Virman-SS-but I love you!!! part 15 - Page 24

Manvi's POV:

That day, after the huge drama at the hospital, Virat drops me at my parent's house and goes back to work, saying he will pick me up in the evening. He is hell bent on buying me a car. And that is the one thing I do not want. It is kind of cute, riding together and I will die if I have to drive around alone. It is been an hour since Virat dropped me off and my mom is still not home. I was lazing away on the couch flicking through channels but nothing really holds my attention. I call my mom.

"Mamma? I have been waiting for you such a long time. Where are you?"

"Such a long time? I spoke with Virat 45 min ago, when he dropped you home." she snaps.

Argh! Why does he have to tell her everything!

"WHEN ARE YOU COMING?" I demand.

"I will be home in an hour Mannu."

"Ok. Talk to me then. You won't even believe what happened at the interview.." I started telling her about my day

"Mannu, stop right there. I have students waiting for me. Will talk to you after I come back home. Okay? Bye!" She hangs up. I look at the phone shocked. She is so going to repent for this!

Unable to think about anybody else, I decide to chat with my newest friend.

"Hey Preity?"

"Manvi madam?"

"Genius you are."

"Ma'm, I can't talk to you. Virat Sir said that he will fire me if I chat with you again."

"He can do that?"

"I think so ma'm, it's his company afterall." She explains innocently. I am starting to like this girl more and more. "Preity, Sir is calling you." Someone shouts at her.

"I have to go ma'm, sorry." Preity hangs up immediately.

Huh! Nobody wanted to talk with Manvi! AM I SERIOUSLY THE ONLY JOBLESS PERSON IN THE WHOLE CITY?

Then my phone rings - looks like there is someone else more jobless than me.

"Yell-o!"

"You got married to Virat!!???????????????!!!!!!!!! You little c**t.."

"Simmi?" I sprang up on the couch."

"Yes Simmi, your own sister, remember me?

"Why are you calling me Simmi? I told you I don't want to have anything to do with you."

" Huh!! and yet you get married to my husband? You know, I figured as your husband's wife, I should call and give you my blessings!!" she laughed at her own twisted joke.

"Ex-wife." I corrected her.

"ZIP IT! I am just shocked, at how low my own sister can stoop to get back at me!!"

"How low can I stoop???? Not everything is about you Simmi. I like Virat. That's the only reason I got married to him. It has nothing to do with you. So, just get back to you stupid boyfriend and leave us the hell alone."

"You like Virat?" she asks, with a clear shock factor. She then starts laughing, like a crazy maniac, without stopping for the next five minutes.

This is silly. I am super pissed and about to hang up.

"You think Virat will ever even think about sharing his life with you? Share his bed with you? Forget that, do you think he will even notice you? He must have just married you because mom and dad tortured him to. He is full of puppy love sweetheart - for me - that will never change. That's the affect Simmi has. His clinging on to me like a doorbell used to freak the hell out of me and now will stay with you for the rest of your life. So, have a happy married life little sister. By the way, you never get tired of using my hand-me-downs, do you?" she starts laughing. My blood boils and I haven't felt this angry in a long time, I cut her call and fling the phone away at the wall breaking it into three different pieces."

~~~

Later the evening, I was sitting on the couch hugging my mom while she was grading some papers for her class. "You are so mean? Only 5 points for that answer?" I commented for the 100^th time in the last one hour.

"Mannu, are my students paying you money? Can you please let me finish this today?" she scolds me.

I just close my eyes and hug tighter.

"Kya huva baccha? Virat ne kuch bol diya hai kya?" she pats my face lovingly.

"Nai"

"Toh?"

"Toh kya? I am fine, why are you annoying me?"

"I am annoying you?" she rolled her eyes. "Fine, don't tell me."

I just continue looking over her work.

"Hello mom." Virat comes and touches her feet. The ever perfect son-in-law, I can never do that, unless I am forced to. He looks at me curiously and I just mumble a Hi. He collapses beside mom.

"How was your day beta?" My mom strokes his head.

"Long!" he smiles.

"Does anyone want any tea?" He asks going into the kitchen.

"Mannu, go help Virat, he must be tired working all day."

"Nai. I don't want to leave you." I cuddle beside her.

She shakes her head and gives up on me, getting up to help Virat. I follow her. They both are a perfect combination in the kitchen. Virat is a good cook and mom is the only person who can cook in our house. They both enjoy making stuff together, chatting and joking around. I am their favorite scape-goat. They usually tease me endlessly during these sessions as I am just lurking around doing nothing.

So, in the next twenty minutes, right in front of my eyes, they make pakora and tea as I try my best to focus on their conversation, trying to shrug off everything else. And right when we were about to eat dad shows up.

"Can you let go off my wife atleast now. Don't you have a husband to pester?" dad teases me pecking my mom on her cheek. Virat smiles too. Mom and Dad are the cutest couple you can find. They are madly in love even after twenty five years of marriage. There is only one word for them - Perfect!

I giggle. "Never" I tell him, pulling my mom's hand.

"Waise. I am sorry to burst your bubble but Mannu will have to stay with you guys for a week. I will be out of town on a business trip." Virat tells my parents.

"Where are you going?" I ask sitting up surprised.

"Calif."

"But why?" I ask him confused.

He shakes his head. "Like I said, it is a business trip. I will be back in a week. Sorry dad." He says, patting my dad, while going inside the kitchen for something.

Mom and dad look at each other speaking something without using any words. Over the years they have gotten good at these kind of conversations, as I tend to poke my nose into everything.

"So, what's for dinner?" Virat asks rubbing his hands excited.

