The reception was a grand function. Although nupur was equally irritated as mayank regarding this function, but one thing which she was looking forward was meeting her dad and gunjan, and this removed all her frowns.
Her reception dress was a dark royal blue sari with heavy work and mayank a black suit with tie color coded with the sari. Nupur was being introduced to so many people , and always a loner, she was getting irritated beyond limits when she had to tell every single person about her education, likes, dislikes and moreover how did the marriage go, and even some highly annoying teasing!!.
She was a very strict person when it came to her personal life, and especially wedding night was one aspect of her life, which was the most special moment, there was no way she was to reveal anything about it to all those strangers. She just smiled on remarks, not even blushed. YES!. She didn't blush in any of the teasing because she had one plus point ' she could judge intentions. She could see all sorts of negative expressions in the eyes of people, and the first one was the critique that she was not fair, she did feel something breaking down deep in her heart, but mayank's whisper before they entered the hall,
"you look beautiful nupur, but mind it not more than last night",
This was enough for her to smile, she didn't care if all of these people thought like this, her husband found her beautiful and that was it!.
"Ahem!!",
Just then the teasing tone collided with her ears which actually made her blush
"gunjaaan!!", she turned to find the smiling gunjan and she leaped to hug her.
"MY GOD!, you are literally glowing nupur!!", she said heartfelt and nupur smiled, "thank you so much!"
"arey wah!, aj tu smile bhi thori ziyada hi bright lag rahi hai!, she winked and nupur hit her on the arm, "will you please stop behaving L.S!", she glared.
"L.S!, nupuuur!, main tumhain ..
"acha acha!, drama queen!, merey jiju ko kahan chor ayi ho?", nupur giggled and gunjan was still pouting, "tumhare jiju mujhe chor k pata nahi kahan chaley gaye hain!", she pouted and nupur pulled her cheeks, 'awww, aur dad kahan hain?",
"uncle pata nahi kisi se mil rahe they..
"mil rahe they?, nupur gasped, "dad mujh se pehle kis se mil rahe hain?",
"ap key husband se mil rahe they!",
Just then she turned on the affectionate voice of her father, "dad", she rushed in his arms and closed her eyes, nothing in this world can replace this warmth!, she smiled in his embrace and then moved apart,
"ap bohat hi pyari lag rahi ho beta, ik dum princess", he cupped her cheek affectionately and she smiled, "dad main tu ap ko hamesha hi princess lagti hon",
'haan tu princess ho tu princess hi lago gi na!", gunjan stated as a matter of fact, eating salad and nupur glared her.
**
The reception went over in a highly formal note, where mayank and nupur had to greet guests and personally thank them for being there and all those formalities, which were consuming every bit of energy left in their bodies.
"I am sleepy",
Nupur was surprisingly standing alone, admiring a lady, who was trying to handle her twin babies, who were trying to snuggle in her lap simultaneously when she felt the husky whisper in her ear, initiating goosebumps.
She didn't need to turn to see who it was, she just smiled, "hmmm, so now what?", she replied without turning and mayank cleared his throat, "now this, that I am warning you that do let me sleep tonight okay, kal raat bohat tang kiya tum ne", he whispered the last bit naughtily and nupur felt her blood coming to cheeks and she just took a deep breath, "okay, aur kuch?", she bit her lower lip, suppressing her smile, "aur baqi ye k I guess you are fond of kids, but don't u think it's a bit too early!", he said plainly and dumbfounded nupur turned towards him, "kiya?", she gasped and mayank giggled at her expression, "nahi, mian kafi dair se notice kar raha hon, tum un do bachon ko dekh rahi ho, tu mujhe laga shaiyed ..
"ye kiya ap..", she stammered and lowered her eyes while mayak bent on her ear, "so the fumbling nupur is back", he opened his eyes wide and nupur blushed deep, "no she isn't!, ", she managed to say firmly, "and yes I love kids and ..
"and?", he looked deep in her eyes and she turned away, "and I agree it's early!!", and she walked away quickly without giving him a chance to react and looked back at him once she was in another corner of the hall to found that he was still smiling at her and she blushed and smiled back.
**
It was again about midnight when the function got over. Nupur again cried bidding her dad good bye.
Too tired to talk, all the Sharma family just went in their own homes, like mayank and Nupur.
"I tell you this wedding format seriously needs amendments", mayank sighed pulling away the tie and nupur smiled, "cent percent agreed", she was sitting at the dressing, carefully taking off all her jewelry and admiring the tired expressions on mayank's face , as he was taking off his shoes.
Mayank went to change and on returning he snuggled in the blanket and closed his eyes. By the time nupur came back after changing, he was asleep.
Admiring his innocent sight for a while, she herself slipped in the covers, her cheeks turned completely red and her ear lobes started boiling as she lied down beside him. Smiling, she moved close and placed a peck on his cheek, "good night!", she whispered, and according to her she did it in complete safe audible range, and he didn't heard but she was proven wrong when she was pulled close by him, "hmm, good night beautiful", he murmured in sleep, but did manage to place a sloppy kiss on her cheek and after all this she again felt his deep breaths on her neck.
She blushed hard, knowing he wasn't looking at her and sleeping, but still everything about his nearness gave her goose bumps and offering a prayer for everyone she loved, she too went to sleep, entwining their fingers.
**
Things went smooth and romantic for both of them, as Mayank was house arrested for a further two months by his mom, so what he had was to just read, and admire his wife.
"do I find a certain someone cooking?",
Nupur was making lunch when she heard his sleepy voice from the kitchen door,
Yes!', she replied smiling and without turning.
