" Trust Vicky to uproot the best laid plans", sulked Numaan.
" You can still have your party later", suggested Vicky. " I know you are mourning booze", he said.
" Booze", Gaurav raised a brow. " You underestimate Numaan. He arranged strippers too", said Gaurav.
" I think you all should think that we are standing in a temple and use appropriate language", said Manav.
" Stop sulking Numaan man", said Vicky.
'" Actually he was not sure that she will hold on to her yes or not", joked Vinod.
" Seriously how did you win her back", asked Gaurav.
" Did something happen in village", whispered Numaan.
" Is she by any chance pregnant ", asked Vinod.
" You should stop thinking with your wife's brain", Vicky said to Vinod. THESE DAYS DIPTI WAS OBSESSED WITH HAVING A CHILD.
Vinod shrugged. " She needs baby".
" Its just my dad is obsessed with this temple and its priest", Vicky lied. " He was suggested to get us married today by one of them. And here we are".
" Yeah and my mother is aĺso very religious", said Manav.
They agreed.
" Okay lets get you married", said Numaan.
" Muhuruta( auspicious time) starts in half an hour", said Manav. " Be on time", he warned Vicky. Then he left.
" Big brother mode on", said Vinod as everyone laughed.
" I see a lot of greenery", said Dr. Sumeet Khurana eyeing Riya's friends.
" Too bad you are engaged", teased Gaurav. " Nothing for you".
But Dr. Sumeet still stared at the girls with a pursued mouth.
Could he be him? Vikram looked at doctor. Untrustworthy he thought.
Salman and Alok he trusted though. Alok too looked at the girls. The one that caught his eye was bubbly Laxmi Shukla. He knew her father was influential. Plus he was of marriagable age. He will talk to her today.
Vikram reached the pandal ten minutes before. Dressed in a cream sherwani he looked very much the groom. He was wearing a sehra too courtesy Mrs. Deshmukh.
Riya walked towards him in a red banarsi saree with golden zari work. She wore a red veil and golden jewellery. She wore her emerland engagement ring which he put in her fingers with shaking hands again.
" Mine", he said then.
" Yours", she agreed.
As she walked towards him he remembered a nervous 6 year old who was walking towards her 15 year old groom.
Gunjan's step were slow as she walked towards Srikant. In a saree though adorable she still looked like a child. As her father gave her hands in his her hands were shaking. She sometimes peeped nervously at him. He assured her with smiles. She smiled back too .
Present.
Agni appeared and declared that the old idol was a blessed one and hence mandap is tied there. Agni was a respected priest from Himalayas. He was learned too. People thought he had met Shiva. So nobody questioned him.
" Muhuruta starts", he said. " Groom and bride garland each other".
Vicky and Riya did.
" Tie mangalsootra and repeat mantras after me", said Agni to Vikram.
As he tied the Mangalsootra he repeated wedding mantras after Agni. Then his father gave him a gold coin. He applied vermillion to her using it.
Agni then said,
" With the holy fire as their witness the bride and groom say their wedding vows. "
Vicky and Riya repeated their vows after Agni as they circled the fire.
Finally was kanyadan ( bride's father giving bride to the groom)
The entire Deshmukh family performed the kanyadan as they gave rice and water in Vicky's hand along with Riya's hand.
Mrs Deshmukh cried. So did Manav. Riya's friends joined too. The entire atmosphere turned emotional.
" The marriage is completed", declared Agni.
A pleasant cool breeze blew. Wild scented flowers fell on everyone.
" Seek the blessings of your creator Brahma", said Agni
They did.
" From the protector and ruler of marriages Vishnu", said Agni.
They did.
" The judge of our deeds and the destroyer Shiva", said Agni.
They did.
A voice spoke in Vikram's head,
" Your penance paid off. I have returned her back to you. Take good care of her".
" I will", promised Vicky.
They seeked blessings from elders finally.
Suhasiniji gave her a gold chain.
" Remember you do still have all of us", she said emotionally. Riya hugged her as they cried.
" Nope this shotgun marriage won't do", said Numaan to Ramcharan. " I need a big party. " Why don't you organize it", said Ramcharan.
" Deal", promised Numaan.
Shalini avoided wedding mandap. She felt impure.
" Shiva forgive me and give me this happiness", she prayed.
Agni conveyed mentally to Vicky;
" Consume your marriage. Then you both will be able to harness your powers".
Vicky nodded in his direction.
" What did he tell you", asked Riya. She knew they could communicate mentally.
" To sleep with my wife", said Vicky deviously.
Riya turned red like a tomato. Then she started her new journey as Mrs Oberoi
At Oberoi's
Damyanti welcomed her with puja thal.
" The day you first entered here I prayed to God that you come here as a brife", she said.
Roya got emotional.
Then Riya dropped a pot filled with rice inside the house with her leg as she walked in. ( A symbolic gesture of new bride bringing prosperity with her)
" Beta take blessings from Vicky's mother", said Ram. " Janaki our son got married. Give our new daughter your blessing."
Riya bowed to Janaki.
" Maa give me strength to separate him from this curse", she prayed.
From somewhere in heaven Riya was blessed.
Night
" No, no", shouted the devil.
This was devil's loss.
" He fooled you again. They got married", he said.
" The marriage is not consumated yet", said the boss.
" YOU FOOL", screamed the devil. " WHAT DO YOU THINK HE WOULD DO TONIGHT? PLAY MARBLES."
" I Ummmm", the boss faltered.
" Remember how he humiliated you".
Baldev remembered
Flasback
Srikant emerged victorious in the war. He dragged king Baldev all the way inside the capital.
" Look everyone. This is the rat who was your king. A coward who drives his power from preying on weak", he barked.
There was a murmur. Everyone stared at him.
" COCKROACH ", barked Kishan.
" You like to remove clothes right", said Dheeraj. He tore Baldev's clothes.
" YOU KILLED MY SON", Ranjeet said with bloodshot eyes. " Now let me return the favour".
He killed all of Baldev's sons in front of him, threw his ministers and soldiers on stairs of the throne which he ascended with his friends. As they climbed the stairs they crushed the faces of Baldev's ministers and commanders with their legs.
AND THEN HE SAT ON BALDEV'S THRONE.
" I shall not kill you king Baldev but make you suffer a fate which will make you wish for death daily."
He then amputated his hands and legs as he left him in forest to die.
Flasback ends
" No , no why did you show me this horrible memory", said the cobra boss to creepy evil.
" Because I want to help you", said a voice. " Be proactive and find that weapon or Srikant will make you suffer same fate. Devil's loss is your loss".
Now the cobra boss was more than determined to win.