SS: In The Closet, part 7, page 20 - Page 11

Originally posted by: IndigoBlues

haha..you will find out about uv-maanyata as story progresses..😉 i was planning for it to be 4-5 parts but it's getting longer for some reason. 😳😆

omg that happens to me too!! all the time!! my maneet story "You & I...Collide" was only supposed to be like 4 parts...but it no past 20 parts and still on going...lol...ill be back for part 4 tomorrow...crazy day at work...too tired to do anything else...

JAZ

👏Yayyy!!!!!! can I set my timer lol

Five

They were an unconventional couple in the sense that she had shunned everything he was defined by. The journalists had been convinced it was a match made in romance novel heaven.

When Maanyata awoke, her cheeks were not brushing across the pages of a CAT textbook, but were nudging into a soft pillow.

It was like a recap of what had happened in the morning, except that it was seven 'o' clock in the evening now and the crickets outside had started their persistent grating. The room was enveloped in darkness, and Maanyata was faintly aware of someone else breathing beside her.

Fear poured into her mind as she considered the possibility that perhaps Akash had crawled into her bed again and that what had happened in the morning was just a nightmare compared to the real fiasco.

But as she turned around, she realized that the person next to her could not be Aakash. The sounds of breathing were gentler, softer, as if the person was not normally sleeping, but almost dead or comatose, just hanging onto the brink of survival. When she finally faced the person, her hands involuntarily brushed across his cheek, and her mouth opened to utter his name.

Before she could say anything however, his eyes blinked open and he immediately rose, brushing his hair away from his face. "I'm, I'm sorry Maanyata," he gulped, getting out of bed. "I-I saw that you'd fallen asleep on the table'I know how much your neck aches after that, so I just carried you to the bed and'"

Her mind had a brief, hazy recollection of what he'd done, and it shamelessly played it now. He'd settled her down on the bed, and she remembered letting out a stubborn "Mmm" as if reprimanding him for disturbing her study-table slumber. He'd patted her hair and then sung a strange, unfamiliar tune to her, which had already disappeared into some dark recess of her mind. Slowly, his eyes had grown heavy too, and they'd both fallen asleep, his hand still touching her forehead.

"I'll, I'll go downstairs immediately," he said, straightening his shirt and running his fingers through his disheveled hair. Maanyata wanted to giggle, to pull him back and bring his lips crashing down onto hers, to be the naughty princess Maanyata, the uninhibited one who was allowed to let go of herself. But she only found herself staring as he walked out of the room, leaving her alone in the darkness.

---------------

"Uday, I've been hearing rumors about you," she'd told him worriedly one day.

"What kind of rumors?" he asked, picking up a stone and feeling its edges. It was her summer vacation, and she had chosen to spend it at her native palace in Devgarh. They had chosen a secluded spot away from the hotel to celebrate their picnic, right by a pond into which they were throwing stones currently.

Uday, satisfied with the stone now, hurled it right at the middle of the pond. It reached bull's eye, and ripples shot out right to the point where they both were sitting. In spite of herself, Maanyata could not help but be amused by her boyfriend's behaviour. She'd always known him to be a perfectionist, but that he would go to such lengths to just choose a stone, astounded her.

"Why are you so obsessed with what kind of stone to throw?" she asked, forgetting her original question as he started inspecting another pebble he had picked up from the ground.

Uday smiled as he turned towards her, that same irritating oh-you're-so-nave look lighting up his face. "Maanyata, there are certain fish in this pond who live right under the surface. I don't want them to be hurt by the stones."

Maanyata stared at him incredulously and then shook her head. "So you feel an inborn responsibility even towards the fish."

"This is your kingdom, Maanyata, not mine," he said nonchalantly. "You're the one who should be feeling guilty about hurting those mites. I'm just trying to be environmental-friendly."

"Why? Do you plan to put your handsome face on PETA posters now?" she teased. He only sighed. "Maanyata, is it really so difficult for you to believe that I can be a good person?"

"Of course not," she said, shaking her head, "You have to be really good to date me."

"Accha?" he asked, all thoughts of which stone to throw forgotten. "So I must be really good then, na?" He began tickling her feet, and she found herself erupting into guffaws as he teased, "Tell me na, Maanyataji, what can I do to be better enough for you? Tell me na, please!"

"Stop it!" she exclaimed, holding her sides so as to not collapse from laughter. "Stop it Udayveer, I can't breathe."

