Author pov...

Pandit Ji watched silently, his eyes following every little movement.

Then, as Rahul and Ishani took the bold step of marrying each other, he walked over to them.

Standing before the couple, he asked gently, "Do you both truly love each other?"

Under the hazy spell of bhang, their laughter mingled with sincerity. "Yes," they confessed together, "we love each other deeply."

A warm smile spread across Pandit Ji's face.

He blessed them for their union, his voice carrying both joy and solemnity.

"May you always remain together like this, in love and harmony," he said, his eyes shining with genuine affection.

With that, he turned and quietly walked away, leaving Rahul and Ishani wrapped in their own world of happiness.

Ishaani swayed slightly as she stepped closer to Rahul, the bright afternoon sunlight blurring at the edges of her vision.

The sounds of distant laughter, splashing colors, and festive music floated through the air, but everything around her felt soft and unreal like a dream she couldn't quite wake from.

A faint, careless smile lingered on her lips as she looked up at him.

"Rahul..." she asked, her voice light and hazy, "now that we're married... what are we supposed to do next?"

Rahul blinked slowly, trying to steady his thoughts as the world tilted ever so slightly.

For a long moment he simply stared at her, as if her question had to travel through layers of fog before reaching his mind.

He pressed his fingers to his temple, thinking with exaggerated seriousness.

"Well..." he said at last, "we got married... which means you're my wife now."

A soft, proud smile spread across Ishaani's face.

She nodded with complete sincerity, though she had to grab his sleeve to keep her balance.

"Yes," she murmured sweetly, "I'm your wife."

Suddenly Rahul's expression lit up, as if he had remembered something extremely important.

"Then you have to come home with me," he declared. "There will be your grah pravesh there."

"Right now?" she asked, squinting slightly at the golden sunlight around them, confused. "In the middle of the day?"

Rahul tried to stand straighter, gathering whatever dignity he could.

"We just got married," he insisted in a determined, almost childlike tone. "So it has to happen now."

She stared at him for a second at his serious face, at the absolute certainty in his voice and then laughter escaped her, soft and uncontrollable.

She clung to his arm to steady herself, while he attempted to look composed and nearly stumbled too.

Rahul looked at her determined face and nodded, as if they had just made the most serious plan in the world.

"Come," he said, gently holding her hand. "We have to go home."

Ishaani tightened her grip on his fingers like a small child afraid of getting lost. "Don't leave my hand," she warned softly. "I'll fall."

"I won't," he promised, though he himself nearly tripped on the very first step.

They began walking or at least trying to.

Their steps were slow, uneven, and completely out of sync.

Sometimes they moved too fast and had to stop, sometimes they stopped for no reason at all, staring around as if they had forgotten where they were going.

"Is your house... always this far?" Ishaani asked, breathing dramatically as if they had walked miles.

Rahul squinted ahead, trying to focus on the road that seemed to split into two, then three.

"No... I think the road is moving," he whispered seriously.

She gasped, eyes widening. "Why would the road move? That's cheating."

They took a few more steps before Ishaani suddenly stopped.

"Rahul..." she said, tugging his sleeve.

"What happened?" he asked immediately, worried.

"I think... the ground is shaking."

He froze, then nodded with equal seriousness. "Yes. It is. We should stand still until it stops."

So they stood there, still holding hands, swaying slightly like two confused children waiting for permission to move again.

After a moment, Rahul spotted a low wall nearby. "Let's sit for one minute," he said. "Then we'll go."

"One minute only," she agreed obediently.

They sat down, shoulders touching. Ishaani rested her head on his shoulder without thinking, her eyes half-closed, a soft smile on her face.

Rahul looked down at her, confused but protective, as if he had suddenly been given a responsibility he didn't fully understand.

"Rahul..." she murmured, her head still resting on his shoulder, "did we reach?"

Rahul looked around in confusion at the same wall, the same road, the same people passing by. He frowned, deeply disappointed.

"No..." he said softly. "I think... we're still on the way."

She lifted her head with great effort and looked around too, as if the answer might be hiding somewhere nearby.

"Oh," she whispered, processing this tragic news. "We didn't walk properly."

Rahul suddenly straightened, determination returning to his face. "Okay. This time we'll walk in a straight line."

"Promise?" she asked, holding out her little finger.

He stared at it for a second, then hooked his finger with hers very seriously. "Promise."

They stood up together too quickly and immediately wobbled.

Ishaani grabbed both his arms, and Rahul instinctively held her shoulders so she wouldn't fall.

For a moment they just stood there, too close, trying to steady each other while almost laughing.

"Wait," Rahul said, concentrating hard. "First balance... then walking."

"Okay," she agreed obediently, as if he were giving very important instructions.

Step by step, they started again.

"One..." he counted.

"Two..." she echoed.

By "three," they were already off rhythm, bumping into each other and dissolving into helpless giggles.

After a few steps, Ishaani suddenly stopped again.

