There was a moment of awkwardness in the atmosphere. With neither of the beings in the room knowing how to react, it was like they have just met each other and were locked into the candle-lit, romantically decorated room, but such was not the situation.
He stared at her, whilst she had her eyes closed and her back pinned against the wall, he could sense her breathing, it was rapid and she was breathless at the moment, and he sensed it from feet away from her. He looked at her, and though his sight on her just lasted for a few seconds he still managed to notice how beautiful she looked in that red lehnga, with that beautiful, antique golden jewellery hanging from her delicate ears, and surrounding her neck. Her silky hair were tied in a neat bridal bun, with lose curls falling along the outline of her face. Her red rose pinkish lips, glossy but smudged from what happened between them and quivering due to the fright that had her paralysed into the moment. She looked like a gorgeous woman sent from heavens above, to have men drool over her beauty, like those beautiful maidens that God had promise to every good man as a reward in heaven, but she was here on earth.
He could take it no more, seeing her so scared in his presence, made him feel guilty, and for a second he felt anger seep into him, he made his way to the arm-chair, and sat down with hoof, and in frustration rubbed his face while letting out a sigh, the sigh was loud enough to get Manyata open her eyes, for a second she thought that he had started crying, but it was worse, instead he was venting out his pain not through his tears, but by hurting himself, by rubbing his own face with his own hands in the harshest manner. Manyata could not see him like this, it pained her that he was hurting himself so bad, she was flustered seeing him like this and she finally built up some courage within her to make her way to him, but then she noticed tears rolling down her face, it was surprising for her, she had not expected she would start crying seeing him in agony, but ignoring her own emotions she made her way to him, she took big steps across the room to reach him, almost running, and she leaned down and sat on floor next to the arm-chair he was sat on, she lead her shivering hands to his face, and touched his hands with hers, convincing him to remove them from his face, which he eventually did, and starred at her ... but then looked away into another direction, whilst she just stared at his face, trying to study his emotions, trying to investigate the reason for the fire that was brutally burning him on the inside. But she failed to do so, but her desperateness to know what happened to him all of the sudden, lead her to go back into a flashback of the events that took place in this very room, earlier.
"Where were you? Do you know how much I missed you? What kind of a BFF are you? Abandoning me, didn't you care calling me even once? Just to say a formal 'Hi'? Get lost, don't talk to me" she said in a friendly tone. He looked at her ... was she even hearing herself? He wondered. "Why did you miss me so much Princess?" he questioned her in a not-so-friendly tone, which made Manyata look back at him, and now she was sure something was wrong, but still she decided to play-along and liven up the atmosphere. "Why did I miss you? Why? Well because life without your best-friend by your side is like kitchen without the knife" she said. "Funny how you compare me to a knife" he said retorting. Manyata hated how she was unable to liven up the tensed mood in the room, but being the stubborn girl she was, she still decided to go on. "And I compared myself to a kitchen, isn't that worse Udayveer?" she said smiling. "True say, anyways you look nice" he said changing the topic. "Nice? Is this all you have to say to me on my wedding day?" She asked making a disappointed face. "Well Thanks Anyways" she said before he could reply back. "Pleasures all mine" he said with a sarcastic smile. "Talking of your wedding day, don't you find it really awkward spending your wedding night in the same room, that is your room?" he said with a smirk, this did irk Manyata, more like she knew what he's hitting at. "You know what don't answer that question, I already know the answer to it" he said. "But it still amuses me how every girl dreams of leaving her home after marriage, and settling in with her hubby, and moreover the girl's family always get all emotional about their beloved daughter leaving them, however this is not the case here, here the boys family would be getting all emotional and sad about their son leaving them and settling in with his wife" he said letting out a sarcastic laugh. Manyata's forehead soon creased and now she knew that her best-friend was not here to congratulate her or wish her all the best, but was here to mock her misery. "What's it to you?" she said with a slight tone of anger. "Oh nothing, just wondering what is in that Akash dude, that makes you put yourself in such situations" he said further mocking her. "It's called love" she said firmly. "No, princess ...this is not love" he said. "What do you know of love? Hunh?" she said as she was starting to warm up. "True. I don't