Disclaimer: All the pictures used for illustrative purposes in this post have been procured from Public Internet Sources. I do not own any rights to any of them.
A journey to a Whole New World
Hare ek pal hai shabnami sama badal gaya
Tumhare saat milke yeh jahaan badal gaya
Hai zindagi mein har tarf yeh roshni hai tumse
Yeh roshni hai roshni tumse
~ Lyrics of a TBZ Jewellery ad
"What was that noise?" Anjali stirred in her bed and lay down absolutely still for a minute. Then she heard it again, a distinct knock on her balcony window. Her eyes flew open in an instant and her heart thudded anxiously. It was a little past one am. Switching on the bedside lamp, she grabbed the alarm clock on her bedside table and gingerly stepped closer to the balcony.
"Anjie, what are you doing? Scream! What if it is a thief?" Hollered the inner diffident Anjali, while her twin the bold and reckless one egged her on "Well, at least switch on the light and peer through the other window, before you scream If it is something as innocuous as a branch knocking against the window, you would look like a fool for screaming."
With one hand clutching the side of her nightie, Anjali peered through the window on the adjacent wall, and instantly snapped the balcony light on, flooding the tall figure of Rathod in a flood of light. A small yelp escaped her, as she quickly snapped the light off and bounded across to throw the French windows open and let him in.
"It's you! What are you doi", she got no further as Rathod stepped in and in the next instant pulled her against him to claim her lips.
"I have been missing you Sugar queen" he whispered against her dazed lips several minutes later.
"I missed you too. But sneaking in like this at this hour and tonight of all nights? You must be really out of your mind. What if someone had spotted you?" She scolded in a mock-angry voice, even as she nuzzled her head against his shoulder and tightened her arms around him.
"Big deal! We are getting married tomorrow anyway. So what difference does it make, if I am caught with you. We have not been alone even for a second for the past three to four weeks", Ajay complained as he picked her up and strode over to her bed, where they cuddled next to each other and recounted the past few weeks of their life, reliving the brief moments they had spent together and catching up each other on the ones they had spent apart.
Anjali recalled waking up the day after the eventful night when she had had her final showdown with Shyam. The family had all camped overnight in Rathod's house, anxious about how she would feel about the whole thing come morning, while she had slept like a baby. Probably the best sleep of her entire life in recent times. She had woken up to a golden sunrise, insanely happy, that finally she had broken free of all the shadows of her past and was free to love her Alladin without any reservations.
The family was pleasantly surprised, but had quickly accepted it as the way things were going to be with this newly emergent, self-assured Anjali. Then, towards mid-day they had discovered the divorce papers from Shyam. That was all that was needed, before her brothers had set things in motion legally to bring it to closure, while the elders sprang into action, consulting with their respective panditjis to set the date for the wedding.
Since that moment Anjali and Rathod had known no peace. They were hustled and bustled through activities in preparation for the D-Day.
Added to this was the fact that Nitin and Radhika's wedding date was just a few days prior to their's and Vrindavan's grand opening preceded a few days prior. Anjali, Radhika, Maya, Khushi and Payal were on a never ending shopping spree hopping between Jaipur and Delhi, with a quick dash to Kumarakom for Maya's sake.
Naaniji, maama, maami and Viren chacha were bustling around ensuring that everything turned out just perfect for the wedding, aided by Iyer uncle, Garimaji, Buaji and even Shashiji who was now on his way to recovery at least with the motor functions of his paralyzed arm. He had valiantly taken on the task of writing out the invitations, claiming it was just the exercise he needed, and that folks shouldn't worry since he was ably supported in this effort by an overjoyed Tashi and an eager Ayan. The men were left to their own devices and were all alternately ecstatic with their new found freedom and sullen at prolonged separation from their respective partners.
Rathod spent every available free minute with Tashi to ensure she was ok with the transition. But, to his delight, Tashi had no qualms or apprehensions about his wedding to Anjali or accepting her whole heartedly as her mom. She was in fact waiting for the moment when she could stop calling her Anjie aunty and call her mom.
