***Abhimanyu's P.O.V***
I and Naina walked down the stage, hand in hand - it felt blissful to be walking to my new life, with the love of my life!
Once down, I started walking towards the dining area - I was famished! I need all my strength today - my first night with Naina! *winks*
Hey perverts I didn't mean it in THAT way! But today onwards I can start laying small stones as foundations to build a bright future with my wife! Today onwards I will start impressing Naina so that she has no choice but to fall in love with me!
But I do need to have a lot of self control! I find her irresistible as it is, but now when she's looking truly like the angel that she is, I need a lot of strength so that I can keep my behavior on check!
Lost in thought, I walked ahead, still holding Naina's hand in mine. But a small force tugged at my hand and I looked around to see Naina standing still, a few feet behind me.
I looked quizzically at her.
"Ji... Your shoes" she mumbled softly and I heard her musical voice even amongst the chitter chatter of our guests.
I don't know why but blood rushed to my cheeks - maybe because she was showing care towards me?!
I nodded my head to her {not trusting my voice} and turned around to find my shoes, only then did I realize that my shoes were missing.
Gritting my teeth, I yelled out for Nikhil, who for so long was walking behind me, but was not near me. I whipped my head around to see that the gigantic 6 foot tall Nikhil was cowering behind my 5'6 ft wife...wife... I like the sound of it in my ears!
Now concentrate on insulting Nikhil, Abhi - my inner conscience proved me.
"Where's my shoes assho...I mean.. Nikhil?" I asked gritting my teeth.
Nikhil didn't answer me, but bent further down so that he'd be completely hidden behind Naina, but seeing that he had a well built body, this action of his was as fruitless as The Wiley Coyote running behind Road runner to catch her!
"Nikhil?!!" I barked again, and in response, I heard a whimpering sound from behind Naina, making her giggle.
"Naina can you please move a little to your side so that I can clearly see my friend who's hiding behind you?" I asked, smiling at my wife.
Naina giggled, but moved sideways nevertheless. Like a shadow, Nikhil too moved behind her. Everyone in the hall were looking at us and giggling, while I tried hard not to laugh - I want to be stern at Nikhil for once! Asshole has cost me a lot already!
"Today morning someone pestered me to death to let them look after my shoes, saying he'd lay his life down to protect my shoes.... where's that asshole?" I asked.
"That asshole was a bit busy flirting with Naina's cousin to protect your shoes" came the voice of someone whom I hadn't thought I'd be seeing soon - Shruthi!
While everyone around us were watching us and chuckling at our banter, I turned around to see Shruthi grinning at me from ear to ear.
"I thought you told you won't be able to make it?" I asked as she engulfed me into a bone-crushing hug.
"I was busy...but couldn't miss my two best friends getting married now, could I?" she asked, winking at me after she'd broken the hug.
"Did you know she was coming?" I turned around and asked Naina, who wasn't surprised to see Shruthi.
"She told us to keep quiet - she wanted to surprise you" Naina said, hugging Shruthi.
"Main na hu toh tum logon ka kya hoga?" Shruthi asked dramatically, pulling out of her long hug with Naina.
"Seriously! What would we not do without you? Who would spread gossip about me and Abhi?" Nikhil asked, mock-glaring at Shruthi.
"At least I'd have done a decent job of protecting Abhi's shoes, and not be flirting around" Shruthi replied, her hands on her hips, and glaring at Nikhil.
"Some people are more serious than just flirting" chipped in Kunal, who was looking somber for some reason; all the playfulness and mischief had vanished from his eyes, and his tone.
Shruthi glared at Kunal, but didn't say anything. Maybe it was the anger due to which her face looked so flushed?!
"Nikhil and serious? You gotta be kidding me" I said, trying to break the tension. It worked, as everyone chuckled lightly, though Kunal and Shruthi's laughter didn't reach their eyes.
"I too want to get married one day bro! I don't wanna die an old maid!" came Nikhil's voice from behind Naina.
