"Mera kanyadaan tum teeno karoge ? Please?" She asked making the trio stop at their places. They looked at her and she shook her head confirming what she said, her tears almost spilling out of her eyes.
"Kanyadaan?" Manik whispered. He slowly walked towards her and stood infront of her. A lone tear dropped off his eyes. Composing himself he kept his hand on her head.
"Bless you." He whispered and turned around to wipe out his tears.
"I don't have my parents here. I was tensed about this whole night but when I saw you three a moment ago I then realized that, when I have my brothers with me then I probably should not feat about it. So, will three of you..." she trailed off looking at them with teary eyes.
"Pooch mat. Aaj tera kanyadaan hum teeno hi karenge. Aur....thanks. Thank you for making us the luckiest one today." Abhi said and kissed her head. "Cabir, Manik?"
"Hmm." Both answered wiping their but still a smile hanging on their lips.
"Chalo, Let's give our princess to her man." He said and the duo nodded with glittering eyes.
Manik and Cabir too came forward and gave her a warm hug.
"Ok now shush, no tears. Its your day Alu." Manik scolded and Aliya giggled.
The trio then took her out.
Aliya entered the venue with a never ending smile. It was her day and her happiness was most important for everyone. Aliya glanced at the people she could rely on Mia, Mukti, Nandini and dadi. They gave her a big smile which she returned warmly. Then her eyes searched for her man.
Dhruv stood up when he heard Aliya had come down. There she was looking absolutely beautiful in her golden lehenga decked with pure gold jewellery and diamonds. Undoubtly she was the most bewitching beauty in the whole venue.
Their eyes soon met, and the only the two people left there were those two. Their eyes talked and Dhruv assuringly gave her the confidence to start this new journey of her life with him.
She stepped forward and soon reached him. He offered her his hand but before she could keep her hand on his, her three newly born over protective and over possesive brothers stood infront of him.
"Before you take her with you, let me, rather let us warn you Mr. Dhruv Vedant, one scratch on our sister and you better wait for your last day." Manik said with certainity.
Dhruv gasped at his statement and looked at other two men. Same expressions.
"Kya hua bhai log, aaj achanak se aise hulk kyun bangye?" Dhruv made a statement still in shock.
"Abhi sirf warning de rhe hai Dhruv. Aliya ko khush rakhna otherwise remember us." This Time Abhi came forward and warned him.
Dhruv just nodded in fear.
While everyone chuckled looking at them, Nandini facepalmed herself. She came forward, made her way towards Aliya and glared the trio brothers.
"What?" Manik said as if done
nothing.
"Nothing." she whispered yelled and patted Dhruv's shoulders in assurance.
She gestured Aliya to put her hand on Dhruv's. Dhruv smilingly took her and both of them settled down on their seats.
"And now, if you kindly grant us permission, Can we start this event?" Nandini asked three of them sarcastically.
"Of course, you can." Cabir said getting a bad face from Nandini.
The ceremony started and everyone sat around the bride and the groom. Nandini seated on one the spot adjusting her clothes when she felt someone sitting beside her with a bang. She shot her eyes at him.
"Bhai, this is where I wanted to sit!!" She heard Mia spoke. Nandini understood that again this sibling pair are going to fight over something. She shook her head and paid attention to the wedding ignoring them.
"And why is it so? Find yourself another place. This is mine." Manik replied. While his hand made a way toward Nandini's hand and she looked at him shocked.
"Oh! Bhai, I came here first. And I want to sit here only." Mia again whined.
Manik made an irritated face and looked at her.
"Mia, go and sit somewhere else. I am not gonna move even a bit from here. Better get it." He replied seriously. Mia with a gloomy face looked at Nandini for help. Nandini as usually metled seeing her and was about to say something but thankfully for Manik, dadi called Mia.
"I will see you around Mr. Malhotra." She threatened Manik and moved towatds Dadi muttering some abuses for Manik. Manik made a whatever face and turned to a smiling Nandini.
"Why that smile?" He asked still holding and carssing her hand.
"Nothing, just looking how a little girl on this earth is brave enough to threatened Manik Malhotra and he isn't doing anything against it." She said.
"Not just her Ms. Moorthy but one more little girl can also do that." He said.
She looked at him confused but soon realised he was talking about her. She looked down blushing while he snaked his hand through her waist and pulled her towards him. She slowly kept her head on his shoulders looking at Aliya and Dhruv lovingly.
"This is so beautiful Manik. How two people bind together forever with love and vow to be with each other till the ends of their life." She said dreamily. He smiled listening her and kissed on top of her head.
"This wedding and all really fascinates you na." He asked.
"It does. I have seen my parents living, loving and laughing with each other for their whole lives. And they always have influenced me. For me, fairy tales do exist Manik." She said.
Manik smiled but said nothing. He never looked at this part of life. He knew Nandini was everything he ever wanted but he never had seen a love story flourishing forever and ever. Apparently, Friendship was the word he was aware of his whole life but love was something he never felt before. His parents were not exactly an example of forever and ever and he did not remember his grandparent's story till that extent and Nandini wasthe only one who had taught him what love was.
