THE STORY OF LIFE | A 21ST CENTURY RAMAYANA

ALL TOGETHER ON THE FIRST NIGHT

"I am so tired. But I'm happy." Urmila said as she looked into the mirror in the huge flower decorated room for her and Lakshman. It was their first night together. Not just for them, but for all the couples. Lakshman sat on the huge circular bed arranged for them in the cool farmhouse and checked the white kurta he had just changed into. He took off his golden watch and threw it onto the table next to the bed. Urmila took off the golden jhumkas and walking up placed it next to his watch. She stood in front of the huge mirror in front of the bed and said,"I feel weird. I never shared my room with anyone else except my parents and sisters. And that too very rarely." Lakshman walked up from behind and looking straight into her reflection in the mirror hugged her from the back, clasping her waist. "As if I have," he said,"You can be so silly sometimes." She turned around swiftly in his arms and looked straight into his subtle eyes."Again! You won't stop pulling my leg won't you?!" He left her and folding his hands replied, "When did I? Urmi, please man.." And so continued their light night tussle . Shatrughan removed his hands from Shruti's eyes and kept them up in the air. Shruti opened her kohled eyes and the spark hit her. Her eyeballs popped and almost let out a shreak. Shatrughan, as if in ready position, covered her mouth. He whispered in her ears,"Don't yell! Everyone will wake up." Shruti picked up the diamond necklace placed up on the table and looked at it. "Its beautiful." She smiled and turned to look at him. "Clasp it." He smiled at her and taking it from her hand tied it, trying not to scratch her back. They both looked into the mirror and he whispered in Shrutis ear,"You look better than this."

Bharat's hand shook as he removed the silk robe from the canvas in his and Maanvis room. He pulled it off with all courage. Maanvi covered her mouth and gasped. "I look exactly like me and you look exactly like you!" She reffered to the wonderful painting that Bharta had made, specially for her. "I started working on it since the day I met you." Maanvi looked at him and hugged him. He was taken aback, but wrapped his arms around her tightly. He now a close confidant, someone he needed desperately in his life.

The scented candle in Siyas room moved swiftly. She noticed it and ran to prevent it from running out. Her hand almost covered it, but a hand came over hers faster. She looked up at him and smiled. Ram looked at her hand and asked her,"Are you okay?" She held his hand and moving back replied, "As long as you are next to me." Ram smiled and pulled her into his arms. "I am forever here." They stood like that for a few moments. Suddenly, a knock on their door got them out of their trance. She told him to wait and opened the door, only to be pushed inside by her young devars and sisters. Shatrughan, the last one to enter closed the door behind him. Bharat looked up at a confused Ram and asked,"Did we disturb you?" "You think Bhaiyya will say?" Lakshman whispered from the back. Ram looked at him and then Siya. She turned her gaze away, trying to hide her smile. They all had a laugh. Ram sighed and asked,"What happened that all of you have come here?" The couples stretched, as if tired and settled down in different parts of the room. Urmila said,"We have decided to play a game." "Game! Now?!" Said Siya. "Yes, just to spend time," said Bharat. Ram looked at Siya, who came and sat next to him. "Fine, begin."

