“Main job continue karungi,” Sana ne sabke saamne kaha.
Sameer bola, “Haan. Aur business tabhi jab plan final aur notice period clear.”
Panditji ne poocha, “Loan?”
“Small amount lag sakta. Wedding gift ko automatic capital nahi maanenge.”
Kusum Ji ne pehli baar approving nod diya. “Kam-se-kam ladki ki baat sun raha.”
Pushpa boliं, “Sunna aur maanna alag hota. Shaadi ke baad test hoga.”
Sana ne kaha, “Main test schedule bana dungi.”
Date teen hafte baad ki nikli. Budget modest. Lucknow ka community hall. Guest list “sirf close family” se shuru hokar do pages pahunchi. Pandit Ramswaroop ne expenses ka register liya. Kusum Ji vendors ka handwriting audit. Pushpa food menu. Mehak bride-side logistics. Chirag Kanpur bus. Sameer ko initially “sirf apni sherwani aur time” diya gaya, jise usne insult maana.
Pehli planning meeting Zafar Chacha ke stall ke peeche wale covered area mein hui. Panditji register, Kusum Ji calculator, Sana laptop, Sameer programme brochure aur Pushpa three catering menus laayiं.
“Guest kitne?” caterer ne phone par poocha.
Panditji bole, “Ek sau bees.”
Pushpa boliं, “Ek sau pachaas safe.”
Kusum Ji boliं, “Ek sau satrah confirmed. Baaki handwriting se unreliable.”
Sameer bola, “Do sau plate karwa do. Food kam nahi hona chahiye.”
Sana ne laptop se nazar uthayi. “Extra eighty plates ka payment aapki priceless row se?”
Chirag ne intervene kiya. “Ek sau chaalis plus ten percent buffer?”
Sabne use dekha. Woh khud impressed hua. “Company mein material calculate karte hain.”
Mehak boli, “Reliable trial pass ho raha.”
Venue timing ka next conflict. Hall owner ne eleven p.m. closure bola; DJ ne kaha “baraat late to overtime.” Panditji ne written overtime rate maanga. DJ ke agent ne kaha, “Sir trust rakhiye.”
Kusum Ji phone ke paas jhukkar boliं, “Aap apna quotation WhatsApp kariye. Trust alag file mein rakhenge.”
Transport mein Sameer ne two buses propose kiं. Chirag ne actual Kanpur guest count thirty-eight bataya. Ek mini-bus enough thi. Rinku ne volunteer route captain banna chaha.
“Nahi,” chaaron leads ne ek saath kaha.
“Kaahe?” Rinku hurt hua.
“Tum GPS se zyada action plot follow karte,” Chirag bola.
Shanti Devi guest-room issue sunte hi boliं ki unke building mein “koi ajnabi ladka” nahi rukega, phir jab pata chala Pandit Ramswaroop retired mill worker hain to unke liye ground-floor charpai offer kar di. “Buzurg ajnabi nahi hote,” unka logic tha.
Meeting ke ant mein budget limit se eighteen percent upar tha. Sana ne nonessential flower wall, second dessert aur printed invitation quantity cut ki. Sameer ne DJ retain karaya, lekin premium fog machine khud kaat di.
“Hero entry?” Chirag ne chheda.
“Bride ko asthma nahi, phir bhi dhuaan kaahe,” Sameer bola. “Natural personality enough.”
Sana ne table ke neeche uska knee touch kiya. Business numbers ke baad wedding budget mein bhi Sameer ka “manage ho jayega” dheere-dheere “yeh cut karte” ban raha tha.
Tinku ne catering supervision volunteer ki.
“Experience?” Sana ne poocha.
“Teen cousin weddings,” Tinku bola. “Samosa kab nikalta, sweet counter kahan hota, sab maloom.”
“Security bulao,” Sameer bola.
***
Wedding spreadsheet Sunday raat Sana ne banayi:
Venue. Food. Clothes. Transport. DJ. Ritual supplies. Guest rooms. Emergency buffer.
File name: WEDDING_CONTROL_V1.
Sameer video call par tha. “Ek row missing.”
“Kya?”
Usne shared sheet mein new line add ki:
MARRIAGE — PRICELESS.
Sana ne formula cell red kar diya. “Budget corrupt kar diya.”
“Romance add kiya.”
“Ten rupees penalty.”
“Lifetime instalment mein denge.”
Sana ne camera off karne ka natak kiya, phir nahi kiya. Screen ke ek taraf wedding numbers, doosri taraf Sameer ka ridiculous grin. Ring loose thi, isliye usne temporary thread wrap kiya tha.
Teen mahine pehle woh is aadmi ko festival ka public hazard samajhti thi. Ab woh usse shaadi karne wali thi.
Public hazard status cancel nahi hua tha.
Bas authorised partnership mil gayi thi.