MN FF - Pride and Prejudice (Upd - Pg.48) 1/12 ❤️ - Page 30

As much as she cursed herself to have not declined the offer, she would get even more horrified of the coming one-week stay at her best friend, Tamanna's place. Of course, Nupur held the same old regard for her, however now the time was still difference. And so were the circumstances. It had been half a year since she'd gotten a marriage proposal from Uday Bakshi which her mother gladly refused, but how was still a mystery! Uday and Tamanna were man and wife now, and Nupur could not have possibly imagined that even in her most threatening nightmare.

With every step that she made towards the four-acre house, with a Mercedes parked in the garage, the disgust kept rising inside. As she whooped, she thought about hundred times if she should ring the bell when after ten minutes, Tamanna's younger sister came and rang the bell, instead. She seemed like the ultimate life saver to Nupur; for she was left with no audacity to actually ring the bell and make herself suffer more.

Nupur being awestricken was rare, and the moment she entered the premises was exactly one of those ultra-rare moments. Expensive was definitely an understatement for the super-large and extremely one of a kind piece of painting hanging on the royal-blue colored wall. The bar that was adjacent to the drawing room was in fact, huger than the hugest pub's bar Nupur had ever been to. And there was not one plate or spoon in the kitchen which was not silver. At last, Nupur did feel a little convinced of the fact that Tamanna actually married Uday. However, she couldn't quite understand as to why Uday owned only one car, could he not afford more?

While she marveled at the sight around, Uday and his wife climbed down the glass stair-case with their fingers inter-locked. Tamanna's waved a hi to her younger sister and father while Uday held his head high taking pride in what he could see on Nupur's face. Tamanna rushed towards her father and touched his feet while her sister overheard the conversation that her brother-in-law made with her oldest neighbor, Nupur.

'Nupur,' he greeted her. 'I am so glad to see you.'

They air-hugged and Tamanna's sister wondered if her sister had actually married a rich gay or something. After a lot of effort, when she finally rolled to a halt the disgusting thoughts that crept up her mind, she found herself to be laughing uncontrollably for when Uday said that it couldn't work out with him and Nupur, she totally cracked up provided, she was present when Mrs. Bhushan ruthlessly rejected his proposal.

Later that night post dinner, everybody went to bed while Nupur sat at the window sill looking out in the night. She wondered if what she could feel was possible, she wondered if the mention of Armaan could actually sound like a myth and as she wondered, she did not hear the knock at her door. Tamanna, who yearned for a chat with Nupur quietly made her way to the window sill with two cups of coffee finely placed on a gold-plated tray.

'Hey!' Tamanna's voice was much like a whisper.

'Hi,' Nupur said though she did not quite look in the eye when she did.

Nupur faced Tamanna and together they quietly enjoyed coffee that cold night in Delhi. When they were done, Tamanna took the cups and the tray to the kitchen and when she came back she saw Nupur lost in the wonder again. She sat next to her, fearing that Nupur might draw back if she held her hand. 'Tamanna, why did you marry Uday?'

When Tamanna received what she had expected all evening, she let out a sigh and finally held Nupur's hand without any fears. Still clutching onto her best friend's hand, Tamanna ruminated a little before she framed and uttered anything out. Now was time to answer, anyway and Nupur noticed that Tamanna carefully chose her words.

'You remember the night just before Armaan's accident that we gathered at my place?' Tamanna asked out of the blue.

'You aren't supposed to ask me anything before you answer my question, Tamanna.' Nupur groaned. 'And yes – I remember.'

'That night, Nupur was the night when we discussed about what each one of us wanted to be in life and what kind of a man would we wish to spend our lives with. You made a simple answer as you had always been clear of what you wanted to do and who you wanted to be. It was bad luck that you couldn't ever be with Armaan, but you did seek his love, did you not?' Tamanna said staring at the floor.

'What do you mean by that?'

