I woke up early in the morning, following the instructions given by my Aunt Aruna. First, I prepared a Kalash, decorating it with a Swastik and five lines using kumkum and turmeric. Next, I took a clean bamboo stick, to which I tied an orange saree, neem leaves, a flower garland, and a Batasha garland. I then placed this setup on the balcony. After that, I positioned a wooden stool underneath the bamboo stick, upon which I created a rangoli. All the while, I wondered if I was performing the ritual correctly since my dear husband, despite having lived in Maharashtra since birth, had never paid much attention to these traditions.

We performed the puja before offering prasad. For prasad, I offered him neem and jaggery to eat, aligning with the traditional practices of the festival.

Ashwin and I busied ourselves with lunch preparations, making an array of dishes including puran poli, amti, mango juice, thetcha, rice, and Marathi-style kadhi. Ashwin expressed his surprise at the quality of the dishes, "Dolly, you've cooked these dishes very well."

I smiled and responded, "Thank you. My aunt always told me to be good in the kitchen; otherwise, what would your in-laws say? It irritated me sometimes. I felt as if I was already living with my in-laws."

Ashwin chuckled, "When I lived with my mom, she would always nag, saying 'Even if you're a boy, you need to learn household chores.' And my paternal grandma would argue, 'Why do you need to do household work? You're a boy.'" We both laughed over our families' traditional views and their typical expressions.

Just then, the doorbell rang. Ashwin went to answer it while I continued to take the pakoras out of the pan. My Nauvari saree was tugged by Krishna, who pleaded, "Aunt, I also want pakoras."

I pinched his cheeks affectionately and replied, "Son, wait a bit. It's very hot; let it cool for a while."

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Anjali Bhabhi came over and started unpacking some delicacies, her voice brimming with cheer, "Dolly, this is pachadi which we will drink before lunch, and then we'll have Poornam boorelu, lemon rice, curd rice, and my favourite—badam halwa."

I gave her a side hug, "Wow, we're really in for a grand feast today."

We all set the table and sat down to enjoy the array of delicacies. Sharad Bhai praised our efforts, "Very well done! You and my dear wife have truly made my day." He then playfully nudged Ashwin, who was quietly feeding Krishna with his hands, "Ashwin, will you only feed Krishna and not eat yourself? Oh wait, are you perhaps afraid of your wife’s cooking?"

Ashwin chuckled in response, "I actually ate a bit while helping her, so I'm not very hungry right now. I'll eat a little later."

Lunch went smoothly, and afterwards, Bhabhi and I retreated to my bedroom for a private chat while Ashwin, Sharad, and Krishna headed to the compound's kids' park. Curious about her background, I took a deep breath and asked, "Bhabhi, how did you both get married? You're Telugu, and he's Mathur."

Anjali Bhabhi smiled and explained, "Our families have been friends for generations, though he's Mathur and has lived in Hyderabad for just as long. So, if you're expecting a romantic love story, there isn’t one, dear. I never liked the idea of calling him 'bhaiya' from the start. So, when Sharad's parents weren't supporting his business venture, my father came up with a plan. He offered a dowry if Sharad married me. This so-called greedy man agreed, and we got married."

Amused, I responded, "It turned out well, right?" Noticing my serious expression, Anjali Bhabhi laughed, "Well, even if Sharad hadn't married me, my father was planning to invest in his venture. He saw promise in Sharad, and he knew that despite everything, Sharad's parents would treat me well, and I would be close to my maternal family. Since we are neighbours, and for the sake of our privacy, they encouraged us to move out. Mainly because I was too shy. At first, I thought I married this idiot, but..."

I finished her thought, "Now you both are in love and happy." Bhabhi blushed like a newlywed bride. I gave her a warm hug, feeling the genuine affection between us.

After everyone had left, Ashwin was busy with office work on his laptop, while I uploaded photos from the morning. The praise from my friends was overwhelming, and I couldn't help but feel grateful for my new life.