Anjali had juggled her time between preparations for getting Vrindavan launched, helping Radhika with preparations for her big-day, soothing a now-frazzled-nervous-and-now-desperate-to-meet-Radhika Nitin and somehow managed to prepare for her own wedding. The launch of Vrindavan was set for early-October right after the family had had a private celebration of Arnav and Khushi's first Wedding Anniversary at their ancestral haveli. Nitin and Radhika had tied the knot in Vrindavan in a themed destination wedding " Jaipur".
The Raizadas, Gohils and Guptas had moved into the private section of Vrindavan much to the chagrin of Viren chacha, who ended up spending most of the day with them in Vrindavan rather than Malhar, protesting that the now empty haveli drove him to insanity.
Anjali and Rathod had decided that they would have a wedding with all the trappings and rasme, but restrict the invitees to the most intimate circle of family and friends. The past few days of mehendi, haldi and sangeet had provided them brief respite when after weeks of hectic activity and separation, they spent some time in each other's company, even if it was under the nose of the entire family. It also had increased Rathod's determination to be with Anjali for a few uninterrupted hours and had him risk discovery, as he had snuck past the private grounds of Vrindavan, scaled the wall, tapped on his sugar queen's window and had even risked having his head smashed by her with the antique alarm clock in her hand.
"Wake up Ajay. Before someone knocks on my door and finds you with me." Anjali hissed, gently patting Ajay's cheek.
They had talked for barely an hour last night before fatigue had claimed them. They had slept like babies wrapped in each other's arms. Ajay rushed out of the window after a final kiss to his bride-to-be and a promise to be at the palatial gates of Vrindavan with his baraat(Wedding retinue) on time.
Arnav had left no stone unturned in his arrangements for his precious Di's wedding. The private grounds and gardens of Vrindavan had been decorated with lights and flowers. The wedding itself was to occur in the evening and with their magnificent ancestral Haveli as the background, the entire area was breathtakingly grand and beautiful.
"Everything looks so lovely and Di is so happy! Hey Devimayya, you have indeed answered all of our prayers", sang Khushi as she squeezed her Arnavji's arm and quickly added in a much softer voice, turning him around and gazing in his eyes, "Are you ok?"
Arnav pulled her in a tight embrace and dropping a kiss on her head, he spoke in a voice choked up with emotion, "I am very happy for Di. At the same time Khushi, I feel sad that she will now be in Jaipur and not be a familiar sight in Shantivan on a daily basis."
Khushi's eyes filled with tears, that she quickly blinked away, and cradling Arnav's face in her palms, she dropped a kiss on his cheek, "Jaipur is just a hop-skip-and jump away. You have a private jet and helicopter at your disposal, so fly away at will. And Rathod House in Delhi is right next door to Shantivan. I know the perfect ruse to get Di to stay at Shantivan right after her honey moon. Simply convince her to take on a project to bridge the two houses and backyards with an aesthetic architectural addition. Simple! Di and Jijaji will end up living right under your nose." She chirped brightly and was rewarded with one of Arnav's full blown smiles.
"You are crazy woman you know. But you are my crazy woman" replied Arnav, hugging her tightly.
The wedding was a traditional and elegant affair. Ajay in his Jodpurs and Anjali in her vermillion red wedding outfit made a striking picture together. Tashi had the time of her life. She was glad that she had decided to follow in the footsteps of her role models -Anjali, Payal, Khushi and Maya and had traded her tomboy dressing and mannerisms for her gorgeously feminine lehenga and jewelry. She left no opportunity to swish her now long hair and sashay all over the house in her silken outfit, much to the amusement of Ayan.
Ayan who had moved to Delhi to study, thanks to the Ratna Mallick Scholarship, had also moved into the guest house of AR group; since he was now designing a new line of Jewellery in parallel with his studies for AR's next fashion reveal. He was extremely thrilled with his life. Not only was he doing what he loved the most, he was studying to be the business man he always dreamed to be, and rejoiced at his good fortune for having the country's youngest and most successful business tycoon, the great ASR himself as his coach and mentor. Life was finally smiling at him.
At the moment though, all these thoughts were far from his mind, as he expertly sneaked off with some meetha paan clutched in his hands, and set off to find Tashi. Tashi had been trying to get hold of one of these paans for over the past hour, but had been told off by one elder or the other. He had earlier teased Tashi endlessly and she had now gone off to sulk somewhere. He smiled to himself, his eyes scanning his surroundings, as he set out to find her, and charm the smile back on her pretty face with his peace offering of Meetha paan.