"What now?" Rahul asked, half worried, half exhausted.

She pointed ahead with dramatic seriousness. "Which one is your house?"

Rahul followed her finger she was pointing at three completely different directions at once.

He squinted, turning his head left and right. "I... I think my house is not standing still."

Ishaani looked shocked. "Your house is also moving?"

He nodded gravely. "Yes. Everything is moving today."

She thought about this, then smiled in a small, sleepy way. "It's okay... we'll find it tomorrow."

The determination drained out of him instantly. "Yes... tomorrow is better."

Without another word, they slowly sat down again this time on the roadside bench shoulders touching, hands still loosely intertwined as if neither trusted the world enough to let go.

Ishaani leaned against him once more, her eyes drifting shut.

Rahul rested his head lightly against hers, both of them calm now, their earlier urgency forgotten.

"We'll go home," he murmured drowsily.

"Hmm," she whispered. "Together."

Time passed quietly around them, the noise of the world fading into a distant hum.

Ishaani shifted slightly, her fingers tightening around Rahul's hand as if afraid he might disappear if she let go.

"Rahul..." she whispered, her voice softer now, almost childlike, "what if your family scolds me? I didn't even bring anything... not even properly ready."

Rahul lifted his head, trying hard to look confident despite the haze in his eyes.

"No one will scold you," he said with slow certainty. "You're... my wife. They have to love you."

She looked at him, searching his face as if his words were the only truth she could trust. "Really?"

"Really," he nodded, then added after a pause, "and if they scold you... I'll scold them back."

A tiny smile appeared on her lips. "You'll fight everyone for me?"

He thought about it very seriously, then nodded again. "Yes. But... politely."

She let out a soft laugh and leaned her head against his shoulder once more, comforted in a way she didn't fully understand.

After a moment, Rahul looked down at their joined hands, studying them with quiet fascination.

"We're actually married," he murmured, as if still trying to believe it himself.

Ishaani followed his gaze, her cheeks warming slightly. "Hmm... don't leave my hand after this," she said softly.

"I won't," he promised immediately, tightening his grip just a little.

A group of people passed by laughing, throwing colors in the air, reminding them of the chaos they had somehow wandered out of.

Rahul watched them for a second, then turned back to her.

"We didn't even eat anything after the wedding," he said suddenly, sounding concerned.

Ishaani blinked slowly. "Are we supposed to?"

"I think so," he replied, completely unsure.

She nodded as if this was very important information. "Okay... then first food... then home."

Rahul tried to stand again, pulling her gently with him.

This time they managed to stay upright, though they leaned on each other like two fragile pillars.

"Slowly," he instructed.

"Slowly," she repeated.

But after barely walking a short distance, Ishaani suddenly rested her head against his arm again.

"Rahul... I'm sleepy."

He looked down at her, helpless and fond at the same time. "Me too."

A little distance away, in the same blur of colors and noise, Deepak and

Deeksha wandered in slow, unsteady circles both searching desperately for each other.

Deepak shaded his eyes with his hand, squinting at the crowd as if that would help him see clearly.

"Deeksha!" he called out, his voice slightly slurred. "Where did you go?"

Right in front of him, barely a few steps away, Deeksha was doing the exact same thing turning left and right, scanning faces with intense concentration.

"Deepak!" she called back, frustrated. "Stop hiding, this isn't funny!"

They moved closer... and closer... until they were standing almost face to face yet both kept looking past each other, completely missing what was right in front of them.

Deepak frowned at the empty air just beside her shoulder.

"I think she disappeared," he muttered dramatically.

Deeksha sighed, staring at the space above his head.

"He always leaves me alone in crowds," she complained.

At one point, they even turned at the exact same time, their shoulders lightly bumping.

"Sorry!" they both said together to no one in particular before continuing their search in opposite directions.

Deepak suddenly stopped, thinking hard. "Maybe... she turned invisible."

Deeksha, only a step behind him, gasped softly. "Or maybe he shrunk."

They both nodded at their own theories with complete seriousness.

Finally, exhausted, they leaned against the same pillar on opposite sides sighing at the exact same moment.

"I miss you," Deepak murmured sadly.

"Where are you?" Deeksha whispered at the same time.

So close that they could have touched... yet completely lost in their own dizzy worlds, the two of them kept searching unaware that the person they were looking for was right there, just one confused step away.

Deeksha suddenly straightened, as if a brilliant idea had flashed through the fog in her mind.

"Wait..." she murmured to herself, pressing her fingers to her temple with exaggerated seriousness. "If I find Rahul... Rahul will find Deepak!"

She gasped softly, amazed at her own intelligence. "Yes... perfect plan."

Meanwhile, on the other side of the pillar, Deepak heard the name and instantly perked up.

"Rahul?" he repeated, turning in slow circles. "Yes... Rahul knows everything."

He began following the sound of her voice, but because both of them were walking in wobbly, unpredictable paths, they kept missing each other by inches.

