Chapter 18
The judge forwarded the official papers for Mayank and Nupur to sign; both looked towards each other and exhaled loudly.
"Sign here" Nupur hands trembled as she took the pen into her hand, Mayank saw how nervous she was and who wouldn't be? They both were not in the place to accept each other as their life partners. They weren't even friends; both had their own grudges for which they despised the other.
Mayank who had been terribly lost in his own thoughts, failed to notice when nupur threw away the pen, "I can't do this" she confessed , " the bear thought of spending my whole life with you is killing me from the inside" she ran out of the courtroom with Mayank trailing behind.
"Woman" he groaned angrily walking behind an anxious nupur. She finally stopped near the car and leaned on it to rest until Mayank caught up with her.
"What's wrong?' Mayank asked hyperventilating.
"I can't marry you" Mayank rolled his eyes in exaggeration, "like I didn't know" pausing he neared her, "I mean we both are doing this for Dadi, and we both hate each other so why the sudden displeasure at us being married"
" marriage is not some game, one day you decide to get together and next day you call it splits. Marriage is a pure and eternal relationship. Mayank this is not some game, its both of our lives at stake here"
" what will we say to Dadi? I mean we planned a court marriage to avoid all those rituals but if we go home without being married she will force us to get married in front of her eyes" Nupur look fiercely at him and pushed him away as his scent was driving into her. Yes she did hate him, but she loved him also and her love was bigger than any hate.
" we will just say ---"
"Say what?" Nupur pushed away a strand of her hair and relinquished her anger in form of screams, until her tube light went on and something struck, "We will say, we got married"
" but we didn't" Nupur waited for him to realize it, " oh..You mean lie" Nupur nodded sarcastically.
"And since you are sooooooooooo smart tell us how long we will have to keep lying dadi"
Nupur looked up to answer him, "we will lie until Dadi ' " she ate her words realizing what she was about to say, "we will see about that later, right now we just have to convince Dadi we are married"
"What if she asks to see our marriage certificate?" Mayank asked instantly
"We live in the 21st century, it won't be hard to get a fake one" Nupur said annoyed by his constant questions; whilst Mayank was in disbelieve Nupur Shastri all ready to lie? It was a turning point of history.
"Are we doing right?" nupur questioned when her morals started kicking in. Dadi had requested one thing from her and she couldn't even gather the courage to fulfill her wish, instead she was going to lie about it.
"Want to get married?" nupur nodded no without hesitation, she knew what she was doing was wrong, but she couldn't deceive herself either, all these years she had been living in a dream and when that broke it really hurt she didn't want to create another one only to be left with nothing at the end again.
"Shall we?" Mayank asked extending his hand, but nupur avoided and sat in the car. Mayank sat in and they drove away both fearful of what the next moment would hold for them.
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Gunjan had been walking down the stairs lost in her own thoughts; her mind kept going back to the doctors words. She clenched her stomach tightly, and sat down on the stairs.
Her mind was consumed with many thoughts ranging from her baby to her sisters. She was worried about her tomorrow along with her today. She didn't know what to do? Or where to go? Everyone was already in distress with impending wedding of Mayank and nupur, she couldn't just drop this news on them unexpectedly and anyway what would have she gained by telling them? When she already had made up her mind about what she was going to do.
"Mubarak ho" Gunjan snapped out of her thoughts to see dadi by her side, " dadi aap?"
Dadi shook her head, "ab toh main par dadi bane wali hoon" Gunjan blushed and took her blessings.
"Gunjan tum janti nahi tum kitni bari Khushi di hai hume" dadi kissed gunjan's forehead as Gunjan leaned and rested her head on dadi's shoulder.
"Tum janti ho, jab tumne nupur ke ane se phele mujhe bataya ke tum pregnant ho toh main bahut khush huyi thi, par woh ek jhoot tha par aaj wohi jhoot sachai bane jaa raha hai"
"Dadi agar samrat ko choona para" Dadi looked at gunjan confused, "matlab?"
