Part 22
Mini and Neil got ready for the reception. Mini wore off shoulder floor length cream color gown while Neil chose brown color indo western sherwani and pants combination. All the guest have already arrived and were waiting for them when both of them came hand in hand. Neil helped Mini climbed the ladder of the stage made for them. Soon everyone started coming to congratulate them.
Kammo and Khatri also came on the stage, "Many many congratulations Mini and Neil" said Kammo with fake smile.
"Thanks Kammo aunty" replied Neil.
Kammo flinched hearing Neil calling her aunty. "Neil, itni bhi badi nahi hoon main, aunty toh mat kaho" said Kammo as she looked at Mini with jealousy how come this girl got such a handsome man. Must have learned from her mother how to attract boys.
"Sorry, Thank you Kammo ji" said Neil trying to control his laughter.
Mini didn't even look at them and whispered in Biji's ear who was standing right next to Mini, "in logo ko kisne invite kiya"
"Mini I know you don't like them but colony mein sabhi ko bulaya tha inko nahi bulate to achha nahi lagta isilye maine inhe invite kar liya"explained Biji.
Just then lights went off. All of them looked around as to find out what happen. Then suddenly one spot light fell on Arya who was standing at the center of the hall.
"Uncles and Aunties, Bhaiyyas and Didis, I welcome you to the reception of my Veer Balika and Genie. They are my favourite people in this whole world and today I am very happy as they are married. Now we will all live like a happy family." Said Arya on the mike.
Mini and Neil looked at each other and smiled and extend their arms for Arya. "No I wont come there now, first you see my gift which I have prepared for you" said Arya excitedly.
"What gift chhutanki?" asked Mini.
"She was preparing a song to sing on your reception. She has been practicing for one week " said Biji to Arya and Neil.
"What? Really she did that for us?" asked Neil genuinely happy at how little Arya planned this surprise for them.
"Yes I did this for you Genie and Veer Balika" said Arya feeling proud at herself.
"Silence everyone and music please" Arya said and began singing.
Bam chik chik bam chik bam bam bam
Bam chik chik bam
Ek dusre se karte hai pyar hum
Ek dusre ke liye bekarar hum
Ek dusre se karte hai pyar hum
Ek dusre ke liye bekarar hum
Ek dusre ke waste marna pade to
Hai tayar hum hai tayar hum
Ek dusre se karte hai pyar hum
Ek dusre ke liye bekarar hum
Ek dusre ke waste marna pade to
Hai tayar hum hai tyar hum
Arya danced cutely keeping her hands on her waist while singing and she extended her arms to call Neil and Mini. They both went to her and Neil picked her up in his arms while Mini kissed her on her cheeks. Neil and Mini also joined her as she continued to sing.
Is ghar ke is ghar ke darwaje pe likha hai
Is ghar ke darwaje pe likha hai
Ek sota hai to ek jagta hai
Ek sota hai to ek jagta hai
Ek dusre ke hai pahredar hum
Ek dusre ke liye bekarar hum
Ek dusre se karte hai pyar hum
Ek dusre ke liye bekarar hum
Ek dusre ke waste marna pade to
Hai tayar hum hai tyar hum
Ek dusre se karte hai pyar hum
Ek dusre ke liye bekarar hum hum
Ek dusre ke liye bekarar hum hum
Both Mini and Neil danced with their little doll Arya. At the end Arya pointed in one direction. Both of them looked and found a big photo of all three of them with Mini and Neil sitting side by side and Arya is sitting between them. The photo was framed in beautiful golden frame.
"This is my gift to you Veer Balika and Genie." Said Arya proud at her choice of gift.
"This is the most valuable gift I have ever got in my life chhutnaki" said Mini as she cried happy tears.
"Thank you so much little darling" said Neil hugging her.
"I love both of you" said Arya and kissed both of them on their cheeks then blushed hiding her face with her palms.
"Oh look at them how sweet....itna sweet ki dar hai kahi mujhe diabetes hi na ho jaye" said Kammo who was fuming in anger and jealousy seeing their happiness.
"What do you mean Kammo aunty" asked Mini angrily. "Ab bano mat Mini, ye jo tum jhootha pyar dikha rahi ho na Arya se iska natak mere samne nahi chalega" kammo said while smiling evily.
"I know very well why you came here. Because you cant see anybody's happiness you have to ruin it" said Mini.
Kammo gasped at the allegation and continued, "Rehne de Mini, I knew your mother and you very well. First your mother trapped Hanuman Singh with her coquetry behavior now in the same way you trapped Neil. And just like your mother threw you out of her life after her marriage you are going to throw poor Arya away from your life." Kammo continued in her venomous tongue.
Arya gasped listening that and looked at her Veer Balika. She asked innocently, "Veer Balika, is it true will you send me away from you?"
"No little darling, she is lying. You trust me and your Veer Balika right? You know how much we love you. Our life is incomplete without you." Neil answered Arya.
"Huh stop it Neil, Don't act as if you will be an ideal parent for her. No man can accept someone else's child as his own." Said Shalini maasi joining Kammo.
