||ManYa FF - Against all odds|| Epilogue Pg 45 Updated-12.10.15 - Page 5

Amazing... Why can't they show this instead of showing that crap they r showing these days...
Neet ur stories r a treat 2 read... Update soon... Will be waiting eagerly of what will happen next

Lovely 😳

Guys...come on lets produce this in to our own series directed by level headed people with Dhruv and Hiba acting it out...this would be our TSM

Originally posted by: dilsenavya

Lovely 😳

That's how the show should have been but ALAS.. Thanks to Star Plus & TRP Aunties 😡

this is actually what i wanted in the show... bttt

Chapter 6

"Amaya.."

They had spent long moments in silence, not knowing how or what to say till Mantu finally spoke up. Amaya looked at him at that.

"Amaya.. I.. I need to talk to you.." Mantu said, rather hesitantly. Amaya nodded her head ever so slightly. "I am sorry," Mantu said. Amaya raised her eyebrows questioningly. Mantu got up from where he sat and went over to Amaya. He kneeled down in front of Amaya, took her hands in his as he looked into her eyes earnestly and said, "I am so very sorry. For letting my ego come in between us. For not having more faith in you. For knowing you and not knowing you enough to trust that you would never do anything on purpose to hurt me, or anyone for that matter. I am sorry.."

Tears brimmed in Amaya's eyes but before she could day anything, there was a soft knock on the door. "Amu? Are you in here?" It was Jazz. The door opened and Jazz peeked in. Mantu immediately let go of Amaya's hand and stepped back. Both of them quickly wiped away the tears in their eyes. "Yes Jazz.." Amu said walking towards the door. "Thank God! You weren't in Rachi di's room so I thought I'd come find you. Come with me to Rachi di na, she is kind of upset but she won't tell me whats wrong," Jazz said holding onto Amaya's hand and leading her away. As she left, Amaya turned to glance at Mantu but said nothing.

Mantu left the store room and made his way towards the living room when he bumped into Rama standing solemnly in a corner. "Rama?! What happened? Are you alright? Did you get caught?" Mantu asked looking at the solemn expression on Rama's face. "Mantu.. There is something bothering me.. But I don't know if its just me.. Maybe I am overthinking it.." Rama said distractedly. "What's the matter Rama? Tell me. I'll help you in any way that I can," Mantu said, placing a reassuring hand on Rama's shoulder. "I don't know Mantu, but I feel Rachitaji isn't really happy with this wedding. That smile on her face, its missing something. I can feel it Mantu. You are my brother, so I can tell you this," Rama said as he proceeded to tell Mantu what had happened between Rachita and him a little while ago. "You are overthinking this Rama. I am sure there is nothing like that. A wedding is a stressful time for a girl. She has to leave her family and house and move into a new home and family. She must be stressed, that's all," Mantu said. "If that's the case Mantu, she can talk to me about it, isn't it? After all, we are going to be sharing our lives. If she cannot tell me that she is upset about leaving her family, then do we really have the kind of understanding that we need for a successful marriage? And I just know, I just know it Mantu, that that isn't the reason. There is something else. I've told her time and again that I love her but she hasn't said it once. Its not even about saying it. You know how you can just feel it when the other person loves you too? I don't get that feeling," Rama said.

Mantu thought about it for a minute. Honestly, even he had been surprised that Rachita had agreed to the marriage overnight. It was after the night she had gone missing. But Rama had no idea that she had gone missing. And the other night, when he had been hiding beneath Amaya's bed, he remembered hearing her mention about "the circumstances in which the wedding was happening." Was Rama's hunch true? Was there more to this wedding than what met the eye?

"Mantu, you are my friend, aren't you? Please do me a favor. Please find out from Amaya what is up with Rachitaji? Those two are so close to each other, if there is anything at all going on in Rachitaji's heart, Amaya would definitely know. Please do this for me," Rama pleaded with Mantu. "Okay Rama. I will talk to Amaya," Mantu assured Rama and walked away.