"Here, I'll solve that problem for you," he said, and instantaneously shot out and kissed her on the lips, and all thoughts of what they'd been talking about were erased from her mind. There were no distractions, just utter quiet and stillness, save for the sound of the blood pounding on her heart. If she'd been having difficulty breathing when he'd tickled her, when his arms tightly wrapped around her, her lungs seemed to have just given up altogether.

"Udayveer's mouth-to-mouth resuscitation," he said airily, after he'd let go of her. "Never fails, especially on certain princesses."

"You're lame," she said rolling her eyes, "I'm sure my kisses are much better." And saying that, she threw her arms around his neck and gave him a peck on the lips just like he'd done moments before. It was childish compared to the intensity with which he had held her, but he enjoyed it all the same, his hands firmly holding her waist as if she were the best kisser in the world-and she probably was for him.

"Okay, Maanyata, enough. Let's get back to what we were originally talking about," he scolded, diverting his attention back to the stones.

"Oh, um yes, nothing," she said nervously, remembering the topic for which she'd originally called him there. "Actually, I've heard from some of my hotel employees whose relatives work in Jaigarh'they're saying you sent a certain manager to jail. Is that true?"

Uday's eyes concentrated even more on the stone, and she knew immediately that she'd asked a question he wouldn't be willing to answer. "He'd misbehaved with a guest," he said coldly. "I had no option but to report him to the police."

Soon a servant arrived, calling Maanyata down for dinner. Dinner being a formal affair even on days when there were no guests, she changed out of her jeans and T-shirt into a DKNY dress that she'd specifically brought for the occasion. Today was a special day, for Uday's sister Unnati was also coming to stay for a while. Her marriage had been fixed to a certain Maharaja whose was based in Mumbai just like Maanyata's family was.

Before she could go downstairs however, Unnati herself arrived, throwing herself into Maanyata's arms. "Maanyata Di," she squealed. Maanyata rolled her eyes. "Look at you Unnati," she admonished. "I thought you loved being Ms. Proper and Collected?"

"I'm in no mood to be Ms. Proper and Collected," Unnati said dreamily, flopping down onto the bed. "My god Maanyata, Prithvi is such a hunk. You have to meet him."

Maanyata's eyes widened in surprise. "My god Unnati, what has happened to you? You've never behaved like this before."

"Why?" Unnati asked confused. "I thought you would be in the same mood. After all, aren't you going to be my bhabhi now?"

Maanyata felt all her excitement at meeting her other childhood best friend evaporate into the air. "Oh, yes about that," she faltered. "Actually-"

"Actually, your bhabhi has certain plans of her own, Choti," Uday intersected, before Maanyata could say anything about herself and Akash to Unnati. He strode into the room, as usual exuding an aura of power and total self-confidence, very much unlike the embarrassed Udayveer who had woken up alongside her. "So we won't be getting married as soon as you think."

"That sucks," Unnati said, her face falling. "But still," she said, brightening up again, as she was prone to do, "We can go shopping together na?"

"Of course," Udayveer said, boring his eyes into Maanyata, "Unless your best friend has certain prior commitments?" Maanyata cringed at the emphasis on 'prior commitments'.

"Dada, Maanyata, why are you'll giving 'looks' to each other?" Unnati asked warily. "Please don't tell me you have fought again."

"Oh c'mon, Choti," Uday said good-naturedly, "you know how much Maanyata and I love joking with each other. What say, princess?"

"Of course," Maanyata muttered under her breath, "even though I don't exactly love your jokes."

"Let's go, jijaji is waiting for us," Uday teased, causing a mortified Unnati to go a deep crimson. "You too, Maanyata. My brother-in-law doesn't like waiting."

"Strange," Maanyata said, "Because I have a feeling this is your philosophy, not his."

-----------------------

"So tell me Prithvi, don't you think certain girls are a bit boring?" J asked coyly, tucking her arm into Prithiviraj's and inconveniently failing to realize that Unnati, Udayveer and her own elder sister were standing right behind her.

"I guess," he said, "but Uday and I have never gone for the boring types, have we Yuuvraaj?" flashing a dazzling smile at Uday, causing J to turn around and gape in horror at the error she'd just committed.

Maanyata instantly realized what had possessed Udayveer to betroth his precious younger sister so easily. Unnati's fianc had an infectious smile that instantly made the beholder like him. As he began to amicably chat with UV, Maanyata instantly tugged J away, ready to give her a nice scolding for what she'd done.

