“Dihan, why aren’t you saying anything? Can’t you see they’re not letting go of the gate? They’re demanding a full twenty thousand. Say something! Ruhaan and Tripti are acting as if they don’t even know us today.”
Whispering through his handkerchief, Ranbir said these words to Dihan. But Dihan was lost elsewhere—busy admiring his beloved’s face.
“Dihan!”
Hearing Ranbir call him again, Dihan snapped out of his thoughts and replied,
“Huh? What?”
“Damn it! Where were you lost? I’ve been talking to you all this time, and it’s like you didn’t hear a thing!”
“What can I do? I was busy admiring my beloved’s beauty. Oh, I’m dead!”
“Idiot! First, deal with this situation. Then, you can admire your beloved.”
“Pay twenty thousand, then go inside. Our demand is our demand!”
“It must be fulfilled! It must be fulfilled!”
Following Tripti’s lead, Ruhaan and the others started chanting slogans.
At last, Dihan came to his senses. Seeing Tripti and her group’s behavior, he said,
“Hey, aren’t you guys our friends? You’re acting like you don’t even know us!”
“Yes! We are your friends, and we will always be. But today, we are only Snigdha’s brothers and sisters.”
“I see… So this is why you all are sitting in front of Snigdha’s house? Just for some money? Ugh, just the thought of it makes me sick.”
“Yes, Dihan, you’re absolutely right. I feel sick too.”
Hearing Bipasha agree with Dihan, Tripti frowned and gave her a sharp look. Sensing something, Bipasha quickly went silent.
Meanwhile, Tripti yawned and said nonchalantly,
“If that’s what you think, then there’s nothing we can do. Pay us the money and then go inside. We are not here as friends today—only as Snigdha’s brothers and sisters. Right, Ruhaan?”
But Ruhaan wasn’t paying any attention to Tripti’s words. He was lost in Shubhrata’s presence.
Dressed in a white gown, Shubhrata looked exactly as she did on her birthday—the day Ruhaan first fell for her. And today, seeing her again in the same color, it felt like he was falling for her a second time.
Noticing Ruhaan’s silence, Tripti turned to him and was shocked—he was standing there grinning to himself.
As she followed his gaze, she saw Shubhrata looking around. Realizing what was happening, Tripti pinched Ruhaan and muttered,
“Idiot! Are you here to block the gate or flirt?”
Ruhaan finally snapped out of his trance.
“Oh no! Did Tripti figure it out? That would be a disaster!”
Panicking internally, Ruhaan stammered,
“W-What are you saying? Who am I even flirting with?”
“You secretly play your games, but the moment we call you out, you act all innocent. You think I don’t get it? Tripti doesn’t fall for tricks that easily, got it?”
Hearing that, Ruhaan had nothing more to say. He stayed silent.
Seeing him quiet, Tripti changed the topic.
“Idiot! Do something about them. They’re saying they can’t pay more than ten thousand.”
“Wait, I’ll handle it.”
Stepping forward, Ruhaan stood in front of Ranbir and his friends and said,
“So, you guys refuse to meet our demand?”
Dihan, with a smug expression, replied,
“We’ve already agreed. Half of twenty is ten thousand. It’s you guys who won’t accept it. What else can we do?”
“That won’t do! Ten plus ten equals twenty. We want the full amount!”
“Alright then. You all stay here. We’ll marry our friend off somewhere else.”
“Fine! In that case, we’ll marry off Snigdha elsewhere too. Go ahead, leave!”
“Alright, let’s go!”
Hearing Dihan’s words, Ranbir was taken aback. He looked at him, eyes wide with panic, and said,
“Brother, I’ve worked so hard to get Snigdha as my bride. If we leave now and someone else takes her away? No, no, I can’t take that risk. Just agree, man. Give them the money.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, yes! A hundred percent sure!”
Finally, giving in to Ranbir’s plea, Dihan handed over twenty thousand to Tripti and said,
“I’m only giving this because the groom asked. If it were up to me, I’d have walked away.”
Taking the money, Tripti made a face at Dihan and said,
“No doubt! A miser like you would definitely leave.”
Saying this, she handed Ranbir the scissors. The moment Ranbir cut the ribbon and stepped inside, everyone cheered and congratulated him.
Taking advantage of the commotion, Ruhaan quietly approached Shubhrata. Standing beside her, he whispered,
“Shubhrata looks even more radiant in white. Just like the first day I saw her, I think I’ve fallen in love for the second time. Oh, I’m doomed!”
Hearing this, Shubhrata narrowed her eyes at him.
Noticing her glare, Ruhaan added,
“Don’t look at me like that. There’s magic in your eyes—magic that makes me want to drown in them forever.”
Just as Shubhrata was about to say something, Dihan arrived. Seeing Shubhrata and Ruhaan together, he gave them a suspicious look.
Sensing trouble, Ruhaan quickly stepped away from Shubhrata and said,
“Dihan! Where’s your Bipasha, Natasha—uh, I mean Piyasha? Haven’t seen her around.”
Ignoring him, Shubhrata walked past them. As soon as she was gone, Ruhaan let out a relieved sigh.
Meanwhile, Dihan asked,
“Why do you care? What will you do with Natasha—oops, I mean Bipasha?”
Feigning thought, Ruhaan said,
“I was thinking of flirting a little. It’s such a big wedding house, yet here I am, standing alone. Isn’t that boring?”
“You bastard! You’re trying to flirt with your friend’s girlfriend?”
“Hey, a friend’s belongings should be shared, right?”
“First, tell me where Tripti is.”
Frowning, Ruhaan asked,
“What do you want with Tripti? Go hang out with your Piyasha.”
“Just tell me!”
“Something’s fishy here.”
“You can go find the fish later. First, tell me where Tripti is.”
Looking around, Ruhaan recalled,
“I saw her around here… Oh, wait! I remember now. I saw her heading towards the washroom.”
“Thank you so much. Now go and flirt with your Natasha, Bipasha, or Piyasha!”
Saying this, Dihan walked towards the washroom.
Today, for the first time, he was going to touch his beloved—and he would do it with utmost caution.
Meanwhile, watching Dihan’s actions, Ruhaan stood there, dumbfounded, his lips curled in disbelief.
