his harsh words spoken on that day are the tonic for her to get back to her usual life. She slowly breaks free from him. Tears forms in her eyes and she turns away and rushes into the mehendi hall wiping her tears quickly before anyone notices it.

Maan is really going restless with the way she is deliberately avoiding him.

Maan:

He calls out her name and follows her blindly and walks into the Mehendi hall.. Just then Simran blocks him. While Geet gets surrounded by Nandini, Rajji and Other distinct cousins and friends.

Simran: (Here only girls and ladies are allowed)

Maan: (I ...need to talk something)

Geet rolls her eyes in fear...to her, his talking means expression of his anger or hateredness

Geet looks up cutely...

One more lady comes forward and teases him.. (Just little bit of waiting. She will come back to you after applying mehendi design and then you can talk to her as much as you want)

All ladies around give a teasing laugh putting both of them into embarrassment

Maan gives one look to Geet and slowly moves out...and she tries to look back at him from corner of her eyes as she feels shy to give him a direct look in front of these ladies. Now she is damn sure that his level of anger is increasing every second passing by. She comes out of her lost world when Nandni dashes her shoulder on Geet's.

Nandini: ( What magic have you done on Jiju...He is not leaving you at all)

Another cousin: (We all were waiting for you ...so that first design can be applied on your hands)

Geet sits down and the mehendi designer starts designing ..

Designer:(What kind of design you want?)

Geet: (Any small design will do)

Nandini: (You used to love big designs na?)

Before Geet could answer, another friend gives a teasing answer.

A Neighboring friend: .(Try to understand dear...Small design will take less time to complete. And then she can join her husband...I am sure he must be waiting for her somewhere out)All cousins and friends give a teasing laugh and Geet is getting pink and red in embarrassment even though she knows what's the truth.

Nandini: (Di..There's a saying and I have started believing in it)

Geet is looking at her questioningly

Nandini: (There's a saying that the deeper the colour of henna..the deeper will be the love of your life partner for you...and I still remember the colour of henna in your hands..It was so very deep..and see...Jiju loves you soo much)

Geet remembers the mehendi ceremony during her wedding. Seeing the colour of mehendi that was observed by her hand, The ladies around were teasing her that her would be husband will love her madly. She smiles sadly...

Simran: (So true Geet...he is madly in love with you)

One more cousin is even more curious.. (On wedding night..Jiju would have lost in the colour of your mehendi right?)

Another cousin: (Could he search his name in between the design?)

Neighboring friend: (Or...did he forget his own name seeing his beautiful bride and her beautiful mehendi design)

( for those readers who dont know much about Indian wedding: Its a general wedding custom where the bride's henna design will have hidden name of her husband. And during the wedding night, her husband has to search for his name inbetween the henna design :))

While once again all girls lost in their laughs, Geet is again lost in her world which is way far from her cousin and friend's imaginations. Like every girl in her community, she too had dreams about her wedding night...how her husband will take her hand in his and try to trace his name in between the henna design with lot of admiration.. she had simple dreams which will never ever come true..That sudden wedding and the circumstances are to be blamed. All she got to remember about her wedding night is... and she is living upto it even till the very minute.

Just then one other cousin rushes in... "Nandini Di.. Lucky Veerji aur Preetho Bhabhi aayi hain" (Lucky bro and Preetho bhabhi are here)

Lucky is Nandini's Maternal cousin (Manjeet's nephew) and Preetho is his wife. They are newly married couple. Also, Nandini and Preetho were class mates and good friends. And that way, Preetho is also well known to Geet as she used to visit Handa Haveli regularly. Geet-Nandini-Preetho and few other friends used to do combined studies and play together during school days.

Nandini: (Hey...get Preetho bhabhi here)

Geet thinks... wondering from when she became bhabhi to Nandini.

