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This was perfect!!!! Just reminds me how much I wanted ManYa to get married! Thank you Neet :)
Chapter 10
Rama bent to touch Sneha's feet as they were about to leave but Rachita did not. Sneha looked at Rachita with teary eyes. "Rachu beta.. I.." But Rachita stopped her. Amaya and Jazz tried to hug Rachita but Rachita walked away without looking at them as if in a trance. Mantu clasped Amaya's hand and reassured her.
"Auntyji.. I am really really very sorry for whatever happened. I know it won't be enough no matter how much I apologize, but.." Rama tried to apologize to Sneha but she shook her head, "I should apologize to you beta. For hiding the truth. But the only reason I did that is because Rachita was, is and always will be Rishi's daughter. Please.. Please just take care of her. She needs someone with her now to help her through this.. Please just be with her," Sneha pleaded. "I promise you Aunty. I will help Rachitaji through this. I promise to bring you back your daughter.. Very soon.." Rama reassured Sneha as he left with Rachita.
After Rachita and Rama left, Mantu took Amaya's hand in his as he went up to Sneha. "Auntyji please forgive me," he said to Sneha, "I love your daughter. I never thought this is how and when I'd talk to you about this, but this had to be done now, because Amaya, her family and her family's honor are just as important to me as my own. And I could not just stand by and watch all of you get insulted. I am sorry I married Amaya without seeking your permission. But.. I promise I will love her, respect her and care for her till my very last breath," Mantu said, his unspoken request for her approval and hope brimming in his eyes. Sneha nodded her head. Mantu and Amaya bent to seek her blessings and Sneha blessed them both.
When they went to get blessings from Gajanand Chaubey, he moved away without blessing them. Mantu and Amaya looked at him surprised. "I don't accept this marriage," Gajanand Chaubey announced. "You have cheated us. You simply made use of the sensitive situation we were in for your advantage," he charged at Mantu. "That is not true Nanaji. Mantu was trying to save us - our family's honor. Did you not hear all those vile things Sumitra Aunty was saying? Mantu stepped in to save our honor! Mantu made Rama jiju realize what the right thing to do was!" Amaya defended Mantu. "No! He just made it seem that way. Rama is a nice boy. He would have understood even without this awara ladka pulling such a stunt. He only did this for his own benefit. If anything, he has brought us more shame and so have you! We had to bear the brunt of not just your mother's mistakes, but the whole city will be laughing at how Gajanand Chaubey's granddaughter married a sadak chap awara right beneath our noses and we had to stand by watching!" Gajanand Chaubey said. "I cannot believe this Nanaji. After all that has happened, you still have so much ego in you?" Amaya asked. Mantu held Amaya's hand to get her attention and then shook his head to dissuade her from arguing with her grandfather anymore.
Mantu then folded his hands in front of Gajanand Chaubey and said, "Chaubeyji, you are Amaya's grandfather and I have immense respect towards you. I can stand here and give you a hundred explanations for what I did but that would be undermining the intentions behind my action and you will choose to believe only what you want to. So I have no explanations to offer you. I can only give you my assurance, like I gave Sneha Aunty that my intentions were never wrong and that I love Amaya more than I love my own life. And I assure you, that someday, you will accept us into the family with open arms. I will build my worth in your eyes so that you whole heartedly accept us and this marriage."
Gajanand Chaubey turned away from Mantu and Amaya and went back inside the house. Mantu then turned to Amaya and said, "Amaya, its been a tough day for your family and I know you want to be here for them. I think you should stay back and be there for your mom. Sneha aunty needs you. I will come get you whenever you are ready to come with me."
"No beta," Sneha said. "Amaya and you did nothing wrong in getting married. My father may not see it but I do and I know your intentions were never wrong. You should take Amaya with you. I am fine. I have my family here. As for Rachita - she is my daughter after all. She may not have Rishi's blood but she definitely has Rishi's upbringing in her blood. And some ties are stronger than blood. She will come around. I know she will. So don't worry about Rachita or me. Both of you have a new life waiting for you. Take her with you." Sneha blessed Amaya and Mantu again and hugged them tight, tears streaming down her eyes.
