MM - Ch 18

The afternoon lunch was hosted really well. All guests were impressed with finally meeting Meer’s side of the family. Mohinder and Behroz met Savitri Devi’s only son and Waleed Ullah’s business partner Devansh Khurana. He was a quiet man who spoke little with Behroz and even less with Mohinder. The men spoke mostly about new developments in small towns like Hoshiarpur and Gurgoun. Devansh Khurana also mentioned about his family roots from Amritsar and his link to few notable families from there.

Haider was quieter than when he had first met his father in law and Mohinder. Although he was surrounded with friends and family congratulating him for his second child but he seemed preoccupied with other thoughts on his mind.

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Meer was glowing with happiness. She went around introducing her best friend Geet to all the new family and friends she had made here.

The women were intrigued with the young curly haired beauty and young girls were half jealous and half envious of her good looks and infectious happiness. Geet was wearing a beautiful black and gold lehenga, her hair half braided with the rest falling on the side down to her waist. She wore simple jewelry that her mother forced her to wear and even the kohl in her eyes Jassi ji helped put on.

The young girls in the crowd wanted to know from which designer Geet got her dress made. She told them that she makes her own clothes with her father and also helps him design them too.

The girls laughed at her as they realized that her father is a small clothes shop owner in her town and Geet innocently nodded along not caring whether big or small really matters.

Once the reception lunch was done, just close family and friends from Asma’s side had stayed for the bridal shower ceremony.

Geet and Roop had planned a surprise for Meer with Dadima so they could make this night memorable for her. They went to get ready for their surprise in one of the guest rooms.

As the guests sat around in the main hall in a semi circle, a wooden swing was in the centre of it for Meer to be used as a stage which Geet had helped decorate with glowing lights and fresh flowers.

Jassi ji wore a pink chiffoun saree. Her demenour was filled with more grace than most of the elites of women sat with her in the hall today.

Many wondered if she is infact Meer’s mother, to which she smiled sweetly and affirmed with ‘yes, just like her mother’.

Sasha was also seen amongst the women with some friends from her so called ‘kitty crew’.

With Meer sitting on the swing, Daijaan called for Haider to join her. Haider sat next to her with the little Haadi in his lap.

She then began with the tradition of gifting trays of sweets, clothes and jewellery to Asma and her family.

Asma also wanted to return the favour and had gifts for Daijaan and Jassi ji. Asma asked ‘Jassi ji, where are your daughters? I have brought something for them too’.

Jassi ji said ‘woh bas yahin thi, Geet aur Roop, Meer ke liye kuch karna chahte hai toh ussi ki tayyari kar rahi hai dono’. (They were just here, Geet and Roop want to do something special for Meer so just getting ready for it).

Meer got excited and laughingly said ‘kya naya drama karna hai dono ko’. (What new drama have they thought of now!).

Haider shrugged his shoulder with a small smile.

‘Just then from behind the swing, standing on top of the stairs, Roop shouted ‘Sachi main drama hi hai Di’.(It really is a drama Di’).

As everyone turned to see Roop dressed exactly like a young boy and Geet with a wig and a white jacket around her, they laughed at the way they (well he for now) walked down the stairs, trying to look all macho.

As Roop walked down pretending to be Haider and Geet was to be Maan.

Meer and Daijaan bursts out laughing ‘Nautanki shuru hogayi dono ki’.

Roop pretended to be Haider and walked towards Meer all nervous enacting the scene from their Engagement.

Miming all the things that had happened on the day, the girls danced on and others sitting around began to clap and join along.

Chup chup khade ho jarur koi baat hai

Pahli mulakat hai ye pahli mulakat hai
Pahli mulakat hai ye pahli mulakat hai
Chup chup khade ho jarur koi baat hai
Pahli mulakat hai ye pahli mulakat hai
Pahli mulakat hai ye pahli mulakat hai

Then Roop pretending to be Haider holds her stomach rushing to one end of the hall.

The guests burst out laughing as they caught on to each scene that the girls were acting.

Haider looked embarrassed but laughed at the girls. Meer saw that he was enjoying their drama.

Geet ran upto Dadima and pretended to touch her feet whilst putting up her collar and winked at Meer and Haider. Dadima pulled her ears for enacting Maan.

