Their Married Life

THE RITUALS

Dev POV

I sat cross-legged in front of Lord Satyanarayana, the soft hum of chants weaving through the air like a divine lullaby.

I turned to glance at Manasa and barely held back a laugh. Beside me, Manasa was still, her head slowly tipping forward. She was seconds away from dozing off, her lashes fluttering, her posture drooping adorably. My wife my newlywed wife dozing off during our first Satyanarayana Pooja.

I shifted my gaze to Pandit ji, who was in full rhythm with the Sanskrit verses, completely unaware of the fact that the bride was about to do a slow-motion face-plant into the plate of prasadam.

I bit the inside of my cheek to suppress a grin. Guess someone had an early morning.

I always thought couples spent their first night together right after the wedding at least that's how it happens in the movies. But to my surprise, they whisked Manasa away to another room before I could even process what was happening. I was left standing there, blinking in confusion, wondering if I'd missed some secret family protocol. It wasn't until later that someone casually mentioned, "It'll be tonight."

And just like that, my thoughts took a rather rosy turn. I felt the warmth crawl up my neck, and I had to look away, trying and failing not to blush.

Suddenly, I felt a nudge and looked over to see my mother gesturing to me, well, not at me but at Manasa, eyebrows raised and lips pressed together in silent amusement.

I turned back to Manasa and sure enough, she was full-on asleep now, her head tilted, her lips parted slightly. My heart melted. She looked so peaceful, so soft, like someone who finally felt safe.

Poor thing. Must've been exhausted.

I reached out gently and caught her hand in mine, careful not to startle her. I gave it a little squeeze.

She startled awake with a tiny gasp and blinked up at me, slightly disoriented. I instinctively stroked the back of her hand with my thumb slow and reassuring. Her shoulders relaxed instantly.

Then she yawned. Wide and unapologetic. Right there, mid-ritual.

I couldn't help it. I let out a small chuckle.

She narrowed her eyes at me in mock annoyance, her brows scrunching into the cutest frown I'd ever seen. That one look, sleepy and irritated and absolutely precious, did melt my heart.

Suddenly, I felt a sharp pinch at my waist and jolted upright.

"Maa!" I mouthed silently, turning to see her staring at me with a warning glare and then pointing toward the deity. Her message was loud and clear: Focus on God.

I gave her a sheepish nod and turned back, reluctantly letting go of Manasa's warm fingers.

Still, I smiled quietly to myself.

After what felt like a lifetime but had only been two hours, I was finally asked to go around and greet the guests. And like the obedient son that I was trying hard to be today, I obliged with a tired smile and folded hands, exchanging pleasantries with one person after another.

Somewhere between an uncle I vaguely remembered and an aunty offering me sweets, I felt a gentle nudge on my arm.

I turned, half-expecting another cousin, and instead found two girls in half-sarees standing there, both beaming at me like they had a secret.

"Jiju, congratulations!" the shorter one chimed, her eyes twinkling with mischief.

"Congratulations, Dev Bhaiya!" said the other with equal enthusiasm.

I smiled politely, though I was clearly trying to place them. Are they from my side? My cousins? Neighbors? Distant relatives?

"We're Manu's besties," the shorter one said, ending my inner confusion in an instant.

"Ah, that explains it," I said, relaxing. "Please, come have a seat."

"Yes, we will, Jiju," she replied with a grin. "I hope she's told you about us. I'm Riddhi, and this is Varsha."

I nodded, finally matching names to the faces I'd only heard about in stories and video calls.

"She has," I said with a small smile. "She talks about you both all the time."

"Likewise," Varsha teased. "Even we know plenty about you."

I chuckled softly.

"Where is she?" Varsha asked, already scanning the hall.

"Inside," I said, pointing. "First room next to the stairs."

They nodded, already halfway there when I called out, "Hey before you go, have some snacks!"

"Of course, Bhaiya!" they said in unison before darting off like excited kids heading into a secret mission.

I watched them disappear with a faint smile.

After making sure all the guests had eaten and my duties as the good host were fulfilled, I finally got a chance to sneak away. My feet automatically took me toward the room where I knew she'd be.

Manasa.

As I pushed open the door, the sound that greeted me wasn't just chatter, it was laughter, squeals, and... hoots? Definitely hoots.

There she was, sitting among her friends and cousins like the sun at the center of a happy little galaxy. The moment she spotted me, her cheeks turned a soft, glowing red.

"Wooohhh, what's up Bhaiya?" Saloni teased, grinning with her 32 teeth out

I cleared my throat, awkwardly rubbing the back of my neck, trying to ignore the heat creeping up my collar. "Uhh... nothing. I just... thought this was my room."

The second the words left my mouth, I realized how ridiculous they sounded. My room? In the house I've lived in all my life? Smooth, Dev. Real smooth.

One of them giggled. "Oh Bhaiya, this definitely isn't your room". It was my Cousin.

Laughter erupted all around me. Manasa covered her face with her palm, clearly mortified and equally amused. I offered them a sheepish smile, then slowly backed out of the room before they could start naming our imaginary future children.

But a few moments later, I peeked back in, determined to redeem myself.

Their laughter paused, and all eyes turned to me again. This time, I stood straighter, like I actually had a plan.

"Did you all have lunch?" I asked, scanning the group casually.

"Yes, Jiju!" Riddhi chirped, with a little too much enthusiasm.

But my gaze was already locked with Manasa's. She looked up at me with those wide, unsure eyes and something about that small glance made the noise around us disappear for a moment.

"Everyone?" I asked again, this time just a bit softer. Just for her.

She blinked, shy and caught. I saw the corners of her lips twitch upward.

"Yes, yes!" the girls chorused, catching on. "Even your Manasa did!"

And just like that, the room exploded into laughter again.

I grinned, holding up both hands in mock surrender. "Alright, alright... I get it."

And then I turned on my heel, laughing under my breath as I walked out, this time with a strange warmth in my chest.

Embarrassing? A lot.

But seeing her blush like that, hearing her name beside mine even in jest it all felt oddly... right.

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