***Arush's P. O. V***

"Cut it!" they all hissed.

"NO!!" I hissed back.

"CUT IT!!" they all hissed again.

"NO!!" I hissed back, crossing my arms and resting back on the chair.

"Come on beta!! Tumhari hi toh shadi hai?! Kaisa lagega agar khud k shaadi mein dulha ek gunde k tarah dikhega toh?!" Mom groaned.

"Look even Reyansh trimmed his beard!! And he looks so handsome!" mom added, indicating my jija-cum-sala who was sat beside me, rubbing his clean-shaven face with a very regretful look on his face, whilst Ahana sat opposite of us, actually stuffing her knuckles into her mouth to stop herself from laughing!

I groaned and chanced a glance towards Sahana who was sat opposite of me with her lips pursed. As my eyes met her's, she shook her head in a no, making me grin. The last time I'd shaved my beard, Sahana had not liked it one bit, and had showered me with kisses the day my beard had grown back to it's usual level on my face! She loved my facial hair, and I am here to keep her happy!

"Well it does feel good to have a smooth chin Saale sahab.." Reyansh added, forcing a smile to his face and rubbing his hand against his shaven cheeks.

"Aap to bohot khush lag rahe ho saale sahab yeh clean shave kar k... but I'm not interested to be so happy, so I think I'll pass" I grinned, as he scowled.

"Arre yaar mein toh kuwe mein gir gaya.. ab tu bhi a aur mujhe company de de?!" he whined, to which Ahana giggled, making him pout sadly at her.

"Exactly!! Agar tu kuwe mein gir gaya hai, toh mein bhi kyu khoodu?" I smirked at him.

"Come on Arush... beta you looked so handsome when you'd shaven your beard off to impress Sahana that one time!" Mom sighed.

"And Sahana had hated that look of mine... aap ki bahu dusre ladkiyon ki tarah nahi hai!! She loves my beard!" I said confidently, winking at a scarlet-faced Sahana.

"Really beta?" Mom turned to look at Sahana in shock. She nodded her head and peeked up at me through her eyelashes, making me groan - why is she so adorable when I cannot have her in my arms?!

"So now that it's sorted that I won't be touching my beard... can we go ahead with the haldi ceremony?!" I grinned.

"Arre wah... koi to utawla ho raha hai?!" my dadi grinned.

"Of course dadi... I will get to see Sahana decked up in haldi, looking adorable for me... why won't I be excited for it?!"

Winking at Sahana, I pouted to which she flushed - she's so cute!! If only I could go and kiss her right now... Or can I?

Everyone cooed at my words, whilst Sahana's face only grew redder and redder, making me grin broadly in confidence and happiness.

"Saale sahab... why do you have to keep the expectation level so high? Now even my mohotarma will demand such treatment from me!" Reyansh groaned, to which everyone chuckled.

"Kya karein... your sister is very difficult to please... I need to struggle a lot to get her appreciation!" I sighed sadly, whilst Sahana glared murder at me, though her reddening cheeks were telling a different story.

"Difficult to please?! Ok fine then!! Chalo Ahana... we're difficult to please... let's get to our work... we don't get impressed by them anyway right?!" Sahana huffed angrily, glaring at me and getting to her feet.

"Yes I agree Sahana... let's go!!" Ahana too huffed, getting to her feet and circling her arm with Sahana, before the two of them walked out of the house!!

"Yeh kya kiya tu ne?!" Reyansh hissed, glaring at me.

"You started it!" I glared back at him.

"Alright that's enough drama!! The girls are ready at their places now... chalo ladko even you come out now it's time for the haldi ceremony to begin!!" Sahana's mom said as she walked into the house and glared at Reyansh and me.

********

The Garden was decked in marigold and jasmines, with little pouffes and chairs and mattresses on the garden floor from yesterday now filled with ladies from both our families.

At one end of the garden, there was a small knot of women surrounding the two brides who sat there, looking haughty but exceptionally beautiful so!

On the other end of the garden, two pouffes were laid out, along with bowls of haldi, for us grooms to sit. A small knot of women waited there for us, grinning broadly at us.

As I sat down on one of the pouffes and looked out at Sahana, she huffed and looked away from me, pursing her lips in displeasure. I do have to make it up to her now, don't I?!

I looked at Reyansh, who had his eyes for my sister alone, but just like Sahana, my sister too seemed very pissed off as she looked away from Reyansh.