"Dadi aise hi agar samrat ko choona para baby aur mere darmiyan toh woh kisse choonega?"
"tumhe" dadi replied back not at all surprising gunjan, " isika hi mujhe darr tha"
"Gunjan beta tum yeh kya keh rahi ho? Tum theek toh ho na?" Gunjan forced herself to smile and nodded, "Dadi I'm fine, main bass aise hi pooch rahi thi" Gunjan got up and left on the pretext of attending a call. But Dadi knew her all too well to know that Gunjan was definitely hiding something.
"Chashmish?" Samrat called out to her walking through the front door but Gunjan was a little to busy with her thoughts to notice him. He followed her queitly until she stopped near their bedroom and turned around instantaneously bumping into him.
"Samrat?" Samrat nodded smiling, "agar aap ko thori fursat mil gayi toh apne husband se bhi baat karlein"
They both entered the room smiling and laughing and for the time being Gunjan forgot all her woes until she felt the room spin and lost control over herself. Samrat looked at her worriedly, her color had drained out and her breathing was bare, "are you okay?" Gunjan nodded taking a seat and sipping some water.
"Are you sure? Do you want me to call the doctor" Gunjan refused and managed to somehow convince him that she was alright and in no need of a doctor at the time being.
Samrat obliged to her request but he was not sure, he felt something amiss about the whole situation but let it go on gunjan's persistent.
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"STOPPP" the car screeched to a stop, as nupurs loud shriek reached Mayank who had been busy in his thoughts, "what is wrong?" he asked worried for a second or so.
"I can't do this!" nupur said miserably making Mayank confused, "what can't you do?"
"LIE, I can't lie, especially to Dadi" Mayank rolled his eyes, "than what do you want to do?" Nupur shrugged looking away.
"Nupur, you don't want to get married and neither do you want to lie, so what? Do we just sit here all day?" Nupur looked at him puzzled; she was in distress she really didn't know what to do?
"Fine, than we are getting married" nupur was baffled by his words, not in a million years she expected that Mayank would say that but than she realized he was only doing so because of Dadi. Who was dear to him and her also, maybe Mayank was right. The best thing for them would be to get married!
"Mayank ' "he raised his hand to stop her, "no ifs or buts, lets go we are getting married" Nupur sighed and nodded. She knew she couldn't lie to Dadi, whom she loved dearly. Her one wish was just to give this relationship a chance and she could for surely give it a chance. Yes, she would, she would get married. Nupur made up her mind and looked at Mayank, "yes, we will get married"
Mayank starred at her for a millisecond wondering what was going on in her mind," do you really want to do this?"
Nupur took a long breath in and nodded "Yes, I really want to do this"
Mayank sat back in his driver seat and looked ahead for a while with his mind completely blank; he really didn't know if he was ready for this yet or not? On the other hand, nupur kept thinking about jay and how would she explain this to him.
"So back to the marriage hall we go?" Nupur was about to agree but her eyes caught a hold of something, "no we will get married there" Mayank looked at where she was looking, "here?"
Nupur nodded with a bright smile. Mayank let out a gasp but agreed to her demand; after all it was her wedding also and first one. He had already been married once, but nupur? She was getting married for the first time and that too someone she despised very much at the moment.
Nupur stepped out of the car and headed towards the temple, Mayank followed her without saying another word to her. Nupur was about to step into the temple but Mayank stopped her, "wait here" nupur looked at him confused but agreed to his demand. She was getting married to him; nothing could be bigger surprise than this? But what she saw the next moment mesmerized her.
Mayank brought forward the red veil, "Mayank yeh?" nupur questioned silently.
"Maa ki thi, unho ne apni badi bahu ke liye rakhi thi. Piya ki waqt yeh duppatta humne bahut dhoonda par nahi mila 'par lagta hai isse tumhara intezar tha' kal dadi ne yeh mujhe diya tha, tumhe dene ke liye" Nupur looked at the veil in his hand and thought of what he said. It was all becoming true so fast, she couldn't find the right words to match her feelings.