Geet:

Nandini:

Geet gives a questioning look to Nandini...Lucky would regularly visit to meet his Aunt (Manjeet) During those days when all these girls would do combine studies and also spend some quality time together especially during evenings. There was talks among the girls that Lucky and Preetho are looking at each other and hence Geet doubts if its Arranged Marriage.

Geet:

Nandini looks here and there and then answers her.

Nandini: (Yes...Co- Incendently, it was a wedding arranged by elders)

Preetho walks in and gives hug to Nandini and then Geet.

Preetho:.

Geet:

Preetho: (I am doing great..you tell me...I have heard you are still continuing with your studies even after marriage)

Geet: (I am going to give my final year exams..how about you? You didnt continue with your studies?)

Preetho: (Where di? I completed my 11th standard and that's it..Anyways, I was least interested in studies)

Geet: (Yeah..I know ..I know ...what all interests that you pocess...by the way, what's up? You got married to Lucky veer ji?

Preetho is going all red with Geet's teasings..

Preetho:

Geet: (Did I ask you whether its a love marriage or arranged marriage?)

Again Geet gives a teasing look to Preetho and Nandini comes to her rescue. This is the first time in one year where Geet is being herself , bullying her cousins and friends forgetting the fact all that has happened in the last one year.

Nandini:

Nandini and Preetho signal each other ...Geet is looking at them suspiciously

Geet:

Nandini:

Geet:

Preetho:

Nandini gives one stern look to Preetho... and murmurs in her ears...

Geet is getting doubt now.. and again teases Nandini...

Geet:

Nandini:

Geet:

Geet knots her eyebrows teasingly and Nandini is blinking...

Nandini:(Shh..di..I will tell you everything but after this function gets over....till then please keep all your doubts to yourself)...Nandini folds her hands and pleads cutely.... Geet giggles at her plight and Nandini and Preetho also join her and trio get into a cheerful laugh.

Maan has found a secret hideout from where he can get a clear view of Geet and all what happen surrounding her. He could make out all ladies and girls surrounding her are teasing her and again her face going pink with shyness..and as if his breath was taken away when she was giggling with Nandini and other girl.This is the first time he is seeing her laughing like this. Still could sense some thing missing in her laughter...A paleness and as if huge emotions piled up behind that smile...

back to Mehendi Hall:

Preetho: (Where is your better half?)

For sometime Geet forgot about the last one year's happenings and Preetho's question gets back to her normal self now...

Geet: (He must be somewhere out)

Nandini:(He follows Geet di like a shadow) and you know he followed her till the time she entered the mehendi hall..

Geet nods her head with all the teasing happening as by now she has got used to it.

Preetho: (Wow...how nice di..Lucky also follows me but not like this...HUH...By the way, I need to learn lot of homely tips from you.). And she winks.

Nandini: (It will be so much of fun tonight)

Preetho:

Nandini: she turns towards Geet now..

Preetho and Nandini look at each other and then Geet and give a teasing laugh hitting on Geet's shoulder. While Geet again gets into a serious thoughts to plan out her night time.

Geet ST:

Geet:

Nandini:

Geet:

Preetho:

Geet again gives a weakest of the smile. While Maan has successfully faked an image about himself that he is madly in love with his wife, Geet is the one who knows the actual truth. There's no need of any handwork required...all she needs to do is to get out of her room before he shouts "GET OUT"

She snaps out of her thought when one of her neighboring friend walks in with a message...

Nandini:

Soon..Geet Nandini, Preetho and even Rajji are done with the Mehendi and they slowly walk out of the mehendi hall. few more girls who are mix of friends and cousins join them. Geet is again lost in their girlish talks and she is completely oblivious about her husband's presence around and who has by now seems to have lost all the patience. He has been waiting for her in a secret place and hoping on hope she will pass by him and finally she did...and he pulled her with such a force that she didn't even have time to think and react. And she was about to scream out as she really got scared with what just happened and he instantly closes her mouth with his palm..

(To be continued)