***

"Thank God you got fresh flower garlands in time Manohar Bhaiyya. The haldi ceremony is about to start and look, this entire section has no flower decorations. This is my best friend's wedding and Rama has placed so much trust in me and made me in charge of all the arrangements. I can't let anything go wrong," Mantu said as he took the basket of flower garlands from Manohar. "I'm sorry Mantu. I don't know how we missed this part," Manohar apologized. "Its okay Manohar bhaiyya. I'll do this myself now. Can you please go check and see if there is any other part of the haveli we may have missed decorating?" Mantu instructed Manohar and the latter left. Mantu got onto the ladder and placed the basket of flower garlands on the top step next to him and he started putting up the decorations.

"I better call the dance instructor lady and remind her that she has to be here tomorrow. Oh and I should remind the mehendi ladies too! I wonder if Mom called the panditji to remind him about the wedding day after?" Amaya mentally ticked off items on her to-do list as she hurried down the hallway with her attention focused on finding the dance instructor's number on her phone. She wasn't really paying attention to where she was going until she crashed into something. She heard a loud thud, the sound of someone yell and she fell to the ground, crushed under a weight and winced in pain.

Mantu had just managed to hook the first flower garland in place when the ladder shook, toppling him and the basket of flower garlands. He closed his eyes, expecting to painfully hit solid ground but instead was cushioned by softness beneath him. He opened his eyes to find Amaya lying beneath him, wincing in pain.

"Amaya! Are you okay?" he tried to get off of her, but realized that the basket of flower garlands had fallen on them and they were now in a tangled heap of flower garlands that tied them to each other.

Mantu? Amaya opened her eyes when she heard his voice. "Are you okay?" she saw Mantu's concerned eyes searching hers and immediately tried to get up. "We can't move," he told her. That's when Amaya realized that they were tangled together - arms, legs, flowers and all, in a very awkward position that they could not even move from.

"What do we do?" Amaya asked. "Hold on. I'm going to try something and I don't have a choice. So.. I am sorry," Mantu said. Amaya looked at him confused as he tried to move his arm. That's when Amaya realized what the apology was for. To move his arm, Mantu had to inch it across her waist where it lay and Amaya's breath caught in her throat. Every movement his arm made, sent tiny shockwaves through her. She hoped and prayed Mantu would not get to know of what was happening to her.

He knew. Just as every moment he made was affecting her so, it was affecting him too. They were so close. As close as could be. And he could not stop the racing of his heart as his fingers moved over her or the shuddering of his breath as he inhaled her scent, mixed into a heady fragrance with the flowers covering them.

Amaya let go the breath she had held in when he finally freed his hand. But to pull the mala off of them, he had to lean in closer.. Much closer.. Till his face was buried in her hair at the crook of her neck and in that one moment, Amaya knew what heaven felt like. Like her heart had found voice and had started to sing, someone turned on the music and faint strains of Monali Thakur's mellifluous voice wafted into the moment.

Moh moh ke dhaage, moh moh ke dhaage

Yeh moh moh ke dhaage, teri ungliyon se jaa uljha

Koi toh toh na lage, kis taraha girha yeh suljhe

Hai rom rom ek taara jo badalon mein se guzre..

There was and never would be a torture sweeter than this, Mantu thought as he buried his face in her long, silky tresses. Whether deliberately or accidentally, Mantu's efforts to free them from the tangle slowed. He finally lifted one mala off of them, putting just a little distance between them. Amaya was surprised by how fiercely she missed and craved more of that closeness with him. She couldn't even meet his gaze when he looked at her.

Tu hoga zara pagal tu ne mujhko hai chuna

Kaise tu ne ankaha, tu ne ankaha sab suna

Tu din sa hai, main raat aana dono

Mil jaayein shaamon ki tarah..

The music went on as slowly, Mantu freed her hand too. They still weren't free to move away from each other though and lay on the ground in an awkward embrace. Mantu reached a hand around her waist then and pulled her up into a sitting position.

Yeh teri jhooti baatein main saari maan loon

Aankhon se tere sach sabhi, sab kuch abhi jaan loon

Tezz hai dhara, behte se hum awara,

Aa thamke saansein le yahan..

Amaya started to help untangle them too and their hands kept brushing against each other. A pleasurable ache settled somewhere in the middle of her chest as his fingers caressed her. His warm breath fanned her face, his intense gaze was fixed unwaveringly on hers and Amaya knew without a doubt that she would never be able to love another soul as much as she loved Mantu, even if they never got around to saying it to each other, even if her love never found fulfillment.