'What I mean is that, I never knew what I wanted to be in life. I just ended up opening a boutique of my own, just ended up! And the man that I had been waiting for all these four-five years might never turn up. I dint want to risk my life for a man who existed in my dreams, a life that I could only dream of. Life always is different from what we initially imagine it would be.'

Nupur listened quietly, wanting to hear the next.

'You see Nupur, Uday is a nice man. He takes care of me, he lets me do everything I wish to and that is enough a gesture of love to me. I have always told you that happiness in matrimony is a matter of choice, and I have made my choice.' She finished.

'And are you happy?' Nupur cross-examined.

'Be sure of this Nupur, I am happy.' Tamanna replied and stood up to leave.

Tamanna's assurance was something Nupur had been missing onto ever since the hasty marriage of hers with Uday took place. However, now though complacent enough in this case - Nupur had gotten confused with her own wants, her own life - if she headed in the right direction! All these six months, she had frequently been meeting two most conrasting men - Mayank and Rannvijay.

Every time she was involved in an encounter with Mayank, a word here and there that he mentioned left a deep impact on her. She would always be forced to give a thought to the version of Mayank that Rannvijay had presented to her:

He indeed is a respectable kind of man, as I have known him since he was nine and I was seven – I can make out how different he is now. He is a man ate up in pride, who thinks well of himself and of a few people he's acquainted with and mean of the others. And sadly, his younger sister, Sheena Sharma is no different. A fine young lady in her late teens, much like her elder brother!

She indeed found Mayank ate up in pride and she thanked God to her heart's content that she never happened to meet Mayank's female version. However, also what Mayank would mention of Rannvijay would deeply bother Nupur for his account of Rannvijay would be the most different.

Be not mistaken, Nupur. For I would be the most grieved person if you judge another man apart from myself as wrongly as ever! I suggest, be cautious.

Apart from the fact that these particular statements were the longest he'd ever made to Nupur, what amazed her was that how could two childhood friends probably be this hateful to each other and obviously why? The other thing that could not let her sleep that night was the trauma she had been seeing Gunjan in everyday.

Gunjan was there in Mumbai for a couple of months, attending a dance camp. She happened to meet with Samrat's sisters too but returned totally disheartened as her wish to meet with the man she loved did not come true. Every morning, Nupur would find her pillow wet and make out that her elder sister had been betraying sleep. And now the situation was such that nothing went right, everything was wrong with every Bhushan girl.

Within three days of the stay at Uday's place, Nupur fell ill. Not very much though, she was hit by common cold and the regular migraine that had been paining her for a year and half. Unable to sleep, she decided to bathe and go downstairs. How she wished she hadn't later, for when she spotted Mayank Sharma in the drawing room, she realized that it was too late to ignore the meeting and run back to the room.

'Good afternoon.' He greeted her, getting up from his seat.

She smiled at him, which he received in quite much of a thorough amazement. She was not being cold to Mayank, and that boosted him up for the purpose he was there for. He could feel confident enough to confront her and tell her something he longed for.

Mrs. Sharma, Mayank's step-mother and mother to Sheena was a business woman in her fifties. Though she was a helping hand to Mayank, he quite often found her trying to make the decisions herself and he perfectly tolerated her interference all the time. That day, Uday Bakshi had invited the mother-son for lunch at his place. His father and late Mr. Sharma were once business partners.

Observant Nupur noted how cold Mayank's mother was. No wonder, he was just like her! Though later during luncheon, she noticed a clear distinction between the two. His mother was an outrageous and ill-mannered woman who ranked herself high, in pride due the money her man had left to her however, Mayank carried himself with due civility in his manner and taking pride in whom he was, and not what he inherited. 'What is with you, Nupur? You're thinking good of him. Ouch!' she thought to herself.

After lunch, Nupur who still wasn't very well had a long chat over the phone with Gunjan, who was at work. While she was talking, she heard footsteps in the corridor. She wondered who it was as everybody had gone to see the Sharmas' off. After she heard a knock at the door, she cut off the phone and made her way to it only to be opening the door to one of the Sharmas' everybody had gone to see off – Mayank.