|Garvit|

We get off our cars.

Me and Abhinav bhai from his Mercedes, Baba and Neil from the BMW.

As soon as we got out, I was thrilled to see Akshaj Kaka at the entrance of the house.

Without a second thought I rushed to embrace him after touching his feet.

"Baba ne humein bataya nahi ki hum aapke yaha pehle aa rahe hain." I frowned with a smile hugging him and he laughed patting my back.

["Baba didn't told me that we are coming to your place first."]

"Life is unpredictable, Garv. You never know what may happen just next moment." Abhinav bhai alluded as I stepped back from the hug and gave his warm and rarest smile to Kaka.

I found something off with him where Kaka just shrugged his shoulders with a smile.

'Bholenath, pura parivaar hi ajeeb bartaav kar raha hai.' I thought in my mind.

Bhai bent down and touched his feet to seek blessings and both gave a long hug to each other.

"Kese hain Kaka sa? Bahot arse baad mulakat ho rahi hai. Aapne chote Jamai ke laad mein bhul gaye kya bade Jamai." he made an innocent face which caught me off guard.

[How are you uncle? We are meeting after a long time. In pampering your younger son-in-law, have you forgotten your elder son-in-law?]

First was his innocent face, which I saw for the first time.

And now this Jamai thing??

'Is... Is my baby bear got married??'

This question's intensity made a chill ran down my spine.

"Kaisi baatein karte ho, Abhi? Aap toh humara bete ho, aur aise kaise bhul jaenge hum aapko, han?" Kaka chuckled caressing his head and his voice brought me back to reality.

["What kind of things are you talking about, Abhi? You are my son, and how can I forget you like this, hn?"]

"Abh kya yahin batein karoge? Sab andar toh aaiye." he heartfully invited us inside his home, whose entrace was decorated with flower chains and torans, beautiful rangoli at either side of the door.

[Now will you talk here only? Everyone please come inside.]

As we were about to enter the house, Kuhoo bhabi plopped in our way with Zivuu besides her.

She held an arti thaal in her hand and performed our aarti, put tilak our foreheads and we stepped inside.

When Kuhoo bhabi put tilak on Abhi bhai, he too put tilak on her head but in a different way.

He applied the vermillion on her hair partition and she smiled in return of it.

When I inquired about why he did this, this was his instant answer,

'I just do it as I love to, to make my wife feel cherished and loved from the bottom of my heart. And I remember the time when I did this same act in front of your Dadi sa, she was very happy that I did this later she told and this is a rivaaz of our family. And when I told her that I didn't do it just for a ritual and did this out of my hesrtfelt will. She was even more contented.'

[Rivaaz - Ritual]

And I here I was again falling for the intensity Bhai loves Bhabi.

Oh our lord, keep this couple always happy and far from the evil eyes.

We sat down in the living room, which gave a warm and cozy vibe.

Enough to calm anyone's racing mind.

After few minuted of chit-chats, Bhabi served us tea and coffee.

I didn't saw baby bear's mother anywhere that was somehow a moment of relief as I remember the time when my baby bear used to cry for food she didn't ever feed her herself.

Infact she used to ignore her heart wrenching cries and resume to do her other chores.

Seeing her cries my heart also cries for her, then I used to call my Dadi sa and her Nani sa.

My Dadi sa will craddle her in her arms to sooth and comfort her, while her Nani sa would prepare formula milk to feed her.

"Kuhoo!" Kaka sa's voice brought me back from the agonizing memories.

Zivuu held her pinki finger with her little palm and climbed the stairs.

After a few minutes, I heard sound of anklets, softly jingling with each step as the distant sound increased it also accelerated my heart beat.

The feet of a girl came into my as she descended the stairs, filling the room with her sweet and floral fragrance.

Wait, Sweet and floral??

This is the fragrance same as Sunidha ji's.

Wait, I forgot our agenda of coming here.

My family was going to fix my rishta, right?

Amd now we are here at Kaka's house.

So is she my....my baby bear?

Or she is Suni- no no it can't but.

Ohh Shivji!

Now my head is throbbing with these thoughts.

The time of her coming down the stairs felt eternity as the living room was secluded with wall, which gave only half view of upstairs.

But again the fragrance invaded my lungs  and brain without my consent, blocking the exchange of signals between my mind and brain.