"Woh "Mayank interrupted her, "don't think I'm trying to do anything here, I'm only giving you this because Dadi wanted me too" Nupur flared with anger hearing his words and turned around. Mayank gave in and realized what a fool he was being at the moment, "I'm sorry" he said turning her around.
He then slowly took the veil and placed it over her head caressingly, adoring her for the time being, as her big brown eyes entwined slowly with his. It was like time had stopped and the only people who existed were them. Her eyes were drowning in his as the seconds passed and every sense was consumed by his presence avid to any other existence.
"Beta chalein?" Mayank and nupur both snapped out of their thoughts and looked towards the priest whom was awaiting the couple to start the rituals.
They headed into temple once the priest explained to them the rituals, Mayank and Nupur gracefully completed all the customs and finally the priest announced them both were forever locked into wedlock. And they were to love and respect each other forever. Mayank and Nupur both took his blessings before heading out. As they walked still knotted with each other both were embraced by their own thoughts of their future along with their present and past. Piya invaded Mayank's thoughts while on the hand nupur was consumed by jay.
"Picture?" nupur snapped out of her thoughts when she felt someone touch her shoulder, Mayank smiled and motioned her to look to her left, A man was standing there with a camera in his hand smiling.
"picture please?" Nupur smiled and stood by Mayank's side to take the picture, she was still anew to the idea that she was married and that too Mayank! Could life be anymore weird? What she had dreamed for all these years became true today but why didn't it seem the same anymore? Why was she not happy? Why wasn't she smiling? Why wasn't she thanking god for giving her Mayank? Why?
"Can you move closer" the photographer asked them, making them a little uncomfortable but still they nodded and moved closer to the other until both were barely touching each other side by side.
"Uhmm sir can you put your hand over her shoulder" Mayank looked at nupur awaiting her permission when she blinked in conformation; he placed his hand over her shoulder and pulled her closer. Nupur shivered feeling his hand on her bare shoulder.
"Perfect" the photographer was about to click the picture but he paused, "smile please" Nupur looked at Mayank and smiled but before she could look back the photographer had already clicked the picture, "Match made in heaven, I must say" He pulled out the picture and handed it over to them, both forwarded their hands in an attempt to grab the picture and collided with each other
"I'm sorry" mayank and nupur said in chorus, they didn't know what it was but they felt so odd in each others presence, maybe it was the newly wedded nerves or just the fact that they both were not ready for this marriage.
The photographer smiled, "you guys are behaving like you are strangers?" Mayank moved his hand back and nupur took the picture, "may your life be filled with happiness and love" the photographer wished upon the newly wedded couple as they made their way to the car.
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"Ready?" Nupur took a deep breathe and placed his hand in his, "here goes nothing", they both walked into the house holding each others handing and praying in their mind that everything would go well, when their family would hear they got married.
Dadi along with samrat and Gunjan were engrossed in their dinner, when nupur and mayank entered the living hand in hand. Samrat was the first one to notice their presence; his fork fell out of his hand seeing them.
"Bro? Nupur?" Gunjan instantly looked up followed by dadi who at first seemed confused but than a smile spread on her face seeing mayank and nupur walk over to her side and take her blessings.
"What's going?" Gunjan asked flabbergasted by the whole scene, she knew what her mind was telling her, but her heart was just not ready to bear it, " di, say something"
Nupur kept quiet looking at samrat for some help but he was blank, he didn't know what to say or do to make the situation better.
"Bhaiya say something" Gunjan asked irritated by the silence in the room, she felt like she was screaming but no one could hear her, "di, what's going on?" Gunjan stressed again only to get nothing in response.
"diiii?" Samrat placed his hand over gunjan's to calm her down after seeing how worried she was, "calm down"
"Calm down? Samrat you want me to clam down? My sister got married without telling me" tear flowed out of her eyes as she ran out of the room infuriated by the turn of events.