Deeksha stopped a random girl in pink. "Excuse me... are you Rahul?"

The girl stared at her, shocked. "No!"

"Oh," Deeksha said politely, as if that made complete sense, and continued her mission.

Deepak, now equally determined, pointed at someone across the road. "Rahul! Come here!"

A group of boys burst into laughter, but he waved them off seriously. "Not you... the real Rahul."

Deeksha suddenly halted again, swaying slightly. "What if Rahul is also lost?" she whispered in horror.

Deepak froze mid-step, as if he had heard her thoughts from afar. "Yes... what if everyone is lost?"

Both of them looked around at the spinning world, their determination slowly melting into confusion.

"Okay..." Deeksha said to herself, nodding bravely. "First Rahul. Then Deepak."

At the exact same time, Deepak muttered, "First Rahul. Then Deeksha."

Deeksha turned a corner in her unsteady search, still mumbling to herself.

"First Rahul... then Deepak... very good plan..." when suddenly she bumped straight into someone.

"Oof!"

"Hey watch it!" a familiar voice protested.

She looked up slowly, blinking again and again as if her eyes were playing tricks on her.

The face in front of her seemed to come in and out of focus.

"Deepak...?" she said uncertainly.

Deepak, who had been rubbing his shoulder dramatically, froze.

He leaned forward, squinting at her face from barely an inch away.

"Deeksha...?" he echoed, equally unsure.

They both stared at each other in stunned silence then broke into wide, relieved laughter at the exact same moment.

"I FOUND YOU!" they shouted together.

Without caring about balance, Deeksha grabbed his arm tightly like she was afraid he might disappear again.

"Where did you go? I was looking everywhere!"

"I was looking for you!" Deepak protested, pointing vaguely behind him. "You kept moving!"

"You were the one moving!" she argued back, swaying slightly.

He paused, thinking very hard... then nodded. "Okay... maybe both of us were moving."

She considered this seriously and nodded too. "Yes. That's the problem."

For a moment they just stood there laughing for no reason, relieved and dizzy and completely unaware of how ridiculous they looked.

Then Deeksha suddenly remembered something and gasped. "Rahul!"

Deepak's eyes widened as if she had just reminded him of a forgotten mission. "Yes! We were looking for Rahul!"

Both of them turned in the same direction with dramatic determination.

"Come," Deepak said, offering his hand very formally.

She placed her hand in his with equal seriousness. "Let's go find him."

They took exactly three steps forward before bumping into each other again, dissolving into helpless giggles, their grand mission already slipping into another adorable, chaotic attempt.

Deepak and Deeksha finally stopped in the middle of the road, both swaying slightly as the world tilted around them.

Their grand mission of finding Rahul had dissolved into dizziness and exhaustion.

"I can't walk anymore," Deeksha mumbled, leaning heavily on his arm. "The ground is not standing properly."

Deepak nodded with full agreement. "Yes... it keeps moving."

They stood there quietly for a moment, trying very hard to balance.

Then Deepak suddenly frowned. "Wait... why are we looking for Rahul?"

Deeksha blinked slowly, as if the question had taken a long journey to reach her mind.

Then she lifted one finger in the air, proud of herself.

"Because... I have to tell him something," she said with drunken seriousness.

"What?" Deepak asked, instantly curious.

She shook her head stubbornly, almost losing her balance in the process. "Nooo... I won't tell you. Only Rahul."

"Okaaay," Deepak said, stretching the word. "Then we'll video call him. You tell him there."

Deeksha gasped softly, impressed by what sounded like a genius plan. "Yes... call him right now."

Deepak pulled out his phone with extreme concentration, holding it too close to his face, pressing random buttons until the camera opened on video recording.

"Done," he announced proudly. "Rahul is here."

Deeksha leaned in, her expression suddenly soft and emotional, her eyes glassy but sincere.

"Rahul..." she whispered to the screen, placing her hand over her heart. "I have to tell you something very important..."

Deepak watched her, confused and strangely nervous.

"I think... I'm in love," she admitted, her voice trembling with shy honesty. "I didn't want to be... but I am."

Deepak froze, his hazy mind struggling to process her words.

"You always take care of me... even when I fight with you," she continued dreamily. "You don't leave me ... and when I can't find you, I feel lost... like something is missing."

And the phone kept recording silently capturing a slurred confession, a stunned boy, and two hearts floating somewhere between confu

Deeksha's eyes were heavy, unfocused, searching through the blur in front of her as if reality had become a puzzle she couldn't solve.

The world swayed, faces melting into one another and then suddenly, one face stayed.

She stared at Deepak... but in her dazed mind, she saw someone else.

Her breath hitched.

"Rahul...?" she whispered, disbelief and relief crashing together in her voice.

Her fingers trembled as they reached for his collar, clutching it tightly like he might vanish if she didn't hold on.

"I love you, Rahul," she said, the words spilling out of her heart without hesitation, without awareness, pure and unfiltered. "Finally... I found you... you found me..."

