After the engagement ceremony, everyone was leaving. Sidharth was biding them goodbye while Naaz was busy talking to her friends who came from Delhi just to attend her wedding. Suddenly someone tapped Sidharth's shoulder.
"Dulhe Raja! Apni shakal toh dikhao."
A female voice came.
Sidharth turned behind and a huge smile came to his face.
"Tina!" He uttered.
Tina smiled and hugged him.
"Yaar I missed you so much." She said and broke thd hug.
"Aur woh bandar kidhar hai? Main baata nahi sakti uski harkatein kitni yaad aati hai mujhe."
"Chal jhuti! Tujhe apne Pati se fursat mile tab toh yaad karegi na humein? Upar se tere ghar mein ab naya mehmaan bhi aaya hai."
Tina smiled and said, "Second wala correct bola. Jab se Arav humari zindagi mein aaya hai, ek pal ke liye bhi fursat nahi milti."
"Waise kidhar hai Arav?" Asked Sidharth looking around. "Tu toh usse leke aane wali thi."
"Uski nanny le ke aa rahi hai usse. Tu pehle mujhe apni Dulhaniya se milwa. Kushal ne baataya uske pyaar mein tu aaj kaal Majnu ban chuka hai." Said Tina teasing Sidharth to which he blushed.
Meanwhile Naaz's friend Prerna noticed Sidharth and Tina together.
"Sidharth ke saath woh ladki kaun hai? Kaafi close lagti hai uske." Said Prerna.
Naaz also noticed them and became happy.
"Tina Didi... Tum log zara ruko, main aati hoon."
Saying that Naaz ran to them.
"Hi!" She said to Tina and hugged her.
"Hey Naaz! Abhi tumhari hi baat ho rahi thi. Itne saalon baad tumse wapas milke bohut accha lag raha hai." Said Tina.
"Same here. Jab Sidharth ne mujhe baataya ki humari shaadi mein aap aa rahe ho, main bohut excited ho gayi thi."
"By the way tum kitni badi ho chuki ho and you are looking really very beautiful. Ab tak sirf photo mein dekha tha but saamne se tum aur bhi zyada khubsurat ho."
"Woh toh hona hi tha. After all my choice is better than yours." Said Sidharth taking credit to which Tina rolled her eyes and Naaz laughed.
Then Naaz said, "Waise aap bhi kaafi different lag rahe ho. Matlab khubsurat toh pehle se hi thi.... Ab..."
Before Naaz could complete, Tina said, "Ab pehle se zyada mature aur sensible lag rahi hoon?"
Naaz nodded in yes.
Tina smiled and said, "Yeh toh hona hi tha. Maa jo ban chuki hoon main."
Naaz widened her eyes hearing that.
Suddenly an old woman came with a 7 months old baby boy who was crying.
"Memsaab bohut der se koshis kar rahi hoon. Chup hi nahi ho raha." She said.
"Laao mujhe do." Said Tina and took the baby in her arms.
"So guys meet Arav." Said Tina.
Naaz gave an aww look. She always loved kids.
Tina tried to make Arav quiet but he didn't stop crying.
"Main try karu?" Asked Naaz suddenly.
"You can. Lekin tum usse chhup nahi kara paogi. Arav agar ek baar rona suru kar de toh sirf uske Dad usse chup kara sakte hai." Said Tina and handed the baby to Naaz.
She started making cute faces looking at the baby.
"Awlle mela nona puttu. Aishe nii rote. Chup ho jaao. Tu toh mela pyaala baccha hai." She said in a babyish tone. Soon Arav stopped crying.
Tina became surprised seeing it.
"Arrey wah! Itni zaldi chup ho gaya? Baachon ko sambhal ne tum kaafi expert ho, hai nah Sidharth?"
But Sidharth couldn't hear anything as he was adoring Naaz all the time and imagining their future when they would have kids.
"Sidharth!" Said Tina loudly breaking his thoughts. "Kya soch raha hai?"
"Kuch nahi." Said Sidharth.
Suddenly Kushal came there.
"Kamal ke dost ho yaar tum log. Akele akele gappe maar rahe ho. Mujhe kisi ne bulana zaroori nahi samjha." He said.
