Gauri was anxious.
She had been working the whole evening and most of the night, well into wee hours, to complete a portion of the chunris order. Dilpreet ji had stayed up with her to help her, and entertain her as well.
Gauri was curious as to why he was being so helpful to people he barely knew for two days.
"Oh ji, I told you ji, you ladies are like my family, and I've heard that those who help in a wedding house, are lucky to find a loving bride" said Dilpreetji.
Gauri laughed and remarked, "So, all this is happening for a good wife?"
"Aho ji, all this I am doing for a loving bride" said Dilpreetji.
Gauri chuckled.
"Achcha Gauri ji, don't mind me asking ji, but how are you going to manage arranging all that amount? Its not a small sum, in a short period of time" said Dilpreet ji, hesitatingly.
"So, should I give up?" said Gauri, testily.
"I didn't mean that Gauri ji, but it seems very difficult, why don't you refuse them?" asked Dilpreet ji.
"I can't refuse them. Richa really likes Mukesh, and its not so easy to challenge societal norms here. But that doesn't mean I give up. All these months, when I was not here, Richa looked after my mother, and cared for her like her own. I can't back down now. I know you think this is a difficult task, and I don't blame you for having no faith in me. When someone who I considered my own, didn't show faith in me, then you are but a stranger. But it doesn't matter, as long as Shankarji has faith in me, and I have faith in myself, everything is possible" said Gauri, more to herself than to Dilpreetji.
Omkara realized afresh how his lack of trust impacted Gauri.
He was going to make up for that. He knew that Gauri's Shankarji would never let her down.
"Then let me help you" said Dilpreet ji.
Gauri nodded.
Gauri recollected this conversation from yesterday night, as she waited for Richa's uncle to return with the money from the buyer and the presents they needed for Richa's in-laws relatives.
"Richa, Gauri" announced Richa's uncle as he entered.
"Mamaji, did everything.....everything go fine?" asked Gauri, a little jumpy.
"Yes, yes Gauri beta. The buyer was happy with your work, and he even paid extra. I was worried about carrying so much money with me while going shopping, and my son was busy at our shop, but luckily Dilpreet ji was passing by, and he offered to help me buy all the presents we needed, and even carried them for me" said Richa's uncle smiling.
Thats when Gauri and Richa saw a huge ladder of presents moving inside, on top of two legs.
Dilpreet ji put them all on the floor, and heaved a sigh of relief.
"Aho ji Richa ji, Gauri ji, I've got everything you people needed. I hope this helps" said Dilpreet ji.
"Thank you so much, Dilpreet ji, you don't even know me that well, and you are helping so much with my wedding. No tenant I've heard of helps their landlords so much" said Richa sincerely.
"Arey, Richa ji this is no issue. Don't we have to decorate this place for the Roka this evening? Chalo ji, lets all get to work ji" said Dilpreet.
"Arey Dilpreet Ji, first please sit down and have something to eat" said Gauri's mother, as she gestured him to sit down and eat with Richa's uncle.
As they all congregated and laughed about something, Gauri's mind settled on one sentence which Richa uttered.
Her best friend was right, no tenant will help their landlord so much, that too on such short acquaintance. This was too fishy to ignore.
Gauri signaled her mother.
"Psst..Maa, suno?" (listen) whispered Gauri.
"What happened Gauri beta?" asked her mother, as Gauri pulled her away slightly towards the kitchen.
"Maa, doesn't Dilpreet ji look like Omkaraji?" asked Gauri.
She thought even if her heart was playing tricks on her, her mother would surely see if there were any actual similarities.
"Omkaraji? No, Gauri. Omkaraji toh had long hair, and he is such a quiet, sober boy. Dilpreet ji, is one of those happy go lucky types, I don't see any similarity" said Gauri's mother, and moved to rejoin the group.
Maybe her mother's eyesight was weakening with age, thought Gauri.
Gauri tried her luck with her best friend next.
"Richa, doesn't Dilpreet ji look like Omkaraji?" asked Gauri, in a whisper, as they put up the decorations on the wall.
"Omkaraji?" asked Richa confused.
She had only met and spoken to Omkaraji once, when he paid for Gauri's mother's treatment in the hospital many months ago. Richa didn't remember much of his face, except that he had long hair.
"Umm, I don't know Gauri. I don't remember his face clearly. But I remember he was all serious and stern, and Dilpreet ji is, well you know, he is so different, but a very nice man. Maybe you spent too much time with Omkaraji in Mumbai, Gauri, thats why you are seeing him everywhere" said Richa slyly.
