Perfect Mismatch

Ch 74 - Preparing for the most bizarre wedding ever

"Baccha, aaj aayegi na tu jaldi?" Ma asked her, a little worn out early in the morning itself.

Planning a wedding was not an easy task. They had managed to keep things under wraps. The two families were stationed in an AirBnB resort in Matheran, Sidharth's friend's property. Sidharth had booked in through the website and then called the college friend personally to let him know just of the stay and not the wedding to ensure privacy and the best hospitality he could request for the 'extended family vacation' that he had told the friend he was on.

"Haan Ma, bas do ghante ka kaam hai. Sorry, main off nahi le sakti thi aaj" she apologised with a pout and Ma's face instantly had a smile instead of the worried frown.

"Arrey nahi baccha, I was asking aise hi na. Of course, abhi bataya nahi hai kisiko toh kaise chutti milegi. Aur koi nahi, poora ghar bhara hai, itne hatte katte naujawan hain idhar, tu toh dulhan hai bhai, tere kaam toh chote chote wale hain, baad me kar lenge" Ma teased her, eyeing Sidharth, Rajbir and Shehbaaz who were busy playing TT in the hall.

"Khoteya...o hello! Ma ki madad karlo kameeno. Ye koi khelne ka time hai kya?" Sana yelled, giving them a call, making Ma laugh.

"Tu ja na bey...tereko shoot pe jaana hai na...tu nikal" Sidharth responded, still focussed at the game while the other two shrugged, habitual of her orders. She was the chillest bride in the history of brides - with absolutely no tantrums at all. Her primary concern was for Ma to not feel overwhelmed given that the preparations were being done by absolutely limited number of people. There were just three families in the house: the Shuklas, the Gills and the Chimas. Other than the immediate family members, the only people who knew of the wedding festivities and had access to the venue were the property's staff offour young men, her makeup artist, Anoushka, Kaushal, Ken, Ritu  and Adith. And a lawyer, who was subject to his professional secrecy obligations and hence, was under an oath of confidentiality. Of course, the family priest who had been closely affiliated to the family since years.

The wedding was extraordinary in the most extraordinary sense of the word - an in-house wedding with every little thing from shopping to decoration to food - everything was being managed at home without any 'direct involvement' of any 'outsider'. The whole situation was bizarre but then Sidharth and Shehnaaz were a little bizarre themselves.

"Sidharth...please yaar...Sidharth" her voice grew hoarse and Sidharth, knowing that was very well, left the bat on the TT table, ignoring the groans of his saalas. Ma was next to her in a second as her eyes welled up with fat tears.

"Arrey, Sana kya hua beta!" Ma's face melted in minutes, seeing her favorite child upset.

"Darling itna kya stress le rahi hai...kya ho gaya baba"he walked closer and cupped her face.

"Ma ko itna saara akele dekhna pad raha hai Sidharth...abhi kyun khel rahe ho tum log. Abhi haath banta sakte ho na...main bhi shoot pe jaa rahi hun...meri wajah se ho raha hai ye sab. Normally shadi karte toh Ma pe nahi aata ye sab...hum log" she began the rant but Ma interrupted her with a pat on her head.

"Sana, baccha, tu itna stress mat le. Ma abhi itni budhi nahi hui hain beta...itne sab log hain. Itna kuch kaam bhi nahi hai....aur tereko pata hai, hamare time me 10 logon me shadiyan ho jati thi....ye destination wedding vagairah toh abhi ka hai sab...tu...arrey, mere bacche..." Ma ruffled her hair, her heart warming up for this gem of a daughter of her as Sidharth pulled her into a tight hug, patting her back.

"Baby, tu pagal hai? Isme itna rone ka kya hai? Aur tu Ma ko janti nahi hai? Kaam karwana hoga toh danda leke aayegi maarne, ki saale kaam kar abhi nahi toh teri shadi me plaster laga hua dikhega khud" he joked, winking at Ma, who rolled her eyes at his exaggeration.

