11

Chapter 8

It was morning in the city of Jaipur, and everyone was busy talking with each other. Vrinda and her cousins were taking permission from the elders to go shopping in the evening.

"Nahi Vrinda, tum nahi jaa sakti," Sharvari said to Vrinda, who was standing beside her.

"Mummy, please jane do na," Vrinda said, making a cute pout.

"Nahi, hum kabhi Jaipur nahi aaye. Toh tumhare liye yeh sab naya hai. Tum nahi jaogi," Sharvari said, looking at Vrinda.

"Par mummy, Shambhavi di hai aur Ayush bhaiya bhi toh aa rahe hai," Vrinda said to Sharvari.

"Masi, aane dijiye na. Mai aur Ayush bhi toh hai saath mai," Shambhavi said, listening to their conversation.

"Accha, thik hai jao," Sharvari said.

"Maa, mai Vrinda aur uske cousins ke saath bahar jaa raha hu ajj shaam ko," Anish informed his mother, Meghana, who nodded in response.

"Toh ajj shaam ko hum sab jaayenge," Vrinda said, getting excited.

It was evening, and everyone was waiting for Vrinda to come as they wanted to leave for shopping.

"Kaha reh gayi yeh ladki?" Shambhavi said.

"Aa jayegi," Ayush consoled her.

Vrinda came down the stairs wearing a black jumpsuit. "Woww," Anish whispered, amazed by her beauty.

Shambhavi, who heard him, just smiled and looked at Vrinda.

As Vrinda came closer, Anish was lost in her beauty, so Vrinda waved at him to get his attention.

"Chalo," Vrinda said.

"Jii," Anish replied.

They all left and soon were in the bustling streets of Jaipur, with stalls of clothes, bangles, and food everywhere.

Shambhavi, Ayush, and the others went shopping, lost in their own world. Vrinda stood admiring the beauty of the streets of Jaipur, which left her stunned.

"Chalo, hum bhi shopping karte hai," Anish said to her.

"Jii, chaliye… vaise aap kya lene wale hai?" Vrinda asked.

"Kya pata," Anish said.

They both left, and Vrinda went to a stall with bangles, while Anish and Ayush tried the street food of Jaipur.

"Ayush, yeh dekho kaisa hai?" Shambhavi asked Ayush, not realizing he wasn't beside her.

"Yeh kaha gaya ab?" Shambhavi said, looking around to find Anish and Ayush eating street food.

"Tum yaha shopping karne aaye ho yah khane?" she asked Ayush.

"Are, kya hua tumhe… yaha lene ke liye kuch hai nahi toh socha kuch khaa hi lo," Ayush explained.

"Toh mujhe shopping mei kon madad karega?" Shambhavi said, getting a little angry.

"Accha thik hai, gussa mat karo madam ji. Chalo, aata hu," Ayush said, keeping the plate on the stall and blinking towards Anish, who was laughing at Ayush's predicament.

Anish also left and stood beside Vrinda, who was confused about which bangles to buy. She held up one bangle in each hand and looked for Anish to ask for his opinion. Anish came near Vrinda, held her right hand, and said, "Yeh wale jyada acche hai."

Vrinda’s heartbeat quickened, and a shock wave crawled down her spine, making her body cold. "Bhaiya, yeh wale pack kar dena," she said to the shopkeeper once she regained her composure.

Anish smiled at her, and Vrinda smiled back in response.

Just then, a girl shouted Anish’s name, grabbing his attention. He turned to see who was calling him and found his childhood friend, Ananya, whom he hadn't seen in a long time. She approached him and hugged him casually, making Vrinda's eyes widen. Anish, noticing Vrinda's reaction, shifted his attention back to the bangles.

"Kaisi ho tum?" Anish asked Ananya.

"Kaisi dikh rahi hu?" Ananya questioned.

"Badhiya," Anish answered.

"Aur tum kaise ho?" Ananya asked.

Ananya saw Vrinda standing near the stall, looking jealous. "Vrinda, tum bhi ho?" Ananya said in surprise.

"Sorry, but aap kon hai? Mujhe yaad nahi aa raha," Vrinda said, leaving Ananya surprised.

"Kya, sach mai?" Ananya asked, surprised.

"Jii," Vrinda said, confused.

"Ruko, ruko, yaad aaya. Hum ek hi school mai the pehle, aur phir tumne school change kar diya, right?" Vrinda questioned Ananya.

"Accha hua yaad aa gaya aapko, madam. Hum sirf friends nahi, best friends the," Ananya said.

"Sorry, sorry. Ab yaad aaya," Vrinda said, biting her tongue.

"Kaisi ho tum?" Vrinda asked.

"Itna formal banne ki jaroorat nahi hai," Ananya said.

"Vaise, tum Jaipur mai rehti ho? Hume pata nahi tha," Vrinda said.

"Hamara contact hi nahi hua kitne saal ho gaye, toh kaise pata hota?" Ananya said.

"Haan, woh toh hai," Vrinda replied.

"Ab toh apna number de do. Kitni saari baatein karni hai tumse," Ananya said.

"Haan," Vrinda said, giving her number to Ananya.

"Vaise, tum Anish ko kaise janti ho?" Vrinda inquired.

"Woh hum ek hi coaching class mei the. Hum sirf friends hai, par itne close the ki sab hume couple samajhte the," Ananya said, laughing and looking at Anish, who also laughed at her joke.

"Accha," Vrinda replied.

"Vaise, tum dono kaise jaante ho ek dusre ko?" Ananya asked.

