Kya karu?
Kya karu?
Kya karu???
IDEA!
Nahi, nahi, I will give him a 'few minutes'
So, I walk around for a sum total of
...
...
...
...
...
five minutes...
I cannot stay idle for more than that. If there is something Manvi absolutely cannot do in this world, it is- staying alone - even for a 'few minutes'
I slowly open the balcony door and start yelling, slouching on the floor, holding my stomach "Viraaat-ji!!! Ouwie!!" It is kinda fun calling him this.
"Mannuuu!! what's wrong?" he immediately rushes in. "Heeey.." kneels in front of me.
"My tummy hurts!!" I cry.
"Par kyu Manvi? what should I do? I don't have any medicine, should I call your mom?" he asks panicking.
I look up at him. His eyes were red and slightly watery; his face more sad than it was the whole day. He must be remembering everything and feeling sad.
Sometimes, I feel like strangling my sister for doing this to him!
"Mannu?" he calls me.
"No, nooo!! don't disturb her, she must have reached home by now, just sit with me, I will be fine." I tell him.
"ok. Should I help you up?"
"No, I am fine" I say and I rise up on my feet weakly. I look at his face and I suddenly feel like I am not acting dramatically enough to suit his 'extremely worried' expressions. "Ahhh!" I cry again and take a step forward.
"Here, let me help you." He lifts me up in his arms.
And he carries me in his arms, towards the bed...
Oh.my.sweet.god!!
My heart goes awww!
He is so cute!!
All that worry for me?!
He is like an ironman, so strong, doesn't even flinch to lift me up, my savior, my hero, no one has carried me like this before. Maybe my dad, once, but that doesn't even count.
"Viraaat-ji, this is so romantic!" I tell him dreamily.
"Kya??" he looks at me with an outraged face.
"I thought all this only happens in movies, apne shaadi ke raat, husband apne wife ko apne bahoon main, pyaar se utaatha hai, aur aaise slow motion main phooolon ke beeech..."
He drops me on the bed. "Ughhh! What was that for?" I scream.
"You were floating in a dreamland, in your own little bubble, so I thought I will wake you up!" He said with an irritated face.
I look at him with a hurt expression.
"Tum acting kar rahi thi? Manvi, I was worried ki sach main tumhari tabiyath karaaab hai! I asked you to leave me alone for a few minutes. Why doesn't anything I say enter your thick skull?"
"My skull is not any more thicker than the rest of the people." I tell him folding my hands and looking away. " And I wasn't acting, my stomach was seriously grumbling, mom didn't feed me any food since morning?"
"Mom didn't feed me!!!!!!!" he mimicked my voice in a a funny way "bacchi ho kya? Go eat something from the kitchen."
"arey, par I don't know how to cook. Make me something."
"Make you something??? Very nice! Menu bhi lao? Boliye, what will you have madamji?"
"I don't know, nothing spicy."
"Heeey bhagwaaan! What did I do to deserve this??" he throws his hands up towards the ceiling.
"Are you making me something or not? Mujhe bhoook lag rahi hai!!"
"Alright, let me see what is there, I am sure they must have left some food.." he walks out and I follow him slowly, doing a small dance in my head - I finally got him out of his shell. I am going to make him cook something big for me and then it will be late and he will fall asleep. I should take notes of all this - only some of my strategies work with Virat - guilt works, responsibility works, cooking works too, he loves cooking.
"There is sweets, fruits, bread, juice..." he says with his head inside the fridge.
"Ewww. No. I want real food!"
He goes to the pantry "I guess I can make a stir-fry."
"We have magggie.." I hold the packet up like it is a prize.
He looks at me with the most disapproving face ever. "Ofcourse, I didn't consider 'your' meaning of real food!"
"You know what, I even know how to make it. Here, you sit, I will cook." I tell him.
"COOK?" he asks, hands on his hips, raising his eye-brows. "Listen Manvi, as much fun as that sounds, I am not hungry, make your Maggie, I have stuff to do.." he says walking out.