Deepak blinked in shock then let out a soft, disbelieving laugh, the kind that comes when something feels too unreal to be true.

"You found me, huh..." he murmured, still smiling in a dazed, confused way, not even sure what was happening anymore.

Before he could think, before he could speak again, Deeksha suddenly pulled him closer by his collar and kissed him.

It was sudden. Clumsy. Full of dizzy

emotion she couldn't control.

Deepak's eyes widened, his mind going completely blank.

For a second he just stood there, stunned, hands hovering uselessly in the air as if he had forgotten how to exist.

Nothing made sense not her words, not her tears, not the warmth of her so close to him.

But the haze swallowed his thoughts before they could form.

Instinct took over where logic failed.

Slowly, uncertainly, he leaned in too returning the kiss without fully understanding why, pulled by the same emotional gravity that had pulled her.

It wasn't perfect. Their noses bumped. They almost lost balance. Both of them were half laughing, half breathless, completely lost.

His hand slipped to her waist to steady her when she swayed, fingers tightening there unconsciously, holding her so she wouldn't fall.

Her hand stayed tangled in his collar, gripping the fabric like an anchor to reality.

They broke apart for a second, foreheads touching, both breathing unevenly, eyes barely open then leaned in again in another soft, confused kiss, as if neither of them knew how to stop.

Around them, the world kept moving, unaware.

Deepak pulled back just a fraction of an inch, his eyes glazed and heavy-lidded.

A lazy, lopsided grin spread across his face as he exhaled a shaky breath.

"Wow," he whispered, his voice sounding like it was coming from far away. "One more time? Let's... let's do that again."

Deeksha giggled, a soft, bubbly sound that floated through the air. She felt light, as if her bones were made of feathers.

Reaching out with clumsy, warm fingers, she hooked them into his shirt to pull him back.

"Yes," she breathed, her voice thick and sugary. "Again. Everything feels so... good. Again."

They crashed back together, their movements slow and uncoordinated, guided only by the magnetic heat between them.

This time, all restraint dissolved into the fog of the nasha.

As their lips met, the kiss became deep and uninhibited.

Their mouths opened to one another, and their tongues met in a slick, slick heat a wet, desperate exploration that tasted of reckless abandon.

It was messy and raw, their senses drowning in the rhythmic pulse of the moment.

Deeksha let out a muffled moan into his mouth, the sensation sending ripples through her hazy mind, making it impossible to tell where she ended and he began.

They were lost in the swirl, two souls drifting together in a beautiful, blurred reality.

The high from the bhang was peaking now, making every touch feel magnified, like a slow-burning electric current.

Deepak pulled back from her lips just an inch, his breath warm and ragged against

With a slow, heavy-lidded gaze, he began to wander.

He pressed his lips to her cheeks, his touch soft and lingering, before sliding down to the sharp line of her jaw.

Deeksha gasped, her head tilting back involuntarily.

The world was spinning, but his touch was the only thing anchoring her.

"Mm, rahul..." she murmured, her voice thick with the nasha.

He didn't stop. He moved to the sensitive curve of her neck, his kisses becoming more fervent, more desperate.

Every press of his lips sent a fresh wave of heat through her hazy mind.

Craving more, she arched her body, pressing herself flush against him, her fingers tangling clumsily in his hair to pull him closer.

Deepak drifted lower, his lips grazing the delicate bone of her collarbone, leaving a trail of fire in their wake.

His hands were shaky but sure as they moved down.

Finally, he leaned forward, pressing his face against the soft curve of her breasts.

Even through the fabric of her clothes, the contact was electric.

He kissed her there, the sensation muffled by the cloth but intense enough to make

Deeksha's breath hitch in a long, shaky moan.

Just then, without warning, Deepak collapses onto the ground and loses consciousness.

Intoxicated and disoriented, Deeksha too succumbs a few moments later, her vision fading into darkness.

The world around them falls eerily silent as they lie there, unmoving.

But Deepak's phone, forgotten beside him, continues to record capturing every second of that.

On the other side, Vaibhav noticed that Divya had finally fallen asleep.

Carefully, he freed himself from her loose hold and slipped off the bed, as if even the slightest sound might wake the chaos again.

His heart was already pounding with worry.

He stepped out of his room and hurried down the corridor, calling softly for his mother.

Malini emerged from her room, her face creased with concern.

"What happened, Vaibhav?" she asked, her voice heavy with sleep and sudden fear.

"Divya drank bhang... she's asleep in my room," he said quickly, trying to steady his breath. "Please check on her. I'm going to find Ishani, Rahul, Deepak, and Deeksha. They drank it too."

Shock flashed across Malini's face. For a moment she could only stare at him, speechless.

Then she nodded, forcing calm into her voice. "Go, beta. Find them... quickly."

Vaibhav rushed outside. The world beyond the gate was a blur of colors, laughter, and music.

People were drenched in gulal dancing wildly, lost in the madness of Holi.

