The pent house was decorated with beautiful white and blue flowers, with tiny bulbs and drapes; the mehendi function was in full swing. All the ladies were gathered, chatting and laughing while they were putting mehendi in their hands. Roshni was sitting in the middle wearing a white and green gorgeous lehenga, with hair put down at one side of her shoulder and the perfect make-up, she was looking mesmerizing. Pratima and Nani were sitting on either side of her, Roshni was searching for someone, her eyes caught that person.
"Mom!! Come sit beside me! Where are you busy?" she called out to DD who was walking past her in a hurry.
"Yeah beta, I'll just look at the food arrangements and then I'll come in a bit." she responded.
"But mom.. " Roshni was pouting with a sad face and then nods in agreement that she could take her time to do the work.
"Sasumom, when your Jamai is here, there is nothing to fear" he enters with a smile on his face.
Everyone turns to look at him, and are shocked, DD was glaring at him.
"What are you doing here?" she retorted.
"Woh main..." he looks at Roshni, who was happy that he had come but scared that he might be send off.
DD looks at Roshni and then at him, understanding his reason.
"This is a ladies only function Siddharth, I am sure your mother must have told you that?" she asked.
"Yeah..Yeah I know it is a ladies function... I came here to take a file which I must have.. left in the cupboard."
"What?" asked Roshni in astonishment. Siddharth indicates her to keep quiet.
"Couldn't you wait for it?" asked Nani.
"Nani Ma, I have an important meeting in an hour... I need that file... agar urgent nahi hota toh main kabhi aata kya.. aap logo ki function mein taang ladane?" he teased.
"Yeah yeah I know how innocent you are!!" said Nani sarcastically.
Siddharth starts going towards Roshni's room looking at her and indicating her to meet him there.
DD catches hold of him and says, "Not this easily, Jamai ji.." she teased.
He looks at her slightly surprised and raises his eyebrows asking what.
"Well, mehendi function chal rahi hai.. Toh mehendi lagana toh Banta hai na?" she asked him.
Roshni and Nani starts laughing looking at Siddharth's shocked expression.
"Yes! Mom is right! If you want the file then you will have to put mehendi too!!" she gleed with pleasure.
"Mehendi?? What! I am a guy" he said exasperatly looking for help from someone.
"So, what? Even the groom applies mehendi.. It's good luck!" said Nani.
"I have never seen any groom apply mehendi!!" said Siddharth incredulously.
"Earlier in the days, groom used to apply too.. nowadays they don't! It's one's choice.. " said Nani.
"And you are not getting one!!" said Roshni with a smirk on her face.
Pratima and Bablu grab him and makes him sit beside Roshni. He makes faces at everyone and says,
"My meeting is in an hour!"
"Yea yea we know how important it is" said DD sarcastically.
"I hate you!!" mouths Siddharth looking at Roshni.
"But I love you!" she said and puckers her lips for a flying kiss.
Siddharth mocks at her and says,
"Just apply little bit, please!"
"Do you want me to write Roshni's name in your hand?" the mehendi wali teased.
"In my hand?? NOOO!" he yelled.
"Why? Is my name that bad?" asked Roshni instantly.
"If I can put your name in my palm then why can't you?" she continued.
He ignores her question and says to the girl who was applying mehendi to him,
"If you want to write her name, then..." he starts opening his shirt buttons.
Roshni and the others look at him with their jaws dropping.
"Yeh kya kar rahe ho Siddharth?" she whispered through her teeth.
"Then...you can write here.. on my heart.. because her place is here and nowhere else.." he said genuinely indicating towards his chest.
Roshni breathes in heavily and eyes everyone around her, they were all shocked but a smile lingered on their faces.
"Wow, you are so lucky Roshni.. your husband is so cute!" said a girl who was their neighbor. Roshni's cheeks flushed red and she nudges Siddharth with her elbow.
"Oww, did you see that Nani Ma!! Pyaar karo toh bhi vaar karti hai yeh!" he teased.
DD was very happy seeing the cute bickerings of Roshni and Siddharth. Unknown to her, her eyes were welled up with tears.
After a while, the woman had started playing the dhol and some girls were dancing. Pratima brings Roshni to the centre and makes her dance. Bablu too, follows her and brings Siddharth near Roshni. Everyone were clapping and enjoying the music. The neighbor comes near Siddharth and says amidst all this,
"I must say, you have a great physique!" she winked and left.
Siddharth was grinning with amusement and turns to find Roshni glaring at him with her mouth open. His eyes widen up as he could see her temper rising.
"Roshni.. I didn't do anything.." he said after her as she left to go to her room.
"Shit!!" he said out loud.
He goes to Bablu Chachu and whispers in his ears. Chachu was scared and swaying his head to a big NO. But Siddharth insisted a lot, and he finally gave up succumbing to him.
DD and Nani were busy with the guests, when suddenly the lights went off. Siddharth escapes to Roshni's room among all this.
Roshni's Room
Siddharth enters the room to find Roshni facing the opposite direction and mumbling out loud in anger,
"Uff. What does he think of himself? Flirting enjoy kar raha tha? How dare he!!" she raises her hands in frustration.
