At Geeta's comment about the magic candies, everyone broke out in chuckles and giggles as well, except only the kids who were unable to understand the joke.
"*cough* Let's start the lunch."
Dadaji said as the other three elderly agreed, with obvious smiles on all four of their faces.
The servants quickly served the dishes and everyone started eating.
"*Hiss*...*cough**cough**cough*..."
"Princess! What happened?"
"Drink some water first!"
"Brat, how did you manage to choke on the first bite?"
Everyone around Geeta started fussing over her as she choked on the very first bite, as Dev patted her back and helped her gulp down some water.
"Spicy..."
Geeta exclaimed as soon as her coughing subsided and it was enough for another panic to wash over the Varadhan family, whereas this time the Chandrakanth family sat there clueless as to what happened.
"Quick get some cold juice from the kitchen."
"Eat something else, change the taste."
"Who served her the spicy dishes instead of hers..."
Parvati asked the servants to fetch cold juice, as Dilip glared at the servants standing nearby to serve them, asking who was responsible for this.
"Here eat this first!"
Dev said as he offered her some Gajar ka Halwa from his plate.
Geeta looked at the spoon of sweet dish near her lips and then at Dev, her lips tightly pursed.
"Dev, she doesn't..."
Just as Hridaan was about to say Geeta doesn't eat sweets, she surprisingly took the spoonful of dessert in her mouth.
She chewed on it quickly and then gulped down a complete glass of water in front of her.
"Feeling better?"
"Much better."
"Princess, here drink the juice..."
Just then a servant hurried from behind and handed a glass of cold juice to Parvati who placed it in front of Geeta, while worriedly patting her back to somehow soothe the pain of spiciness.
"Thank you..."
"You should not drink it."
"Huh..."
Geeta was startled and confused as she looked at Dev's hand which was preventing her from drinking the cold, tempting juice.
"You have a fever..."
"I don't..."
"Alright, you don't have a fever but drinking cold things suddenly after sitting under the hot sun is not good for your stomach."
"But..."
"Kids are watching do you want to be a bad example to them?"
Dev asked with a small meaningful smile, making Geeta chuckle dryly as she looked at the kids and then at him, while silently gritting her teeth.
"I just realized my brother can be eloquent as well. He actually tricked my devil Saali..."
Hridaan applauded, as he gave Dev a thumbs up but quickly stopped when faced with Geeta's cold glare.
"I shall not drink... the COLD juice. I'll let it come to room temperature before I drink it."
Geeta said begrudgingly as she placed the glass on the table, extremely reluctant but had no other choice.
"Who served Princess, spicy dishes?"
"Parvati, quickly find it out and fire them. Carelessness towards Princess is intolerable."
"Bade Saheb, Badi Malkin, please spare me. I really didn't know Choti Malkin couldn't eat spicy food, had I known I would've never dared to serve those to Choti Malkin.
A maid dressed in the professional servant attire of the household stepped forward and confessed in a trembling voice, tears ready to spill.
She did not look any older than twenty, making Geeta look at her with slight interest because there were hardly any servants younger than her age in the mansion, this maid being the only exception.
"Dida, Dadu... There is no need to be so strict, it was a one-time thing. She is also a human and mistakes do happen. Isn't it Parvati Ma?"
"Princess..."
Parvati called out in distress and helplessness.
"What is your name?"
"Huh? Choti Malkin, it is Anamika."
"That is a beautiful name. You don't have to be so afraid, you won't be fired but this is the first time I've seen you, are you perhaps new here?"
"Princess, today the kitchen staff were short-handed, so I asked other servants to help out as well. I failed to instruct them properly, the fault is mine."
"Parvati Ma it is alright. Humans make mistakes unless we have started hiring robots. Anamika, you are a human right?"
"I..."
"Princess, she will start crying now, stop it."
Dilip said in amusement, whereas others also had warm smiles on their faces.
Geeta chuckled softly and looked at Anamika once before, everyone went back to eating, and the former's plate was changed to a new one with dishes according to her palate.
After this, the lunch proceeded with small chats here and there.
The two families then moved to the living room, for a proper chat.
"Kids you should go get ready quickly, the auspicious time for the Roka ceremony will start in a bit."
Dadima said as Dida nodded her head in agreement, but the duo in question stared at them blankly, extremely clueless as to what it meant.
"I was supposed to know this as well?"
Geeta asked as she looked at her parents and then towards Dev, but was oddly relieved to see an equally surprised expression on his face.
"Good to know I ain't the only one kept in the dark."
"Is this what Ma and Bua were busy preparing for in the morning, Badima?"
Dev asked as he looked at Aradhana who smiled awkwardly, as she guiltily looked away.
"Why, is there a problem?"
"Shouldn't we be informed at least a bit earlier?"
Dev asked in helplessness, he clearly couldn't understand his grandparents.
Yesterday he just said yes, and today they are all ready to get done with his Roka, god-knows with this speed, they might get him married by the month's end.
"I actually have to reconsider my decision."
"What?"
"Why?"
Gauri and Gayatri asked in surprise at Geeta's statement, others clearly surprised as well.
"I feel like you deliberately found an annoying doctor as my match. Extremely eloquent one at that."
Geeta said as she looked at Dev meaningfully, the latter was unsure whether he should be amused that she called him eloquent or offended at being labeled as annoying.