"and may I ask why is that so?", he asked walking close to her,
"because that certain someone wants to cook for her husband", she replied with a sharp intake of breath as by now his arms were around her waist, and lips on her neck.
"but if I remember correctly, that certain someone is not at all fond of cooking", he turned her in his arms and raised his eye brows, "bolo Mrs Sharma, what explanation do you have for this?"
"arey is main explanation wali kiya baat hai?, I wanted to cook so I am cooking, ab apne ghar main bhi cooking nahi karon gi kya main?", she pouted and mayank observed her skeptically, "hmm, but how can you all of a sudden start wanting to cook when you despise it?", he asked plainly and nupur huffed, "ab is main itna investigate karne wali kiya baat hai?"
"I am not investigating, plainly asking the reason", he was calm whereas nupur was getting irritated , "main ne ap ko bataya k there is no reason!, I wanted to cook that is it!";
"but why"?, he was still observing her very carefully and nupur opened the grip off his arms and turned towards the stove, "haad ho gayi ye toh!, cooking karo toh bhi masla , na katro toh bhi masla1", she murmured to herself and the grip came again, 'there you go!, kisi ne tum se kuch kaha hai?", he asked placing his chin over her shoulder and nupur bit her tongue, you are in soup!
"kisi ne kuch nahi kaha, now will you please excuse me, my khana jal jaye ga", she tried acting busy but mayank turned off the stove and made her turn again to face him, 'don't tell me tum se asshi bhabhi ne kuch kaha hai?", he was observing her very carefully and nupur felt her throat dry, that was the real reason!
"arey nupur, tumhain khana banana nahi ata", asshi asked normally and nupur bit her lip, "umm, nahi bhabhi ata tu hai, per psnd nahi hai", she answered embarrassed, trying to show herself busy in the gardening,
"kamal hai!, abhi tak tum ne mayank k liye kuch bhi nahi banaya hai!, larkiyan tu sab se pehle yeh hi karti hain", she replied, although normally, but something was there which pricked her heart, "per khair, ab mayank tumhare itne nakhre utha raha hai tu you are lucky, kash mayank k bhai bhi mayank jasie hotey!, mujhe tu agle din hi khana bananey ka order de diya tha!", she sighed and then excused herself on the note that she had to cook lunch as children will be returning from school, and nupur quietly came back to the apartment and went in the kitchen, she could cook him something before he would wake up
"bolo bhi!, unhon ne hi kaha hai na!", mayank was still observing and being sure that she couldn't lie, she just nodded her head,
"pata tha mujhe!, she has the habit of giving everyone free advice!, what has she enlightened you with?", he asked, and nupur could sense rage in voice, the thing she was so afraid of since that shout on the first morning!
"nahi, it's not the way you are thinking, wo tu bus keh rahi thin ke girls cook for their husbands so..
"so what?", his temper was not coming down and nupur really got caught up as how to handle the situation,
"so she said that you should try something to cook, a candle light dinner..", she added details, just in fear that he may not go to them and fight.
"hmm, so couldn't you tell her that you don't like cooking and a candle light dinner isn't the only romantic thing left in the world!", he asked skeptically and nupur breathed deep, "ap itna ghusa kyun ho rahe ho?, she didn't mean like the way you are thinking, she was just being friendly,
"stop it nupur", he said and nupur lowered her eyes, "I know her better than you, she cannot be friendly with anyone!, she is the only reason mom had to make separate portions for three of us brothers, bcz she doesn't lets anyone live in peace!" he said in a desperate voice and nupur raised her eyes, "and I know she was again taunting , which I will not allow, do you understand!!, no one has a right to come and taunt you on your way of life, and even if you allow that with yourself, well and good, I cannot allow it with my wife, and you better answer her back next time or I'll do it! , and now out of kitchen", he said it all in one go and next he held her hand and dragged her out of the kitchen.
Once they stepped out of kitchen, mayank left her hand and went to sit on the sofa and opened his book, "The Rise and Fall of the Great Empires".
Nupur was still standing in the corner, looking at the frowns of his forehead, nupur could sense that he was trying to distract himself by reading very fast and her heart contracted with all sorts of affection.
She smiled and walked towards her slowly and sat beside him, "I am sorry".
Mayank was concentrating on the fall of the Roman empire when this soft voice collided with her eardrums and unable to concentrate more, he closed the book and turned to see her eyes shining with tears, "now what are you shedding tears for?", he pulled her in his lap and she snuggled to him, "aisey hi, but please I am sorry"
"it's nothing to be sorry about, just be careful next time", he smiled slowly but nupur could still see frowns on his forehead , "I will, but still I think she was right, I mean who will it all work if I won't cook!, I mean I ..
"what do you mean nupur?, is cooking the only reason behind successful homes?, in that case ashi bhabhi is fantastic cook, but her home is mess, bhiaya is just with him bcz of kids, otherswise that woman..
acha.." she placed her fingers over his lips and he held them , "listen nupur, you don't need to change anything in your habits which is not wrong, you don't like cooking, it's okay!, I don't have a problem, and if I don't have a problem then no one .. and mind it, bloody no one had a right to intrude!, this is our home and we will make it the way we will want it!, I cannot allow a third person to allow what will happen in my home!", he said with a stiff voice and nupur nodded, "and besides your husband can afford cooks so you don't need to worry!", he pulled her cheeks and smiling npur hugged him tight.
It was only for a moment that it was a hug, when it turned intimate as mayank's lips started exploring her neck and she sighed, "don't you think you should read, this book is prolonged since the past week", she sighed holding onto him while mayank slowly removed her duppata, "yes, and the sole reason is that whenever I start reading, you come near me and I am distracted, ", he nipped her neck and unable to protest more, she just let herself flow in the moment.
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