Arranged to my hater

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter 17

Why is Abhimanyu not picking up his call? I am standing in the kitchen freaking out as I am asked to make dinner for Abhimanyu's buaji (Father's sister is called bua) and mother. I don't know how to make anything other than sandwiches. And Abhimanyu is not picking up his call.

You must be thinking how did I end up in the kitchen, I'll take you back to today morning when everything started.

I woke up thirsty at noon because I was tossing and turning till 4 in the morning because of the guilt I was feeling for being rude to Abhimanyu. He was trying to apologize and I had to go and be rude to him.

Since the bottle in my room was empty, I made my way towards the kitchen. Drinking two glasses of water, I leave the kitchen. I hear people talking in the living room and curiously I move towards the sound.

As soon as I reach the living room, I see Abhimanyu's mother, buaji, and Abhimanyu are seated on the sofa talking and laughing. As if feeling my gaze, every head in the room turned in my direction. Buaji's face turns red seeing me more like seeing what I am wearing. Abhimanyu's and his mother's eyes are wide with fear and shock. I look down at clothes, I am in my cute short pajamas, crop top, and panda slippers.

"God Sashi, look at your modern bahu (daughter-in-law) and see what she is wearing," Buaji exclaimed.

"I... um... I am sorry. I'll be back." I mumble and dash towards my room.

I close the door and change into a saree. Thank god, I learned how to wear a saree just before my wedding.

I hear someone knock on the door, I open the door to reveal Abhimanyu. Abhimanyu looks shocked for a second and mutters some incoherent words

"How could you not inform me about your buaji and mother's arrival?" I questioned.

"They surprised us today morning. I came to wake you up in the morning but your door was locked. Thank god they see you leaving or coming to this room" Abhimanyu sighs. Thank god indeed.

"Sorry to put you in such a spot. Buaji is a little old-fashioned, please ignore her" he adds.

"Little?" I mutter. "Anyways, what are we going to do at night if they decide to stay?"

"I know she can be too much sometimes. She'll leave by tonight, don't worry" Abhimanyu says and leaves the room.

I apply sindoor and wear my mangalsutra before leaving the room. I enter the living room again this time properly dressed. I see Abhimanyu gesturing to me to touch buaji's feet and I bend down and touch the feet of buaji and Abhimanyu's mother. Buaji just ignores me and mom puts her hand on my head in a loving manner

"God bless you beta, come here" she blesses me and hugs me. "You look so pretty in modern and traditional wear both. Come have lunch with us" it takes me seconds to realize that Abhimanyu's mother is very sweet and loving, unlike his buaji who is looking at me with disgust.

"We'll have to eat food made by a cook because your bahu can't get up on time to cook. I don't know what will happen to today's generation," Buaji says to Abhimanyu's mother.

I was about to sit when Abhimanyu helped me again for the second time today by gesturing to me to serve dinner. I quickly serve dinner to everyone and then serve for myself as well and sit next to Abhimanyu's mother. Before I could even take a bit of my food Buaji decides to insult me again

"In our times, we used to wait for the elders and our husbands to finish their food before eating ourselves" God it angers me every time she opens her mouth.

"Times have changed didi. And I believe it has changed for the better." Abhimanyu's mother says and grabs my hands under the table. If not for some facial similarities I would have doubted that Abhimanyu is her son. She is so sweet and loving and Abhimanyu on the other is well Abhimanyu.

"Whatever you say, but today's generation lacks the values we had," Buaji says. Abhimanyu looks at me apologetically.

I pick up empty dishes once everyone leaves. Abhimanyu tried to help me but I asked him to leave before buaji could see and throw more insults at me.

I wash the dishes and go to the living room where everyone is seated. I see an empty seat next to Abhimanyu and sit there.

I hear buaji take a sharp intake of breath "God bahu, have some shame. You are sitting next to your husband in front of your elders" She says angrily. It's not like I am sitting on his lap I wanted to say but stop myself and start to get up.

Abhimanyu grabs my hand and makes me sit again. "Buaji, as mom said earlier. Times have changed. And it's not like she is doing something wrong here. She is sitting next to her husband and not some stranger" Abhimanyu says calmly. I can sense from his tone that even he is fed up with his buaji's taunts. This old lady is seriously getting on my nerves.

In the evening buaji asks me to start preparing for dinner so here I am stressing about what to make. I open youtube and start searching for some easy Indian dishes.

Why do they say easy when it is not? I have been trying to knead this flour for 15 minutes now. Sometimes there is more water and other times there is more flour. I tried to cut vegetables as well but nothing looks even close to what I have seen in the video. The kitchen looks like a mess. Thank god no one has entered the kitchen to see this.

I call Abhimanyu again wishing he picks up this time and luckily he did.

"Hello, Abhimanyu. Why were you picking up your phone?" I whisper angrily.

"My phone was in the room. Why are you calling me from the kitchen?"

"I need your help, please. I don't know how to cook"

"God, seriously Ishita? Why did you agree to cook then?"

"As if I was given a choice. Your buaji basically ordered me to cook dinner. I couldn't say no otherwise she has insulted me more."

I hear Abhimanyu sigh "Okay wait I'll do something"