Gauri scowled, as her best friend voiced out her own fear.
Maybe she was hallucinating him, and it was not good for her. Unthinkingly, she stumbled slightly on the ladder on which she was standing.
But instead of Richa, who had moved off to work on the other side of the room, it was Dilpreet ji who caught her.
"Careful Gauri ji, you don't want to walk around in your best friend's Roka wearing a plaster on your foot" he chuckled.
Gauri steadied herself, and went back to her work.
This was him, she could feel it. She just needed some proof.
**********************************
Ajay was slightly bored of all this.
His idiot, seedha saadha (straight forward) brother was in love and couldn't wait to be married to that girl, or rather, he should call her bhaabhi now.
Ajay found the girl rather plain, but then his brother wasn't a catch either. Those two would suit each other. He came down from Lucknow, to Moradabad, just yesterday night, and fortunately missed the 'rishta taking' and all the nonsense.
Now, he was sitting next to his brother, who couldn't wait for their car to reach Richa's residence, for their official engagement ceremony.
"Calm down brother. Your bride isn't running away. Shouldn't you be enjoying your last moments of bachelorhood?" asked Ajay.
"Ha, ha yes, all that is really funny. But I am going to be happily married. You won't understand" said Mukesh.
"True, I wouldn't. All this love and all is your business. I don't want to understand it either. I'm rather happy with understanding lust" said Ajay, with a sly grin.
"Careful brother. This is our city. If a whiff of your activities in Lucknow reach our parents or relatives ears, it will be terrible for all of us" warned Mukesh lightly. "Don't dilly-dally with any of the girls in the wedding. They are all from good families, and one word, their brothers and fathers will beat you up."
"Then I'll find a girl who doesn't have a brother or father" laughed Ajay.
Mukesh shook his head, and internally felt disgusted at the thought of his brother preying on helpless females. Their car stopped at the destination.
Ajay stopped laughing abruptly, as he saw the girl welcoming the guests inside the house. She looked like a ethereal fairy in her lightly glittering blue suit.
Mukesh saw the object of his brother's daze.
"No, brother. She is Richa's best friend, and like her family. She is a very respectable lady, and has powerful relatives in Delhi and Mumbai" he warned.
"Not here in Moradabad, right?" smirked Ajay.
Mukesh groaned.
*************************************************
Gauri was happy to see the progress of the Roka ceremony.
Richa's in-laws were impressed, and even complimented her arrangements. What also made her happy, unexpectedly, was when she overheard Dilpreetji praising her designs and planning to some guests, who seemed suitably taken with Gauri.
Everybody seemed busy in the Roka, now was the time for Gauri to do some sleuthing.
She quietly slipped out from the assembly, and went to Dilpreet ji's room, which was slightly off-the corridor. Dilpreet ji was busy entertaining some guests, so he wouldn't know.
Gauri sleekly stepped inside his room. His stuff was either in his suitcase, or lying outside. Most of the clothes seemed unfamiliar to Gauri. She looked around for something that would lead her way, but she couldn't find anything, other than clothes and some other daily use items, none of which were like Omkaraji's. It would be a stretch to search his suitcase, he was after all their tenant.
So, Gauri made her way out, and was halfway through the corridor when someone blocked her way.
"I am sorry, can you tell me the way to the washroom?" asked the person.
Gauri recognized him as Mukesh ji's brother.
"Oh yes, actually the bathing and washing quarters are outside the main house, in the back courtyard. Its an old-fashioned, I mean, designed house" said Gauri, and moved to make her way back to the ceremony, but the man didn't budge.
"You are Gauri right? Richa bhaabhi's best friend? Splendid arrangement here" he remarked.
Gauri nodded curtly.
No 'ji'? Since, when did Moradabad become so modern? thought Gauri.
"Excuse me" said Gauri, but the man would still not budge.
"So, I was wondering, tomorrow there are no functions, would you like to meet me outside, in the city somewhere?" asked Ajay, giving his most charming smile.
The audacity! thought Gauri, and was about to utter a set down, when someone called her.
"Arey, Gauri ji, there you are, your mother is looking for you" said Dilpreet.
"Thanks Dilpreet ji" said Gauri, walked away from that place quickly.
Dilpreet hung back a little only to glare at Ajay, and silently warn him not to act over-smart with Gauri.
But Ajay was not going to give up so soon.