know what is love, why don't you tell me for starters?" he asked. "Love, love is a beautiful feeling, it's when you can't go a day without seeing the one you love, and if you happen to not see him/her, you get impatient, insecure, worried, you feel like your heart will stop beating because the better half of your heart is missing, love is when the one you love hugs you, you find solace in their arms and never want to let go, love is when the one you love is your best friend, knows all your secrets, knows how crazy you are, knows all your weak points, knows you can be a jerk, and still manages to be there for you. Love is when the one you love is always by your side in times of need, Love..." she said, as her eyes opened in shock at her own words, especially the last few words, she turned around at Uday, and felt uncomfortable, as much as she found it wrong to admit, but Uday did fit all those categories. "What happened Princess, why did you stop? You were doing so well" he said with a huge smirk for he knew exactly why she stopped. "Amm, nothing I couldn't think of anything else" she said nervously. "Why don't you leave Uday, I have to get ready for my wedding" she emphasised on 'my wedding'. "There's 2 hours left, enough for you to get ready in, so let's have some Besty Talk, shall we? ... since you don't have any girl-friends, I guess I'll have to tease you with your wedding plans" he said naughtily. Manyata did not like where this was going, but still. "So tell me Princess, how will your Majnu ... Please his Laila, tonight??" He said teasingly, but this teasing and all was going to hurt him to, he knew it but he still went on. "I don't know, I haven't really seen Akash in 2 months ever since the engagement, so I'm guessing we'll be catching up on what has been on in our lives" she said calmly, knowing what Uday was on about, yet still she didn't show signs of blush, which she should have. "Why don't I see a blushing bride?" he said smirking, whilst playing with the flowers on Manyata's bed. "Well that's the story from your end, but being a guy I know what he must be planning for tonight, I bet he's all willing to bed you, and what not" he said closing his fists in anger, grinding his teeth and managing to not show his reaction to Manyata. "So what? He'll be my husband, he will have every right on me" she said turning around, looking into another direction, closing her eyes, and half-heartedly did she say that. That's it, Uday had enough of it, he had tried so hard to show some patience, but for Manyata he was very possessive and it was this that had led him to give up with this teasing and get straight to the point.
He stood up from the bed, grabbed hold of Manyata's wrist, and forcefully turned her around and pulled her towards him, making their chests collide. Manyata let out a squeal of pain, and starred at Uday in shock, her eyes questioning his. "Ouch Uday, let go, you're hurting me" she said in pain. "I'm hurting you? And what about that God Damn pain you have been giving me forever???Hunh?" he said with anger in his eyes as well as pain. "What pain?" she said confused. Uday led his fingers to her face and with his index finger he moved one of her curls behind her ears, she was calm now, and so was his grip around her ...but then he let go of her. "You know very well, of the pain I am talking about, it started from the day Dadi Saab accepted your marriage with Akash, it went on to the day you got engaged to him, it then went on to the day I heard you talk to DS about Jay's and Mine engagement, did you know how much that pained me?" with every sentence he took a step forward towards her and she took a step back. "Then did you know what extravagated my pain? To see my fianc, getting engaged to another man, and not just any man, but the man I hate the most, Akash Verma ... the guy who ruined everything, the guy who broke the contract between DS and dad, the guy who dared to steal Yuvraj Udayveer's fianc from him. The guy who stole my everything, people mock me for losing my Princess to some chawl-citizen, do you know how much that pains? Do you have any flipping idea?" he said with rage in his eyes, and by now ... Manyata was pinned to the wall and his hands were on each side of her. "Please Uday, don't act like this, look I'm getting married in a few hours, there's no point in creating bitter memories for me now" she said pleadingly as her eyes were moist with tears and so were his, but his tears managed to not fall from his eyes. "It's always about you isn't it Manyata, You're so selfish, you remember you said you'll never fall in love with me? And just to prove yourself right, you're sacrificing your love" he said pushing into her furthermore, Manyata was out of words, what was he saying and why was it effecting her so much? Why is she feeling the way she was feeling at how close they are at the moment? She questioned herself, as tears rolled down her eyes. "I love you damn'it, I love you, and what for? Only for finding out that one day the princess I boast about as mine, would be willing to be giving my rights on her to someone else, damn my life! Damn You Manyata!!" he said with tears rolling down his angry face.
