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GLOSSARY
Majnu- Indian counterpart of Romeo--his name literally means 'crazy'...he was crazy for Laila--his Juliet.
Bhabhi- literally sister-in-law, used to address brother's wife or friend's wife.
Bhaiyya- used to address one's older brother or a male of similar age to oneself.
ZEE- Indian TV channel famous for soap operas although it also shows reality, cooking, decorating, and fitness shows.
Kaise… aaye na aise mohe
laaj sajna
How can I not feel shy?
Chhuna na
dekho mohe aaj sajna
I’m telling you, don’t touch
me, my love
Sajna se
kahe aaye laaj sajni
Why are you shy of your lover?
Chhune de
ang mohe aaj sajni
Let me touch you, my love.
--Om Shanti Om
RECAP
When they went back to Diya’s home that evening, only Vidya recognized the gleaming black and gold mangalsutra around Diya’s neck. Vidya forced Diya to tell her everything that had happened that day.
“Uh-uh. He did not propose like that!” Vidya’s eyes grew almost twice their normal size.
“He did.”
“Idiot.”
Deepak came out of the bathroom and asked, “Who?”
“You, my new brother-in-law. You’re not supposed to tell her, ‘I love you’ and ‘Marry me’ on the same day!”
Vidya laughed and teased them, “So Deepak, she’s already got you wrapped around her little finger.”
Deepak grabbed his bride’s waist from behind, pulled her close, rested his chin on her head, and said, “She cheated.”
Diya, shocked, asked, "How?"
"You didn't give me a chance."
Vidya laughed and said, "Diya, you've got a real Majnu, don't you?"
Deepak, embarrassed, buried his head into Diya's shoulder while Diya, laughing, nodded.
Vidya instructed, “Diya, you really need to go change. Nikhil thinks you went out with Ajit, and he knows you aren’t going to wear your bridal gown to a movie.”
Panicked, Diya asked, “What about the mangalsutra?”
Deepak offered, “Tuck it under your shirt. Trust me, Nikhil will never notice.”
“You sure?” Diya whimpered.
“Yes, Diya, I’m sure.”
As soon as Diya left, Vidya asked Deepak, “So tonight’s the first time you’re eating your wife’s cooking. What are you expecting?”
“Bhabhi, it’s only technically my first time. Diya’s a great cook.”
“And if I were to tell you I thought you were better?”
“I’d tell Nikhil he married a flattering liar,” Deepak answered matter-of-factly while cutting the carrots and cucumber for the salad.
“I think I see why Diya loves you.” Vidya smiled.
Diya’s mother came in the kitchen. “Deepak, what are you doing here? This is a woman’s place.”
“Aunty, Bhabhi and Diya invited me here,” Deepak defended himself as he finished tossing the salad.
“Get out,” Diya’s mother said, forcibly pushing Deepak out of the kitchen
The doorbell rang. Deepak went to answer it, fairly certain it was Nikhil.
Nikhil, upon seeing his best friend answer the door, asked, “Man, where were you all day? I could have really used your help with some of those contracts. I only understood about half of them.”
Deepak solemnly and softly said, “Diya called me.”
Having ventured into the proverbial ‘big brother’ mode, Nikhil hastily inquired, “What happened?”
Deepak responded, “Ajit mistreated her. No worries though, our Diya superbly handled it.” Deepak smiled a half-smile at the last thought; he’d known his Diya would never let anybody touch her without her permission.
Nikhil chuckled and then called out, “Vidya, I’m hungry.”
Diya’s voice traveled into the foyer, answering, “Bhaiyya, Deepak and I are cooking today.”
Nikhil looked at Deepak with amusement blatantly twinkling in his eyes. “You’re cooking?”
“Yes, any problem?”
“No, not at all. I still don’t understand why you would want to cook.”
“If I were ever stuck somewhere all alone, I would at least be able to secure a hot meal at any hour of the day. But today, all I did was the salad.”
Nikhil chuckled again. "That's all you did today. What about the times you forced our mothers out of the kitchen, telling them they deserved a break for taking care of us hooligans?"
Vidya and Diya, now in a simple loose shirt and pants, joined Deepak and Nikhil in the living room, chatting about girly things while their husbands worked.
“You know that show on ZEE, the one about the city girl who married the village boy? I can’t remember its name right now.”
Diya nodded. “I think I know which one you’re talking about.”
“Mom was telling me the girl was trying to force the boy to come to the city with her. Poor boy went too, even though she was trying to pull him away from everything he’d always known and take him to everything he’d always feared.”
“That’s so sweet,” Diya almost squealed. Deepak’s eyes rose to meet Diya’s, and he offered her a quick, personal smile, which she returned.
Nikhil, who still didn’t know about Diya and Deepak’s wedding, asked, “Diya, are you alright? Deepak, doesn’t she seem to be acting different?”
Deepak authoritatively answered, “Nikhil, you worry too much. They’re girls. They’re not supposed to make sense.”
Vidya challenged, “Well, well, well, Mr. Authority. I would like to inform you that you boys make less sense than Nikhil’s handwriting.”
Nikhil, now thoroughly embarrassed, whined, “Vidya, you’re supposed to be on my side.”
“You can tell your friend to quit patronizing us.”
“Bhabhi, I meant no harm. I was just alleviating Nikhil’s baseless worries about Diya.” Deepak winked at Diya.
Diya added, “Come on Bhabhi, let it go already. You know Deepak’s not like that. He knows how to treat women."
Vidya sat down, groaned, and quipped, “Of course, you would say that, wouldn’t you Diya?” infusing a tone that implied an inside secret.
"How many girls have you seen flirting with him?"
Deepak, the ever oblivious lovesick idiot, stupidly asked, "They were flirting with me?"
Diya glared at him and quipped, "No Deepak, they just had a sudden urge to flatter you."
Vidya responded, "You know he never wanted them? Why else would he not even realize?"
Nikhil, now confused by the exchanges between his family, inquired, "What's going on?" to which the other three, in unison, replied, "Nothing."
Diya declared, “I’m going to bed.”
Deepak added, “Nikhil, I believe we’re done. I wish to sleep as well.”
Diya, instead of going to her room, went into Deepak’s room and lay on the bed.
Deepak saw her and asked, “What are you doing here?”
“It’s our wedding night. Do you honestly expect me to stay in my own room when my husband sleeps so close?”
“Diya, what if Nikhil finds us? You know he’ll murder me.”
“He wouldn’t widow his only sister.”
“I’m not sure about that. You’re the only sister he can fiercely protect.”
“Deepak, he cares for you as much as he cares for me. Quit being ridiculous and enjoy tonight.”
“Well, if we’re careful, I guess we can hide our relationship from Nikhil,” Deepak mused.
Diya crawled across the bed and kissed Deepak firmly across the lips.
