ManYa - Dheere Dheere se... (Continuing)

Chapter 31 - Mantu's Stubbornness

Amaya sat behind Rachita as she hugged her sister and dug her head in her sister's shoulders. Rachita placed her head on Amaya's head as she said, "Everything will be fine Amaya. See; you danced with him. Your sister will not allow anyone to break your heart." Amaya looked at her sister questioningly.

"I spilled the oil and asked Uma to come from there. I know this is wrong but don't people say anything is fair in love and war. And yours is true love. This allows some mischief haan.", said Rachita as she tried to touch her ears but can't because of the henna. "Di but this was not right." "I know I know. I already said sorry to Mahadev, and yes if she can play so many games with you, why can't we play one game if both of you wanted to dance together. Mantu also desired to dance with you right. Sometimes you have to play bad, to reign good Amaya, always remember that.", said Rachita as she smiled. Amaya nodded.

"Can you please apply her henna as well. She is my sister Amaya and super duper special." Those girls nodded and they held Amaya's hand and brought her in front. Mantu came and stood near Rama. He positioned himself in a way he can get a clear view of Amaya. Though he was talking to Rama, his eyes were fixed on Amaya. Amaya smiled as she chose a design for her henna. Amaya looked at Mantu and caught him staring at her. Amaya stared at him angrily before looking somewhere else. "Her design should be prettier than mine.", said Rachita as smiled at Mantu in a sarcastic way and called him. He looked around to avoid Rachita as he knew her wrath. Finally he gave up and went up to Rachita. He sat behind her as he said, "What happened di? Do you need something?" "I warned you Mantu... don't make my sister cry and you are doing that so tell me what should I do, kill you, burn you, or kidnap you.", said Rachita.

Mantu took a deep breath as he said, "You can do anything you feel like di, but giving a small, temporary pain to give a permanent happiness is not wrong in my eyes." "Do you have someone special didi?", asked one of the girls as they laughed. Amaya hesitantly asked, "Someone special?" "Arre she meant do you have some boyfriend or lover. In our culture it is said that the darker your mehndi is, deeper is the love of your soulmate.", said one of those girls as they laughed together. Mantu, who was sitting behind Rachita saw that blush crawling her skin. He was again and again convincing his mind that he is not meant to be with her but heart was again and again tell him that he is wrong.

Amaya looked at him as she said, "Just write an 'A'. I think that will be fine." "So boring, 'A' for Amaya Mathur.", said that girl again and laughed. Rachita laughed as well and Amaya stared her. Mantu was about to leave when Rachita stopped him again and said, "Mantu, I know what you are thinking. I understand, that's justified. Anyone will break hearing such things for himself. But do you really think it's a temporary pain? Leave Amaya for a minute. I am her sister but I'm going to be your sister-in-law also, and I'm talking about your heart. Will your heart bear this pain and will overcome it. Just look at your eyes, they are swollen." Mantu gave a sad smile as tears rushed in his eyes. "This is not about me di. Its about Amaya. I love her so much that I can give my life for her. I know my heartache is forever. But I also know that I can't keep her happy for an entire lifetime. I don't have this much money to fulfil each and every wish of hers. I know she will cry for two days, weeks or months but will eventually give up."

Rachita was about to say something but Mantu interrupted her as he said, "Di please don't involve yourself in this. Tomorrow is your big day. You need to focus on your wedding, and your new life and family ahead. Just do that Di. Focus on yourself. And best of luck di. Honestly speaking, I have really found a loving elderly sister in you. You don't know how much this means to a person who doesn't have a family to call his own.", said Mantu as he walked away and stood with Rama and his few friends again. This time he turned his back towards Amaya as he thought, "I need to stop thinking about her in front of her so that she can move on."

Amaya saw this and tears rushed in her eyes. "Amaya he loves you... don't worry", said Rachita. "I know di and that's the saddest part. He loves me so much that he himself doesn't know about. He is not understanding that money cannot give me this type of love in my life.", said Amaya as a lone tear left her eye and spread on her cheek. She swiftly used her hand to brush that tear off without realizing that she smudged the mehndi on her inner side of the hand in that process. The girl who was making the mehendi quickly said, "Arre didi you should have wait see you have smudged your mehndi, this 'A' looks like 'M' now!"

Mantu heard this and turned to look at Amaya. Amaya too looked at him. "It looks like someone whose name with 'M' will enter in your life.", said that girl as she continued her work. Amaya removed her gaze from him and said, "Just finish this. I don't want more mehndi." They nodded. Mantu kept staring her as she tried her best not to cry. After the girls were done Amaya mouthed thank you and ran away from there.