(Not) Just a dream (OR, the ICT steals a groom)

A Jaddu-likely plot

"And how are we going to whisk Shubman off from the altar?" asked Ash.

"Shouldn't be hard," said Jaddu, without taking a single second to think. "The hall doesn't have windows except the skylights, so we'll switch off the lights, Yuzi can put on a loud song and I'll pull Shubman off when he's nearest to the side door when he's doing the pheras."

"And then?" demanded Ash.

"Everyone will come running after us, you know," Rahul said.

"So what, we can run faster," said Jaddu, rolling his eyes. "Me and Jinks can do the actual pulling. We'll pull Shubman to a room far away before anyone has time to react. You guys will be waiting there to lock the door as soon as we enter--"

"And then?" asked everyone.

"We'll send Shubman out of the window," improvised Jaddu.

"We can't drop him out of the window!" said Virat indignantly.

"Obviously we don't drop him," said Jaddu, hitting Virat's shoulder. "We send him outside, we're on the ground floor."

"And Ishan--" said Rishabh, thinking fast (he couldn't come up with ideas without thinking like Jaddu, of course). "We have to take Ishan into our plan...Ishan will be waiting outside the window to pull him away."

"Away, where?" said Rahul.

"Let them figure something out," said Shreyas. "We can't do everything for them, we're already doing more than enough!"

"It seems to me we'd be putting those two kids in a spot from where they will have no idea what to do," said Rohit drily.

"You two have no more say in our plans," said Hardik nastily.

On cue, a commotion rose. The poor priest was being accompanied into the hallway, still muttering about who had locked him in. The mischief-makers moved aside to let them past.

Shubman and Shresta's parents were assuring they'd find out who had done it; Shahneel gave Jaddu, Hardik and Virat an uber-nasty glance as she passed, but it was clear she hadn't snitched, so she got winks and thumbs-ups in return.

The incident has set the schedule behind by half an hour, at any rate.

"We're lucky we delayed the priest." Virat glared at Rohit and Rahul.  "Otherwise we wouldn't have any time to prepare at all."

"It was you guys, wasn't it?" Dilip sir said in his usual tone associated with his mentees. "Locking him up?"

Everyone shuffled their feet.

"And what are you planning next?" asked Dilip sir.

"Nothing!" said Hardik. "Nothing at all, sir!"

"Hardik, you know that act doesn't work on me." Dilip sir sounded matter-of-fact. "I wouldn't ask what you're planning, but I must insist you all come inside with me and keep quiet for the ceremony today, at least."

Silence.

Their coach observed them sternly.

"We can't, Dilip sir!" said Rohit finally. "We have a very important mission that must succeed."

"Does it have something to do with disruption of your poor brother's wedding?" asked Dilip sir.

"It does have to do with disruption of the wedding," admitted Virat. "But Shubman won't be any the poorer for it, we promise."

"I don't believe that. Come on, come inside."

Everyone exchanged desperate glances.

"We need your help, Dilip sir," blurted out Kuldeep.