"Ladkiyon k tarah sharma kyo rahe ho?! Chalo theek se baitho!!" Reyansh's mom hissed at Reyansh.

Sighing, he sat properly, adjusting his dhoti before taking off his shirt, and sitting there in his white colored vest.

I turned my head around to find Ahana staring at Reyansh, gulping and licking her lips as she eyed him. Reyansh was turning redder and redder as my sister continued to gaze at him unblinkingly!

I couldn't help smile as she caught my eyes and grinned sheepishly at me!

And I looked back at Sahana, whose face turned red as I caught her staring at me.

Giving into mine and Reyansh's pleadings, the elders decided that the haldi ceremony for the brides and grooms would take place together, so that Reyansh and I wouldn't end up doing something stupid in an attempt to come and see our respective brides!

"You're an engineer and supposed to be smart! But here you are dressed from head to toe for the haldi ceremony?!!" Dadi hissed at me, clutching her head in despair.

"Yes beta... Chalo, apna shirt utaro!" Sahana's dadi indicated my shirt and then turned to wink at Sahana!

Hardly controlling my grin, I removed my shirt, to sit back with my white dhoti and white colored vest, whilst Sahana now began to ogle me with her mouth slightly open.

Stretching my back muscles, I put my shirt away, whilst Sahana licked her lips and kept her eyes glued to my biceps, making me grin even more broadly.

But...

"Happy haldi!" Sahana's cousins chuckled as they rubbed fistfuls of haldi onto my face!

Spluttering and with anger coursing throw my blood, I removed the excess haldi from my face and eyes to look around and find Reyansh too in the exact same situation as me!

The ladies all chuckled, and I turned to look at Sahana who had a sour look on her neatly haldi applied face as she glared murder at the girls who did this state to me.

She looked beautiful, like an angel, with her pretty face decked in haldi, the ladies around her applying haldi to her cheeks and her hands.

But my anger just ebbed away as the ladies around Sahana pulled her lehenga a little up to reveal her silky smooth legs to apply haldi.

And as my eyes feasted on her legs, I realized that they'd applied mehandi to her legs too yesterday.

The henna shone brightly in contrast to her yellow lehenga and her haldi, and all the ladies were in awe of how beautiful the mehandi looked, and how beautiful my Sahana looked too.

I couldn't go but gaze at her with love as she smiled shyly at them all and my mom went up to kiss her on her forehead.

But my happiness was short-lived as soon the women crowded around us, thus hiding Sahana from my view!!

It felt like an exceptionally long time when finally the crowd around us cleared and I finally got to see Sahana. Her legs were covered in haldi, and so were her hands, and her cheeks. But she looked so adorable, I just wanted to go and kiss her and hold her in my arms!!

"Now we both have been good boys, haven't we ladies?!" I heard Reyansh asking as he looked around at the women around us, looking very sincere and pouting a little.

"Yes beta.." his dadi said, sounding rather unsure.

"Now since my sister too has her haldi going on, don't I get to apply haldi on her?!" he pouted.

"Um.." my dadi began, looking at his dadi for help.

"And isn't it unfair that you all ladies have applied haldi on us, but our respective sisters haven't applied haldi to us?"! I added, catching up on Reyansh's plan.

"Uh..." my nani stuttered.

"And isn't it doubly unfair that.." Reyansh began, but his nani cut him in.

"Sab pata hai beta... I am 80 years old... aise hi mere baal safed nahi hue hai!! You both can apply haldi to your respective sisters and your respective brides as well!!" she sighed in defeat.

Reyansh and I grinned at each other and punched the air in success as we got to our feet, before making our way towards the girls.

"Happy haldi betu" I smiled applying haldi onto Ahana's cheeks who was blushing as she sat there, looking pretty as always.

"Happy haldi bachcha" I heard Reyansh as he too applied haldi onto Sahana's cheeks.

"Right.." I grinned, winking at Sahana as I went to her, and stood in front of her.

I looked as Reyansh grinned menacingly at Ahana and dipped his hand into the bowl of haldi, grabbing a handfull.

But..

SPLATTER!!!

Ahana had just thrown two fistfulls of the haldi paste onto Reyansh's face, taking him by surprise! The haldi had gone into his mouth by the looks of it, and his whole face was covered in haldi as the excess haldi dripped off his face.

