"Nainaaaa." Preeti screamed her lungs out as Naina entered the door, rushing to hug her.
She had informed her family about coming today but did not mention the time. They were expecting her to come late in the night... like she used to board the train in the evening and arrive late night previously.
"Naina, aa gayi tu?" Bela rushed out of the kitchen, wiping her hands at the end of her saree.
She hugged chachiji, sniffing.
"Kitni sundar lag rahi hai... Mumbai jaake pehle hi nikhar gayi thi... ab toh shaadi ke baad kisi pari se kam nahi lag rahi... nazar na lage meri bachhi ko." Bela immediately took a dot of kajal from the corner of her eye and applied it behind Naina's ear.
"Yeh kya beta, na koi bindi, na sindoor... aise thodi rehte hain shaadi ke baad... " She frowned suddenly, looking at her forehead.
"Chachiji, yahan laga ke aati kya? Agar taiji ghar pe hoti toh... aate hi prashad mil jaata unse." She smiled, wiping the tears.
It was easier now... she could easily attribute her tears to meeting with the family after so long.
"Yeh toh tune sach kaha, beta... bas abhi hi gayi hain... bolke ki raat ka khana sab yahin khayenge... unhe pata hai na aaj tere liye maine khaas paneer banaya hai." Bela laughed, never complaining about the extra workload that her co sister dumped on her.
"Mubarak ho, aaj tinde nahi bane hain," Preeti gave a deliberate smile to her mother before turning to her sister with a grumpy face.
"Dekha Naina, meri koi value hi nahi hai... roz tinde khilati hain... aur aaj paneer banaya hai toh sirf teri wajah se... haan bhai... humne kaunsa serial likha hai ya award jeeta hai... humein koi kyon paneer dega... yahan toh saari zindagi tinde ke saath hi bitani padegi." Preeti exclaimed in her usual dramatic voice.
Naina could not help but smirk, "Iski nautanki khatam nahi hui abhi tak?"
Bela exhaled in resignation, "Aur bhi badh gayi hai... lagta hai shaadi ke baad hi akal aayegi isko."
"Woh bhi toh nahi karate aap log... baithe ho maze se... arre bhai dono badi behno ki shaadi ho gayi toh mere baare mein socho na zara." Preeti made a frustrated face.
"Tujhe saari zindagi tinde hi milenge... shaadi bhi tinde se hi kar le." Naina teased.
Laughing at the teasing banter of her daughters, Bela went back to kitchen.
Preeti jumped closer to Naina, whispering in her ear, "Dekh rahi hun... khud toh itne handsome ladke ki biwi ban ke baithi hai aur meri shaadi tinde se... theek hai behen... tune bhi aaj dagaa de hi diya."
"Dagaa de di." Naina said with a straight face.
"Huh?" Preeti looked at her in confusion.
"Dagaa de diya nahi dagaa de di." She corrected her.
Preeti widened her eyes, "Maan liya tune? Matlab sach mein de diya... haan, haan de di... matlab tu bhi bewafa ho gayi... he bhagwan, mere liye ab iss duniya mein kuch nahi bacha... mujhe doosri duniya mein bhej do... nahi, nahi, wahan nahi... mere Amir ya Akshay ke ghar... Shahrukh bhi chalega... bas ab aap hi meri shaadi kara do."
Naina laughed hard at her antics, "Bas kar apna natak... nahi toh chachaji se kehke tujhe Mumbai bhijwa dungi... wahan kisi show mein role mil hi jayega."
Peeti was excited, "Sachhi... toh bol de na papa ko... main heroine ki behen ka role kar lungi... acting tak nahi karni padegi... jo hun bas wohi dikhaungi."
"Naina, beta, apna bag kamre mein le jaa... aur haath muh dho le... main chai bana deti hun." Chachiji called out from the kitchen.
Preeti excitedly picked up the suitcase, grumbling the next moment, "Hayee, itna bhari hai... jijai ko chupa ke toh nahi le aayi isme?"