He searched frantically, asking anyone he could, but no one was in their senses enough to help.

Anxiety tightened in his chest as he walked farther down the road.

Then he saw them.

A little ahead, sitting right in the middle of the road, were Ishani and Rahul.

Relief and disbelief crashed into him at once. He ran to them. "Ishani! Rahul! Are you both okay?"

They looked up at him with dreamy smiles, their eyes unfocused, their faces smeared with colors. In their intoxicated haze, they giggled.

"We're fine," Ishani said, her words slow and floating.

"But this road... it just won't stop. It keeps moving, and moving... we can't reach home." She burst into laughter, and Rahul joined her, as if it was the funniest thing in the world.

Vaibhav stared at them, stunned. "What are you even saying? The bhang has really hit you both. Come on, get up we're going home."

"But we are going home," Ishani insisted sweetly.

"For our grah pravesh," she added, as though revealing a beautiful secret.

"Where are you going? You're just sitting here!" Vaibhav said, trying to pull them up.

Rahul shook his head, laughing harder. "We're standing... can't you see? The road is the one that's moving."

Vaibhav froze, his mind spinning as he listened to their nonsense. For a second he wondered if he was the one losing his sanity.

Watching them laugh helplessly at nothing, hearing their impossible words, something inside his head finally snapped.

His brain felt like it would explode.

"What kind of madness is this...?" he whispered to himself, running a hand through his hair, realizing that Holi had turned into a disaster he never could have imagined.

Somehow, Vaibhav managed to pull Ishani up onto her feet.

She swayed like a fragile puppet, her balance slipping with every breath, her laughter spilling into the air for no reason at all.

Before she could collapse again, he caught her by the shoulders.

"Stand properly, Ishani... please," he muttered, half-pleading, half-exhausted.

Then he turned to Rahul, who was still sitting on the road, staring suspiciously at his own hands as if they didn't belong to him.

Vaibhav grabbed him too and hauled him up with effort.

Finally, he placed himself between them, gripping each of their wrists firmly, like a man trying to control two mischievous children.

"Now we're going home. No arguments," he declared.

They began walking or rather.

Vaibhav dragged them forward while they stumbled on either side of him.

Ishani suddenly gasped in wonder.

"Vaibhav bhaiya ... why does your face have three faces?" she asked, squinting at him seriously. "Which one should I talk to?"

Rahul leaned closer, whispering loudly, "Don't trust him... he's the road. He's moving us."

Vaibhav shut his eyes for a second, inhaling deeply, as if praying for patience. "I am not the road. Just walk."

A few steps later, Ishani stopped abruptly, pulling his arm back.

"Wait! We forgot to take the sky with us," she said with urgent concern, pointing upward.

Rahul nodded gravely. "Yes... if we leave it here, someone will steal it."

Vaibhav looked up at the perfectly normal sky, then back at them, his expression a mixture of disbelief and helplessness.

"Fine," he said tiredly. "The sky is coming with us. Now walk."

They resumed moving, but Rahul suddenly began humming a wedding tune, swaying dramatically. "Baraat aa gayi..." he sang off-key, nearly tripping over his own feet.

Ishani clapped happily. "Vaibhav, bhaiya dance! It's our grah pravesh!"

"I swear, both of you will be at the end of me," Vaibhav muttered, tightening his grip as they lurched again.

And under his breath, he whispered, half annoyed, half relieved,

"Next Holi... none of you are touching bhang again."

Ishani suddenly turned to Rahul, her eyes dreamy and unfocused. "Rahul... come here... I need you," she said, her words floating like cotton candy in the air.

Vaibhav, standing nearby and holding both of them upright, groaned. "Ishani... he's right here! Rahul's right here!"

Ishani blinked slowly, as if the concept of "right here" was completely foreign.

"Where?" she asked innocently, tilting her head.

Rahul raised his arms dramatically, still swaying slightly.

"I'm here!" he announced proudly. "But... I need you too, Ishani."

Ishani and Rahul giggled at each other, swaying dangerously, completely ignoring Vaibhav's growing panic.

Finally, they reached the doorstep, Vaibhav's legs trembling from exhaustion and his shirt plastered with every possible color of Holi gulal.

He planted himself firmly, glaring at the two of them.

"Enough! We've reached home, alright? No more nonsense. You two can talk inside, inside the house!" he said, exasperation dripping from every word.

Ishani, swaying slightly and still grinning, pointed dramatically at the entrance. "But... I need to do my grah pravesh!"

Vaibhav blinked, deadpan. "Your... grah pravesh? Here? You're standing at the doorstep. Just walk inside!"

Rahul, equally swaying and giggling, chimed in, "Hmm... and I need to do it too... with Ishani, of course."

Vaibhav's eyes practically rolled out of his head. "With each other?! You two are literally standing in front of the door! Your grah pravesh will happen... inside! Just... walk!"

Ishani grabbed Rahul's hand and tugged him toward the house, still wobbling and laughing.