Nandini looked at him.
"Its soon gonna be okay Manik." She said lovingly.
"Do I deserve to have you?" His sudden question shocked her.
"What do you want to say?" She asked.
"What If I do not carry out my promises? What if I fail?" He asked her now looking in her eyes.
She simply smiled and kissed his cheeks.
"I was a girl who loved to soon
You were a boy who loved too late. But no matter what mistakes we made we have got each other's back forever." She admitted smilling.
"Manik, Just say what is inside you. I am here to listen. Trust me, I won't let this relationship fall. I here to catch it." She assured him. He smiled brightly at her words and pecked her lips.
"God! Atleast look around and do such stuff you two. Kahin bhi shuru ho jaate ho." An irritated Mukti scolded them making them realize where they are. Nandini shifted a little, looking away, all the way red.
Mukti shook her head at them.
"Manik, you're being called. Panditji bula rhe hai. Abhi and Cabir are waiting for you." She informed him. Manik nodded and got up to leave when Nandini held his hand and asked "Why are they calling you?"
"Aliya asked three of us to do her Kanyadaan...." he said smilling.
"Really?" Nandini asked.
"Yess...I can't tell you how happy I am." He said and moved towards mandap.
"Finally I got my seat." Said Mia sitting beside a smiling Nandini.
Mia looked at her and saw her smilling like yesterday. Her eyes widend.
"Don't tell me you guys are not virgin anymore!!" She yelled in her ears.
"What!!" Came Nandini's reply.
"Mia, keep your thoughts with you. And what virgin and all haan?" Nandini scolded Mia who soon realized that she is wrong. Mia sheepishly looked at Nandini and mouthed a sorry.
"Are you going to tell this to bhai?" She asked after a moment.
"If not then what I am going to get?" Nandini asked smirking.
"Anything....but meri pocket money ke budget me haan..." Mia said.
"I'll tell you when the right time comes." Nandini said winked at a scared Mia.
Abhimanyu, Cabir and Manik were asked to do the kanyadaan. They happily put Aliya's hand in Dhruv giving him one of their priceless possesion.
Soon, Aliya and Dhruv were announced wife and man. Since, the evening was booked with reception party and already it was 5 p.m. So Nandini had set her foot on fire to complete the last chores. Manik and Mia looked at each other and sighed.
"I won't let her do a single work after this wedding is over." Manik made a firm statement.
"I was going to say the same." She said and both of them gave a high five to each other.
Aliya and Dhruv were taken to the outhouse where Dhruv's family were already staying but Malhotra's stayed at their place they didn't wanted to interfere in between.
Manik and Cabir were pacing to and fro infront of the main door.
"Are you both going to do this forever?" Mukti said approaching them.
"I don't know. I am worried about Aliya. She is all new to that family." Manik said worriedly.
"Manik, She is with Dhruv and I am sure she must be having a gala time. That's her new family now. Dhruv will bring her here soon." Mukti assured them.
She looked at both of them who were still gazing out of the door.
She chuckled at both of them and hugged them.
"I wish Aliya could see this. She'ld have been the happiest one to know that she is missed so much." Said Mukti with a smile.
Both of them just 'hmmed' but said nothing.
"Missing her?" Came Sohani's voice.
Three of them smiled at her.
They all settled in the living room for a while.
"Manik, Did Advocate Sharma called?" Sohani asked.
"Yeah, but I was a little busy so couldn't attend him. But he is coming in the evening. I hope everything goes right." Manik said and sighed helpessely.
"Wait a minute! What is happening here? Advocate and all. Manik?" Cabir asked eyeing Manik.
Manik sat straight.
"I think now it's high time to tell you everything."
"Oh shit! I am so sorry Manik. I didn't know it wasn't meant to tell others. I thought only Mia shouldn't be knowing this ." Sohani apologized.
"Don't apologize Sohani. If you wouldn't have started this we'ld be in a disguise forever. Manik, now spill the beans." Mukti said.
"Guys, I will tell you everything I promise but make sure Mia shouldn't have a hint about this. I...I am thinking of adopting Mia legally." He informed the duo who had a big smile on their faces.
"Seriously? You're adopting her?" Mukti yelled in excitement.
"Oye Mukti, slower babes. Shut your volume." Whispered Manik.
"Oh sorry sorry. It just is such a happy news." Mukti stated.
"That's great Manik. But you don't seem happy. Is something not on track?" Cabir asked knowing Manik.
"Umm...yeah. Actually, According to the Indian penal code, a single man cannot adopt a girl. And for that only, I have invited Adv. Sharma this evening." Manik told.
"Oh!! So that means for you to adopt Mia, you have to get married!!" This Cabir shouted his lunges out deafening their ears.
"CABIR!! what is-"
"Who is getting Married now?" They heard Mia's voice making Manik smile sheepishly at her.