As The Pink Blush Appeared....

29.

When they reached Manjiri's parental house, she couldn't take her eyes off Saanvi's hands as they skillfully maneuvered the steering wheel and the gear. She found them attractive, how weird! When the car finally halted, she got out and chuckled at Saanvi who was carrying their bag, dramatically. As both of them entered the house, Manjiri was disheartened but not surprised because her family did not even acknowledge her presence. She tried hard to hold her tears from falling. She felt upset because even Saanvi, the innocent soul, was suffering. Manjiri went towards the attic room where she once lived with Saanvi in tow.

Manjiri felt sick. She could see spite and disgust in her family's eyes. She was again torn between her dreams which she chased with full vigour and her family. She was overwhelmed. She wanted to see her family but not their cold behaviour towards her. At about lunch time, her aunt came upstairs with a sickeningly sweet and fake smile that Manjiri wanted to throw up. Her aunt said, "Both of you come down and have lunch." Then turning towards Saanvi the aunt continued, "Don't be shy, girl, treat this as your home only." And with that Manjiri and Saanvi sat down at the dining table.

"Manjiri, you have grown up a lot now, you are earning and all. But what about your family, huh? We have to maintain our reputation in the village," Manjiri's grandmother said in her loud, thunderous voice, making her flinch slightly. "Listen, now you've studied and you're doing some job and all that. But you'll marry, everybody has to some day, don't they? And do you know the groom is an IIT-ian and he earns 16 LPA?" It was her mother explaining in a stern manner. And if all of the trouble there was not enough, Manjiri's bua entered at the right moment, with her criminal son behind. Wow, a cherry on a bitter-gourd cake, thought Manjiri. She closed her eyes, even seeing that guy behind her bua made her sick, his stare, which was fixed on her scared her, disgusted her, those terrible memories, where she cried every night and held her heart on her palms, resurfaced. 

Saanvi noticed her Manjiri had changed and it had been less than six hours that they had arrived there. She was surprised to see none of the family members bothered about acknowledging their presence. Nobody greeted them and they saw Manjiri after six and a half years but they didn't even ask how she was doing. She became angry and frustrated but hid it well under her mask of stoic face as she didn't want to ruin Manjiri's mood further. 

But then at the dinner table Saanvi was thunderstruck. Her chest tightened as she heard that Manjiri's family had fixed her marriage with some guy. She kept on rushing to her overwhelmed state but of course she did not show any emotion. Then an uncomfortable silence spread over the table. It was interrupted by an obnoxiously high pitched and 120 dB high voice. It must be her bua, thought Saanvi. But when she looked at Manjiri, she went over to her as she realised that something was definitely troubling her.

Soon, the bua approached Manjiri and in her tow, the badass son of hers with a smug look on his face. "Apologise Manjiri, say sorry to me and my son," her bua said in a threatening voice. "What is my mistake, buaji?" Manjiri replied. "You brat, you ruined my son's life, this was your plot, I know very well. Don't play a dumb cow now. Maa, am I not right? Because of her false allegations my poor son had to stay in jail. And now you dare to talk back to me and question me? I'll teach you a good lesson, just watch...." her aunt said, almost yelling. Manjiri was used to her aunt's dramas and discreetly rolled her eyes.

But then she was caught off guard when she, Manjiri, was dragged back by her wrist and someone stood in front of her. Before she could even react, Saanvi spoke in her emotionless, low pitched voice, "Buaji, with all due respect, I would like to interrupt you here, the charges on your son are such that he should've been given a life sentence. And the police had a warrant, with an officially registered FIR. If you don't believe me, I can still call officer Keerthi and then you know....." Saanvi noticed bua's face colour changing. But then everything else was blurring as Manjiri dragged her towards the attic room.

"What on earth were you trying to do, Saanvi? I was handling it, you know," Manjiri cried. Saanvi made an attempt to calm her down, "Shhh- let me say something, please." Saanvi told Manjiri that she didn't like the way everybody treated her and she just couldn't take it anymore when bua began with her false allegations. Manjiri said in a motherly tone that Saanvi should take care henceforth as it could land her in trouble.

That night both of them went to the bed, knowing very well that they'd have a restless night ahead. They were not only uncertain about what the future held for them but also worried with the mere prediction and the possibility of going away from each other. Both Saanvi and Manjiri loved each other from the bottom of their hearts but they never allowed their love to spring up to their lips. Were they regretting it then? Well, a lot.

A/N : Sorry lovely readers, but I could not, not just keep away unnecessary drama. 😅

So, both Saanvi and Manjiri know that they love each other but they haven't confessed each other. Will they confess? When will they confess? Will Manjiri marry the IITian guy? 

Read on 🤗