The song played on and Geet echoed the words to Dadima. Haider laughed at the thought that his friend would do just that with his grandma to make her happy!

Mere dil mein aaj kya hai

Geet brought Dadima to the dance floor and sang to her

Na chahu sona chandi
Na chahu heera moti
Ye mere kis kam ke
Na mangu bangla gadi
Na mangu ghoda gadi
Ye to hai bas naam ke
Deti hai dil de
Badle mein dil ke
Deti hai dil de
Badle mein dil ke

Dadima then turns to Geet and sings happily: 
Ghe ghe ghe ghe ghere sahiba
Pyar mein sauda nahi
Ghe ghe ghe ghe ghere sahiba
Pyar mein sauda nahi

Then as she led Dadima to one side, she took off her wig and her jacket and took Meer’s Dupatta to wear around her head.

Geet then pretended to sit dull with the dupatta over her head and Roop ran upto her in the over sized trouser now slipping down and she held it tight to bend on her knee and asked Geet ‘will you marry me?’

Meer and Haider laughed at the memory as others around looked surprised at the cute love story unwinding infront of their eyes. Meer hugged Haider sideways at the sweet moments they had together.

Geet and Roop then came to Meer, and took her to the dance floor. The iconic soft instrumental of Kuch kuch hota hai played on.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxnUHB64NcU

Claps and laughter echoed the hall at the comical situation of Roop tip toeing to twirl the overweight pregnant Meer on the romantic song. Although the plan was that Geet will play Haider but dear Roop wanted to be the main lead and be the man for her Di!

In the mean time, Geet ran behind the stairs, took a cushion from Nakul standing nearby and stuffed the cushion in her kameez.

She then walked backwards and bumped into the two, pretending to be shy and showed off her big bump to everyone. Roop and Geet took Meer by the hand back to the swing next to Haider, so they could dance on the next sequence of songs.

But as Geet turned a small piece hit her on the back.

She turned in surprise to find a young boy standing at the entrance wearing a bandanna on his forehead, spinning a string in his hand, smirking at them all.

He walked over to them, pressed play on his phone and the song burst the mermering silence he had caused.

Bhabhi teri behna ko maana

Rabba mere mujhko bachaana

Ho rabba mere mujhko bachaana

Haye Ram, kudiyon ka hai zamaana (Heyy..)

Haye Ram, kudiyon ka hai zamaana (Heyy heyy..)

Dadima looked so happy and exclaimed in surprise ‘Vikrant! Badmash!’.

 He looked at Meer and said but ‘Kya karrey Dadima, I got jealous of all the love, you and Bhabhi were pouring out! I gotta be the drama queen from this side of bhabhi’s family for sure’.

Meer laughed at him and came over to hug him, she said ‘I didn’t know that this brother of mine has grown so big that he can tease girls now too!’.

Geet and Roop shied away behind Dadima and Meer.

‘Bhabhi, your sisters seem to have shied away at the sight of your beloved favourite me!’ Vikrant added.

He looked a spitting image of his older brother whom Geet had encountered three years ago in Meer’s wedding. Geet stared at him in surprise as she recognized the same arrogance in his words that his brother had boasted around her then.  Geet suddenly felt shy thinking what if it was really him watching her act like him all this time.

‘We are also just as much desi at heart! Nakul play some of our Punjabi favourites. Lets get the place rocking’ Vikrant said and held his hand out to his Dadima and the other to Asma.

Dadima laughed at her grandson’s antics and said ‘these old bones can’t dance anymore to your new tunes beta. Take the younger ones with you to join along.

Asma pushed Haider and Meer to the dance floor. Other young girls who seem to know Vikrant came to his side as though they were waiting to see him and wanted to dance with him.

Nakul changed the songs to Vikrant’s play list.

Munda thoda.. offbeat hai

Par kudiya de naal.. bohat sweet hai

Vikrant pointed at Haider and went to grab him to so he could dance with him.