I opened my eyes only to widen them in shock.

Hey bholenath itne shock humara dil nai jhel paega.

There stood Sunidha ji with her head bow down, her fingers fidgeting with the hem of her saree.

And oh my Bholenath! She was wearing a beautiful light pink saree. Although I can't diversify the shades of pink but looking at it, it was light pink only.

Indeed, she was looking as enchanting as a goddess. As if this shade was created specifically for her.



Her gaze fixed down at her fingers who nervously fidgeted with her saree, her long eye lashes touching the upper swell of her rosey cheeks, looking so pretty twinning with her shyness which was actually her nervousness as I can surely say.

"Nri- Sunidha Beta! Miloge nahi humse?" Baba inquired and her head snapped towards him, gaining her full attention.

[Nri- Sunidha beta! Won't you meet us?]

She looked at him in pure disbelief and her eyes slowly scanned the people around the living room.

Slowly her eyes landed on mine, who was shamelessly oggling at her since the moment she, not just she but her fragrance invaded my mind.

Then she looked and Kaka sa for explaination and Kuhoo bhabi who stood beside her.

She gently grabbed her shoulders in a side hug and gave a gentle sqeeze to her arms in an approval to her questioning gaze.

Kuhoo bhabi whispered something in her ears and her eyes widen again, but this time a light hue of pink covered her cheeks.

Now here I was sitting like a dumb who doesn't even know what was happening.

I hissed when Abhinav bhai nudged my bicep earnig my attention.

He looked at me as if trying to supress his laugh and whispered in my ears.

"Ohhoo! Mere childhood premi. She is your Baby bear." he whispered, affirming my expectations and here I got another heart attack.

Ohh my poor heart!!

"She is your Abhiraj Kaka's daughter. And the one whose hand your Baba has asked for. The reason which led you take a flight straight from Delhi to the city of love, Banaras." he spoke clearing my every doubt and his last lines gave me a jolt of butterflies in my stomach.

My ears burned when the realisation of being Abhiraj Kaka's second Jamai.

And I glared at him who was teasing me infront of Kaka the whole time from the second Jamai thing.

I looked at her whose eyes were now sparkling with delight to see her loved and close ones here.

She came forward and was aboit to bend down and touch Baba's feet when he held her shoulders and gave a fatherly hug to her.

"Always stay happy beta." he blessed her patting her head.

"Come sit here." he insisted and made her sit beside me.

She looked at me and a brief second of our eye contact was enough to burn my cheeks.

We both looked away as shyness engulfed the air around us.

I somehow managed to say 'Hi' to her and she greeted back twinning my shyness.

Or was I twinning her shyness?

"So beta," Baba gained our attention and continued.

"We actually were willing to get you both married, only if you both are agreed to this alliance." Baba announced and I don't know why but for some reason my heart was feeling content hearing this.

The restlessness I was jugling with from the whole journey for setting my life and future with someone else, eased within few seconds.

"And it's entirely your decision to tie this alliance or not." they assured us and I can sense the change in their demanour.

May be because of our decision which helds our future.

"Ashu and Proffessor sahab, you can talk in her room." Kaka sa adviced us.

"Ashu." he gestured her to take us to her room.

"Aaiye!" this was the second time we exchanged verbally and Bholenath!

How much sweet can someone's voice be!!

Not more than hers ofcourse.

I nodded and we both stood up, following her we reached her room upstairs.

Her head was still bowed down but mine was stuck on her.

She opened the door for me and stepped aside making space for me to enter.

"Welcome to my room." the first time she made an eye contact and welcomed me with her ever so soft smile and I smiked back.

I entered inside and she spoke,

"I didn't knew that it was your family who was coming. Or then I would have present downstairs to welcome you. So I thought to give you a sweet welcome at least in my room." she sheepishly smiled at me making me giggle at her thought which felt heart warming too.

This is the reason I like this human being. Who takes care even of this small and negligible things.

She gestured me to sit on the bed and herself sat on her study table's chair.

I took some moment to observe her bedroom, which indeed was like her.

It was painted in shade of off white, creating a vibe of softness and serenity, just like her.

One wall had memories of her dance school, her photos of classical dance attire, pics with her papa that showed some glimpses of her childhood.

