"Hadh karte ho, Sanam!" I laughed when we reached the open area where function was held.

"Kya kiya Maine?" He asked with his goofy smile.

"Aise le aaye waha se." I complained.

"Woh." He rolled his eyes, "agar nahi lata to woh dono wahi atke rehte."

I shook my head and my eyes fell on Suman Di who was sitting gracefully on the beautiful decorated stage and henna artist just began their work. I smiled wide, "main jaa rahi Dulhan ke pass."

Sanam held my hand stopping me. I turned, "Kya hai?"

"Dulhan ke pass kyu jaa rahi ho? Tumhe khud nahi lagwana?"

"Of course lagwana hai!" I said in duh tone. "You know how much I love henna! But pehle Dulhan ki mehendi dekhni hai." I grinned.

Sanam smiled leaving my hand. "Main bhi aata hu."

I shrugged my shoulder and we walked together towards the stage. Both bride's and groom's mom were sitting there and just beside the stage and group of ladies were playing Dholkies.

"Di...!!" I announced my arrival.

"Warisha!" She said happily. "Kabse wait kar rahi hu, kaha thi tu?" She asked.

"I was with Disha and Meera."

"Tum ladkiyoon ka yahi hai. Mile nahi ke gappe shuru." Indu aunty told me in scolding tone; pyaar wala scolding..eeeee.

"Kaha hai woh dono waise?" She asked about Meera and Disha.

"Mummy, woh dono abhi bhi andar hai." Sanam answered.

"Acha...Tu yaha kya kar raha hai waise?" She raised her eyebrows. "Tujhe to apne Bhai ke saath hona chahiye."

"Uh..Mummy woh main..." Sanam was scratching back of his neck while Di and I were suppressing our giggle.

Then Suman's Di mom spoke, "Array Indu, use jiske saath hona chahiye woh usi ke saath hai." And the two ladies laughed with that and was joined by Di as well.

"Mummy...main aapke pass aaya tha na." Sanam said like a child making me giggle which quickly vanished when he looked at me with narrowed eyes.

"Acha?" She asked amused to tease him. "Woh kyu?"

"Aapke liye mehendi ka design choose karne." He grinned.

"Mehendi aur main? Mujhe nahi lagwana."

"Array! Aise kaise nahi lagana?" Sanam and Di said said together.

"Mummy...meri shaadi mein aap mehendi nahi lagaoge?" Di asked with a pout.

Aunty looked at her and I began, "Aise kaise nahi lagwaengi? Zaroor lagwaengi! Main khud lagaungi!" I said picking up a mehendi cone and sitting beside aunty.

"Tu mujhe mehendi lagaegi?" She asked with a smile.

"Haan." I chirped, "Chaliye... Ab jaldi se design pasand kar lijye."

Just then Sanam snapped, "Are you deaf? Sunai nahi deta?"

All of us looked at him, confused.

"Kya hua puttar? Cheekh kyu raha hai uspar?" Aunty asked while I was just looking at him with frowning face.

"Mummy yeh behri hai kya? Abhi Maine bola that I'm going to choose your mehendi design aur yeh baaki sab se puch rahi hai." He complained.

"To tum theek se keh sakte the. Mujhpe chillana and calling me deaf wasn't necessary!" I snapped back.

"Chup Karo tum dono!" Aunty scolded us. "Jab dekho tab ladhne ke liye ready rehte ho. Baache nahi ho dono."

"Aunty, he was the one who started!" I whined.

"Bas!" Aunty said sternly, "ab dono main se koi kuch nahi bolega." She looked at Sanam, "tujhe mere liye design pasand karni hai na; to Kar par ise pareshan mat kar!"

I flickered my tongue at Sanam who had his eyes narrowed at me. Before I could celebrate my winning my hands travelled to my head after earning a light tap from aunty.

"Cheendhana band Kar usko!" She scolded.

I sat their pouting like a kid and Sanam had his winning smirk on when he took the design book from my hand. I rolled my eyes at him. He selected some designes and showed it to me.

"Yeh lagana Meri mom ko. Aur bilkul perfect hona chahiye. No mistakes." He said in a warning tone. I was just glaring at him.

Haa, bacchu, Sabke saamne karlo manmani. Tumhe me baad me dekhti hu.

I took the mehendi cone and started apply the design on Aunty's palm. After completing one hand when I asked her to give me the other one she stopped me saying, "mujhe hi lagati rehgi to khud kab lagwayegi? Jaa tu bhi lagwale."

