A week passed, Virat was pissed off no end about the number of poojas performed and temples they had to visit and rasms they had to complete. He was getting anxious to get back to work and today was the first day he was released from the house. Manvi was feeling very awkward in the beginning sitting with Virat, eating with him, staying in the same room and most of all the non-stop teasing by everyone. But, Virat didn't act any different and she started accepting things and grew comfortable with everything. This was their life now.
Virat was getting ready to go to work and he heard her entering the room. These days he hears her coming, the sound from her chudiyan and payal. He turned to see Manvi and his mom.
"What else mom?? Kaunsi pooja reh gayi hai? Please mom, all gods are happy and they will be, for the next ten years, we have prayed so much. Aur nahi plz" said a very frustrated Virat.
Manvi was smiling at his helplessness. "What are you smiling about Manvi? Don't you have to go to college? Do you want to sit at home for the rest of your life? Come, get ready, I will drop you at your college."
"Nahi beta, today is karwachauth, Manvi is fasting and we have a ladies function in the evening."
"Another function? And why is Manvi fasting? Maar do ge kya bacchi ko? Pehle se hi itni kamzore hai? Uske upper fasting? Very good"
"Kamzore?? Kamzore hoge mere dushman..main koi kumzore vumzore nahi hoon. Please keep your valuable opinions to yourself" Manvi retorted angry.
"Ok suit yourself. One more day bunk. You will fail all your exams then you will understand. I am done. You ladies have fun. Bye"
"Virat, you have to come early in the evening. You need to be there when Manvi breaks her fast. Jaldi aanaa."
"Unbelievable" Virat rolled his eyes and left.
Virat was just happy to get back to work. He was placed the top in his batch and all his attendings were very impressed with him. He had a natural talent and he was very serious when it came to work. It was lunch time, he sat with his friends and was about to eat when he remembered Manvi. He called her.
Manvi: "Bolo"
Virat: "Yaar formality ke liye hello bol diya karo. Husband bhi bangaya hu tumahara"
Manvi: "Pakao mat, mera mood pehle se hi off hai"
Virat: "accha? And why is bandariya's mood off?"
Manvi: "Mere 'patidev' ki vajah se' I bloody cannot eat anything, drink anything until the stupid moon comes out. I swear to god, whoever invented this vrath, if he comes before me, I will eat him alive"
Virat felt bad for her. "Oye meri bhooki sherni. Mere cupboard main chocolates rake hain ja ke khalo aur yeh khuraana badh karo."
Manvi got up excited. "Sacchi, I knew it, you are the best, partner." She reached for the chocolates but then stopped herself "Nahi Virat. Vrath abhi kar rahi hu toh ache se karungi, varna poora waste hojayega. Ma ne kitni tayyariya kar raki hai. Nahi nahi, I am hanging up. See you later and if you come late, I swear I will murder you today. Bye"
Virat felt bad 'pagal ladki hai' he thought. But, he got an emergency call, he grabbed a sandwich, left and totally forgot about the whole thing. It was about 6 and Maya came to meet him. "Hi baby, I missed you so much" she hugged him from behind. Maya was Virat's latest girl before marriage. But now, he felt a little guilty. But he hugged her back. "Maya, I am a little busy today and I have to go home early, kuch function hai ghar main"
Maya: "Virat, I haven't seen you in a week. I think you are taking this marriage thing too seriously. Wasn't this just a formality to please your mom?"
Virat: "Yes but it is a little different today. Manvi is fasting, and she cannot eat anything until I go home. Kuch rasm hai. So you understand right, I have to go. Waise bhi Manvi is not that strong, she will faint will she doesn't eat on time and she hasn't eaten anything all day."
Maya put her arms around him and was making a move on him seductively. Virat: "Maya, don't do this, you know I have to go. Let's get together tomorrow." He took her hands off him, pecked her a kiss and left.
