"Aunty, Yesha di, has come," Avneet informed to Mrs. Rao.
The wedding of Abhishek and Vaishnavi was finally taking place in the small village beside Hyderabad.
There were a lot of people engaged in different activities. Vibha, Siddharth and Avneet were though from the groom's side, yet they were working to achieve perfection.
"Yesha, you should apply some mehendi to me as well okay?" Mrs. Rao said.
Yesha is Vaishnavi's school mate and now her work mate as well. The two has known each other for a long time and she insisted to draw the mehendi of the bride for she has done courses in art and is known for her paintings.
"No worries aunty ji, just come to Vaishnavi's room whenever you are free," Yesha smiled to Mrs. Rao.
"Vaishnavi is finally getting married," Yesha cried while taking out the henna packets. "And I am still single..."
A few other girls present in the room including Avneet laughed at the joke.
"Well, I have already told you to confess your feelings," Vaishnavi sighed. "But you are waiting for your crush to propose you first!"
"Stop complaining and me me your hand," Yesha said.
While the girls were doing their mehendi, Siddharth was working more than a donkey. Vaishnavi has no brother so he was given tones of works to do! One moment he was checking out the lighting. the next moment he was placing an order.
The house was filled with happiness.
"Siddharth, get me the bill!" Mr. Rao said.
"Brother Siddharth, please come here! The flower seller is asking higher price than we had fixed with him!" Vaishnavi's sister said.
The poor young man ran to do the work expected from him.
"I was 3 thousand rupees, that's the final amount!" the flower seller said.
"But, we have had a conversation where we fixed the price to be one thousand five hundred seventy three rupees!" Siddharth said.
"Brother, the price from our supplier has been increased from today!" the flower seller explained.
"I do really understand that, brother," Siddharth felt bad. "But we have to maintain certain budget as well."
After bargaining for the next ten minutes, the price was fixed to two thousand. The flower seller went back to his shop.
"He was clearly lying," Vaishnavi's sister said. "I have heard him talking over the phone where he said to reduce the price from the whole seller because we have ordered a lot."
"Its fine," Siddharth smiled. "Things like this happens..."
"SIDDHARTH, COME TO THE STAIRS PLEASE," a voice yelled. "TELL US THE NEXT STEP!"
"I'll go check the matter," Siddharth sighed.
__
When the mehendi was done, it was 9 pm!
"Now, let's see if Abhishek Bhaiya will be able to find out his initial letter in her hand!" Avneet squealed.
"Where is Siddharth?" Vaishnavi asked. "Let me judge my brother's skills first."
"That poor kid has been working like no tomorrow since yesterday," Mrs. Rao said who was dying her hands.
"So what? He is my brother, so he has to work!" Vaishnavi smirked. "I feel so satisfied knowing he is suffering."
"You're so wicked!" Yesha chuckled.
After an hour, it was the dinner time, so Siddharth finally got some time to rest.
The girls and the boy sat separately. Avneet's eyes wandered for Siddharth but he was no where found.
When the dinner was finally over, the guests went to their respective homes. Since there was a shortage of rooms, so Siddharth and Abhishek slept with Mr. Rao, while Avneet slept with Vaishnavi.
"Siddharth, I heard you are working a lot!" Vaishnavi said.
"Of course! I swear if anyone asks me anything now-" Siddharth yawned.
"Poor baby, go sleep!" Vaishnavi wanted to pull his cheeks, but since her hands weren't dried completely yet, she couldn't help herself.
"Where is Avneet?" he asked.
"She is having her dinner as she fed me with her hands," Vaishnavi said.
"Her mehendi has dried already?" he asked.
"So eager to see her?" Vaishnavi teased. "Well, see her tomorrow! Hold your feelings, Mr. Romantic!"
"Says the soon to be wife of the most clingy husband of the world!" Siddharth smirked.
"YOU BRAT!" Vaishnavi yelled.
"You brat," Siddharth scoffed.
"I'll see you tomorrow!" Vaishnavi glared.
"I'll see if you would even glance at me or your to be husband!" Siddharth ran away to Mr. Rao's room.
________
The next day was Sangeet ceremony. But since the last day there wasn't a chance to tease the bride and the groom by asking Abhishek to find his name in her hand, the girls decided to do it today.
"Find it, brother dear!" Yesha smirked.
Vaishnavi forwarded her hand while Abhishek whistled as if he already knows where the first letter of his name is.
But alas! Even after five minutes, he was searching for it.
"FOUND IT!" Abhishek cried.