Which I missed.

A cozy bed with lots of small and big plushies resting on the bed rest, in which I was sitting.

A study table with shelf od various varities of book hund just above it.

And a closet attched with a smaller one just beside it.

A fury rug laid across the floor which can be felt so soft beneatht the feet.

And just to add the stars in sky, the ambience of the room was filled with her scent of honey and winter flowers, laying a calm and serene surrounding, depicting her temperament.

The ambience of her room felt like I'm in some sort of a garden, roaming like a bumble bee around a flower like her.

(Bumble bee - Bhawra)

"Sunidha ji." She looked up meeting my gaze and I got lost in her russet brown eyes.

Russet-brown against ocean-blues.

The mid-day sun rays flashed at her eyes which were glowing blissfully. I've never ever saw those innocence filled eyes I saw in her eyes in anyone else.

"Ah-Uhm" I cleared my throat and as I looked away from her, cursing myself for losing the control I had have.

But what can i even do when she is the only girl who makes my every ounce of control wear out.

"Although we know each other. But I wanted to know your thoughts on this... I mean our marriage." I initiated the conversation and she again started fidgeting with the hem of her saree.

"Um.. I-I don't know, but..." she was stuttering badly, unaware of what she should say.

"Hey hey relax. I'm not gonna eat you." and she chuckled a little, her hesd still down.

"You can take your time to think." I reassured her and after a few seconds she started.

"Honestly, I was nervous. Very nervous to meet some stranger. But when I saw you just an hour ago. I felt at ease." she turned her gaze at me with a smile and again fixed her gaze on her lap.

"I just yearn for faith and truth in this alliance. And I will invest my heart to cherish this relationship." she completed, and by this time she hands stopped fidgeting.

"What are your thoughts?" she inquired.

"Well I don't want anything. I will bring a daughter, a sister who is the reason of liveliness for someone's life. And I want to preserve her for the rest of my life." she slowly looked at me with a little surprised expression.

As if this was unexpected for her to hesr this.

"And I know it will take time for her to adjust with the new surrounding after marriage. Leaving her loved ones aside and starting a new family with totally unknown people." her entire focus was on me, her eyes never leaving mine.

"But I would not leave her side. Love will slowly bloom in our relationship and I will wait till eternity to make you comfortable enough to start amd share every small chit-chats of your life with me, and so will I." as I completed, I saw her eyes brimming with tears and I frowned.

"What happend? Did I hurt you with what I said?" I rushed towards her and kneeled down as I asked getting concerned.

She shook her head with a smile giving me slight relief.

"It is my first time to hear thoughts of a man with this much honesty after my Papa. That came out so temderly, straight from the heart." and affirmed and I was here again mesmerizing by the way even small gestures mean this much valuable to her.

I smiled at her and wiped the lone drop of tear thst escsped her eye before settling on my original place.

We talked about our future goals, and she asked me if she can work after marriage and I assured her thst it's her wish to do, and we will support her every decision without even asking the reason making her content.

She was hesitating to say something but before that I affirmed,

"I neither had any other girl in my life not do I have now. Except you."

She looked a little surprised at my response, as if I read her thoughts and understood her worry.

"I also don't have any traces of man in my life other than my Family. Including yours." my heart did a summer sault not because of the fact that she don't have any guy in her life. But the fact that she included me and my family in the diameter of her closed ones.

"I had my entire life in university on learning and earning for my family, to secure us and my beautiful would-be-wife, so didn't had any time for these stuff." I scratched the back of my neck whike I conveyed about the reason and could sense my cheek heating up while my ears turning red and we both laughed at it.

After a small talk, we noticed it was already half an hour and decided to walk down to our families.

I stood up and moved towards the door to exit the room and stopped holding the door knob when I heard her voice.

"What is your answer to this alliance, or precisely, our marriage?" she inquired stressing on the last words, nervousness was audible in her voice while she stood up, her gaze low.

"What's your answer?" I questioned back, while I stood still facing my back to her.

"Firstly I asked." her voice gettimg meek each passing second, to which I turned to face her and saw her hands clutching her saree in her fists tightly.

I sucked a long breath before answering.

"Hum aapse shadi karne ke liye taiyaar hain." I announced with a calm face and was shocked by the way my dusky voice came of as if I was cooing her.

