Bade Acche Lagte Hain | MaNan

Besabriyaan.

22nd December, 1995.

Delhi.

By the time the Sun rose, casting a soft rosy hue across the morning sky, Nandini was up. Taking a warm head bath in the common bathroom she shared with Ram and Sapna, she slipped into a purple anarkali suit which Manik had gifted her. His eyes sparkled when she had worn it last time and she craved to feel his gaze on her today.

His train is supposed to arrive in an hour.

Placing a stone bindi between her threaded brows after a gentle massage of moisturizer on her face, hands and legs, she lined the kohl around her eyes that twinkled brightly, just like those new gold earrings she had chosen from her vast collection of jewelleries from the wedding. Applying a soft shade of lipstick and a stroke of vermillion right in her partition, she put on a soft cream coloured button down sweater and rushed downstairs to help the ladies in the kitchen.

The entire kitchen was glutted with different delicacies. Nothing that she hadn't expected. The years that flew by, she herself had been a part of these preparations for her brother-in-laws and uncles and now her family was doing the same for her husband.

It evoked strange feelings inside her watching her family's efforts for her happy future. Only people who genuinely loved and cared about her, will go to such larger extents to ensure her happiness but simultaneously, the realisation of her not being a part of this family now was desolating.

Bittersweet was gradually becoming a dominant taste in her life.

"Nandini, tea." Asha handed her the cup but she hesitated to take it. She does have a chance of drinking it with her husband today.

"Drink it now. You won't be free afterwards." As if answering her unspoken dilemma, her sister, Shalini insisted with her eyes. Shalini could finally come to meet her sister since her elder daughter had a winter break in school and her sister-in-laws have come over to stay, which relaxed her from her household duties.

Nandini's other sisters would come with their husbands, a day before she will leave, to celebrate the ritual of pag phere.

Nandini sighed and took the tray from Asha's hands. "I'll drink it with father." Saying so, she went out to serve the men. Ram was getting ready to go to the station to receive Manik.

"Nandini, I've kneaded the dough for the paranthas. Which stuffing do you want?" Sapna asked setting the dough aside once Nandini was back.

"I'll do it myself, bhabhi." Nandini assured, keeping the tray aside and started grating the cauliflower.

Perspicacious about her husband's taste and habits, this was the first thing he would want for breakfast. Lavish and heavy dishes overloaded with oil such as chole-bhature and samose that her sister and sister-in-laws were so tirelessly cooking, were not his thing to have for breakfast, but Manas would've loved it.

Here, she tried voicing out her opinion, given the fact she knew better about his choices but her mother was firm on her decision. The feast was supposed to be a  grand one. It was considered a way of welcoming the son-in-law with love and respect and with Manik being the youngest, coming for the first time after marriage and staying with them for a couple of days, he will be swamped with food. These paranthas might help him in escaping the entire ordeal organized for him, but just for today. Nandini thought with a mischievous smile.

By the time the whole colony resonated with the gong that struck for nine times, Nandini had grown impatient. Two hours had passed since her brother had gone to pick her husband but there was no sign of their return. It takes only twenty minutes to cross the distance between the station and her house, then what was taking them so long?