Neil looked at them but didn't say anything in reply and he quietly left the hall. Mini saw him going away. She kept looking at him as tears started falling from her eyes continuously. She remembered her Babes and Hanuman Uncle's marriage function when same Kammo aunty raised the same question. She had looked very hopefully at her Hanuman uncle thinking he will give her a befitting reply but his silence not only proved Kammo right but that was the starting of her estrangement from her family. Now she looked at Neil who left her and Arya alone. Does it mean Kammo aunty's words will prove right again. Is history repeating itself. Does she took the decision of marrying Neil in haste. Was her previous decision of break up was right and she should have never gone back to him.
Mini sat on the floor stunned at the change of events while Kammo and Shalini smiled evily at their victory. She was about to lose her hope when she saw that Neil was back. He was holding something in his hands.
He came to her and helped her in standing, "I will never let you and Arya fall" he said with confidence.
"You wanted answers right. Here is your answer." Neil said confidently and threw some papers on Kammo and Shalini's faces.
"What is this?" asked Kammo
"Adoption papers. You wanted to know whether I'll ever be able to accept Arya in my life well....I already did that. From now on Arya is Arya Neil Oberoi. I have adopted her legally. Now she is my daughter. Neil and Mini Oberoi's daughter." Kammo and Shalini was shocked to hear this. they didn't expect this answer from Neil.
"Shalini maasi, I already told you that now Arya is my responsibility as much as she is Mini's responsibility. When I fell in love with Mini since that day I accepted Arya as a part of my life but I knew only my feelings are not enough because people like you will always keep taunting Arya and Mini about it. So since the day our marriage was fixed I had decided that I will adopt Arya legally so that no one can point a finger on my or Mini's intentions. I started working on it and completed all the formalities."Said Neil directly looking at Shalini maasi and Kammo and challenging them to say any word further. But both of them had nothing left to say.
"Shalini Maasi you are my maasi, means you are like my mom. If mom would have been alive today she definitely have broken her all ties with you and I am going to do the same. Kindly leave" Neil said as he folded his hands in front of her.
"Aur tu khade khade kya sunn rahi hai mil gaya na tujhe jawab. ab nikal ja yaha se" said Naeem bi as she held Kammo's hand to throw her out.
"I am sorry Neil. When I saw you leaving I thought...I thought...", Mini couldn't complete the sentence as she hugged Neil and started crying.
"No Mini, you don't have to apologize for anything. I should have told you everything but I thought of giving you surprise." Neil consoled her.
"Neil, Its not a secret that I never liked you but today you have proved how wrong I was in judging you. I am proud of you. Please forgive me for my rude behavior with you" said dadaji as he folded his hands in apology in front of him.
Neil held his hands, "Dadaji bado ke hath chhoto ko aashirwaad den eke liye uthne chahiye unse maafi mangne ke liye nahi" said Neil as he placed dadaji's hand on his head.
All of them smiled in relief as the storm which once destroyed a lovely family came again but passed without hurting anyone this time. Suddenly Mini noticed that Arya is nowhere to be seen. She asked Neil and they searched her through the house. They found her in her room sitting in front of her parents photo.
"Arya what are you doing here? Are you still upset about what that Kammo aunty said?" asked Mini worried seeing her sitting in front of babes and Hanuman uncle's photo.
"I told you na Arya, don't listen to such people they are just jealous of our happiness. Listen to your heart. What your heart says? Can we ever leave you alone?" asked Mini cupping her face.
"No Veer Balika, I know you and Neil love me a lot." Replied Arya.
"Then why are you sitting here alone?" asked Neil.
"I am confused, what you said there that I am now Arya Neil Oberoi yours and Veer Balika's daughter. What does that mean? Now am I supposed to call you two dad and mom then what about my real mom and dad? Do I have to change my surname also?" asked Arya innocently as she didn't fully understand what is meant by adoption.
Mini tried to explain it to her but couldn't find right words. Neil gestured Mini to stop and let him handle her this time. "Tell me one thing, whether I call you Arya or chhoti madam or little darling does it makes any difference in how much I love you?" Neil asked her.
Arya shook her head in no. Neil continued, "Then it's the same whether you call us mom and dad or Neil and Mini or Genie and Veer balika our feelings or your feelings wont change.
" I love you both but I love my mom and dad also and I don't want to give their place to anyone and also I don't want to change my name." said Arya after thinking sometime.
"Arya, we adopted you it means that now we are your legal guardians. Its for giving answer to the people like Kammo aunty who will always ask you questions about your relation with us. We adopted you so that nobody can raise their finger on you and call you an orphan. whenever anyone ask you that what is your importance in our life. You will tell them confidently that you are our daughter. Its not like that we are replacing your mom and dad and if you don't want to change your name its ok. Call us whatever you want but please remember that our love for you is no less than what parents feel for their children. You are not alone and you never will be. You will find your Genie and Veer balika always by your side." Explained Neil lovingly to Arya and she nodded in yes happily.
Arya hugged Neil and whispered in his ears, "Thank you Genie and I really like it when you call me little darling" Arya hide her face in his shoulder as she blushed.
"Waah chhutanki tumne to bahut jaldi party badal li, Veer Balika ko kaun hug karega?" asked Mini smiling at them.
Both of them opened their arms for Mini, "Join the team" said Arya and all three of them hugged. Dadaji, Biji, Naeem bi smiled looking at them and wiped happy tears from their eyes. All of them went back to reception with Arya in Neil's arms and Mini holding his hand.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
to be continued....