However, J was prepared. "No need to lecture me, M Jiji," she said, warningly cutting her sister short. "I don't think you're one to preach after what you've done."

Realizing the obvious inference to her relationship with Aakash, Maanyata only said, "Well, I have nothing to say about your taste in men-flirt with whoever you want. Just keep in mind that the feelings of Unnati or any other guest of ours for that matter are not offended."

"Why do you care so much about what Unnati thinks?" J said sharply. "You're never going to be a part of her family now. Why does it matter so much to you?"

"Because she's my friend," Maanyata hissed, "And I can't ever see any of my friends hurt."

"Strange," J grinned, "Even Uday used to be your friend, Jiji. You didn't think twice before hurting him."

If the subtle jibe at Aakash had pricked her, the remark about Uday literally stung. She could feel something sharp poking at the corners of her heart, and she was relieved when Unnati interrupted them by asking, "Maanyata? J? We have to go for dinner," and saved her from the trouble of coming up with a nasty retort.

It was only when she saw Aakash sitting at the dining table and making small talk with the Rajmata that Maanyata knew that there was no evading the truth. Unnati instantly nudged her and asked, "Who's that? Don't tell me he's some poor fellow J has asked to be her escort for the evening."

"No!" Maanyata said instantly, "That's Aakash, my boyfriend."

Unnati simply seemed to be stunned for a moment. Then in a quiet voice she said, "Oh, okay." Maanyata felt her heart sink as another person's shock and disapproval came raining down upon her.

"Uday, you didn't introduce me to your fiance," Prithiviraj said, coming over to where the two friends were standing.

Both the women froze, just as Udayveer hastily said, "Oh no, that's not my fiance, she's just a family friend. Maanyata, say hi to His Royal Highness Prithviraj of Sundargarh."

"Khani Gamma," Maanyata said awkwardly, folding her hands in front of the king, who once again smiled a vibrant smile and said, "It is a pleasure to meet you, princess."

She smiled back and took her seat in the dining table. "But I thought you'll had been engaged when you'll were kids," she could hear the king whisper into Uday's ear. "It was just a joke," she heard Uday saying, "She doesn't love me."

"But Uday, I don't understand, how can you let go so easily? This isn't typical of you." "Sssh," Uday said, "Just'let's not talk about it." She could feel her body temperature rise as Uday took the seat beside her, much to the chagrin of Aakash, who had no choice but to grab the chair near J.

"Hi," Aakash said, suddenly feeling swamped by the royal gathering. Two kings, a prince, and a number of princesses. This was getting way too privileged to handle. He shot Maanyata a 'Help-me-introduce-myself' look, but Maanyata was in no mood to indulge her boyfriend, especially after he had let her down in front of her family.

"So you must be J's boyfriend," Prithviraj said, as the waiters served them dinner. Both Aakash and J nearly choked. "Of course not!" J said indignantly. "He's Maanyata jiji's boyfriend, not mine. In fact, they're going to marry each other."

Vijay collapsed into a fit of nervous laughter on seeing the look on Prithviraj and Unnati's face. Under the table, Maanyata felt Uday's hand squeezing her palm hard, which she took as a sign to remain quiet. Dadisa hastily said, "This is Aakash Verma, Maanyata's fianc. He used to be her classmate at Oxford." Maanyata felt the heat drain away from her palm as Uday abruptly let go of it. Uday had never been aware of Aakash Verma's existence in those three years she had spent in Oxford. For all he cared, he could have been a random hiker whom Maanyata picked off the street. But now, Maanyata could almost feel Uday's anger vibrating from him: So you knew him when we were dating? During that time, you certainly didn't seem to prefer him to me.

Maanyata continued chewing on her paneer, wondering why she had been sensitive enough to fulfill Komal's demands and hence, invite this misery upon herself. It was this very thing she hated about her family: those secret undercurrents of shame, anger and disappointment, all saying the same thing: You've let us down in everything Maanyata, and you'll continue to do it for the rest of your life.

------------

"So you agreed," Maanyata said, pretending to go through some of her grandmother's files.

They were seated in Dadisa's study, having chosen to have a private dessert session while the rest of the family devoured ice-creams in the living room. The last time they had had a grandmother-granddaughter chat had been when Maanyata was five years old, and after a hysterical fit in her kindergarten class, it had been decided to send her to boarding school.

Maanyata had sat the same way she was seated now, in a markedly solemn manner compared to the way in which she had screamed and almost clawed two of her classmates to death in school. Her royal status had saved her from the danger of being expelled, but the Raajmata was aware that children could be mean, and had hence thought of sending her to London, where no one knew Maanyata, and she could be saved from the horrors of bullying from her less-privileged, but no doubt vicious classmates.