Ahana stood in front of Reyansh, barely controlling her laughter, whilst Reyansh stood rooted to the spot, his whole face covered in haldi. He spluttered, spitting out haldi, and in a split second, Ahana sent caution to the wind as she ran for it. But grabbing a fistful of the haldi, Reyansh ran behind her, and the two of them ran around, grabbing the attention of everyone around us.

In the midst of all that chaos, I just took a bit of the haldi and moved forwards, applying that haldi to Sahana's nose - the only part of her face that wasn't covered in haldi.

She looked taken aback, but smiling, she got to her feet and taking a bit of the haldi from the bowl, she applied it to my forehead, before getting to her feet and brushing her lips to mine!

And forgetting everyone around us, I wrapped one arm around her, pulling her closer to me and placing a kiss on top of her head.

She wrapped her arms around me and rested her head on my chest, making me smile - now this was life!!

But a loud splutter and a lot of laughter brought us both to reality, and still holding Sahan to my side, I looked around to find Ahana standing at the center of the garden, dripping with water!

Turns out that Reyansh had just splashed water on her instead of applying haldi!! And everyone roared with laughter as Ahana splashed another handful of haldi onto Reyansh's face!!

But grinning like a fool, Reyansh walked towards Ahana, who looked taken aback and stood rooted to the spot. Taking a little haldi from his own face, he applied it to Ahana's cheeks before pulling her to his arms!

As everyone cleared their throats loudly and cooed, Reyansh scowled and said "What?! He did it first and nobody said anything!" indicating me with Sahana in my arms!

"What?! I'm getting married in three days... pyaar mein sab jaayaz hai!" I shrugged, kissing the top of Sahana's head.

Truly, everything's fair in love and war!

*****************

Putting away the last of Ahana's luggage into the car, I walked back upstairs. Most of the relatives had returned to their house/hotel room to get some rest because the next 3 days were going to be hectic - Ahana Reyansh's wedding tomorrow, and then their pag-phera the day after, and finally Sahana and my wedding the next day. 

My parents were making calls to get the last minute work done, and my grandparents were ticking off the list of chores that had been completed, and the chores that were still pending. I just had to pick up a couple of relatives from the airport tomorrow morning and then get the car decked up before we all left for the mandap. The muhurat was for tomorrow afternoon, so the morning wouldn't be very hectic!

Smiling to myself at the fact that in three days' time, Sahana would be here as my wife, I made my way to my room, but halted as I reached Ahana's room. She was staying on the first-floor room tonight. So Ahana always switched her bedrooms - she had one room next to mine on the first floor, and this one room on the ground floor. She'd switch from one to the other as her mood fancied! 

And today, after a long time, she'd come back to her bedroom on the top floor - weird!

"Bachcha?" I peeked into her room. She was sat on the bed, with a book in her hand. She was writing something, and smiled as she indicated me to enter the room.

"Am I disturbing you?" I smiled as I sat on her bed, looking into her eyes.

"Na bhai... just writing.." she shrugged, putting her book away.

"How are you feeling?" I smiled as she came around to sit next to me on the bed.

"I'm okay... I love Reyansh and I'm really excited to start the next phase of my life... but I'm also feeling sad... to leave you and mom and dad behind.." she trailed off, her eyes turning glassy.

"You'll always have me betu... and you're always welcome here... we're only a few kilometers away" I smiled, wrapping my arms around her and trying hard not to break down.

"I know" she sniffed, snuggling against my chest.

"We are not going out of your life betu...  you are just making space for more people in your life, that's all! Your inlaws are lucky to have you as their bahu... imagine a chomu like Reyansh getting meri phool-si behen as a wife?! He looks like that and yet he got someone as pretty as you!" I smirked.

"Reyansh isn't a chomu!" Ahana huffed, moving out of my arms.

"I love you Ahana!" Reyansh's voice made both Ahana and me jump.

What the fuck?!

I got up from the bed and turned around to find Reyansh standing inside the room, just a little away from the balcony, his eyes stuck on Ahana.

"I want to talk to Ahana for a few minutes Arush... please... it's urgent" he said seriously, looking at me.

I sighed and nodded, before hugging Ahana and kissing the top of her head and bidding good night to both of them.

Closing the door shut behind me, I walked back into my room, when an idea suddenly popped in my head - if Reyansh was here, then surely, Sahana was alone there at her home.. I mean, I can pop into her room without bumping into Reyansh like the other night!