"Isn't it good? We would be relieved that you are in good hands."
"Yes Princess, given how accident-prone you are Dev is the best match."
"I am not accident-prone!"
Geeta exclaimed in exasperation as she looked at her brothers, who were making fun of her solemnly.
"Okay Kids, let's talk later. You both gave your consent already, so no backing out now. Quick get them ready."
"I did not bring any clothes..."
"Don't worry Dev, I already took care of it."
Devina said as she smirked slightly and beamed Dev a sweet smile when he gave her a betrayed look.
"I'm done with you people, giving me surprise after surprise."
Geeta said in exasperation, as she and Dev were dragged to her bedroom and guest room respectively.
As soon as she entered, she looked at the dress and jewelry on her bed and immediately regretted agreeing to a wedding in the first place.
"You want me to wear all of that?"
Geeta asked in disbelief, but it soon turned into exasperation and distress, when her sisters and sister-in-law, stuffed the clothes and pushed her into the closet to change.
They even seized her mobile and refused to return it until she changed into the dress.
After around half an hour of struggle Gayatri, Gauri and Charulata completed getting Geeta ready.
She didn't look any less than a royal princess, except for the scowl on her face, making it extra clear how much she hated her current attire.
********************
Meanwhile, Dev helplessly looked at the five men in front of him.
For the past 15-plus minutes, Chaitanya, Hridaan, and Ranjit were instructing about how to strike a conversation and have an upper hand in it with Geeta, but obviously, they themselves running out of ideas.
Dilip, Devansh, and Arnav were sitting on the sofas, looking at the helpless Dev and rejoicing from within.
"I think he should change now."
Dilip said as he looked at his wristwatch.
"No way that the ladies would be done already, so we still have time."
"The lady we are talking about is Geeta, it is a surprise she is already not out yet."
"Why is that Dilip Ji?"
Arnav asked curiously, as he did not understand what Dilip meant.
"Oh! Though we call her Princess, she is more towards the Tomboy type. She'd rather spend her time on dealing business than on getting dressed up."
Chaitanya said as Hridaan and Ranjit agreed to him with nods.
"What a match! One likes to spend as much time as possible on himself and the other hates it to the core."
Devansh said as he looked at his brother in amusement, the latter had a slightly troubled look.
"Alright! Quickly get ready."
Arnav said as others also walked out of the room, letting Dev change into his traditional attire.
Even with a minimal effort, he looked as dashing as a Prince straight out of an oil painting, noble and regal.
After taking one last look he quickly went out of the room, to find other men waiting for him in the lobby, where sets of sofas were placed.
"You are done? Let's go down then."
Ranjit said as he looked at his wristwatch.
Dev nodded and then everyone went down to the living room, where all the arrangements for the ceremony were ready and the Priest had also arrived.
"Dev is here, where is Princess?"
Just as Jeevika said an extremely grumpy Geeta came downstairs, with other ladies holding back their laughter.
"What happened?"
"Just now Princess tripped with her skirt, Badepapa."
"She almost sprained her ankle but thanks to her 'Non-Accident-Prone' self she is fine, isn't it Princess?"
Gayatri asked sarcastically to which Geeta beamed her a fake smile and lifted her skirt high enough to not trip on it, then walked towards the rest of the family.
"It is not my fault that this skirt is... awfully long and this Dupatta is not helping either."
Geeta said mindful of proper words because of the four kids attentively looking at her.
"How did I give birth to this girl..."
"The way others do through..."
"Alright, that is enough!"
Jeevika hurriedly stopped Geet from speaking any further because another word and she would be the thoroughly embarrassed one.
"Dev, Geeta, sit down, the priest is waiting."
Dadima said dotingly as she asked the couple-to-be to take their seats on the sofa, with the priest ready to conduct the ceremony.
"Shall we start the ceremony then?"
The Priest asked as he looked at both the family members.
"Yes, Pandit Ji."
Dadu said as Dadaji nodded in consent as well.
"Let's start with the Dulha then. Dulhan's mother should first apply Tilak to Dulha's forehead followed by giving him the Shagun."
The Priest instructed as Jeevika stepped forward with her Saree's Pallu on her head as the veil.
She then took the Aarti Thali and applied Tilak on Dev's forehead as instructed.
Then along with Anand, they gifted Dev dry fruits, cash, and sweets, followed by a gold chain, which is collectively known as Shagun.
Dadu and Dadi then as the elder of the family gifted him a bracelet and blessed him fondly.
After them, Anil and Divya, Chaitanya and Charulata, Dilip, Gayatri, and Ranjit also gifted Dev, the first couple giving him blessings the latter congratulating him.
"Now, Dulha's mother should put the Chunri on Dulhan and apply Tilak to her forehead. Then give her the Shagun."
The Priest then continued his instruction.
Aradhana handed the Chunri to Anjana but the latter refused and pushed it back into the former's hand.
"Dev grew up more like your son than mine. You should do it, Didi."
"Anjana is right, Aradhana you should perform the ritual."
Anjana said with a smile and Dadima also asked her to do it.
Others insisted as well, even Dev nodded encouragingly, having no other choice Aradhana agreed, her eyes full of happy tears.
She placed the Chunri on Geeta's head, and the latter smiled warmly in a comforting manner, asking her not to cry.