Dhongi sa ye bada dheeth hai

Viral hogya ye Tweet

Par phool wool karne mein cool

Tu badi tezz katari hai

Shagan teri ki, lagan teri ki

Humne kardi taiyari hai

Nachde ne saare ral-mil ke

Aaj hil-dul ke

Le saare ke saare nazare

Roop joined along with other girls but Geet stepped back on these small steps where others also stood watching Vikrant, Meer and Haider dancing.

Vikrant saw standing on one side, clapping to the songs. He wanted to pull her into the dance as the song changed to

Balle Balle Je Soniya Dey Rang Dekhlo

Bina Dor Dee Udadee Patang Dekh Lo

Balle Balle Je Soniya Dey Rang Dekhlo

Bina Dor Dee Udadee Patang Dekh Lo

Aaj Munde Huye Enhan

Dey Malang Dekh Lo

Bina Dor Dee Udadee Patang Dekh Lo

Ay Kudiya Kudiya

Ay Tikhiya Churiya

Kudiya Jawan

Hath Naa Aawan

Ena Pundiya Dey Mare Huye Tang Dekh Lo

Balle Balle Je Soniya Dey Rang Dekhlo

Bina Dor Dee Udadee Patang Dekh Lo

Geet laughed at Vikrant’s choice of song and as Vikrant tried to pull at her hand, she stepped back and moved her hand away from his. He relented again and tried holding her hand again. Geet still managed to dodge his hand and laughingly walked backwards with the main doors now behind her. Meer and Roop looked on and hooted at Geet for challenging to not dance with Vikrant.

Just as Geet looked at Meer laughingly giving her a thumbs up, Vikrant held her hand and spun her around, but as Geet wasn’t aware and he spun her so quick that she lost balance and twirled out away fromVikrant towards the door . She tried to lurch forward to avoid the fall but her hair fell on her face and she closed her eyes to brace the fall.

Just then a pair of arms caught hold of her before she hit the floor.  Her eyes still shut, she yelped ‘Hayye Rabba’. The grip around her waist tightened at her words. She blinked her long lashes and looked up at the face so close to her’s. 

With one arm still holding around her waist and with the other, he grazed his fingers through her hair and pushed them away from her face.

He slowly straightened her against his body, not breaking the eye contact he held. As he stood to his full height, Geet craned her necks upwards, her big brown eyes rounded in recognition and she pulled her hands from around his shoulders to step away.

His lips turned into a slight smirk and he moved his hands to her hips. 

Geet exhaled and whispered ‘Maan’ in surprise looking at him as he still held her in a tight grip.

The dancing came to a stop as Vikrant and others looked on at Geet almost falling and now being held in Maan’s arms. The song played on, the lyrics marking the moment in perfect sync.

Bage Wich Aaya Karo Jado Chand Chup Jave

Tusee Mukhda Dikhaya Karo

Jado Chand Chup Jave

Tusee Mukhda Dikhaya Karo

His hard stare softened at her whisper and he looked at her face carefully, noticing the changes in the features he once remembered.

Geet broke the stare and looked around to see all staring at them. Just as she was going to say something to Maan.

Vikrant came forward saying ‘Oh my gosh! Bhai thanks for catching her just in time!'

'Are you okay!? I didn’t mean to spin you so hard. I was just trying to pull you into the dance with us. He said to Geet.

 Geet looked between Maan and Vikrant, and motioned at Maan with her eyes to let go off her. But Maan was still staring at her face.

She replied to Vikrant ‘No, I am okay. Don’t worry about it, I know you didn’t mean to’.

Vikrant again said ‘I am sorry! Pata nahin how I just pulled at you so hard! I am so sorry’.

Geet looked at Vikrant and said again ‘No, I am fine, please stop saying sor-r'

But she got cut off as Maan said ‘Chup’!

Geet looked back at Maan surprised. He then looked at Vikrant and slowly let go of Geet letting her stand.

He said ‘Chup’ again this time to Vikrant. Then he added ‘first see if she is actually okay, before continuing to apologize’.

Dadima and Jassi also came up to them and Jassi went to Geet to see if she is okay. 

Dadima said to Maan ‘Bete, you came just in time to save Geet. You remember her right, we met them at Haider’s wedding’.

Maan nodded with a small smile and said ‘Namaste' to Jassi ji before walking away to his father and the men standing on the other side.