Everyone guffawed with laughter, while I and Kunal looked at each other and rolled our eyes - Nikhil can never give up on drama!
"You'll have to be a virgin to die a maid bro... but moreover, you'll have to be a woman to be a maid..." Kunal chirped, earning a few chuckles.
While the orthodox people in our families shuddered at that, the youngsters laughed out loud, making Nikhil stand up straight and glower at me and Kunal.
"Excuse me but..."Nikhil started saying but was cut-off by a Naina's cousin - "Jiju you know the rules! Pay us a good fine to get back your shoes"
I raised my eyebrows at her, who blushed before saying "I'm Niyathi... Naina's cousin"
"How much should I pay?" I asked sighing in defeat and pulling out my wallet from my sherwani pocket.
"That wallet isn't going to quench our thirst Jiju" came the voice of another of Naina's cousin, whose name I'm guessing is Rudra.
I glared at Nikhil, who seemed busy ogling Niyathi with his mouth wide open, to spare me a glance!
"Better shut your mouth Nik! We don't want flies to run into that mouth of your's now, do we?" I asked loudly, making Nikhil snap his head to me and glare at me with such fire in his eyes - I'd have burnt to ash if we were cartoons!
The whole hall erupted into another chorus of laughter, while Niyathi and Nikhil flushed.
"I wasn't ogling at her" Nikhil mumbled, making Niyathi flush to the exact shade of maroon as my sherwani and Naina's lehenga.
"Who said anything about ogling?"Kunal piped in, smirking at Nikhil.
Now it was Nikhil's turn to flush to maroon!
"We want a promise Jiju...a promise to keep our Naina di happy and shower her with all the love in the world" Rudra said, while the rest of Naina's cousins nodded their heads in agreement.
"Yeah Jiju....a promise is priceless, unlike money!" Niyathi added softly, still looking a bit flushed.
I felt happy that there were so many people who loved my Naina! This was a promise I'd made to myself the day I realized that I loved her - to keep her happy and shower her with all the love I can muster.
I nodded my head happily, and for some reason Naina frowned a bit, but covered it up with a smile and a small blush.
"And unlike some people here, I won't forget my promise" I said loudly, looking pointedly at a flushed Nikhil.
"And unlike some people, you will tell your woman your feelings and keep her happy right Abhi?" Shurthi asked airily.
What was that about? I looked at Shruthi curiously, who just shrugged. I didn't do anything else other than nodding my head.
Everyone cheered and Rudra handed me my shoes. I left Naina's hand to wear my shoes, and automatically felt the warmth leaving me with that small action!
I was busy debating with myself whether it'd seem odd if I held Naina's hand again. What if people start commenting again? {and by people I mean Nikhil, a suddenly-so-serious-Kunal and angry-birdie Shruthi} I'm sure Nikhil is dying to get back at me for my comments earlier! And Kunal too is looking at me with mischief in his eyes....
I felt a jolt of electricity whenever mine and Naina's hands brushed and it took all the resolve in me to not hold her hand.
I and Naina were made to sit next to one another, while a delicious thaali was set in front of us. I am a foodie and I love my Indian food the best.
Seeing so many of my favorites on the plate, I couldn't help but smile and dig in... but every romance should have a villain right?
"Arre who's put two plates here? Don't you know that the bride and groom are supposed to each from the same plate?" Ranjith barked and took away the plate from right under my nose just as I was about to tuck in.
I fumed and glared at him, who didn't seem to notice my anger as he was busy talking with the other guests. But a soft giggling sound made me whip my head to Naina, who continued giggling despite the fire blazing in my eyes.
"What's so funny?" I snapped at her - food is food guys! Don't blame me!
"You look like a kid who's favorite candy has just been snatched away from him" she said, in between her giggles.
"Well I'm famished" I mumbled, slowly edging my left hand towards her right hand that was placed on the table.
"Then let's eat...I too am famished" she said before pulling away her hand out of my reach and pushing a plate filled with all my favorites in front of me.