[I am ready to marry you.]

A beautiful and admirable smile crept her face.

"But what if I say no?" she questioned dropping her smile, I can sense how much confidence she collected from every nook-and-corner of her heart to ask thid question.

She clutched her eyes shut as she asked this obvious yet a question which was heart wrenching for both of us.

I felt a pang in my heart as soon as I heard her.

"Well then....." I started while leaning at the door and folding my arms around my chest and continued.

"I will make sure to give you every thousand reason to fall for me, so that you believe that this human is only made for this gorgeous goddess standing over here....." her head snapped towards me.

"That means.... Prof. Garvit Singhania is only made for Prof. Sunidha Kashyap." I completed to which her eyes shone in delight after hearing me out.

A hue of pink shade covered her bubby-cheeks and she exhaled a contentful sight.

The jhumkas hanging in her ears started dancing with the soft breeze and the wind chime hung in the balcony jingled a soft muse as if encouraging her.

"And that's the reason, it's a yes from me." she replied locking her russet eyes to my ocean blue orbs.

"Humein bhi iss shadi se koi aitraz nahin hai." And here my heart who was throbbing because of fear soon began to do summer sault out of happiness.

[I too have no objection to this marriage.]

I exhaled a deep breath as if it was caught from eternity and felt like I've had won the biggest achievement that no one can ever have.

My heart was felt swollen out of happiness and the thought that I will spent my entire life with her, soothed my heart's swolleness.

My eyes too shone in happiness as I saw her smiling.

This time it was her genuine smile, which made mynheart dance out of overjoyment.

After a brief eye-contact she continued,

"And I would also love to write my name with yours." she said merrily, making me my scratch my neck of of shyness as I felt my ears grew hot and red.

Bholenath only she have the the potential to make me blush like a mad-love-sick guy.

She chuckled but hid it quickly after seeing me blushing hard.

She moved towards me and asked,

"Abh niche chalein? Sabko ye khush-khabri bhi toh deni hai na." and I nodded with a smile.

[Should we go down? We have to give this good news to everyone, right?]

God! If someone saw me smiling like this, that too for this long time. They would faint at the vary moment.

"Ji bilkul" I nodded while forwarding my right hand towards her, gesturing to hold her hand.

[Yes, absolutely.]

She smiled back and intertwined her velvety soft small palms with my bigger ones.

I chuckled in my mind as I held her cute little palm.

She eased her stiff shoulders, feeling a sense of security when I held her hand.

As we descended the stairs, Neil saw us and our entwinned hands who squealed out of joy.

"Yayyyyyy!! Bhai bhabi shadi ke liye maan gye!!!" he exclaimed loudly, without even having is to say, grabbing everyone's attention as they stood up from their places.

[Yayyyyy!! Brother and sister-in-law agreed to the marriage!!!]

We both reached the main hall, where all were present.

Their expression were holding the curiosity that eased when they saw our hands intertwined and small smile was dancing in all of them's faces.

I looked at her Age squeezed her palm, seeking for permission and she smiled at me blinking her eyes to show her agreement.

"We are ready for this marriage."

I announced looking at my baby bear, then to everyone and lowered her gaze due to  shyness.

Everyone's face liye up with a huge smile as they looked at each other.

Kaka sa came and craddled her face in his palms as he inquired with concern,

"Beta are you sure you are taking this decision after thinking properly?" to which she nodded smiling in agreement.

"Ji papa. Hum jante hain inhen, bharosa hai humein inpar aur aapka inke upar vishwas par, ki humesha khush rakhenge humein yen." she blinked her eyes assuring him and liked at me.

["Yes Papa. I know him, I have faith in him and your faith in him too, that he will always keep me happy.]

I was now in cloud nine of the fact that she has faith in ke enough to start a new life with.

It even made me realise that from now on she is my first priority, my responsiblity and every reason to do better in my life to make her happy and healthy.

"Arey mithaiyan lao, aaj meri beti ki shadi pakki ho gyi" He hugged both of us and squealed.

[Hey, bring sweets, today my daughter's marriage has been fixed.]

Now Baba came to bless us with his widest grin and kept her palm on her cheek.

