Snapshots - Oberoi Family Edition

26. Maha - Aarti

Once Shivika's name was added in the Kul Patri, the rest of the rituals began.

Panditji: Ab bhar ke mukhiya, bacchi ke wajan anusaar mauhre daan karein.

Shakti: Maaf kijiye Panditji, main is baat se sehmat nahi hoon. Betiyaan toh ghar ki Lakshmi hoti hain. Lakshmi ko tol kar unka apmann main nahi kar sakta. Mere maanna hain, inta dhan baata jaaye jo sameint hi na paaye, waise hi jaise humari bacchi humari zindagiyon mein khushiyaan bhar di hain.

Panditji: Waah! Yajmaan, maine aaj tak kisi bhi parivaar ko ghar ki beti ko itna sneh aur aadar dete hue nahi dekha hain.

Tej: Panditji, yeh Shivika ke Dada hain. Jo yeh bolein, wahi kijiye.

Shakti: Beta Shivaay, Anika, tum dono koi aitraz toh nahi hain na?

Shivaay: Of course not dad and bade papa.

Panditji: Jo mauhre daan kiye jaane wale hain, unhe bacchi ki haathon se chhuaayein aur mata-papa svayam daan karein.

Shivaay and Anika did the ritual with Shivika.

Anika: Shivaay, Shivika bahot der se dhoop mein hain. Main ise room mein le jaati hoon. Feed karke thodi der sula doongi.

Pinky: Anika, I needs you here. Bahot kaam pada hain puttar, jo ghar ke bahu ko karne hoti .

Shivaay: Okay, phir main Shivika ko feed karke sula doonga.

Tej: Shivaay thodi der mein press conference hain, you'd have to be there.

ShivAni looked at each other worriedly.

Shivaay: Likin Shivika ka saath hum dono mein se kisi ek ko hone padega. Aaj ka din bhi bahot lamba aur hectic hain, use rest karna zaroori hain.

Gauri, who was finishing setting the clothes and grains aside for donation, jumped in to help.

Gauri: Arey itti si baat pe aap paresaan kaahe ho rahe hain? Hum hain na. Jiji, aap Shivika ke saath araam kar lijiye. Bade bhaiya, aap conference ki tayyari kar lije. Kaam hum sambhal lenge, hum toh is parivaar ki bahu hain.

Anika: Chutki, tu subah se yahaan-wahaan bhaag rahi hain-

Gauri: Jiji, humari chinta mat kijiye, hum first-class hain. Likin aapko araam karne zaroorat hain. Aap khaana-peena bhool jaati hain phir chakkar aa jate hain, Omkaraji ne bataya tha hume.

Anika: *huffs* Theek hain hain meri maa! Jaa rahi hoon.

Anika rolled her eyes while Shivaay discreetly clapped for Gauri. And soon, everyone got busy with preparations.

A couple hours later, Om arrived with the statue of the idol. Gauri has also finished helping Pinky and Jhanvi so she went to help him. Tej found the couple setting up and decorating the area where the Maha Aarti would take place.

Tej: Om kahaan the tum? Maine kaha tha na tumhe press conference attend karni hain. Rudra aur Priyanka tak wahan the likin mera beta nahi tha.

Om: *sarcastically* I'm sorry, main apni bhatiji ki pehle Maha Aarti ke liye murti banate hui phone nahi kiya.

Tej: Tumhari bhatiji ki chinta karne ke liye uske maa-baap kaafi hain. Aur waise bhi aaj ki Maha Aarti toh Shivaay akele hi karne wala hain so you should focus on yourself and the press.

RiKara looked at each other to ensure that they heard it right. And if it was true, how was Tej so calm about it?

Om: Shivaay akele? Aisa kyoon?

Tej: As you said, uski beti ki pehli Maha Aarti hain. She's the first born of her generation and uska baap hone ke naate, Shivaay aarti karega, *mummers* which Pinky has been raving about since morning.