And grinning to myself at my great idea, I silently made my way out of my room, and quietly down the stairs.

"I have some last minute work left to do... I'll be back in some time... Ahana will open the door for me.. "I mumbled at my grandparents and parents as I took my bike keys and made my way out of the house.

They weer all so busy with their work that they all just grunted in response and didn't even look up at me!

Grinning to myself in success, I hastily walked out of the house with my footwear and quickly onto my bike and out of the gate.

The cool night air whipped my face as I rode my bike, making my way to Sahana's house. After the haldi today, the ladies had sent Reyansh and me away to wash the haldi away and freshen up before they let the girls change!! And after Reyansh and I had changed into fresh clothes, there was a good lunch and then we both were shunted out of the house like some outsiders, whilst they pampered and continued with pampering the girls!

It was over 7 in the evening when Ahana and my parents and grandparents had come back home!! I hadn't had a chance to even talk to Sahana or even give her a quick kiss before I was shunted out of the house earlier today!!

But today was probably the last time I'd get to spend some alone-time with her before our wedding! Tomorrow it wouldn't be possible at all... and day after tomorrow.... *sigh*.. well at least only 2 more days as a single man!

It took me 20 minutes to reach Sahana's house, and carefully parking my bike at the usual place, I carefully and cautiously opened the gate of Sahana's house as usual, and closed it, all as noiselessly as possible. 

Carefully walking around the house, I finally reached the empty garden, where we'd had our haldi earlier today. The only light was from the distant street lamps and from the windows of the houses nearby. The lights inside Sahana's house were on too, and even faint voices from inside the house as probably her family people too continued with last-minute wedding preparations.

But I grinned as my eyes fell on the ladder propped up against Reyansh's balcony - just need to move it to Sahana's balcony that's all!

But..

"Arush?!" Sahana's dad's voice made me freeze on the spot.

"Arush.. beta?! Chor k tarah kyo ja rahe ho?! Hummare jamai banne wale ho... " his voice made me gulp and I met his eyes with a mixture of apprehension and horror.

"Reyansh and you think you're so smart and we parents are so dumb!! Hum ko pata nahi chalega kya k hummare hi ghar mein kya ho raha hai?! Just like how I know you're here and Reyansh is at your home with Ahana now, even your parents too know it. Just because we've not told you about it, doesn't mean we don't know anything!!" he sighed.

"I... I'm... sorry... I'll.. uh... good night.." I stuttered, turning to leave.

"Arre beta... I never told you can't stay!! We've known it for a long time now but haven't told anything because we trust you kids... go meet Sahana she's very nervous and anxious about the wedding" his voice made me freeze on the spot.

"But.." I began, not knowing what to say.

Both our parents have known about us and they've not said anything ?! 

"I understand beta... I too have been in love and I remember how I used to wait to meet Sahana's mother. We are all just happy to see you all in love and so happy... that's all that matters to us really" he smiled at me.

I didn't know what to tell to him.

"But do remember to leave the house early tomorrow morning... Sahana's grandparents aren't as open minded as us... nor are they so understanding..." he trailed off, to which I nodded in understanding.

"Good night beta" He smiled, walking back into the house through the back door, leaving me amazed and stunned there.

Would my parents too react like this if they found Reyansh tonight in my sister's bedroom?!

I almost chuckled out loudly at the thought - my dad would invite Reyansh over into the house and send him to go meet Ahana... my dad has actually lived through such experiences - he had crossed all levels of stupidity to go meet my mom after their engagement! Dad actually would be very proud of me if he were to get to know that I'm here sneaking into Sahana's bedroom to meet her! My mom wouldn't be so proud... but at least dad's on my side!

Grinning broadly, I went carefully dragged the ladder from Reyansh's balcony and leaned it against Sahana's balcony, before carefully climbing up.

Only when I'd stepped into the balcony had my eyes found the beautiful fiance of mine, who was stood right in front of me, crossing her arms across her chest and looking livid.

"Papa saw you!!" she hissed, her eyes burning with that angry fire.

"Yes.. and he has no problem!" I grinned, trying to hug her but she pushed me away.

"How can I look at him now?! How can I meet his gaze now?! He saw you and now he knows that you're spending the night here with me!! He'll know that we... we've... we've had sex... how can I meet his gaze now, knowing that he knows I'm not his innocent daughter?!" she hissed, her eyes brimming with tears of