"The truth is Maanyata, we really didn't want you to marry Aakash. But we were convinced that it was for your best," the Rajmata sighed.

"Who convinced you'll?" Maanyata asked, leveling her eyes to meet those of her grandmother's. For the first time in her life, the Rajmata looked away while talking to her granddaughter.

"Our hearts. Our hearts convinced us," she said quietly.

"And I know where your hearts lie," Maanyata said, her eyes still holding their position in front of her grandmother's uncannily wise ones. "Just say it. Uday convinced you'll to agree to mine and Aakash's marriage."

"Yes, he did," the Raajmata said, trying her best to control the flood of tears in her eyes and hold her neck high in the dignity she was required to keep in front of everyone.

"And I know why he did that," Maanyata said in a steely voice, more to herself than to the Rajmata. "He did that because he wanted to impress you. He wanted to show you what a perfect gentleman he is, allowing me to get away with whatever I want, just because he loves me so much."

"He does love you a lot-" Dadisa began, but Maanyata stopped her. "Though knowing Uday, he probably has bigger plans up his sleeve. He probably wants to continue this act till he gains your sympathy and then he plans to get rid of Aakash in his own horrible manner."

"That's not true!" Dadisa said, alarmed by the direction in which the conversation was going, but Maanyata was in a rage, a heart-break fueled rage. "But I'm not going to fall for his pretense. He can try as much as he wants, but he'll never be able to separate Aakash and me. This is the first decision in my life which I have made on my own, and I'm going to stick to it."

"Maanyata, what you're thinking is wrong, terribly wrong," Dadisa said vehemently. "You don't know even an inkling of the reason why Udayveer is doing this. It's not an act Maanyata, it's real. He really doesn't plan to marry you."

"Rubbish!" Maanyata said in disbelief. "He and Giriraj Uncle have waited for 16 years to get me married to him. I know it, he's told it to me himself. How can he allow me to go back on my word so easily? I know Dadisa, I know there's something more to it."

"Maanyata, please, I was saying the truth," the Rajmata said, her flood of tears threatening to break forth from her eyes. "We really are doing this for your best. Trust me; you don't want to know the real reason."

"Fine," Maanyata said. "I trust you. I trust you because you're my Dadisa, and you have always done everything you could to keep me happy. But if there turns out to be any ulterior motive to this, it won't be good for you or Udayveer."

"Enough threatening Maanyata," a voice firmly echoed. Maanyata spun and was shocked to see Uday enter, his old arrogance clearly visible on his face. "Dadisa, sorry for not asking your permission before entering, but I had no choice. Maanyata, this is not the way you talk to your elders. Dadisa would never do anything to hurt you, and you know that."

"Look who's talking about hurting me," Maanyata taunted, and was felt a sharp burst of malice as the arrogance on his face was replaced by a look of regret. "I used to think that about certain other people too, but, oh well. I guess certain things can only be expected from family."

And with that last barb she walked out of the room, feeling every inch a cold, haughty princess for the first time in her life.

--

Preview: "Uday!" she screamed, as the car drove away from the school gates. "Uday help me!" However, her squeals did not last too long, for the kidnappers instantly tied a gag around her mouth, and she saw uncontrollable red whirlpools spiraling in front of her eyes as the effect of chloroform swamped her body.

He had just won a football match, but now eight-year old Udayveer felt like a total complete loser. He miserably whimpered, "Maanyata," unaware of the blood that was coming out of his knees, for the terrible pain that had rendered him immobile in the middle of the road came from some other unknown part of his soul altogether.

please press 'like button' if you liked this! 😳 unfortunately i can't reply to all comments(mom wants me to study more😭) but i do appreciate long comments, they motivate me! 😳

here !!! 😃

I read this part "5" times.

Aww! Aww..! A.W.W.W..W.W = AWWW!!!!

It was UDAY! At first I thought it was Aakash who put her in the bed but when you revealed that it was Uday, I scrolled up again and read it and was like AWW!!! So cute! The ManVeer dating-phase scenes are so lovely, why the hell did they break up?! Uff! the suspense!! Uday is so much in love with her. Love to see Aakash being ignored left-right & center! But not liking J here, she creeps me out. Finally secrets are going to be revealed in the next chapter! can't wait!

All the best with your studies Megz! <3