"On top of that this light! Abhi jana tha kya isse!! First of all it is so hot and this heavy lehenga and the mehendi...oh god!! Chachi?? Where did you go?? Help me to zip this up please. I can't my hand is..." she said.
Siddharth bites his lips and looks around, he sees Bablu taking Pratima to the other side of the house and he closes the door of the room, locking it. Then he walks towards Roshni and stands very close to her.
"Chachi?" she called out again as she could sense someone standing behind her. Before she could turn he holds her waist with his free hand. She gasps in astonishment as she understood who it was.
"Siddharth - " she whispered.
"Chachi is not here... shall I help?" he asked with eagerness in his voice.
"No thank you very much! I can manage on my own!" she said and moves a step forward.
He grins and takes a step towards her,
"How will you? Tumhare dono haathon mein mehendi lagi huyi hai.." he whispered in her ears. She closes her eyes listening to his husky voice so close to her, which made her go weak in her knees.
"I.. I.." she was intimidated with his closeness.
He holds her back with his free hand and before he could zip it up with the other, he notices that he had applied mehendi too.
"Uhh.. shit" he said.
"Kya hua?" she asked.
"Only one hand is free... I won't be able to-" he said as he tried pulling up the zip with his hand.
"Abh? Go and call chachi or nani or someone!" she said.
"No, wait.. I have an idea.." he said as he removes her hair from the back and places it on one side of her shoulder.
"What? Leave all-" before she could complete her sentence he had bend down his head and held the zip in between his teeth.
She could feel his warm breath on her skin at her back. He pulls the zip upward as his lips brushed against her skin, raising her heart beats with each passing second.
"Siddharth-" she said out loud with love.
He had zipped her blouse but his lips still lingered around the nape of her neck. He was holding her in that position with his hand on her waist and he starts his trail of kisses on her neck. He kissed the back of her ear lobes and gives a small bite to it, making her wanting more. He could sense that she was enjoying it, but he had promised her that he will wait. He smiled seeing the effect he had on her and he stops leaving her completely as the lights had returned. She opened her eyes with a pout on her face and she turned in anger,
"Why did you stop?" she said before she could think what she just said.
Siddharth was amused with her reaction and he started laughing, in between his laughs he said,
"W..H...A..T?"
Seeing his reaction she rectifies her question and fumbles,
"I..I..meant that why DIDN'T you stop?! You had promised me na...Why have you come here Siddharth?" she asked and turns around hiding her face embarrassed with herself.
Siddharth controls his laughter and goes near her. He brings her in front of the mirror and then takes out a necklace from his pocket and shows it to her,
"This is why" he whispered in her ears.
"Wow. This is so pretty!!" she said looking at the necklace.
"This was given to my Mom when she got married to Dad, and now she wants you to have it." he said looking at her through the mirror.
"This is so sweet of Ma.." she said.
"Shall I?" he asked indicating to put it on.
She nods a yes in excitement and then says,
"But how will you put it on with one hand?"
"Like I zipped you up, baby!" he said huskily and winks.
Her cheeks redden up, but she had nowhere to hide her face now so she looks at her feet. He takes one end of the necklace on his hand and the other in between his teeth. Very carefully he manages to place it around her neck.
In the process his cheeks brushed against hers and for a moment he was just an inch apart from her lips. The entire time she kept looking at him, feeling the passion that was brewing between them.
Finally he hooks the two ends together and kisses her cheeks.
"It looks amazing on you.." he commented looking at her through the mirror.
"Doesn't it?" she said looking at herself in the mirror.
"Waise Roshni.. today I got to know.. that my lips are very efficient! Don't you think so?" he winked at her.
"Yeah.. very.." she said as she turned around to face him looking at his lips.
She leans forward to indulge in a kiss and show him how efficient it was, but someone knocked on the door at that time. She pouts and Siddharth gives a peck on her nose before going to open the door.
DD looks at Siddharth with an expression of I-Knew-you-would-be here. Siddharth scratches his hair and smiles,
"Come in Sasumom! It is your house only!" he teased.
She rolls her eyes and looks at Roshni before she could say anything she notices the necklace and comes near her.
"Wow. This looks really good on you.. and it's an antique.. from where did you get this?" she asked admiring the jewellery.
"Woh...Siddharth.." she said.
"Actually Sasumom, mom told me to give it to her.." he said.
"Yeah..in between the mehendi function, right?" she asked him.
He smiled mischievously looking at her teasing him.
"But how did you put it on, tumhare haath mein toh mehendi lagi hai.. and Siddharth too..." she asked looking at both of them.
Her question made Roshni reminisce how close Siddharth was when he was putting the necklace and she blushed in embarrassment wondering what to tell her mom.
"Sasumom! I am a man of many talents!" he winked at her.
"Really? I can see that." she said sarcastically and smiled.
"I'll take your leave then, and aaplog shaam ko zaroor se time se aeyega!" he said before leaving.
"Yes we will be on time, Siddharth! Now you can go." she said.
Siddharth stopped to look at Roshni one last time, he gives a flying kiss to her and says,
"I'll be waiting for you, love!" He salutes to his sasumom and leaves.
"Yeh ladka pura pagal hai!" she said and leaves the room.
Roshni beams with happiness and says, "Mera pagal"