***
Mantu stepped out of the wedding hall, Amaya's hand held securely in his. Outside the wedding hall, he realized that he only had his bike. How would he take his bride on his bike? For a moment, he doubted what he'd done. Amaya deserved so much more. She had been her dad's princess. Was this the kind of wedding her dad would have wanted for her? Was this the kind of wedding she would have wanted for herself? He shuffled on his feet and turned towards Amaya, "Wait Amaya. I'll.. I'll call for a taxi. I can't take you on my bike." "Why?" she asked. There was no sarcasm or taunt underlying her question. She was genuinely asking him why he couldn't take his newly wedded bride home on his bike. "Amaya.. You are my newly wedded bride. How can I take you home on my bike?" he asked. "But I want you to take me to your home on your bike. Unless you want to carry me all the way home," Amaya teased. "But Amaya.." Mantu started to protest but Amaya shushed him with a finger to his lips. "I love you Mantu. Just the way you are. I love everything about you. Don't for a minute doubt yourself because that would mean you are doubting my love," Amaya said. Mantu's eyes filled up with tears and he kissed her on her forehead with all his love. He then helped her onto his bike and tucked her lehenga in for her before riding off into the night.
***
Chiklu opened the door with a wide beaming smile. "Welcome Amaya!!" he said but quickly smacked himself on the head and said, "Welcome Amaya Bhabhi! Now we aren't just friends, we are Bhabhi-devar too!" Amaya smiled and hugged him. "Good! Now Amaya, you can take care of this little brat," Mantu commented. "You don't talk to me Mantu Bhaiyya," Chiklu said. "Why? What did I do?" Mantu asked. "You are asking me what did you do? You did that and you didn't take your only brother to that?" Chiklu complained. Amaya and Mantu smiled. "You mean I got married and I didn't take my only brother to my own wedding?" Mantu asked. "Yes!" Chiklu said, crossly. "Chiklu, I went there only to attend Rama's wedding. I had no idea I would end up getting married too. Fine! I promise, next time I go to any wedding, I will definitely take you with me!" Mantu said. Amaya swatted him lightly at his joke. "Don't try to make excuses now, I am still mad at you!" Chiklu said.
"Achcha baba you can be mad at me all you want but are you going to make your Amaya Bhabhi stand at the door all night or will you let us come in?" Mantu asked. "Wait.. I need to do that.. Wait right here.. Don't move.." Chiklu said as he hurried inside. When he came back Atom, Rano, Barfi Miyaan and Manohar Bhaiyya were with him and they had an arti ka thaal and kalash with them. "Amaya bitiya, normally the women in the family do these rituals. We are family to this crazy lover boy so we've done whatever we could manage at such short notice," Barfi miyaan told Amaya. Mantu's and Amaya's eyes filled up with tears as Chiklu did their aarti and welcomed them in. Amaya tipped the kalash filled with rice and stepped into her new home - their home.
Mantu's eyes fell on the mess around the house and he hurried to try to tidy it all up as fast as he could before Amaya noticed. Chiklu took Amaya to show her around the house as Atom, Rano, Manohar bhaiyya and Barfi miyaan took the opportunity to tease Mantu about his impending wedding night. That's when they heard Chiklu tell Amaya, "And this is Mantu bhaiyya's and my bedroom. You can sleep here. I am sure we can adjust. Or we will make Mantu bhaiyya sleep outside in the courtyard. Look, we've decorated it with flowers too. Barfi miyaan said girls like flowers." Chiklu then came back to the courtyard dragging Amaya along, "Mantu bhaiyya, since we've arranged flowers in that room for Amaya, I think you should sleep in the courtyard from now." Amaya looked away blushing crimson and trying hard to hide the smile that was tugging at her lips.
"Chiklu beta, Amaya Bhabhi and Mantu bhaiyya must be tired. Why don't you come with me and you can sleep over at my place tonight. Radhika would love to have you over," Manohar bhaiyya said. "But I have so many things to tell Amaya.. I mean Amaya Bhabhi," Chiklu said. "Your Amaya Bhabhi will be here forever now. You'll have plenty and more of time to tell her everything you want to," Barfi miyaan explained. "Its okay. Let him stay," Amaya tried to say. "Yes, let him stay," Mantu agreed. "Its alright. This yes actually means no and we know that without you saying anything," Barfi miyaan said. "Now come on. Lets go. I'll drop you off in the morning," Manohar bhaiyya said ushering Chiklu out with him. Atom, Rano, Barfi miyaan and Manohar Bhaiyya wished Mantu good luck in secret and left, closing the door. "Don't forget to lock the door!" Atom called out. Mantu went and locked the door behind them.