"Aisa nahi hai. Main abhi abhi aayi hoon. Aur tujhse milne bhi jaa hi rahi thi main." Said Tina.
"Iss baat se toh main convince nahi hone wala. Waise tujhe aane mein itni der kyu hui?"
"Mat puch yaar. I missed the flight. Phir wapas se tickets book karke aana padha."
"Sad! You missed the ring ceremony. Paata hai hum sab ne mil ke kya dance kiya?"
"Uss mein kya hai? Kaal haldi hai nah? Kaal main tujhse zyada dance karungi. Filhaal mujhe zor ki bhukh lagi hai."
"Come I'll show you the buffet counter."
Tina was about to go suddenly she looked at Naaz. Naaz understood what she was going to say.
"Aap jaao. Main Arav ka khayal rakh lungi." She said.
Tina smiled and went with Kushal.
"Mujhe bacche bohut pasand hai." Said Naaz suddenly looking at Arav.
"Mujhe paata hai tum kya soch rahi ho. Lekin itni zaldi kya hai? Pehle humari shaadi toh hone do. Kuch saal baad karenge hum bacchon ki planning." Said Sidharth.
Naaz frowned and looked at him.
"Aap se kisne main apne bacchon ke baare mein soch rahi hoon?" She asked.
"Nahi soch rahi thi kya?"
"Aap ka dimaag na sirf ek hi direction mein chalta hai. Mujhe aap se baat hi nahi karni."
Saying that Naaz left from there. Actually she felt little embarassed when he spoke about their child.
"Arrey! Ab kya galat bol diya maine?" He asked himself.
At night...
Tina was staying at the guest room. She was unpacking her clothes when Naaz entered the room. She looked at Arav who was sleeping in the bed.
"Arav toh so gaya. Socha tha sone se pehle uske saath thoda khel lungi." She said making a sad pout to which Tina smiled.
Naaz noticed Tina unpacking her clothes and asked, "Main aap ki help kar doon?"
"Bilkool nahi. Abhi tum rest karo. Kaal tumhari haldi hai nah? Yeh sab main khud kar lungi." Said Tina.
But Naaz didn't leave and started helping her.
"Rest toh aap ko bhi karna chahiye. Flight journey karke aaye ho. Yeh main kar deti hoon. Aap jaa ke fresh ho ke aao." Said Naaz.
"You are such a sweetheart!" Said Tina smiling. She took her cloth and went to the washroom.
Naaz was unpacking Tina's clothes, suddenly she found something in her suitcase. She took it in her hand.
It was a photograph of Sidharth and Tina of their college days. Naaz's face grew serious seeing it.
At that very moment, Tina came out of the washroom changing her clothes and saw the photograph in Naaz's hand.
"Shit! I forgot about it." She murmured.
"Yeh uss waqt ki photo hai jab hum college mein the. Main tumhe dikhane ke liye hi laayi thi. Sidharth iss mein kitna young lag raha hai, hai nah? Pehchan mein hi nahi aa raha." Said Tina to light her mood.
"Aap ne iss photo ko ab tak sambhal ke rakha hai?" Asked Naaz.
Tina smiled sadly and said, "Roz raat ko sone se pehle main iss photo ko dekhti hoon. Kuch nahi bas purani yaadein taaza ho jaati hai."
"Aap bohut pyaar karti thi na Sidharth se?"
Tina didn't expect this question.
"Tumhe kaisa paata? Tum toh bohut chhoti thi jab main yaaha se chali gayi."
"Paata tab hi se tha. Samajh baad mein aaya."
Naaz paused for a while and asked, "Do you still feel for him?"
"What?"
"Aap abhi bhi iss photo ko roz dekhti hai. That means you still feel for him."
"Maybe yes, maybe no. Woh kya hai nah, Sidharth mera pehla pyar tha. And first love always holds a special place in our heart. We can't forget it."
"Toh phir aap ne shaadi kyu ki? Jab aap apne Pati se pyaar hi nahi karti."