"Beta, bahot bahot shukriya humare ghar ki lakshmi ban ne ke liye. Hum aapse vada karte hain, aapko aapke Papa se bhi zyada komalta se sahej kar rakhenge. Bas aap jaldi humare ghar aa jaiye." Baba's eyes were moist by the time he completed and blessed us keeping his hands above our heads.

[Daughter, thank you very much for becoming the Lakshmi of our house. We promise you that we will take care of you more tenderly than your father. So come to our house quickly.]

As I looked at her, I saw her eye lashes dampen due to tears, she smiled at him in return and bent down to touch his feet, but he abruptly denied saying,

"Hum humare ghar ki hone wali lakshmi ko apne pair kese chune den. Aap toh humare gale lagiye." he said and hugged her while patting her head on order to soothe her from the warmness of their hug.

[How can we make the future Lakshmi of our house touch my feet? You hug me.]

"Abse aap humari beti hain. Aapka hum par, Garvit, Neil aur humre ghar par utna hi hakk hai jitna Garvit ki Maa-sa ko hum sab pe tha." are nodded looking downwards and sniffled which caught us off guard.

["From now on you are my daughter. You have as much right on us, Garvit, Neil and our house as Garvit's mother had on all of us.]

I squeezed her hand and she looked up at me with her tearful gaze, wrenching my poor heart.

I blinked my eyes to coo her and she nodded giving her sweetest smile.

We took blessings from god in their pooja room, then headed towards the dining table to have our lunch.

As we were approaching, I softly mumbled in her ears,

"Inn aasuyon ko apni vidai ke liye bacha kar rakhiye, Sunidha ji."

I whispered and she chuckled at my words looking down in shyness.

[Save these tears for your farewell, Sunidha ji.]

The whole table was filled with various types of dishes.

Among which my favorite was the sweet dish, Lapsee.

I was shocked to see this sweet in their home, as it is a marwadi sweet and only few knows about it.

All the males sat in the table along with Zivuu in Abhi bhai's lap.

Kuhoo bhabi served Baba, Kaka sa and Abhi bhai while Sunidha ji served me and Neil.

As she was filling my plate, I lowered my gaze with utter shyness as she was beside me, serving me in front of the whole family and I can sense their teasing smiles.

As we were done, bhabhi and Sunidha too has their lunch while me and Abhi bhai served them.

As they were done, our family decided to do our tilak.

She say beside me while draping her head with her saree's pallu and I covered my head with a hanker chief.



First Baba and Kaka sa came to put tilak in our foreheads.

As they were performing the rituals I whispered in her ear,

"Aaj aap bahot zyada khubsoorat lag rahin hain." I genuinely complemented her vs she frowned looking at me.

[You are looking extremely beautiful today.]

"Magar aaj toh humne na koi makeup kia aur naa hi koi jwellery peheni." she made a pout making me chuckle.

[But today I neither did any make-up nor wore any jewellery.]

"Aapki saadagi hi aapka shringaar hai, aur ye saadagi aapki khubsoorati ko aur bhi nikhar deti hai." I replied tucking the few hair strands that came across her alluring face.

[Your simplicity is your makeup, and this simplicity enhances your beauty even more.]

She adverted her gaze from mine Age I saw her ears turning red which made me feel proud of myself.

Baba gave her dry fruits, jwellery boxes, saree and few things of shringaar as shagun, acha she hesitantly accepted them in her saree's hem (jholi).

While Kaka gave me gifts along with few more things which I had to accept as a token of ritual.

Then Abhi bhai and bhabi came to bless and congratulate us followed by Zivuu and Neil.

He was the happiest among all of us, as today he got himself a motherly figure in his life.

But the happiness was soon replaced with someone's evil eye.

"Ye rishta nahi bandh sakta...." the sharp voice snapped the smiles from everyone's faces making my blood go cold and I clenched my teeth.

[This relationship cannot be established...]

★ ° . *　°　.　°☆ 　. * ★ ° :. ★ ○

Word count - 4384

Hehe! Did you liked the chapter?

I am giving updates even before your completing the target, so atleast comment something to encourage me.

Or I would think i have to stop publishing this book. *cries*

Well! Have a nice ans warm evening.

Be safe from this chilly weather.

Wear warm, eat warm and bie!!

Signing off

~Epa𐙚˙✧˖