"You must be tired," Mantu said as he approached Amaya. "No.. Its okay," she said, shaking her head. "If you want to freshen up, the bathroom is this way," Mantu said, leading her way to the bathroom. When she went in, Mantu rushed to tidy up the bedroom. To his utter surprise, the room was not only neat and clean, it was beautifully decorated with flowers and candles too. He made a mental note to thank Barfi miyaan, Manohar bhaiyya, Atom and Rano tomorrow. He'd married Amaya in haste but at least she had had all the rituals for her grih pravesh done properly, thanks to them. If Uma were here, she would have taken care of it all.. Mantu paused at that thought. No.. Uma wasn't here and she wouldn't be here. If she were here, she would've created a scene. He shrugged off thoughts of Uma from his mind when he heard the bathroom door opening. He turned to find Amaya standing at the doorway, She looked visibly nervous and Mantu held his hand out to her, "Why are you standing at the door Amaya? Come on in." Amaya gently placed her hand in his as she stepped into the room. "Come and sit here," Mantu said as he sat on the bed and made her sit next to him.
Amaya did not meet his gaze and Mantu could not miss the opportunity to tease her, "I did not know you knew how to be shy and mellow Amaya." Amaya gave him a reprimanding look at that but still shied away. Mantu placed a gentle finger beneath her chin and raised her face towards him.
She was so beautiful, Mantu couldn't take his eyes off of her. Her eyes were beautifully lined with kohl and Mantu felt he could lose himself in those depths. Her hair was curled prettily to accent her heart shaped face. The moist fullness of her lips quivered in nervousness or maybe anticipation. A warm blush stole across the milky smoothness of her skin. But what stood out the most was that smearing of vermilion in the parting of her hair in stark contrast to the milky paleness of her skin. The sindoor that announced to the world that she was his. Today and forever. He couldn't stop himself and Mantu leaned in to place a gentle kiss on her forehead right where he had filled the parting of her hair with sindoor. He heard the shuddered intake of her breath and it sounded like a sweet melody to his ears. When he drew away from her, her eyes were closed and lips were parted. Mantu gently stroked a finger down her cheek and she leaned into his caress. Her eyes fluttered open and met his.
"Amaya.. I need to say something to you.." Mantu said, his thoughts barely coherent as he was bewitched by her innocent beauty. Amaya nodded her head and Mantu said, "Amaya.. I am sorry. This must not have been the way you would have imagined how your wedding would be. This is not the wedding your dad would have wanted for you." Before Amaya could interrupt him and tell him he was wrong, Mantu hushed her with a finger to her lips, "I'm not saying for a second that I am sorry for marrying you. There is nothing more I have ever wanted from life than to have you as my life partner. I am just sorry about the way in which it happened. And I am sorry that your Nanaji hasn't accepted us. I know how important your family is to you. I don't have much of a family to call my own, other than Chiklu and my friends. Now you are my family and your family is mine too. And they are important to me too.. Which is why.. Which is why I think we should wait.. To take that step ahead as a husband and wife.. Till we have your family's whole hearted approval. Till I can prove to your Nanaji that I am worthy enough of marrying you."
All Amaya could do was stare at him teary eyed. How could someone be so good? So perfect? And how had she been blessed with him in her life? Surely it had to be Superman sitting up there somewhere, who had insisted that his daughter marry the bestest guy ever and had sent Mantu in her life. "You don't have to prove anything to anyone at all Mantu. As long as we have my mother's blessings, that's all that matters to me," Amaya said. "But it matters to me Amaya. Your family has reunited after so long. I don't want your mother to have to listen to your Nanaji's taunts because of us. I don't want us to be the reason for that." Unable to say anything at all, Amaya simply hugged Mantu tight and laid her head against his chest.
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