"Stress mat le be...its all cool. Ye best shadi ever hoga pagal. Aise itna cool dulha dekha hai tune? Playing TT with his saale log? And looking hot too?" He joked, making her chuckle finally.

"Chill karogi abhi?" He said ,wiping her face and then ruffling her hair playfully.

"Chalo, abhi niklo tum. Aur shoot finish karke jaldi jaldi aa okay? Lunch sab saath me karenge" Ma gave her a warm smile and she nodded, a little more relieved.

"Kya cartoon hai ye ladki?" Sidharth said to his mother, taking her into his bulky arms next, placing his chin on top of her hair. He loved his mother's silver hair. Kissing her head, he closed his eyes happily with a sigh.

"Cartoon nahi hai...Mera sabse pyaara baccha hai woh. Bhagwaan ko milwana tha humko, meri beti banana tha usko. De di unhone meri beti..." Ma spoke fondly, watching her walk out of the main door with Kaushal, who had arrived to pick her up for the shoot.

"Zyada nahi ho raha hai aapka? Usko bula ke meri vidai ka plan toh nahi hai aapka?" He teased Ma, who laughed, pushing him away to get back to work.
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"Thoda left kar le usko...haan bas, perfect hai!" Shehnaaz could see Adith tend to the lights being put up around the house while the ladies were sitting on the mattress on the floor where Ma, Mummy, Mausie, Didi and Kiara were making a note of things in middle of a intense discussion. Her eyes went on to search for the face she wanted to see, and there he was: Sidharth was in his signature grey shorts, a yellow T-shirt on his phone with his head tilted to the left, holding the phone in place between his ears and shoulder and his hand furiously scratching his back.

"Sau baar bola earpods lagane ..."she murmured walking upto him but then noticed Jiju, Shehbaaz and Rajbir sitting on the sofa next to him, checking out something on a laptop.

"Kya kar rahe ho?" She spoke softly, joining the men, sitting next to Jiju.

"Dekh, khane ke order ke liye...delivery ke liye...tera preference hai kuch?" Jiju asked, casually placing his arm around her neck.

"Mereko bada pata hoga kahan se order karwana hai" she scoffed at his question.

"Beta...dhakkan, khane ka toh hai na...kuch special order karwana hai? Haldi afternoon ka lunch hai ye ..."Jiju informed her.

"Oh...nahi, aap log dekhlo. Ye bhaisab kidhar busy hain?" She asked, getting up, keeping her bags on the table.

"Uska pata nahi, koi toh call chal raha hai" Jiju told her, getting back to the laptop.

She walked closer to him, silently wrapping her arm around his exposed waist, which he was busy scratching.

"Kya kar raha hai...skin dry hai toh moisturise kar...kaise khulja raha hai..." she whispered, and he paid no heed. With a sigh, she walked back to her back and poured her hand cream on her palms, rubbing them together and walking back to the busy groom. The moment her cold, wet hands touched his skin, his attention was drawn to her and his hands, automatically circling her shoulders.

"Ruk jao baby..." she whispered, turning him in the opposite direction, facing his back and rubbing the lotion up and down his itchy dry back. His eyes closed in relief and he had a lopsided smile as he continued the conversation on the phone.

"Bohot acche kar rahi hai...scratch kar de thoda...left side, upar...haan" he whispered, taking her left hand in his and kissing it, wrapping it around himself absentmindedly. Their concentration was broken within seconds as the room roared with laughter and she stepped back embarrassed.

"Inka romance bhi out of the world hai" Shehbaaz laughed, making everyone laugh along while Shehnaaz was red with embarrassment and whined, throwing a cushion at Shehbaaz, while Sidharth ignored them, pulling her back closer, hanging up the phone and then announcing out to everyone in the family, probably the first time "aye...bas, meri gadhi ko mat chedo ab...".

She whined as Jiju and the men whistled at the two of them and hid her face his his chest, while Sidharth laughed out loud, kissing her head, holding her in an embrace.