Tina laughed and said, "That's not true. I love my husband and I have moved on with him. Lekin move on karne ka matlab yeh nahi hota aap apne pehle pyaar ko puri tarah se bhul jaao. I have many good memories with Sidharth which I don't want to forget. Aur sabse pehle woh mera bestfriend hai. I am happy with his happiness, which is you. Main pehle bhi tum dono ke bich nahi aayi thi, aur ab toh chance hi nahi hai. I am happy with my family."
Naaz smiled and hugged Tina.
"I have never met a person like you Tina Didi. Kabhi aap ke jitna selfless ban paaungi yaa nahi, yeh toh paata nahi. Lekin koshis zaroor karungi." Said Naaz.
Tina also smiled.
______________________________________
Next Day...
It was Sidharth and Naaz's haldi ceremony. Their Haldi Ceremony held in the garden of their house.
Naaz's Outfit 👇👇
She was going to the garden, suddenly someone grabbed her hand and took her to a corner. It was none other than our Shuklaji.
Sidharth's Outfit 👇👇
He pinned her to the wall and looked deep into her eyes.
"Sidharth aap yeh kya kar rahe hai? Idhar koi bhi aa sakta hai." She said looking here and there.
Sidharth smiled and showed her a bowl of turmeric paste.
"Aaj humari Haldi hai. Aur meri biwi ko mujhse pehle koi aur haldi lagaye, yeh main kaise hone de sakta hoon?"
Saying that Sidharth took the turmeric paste in his hand and sensually applied it on her cheeks. Naaz closed her eyes. Sidharth smirked seeing his affect on her.
He then applied it on her forehead. Then his hands started moving towards her shoulders and then to her hands. All the time Naaz was closing her eyes.
Sidharth was going to apply it on her chest but Naaz suddenly hold his hand and opened her eyes. She looked at another direction feeling shy.
Sidharth slowly removed his hands. There was a awkward silence between them for some time.
"Umm... Tum nahi lagaogi mujhe haldi?" Asked Sidharth breaking the silence.
Naaz nodded shyly. She was going to take the turmeric paste in her hand but stopped suddenly.
She grabbed his kurta and pulled him closer. Then she gently rubbed her cheeks against his cheeks.
Sidharth became surprised seeing her move.
"Filmein maine bhi dekhi hai. Romance karna mujhe bhi aata hai." Said Naaz making Sidharth chuckle.
"Sidharth! Naaz! Kaha ho tum dono?" Called Rita Maa from the garden.
"We should go." Said Naaz and immediately left from there.
Sidharth rolled his eyes and kept the bowl on the table. Then he followed Naaz.
They both went to the garden.
"Woh rahe dono." Said Neetu. "Zaldi se aa jaao, tumhari haldi...."
She stopped noticing turmeric paste on both of them.
"Tum dono ko haldi kisne lagaya? Abhi tak toh rasam suru bhi nahi hua." Said Neetu being confused.
"Sidharth ke gaal pe haldi hai, Naaz toh puri naha chuki hai haldi mein. Yeh sab hua kaise?" Said Preeti.
The relatives were also confused seeing them like this.
"Woh.... Ahh.... Umm..."
Sidharth was finding excuse and Naaz was praying to God so that he could save them from this embarassing situation.
"Humne! Humne lagaya haldi." Said Kushal and Tina arriving there like saviours.
"Woh hi toh hum puch rahe hai kyu. Rasam suru hone tak ka wait nahi kar sakte the tum dono?" Said Neetu.
"Woh kya hai na idhar sab mil kar inn dono ko haldi lagate. Hum ne socha humein mauka mile yaa naa mile. Iss hi liye humne pehle hi laga diya." Said Kushal.
"Idea waise Kushal ka tha." Said Tina.
"Haan mera hi idea tha."
Hearing this, Neetu nodded her head in disbelief.
"You can thank us later." Whispered Tina teasing Sidharth and Naaz.
"Aur thank you khali haath se nahi chalega, yaad rakhna." Whispered Kushal.
"Accha jo hua so hua. Abhi haldi ka rasam suru kare? Tum dono aa jao idhar." Said Rita Maa to which Sidharth and Naaz nodded.
They went to their place and everyone started applying turmeric paste on them. After that music played and everyone danced.
______________________________________
How's the chapter?
Are you enjoying the pre-wedding rituals?
Stay tuned...
Also vote if you liked it.