Ishqana Dil

Part 53

She was doing nothing special, just standing there and listening silently when she heard him tell the pandit she would be doing the puja with him. Her eyes widened with surprise and so did the priest's. He gave them a knowing smile. "Achha, toh aap dono ki shaadi hone wali hai?"

Mantu stared at him, stunned, whereas Amaya stifled her laughter. "Nahin, nahin, panditji. Aisa kuchh bhi nahin hai," she said innocently. Mantu looked at her but she studiously avoided retaliating.

The pandit, on the other hand, appeared quite dismayed. "Humein aap dono ko dekh ke aisa laga jaise..." She bit her lip and shook her head and just then, someone called him, so the priest excused himself and left.

"Tumne aisa kyun kaha?" Mantu hissed at her.

She had to use all the energy she had to look at him without bursting with laughter and to keep that naïve look on her face. "Maine aisa kya keh diya? Maine toh bas panditji ki galatfahmi door ki, na?"

Oh god! He was sulking. "Haan lekin... voh... voh k-kehne ki kya zaroorat thi?"

"Voh kya?" She raised her brow and he looked away. "Achha... humaari shaadi ke baare mein? But Mantu... hum kahaan shaadi karne wale hain? Jahaan tak mujhe yaad hai, tum toh mujhse shaadi karna hi nahin chaahte, right?"

Utterly confused, he stared at her. "What? When did I say that?"

Amaya shrugged. "Shravan Puja ke din? Yaad hai? That priest had thought that we were married or we were planning to and you... Kya kaha tha tumne? Haan... Na toh humaari shaadi huyi hai aur na hi door door tak usska koyi vichaar hai... So... But it's okay, I understand."

She had to bite her tongue hard as she watched him open and close his mouth like a goldfish, not really knowing what he should say. "Hum... voh... uhh..."

"Kya hua, Mantu?"

He shut his mouth and glared down at her quietly for a few minutes. "Tab ki baat aur thi," he finally said tightly.

If he thought she was going to leave it at that, he was wrong. "Achha? What changed? Everything looks the same to me." He shifted his gaze to something behind her uncomfortably and she had to resist the urge to kiss him right there. Amaya sighed softly. It had been more than a week and she was with him almost every day and it was just getting increasingly difficult and he was not helping! So it was only fair that she found her own way to make him suffer too, right? "Bolo, Mantu! Did I say anything wrong?"

His eyes fell shut. "Haan," he gritted out.

"Lekin kyun? Maine toh sirf vahi kaha, na, jo tumhaare dil mein tha?"

He grimaced with exasperation. "Humaare dil mein voh nahin hai, Amaya!"

"Toh tumhaare dil mein kya hai, Mantu?"

"Humein shaadi karni hai tumse!"

This time, she could not stop herself. She burst into a giggle, her hands latching onto his arm. "Oh," she said simply, once she had sobered.

His annoyance turned to embarrassment. "Did you do this on purpose?"

"Shayad," she smirked. He started to smile at her with a boyishness that left her light-headed. She bit her lip and took one step closer-

"Arrey, Mantu beta!" They both jumped and sprang apart, their eyes wide as two elderly women approached them. "We haven't seen you in so many days!"

He folded his hands to greet them and she nervously did the same, then remained silent as they talked. The odd looks she received from the women made her shift uncomfortably. Still, she smiled at them politely until Mantu took their leave. But that was when they actually started... She and Mantu had only just turned away and he had been reaching for her hand, without thinking.