~~~

Virat's POV:

I don't know what's happening to me. Everything that goes on around me reminds me of Simmi, not in a good way, in a bad way. All the time I was in college my friends used to tease the hell out of me. Not because I loved Simmi, but because, I loved her more than myself.

"Simmi, I searched three different shops and picked out this saree for you, for the party in the evening."

"That's pretty Virat, but I am just going to wear a dress."

"That's not fair!?"

"Virat please. Don't be like one of those husbands."

That was her favourite line. 'Don't be like one of those husbands.' I somehow always tried to fix myself, thinking that it's my high expectations from her that are the troubling issue in between us - Just because I don't have anyone else, doesn't give me the right to impose the whole of myself on her. Everytime she denied me, I tried to change my expectations, until the point where I didn't know what I wanted from her and our relationship anymore.

Mannu reminds me of everything Simmi was not. I had to force Simmi to come out with me. I had to force her to come to family gatherings in her own house. I thought the world of her, but she, she only thought about what she wanted. And every thing Mannu does, everything she says to me, makes me feel like Simmi never ever loved me.

Everyday was a struggle with Simmi and I don't know why I couldn't read the signs earlier - She was never into me!!!!!! Whenever people teased her with me, she would just get irritated and shrug the whole thing of as 'whatever.' How can I not have realized that she never valued me enough - to cherish and smile about those sweet little things.

The time during our divorce proceedings was the worst part of my life. I pleaded Simmi to re-think about everything. Even though our marriage was very damaged, I thought we could work on it. I was in a pretty bad shape. Simmi's dad only told me one thing - "Beta, you will not realize or understand it now, but LIFE SHOULD NOT BE THIS HARD! She doesn't even understand what she is throwing away."

He was right, it didn't make any sense to me, then. But now, I see it. My life has suddenly gotten easy - Laughter returned, joy retuned. It's just peppy and light and everyone is just so happy. Even I am trying to let go of things.

When that silly girl gave me the list, I understood that she wanted Simmi's stuff out of the house. But, I somehow didn't mind it. If it was a few months ago, I would not have been ready for this. Mannu is like a breath of fresh air to my tired muscles. Maybe Mom and Dad are right! Maybe she is exactly what I need.

But falling in love? That's the one thing I can never do! I am never going to subject myself to that torture ever again. Love just means expectations and expectations means disappointments. Even though I know all these facts about Simmi, I cannot forget about her, that how pathetic love is. Love can make a man, but it is equally capable of destroying a man! I am never walking down that road again.

And I don't think Mannu expects all that from me anyways. She is far too practical to get tangled in that web. Sensible girl!

I was driving to her folks place. My phone rings.

It is Simmi's number???????

Why the f**k is she calling me? I have no intentions of spoiling my evening, so I ignore it. Her very name brings in a strain and pressure into my head. I get stressed out. I park my car and walk inside. Its hard to believe but my in-laws house is my most favorite place in the whole world. They are just amazing!

I see Mannu and Mom relaxing on the couch and walk towards them. The first thing that catches my attention is Mannu's broken phone, lying by the wall. I look at her and she was cuddling with her mother tightly. She was trying very hard to talk it away, like she did at the restaurant in the morning. It doesn't require an Einstein to figure out what happened.

