Nawal - Missing Moments

12. Second Date - Part 1

12. Second Date - Part 1

It had been quite a while since a machand had happened in the Makhwana household. Surprisingly, since past week everyone had been getting along quite pleasantly. Now whether it was just for show with something cooking behind the scenes or if it was real, Somnath only knew. But all the bahus, Maa and Amrish Bhai were content in the way things were going. Bhavin and Chirag were not clubbed together with them because they ranked the lowest on the Makhwanas machand causing list with Natasha ranking highest according to Maa and Amrish and vice versa. Dhawal was usually the one who was the centre of tug of war in every case so he was also spared in the above ranking.

Amrish had given Natasha permission to get a job thinking that firstly, she wouldn't be able to get one and secondly, even if she got one, she wouldn't be able to manage home and work easily but she had surprised him. Not only had she gotten selected in her first interview but had been working extra hard to take care of her household chores and work and hadn't given anyone any reason to complain till now. Amba and Amrish were astounded for they weren't able to pin any mishap on her. Still what they were planning, no one had a clue. Amrish was actually conspiring to dupe Natasha into signing the Pandya Store papers while Hetal, Pranali and Dolly were secretly helping Natasha with her chores so she didn't lag behind and be pinned as careless. They were proud of the way she had brought about a change in this family's rules and somewhere inside, each of them were hopeful that this wind of change might take them along with it as well someday.

Dhawal had been making extra efforts to make sure that Natasha knew he was in her support. He knew he had wronged her a lot in the past and was determined to prove his trust in her by standing up for her beliefs. But he had to play a careful balancing act in front of Maa and Mots lest they think he was on Natasha's leash. He was making efforts to take up a job on his own and pass off college with good grades. He dropped Natasha off and picked her up from her job everyday without fail. He wanted her to know that she could count on him and their relationship was gradually developing beautifully.

Natasha was doing good in her job and college as well. She had never thought that living in Makhwana household she would ever be able to build a career but she was surprised when Dhawal had stood by her and made Mots agree. And she could see that he had changed for the good. He had started seeing the injustice bit by bit and was slowly working to make amends. She wished the Bhabhi's would also be allowed like she was but they had to take baby steps. Her and Dhawal were slowly and steadily building a solid foundation of their relationship. Emotionally, they were completely invested in each other and had fallen in love. At least, it showed in their actions, their looks, their intentional touches to each other but they were yet to confess it verbally, yet to declare to the world that their marriage of convenience had turned into a real, loving one.

After Isha's return on Diwali, the atmosphere had been a bit cheerful. Dhawal was intending to make use of that and ask Maa and Mots for permission to take Natasha out on a date. He wanted to make his feelings for her official. It was kind of backwards that after getting married they were trying to go on dates and were being hesitant to tell each other their feelings. But he guessed that their whole relationship had been backwards. They got married first, underwent so many misunderstandings, then slowly started to trust and understand each other. Other couples did all this first and then after being sure, got married. One thing was the same though. They had yet to move forward in their relationship. They still slept apart because apart from that one day in the hotel, and then all the revelations that had happened, till now, none of them had mustered up the courage to the other that they were fine with sleeping together. Dhawal thought Natasha would take this the wrong way and Natasha was conscious of appearing too forward to him. They were behaving less like a husband and wife and more like a secretly dating couple.