ManYa - Dheere Dheere se... (Continuing)

Chapter 40 - ManYa's 1st Morning

Sun rays entered their room as Mantu opened his eyes lazily. He tried moving his arm but it was feeling very heavy. He opened his eyes and smiled. He saw the most beautiful scene of his life. Amaya was sleeping on his shoulder, cozily. All her hairs were covering her face. Her one hand was tossed on Mantu's chest and other was tightly holding his arm. Her face was dugged in his shoulder. Their legs too were tangled. Amaya was almost above him sleeping like a baby.

Mantu smiled as he slowly removed all her hairs from her face and touched the face. He will get to see Amaya before sleeping and after getting up. His life couldn't get any better. He ever so slowly removed his arm which was beneath her head and covered her with a blanket. He then tip-toed and opened the gate.

Smokie was standing on the door-step, wagging his tail hastily. He barked as he saw Mantu but Mantu hushed him. "Amaya is sleeping. Let her sleep.", said Mantu as he ran his hand on his fur. Smokie gave a soft bark and sat where he was told to. He was not a big dog. He was infact a puppy. A really small puppy. Badi maa came downstairs. She was ready to go to her morning satsang. Mantu joined his hands and touched her feet. Badi maa smiled as she said, "God bless." Uma and Masi too came downstairs. They had their cold behaviour mode on.

Uma tried getting a view of the room. It was messy. Amaya was sleeping on Mantu's side and her lehengha was on the floor. The floor was covered the beads of her kamar band which Mantu broke and all her jewellery was hanging on the dresser. She was in deep slumber. Uma's gut wretched watching the sight. Mantu noticed Uma peeking and closed the gate. He stared at her. His eyes were red with anger.

"Where is bahu? Didn't she get ready?", asked Masi. "For what?", asked Mantu. "Satsang." "She can't come", said Mantu as he tried Smokie to stay away from them. "Why can't that maharani come?", said Masi. "Because my maharani doesn't have her clothes. She is not like you na.", taunted Mantu. "Masi, she is sleeping.", said Uma. "Ahh! So say this na. When you will bring a maharani this will happen. Chalo bhenji, she will not wake up before 10.", said Masi. Badi maa nodded and said, "Yesterday was tough for her bhabhiji, let her sleep and does her sleeping harming us. Nahi na." Badi maa looked at Mantu as she said, "Don't let her enter the kitchen before bath Mantu. You didn't do pre-rituals so post-rituals are important. Very important. Whenever she gets up, tell her to bath first then do a small pooja in the mandir and then do her rasoi pooja. Does she know how to cook?"

"Nahi badi maa, she knows nothing.", interrupted Uma as she smiled. Mantu nodded as he said, "She knows how to cook rice pudding (kheer), I only taught her. She will make that only. You all don't worry." Badi maa nodded and said, "Buy her a beautiful saree and all the necessary clothes and bring some of your mom's jewellery from the locker as soon as the bank opens. We have to give her shagun na. And tell her to wear that saree for muh-dikhai. I'll tell the ladies to come." Mantu nodded and Masi smiled as she got the opportunity to grab more jewellery. She was thinking of how to acquire more jewellery, when Smokie suddenly barked and Masi jumped. She quickly ran upstairs.  Mantu laughed. He was trying his level best to suppress that laughter. Masi looked at Smokie who was barking on a housefly troubling him. And she took a few steps back as she shouted, "Whose dog is he? Take him out. Take him out."

Smokie ran as towards her as she jumped and he stood near Mantu. Mantu picked him up as Smokie licked him. "He will not go anywhere. He is Amaya's puppy.", said Mantu as he kissed Smokie. "She brought people from her family also?", taunted Masi. Mantu clenched his fists as he didn't want to ruin the 1st day of his new life. He calmly said, "Yes! Atleast dogs are more loyal to humans unlike you masi. They doesn't steal things from their own house. He is our family member now." He paused and said, "Anyways you might be getting late. You should leave." Badi maa nodded as she and others left. He kept Smokie on his place and washed his hands. He went into the kitchen and started making tea for Amaya. He reminded himself that Amaya is angry. He has to compensate. He made his special tea and went inside the room.

Amaya was still sleeping. Beautiful. He thought. He kept the tray on the side table and again tucked the hairs falling on her face behind the ear. She turned around and held his hand and kept beneath her head and slept again. Mantu smiled as he came closer and caressed her face. "Amaya... wake up. It's morning." "Hmm.", said Amaya as she picked up and covered her arms with the blanket. Mantu smiled again and said, "Amaya then tea will get cold. What is the point. Wake up." "Hmmmm... 2 minute Mantu.", said Amaya as she cuddled. She suddenly opened her eyes and sprang up. She widened her eyes as she saw Mantu and then her surroundings.

"How is Mantu here? Wait..this is not my room. How I am at Mantu's house? Wait..", thought Amaya. She quickly realized that she is now married. She tucked her hairs quickly and picked up her phone. She saw the time as she panicked, "Why didn't you wake me up?", she shouted as she tried getting out of the blanket but realized that she was wearing almost nothing. She sat back. Mantu was enjoying the sight as he slightly laughed and said, "Hmmm.... I think.. I was trying to do that only." He laughed again. *THUD* Amaya threw a pillow on his face. "Its not funny Mr. Mantu.", said Amaya. Mantu kept the pillow aside and said, "It's Mr. Abhimanyu Shrivastava madam."

"What are you saying, Abhimanyu is your freind na!", said Amaya as she was busy finding her rubber band. Mantu smirked. Amaya looked at him when she didn't receive any reply from him and understood. "You...", gulped Amaya, "You are Abhimanyu Shrivastava." Mantu nodded and he laughed naughtily. "At your service madam." He was about to hold Amaya's hand but she brushed it off. "I don't love any Abhimanyu Shrivastava, I love Mantu. And also I don't like liars. Aur kya kya chupa rakha hai tumne mujhse? Haan.", said Amaya and said again, "But right now I need to go out it's so late." Mantu held her hands as she tried brushing them off but Mantu held them tightly. "No one's at home, except you and me. So relax." Amaya paused and Mantu continued, "and even if someone's at home you don't need to pretend someone you are not Amaya. I love you for who you are. There is no point if you'll change yourself."

He kept the tray on the bed and said, "It's not a one day stay Amaya. Its your house now. You are the bahu. You will stay here forever. You needed to adapt into this house and let the house adapt to your needs" Amaya nodded but still brushed his hands. "Aree what happened.", said Mantu. "I am still angry, very angry.", said Amaya as she sipped her cup of tea and looked somewhere else. Mantu laughed silently as he sat behind her and gave her a warm hug. "I'm so sorry, Amu..", whispered Mantu in her ears. And a spine chilling wave of shivers travelled in her veins. She closed her eyes tight as she kept the cup on the tray afraid that it will break. She turned her face to look at him. He was already looking at her. Their eyes met and everything stopped. Mantu slowly tucked her hairs again behind her ear and was about to kiss her cheek when Amaya placed a hand in between.