Rab Rakha

Chapter 66

Everyone was on their train journey to Delhi, for what it felt like to have an entire family on a train, two of the AC coaches were just Shukla's relatives. His mother's siblings and a few of father's extended family. As the days passed, Sidharth and Shehnaaz got busy with the wedding preparations. The Ishani issue was long forgotten while they had to get their wedding attire ready, work around other bookings.

Some liked Shehnaaz for the wonderful girl she was, while some had issues with her family background.

"Te logan kade aamchya sarkha family nahiye, tula watta ki tichya kade kahi property milnaar ka?" One of Sidharth's aunts was talking to another one. His Mami talking to his bua. They were talking about how the bride's family wasn't as large as theirs so if Shehnaaz had any property in her name. They deliberately spoke marathi to avoid any of Shehnaaz's family getting a glimpse of it.

"Mahit nahi vahini, tula kalaych ka Rita kiti liberal aahe. Tine kashich vicharla nahi. Tula kalay ka, Preeti la court madhe marriage kela hota, tu bhoolali ka?" The other aunt replied. Bua said that she doesn't know anything about that matter, knowing how liberal Rita Ma was they knew if she wouldn't have asked for anything at all. They still recalled how the Shukla family got Preeti married in court because that girl wanted it.

"Mala mahit aahe. Te aamchya sathi khup modern aahet. Kasa kalay, Montu hi apla dahej denar asel ka?" Mami rolled her eyes as she sarcastically began. She said that she knew Sidharth's family was a little too modern for them. Who knew he might be the one giving dowry in this case. The two ladies laughed at their own joke, high fiving each other. They sobered up, watching Shehnaaz approaching them.

"Kaku chai? Tumhala kahi biscuit hava ka?" Shehnaaz asked them, they were surprised.

"Marathi mahiti ahe?" Mami asked her.

"Ho!" Shehnaaz grinned, serving them tea and settling down next to them. In the past few days, she didn't hesitate before approaching them but today she felt like taking the chance.

"Matlab bohot zyada marathi nahi aati kaku. Kasa Kaye? Bas aisi types." She chuckled, letting them know.

"Achi boli lekin tumne." Bua complimented her.

"Aap log Nagpur me rehte ho na, Aunty batati thi aapke bare me kabhi kabhi." Shehnaaz initiated a conversation. Even though it didn't last very long, they talked around and about their daily lives. Mami was a housewife while Bua was a retired school teacher. Both had two children, all married and well settled all while they finally reached Delhi.

Sidharth and Shehnaaz stood at the threshold of a new chapter in their lives, yet the days leading up to their wedding were a whirlwind of emotions and activities that left little room for introspection. Having traveled from Mumbai to Delhi, they were now nestled in Anju's bustling household, surrounded by the familiar yet chaotic hum of wedding preparations. The last time he was here, it was Sheena's wedding and a year ago he didn't realize he'd be getting married to the girl who lived in the same house. If anybody would have told him, he'd have laughed it off. But now, watching the love of his life giggling around with their family and friends, his heart swooned and wished they'd have married each other earlier.

He also felt a knot in his stomach, a mix of excitement and anxiety that had become his constant companion. As he watched his relatives bustle around the nearby lodge, coordinating the last-minute details of the wedding, he couldn't help but feel overwhelmed. Thoughts raced through his mind. Was this the right time? Were all these arrangements enough? Was he ready to be a husband? He felt a weight on his shoulders, it wasn't just his wedding, it was a culmination of expectations from both families. The pressure to make everything perfectly loomed large. What if things didn't go as planned by Shehnaaz?