Nupur was about to go behind her when she realized she was still knotted to mayank, samrat smirked and got up, 'congrats guys" He hugged them both and gave them his best wishes.
"But why so suddenly?" before either mayank or nupur could answer, he replied, "don't tell me you both are just madly in love?"
"shut up samrat" Nupur shot him a glare but it seemed like samrat was not one to quieten easily,
"Bhabi, welcome to the family" samrat chirped happily yet in some way he was mocking her and nupur saw right through it, "Nupur, only nupur! Don't you dare call me bhabi?"
"but why? You are my bhabi now! And I have to respect you Na?" He split into laughter seeing the look on nupurs face.
"And bro you, I'll talk to you later" Samrat said intimately before heading out to check on his over emotional wife.
"Bye bro and Bhabiiiiiiiiiiii" Nupur scrunched her teeth in anger but relaxed when she saw dadi walk over to them.
"Khush raho hamesha, tum dono" Dadi blessed them weakly still pretending to be sick, she didn't want to give away her whole plan. She slowly walked to her own room leaving mayank and nupur alone in the living room. They both felt so awkward with the whole situation not knowing what to say to the other?
Nupur untied the duppatta from mayank and headed upstairs slowly without uttering another word to him. Whereas mayank made his way towards the lawn. They both were wanting to think alone for awhile about what had happened and what would happen.
Nupur happened to be sitting alone in the room when Samrat popped up behind her with a great big smile, but she on the other hand was in no mood to smile.
"Bhabiiiiiiii" samrat extended his hand and ran over to hug nupur, who pushed him away, "what did I say? Call me nupur"
Samrat motioned her to move over and he took a seat beside her and placed his hand over her shoulders, "yaar what is this?" samrat asked finally, Nupur knew he had been wanting to ask her about her sudden decision to get married to mayank but just hadn't found the right time to do so.
"It's me getting married samrat"
"But why and that too with bro?" Nupur fake smiled, "for dadi samrat"
Samrat saw right through her lie," oh please, the last thing you want to do at the moment is lie to me, tell me the truth?"
Nupur got up and headed towards the dresser only to see herself as a married woman actually, with the sindoor in her forehead and those beads tried around her neck, she was officially someone's wife and that someone was mayank.
"tell me the truth yaar, why the sudden marriage?" Nupur let out a deep breath and pull off her veil, "because somewhere deep down, I think I want to give it a chance also Sam"
"You mean you still want to give mayank a chance?" Nupur nodded sadly, " Sam, I love him, and when you love someone you want to do everything you can to be with them. I know you might think I'm being selfish but for the first time I feel like I'm actually living for myself"
"I don't think you're selfish, I just think you are a fool" he slightly smacked her on the forehead, "Nupur, he loves piya even though she did the worst to him. But he still loves her because bro gave her a piece of his heart"
"Well one can fall in love again"
"Yet you didn't?" Nupur twitched at his remark, "that was different samrat"
"No it was not nupur; you loved bro and than you couldn't think of anyone else again"
"What is this, you are already talking about breaking my marriage on the first day?" nupur said smiling trying to change the topic, yes there was a a lot of truth in samrat's words and she avoided that. It was happening again, she was building a dream again, but would it shatter in the end also? Would she ever be happy? Why couldn't life for once give her a break?
"I'm sorry nupur" He hugged her with a smile, "I pray and wish that you and bro both work out your differences" Nupur parted from the hug and thanked him through her eyes, "I love you, and you are the bestest friend in this whole world"
"Love you too bhabiiii" samrat said laughing to irk nupur, but this time she didn't say anything except laugh along with him.
"So how is your ever so pregnant wife? Is her anger level down yet?" Samrat nodded no, "give her sometime, you know mood swings and than this news its all driving her insane"
Nupur agreed with him but somewhere deep down she was sad that she had hurt her sister unintentionally. Samrat patted her on the back, "don't worry she'll come around, she always does"
"I hope so samrat, but you take care of her. She is very fragile and needs you" Samrat smiled. "You don't worry; I'm here, for you and Gunjan." Nupur gleamed with happiness, samrat had to be the best thing that ever happened in her life, and samrat had given her a true meaning of friendship standing by her side when ever she needed him.
