"Aao Sameer, panditji bula rahe hain." Anand called out to the groom.
Sameer stood up with a beaming smile, looking around for Naina. She was nowhere to be seen. He frowned... why she had to take so long today. She was not the one to take time to get dressed... then what was keeping her today, of all the days... when he was yearning to see her... and she was delaying the ceremony as well...
"Arre aao beta, kya soch rahe ho?" Anand turned to see him still standing at the same place.
"Naina toh aayi nahi." He blurted, making quite a few guests and family members snigger.
"Naina baad mein aayegi... pehle tumhare saath pooja hogi." His mother came forward, holding his arm to escort him to the mandap.
He looked down at the hand on his arm... it was rare that his mother showed this kind of closeness with him. In fact, he couldn't remember the last time she had touched him with affection, before today. Any touch from her was a slap on his cheek... nothing more than that. His eyes went to her face... she was genuinely smiling. The happiness reflecting in her eyes was no pretence... she was here to be a part of his special day... to see his dream turn into reality.
Sameer felt the warmth from her hand seep into him, through the kurta and sherwani. He could feel the ice inside him, that was surrounding her name, beginning to melt. Her one step had made the hatred subside, giving way to a new hope... hope to be loved as a son.
"Aap yahan baith jao." Panditji broke his chain of thoughts.
Sameer settled on one of the cushions. He could not understand what was being said... the chants seemed to be in some other language. But he decided to stay quiet.
About ten minutes of pooja with him that made him more impatient, lighting of fire in the hawan kund... and panditji said the words that made his heart flutter.
"Kanya ko bula lijiye."
He turned to stare at the empty passage, from where Naina would emerge soon.
And she did... looking like a soothing prayer that had blessed him, a song that had filled his life with melody, a sprinkle of soft rain that had fallen on his parched heart...
"Muh band kar le, bhai... ghar jaake ghoor lena warna sab hansenge." Munna shook him from behind.
He quickly turned his face ahead as Naina came and sat next to him.
Panditji started with more chants. He stole a glance at her... and found her looking at him. The moment their eyes met, she winked.
He gasped... making his friends tap his back.
"Kya hua beta, dhuen se dikkat ho rahi hai kya?" Panditji asked.
"Nahi, aag se." He murmured.
"Kya kaha?" Panditji leaned towards him.
"Jee kuch nahi, main theek hun." He smiled sweetly towards the old man, who seemed to be convinced, going back to his reciting things in some unknown language.
At the end of his mantras, he gestured to Bela, "Ab ladki ki maa aake gathbandhan karein."
Bela got up, holding a long pink dupatta of soft cotton. She placed one end of it over Sameer's shoulder and other one was tied to a red dupatta on Naina's shoulder.
Sameer looked at Naina... he could see the sadness that she was trying to hide... mention of her mother had pinched her heart.
He gently placed his hand on hers, that rested on her knees.