"Took you long..." the girls said.
"Oh come on, its less than ten minutes!" Avneet spoke for Abhishek. "How quick do you expect him to be!"
"You are talking a lot, aren't you?" One of Vaishnavi's friends said. "Let's see how quick your husband can find and how long you can hold the patience."
"But-" Avneet couldn't complete her sentence as Vaishnavi's sister forced Siddharth to go to Avneet.
Siddharth scribbled his neck with a nervous smile. Avneet bit her lips and opened her palm.
"Wait," Siddharth said, when it wasn't even a minute. "Is it this one?"
She nodded with a tint of blush.
"Aye aye!" the girls scooted.
"You're so lucky girl!" one of them said.
"Let's begin the ceremony!" Abhishek said to change the topic.
"Let's begin with Avneet's dance!" Yesha said.
"But-" Avneet frowned.
"Stop complaining! I will start the song," Vaishnavi's cousin said.
Avneet, had learnt kathak in her childhood. She presented kathak in the song, Deewani Mastani. The classical vibe of the Bollywood song was what needed to open a function!
The whole time, Siddharth's eyelids had stopped to blink, and he was looking at her so dearly, as if there was a piece of art he always wished and admired.
"Siddharth, the performance is completed already, you can blink now," Abhishek teased.
"E-eh?" the voice brought him back to the world from his dreamland.
"Sing a song, Siddharth!" Vaishnavi said .
"Ya, go sing," Siddharth cheered while taking a deep breathe. Her moves, her expressions, her beauty... everything was breathtaking!
"Where is Siddharth?" Abhishek asked while looking at his younger brother.
"Where is he?" Siddharth shook his head and stared at Abhishek. "Sid-? Wait, isn't that me?"
"Of course it is you! But you are so lost in your wife's performance which has ended about seven minutes ago that you seem to have forgotten about the world," Abhishek laughed out loud.
"Yah! It's not my wedding why are you all teasing me?" Siddharth said being embarrassed.
"Go sing idiot!" Vaishnavi chuckled.
"But there was no plan about it?" Siddharth complained.
"Is this a programme on the national television or what?" Yesha said. "No one is prepared. This is just for us to enjoy, so go and sing out some lyrics."
Siddharth looked at Avneet, who was staring at him. But when their eyes met, she looked away. he wanted more... more of her shyness.
He got up and went to the center of the room.
"Do sing with me," he coughed scoffing the tone of professional singers.
Earning some glares and chuckles, he moved his lips bringing the tune of "Khuda Jaane" in his voice.
He glanced at Avneet from his side vision, to see her looking at him with amusement. He moved his head to his right and looked at her. She immediately gazed the floor. He smirked between the song and continued it.
"One more! One more!" the gang cheered when Siddharth completed the song.
"I am not prepared!" Siddharth said.
"Avneet, tell your husband to sing a song, he will sing if you ask him for it," Vaishnavi's sister said.
"W-hat?" Avneet was already flustered to be a victim of his intense gaze while he was singing those lines.
"Say it! Say it!" The group cheered.
She looked at Siddharth who was already waiting for her action.
"They are so cute, and shy," Yesha teased.
"P-please sing a s-song," Avneet shuttered.
"If you say," Siddharth said.
"OHHHHHOOOOO!" The group teased.
Avneet looked at Abhishek for support.
"Guys, stop teasing, it's my wedding!" Abhishek tried changing the topic.
"Now stop these, Siddharth, you begin your song," Vaishnavi's cousin said.
Siddharth nodded and sang 'Saathiyan'.
The whole evening was spent with laughter and it was memorable, for every individual present in the room.
The next day was the wedding, so they all slept early for the big day.
__________
The makeup artist was doing Avneet's hair while she was lost in her thoughts about the haldi programme.
Abhishek and Vaishnavi were getting applied with turmeric from the elders, Avneet was in Abhishek's side as she is originally from the groom's side.
"Apply some on Avneet, she looks so clean!" Vaishnavi smirked and people jumped over her to apply some turmeric on her face.
Siddharth took some and applied them on her cheeks. His touch with those love filled eyes was all needed to make her weak. She look a lump of the think solution and applied it upon his cheeks as well.
He gave her a smile, which flattered her heart.
"Mam, your hair is done," the make up artist said.
"Thank you," she said.
"You're killing it!" Yesha said.
"Don't complement her already, I can't see her as my eyes are still not done! Don't ruin it for me," Vaishnavi said who was getting her eye shadow done.
"You are looking cool and beautiful Yesha di," Avneet complemented.