I suddenly become angry and it is very new to me. I am angry at Simmi because of Manvi!!!!!!!!!

"Mannu, what happened to your phone?" I ask her while making dinner. I was grilling some burgers for everyone in the portico and Dad took Mom out for a walk. I am guessing that is to give us both some time alone. But, the silly girl never gets anything, she was fighting with her dad for not taking her along.

"I wanted a new one, that's why I broke it." She says.

"There is another way, just so you know - You can just open your mouth and ask." I tell her playfully.

"You are so funnyViratji!!" she mocks me.

I smile. "What did she say?" I ask her, trying to break the ice.

"Who?" she gapes at me surprised.

"Who else?"

She looks away. "How do you even know?"

"She called me too." I tell her.

Immediately, her face tenses, but she tries to hide it. "Oh?"

"I didn't answer." I tell her. I don't know why I had to say that, but I did.

She just looks away avoiding my gaze.

"So?" I prod.

"So what?" She asks irritated.

"What did she tell you?"

"I don't know. It's crazy." She waves her hand dismissing the whole topic. I am starting to get this weirdo, if something bothers her - 'It is crazy' and if something upsets her - she starts blabbering like a drunken monkey.

She was walking away, to avoid talking with me, about the whole thing.

Manvi's POV:

My mom and Virat should open up a shrink clinic, they have this overwhelming need to 'talk things out' What does he want me say anyways? I make an excuse and try to walk inside the house. That's when it happened - my heart literally skipped a beat. He held my hand - not like he usually does, while teasing or scolding me. This was different - there was something else to it. I turned around and looked at him. He was looking at the bandages on my wrist. "How is your hand by the way?" he asks.

"It is a silly little cut. It's fine." I try to pull it back.

He doesn't let go.

He holds my other hand. "Hey, don't let her words get to you. I know how hurtful she can be. Just erase them." He tells me. And without any warning, two drops of tears roll out of my eyes. SEE! THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU TALK THINGS OUT!!!

I pull my hands from him and turn around, this is so embarrassing!!!

"Mannuuu!" he calls my name softly. I stop. He comes in front of me and slowly wipes my tears with both his thumbs.

"That bad huh?" he asks tenderly.

And it was like his words uncoiled something deep inside me, He touched my shoulder with his hand, confortingly and I leaned in on his chest and let him hug me. HE HUGGED ME! Not the stiff uncle-ish kind of hug but a cute and caring one, stroking my back softly. It felt sooo good!

Maybe my sister should come and see this! Not only does he notice me, he also cares about me!!!!!!! Screw you Simmi! I don't care what you think about me or him. He is a rare diamond. Throwing a diamond in dirt does not take away its spark!

"You are hugging me." I tell him, moving away.

He smiles. "You said you needed me to give you one on bad days. I think today was pretty rough." He replies.

I look at him and being so close to him was doing things to me. His face is so beautiful and he is so caring and simply amazing. His eyes had something else in them today. Like he is happy to see me - I rejoice in all these thoughts. He blinks at me and I stir out of my thoughts.

"Ahem-Ahem. I think you are burning the burgers son." My dad says as they both walk towards us arm-in-arm.

"I think we should go around the park for a second round Amol." Mom winks at me.

Virat moves away smiling and my face goes a deep shade of red. But, I recover immediately. "No, stay!" I tell them as I go in to fetch plates "We better eat some before he burns them all."

~~~

Me and mom were sitting in the garden chairs while dad and Virat were serving us. Virat told me that he talked with the board of trustees in the hospital and they are more than happy to have me work for them, that too in pediatrics. I was beaming around happily, with not a sign of worry on my face.

"Virat, why don't you take Mannu with you on your trip. You said she will be joining from the 1^st of next month so what will she do here, with us old people?" Dad smiles looking at mom.

"Dad, you are such a liar, you just want me out of your hair so that you can spend some alone time with mom." I snap at him.

"Why did we get you married Mannu? So that you will leave us alone. Par tu toh jaane ka naam hi nai le rahi hai!!!" Dad teases.

"You are such a meany!!!!!!! What did you say?" I run to get him. There is only one way to annoy my dad. Tickle him! We both run round and round our grill party as Virat and my mom shake their head, enjoying their sandwiches looking at us laughing like they were watching a cartoon show.

~~~