Now this really annoyed Maya. Maya is a very egocentric girl. Nobody can get preference over her. Certainly not in the case of Virat with whom she is crazy about. She made a note to take care of this Manvi menace forever.
Virat reached home just in time, everyone were gathered waiting for the chand to grace the occasion. He looked at Manvi, she was dressed up in a red saree and her expression grabbed his attention. She was looking very angrily at the sky threatening the moon 'If you don't show up in the next 5 min, it will be the end of you' was her expression. He quickly changed and went to her as she gave him a big fake smile; he looked amused at her antics "What are you grinning about Virat? and I don't understand one thing, why do only wives have to do this? Why not the husbands? Men are supposed to be stronger right, unko toh doh din bhooka rehna chahiye."
"Ohh plzz..madamji don't get such ideas, if someone listens, a new rasm might seriously start. Plz spare me." And the moon finally showed up, everybody started the rasm and as Manvi looked at the moon and her husband's face in the channi, she started getting dizzy. "Virat, take me inside, she said, before he could act, she fainted in his hands. Everybody panicked and Virat carried her inside. He examined her and found her blood pressure to be very low. He immediately gave her medicine. He asked his bhabhi to get some food for her. His buaji asked him "What is wrong with her Virat?"
"What is wrong with her? Or what is wrong with you people? What kind of an age are you living in? wife doesn't eat anything all day for her husband? Kya hai? Please think logically what is going hungry going to achieve?? I will tell you..low BP, low glucose and weakness. Please, stop following all these ridiculous traditions." He was so angry, he had never spoken like that in front of everyone. Everyone were shocked and they just left the room.
Viren, Virat's brother "Virat, relax. Itna hyper kyu ho raha hai?"
Virat: "Its just not this bhai. Our whole life is dictated by them. They say jump into fire, we have to, without even questioning it. What kind of values are these? They married Manvi to me. Me? A person who does not believe in love or marriage. But she is not like me. She is so young, she does not even know what she got herself into. What is she going to get from this relationship?"
Viren: "Mere bhai, you are so worried and upset, because she fainted from weakness. What wife would not want a caring husband like you. Tu chill kar. Jeevika is sending food for Manvi." He smiled and left.
Virat: "What? Where did that come from? Whatever, everybody in this house is mental." he gave up.
Manvi slowly stirred into consciousness and she saw Virat sitting on the other side, reading something.
"Main yaha behosh padi hui hu aur tumko kitabhon ki padi hai?"
"Ohh-ho-ho. Sherni back. Claps. Tumhari class leni thi isi liye pad raha tha and before you speak another word, eat your food." Virat got a plate full of food and sat in front of her. She looked at them and said "pata hai partner, I was very hungry all day but I am not at all hungry now."
"That is because of the glucose I gave you. You fainted because you had no energy. Now chup-chap yeh khalo" he was about feed her some soup.
"Ewww..I hate this soup"
"Manvi!!!!!!!!" he got annoyed.
"Accha baba khati tu.." she ate dutifully as he fed her the whole thing.
"That's like a good girl."
Jeevika and Virat's mom just walked in and got very emotional seeing them like this. They both left thinking the newly married couple needed some privacy. But soon after eating, Virat gave her a 30 min speech about why she should never ever skip a meal in a future.
"Partner, pehle toh main din main ek baar tumhare baat sun karke paak jati thi. Ab toh poori life mujhe yeh sab sunna padega?? Bahut dar lag raha hai."
"Mat suno na..rooj fasting karo..roj behoosh ho jao..college mat jao..gavaron ki tarah ghar main baiti raho..teek hai?" Virat got very upset and went to change. He came back and started studying ignoring her.
Manvi slowly went to him "Accha baba..nahi karungi phir se koi aaisa vrath aur kal se college bhi chali jaongi"
"Badi meherbani hai. Please abhi ja kar so jao" Virat joined her hands bowing to Manvi da great.
Manvi glaring "kadooos"
V: "pakao"
M: "chep"
V: "bandariya"