We'll play Truth And Dare," said Lakshman loudly when everyone else was making their descions. "Truth and Dare?" Asked Urmila. "That's so boring," she added, becuad obviously, here she could not ask the questions she would otherwise ask to her sisters when they played amongst themselves. "Don't worry, I'll make it fun," added Lakshman. Ram looked at Siya and sighed. Siya placed her hand on his shoulder and signalled him,"Don't worry, we'll manage through it." Rubbing his hands, Lakshman took out his phone from his pocket. The truth and dare app game was already in it, as if he had planned everything from before. He kept the phone in between and entered everyone's names, as per the rules of the game. He pressed start, and with a beep the app started shuffling the names. After 2 seconds or so, Bharats name popped up. Everyone looked at Bharat with the eye. He was fun inside, but publicly to reveal or do anything? Na, not for him. Bharat looked at Maanvi and frowned. Maanvi placed her hand on his and whispered into his ears,"Come on, don't be scared. I'm with you." Bharat suddenly felt the confidence in him woken up and looking at Lakshman and asked, "What do I have to do?" Lakshman looked at the phone and said,"Truth had popped up next to your name. So, who will ask him the question?" Urmila tugged at Lakshman's kurta. He lend his ear to her and she whispered,"Tell Shatrughan to ask Bharat Bhaiyya. I see a wicked smile on his face." Lakshman looked at Shatrughan and smiled. The latter looked at Bharat with naughty eyes and cracked his knuckles, the symbols of thought. And just then, Ram spoke up,"Shatrughan, you ask. I feel you have a good question." No wonder he is perfect in everything, thought Lakshman. He read their thoughts, literally! Shatrughan cleared his voice and asked Bharat,"Bhaiyya, tell me, when was the first time your heart raced seeing someone? " Everyone high fived each other in front of the red cheecked Bharat. He was fixed in both cases; Maanvi was the first one who sped up his heartbeat... But if he said that, she would feel shy..and if he lied..she would feel hurt. Uff!! Double trouble. He looked up at Maanvi with apologetic eyes and replied to the fellow mates,"Maanvi is the first one. " "OHO!" Came the traditional leg pulling shreik from Shatrughan, Lakshman and their better halves. Ram and Siya laughed as they looked on. Maanvi couldn't control her blush and hid her face in a pillow nearby. Bharat held onto her tightly. Urmila stopped laughing and proclaimed, "OK then. Now let's continue. I'm shuffling again. Let's see who comes this time. Whoever's name will appear will.." She stopped as she saw the name that appeared on Lakshman's phone. In big white letters was written URMILA. She gulped. Even Ram and Siya couldn't control their laughter now. Wrong timed coincidence! She looked at Lakshman and almost yelled,"Its cheating! You preplanned this!" Willing to take revenge, Bharat too added the same. Lakshman raised his hand and requested them to stop. Siya looked at Urmila and told her,"Come on, don't be so childish. Please do whatever is given to you. Its just a game." She sighed. And now she had to answer her question of Truth. Without any hesitation, Lakshman asked her,"So, what did you see in me the first time you met me?" Urmila blushed and gave him a look. But Lakshman's face remained straight. She smiled lightly and said, looking down, "I thought you to be angry, hot headed and a little too smart, but I also stopped on seeing you. You looked mixed to me, like , I don't know, someone who could calm me down and stop my time. Umm.." "Aww, so cute!" Said Shruti. Urmila was brought back from her dreams and she said,"OK, now my chance is over. Next?" Lakshman looking at her pressed the shuffle again. And on seeing the name appear, everyone laughed. "Bhaiyya, you're gone," said Bharat to Ram. Ram checked the screen again. It said - Ram, Dare. Dare?! To him? He looked at Siya, who too smiled at the situation. Shatrughan looked at him and said,"We all had already prepared something from before because we had a feeling you would get a dare today. Shall I say it?" Everyone except Ram and Siya exclaimed,"Yes!" Ram looked at them, and Shatrughan dropped the bomb. "You have to tell Siya Di how much you love her, holding her hand, in front of us." It was something Ram could do, of course, but not like this! However, being a man of his principles, he took up Siyas hand and said, calmly," Siya, for me you are like my life, my thought, my heart, and my support. You know I don't talk much. I express my words. And I will always express my love to you." He put her hand down and looked at the others. Siya blushed. Happiness filled her heart. She was with all her loved ones, and her love. She too looked up at the others and was stunned. They all looked at them with open mouths and Shruti wiped a tear that apparently escaped. As Ram snapped his fingers, they came rushing towards them and hugged each other. The brothers on Ram, and the sisters on Siya. As they left each other, Urmila said,"You guys are so cute!!! My, we couldn't control ourselves anymore." Now they all sat closer . After a few moments of silence, Bharat said,"We are so happy for each other. I love this." "indeed," all of them replied. "None of them are into their rooms. Even the doors are open. Where did they go?" Janak and Sunaina panicked around. The day after marriage all the couples went missing. What was wrong? Its not that they were irresponsible, but for the elders they were still children who hadn't GROWN up, as it is always felt by parents. "Have you checked in the lawn?" Asked Janak. "Come on, what will they do in the lawn?" Replied Sunaina in a questioning tone. "They could be," replied Janak. They rushed towards the lawn. And as Janak had predicted, they were there. Sunaina breathed a sigh of relief. "Good, they are here. No one even saw them!" Said Sunaina. "But where are Siya and Ram?" Janak said looking around. Shruti slept next to Shatrughan on a bench there. Maanvi and Bharat were asleep on a table next to the fountain. And Lakshman and Urmila in the swing hung on a tree in the lawn, slept peacefully in each others arms. Just then Siya and Ram walked in from behind and saw the elders looking at their siblings. Ram looked at Siya and smiled. Siya walked up Sunaina and wished her a good morning. Sunaina looked at her and Ram and asked her,"Siya, why are you all here?" Ram walked up to them in his fresh white kurta and said,"Actually we were together last night in our room. And then suddenly Urmila got the idea of coming out in the open and talking, saying she felt suffocated inside. So we all came here, were awake for a bit. And then everyone fell asleep, as you can see. Siya woke me up and after refreshing we were just walking around." Janak and Sunaina laughed. Janak said,"See this. It is their reception today and they are sleeping now. I guess its 7 am already. And the reception is at 6 in the evening. " "Don't worry, I'll get them ready," said Siya. Sunaina told them to come in for breakfast and left with Janak. Ram looked at them and said,"How nice they look isn't it?" Siya smiled and held Rams hand. "Yes", she said. " Shatrughan and Shruti are still pampered, Bharat and Maanvi are made for each other, and Uff! What to say about Lakshman and Urmila?! They are the energy of our lives. And even though they fight a lot, I know they live each other the most," said Siya. "More than me?" Asked Ram in a sarcastic tone. Siya laughed.