Rahul followed, humming some random tune, occasionally pointing at random objects. "The clouds! They're watching! We must bow!"

Just then, Malini appeared, stepping into the scene.

Her eyes widened at the sight of Rahul and Ishani, swaying like two tipsy dolls, colors smeared across their faces and clothes, laughter spilling uncontrollably.

She turned sharply to Vaibhav, her voice a mixture of shock and frustration. "Vaibhav... how did all of this happen? How did they all drink bhang? And you... you're older! You should have been watching them!"

Vaibhav scratched his head, looking utterly exhausted. "How could I, Maa... it's Holi!

Everyone thought it was just thandai. Nobody expected..." he trailed off, the colors on his shirt almost blending with his guilt.

Malini's gaze sharpened. "And Deepak and Deeksha? Where are they?"

Vaibhav exhaled, running a hand over his face. "I'm trying to find them too, Maa. They're... somewhere in this chaos. I just haven't reached them yet."

Malini, sighing, nodded, her worry tempered by a hint of resolve. "Alright. Go then. Bring them both back as well."

Vaibhav's eyes widened, realizing that the mission wasn't over.

Vaibhav wandered frantically, asking everyone he met if they had seen them.

But no one could help.

Desperate, he showed a man a photo of Deepak and Deeksha on his phone.

Only then did the man say, "Oh, those kids? They were playing Holi right here... I don't know where they went after that."

Vaibhav muttered to himself, "I'll keep looking," and continued his search.

Finally, behind a tree, he found them Deepak and Deeksha both unconscious, lying there with the phone still playing.

Shocked, Vaibhav whispered, "What the hell is happening? Today's Holi turned into a storm."

He tried to wake them up. Nothing. So he brought water and poured it over them.

Slowly, both stirred, blinking, disoriented.

"Tsunami... has hit," they groaned, half-laughing, and half-crazed.

Vaibhav shook his head. "Nothing's happening, come on, let's go home."

But the two of them, high on bhang, clung to the moment, confused and carefree.

Deeksha hugged Deepak tightly, refusing to leave. "I'm not going anywhere... except with Rahul,"

She whispered, giggling. Deepak, smiling, held her back. "Hmm... I'm not leaving either."

Vaibhav watched them, stunned, and said, "Wait... that's not Rahul... it's Deepak."

Deeksha, still laughing uncontrollably, said, "Are you out of your mind? Did you drink bhang too?"

Deepak laughed along, their joy wild and infectious. Vaibhav stared at them, torn between worry and disbelief.

He finally tried to drag them up, standing them both upright, but the moment he did, they screamed, "Help! Help! He's kidnapping me!"

Vaibhav grabbed both of them gently but firmly, trying to calm the chaos. "Shh... shh... I'm not kidnapping you," he said, his voice steady but urgent. "I'm taking you home, you fools."

But Deepak and Deeksha, still lost in the haze of bhang, struggled in his arms.

Their eyes wide, they screamed at the top of their lungs, "He's kidnapping us! He's taking us away!"

Vaibhav's patience wavered, but he held on tighter, trying to reason with them. "Listen to me! I'm not the kidnapper!"

Somehow, Vaibhav managed to get both of them home.

The entire way, Deepak and Deeksha kept screaming and shouting, their voices rising over the chaos, completely lost in their own world.

When they reached the house, Rani and Devnath were there.

The moment they saw Deepak and Deeksha, they stared in disbelief.

"How did they even manage to drink bhang?" they murmured, shaking their heads.

Meanwhile, Rahul and Ishani were deep in conversation, oblivious to the

chaos around them. Deepak and

Deeksha continued yelling, caught in their own whirlwind of bhang-induced madness.

Hearing all the commotion, Divya came out of the room.

Her eyes widened as she took in the scene, and then she saw Vaibhav.

Without hesitation, she ran to him and hugged him tightly, burying her face against his chest. "You left me, didn't you?" she whispered.

Rani, Devnath, and Malini watched silently, a mixture of concern and amusement on their faces.

Vaibhav, flustered and stumbling over his words, tried to explain, "No... no, I was right here!"

Divya pulled back just a little, her eyes searching his, and said teasingly, "Oh really? You weren't lying then?"

"I was right here, Divya..." Vaibhav replied, his voice shaky.

Vaibhav both nervous and happy at the same time.

Even as Vaibhav tried to gather his thoughts with Divya clinging to him, the background was a storm of noise.

Deepak and Deeksha were still yelling and laughing hysterically, rolling on the floor, tripping over each other, and waving their arms wildly.

"Help! He's kidnapping me!" Deeksha screamed, only to burst into laughter a moment later.

Deepak shouted back, "No, I'm not going! I want to stay!" Their voices collided with each other, creating a cacophony of chaos that filled the entire house.

Rani, Devnath, and Malini could hardly keep straight faces.

Rani sighed, "I can't believe this... bhang has completely taken over them."