She headed out of the room, to go into her new room which would of course be Mayank's previous room. Her hands trembled as she turned the knob slowly and walked inside, "here goes nothing" she thought heading into the room.
What she saw next surprised her, mayank lying on the bed at ease and smiling down at her, the last thing she wanted to do was bicker with him but she knew it was coming.
"Welcome" mayank said cheerfully
"What are you doing?" Nupur snatched away the comforter from his hand, "trying to sleep? are you like blind?" Mayank asked squinting his eyes at her.
"Shut up, i mean what are you doing on the bed" Mayank shook his head in disbelieve, " i knew you were a liar but now stupid also...what do people do on the bed?" Nupur glared at him angrily
"oh hello madam, i'm talking about sleeping..People sleep on the bed" He pulled back the comforter back from Nupur and laid down, "You are sleeping on the couch, and i will sleep on the bed" nupur spoke angrily; she was in no mood to joke around. Her mind was still taunting her about what she had gotten herself into. Those Pictures of Piya on the wall were ridiculing her every step.
"This is my room, you sleep on the couch" mayank replied back from under the covers.
"fine, i'm going to sleep in the guest bedroom and you can explain to dadi why i was sleeping their in the morning" Nupur picked up her pillow to head out...
"She'll understand, its not like we are in love..."
"love and you...Mayank Sharma you are only capable of hatred" Nupur turned the knob to open the door but mayank stopped her, "wait"
Nupur turned around furiously, "WHAT?"thinking he would ask her to stay but
Mayank walked over to her, " what do you want mayank" he said nothing except close in the distance between them which scared nupur for a moment but what he did next made her hate him even more.
"Your taking my favorite pillow nupur" mayank grabbed the pillow and walked away from a shivering nupur, "urghhh'you stupid idiot'"
"aww you're praising me how sweet of you" Nupur opened the door and walked out leaving a satisfied mayank in his room all alone.
Mayank was about to lie down when he saw the picture of him and piya from their wedding day on the wall, his thoughts went back to his and nupurs marriage.
"piya I want to hate you, but I just can't" mayank confessed wavering his hand over the picture and stopping at piya's picture, " you looked so beautiful" without any hesitation nupur image suddenly came into his mind, when he had lovingly put his mother's veil over her. Everything flashed in mind from his fight with nupur at the beach to their wedding. The moments he had spent with nupur replayed in his mind over and over distancing him from piya.
Mayank sat back down on the bed and saw the picture of him and nupur on the dresser. He picked it up slowly and stroked it with his thumb .....
Sab khatam hoke bhi, tere mere darmiyan kuch toh baki hai
Kuch toh baki hai
Kahi toh kasak aisi, dil mein baki hai
Meri adadat chuti nahi, umeed aisi hai joh tooti nahi
Dekhe jahan nazar, tu dikhe wahin
Dharkanon mein tu mojhood hai Kahin
Koshish ki maine bhoolane ki tujheko, par dil ne samhjaye yeh muhjko
Sab khatam hoke bhi, tere mere darmiyan kuch toh baki hai'
Kuch toh baki hai....
On the other hand nupur was standing near the window starring out into the sky, where the stars were twinkling and the moon was out and about shining brightly in the dark sky. It was like a beautifully painted picture.
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This is so unbelievable, i can't believe i have opened another thread for this story and the credit goes to all my readers. You guys are just so awsome. Thank You for always encouraging me, even when i fall weak.
Thank You.
Okay, so they are officially married, and so the journey begins. And Yes i'm planning to focus a bit on SG also from now on.
I hope you like it.
Do Comment/Do Criticize
Sajjal
Edited by -Sajjal- - 13 years ago
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