All the wedding preparations were now complete. It was evening, and the haveli was glowing with lights. Guests from distant places, along with the villagers, had gathered in the courtyard.
Soon, Vivek Verma's younger brother, Shekhar Verma—who was the District Magistrate—arrived at the wedding. Along with him came his cousin, Sunil Verma, an MLA, who had also come to attend the ceremony.
Even before their arrival, Inspector Vikram had already reached the venue with his team, as he was responsible for the security of the District Magistrate and the MLA. His eyes were alert, carefully watching every corner.
Whenever Vivek Verma arranged the wedding of a poor girl, influential and respected people often attended, offering their blessings to the newly married couple.
After some time, the groom's procession arrived at the haveli. Drums and festive music filled the air, and the entire atmosphere came alive with joy.
Almost the entire village was present at the wedding, and Salim bhai, too, had arrived with his whole family.
The wedding was celebrated with great grandeur. All the rituals were completed beautifully as the night slowly grew deeper.
By around 10 PM, guests began to finish their meals and gradually started leaving for their homes.
Most of the villagers remained gathered outside the haveli and in the courtyard. Although the haveli had a large interior, people rarely went inside.
As always, Salim bhai stayed only in the courtyard with the crowd. He had never stepped inside the haveli, as he had never felt the need to ask anyone for help.
After a while, almost all the guests had left. The noise outside the haveli slowly faded away.
It was now around 10:30 PM.
Salim bhai, along with his family, began walking back home. The village lanes had grown silent.
They were just about to reach home—his shop was only a few steps away—when suddenly, a voice called out from behind —
"Salim bhai… Salim bhai!"
Salim turned around.
In the darkness, Kishan—the servant from the haveli—was hurrying toward him.
Surprised, Salim asked,
"What happened, Kishan bhai? Is everything alright?"
Kishan looked slightly anxious.
"Salim bhai, there's a small problem. The bride's lehenga got caught in the gate and tore."
Salim paused for a moment.
"At this hour? This could be fixed in the morning…"
Kishan quickly replied,
"No, Salim bhai. The bride's farewell is at 5 in the morning. She's been given another outfit for now—you just need to fix this lehenga quickly."
Salim took a deep breath, then said calmly —
"Alright, Kishan bhai… give it to me. I'll stitch it right away."
He opened the door of his shop.
The night had fallen into deep silence.
The entire village was asleep.
And in that stillness, a familiar old sound began to echo once again —
"Tak-tak-tak… tak-tak-tak…"
The sewing machine had started running.
With every stitch, it felt as though time itself was moving forward.
But Salim bhai had no idea that this quiet night was about to become the most terrifying night of his life.
And what he was about to witness tonight…
would change his entire life forever.
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