Mantu almost wished he could be stuck with her like this forever. He wanted nothing else but to have her front of his eyes, to hold her in his arms, to touch her. When they managed to get rid of the last flower garland that had fallen over them, both of their hearts thudded painfully.

Couldn't there have been more flower garlands so I could hold her just a little longer? Mantu wondered. Why did he have to take all of them off so quickly? Amaya thought to herself.

"Mantu bhaiyya! I think we've covered all the other parts of the haveli," Manohar's voice broke into their moment and Mantu and Amaya quickly stepped away from each other. Amaya walked away and Mantu started picking up the flower garlands as Manohar came in. "What happened Mantu bhaiyya? How did all these fall? Are you okay?" Manohar asked. Mantu stole a quick glance at Amaya's receding figure before saying, "Nothing. I just fell."

***

"Please meet me by the temple near your house in 5 minutes. Its urgent."

Amaya stared at her phone screen. It had been so long since she'd received Mantu's text that she almost couldn't believe it. Everyone had gone to bed tired from the festivities during the day. She had been so busy that she hadn't had a chance to even change out of her saree. Tomorrow was the mehendi and the lady who was going to choreograph their performances for the Sangeet was also coming tomorrow. So far things were going smoothly, except for Rachi di. How Amaya wished Rachi di would be genuinely happy with this marriage. Amaya sighed as her phone buzzed again.

"Tum aaogi na?"

How could she ever say no to him? Amaya set aside the clothes she had been readying for the mehendi function the next day as she replied, "I will be there in 5 minutes." She quietly made her way out of the house and into the darkness of the night.

***

He didn't have to turn to know that she was here. His heart could pick out her heartbeat in the midst of the largest of crowds. He turned and was mesmerized by the vision she made. The silvery light of a full moon shone down on her as she made her way towards him along the side of the temple pond. Her face glowed in the reflection of the moonlight, her hair settling in soft, pretty curls around her face accenting its heart shape. Silver bangles matching the work on her white saree clinked melodiously on her wrist as she walked towards him. If he thought she looked beautiful when he had seen her trying out this saree the other night, today, with her matching bangles, tiny silver bindi, a maang tika adorning her forehead, big, chunky earring dangling from her delicate earlobes she looked like an angel straight from the Heavens above. He had fallen in love with an angel, the brightest star in the night sky, the silvery coolness of a full moon night and Mahadev had answered his prayers with Amaya. He could do nothing but stare at her open mouthed.

"Mantu.."

Even the way her lips moved to say his name seemed like magic. His name had never sounded better from anyone else's lips.

"Mantu?" Amaya waved her hand in front of Mantu's face to gain his attention. That broke Mantu's trance. "Huh?" he asked. "Mantu.. Are you okay? Why did you call me here?" Amaya asked. "Amaya, I need to talk to you. Come, sit," he said and both of them sat on the steps by the temple pond.

"What's the matter Mantu?" Amaya asked again, getting concerned. "Amaya, if I ask you something, will you answer truthfully?" Mantu asked. Amaya looked at Mantu suspiciously. "Why did Rachita agree to this wedding?" he asked. Amaya looked away and Mantu understood that there was definitely something behind all this. "Listen, I know Rachita went missing that night. Then she returned and the next evening, Rama told me Rachita said she loved him and wanted to marry him. But you told me that right before she went missing, Rachita had been angry and upset with Rama and did not want to see his face ever again. What happened in that one night for things to change so drastically?" Mantu asked. Amaya did not meet his gaze as she replied, "Nothing. Rachi di.. Just.. She just realized that she loved Rama." "Don't try to lie to me Amaya. I know you too well for that," Mantu said. Amaya looked at him at that and she looked so beautiful in that instant, her big doe like eyes, her reflection dancing in the waters below them, the moonlight glowing over her, Mantu could barely resist the temptation to hug her and never let go. "It shouldn't matter to you," she said softly, tearing her gaze away from him.

