabi boy walking back and forth with a doleful expression, and she cleared her throat to draw his attention. Anshuman quickly swerved back his head, and his heartbeats ran furiously with various questions swirling in his mind. The journalist girl approached his stilled figure, her steps calm and so do her eyes, and he moistened his lips in stress.

Anjali glanced at her wristwatch and all her calmed down thoughts suddenly began to hammer her mind. Uneasiness firmly buckled up her insides and she didn't know how to express the feelings she gained for him in all these years.

Taking a deep breath, courageously dealing with her anxiety and irrelevant thoughts and their possibilities. She looked at the nervous boy with a soft smile and said - "Happy Birthday Anshu."

Anshuman gaped at her in transparent shock, his eyes naturally lowering to the watch he was wearing around his wrist, and reckoned that his birthday had started. He didn't even remember it because he was so worried since morning about Anjali's sudden demand to meet him alone that his mind stopped working. He struggled to smile while dwelling on the delight of being called by his nickname "Anshu" by the journalist girl.

"Main zyada filmy nahi hoon, I am a simple girl, toh meri baat bhi ekdum simple tarike se tumhe bataugi." Anjali started to speak again after a minute of silence, and Anshuman slightly nodded his head.

Closing her eyes for a few seconds she tried to gather the courage and strength to confess to the man she adored since day one, and Anshuman was feeling more restless and more frightened with her quietness.

"Main nahi janti tumhare dil me kya hai mere liye Anshu, aur main yeh bhi nahi janti tum kya sochte ho mere bare me, meri image kya hai tumhare saamne. But agar tum mujhse puchoge na ki mere dil me kya hai tumhare liye...toh tumhe bahut si cheezein dikhayi degi, Aaj ek hi raat me main sab kuch nahi bataugi, main tumhe dheere dheere, har ek din mere dil me jo tumhari special place hai uske bare me dikhana aur sunana chahungi." Anjali said with such maturity and sincerity in her voice that Anshuman couldn't help but fall in love with her once more. He stared at her without blinking, his lips moving at each word she was uttering.

"I don't want a lifetime commitment, bas aise hi ladte, jhagadte koshish karenge ki har din aakhri din ki tarah jeeye, ek dusre ke liye woh sab kuch kare jo humne itne saal na kiya. Main janti hoon tumhe weird lag raha hoga yeh sab sunke but yes." She stopped, her soft hands holding his trembling ones with tenderness. She looked straight into his eyes filled with curiosity and innocence, and said in a deep voice - "I Love You, Anshuman."

His eyes enlarged in terror when he heard those three magical words he least expected to hear from the girl who always called him stupid nicknames and never showed her feelings for him, and Anjali didn't dare to look into his orbs which were expressing something strange and alien. She rested her palpating gaze on their feet, just a few inches away, and felt her heart drumming rigorously in eerie. Anshuman slowly took a step ahead, his tranquil eyes fixated on her, and asked her with utmost delicacy in his masculine voice - "You really love me, Anjali?"

The way he took her name with respect and admiration in his tone crept winged butterflies in her tummy and she shyly bobbed her head for yes, her meek eyes still lowered, and lips parted in nervousness. Anshuman's chest swelled up with unbearable happiness and euphoria as he comprehend the meaning of her unanticipated confession, and tears welled up in his orbs while stretching his quivering lips for a smile.

He wasn't able to believe that Anjali who always irritated him and found ways to get rid of his presence had told him -- I Love You.

"Tum na bandaron ke uncertified king ho, believe me."

"Oye chimpanzee idhar aana zara."

"Bandar toh ped par baith the haina? Phir tum yahan niche kya kar rahe ho, jake baitho apne ghosle me."

"Tumse baat karne se acha toh main chup hi rahu."

"Yeh lo banana, suna hai Monkey ko banana kaafi pasand hota hai."

"Agar mere haathon me hota na toh trust me, main tumhari yeh bandar wali shakal ek pal na bardasht karu."

"Jao nahi sunti main, I will call you Bandar, Bandar, Bandar, ukhad lo jo ukhad haina mera."

"Aye Bandar, kitna bura gaate ho tum, andar ke system bhi coma me chale gaye hai."

"Yeh tum kis galatfehmi me jee rahe ho Mr.Monkey?"

"I can't believe tumhari is bandar wali shakal pe ladkiyan marti hai."

"Tumhe pata hai...bachpan me jab koi mujhe monkey ka toy laake deta tha na tab mujhe bahut pasand aata tha, par ab tumhein dekhne ke baad mujhe ajeeb si chidh chadne lagi hai bandaron se."

"Aur kuch kehna hain aapko dear Bandar ji?"

"Pehli baar ek bandar ko pizza khate dekh rahi hoon."

Anshuman couldn't help but smile unstoppably at recalling the times Anjali addressed him as a Monkey and relentlessly laughed at his grumpy expressions. He never thought even for once that she had feelings for him because her behavior was always rough and tough to handle. It's still hard to accept that Anjali loves him -- Her Bandar.

"It's ok if you don't love me, or wanna be in a relationship with me. Itna stress mat lo, I just wanted to say..." Anjali's words were halted as he pressed his finger on her parted lips, gently shaking his head to indicate to her that now she should put a full stop to her unwanted thoughts and insecurities and let him speak.

"Jab kuch unexpected milta haina toh waqt lagta hai samjhne me, accept karne me. I wasn't quiet because I was scared of telling you that I don't love you. I was quiet because...because I was too overwhelmed. Mind me bahut kuch chal raha tha, believe nahi ho paa raha tha ki tumne mujhe I love you kaha hai, to be honest. Yeh genuinely expected nahi tha tumse." Anshuman spoke with a nervous smile while blinking his calm eyes, and Anjali didn't know whether he was happy that she proposed to him or sad that she proposed to him. It was difficult to understand what he was trying to say.

"Ever since you started to call me bandar, mujhe sab jagah sirf monkeys ke photos ya videos dikhai dene lage the." He giggled, making her smile at his funny comment, and added - "I didn't like you calling me Bandar starting me, but dheere dheere aadat lag gayi, aur phir suddenly acha lagne laga."

"Tum ho hi bandar," Anjali said adorably while biting her lower lip.

"Hmm sirf tumhara bandar from now." He replied to her in a husky voice curled with gentleness, and rested a chaste kiss on her gleaming forehead, leaving sparkles of sweat on her skin.

"I Love You, Anjali," Anshuman confessed in a breathy voice, his lips still touching her forehead, and his evergreen sweet smile touching the chords of her heart.

A soft drop of tear settled on her cheek when she witnessed the most awaited moment under the starry sky.

To be continue...

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