"Woh hum ek hi class mai hai," Vrinda replied.

"Accha, tum dono ko dekh ke aisa lagta hai kuch toh chal raha hai. Tumne toh bangles bhi Anish ki pasand ke liye li hai," Ananya said.

"Tumne dekha?" Anish and Vrinda said in unison.

Ananya just laughed at them.

"Nahi… tumhe lagta hai…." Vrinda was about to speak, but Anish started speaking.

"Haan, tum sahi ho… Mai Vrinda se prem karta hu," Anish said, holding Vrinda’s hand.

"Mujhe laga hi tha, par kehna padega, dono saath mai cute lagte ho," Ananya replied.

"Thank you," they both said.

"Chalo, mai chalti hu," Ananya said and left.

Vrinda also left and stood near a shop. Everyone’s shopping was done, and Ayush and Shambhavi said, "Let’s go home, it's getting late."

"Chalo, sabki shopping ho gayi hai, toh ghar chalte hai," Shambhavi said.

"Jii," Vrinda said.

Everyone returned home. As Vrinda was leaving, Anish held her hand. When she turned back to Anish, he pulled her closer, making eye contact, and slowly put a bracelet on her wrist that he had secretly bought.

This left Vrinda in shock. "Aap ne yeh kab kharida? Kitna sundar hai," Vrinda said, admiring the gift.

"Woh tum shopping mei busy thi, tab mujhe pasand aaya, toh maine kharid liya," Anish said, happy to see Vrinda’s excitement.

"Tumhe pasand toh aaya na, Senorita?" he asked Vrinda.

"Haan, bahot," Vrinda said, her eyes on the bracelet. "Iss par kitna sundar morpankh hai… RadhaKrishna ki nishani," Vrinda said, making direct eye contact with Anish.

"Thank you!" she said to Anish with a spark in her eyes.

"Ise hamesha apne paas rakhna," Anish said, keeping his hands on her cheeks.

"Jii," Vrinda said, holding his hands on her cheeks.

"Chalo, abb jate hai. Nahi toh koi dekh lega," Anish said, making Vrinda conscious.

"Jii," Vrinda said.

They both left and went to their respective rooms to sleep.

The next day was the wedding day, and everyone was busy with the arrangements. Vrinda walked down the stairs looking gorgeous in a beautiful purple lehenga. The sound of her anklet caught Anish’s attention, and her beauty left him mesmerized. As she made her way towards him, he was completely lost in her until she came and pinched his hand.

"Aaa," Anish said.

"Hosh mai aa jaiye. Kaha kho gaye?" Vrinda asked.

"Aap mai. Kitni sundar lag rahi ho," Anish answered.

"Sach mai? Yeh accha toh lag raha hai na?" Vrinda asked.

"Nahi," Anish said.

"Hame laga hi tha… Toh dusra kuch pehnu kar aati hu," Vrinda said.

"Are… bahot accha lag raha hai. Aise kehna tha," Anish

 said, holding Vrinda's hand as she was about to leave.

"Sach keh rahe ho na aap?" Vrinda asked again.

"Haan, meri Radha, sach keh raha hu. Tumhari kasam," Anish said, making Vrinda blush.

"Accha, chalo tumhare photos click karta hu, agar aapki ijaazat ho toh. Itni sundar lag rahi ho, ek photo toh banta hai," Anish said, taking out his phone.

"Jii, bas ek baar dekh lu koi kaam toh nahi reh gaya, uske baad chalte hai," Vrinda said.

"Nahi, abhi chalo. Phir koi kaam bacha hoga toh tum busy ho jaogi. Aur kuch nahi hoga, toh koi aur kar lega," Anish said.

"Par…" Vrinda hesitated.

"Par… Kuch nahi. Chalo," Anish said.

"Accha, chaliye," Vrinda said.

"Vaise, aab bhi bahot handsome lag rahe ho," Vrinda said to Anish.

"Thank you," Anish said, blushing.

Anish clicked many photos of Vrinda. "Aap itne acche photos kaise click kar lete ho?" Vrinda asked.

"Woh, aapke photos click kar raha hu na, toh apne aap acche photos aa rahe hai. Aap hai hi itni sundar, kya karein," Anish answered.

"Kuch bhi," Vrinda said, blushing.

"Chaliye, ek selfie lete hai," Vrinda said.

Anish took a selfie of both of them together.

It was time for the wedding rituals, so Shambhavi called Anish and Vrinda for the ceremonies.

"Chaliye, chalte hai," Vrinda said.

"Haan," Anish said.

As Vrinda was leaving, her dupatta got caught in the branch of a nearby tree. "Chodiye na, kya kar rahe ho? Koi dekh lega," Vrinda said, thinking Anish was holding her dupatta.

Anish stayed quiet.

"Chodiye na, aap aisa kyu kar rahe ho," Vrinda said. When she turned to Anish, she realized her dupatta was stuck in the branch of the tree.

Anish removed the dupatta and looked at Vrinda mischievously. "Sorry," Vrinda said with a smile, feeling embarrassed, and left.

"Are, koi baat nahi. Mai bhi toh aa raha hu. Ruko," Anish said, following Vrinda.

They both went where the wedding ceremony was taking place. The wedding ended with happiness, and the bride and groom left after the ceremony. All the family members were now ready to leave.

Vrinda and her family were about to leave for their home. After taking everyone's greetings and touching the feet of the elders, and meeting her cousins, Vrinda sat in the car with her family, and they left for home.

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