"Wait wait" Rudra said, making me glare at him.
"Now what?" I snapped at him. He just shook his head and yelled at the photographers to come to us.
I felt like a lion in a zoo, with a delicious platter placed in front of me, my lioness next to me, and so many people ogling at me, as though I was gonna perform some magical stunt now! It didn't help that the 25 different photographers clicked away madly while I glowered at all of them.
"Just ignore them" came my angel's sweet voice before she brought forth a moti-choor laddo to my lips.
I was about to open my mouth and bite into the delicious laddo, when a thought occurred to me - she also looks as tired and hungry as me! She needs food first!
So I shook my head, making the crowd break into soft mutterings. I looked at a dejected looking Naina, who had slowly withdrawn her laddo carrying hand away from my face.
"You should eat first" I said, taking another laddo from the thaali and bringing it to Naina's face. She frowned at me, the tinge of pink evident on her cheeks and shook her head in a no.
"Arre beta... husband should eat first, only then can a wife eat. Wife is supposed to take care of her husband" Naina's dada ji said, making my blood boil.
"But dada ji, how will my wife take care of me if she herself is hungry?" I said,looking at Naina and trying hard not to sound rude.
"Right Abhi! Your woman before everyone else" Shruthi said loudly.
Something flashed through Naina's eyes and her eyes brimmed with tears as she smiled at me.
I glared at her to open her mouth and she finally gave in, earning a lot of awws from the females around us.
My fingers brushed her lips ever so softly, and she shivered at that. I could feel her soft velvetty lips under my fingers, tempting me more.
It didn't help that she was here looking so beautiful and opening her mouth wide open for me to put in the laddo!
"I wish even I'd get a husband like this" said someone from the crowd, while a few of them murmured in agreement and the rest chuckled.
"Sorry to shatter the image of illusion, but only Abhi can be this sweet girls" Shurthi mumbled, making my face flush with embarrassment.
Though many of the male cousins booed and hissed at her words it was Kunal's and Nikhil' "Excuse me?" that came together.
"You heard me right" Shruthi replied coolly, though I didn't miss the fire blazing in her eyes. Maybe she recently suffered a break-up. But I didn't know she was dating someone? Gotta ask Naina about this!
"Now you eat" Naina said softly before bringing the same laddo to my mouth. Feeling flushed but immensely happy, I opened my mouth for her to feed me.
The laddoo was very tasty, given the fact that the love of my life fed it to me and that she'd eaten the other half of this laddo! But it'd have been a lot tastier if it were those tiny particles of laddoo stuck on Naina's lips!
Call me a pervert but I'm thinking all this about my legally wedded wife so yeh sab chalta hai!
The lunch was an awesome affair, not to mention tasty, what with Naina and me feeding one another.
After lunch, it was finally time for the bidai. It was much different than what I'd expected. There wasn't much crying about - wonder why though?!
Naina did shed tears when she hugged Kunal, but that's it!! She just smiled at her sister and gave her a sidewards hug, and nodding at Dharam she just smiled at her parents and grandparents! She didn't hug them but bent down to take their blessings!!
"Sadaa suhagan raho, saare khushiya tujhe naseeb ho" her dada ji blessed her by placing his hand on her head.
She nodded and turned away from them, me by her side. We got into the white Audi and drove away.
Naina was glancing outside during our journey home, while I was thinking hard on topics with which I could engage a conversation with her.
I had a lot of topics in mind - for a sad and teary Naina. I had prepared a whole conversation in fact, how to comfort Naina who I thought would be balling her eyes out!
All that went to the drain!
Naina wasn't crying, but she had a gloomy aura around her nonetheless. I want her to be the feisty Naina who insulted me in front of so many people at the Oberoi hotel, not this mera-Dev-ayega type of Naina!
What could I do to change her mood?
And then it hit me, with the force of a 1000 Joules - an idea.... *laughs evilly like muhaaaahahahaha*
To be continued...