"Thanks there little one!" Yesha smiled.
After half an hour, Vaishnavi was done with her bridal makeup and outfit.
"OH MY GOD!" Yesha exclaimed.
"Abhishek Bhaiya will not be able to take his eyes off," Avneet teased Vaishnavi.
"Brother will have a hard time to control it till bed!" Yesha smirked.
"You're so dirty!" Vaishnavi blushed.
"That's reality!" Yesha chuckled.
"Avneet, you're looking so pretty! My brother might get unconscious!" Vaishnavi teased.
"I can totally confirm that. The way he was looking at her while singing and the way he was admiring her when she was dancing proves how much he loves her," Yesha said.
"And they didn't kiss each other yet!" Vaishnavi sighed.
"WHAT?" Yesha was shocked.
"You will be more amused to know that they haven't confessed either," Vaishnavi yawned.
"YOU MUST BE KIDDING ME!" Yesha sat on the chair. "Now I will get unconscious!"
"Why don't you confess Avneet?" Yesha asked.
"I-I don't know if he likes me back. He... He has done a lot for me. I can't ask for more," Avneet said.
"Of course he loves you, idiot!" Vaishnavi rolled her eyes.
"Absolute anyone can say that you two are in love with each other!" Yesha sighed.
Suddenly Avneet's phone rang.
"It's your someone!" Yesha passed her the phone with a smirk.
Avneet but her lips and picked up the call.
"Hello?"
"Hello, Avneet-"
"Yes?"
"Will you please come to uncle's room? Abhishek bhaiya is not here, neither uncle, and I need your help as the hook of the kurta is stuckwith my chain and I can open it!"
"O-okay, i'm coming."
With that their call ended.
"Oh so someone is calling his wife to the room! Hmm, go Avneet?" Yesha teased.
"Vaishnavi di...." Avneet looked at Vaishnavi for some support.
"My brother wouldn't like to wait, He might punish you if you are delayed!" Vaishnavi tried suppressing her laughter.
"You two are the worst!" Avneet pouted and went to Mr. Rao's room where Siddharth was getting ready.
She knocked the door.
"Who is that?" Siddharth asked.
"It's me! Avneet," she replied.
Siddharth opened the knob when his eyes met hers.
He stared at her without blinking and his lips were parted. How can someone be so beautiful?
"So pretty..." he uttered.
She lowered her gaze hearing him. Did he know how hot he was looking with his vest?
She stood there for minutes but he didn't seem to notice the time.
"Y-your kurta?" she said.
"Yes?" he said dreaming. "I mean yeah, come in!"
He realized he was lost in his thoughts.
She took the kurta from the bed and tried opening but it was stuck.
"How did you get this tangled?" she asked.
She got no answer from him. She turned towards her back check him when her eyes met with those hazel orbs who were lost in her.
She gazed towards the floor when he moved forward and pulled her closer by her waist. She gasped by the sudden action.
"You're looking so beautiful..." he husked his voice.
"I- T-thank you," she shuttered.
"Were you always this beautiful?" he asked.
"I- I am using make up...s-so," she answered.
"You're beautiful without makeup," he traced his fingers through her cheek. "And you aren't using much make up now..."
She couldn't help but blush.
"Can I kiss you?" she heard him.
She felt to shy to meet his eyes. He lifted her chin with his finger and leaned.
She closed her eyes when she felt his fingers rubbing her lips.
He wiped the lip gloss of her lips. She wondered about his actions when he softly placed his lips upon hers, pulling her closer.
She closed her eyes to feel the kiss.
He traced her waist with his long fingers bringing her goosebumps. He smooched her lips so softly as if she was the most fragile possession of him.
Suddenly his phone rang. He pulled back at looked at her flustered face. He took the call and she hurriedly worked on his tangled kurta.
"I- have untangled i-it," she said and ran away from the room.
He sat on the bed while holding his chest with a shy smile.
"I finally kissed her, I kissed her! I KISSED HER!" He squealed. "She was softer than I had thought."
He shook his head and quickly wore the kurta.
____
"The wedding has come to an end," the priest said. "May you two live happy and healthy and have each other's back in every situation."
Vaishnavi and Abhishek took blessings.
Siddharth was terribly scolded by Vaishnavi because he cracked an 'unpleasant' and 'not funny' joke.
Sharing moments of laughter and making memories, the newly wedded couple were congratulated for their wedding. The night had already appeared, so they thought to rest a while, as they would have to travel to Mumbai the next day.
_____