What! NO! NO! Mannu, try guilt again! "But, Viratji, I can't cook or eat alone. It is just two minutes, stay!!"
He takes a deep breath and turns around. "FINE! Two minutes. You are a whiny little thing, aren't you?" He stands leaning over the stovetop as I boil the water.
"Aren't you going to get out of that heavy dress?" he asks me.
I smile. "I like it, I am only going to get to wear it once!!!" I tell him.
~~~
"You know what, you are the most beautiful bride that ever existed on the face on this earth!! Nobody can come even close!! Oh Simmi, I can just look at you like this, forever!!" I tell her holding her hand.
"Seriously??? I hate all this tacky stuff, do you even know how heavy this is? My mom wouldn't even listen to me, she forced me. Mom bhi na!! I can't wait to get out of this!" she walks away muttering into the closet.
"Wait a second sweetheart.." I take both her hands and start searching for my name "What did your mom say? If I find my name in your mehendi, you will do anything I ask you to do for an year! Itna bada chance thode miss karunga!"
"Virat!!! Please you don't get started now, I am sick and tired of all the rasms and rituals, please, give me a break!! I have my medical boards in a week and you guys wanted marriage NOW!! Abhi you got what you want, so just let me be now!" She walks away irritated.
"Simmi!!! Come on yaar, aaj ke din toh relax ho jao, its our wedding day!"
"Relax, I know what you want. After marriage, girls never get enough time to study, husband ke liye yeh, husband ke liye woh, muje time hi nahi milne wala hai. I will fail all my exams and sit at home, they you will be happy right, you will have all the time in the world with me!!! How typical!"
"You think that low about me? I am not like that Simmi. Whatever makes you happy, makes me happy - that's all I want. Do whatever you want, I will never stop you, you should know that by now!"
~~~
"VIRATJI!!!!!" I heard Manvi waving her hands in front of me.
"Kya huva? Where are you lost? You have been staring at me!! Itni acchi dikh rahi hu?" she gives me a small bowl of Maggie.
"Nahi sorry, I am just a little tired." I sit at the counter beside her. I cannot believe I am eating Maggie at this hour. This girl will be the death of me!
"KYA? Main achi nahi dikh rahi hu?" she asks pouting childishly.
I look at her face, surprised - I only see innocence and a pair of sparkly eyes shining brightly."No I didn't mean that Mannu, ofcourse, you look very adorable." I tell her.
"Adorable? Like a teddybear?
I am shaking my head. Ever since she stepped into my life, she hasn't stopped talking and it drives me crazy! But I have to accept one thing, because of her, my life isn't stagnant anymore, I don't know what she sees in me but she never leaves me alone. There couldn't have been anything more selfish than getting married to her, I knew very well that I cannot give her anything in return, I am like desert island - dry and barren, nothing to sprout life from. But yes, I am going to try to make her comfortable, protect her and keep her happy in whatever way it is possible for me.
~~~
"There is two other rooms in the house, you know that, if you feel uncomfortable staying in my room, you can sleep anywhere you want, you know that too." I tell her clearing up stuff in the kitchen.
"You don't want to share your room with me?"
"I repeat, if YOU are not comfortable..."
"I cannot sleep alone."
"Fine, my room then.." we both walk in.
"OUR room!" she corrects.
"Yes, our.."
"I will take the couch."
"but why?" she asks. Oh god! Kya karu main iska!!!!!!
"because...I like my couch."
"but I cannot sleep alone!"
"I am right here Manvi."
"Couch is too far from the bed."
If I have to live with this brat, I need to start meditating from tomorrow. I close my eyes for a second, open them and push the couch across the room, beside the bed and collapse on it.
"Are you sleepy??" she asks me.
"YES!"
"But I am not!"
"I can see that.."
"Mannu, come here, I want to talk to you. Sit!"
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
Mannat Har Khushi Paane Ki
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