Devnath shook his head, muttering, "This is worse than any Holi I've seen in years."

Meanwhile, Divya held onto Vaibhav tightly, burying her face in his chest. "You really didn't leave me, did you?" she whispered, almost breathless from emotion.

Vaibhav hugged her back, trying to calm both her and himself. "I was right here, Divya. I never left."

But Divya smiled, still clinging, her fingers tangled in his shirt. "Hmm... sure, you were. But you

better stay right here now."

"Ishani... are you... spinning too, or is it just me?" Rahul giggled, clutching his stomach as a wave of dizziness made him wobble.

Ishani burst into laughter, throwing her head back. "Yes! I think the whole world is spinning... and maybe... maybe we're spinning too!" Her words slurred slightly, each syllable stretching out as if the world had slowed down.

Suddenly, a loud thud echoed as Deepak tripped over a chair, dragging Deeksha with him. Both of them tumbled into the sofa, still laughing and yelling incoherently.

Malini shook her head, but even she smiled. "Looks like tonight's Holi isn't over yet... and these five won't let it end quietly."

Vaibhav looked at Divya, who was still clinging to him, and whispered with a tired but fond smile, "At least some things are normal in this madness."

Devnath and Rani somehow managed to drag Rahul and Divya back home, while Vaibhav dropped off Deepak and Deeksha in their home

For the next two or three days, they remained in a complete stupor, lost to the heavy intoxication of the bhang.

Finally, one morning, Divya stumbled out of her room. Her head was spinning, the world tilting on its axis.

"Mummy, my head hurts... everything is spinning," she groaned, clutching her temples.

Rani looked at her, unimpressed. "Go on, drink more bhang This is exactly what happens. Your engagement is in four days, and look at the state of you! Over there, Rahul and Ishani haven't even opened their eyes yet. I don't know what's going on anymore I'm having to handle everything alone."

Divya sat down heavily. Slowly, the fog in her mind began to clear. The engagement. Clothes. Makeup. The ring.

The sheer mountain of preparations hit her all at once. Panic sparked in her chest.

She hurried to Rahul's room and found him still dead to the world. She shook him hard, trying to break through the haze.

At first, he didn't budge his brain felt like it was swimming in the lead.

"Get up, Rahul! We've been out for three days!" Divya shouted.

Rahul groaned, blinking as the room swirled around his room.

He looked around, disoriented, unable to process her words.

"Get up, Bhai! There's so much to do!" she snapped before rushing out.

After a quick shower to clear her senses, Divya approached her father. "Papa, I need money for shopping."

Devnath didn't look up. "I gave all the money to Rani. She'll get you whatever you need. Just buy the clothes for everyone else while you're at it."

Divya stood her ground. "No, Papa. I need money for something else. Please, just give it to me."

"How much?" Devnath asked, suspicious.

"Twenty thousand."Divya said

Devnath looked at her, shocked. "Twenty thousand? What on earth are you going to do with that much?"

Divya's expression softened, her voice laced with a playful yet piercing sadness. "Papa, I'm going to leave this house in a few days anyway. Can't you even give me this much?"

Devnath let out a long, heavy sigh. He couldn't argue with that.

He went into his room, returned with the cash, and handed it over. "Don't try to emotional blackmail me too much," he muttered, though a hint of affection lingered in his voice.

Divya laughed, just as a freshly showered Rahul finally walked into the room.

Divya said, "Rahul is here."

Rahul still didn't fully understand what was happening he just muttered, "Hmm."

Rani suggested, "Let's have some breakfast first, and then we'll see what needs to be done."

The Pathak family gathered and started eating.

Meanwhile, Malini went to wake Ishani. Ishani slowly got up, holding her head.

Malini asked gently, "Are you still feeling the effects of the intoxication?"

Ishani just nodded silently.

"Alright," Malini said. "Go take a bath, then have some breakfast. If you still want to sleep afterward, you can."

Ishani nodded again.

Malini left, and Ishani went to bathe. After freshening up, she noticed a chain around her neck.

She touched it, confused, and whispered to herself, "How did this get here? I've never worn a chain before..."

She didn't dwell on it for long, though.

Her head still ached, and she felt drained.

She went downstairs, had her breakfast, and then went back to sleep.

Malini went to the Pathak family's house and saw Divya and Rahul awake.

She asked, "Rahul, Divya, are you both feeling okay?"

Divya smiled softly and said, "Yes, aunty."

Rahul nodded and added, "Yeah, we're fine."

Rani asked, "Has Ishani woken up? Is the effect of the bhang gone?"

Malini shook her head. "Not yet. She's still sleeping. I even let her rest a little longer."

Rani nodded thoughtfully. "Alright. Today we're going shopping. If you want, you can come with us. We can also take Vaibhav along, and maybe the ring can be picked today too."

Malini smiled warmly. "That's really nice. Otherwise, where would I have gone alone? Don't worry, Vaibhav and I will come with you."