************
"Aahan! No way no how! Malhar has its share of traditions to be followed too. Rathod, you have to carry your blushing bride in your arms across the threshold. Put those muscles to good use," insisted Radhika with a wink for Anjali.
Nitin and Radhika had postponed their honeymoon until after Anjali and Rathod's wedding. Radhika had effectively assumed the role of Rathod's sister and having learnt about Anjali's penchant for parampara(traditions)' from Lavanya, had made up her mind to ensure she got every bit of it.
The family cheered, while NK sang, "Yeah man, Rathod. You see, di is all about parampara and pooja. If you don't co-operate, tumhe kutte-ke-ghar mein sona hoga, you know; as in sleep in the dog-house". The family burst out into peals of laughter, while Rathod scooped up his bride and carried her into his haveli with flair.
************
Several hours later, Ajay once again gathered up Anjali in his arms and crossed over into his bedroom, decorated with great care by Lavanya, Payal, Maya and Khushi for their suhaag raat. The family had returned back to Vrindavan; Viren chacha and Tashi included, leaving the Haveli to the newly-wed couple.
Anjali blushed crimson as her eyes took in the huge four-poster bed bedecked with flowers and the stash of sweetmeats on the nearby table.
Rathod came to stand beside her and clasping her hand, he said "Sugar queen there is something I have to tell you. We are about to embark on a lifetime of togetherness tonight, and I want it to be based on complete disclosure".
Anjali turned at the somber tone and looked into Ajay's solemn face, her face suitably sober while she awaited what would follow next anxiously. He continued, looking into her eyes as he led her to the farthest wall and unveiled the painting that had been covered during his exhibit. It was the same one that had set Shyam off that fateful night.
Anjali blushed to the roots of her hair as she looked at the painting properly for the first time. "She had never even imagined that she could look so seductive, simply standing in the rain, lost in her own longing for Rathod that night when she had pushed him away after their first kiss----wait a minute how did he? Had he seen her that night? How?" The color deepened in her face, as she turned questioning eyes to Ajay.
"This is exactly what I wanted to reveal to you" said Ajay in his mock serious voice, although his lips were twitching with a barely suppressed smile causing Anjali to frown in suspicion. He led her to the French windows, even as he dimmed the lights in his room, and drawing back the drapes, pointed straight across to the balcony that had been her's while she had stayed at Malhar. Anjali gasped and covered her mouth with her palm, as she realized that while she had been thinking she was unwinding and letting her guard down in a sanctuary of her own, she had in fact been revealing it all to Ajay. How could she not have looked straight across and spotted his balcony or him. She bit the inside of her lower lip and holding the lapels of his kurta, buried her hot face in his chest as laughter rumbled in his throat.
"I too have something to reveal to you", she said a few minutes later."
It was Ajay's turn to look suitably perplexed and shuffle his feet anxiously while waited with his eyes closed per her instruction, wondering what else his sugar queen had to reveal now; when she came back with something clutched behind her back.
"You may open your eyes now" she said. Ajay obeyed instantly and found himself staring at his autograph signed in a bold hand across the back of a pink Tee-shirt. He recognized it as one of his early signatures. Anjali smiled at his bemused expression, and wrapping her arms around his waist, she looked into his face as she spoke "This is your autograph to your biggest fan at the end of your Painting exhibit when you first returned back from abroad. "
"Gosh! That was ages ago, for a charity event organized by the Architecture college of Lucknow. I was probably twenty-three. Oh my God! Anjali" he exclaimed, overwhelmed and humbled at the thought, that she had it preserved it over so many years.
"Yeah! You see we met first seventeen years ago. And I have been your biggest fan since." Admitted Anjali simply.
Ajay swallowed hard at her simple admittance and scooping her up in his arms once again, he whispered against her lips, "and now I am yours for the rest of our life Sugar Queen" and he sealed her lips with a kiss of undying love and a promise of unwavering loyalty.
********************The beginning of a Magical life in a whole new world************************
A Whole New World from Disney's Alladin
~ Song Writers - Alan Irvin Menken; Timothy Miles Bindon Rice.
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