"Nalina…."
"Nalina…, wake up beta,the sun has already come on top and you are still sleeping."
Warm sunrays cascading in their sitting area as Sumitra busy in morning chores, trying to wake Nalina up.
"He bhagwan, I don't know what to do this girl. There's so much work pending for the wedding and she's sleeping like there's no tomorrow."
She complains placing a hand on her waist.
Behind her Raghunath sitting on his usual spot reading newspaper smiled saying,
"It's Sunday, let her sleep a little more."
Poor Raghunath ji after diverting her anger upon himself goes back to reading again without realising it.
Sumitra fuming, turned around looked him and started again,
"You, it's all because of you,"she pointed.
"Me? What did I do?" He asked innocently.
"You don't know?You have spoiled her to this extent, it's all because of you."
"Say whatever you want to say to me but don't call my daughter spoiled okay."
Raghunath added as he continues reading the newspaper, over the years he has become immune to her talking.
"Don't call my daughter spoiled..ha.. today I'm the only one saying it but tomorrow the whole world will call her spoiled."
"We have so little time to prepare and she has her projects to deal with but what is she doing?.....work? No…, why? Because she is sleeping."
"... and you, I'm telling you, you are coming with me for shopping."
"Are, but…"
"No I don't want to listen anything just go and get ready, and wake up your spoiled princess."
Sumitra takes the newspaper from his hands, forcing him to stand up.
"Today we will shop for her jewelry and sarees." she continues watching Raghunath sulking at her
"huh…Both father and daughter are the same." shaking her head, sitting on the couch , she started reading the Newspaper with no anger but a small smile tugging at her complaining face.
____
After 30 minutes or so Nalina came downstairs
In gray cargo pants and white oversized shirt. Seeing Sumitra reading the Newspaper she came and sat beside her, half leaning on her her,
" Maa.., why don't you go shopping without me ?I only have half a day off and I know you will ruin it."
"Beta, when you wake-up at eleven o clock ,no one can ruin your day off."
"Ohh come on Maa…"
"Don't waste your words on her beta, your Maa being a morning person will never understand our pain." Behind them Raghunath came all ready to go with a glass of chocolate milk in hand.
"Here ." Thanks papa Nalina gave a full bloomed smile to him.
"Be quick beta , we are getting late,"Sumitra added.
"Yaa, okay Maa but first give me the newspaper. I can't start my day without it."
Sumitra sighed lightly, giving into her, " Here, I'll go get my bag but when I come back you must be ready okay?"
"Yeah." behind her Raghunath added in a low voice while looking back to make sure Sumitra doesn't hear him. " Don't mind her take your time, the article on the last page is excellently written, you can't miss it."
"Of course, how can I go out without reading the whole newspaper?" Nalina replied looking up at him as if stating an obvious fact.
Sumitra hearing everything whisperd to her self, "Dear God,one Raghunath was not enough so that you have to give me Raghunath part two too."
____________
They entered their family jweller's shop together, after greetings and some casual talk they started selecting jwellery for Nalina.
Nalina liked some polki sets but she wanted something different, realising her dilemma the jeweler suggested,
" Beta, if you give me a photo of jewelry to your liking, I can create the same for you."
"Ha, beta his suggestion is good, share some photos of your liking with them and they will create it for you." Raghunath nodded, agreeing with him that he turned toward Nalina and Sumitra.
Nalina too agreed his suggestion.
She opened her phone and started scrolling, trying to find jewelry of her choice. Meanwhile Sumitra and Raghunath started selecting a set for sumitra.
Finally she selected a bridal polki jewellery set in combination of light and dark pink. The whole set contains two necklace and earrings.
Sumitra liked her choice, "It's beautiful, but it's only necklace and earrings. What about other jewelry pics?." She asked, reminding her.
"Hm, what about this ?" Nalina showed other photos of bangles and rings.
After going through all the photos they selected the design of bangles and rings. The jeweller looking at her choice also nodded in approval, admiring Nalina's choice.
Though Nalina didn't plan to buy anything more, Raghunath insisted on buying more for his dear daughter.
"These jewelry are too heavy, you won't be able to wear them in routine, select some other for your daily wear and as your in-laws have given you permission to wear Western wear , select some design according to it."He said.
As she don't like to wear anything heavy she
Selected some other designs like simple traditional necklace, bracelet and earrings to wear on saree,poshak, kurta sets, salwar suits and some minimal pendant sets and rings for Western wear.
Sumitra told her select some bracelets to wear with jeans tops but Nalina didn't agree, " Maa, I already have too many bracelets and other minimal jwellery, I don't want to buy more."
"But ,beta half of them are brought from your own income, listen to me select some new ones."
While they were discussing the topic, the jeweler reminded them by saying, " Bhaiji, what would you like to buy for Damadji?."
"New designs of Men's bracelets have just come, would you like to see?"
Raghunath nodded in agreement, "...also, Show us some good designs of Chain with Sun pendant and Rings for him."
It took them two hours to select everything then Raghunath with purchased jwellery goes home and Nalina with Sumitra goes for Saree shopping where they had made an appointment to meet with Rekha and Jayaji.
In Market they shop together Nalina's saree from both side alongside they brought their own saree for every function of wedding.
Nalina have already ordered so many heavy sarees, kurta sets and western wear online, so now they only have to buy some sarees for daily wear.
As Their both houses are in front of eachother Nalina have grown a special bond with Rekha, so talk naturally with her, they all shop happily together talking, laughing and joking.
As they were talking suddenly Ashutosh walked in the shop , seeing him Jayaji looked at him in question, " what are you doing here Beta?"
"Maa, he came to pick up Nalina." Rekha told her.
"Yes, she only took half a day off and it's already past half a day." Ashutosh looked at his watch then at them and Finally his gaze fell on Nalina stopping on her for a moment, his eyes met hers before turning to Jayaji though his face didn't show any expression Nalina had seen his eyes shining playfully.
"But beta, we still have a lot of shopping to do."with Jayaji's voice Nalina came back from her thoughts.
"What can I do?As she only has half a day off." Ashutosh shrugs with expressionless face and then looks at her.
As if taking the clue Nalina added,
"Dadi, I have so much work pending I can't stay any longer and about shopping. Even if I stay here I will select according to you and aunty as I like the choice of you two more than mine. So select to your liking, I will definitely love it. I'll get going." She gave a sheepish smile to them and bid her farewell.
"Just don't buy anything too heavy."she added while leaving with Ashutosh. Ashutosh took her laptop bag for her, though his face shows nothing he was slightly leaning towards her, looking at her and she was looking at him while talking about something.
Watching them in such a harmony Rekha's lips lifted in a slight smile. Jayaji looking at them leaving added happily, "She's such a sweet talker that even our cold natured boy can't help but give in to her."
"You know, I thank God every day that He paired Nalina with Ashutosh." She smiled looking at Sumitra.
"Me too." Rekha and Sumitra's replies echoes together with their smiling faces.