"It does matter to me Amaya. Anything that concerns you matters to me!" Mantu said impulsively. She looked at him again and Mantu swallowed nervously. "I know I probably don't deserve it but I love you Amaya and anything that concerns you concerns me as well, whether you like it or not," Mantu said. Amaya stared at him without saying anything. Oh how she could keep listening to him say I love you Amaya for the rest of her life. If only time would stop at this very moment and never move forward again. If her life ended in this very moment, she wouldn't have a single regret.

Mantu waited for her to say something. But she didn't.. And maybe he didn't need to hear the words because just the way she was looking at him told him that she loved him too and this time he had no doubts, no ego, nothing. Maybe she wasn't ready to admit it yet. He could wait for that, till his very last breath if need be.

"That might not be a convincing enough reason for you Amaya. But I want you to know that its true. And I want to help. Don't you think Rachita and Rama deserve to have love and happiness in their lives? How will they be happy if they start their marriage off with a lie? Even Rama has started to doubt whether Rachita loves him or not. If there is anyone who can help them have the right start to their marriage, its us - you and me. You know Rachita best and I know Rama. We can help them Amaya and for that you need to tell me what is going on," Mantu tried to explain to Amaya.

She should tell him that she loved him too. That he meant the world to her. But she couldn't find the right words. She would tell him but right now, like he said, their priority was Rachi di and Rama jiju's wedding. Mantu was right. If they could help give them a good start to their marriage, wasn't that better than having Rama jiju going into the marriage expecting Rachi di's love only to be disappointed later? Amaya was sure Rama jiju's goodness would win Rachi di's heart someday. But wouldn't it be better it the someday came before they got married?

"Rachi di was kidnapped that night,' Amaya said. Mantu looked at her surprised, "Kidnapped? By who?" "We don't know.." Amaya said as she went on to tell him all that had happened that night - Rama's mom's outburst earlier that day, Rama and Rachita's phone conversation, Rachita going missing, Rachita coming back and saying she'd been kidnapped and she woke up in a hospital somewhere, pictures of Rachita and Rama together and the letter of threat that there would be posters of the two of them throughout the city the next morning, everyone suspecting Rama's mother's hand in the incident, Nanaji announcing that Rachita should get married to Rama, Rachita saying she did nothing wrong, Sneha supporting her, Nanaji's decision to separate the two families again, Rachita admitting to having been with Rama and wanting to marry him and then later confessing to Amaya that she said that in order to save the family from falling apart and also how Rachita feels Rama might be involved in this whole blackmailing and threatening.

Mantu sat silent after listening to everything. "What should we do now?" Amaya asked. "I honestly don't know. It would be so much better if Rama and Rachita talked things out between themselves. After all, who would know the problems with not talking things out better than us?" Mantu said with a sad smile. Amaya looked away at that, "Yes. But I don't think Rachi di will say anything for fear of the wedding getting called off." "Maybe if we can convince her that Rama could never do anything like that?" Mantu asked. "But how?" Amaya asked. "We'll figure something out. I will talk to Rama. Now that I know what the matter is, leave it to me. Its late at night. I'll walk you home," Mantu said getting up. He extended his hand towards her and Amaya placed her hand in his and got up. She tripped on the pleats of her saree though and fell onto him. Mantu caught her quickly and they stood there like that in the silence of the night, feeling whole in each other's arms. She should back away now that she was steady on her feet but instead Amaya inched a little closer. The right thing to do would be to let her go but instead Mantu pulled her to himself a little. She rested her head against his chest and he hugged her to him. "Thank you,' she said softly. "For what?' he asked. "For being you!" she replied and smiled. Mantu looked towards the idol of Mahadev in the temple, "Bless me Mahadev. Bless me so I can hold her in my arms like this forever!" he thought to himself. Amaya too sent out a silent prayer, "Mahadev, please let this be my forever home, right here in Mantu's arms!"

***

I just got back home and I had such bad day, so thank you meet, for making me smile with this update.

update daily please... its too awesome... i feel like its happening... one day my sister asked whats happening in Tsm now-a-days and I told her this story as if i hae watched this... n the other day i was cursing ramya my sister said yesterday you told me different story n i was like... really? galti ho gayi

Originally posted by: ShikhaKhushi

I just got back home and I had such bad day, so thank you meet, for making me smile with this update.

when are you going to update your ishqaana dil series really eager to read it