"Aunty, theek hai na.... Main laga deti hu na."

"Nahi." She shook her head. "Main Mehendi wali se lagwa lungi. Tu jaa." She pushed from her free hand, "Jaa na." She called out to a free artist, "Beta... Achi si design is bhi laga de." And commanded me, "Chal ab baith jaa chup chaap, Bina kuch bole."

I obeyed her like a 5 years old. I sat there ready to get my palms stained with beautiful henna design.

"Koi naam likhwana hai?" The artist asked me.

I looked up at her, "Naam...?" I repeated.

"Haa, Haa! Likhwana hai na! Write a S in her design. Aur Aise likhna k dhundne se bhi na mile." Suman di prompted with giggle.

"Likh du?" The artist asked smilingly and I nodded looking down to hide my blushing cheeks. She hid a beautiful S near my thumb.

"Thank you." I smiled when she was done applying henna on my hand and then she proceeded to someone else.

"Warisha!" Aunty called me.

"Ji aunty?" I turned to her.

"Zara dekhna baakiyon ne mehendi lagwa liya ya nahi aur Meera ko dhund Kar yaha bhej."

I nodded getting up, "okay, aunty."

I was walking around to find Meera did but I had to stop abruptly when Sanam came in front of me standing tall as a wall. I raised my hand to stop myself colliding with him and also to protect his dress as well as my pretty henna.

"What the hell, Sanam! Abhi Meri mehendi kharab hojati!" I shrieked with a sulking face. I love henna a lot!

"Tumne mehendi lagwali?" He asked with a smile but I was really pissed at him for showing up so abruptly and almost ruining my henna.

"Isn't that obvious, Sanam?" I rolled my eyes.

"Acha- Sorry. Now let me see." He smiled cheekily.

"Nope!" I prompted hiding my hands behind my back.

He frowned, "Warisha! What is this, yaar! Show na..!" He tried to look back by turning and I turned along with him. "No, Sanam! Not happening.." I giggled.

"Warisha..." He said sternly, still trying to have a glance at my mehendi but I wasn't letting him to see.

"No, Sanam....." I said cheekily.

"Oye, Tom and Jerry!" Came a chirping voice Meera di. "Aunty asked you to find me and tell me that she's looking for me.." she said while coming to our direction "and here I'm finding you to remind you that you have to find me."

I blinked quite a few time and then a confused "Uh..what?" Escaped from my mouth.

She shook her head, "Never mind. I met aunty already and showed her my pretty mehendi." She brought her palms to her face level, flashing us her henna. "And haa, Disha was looking for you! Main jaa Rahi hu Samar Bhai k pass!" She shouted while running towards where Samar was.

When I turned to Sanam, he was already looking at me with his arms crossed over his chest.

"What?" I asked clueless.

"Even Meera showed me her mehendi; tum kab dikhaogi?" He asked in such way that made me giggle.

"Abhi nahi!" I stuck my tongue at him and then ran away in search of Disha di.

I found her where all girls were sitting and showing each other their freshly designed mehendi.

"Array, Warisha," she smiled when she noticed me "kaisi hai Meri mehendi?" She asked me showing her design.

"Bohout Sundar." I commented taking a seat beside her. "Meera di ne bola aap mujhe dhund rahe the?"

"Haa, I was but now it seems you are of no use to me." She pouted and even I frowned at that, "Matlab?" I asked.

"Matlab.... In excitement to put mehendi- I forgot to have lunch. I thought Ke tu mujhe help kardegi but tu to khud Mehendi lagakar baithi hai." She shook her head at my henna painted palm and then faked a cry, "ab main Khana kaise khaungi... Mujhe bhook lagi hai. Huhuhu."

I bite my lip to stop myself from gigglingling at her cute expression. Just then Sahil came there. "Mere rehte tu bhooki reh sakti hai?"

Disha di rolled her eyes at him, "Say the one who steals my food from fridge."

Sahil shook her head, "says the one who makes sure that you don't go to bed empty stomach."

She smiled at her brother and so did I. Sahil gets on my nerves just in seconds but I can't deny that he's a very caring person indeed.

"Chal." He asked her sister to follow him towards the food section.

"Bye." I smiled.

After they left I frowned realizing that even I didn't have my lunch and now, I looked at my henna that was still fresh. Mummy! I'm damn sure that I was mirroring the same expression that Disha di had and I was making a fun about it, but now... I feel it!