Rani smiled. "Great! Then let's get ready. We'll leave together."

Malini nodded and went back to her house to get ready.

Malini called Vaibhav from college, asking him to come over.

Vaibhav agreed without hesitation. Together, they went to the Pathak family's house.

Devnath handed Vaibhav the car keys and said warmly, "Vaibhav beta, here take this. Make sure everyone has a good time shopping."

Vaibhav nodded and replied, "Okay, uncle. I will."

Vaibhav felt a little uneasy that he didn't have a car of his own.

After the wedding, riding on a bike with Divya made him feel slightly uncomfortable.

He kept thinking about it silently.

Divya sat quietly in the back seat, glancing at him from time to time, noticing the faraway look in his eyes.

Soon, they reached the mall. The group began browsing through all the lehengas.

Rahul and Vaibhav stood nearby, observing quietly.

Divya looked at Vaibhav with her eyes, silently asking, What's wrong?

Vaibhav smiled and replied, "Nothing."

But Divya didn't buy it.

She could sense something was on his mind.

Malini encouraged, "Beta, go try this lehenga. It looks really good."

Divya herself liked the lehenga it was a beautiful shade of purple. She went to the trial room to try it on, but the zip on her blouse wouldn't close properly. Frustrated, she called

Vaibhav for help.

Vaibhav replied, "Okay, I'll send Mom over."

Divya scoffed, "Why don't you ever try to be romantic?"

Vaibhav laughed. "Romantic? What do you mean? I am romantic. Who does romance in a mall?"

Divya smiled mischievously. "You don't know anything, Vaibhav. Never mind, I'Never mind, I'll handle it."

Vaibhav went to the trial room and knocked on the door.

"Divya... Divya!" he called.

Divya heard his voice and opened the door. "You came?"

Vaibhav grinned. "Well, you called me, didn't you? I had no choice but to come."

Divya suddenly grabs Vaibhav and pulls him inside the trial room.

Taken aback, Vaibhav stands pinned against the wall, from the shock.

Divya traps him, placing both hands on either side of his body, locking him in place.

"Where will you run now? There's no escaping me," she whispers playfully.

Vaibhav smirks, trying to catch his breath. "Oh, so my girlfriend is flirting with me now?"

"Well, if you won't take the lead, I guess I'll have to," Divya retorts with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

Vaibhav chuckles, shaking his head. "You are completely crazy."

"Stop talking and zip me up," Divya says, turning her back toward him.

Vaibhav gazes at her exposed back for a moment.

Instead of reaching for the zipper, he leans in and leaves a soft kiss on her skin.

Divya gasps, a shiver running down her spine. She quickly turns around, eyes wide with surprise.

Vaibhav just stands there with a cheeky grin on his face. "What happened?" he asks innocently.

Divya blushes, trying to regain her composure. "Nothing... just close the zip."

"Hmm," Vaibhav murmurs, his smile widening as he finally reaches out and pulls up the zipper of her blouse.

Divya turns around to face Vaibhav, swirling slightly. "So, how does the lehenga look?"

Vaibhav looks at her intensely and replies, "It looks beautiful, but it looks even more stunning because you're the one wearing it."

Divya blushes, a shy smile spreading across her face. "Okay then, let's go outside."

"Not yet," Vaibhav says, his voice dropping an octave. "I still have one wish of yours to fulfill."

"Which wish?" Divya asks, confused.

Before she can react, Vaibhav pulls her in by the waist, bringing her flush against him.

He leans in and gives her a quick, soft peck on the lips. Divya's eyes go wide with shock.

Vaibhav pulls back slightly, a teasing glint in his eyes. "All day during Holi, after drinking that bhang, you were constantly begging me for a kiss."

Divya's heart drops. "What?! Oh my god... did I ask for a kiss in front of everyone? Did Mom, Dad, and Aunty see me do that?"

Vaibhav just laughs. "Yeah, they did."

Divya freezes in horror, her face turning pale. "How am I ever going to show my face to them again? I'm ruined!"

"The same way you've been showing it until now," Vaibhav retorts, still chuckling.

"Are you crazy? How can you laugh? What have I done!" Divya is spiraling into a full-on panic, while Vaibhav continues to find her reaction hilarious. "You think this is a joke? How will I face them?"

Vaibhav finally takes pity on her and smiles gently. "Relax, I was just pulling your leg. You asked me for a kiss in private, not in front of everyone."

A wave of relief washes over Divya.

She lets out a long breath and playfully hit his chest with her fist. "You jerk! You were enjoying watching me suffer, weren't you?"

"Maybe a little," Vaibhav teases.

Just then, Divya's phone rings. It's

Rani. She quickly answers.

"Divya? Is there something wrong with the lehenga?" Rani asks from the other side.

"No, Mummy," Divya replies, trying to keep her voice steady.

"Then why is it taking so long? Come out already!"

"Hmm... coming," Divya says, shooting one last glare at Vaibhav before heading toward the door.

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