~Yaddein~ Short Story siggie added first page - Page 18

Part Ten

Manyata was getting ready for her sister's engagement party. She put on her earrings and smoothed back a few strands of her hair. She blushed about what had transpired the night before. They had kissed again. When he had pulled back she had sensed something was lingering on his mind. She shut that out of her mind. She had lost her memory he didn't want her to feel uncomfortable.

She looked at herself in the mirror. She was sure she looked good enough to be JaI Nandini's sister for today's event. Suddenly there was a frantic knock on the door.

"Rajkumari , downstairs there is a commotion some goons are trying to fight security. Yuvraj Udayveer is surrounded by them," the maid rasped.

"Kya?," Manyata exclaimed.

She started to run downstairs. Unnati followed seeing her running like a mad woman.

" Dada!," Unnati exclaimed.

Unnati wanted to go forward and try to help resolve the situation. A hand pulled on her arm.

"Nahin Unnati. Agar tuhme kuch hogaya toh tumare Dada muhje maf nahin kar paayenge na Jaigarth ke majraj aap ke pita mujhe maf karenge,"Manyata declared.

Manyata stepped forward. She felt a jab or two as she tried to get through the crowd. She pushed past them. Something told her she had to go support Udayveer but why did she feel something like this had happened before in their lives. Suddenly the crowd cleared a bit.

Her eyes widened to see Akash and Udayveer at loggerheads.

"Finally you are brave enough to face me in person instead of sending indirect jabs," Udayveer declared.

"Ha! You think you are a good man, a good politician perhaps. You could not even protect your own wife when calamity struck your lives,"Akash retorted.

"Hey hello. Tum kaun hote ho mere pati ko taane dene wale?,"Manyata yelled as they were about to beat each other up.

Both turned to face her astonished.

She looked radiant like a new bride. She wore a pale pink churidar. Udayveer stiffened and shoved Akash aside as if he were a leaf.

"Manyata tum yahan kyun aayi ho. Chalo andar chalo, hum abhi aate hain. I have unfinished business here," Udayveer hissed.

She looked passed him and noticed that Akash had picked up a large rock and was ready to aim it.

"Udayveer!," she yelled and pushed him out of the way.

Udayveer looked back to see Akash had dropped the stone barely a few centimeters where he had just stood. Security lunged at him and grabbed him. He turned to Manyata fearing history had repeated itself. He sighed. She seemed a bit pale but she was safe.

"Manyata aap ne..

"Aap na dharm nibha hai Udayveer,"Manyata declared.

He was amazed at the maturity each time Manyata displayed in the past year since she had decided to let go of Akash and become his wife and Mahrani.

She went over to Akash.

"Aaj aap ne phirse mere pati par war kiya hai. Let it be known the next time you attempt such a thing, you will not leave standing. Take him to the police,"Manyata declared.

"Monia how could you support such a man? He took you away from the life you knew and your real friends. How can you forgive him so easily?," Akash exclaimed.

"I may not remember every detail of my past Akash, but he has given me the life I was meant to live. He found me when no one else could," Manyata declared.

She walked back towards Udayveer.

"Chalo. You need to get cleaned up. We have to be at Jai Nandini's enagagement within an hour," she said.

Unnati squeezed each of their arms assumingly as the threesome reentered their quarters together.

Udayveer shed his rumbled clothes and hopped in the shower. As he got ready he thought about the incident.

The van had stopped in their path. Manyata screamed for him to press on the breaks. He stepped on them and they came to a startling halt. Then several rough looking men emerged from the van with dhandas. She reached for his hand. He squeezed it in assurance. Suddenly glass was breaking as they had broken the car windows. They ducked down to avoid the glass in their faces. Their hands were pulled apart as each was dragged out of the car. They held Manyata captive and the others started to surround Udayveer.

He looked past them and saw Manyata's worried expression. He closed and opened his eye lids indicating to her to stay strong. She started to fight off the man that had held her by her arms.

One of them got him on the shoulder. Udayveer winced yet continued to fight against them.. He had one goal to finish these fools and take Manyata to safety.

Manyata suddenly broke free from her captor. She grabbed Udayveer and turned him around before someone could crush his chest. The blunt force landed on her head instead of him.

Then she fell as she rasped ,"Udayveer!"

He cradled her as the goons for some reason ran off.

She was bleeding and fading away quickly. He wanted to cry but couldn't. She had saved his life and now would he lose her too?

She shook her bangles in front of him.

He snapped out of his thoughts. He smiled at her.

" Where were you lost? Jaldi karo na! Unnati is waiting for us. Jai Nandini needs our help too,"Manyata said.

He grabbed her arms and then cupped her chin.

"Aaj tum ek nayi haveli dulhan lagri ho," he hissed.

She turned a bit red and took his hand of her arm.

" You waited so long to compliment me. You are too busy to even look at me. Theek hai. I won't talk to you tonight ," she said pretending to be miffed.

She turned away from him. He grabbed her wrist.

" Come on Manyata come here," he insisted.

She removed his hand from her wrist.

"This not the time to get too close Yuvraj. It is time for us to leave," she hissed back.

"I'll get you later wifey," he retorted.

" We shall see about that," she stated as she turned to leave the room.

He gazed after her in awe.

"Two can play this game princess," he said softly with his signature smirk.