"Kya hua?" I heard Sanam's voice who took his seat beside me. "Yeh gubaare jaisa muh Kyu fulaaye rakha hai?" He asked jokingly.

"Bhook lagi hai." I said sadly looking at the green grasses.

"Toh Khana khalo. Simple."

I glared at him and he bitted his lip to suppress his giggle. "Oh... You can't." He mocked.

"Sanam jaaona tum. Kyu dimaag kharab Kar rahe ho." I snapped irritated, getting up from my place. "Tum yahi ruko. Main hi jaati hu."

"Wait! Wait! Wait!" He paced coming forward and quickly blocking my way. "Khaali pet jitni mehnat karogi utni zyada bhook lagegi." He said.

I ignored him continuing my walk and he tagged along giving me his gyaan. "Warisha, I know you're hungry, and when you are hungry you get irritated very easily and you want to do something but you can't 'cause you're hungry and I also know that if I don't shut up then you're going to kill me with your dangerous glare but beautiful eyes." He winked at me with a flirty smile while I was just glaring at him for knowing me so well.

"Very wrong timing to flirt with me, Mr. Puri." I warned.

He held me by my forearm, stopping me. "Apni girlfriend see flirt karne ke liye bhi mujhe perfect timing ka wait Karna padega, hmm?" He asked raising his eyebrows and I remain quiet, just glaring at him.

"Okay then." He let go of my arm. "I'm pretty sure that there are many girls in here who won't mind me flirting with them." He teased me pretending to look around.

"You dare that, Sanam." I warned again.

He chuckled, "Aww.... Do I spell something burning?"

"Yeah." I smiled sarcastically "That wouldbe your favorite black T-shirt or grey hoodie if you don't stop irritating me!" I snapped.

"Aww... Look at this little red thing fuming with anger." He pinched my nose to annoy me even more. "Ab thode der mein Kya tumhare kaano see dhua niklega?" He asked in a curious childish voice.

"Sanam!" I stomped my foot helplessly like a kid and he laughed imitating me, "Warisha!"

I gasped with a sulking face, "Bohout gande ho tum!" I pouted.

"Ji nahi!" I defended, "I'm a very clean and organized person. Ganda to woh Samar hai, apna Sara samaan yahaan-wahaan rakhta hai."

"Freedom of life." I commented.

"That's being lazy and messy." He corrected.

"Sanam, mujhe bhook lagi hai aur tum mujhe yaha apne OCD lecture de rahe ho!"

"This is not OCD!" He sounded offended.

I rolled my eyes, "yeah, yeah."

"Warisha..." He took in a deep breath and exhaled it slowly, "why don't we just do that you already know we are going to do?" He asked and I looked at him confusedly, "and what are we going to do exactly?" I asked.

He smiled making me sit back on our previous space, "woh to karenge but ab to apni mehendi dikha do."

"Nahi. Pehle batao." I demanded stubbornly.

"Warisha..." He looked at me with puppy eyes and I frowned finally reveling him my henna design.

"This is not fair, Sanam. You can't always play your puppy eyes card with me." I complained.

"Everything is fair in love, Warisha." He said smilingly observing my henna design and probably finding his name that was hidden in it.

He smiled finding his name in there and said, "yeh rang itni jaldi nahi utarne wala."

I blushed looking down remembering the old myth darker the colour of the mehendi, the stronger the bond.

"Wait here. I'll come back with your food." He smiled and I nodded.

It took him five minutes and he was back with the plate of food but frowned looking at the dishes. Before I could say anything he started, "Warisha, at least I brought paneer for you."

"But chicken."

"But I'm vegan." He had this convincing smile feeding me the first bite. I took it and chuckled at him.

"Dekho, tumhare liye I'm eating vegetarian." I said pretending to be sad but in love.

"Dekho... Tumhare liye main vegan hote hue bhi I'm holding a plate full of paneer." He copied my tone.

I left out a soft chuckle mouthing I love for that and he whispered, "I love you, too."

A/N- Aaaaaaaa!!! So finally I updated! Like after ages! Hush! You don't know how hard I was trying to complete this chapter and post it ASAP but it wasn't just happening! 😣😣😣 But now finally!!! Finally I completed it! YAYYY!!! 🤩🤩🤩

How this chappy?

Did it have enough of you #SaSha moments?

Did ya guys like it or not?

Was it worth your wait or not?

Did it turn boring?

Too many questions, right? But I'd love to hear you thoughts on it. 🙈🙈🙈

What was your favorite moment from this chapter?