Manyata just got another shock of her life, he loves me? She asked herself, he calls me selfish? She doesn't know what took over her, but the silence in the room was louder than words could ever be, and Uday just starred at her with tears in his eyes, with yearning and longing for her, with pain and she could not help herself from getting comfortable in the tiny space she stood, against him, she lead her hands to his face and wiped of his tears, and she was not in her senses while doing so, and with her hands holding his face, she just stared at him for a few seconds until he leaned into her face, slowly closing the distance that acted as a barrier between their lips, and she closed her eyes, still lost into the moment, both their hearts pounded against their chests, and soon Uday placed a soft kiss on her lips, opened his eyes and looked at her, her hands were still on his face, and his were on the wall, each side of her, he looked at her as her eyes were closed, she was lost into the moment and he knew she wanted it to... so he leaned in again, and this time passionately took her lips into his, Manyata not knowing what was happening felt her knees weaken and she gave in to him, and to support her weak legs she held onto his neck, and pulled him closer, deepening the kiss. The duo was not in their senses but they didn't let such a beautiful moment slip, but soon it struck Manyata as to what she was doing was wrong, she cursed herself for giving in ... she pushed Uday back in anger.
"How dare you Yuvraj Udayveer Singh? How dare you force yourself on me?" she said it knowing that she was lying, but she had to hurt him, she was getting married to Akash after all. Uday looked at her in shock, looked at her as she hit herself forcefully against the wall, closed her eyes, and just seeped in whatever was going on.
*End of Flashback*
As Manyata snapped out of her moment she saw Uday leave the room, she went after him ... wanting to apologise for her behaviour, because this was the least she could do for her best-friend just before she got married, she knows she has always been selfish, but she now knows there's no turning back, Akash's family are already down there waiting for her, she was about to leave the room, only to be stopped by Unnati, who just by seeing Manyata's condition, knew what happened between her brother and her. Uday was soon out of sight, and Manyata asked Unnati to move out of her way, but Unnati held Manyata's hand and told her to calm down, she sat Manyata on the bed.
"Manyata, there's no point running after Dada and apologising to him now" she said firmly to Manyata. "But Unnati, I can't see him like this" Manyata said breaking down into tears. "Look Manyata, I'm your friend, but I am also his sister, and from that relation with you two, I have to say that it's best for you both to move in separate directions, forget what happened between you two, forget everything and move on, it'll be for the ease of all" Unnati said wisely. Manyata looked at Unnati in dismay, "Unnati, just let me go apologise to him, I promise I will hurt him no more, I promise ... but please I can't see him like this, I won't be able to live seeing him hate me, please" she pleaded. "Why Manyata? Are you even hearing yourself, why are you doing this to yourself? Your pain seeing him in pain shows exactly how much you love him, why are you marrying Akash and ruining your life?" Unnati said convincingly, placing her hand on Manyata's knee, Manyata looked at her and hugged her... "I know I love him, I realised it today, but it's too late now Unnati, Uday hates me now, and my marriage with Akash is in just a few minutes, it's over ... Uday hates me" she said crying. "No Manyata he doesn't hate you, what he has for you is an anatomy of a broken heart, nothing else, he still loves you more than any man on this earth would ever do, plus my mother always use to say, it's never too late for anything, life is a cycle and it goes on, there's no end to it. So go reach out for your love Manyata, after all you are the Yuvrani Manyata of Devgadh destined to be and betrothed to Yuvraj Udayveer of Jaigadh from day one." Unnati said wiping Manyata's tears, Manyata smiled hugged Unnati and left for her destiny, her Uday, her halkat veda.
Uday stood there by the lake of Devgadh Palace, throwing pebbles into the water, venting out his frustration. When he got hit by the pebble himself, "Ouch" he said and turned around to see who dared to do that. He was surprised to see Manyata there, with a huge smile across her face, but he turned around, refusing to look at her. "What are you doing here? Go off to your husband, your love of life" he said. "That is exactly what I'm doing" she said. This made Uday turn around. "What?" shocked he was. Before he could say anything Manyata, ran to him and pounded on to him in a hug, which made him fall back on to the grass, with a blow, and with Manyata in his arms. "Yes! I love you Udayveer, I love you my Halkat veday, and I love you" she said in one go with a smile on her face, and her head on his chest. This pleased him, but he wasn't going to be so easy this time. He moved her away from him, stood up, "I don't care, and stop doing such things, and you always end up saying I'm forcing myself on you" he said, turning around. She knew he'd not be easy this time, but she stood up, "But this time I'm going to force myself on you" she said naughtily ... Uday didn't know where this was going until Manyata turned him around, put her hands around his neck, and pulled him in, and then gave him a kiss, moved away, and then naughtily winked at him. He laughed and walked towards pulled her towards him, and was going to lean in when Manyata put her hands between them, "Not now Yuvraj ji, save some for our wedding night at your house" she laughed, and he pulled her into a hug.
And such was the union of the Yuvraj of Jaigadh and Yuvrani of Devgadh.
Itti Si Khushi Sab TV
