CURSED....to be together! (COMPLETE)

Chapter 9: Marriage binding us together

Manik's POV
Mukti told me how Sinha uncle had spilled the beads about my marriage plans, but to my surprise Mom and Dad were happy about this. Obviously they didn't know why I did it but they were happy. Mukti however was almost going to kill me, but I had to do it for her. She still thinks Nandani is some innocent and a helpless women but she has no idea what type of a person she is. Selfish and a gold digger. But now this meant that we will have to pretend to be a very much in love couple. How will my time ever pass with her. Does she even know how to smile, I have always seen her angry. Mom and dad will soon figure out everything. Maybe I should go and tell her to behave.
After dinner with Mukti I went back to my house to Nandani's room. It was quite late, around 1:30. I wondered if she was still awake, but I still knocked on the door.

Without opening the door she spoke, "What do you want Mr Malhotra?" I hated it when she did stuff like this to ignore me but I kept my calm.
"Listen you, I have to talk to you about tomorrow." She must have sensed the seriousness in my tone so opened the door. I looked at her and she looked absolutely........CUTE.

{Nandani's Night dress}

What was I thinking? I stepped out of my thoughts and entered her room. She sat on the bed, when I dragged the chair and faced her. "Since you are my "wife", you should know few things about me otherwise my parents will figure out everything."
Nandani looked at me in surprise, perhaps because this was the first time we were having a conversation and not an argument or rather a fight.
"hmmmm...." she indicated me to begin with.
"So the first thing that you should know about me is that I am adopted." Her eyes widen as she got this piece of information about me. But she did not react and waited patiently for me to continue. "Mukti is my step sister and I moved out of the Malhotra Mansion 5 years ago. My mother's name is Nyonika and my father's name is Raj. The rest I don't think you need to know about."She nodded and expected me to leave. But I also needed to know things about her. "What about you? Your family? Where are you from?"
She fell silent for a while but then looked at the window and spoke. "I am from Mangalore. My parents are dead and I have a brother how stays in an ashram." Her face expressed the grief but I could see she was trying to hide her emotions.
"Ashram as in a school?" I asked as who in these days goes to an ashram?
"I think I have told you enough. Now I am sleepy so please leave." She said as she pulled the blanket making me stand.
"Can you ever just try and talk......you know what never mind. Its useless talking to you." I said leaving her to sleep. "Learn how to smile. Maybe it will make you look a bit better." I taunted her before leaving making her more angry. No offence but I loved to see her angry. She looks super cute when she was angry. Shit man, again. I don't understand how just one girl can invoke two completely different emotions in me. For once I hate her to extremes or otherwise get attracted to her.

It was 8:30 in the morning when I got ready as mom and dad were straight going to come here first to see their newly wedded daughter-in-law. Mukti had also arrived but Nandani was still getting ready. She was testing my patiences so I screamed on top of my voice, "Nandani, stop putting on extra make up. It won't make you look any prettier." Just when I was about to enter her room she stepped out.

{Nandani's outfit}

She looked breath taking, in fact I almost stopped breathing. I had never seen someone so simple and delicate. There was nervousness on her face or maybe it was because of the way I was staring at her. I tried to look away, but my body was no longer in sync with my mind. There was a little hair strand blocking her left eye and my view. My hands automatically raised to clear the obstacle but I was stopped as I heard Mukti scream.
"Mom, dad, I am so happy to see you after all these months. How are your reports now dad. What did the doctor say?" Mukti asked. But the time Mukti finished I held Nandani's hand and pulled her towards the door.
"Mukti beta, we can only answer if you let us. The doctor said......" Mom's attention shifted from Mukti to Nandani. Nandani held my hand even tighter. I suppose she was nervous. "Beautiful....," Mom said as she cupped her face and kissed her forehead. "Manik for once I am happy that you did something like this." Mom said as she came to me and hugged me.

As dad approached Nandani she bend down to touch his feet when dad stopped her. "No beta, daughters in our house don't touch feets as their place is in our hearts." Dad then took her for a hug.
"Here have this...." Mom slid two bangles each on her hand. "Now you are completely our bahu." They hugged again.

"Mom, dad at least come in now." I said as I noticed we were still by the entrance.
"Nandani beta, why haven't you applied sindoor on your forehead and where is your mangalsutra?" Mom questioned Nandani.
"Aunty actually I forgot it in the bathroom, I woke up a little late so I am sorry." Nandani handled the situation.
"You should be sorry..." Everyone had freaked out as mom's tone changed. "but for calling me Aunty. I am your Mother now so I don't want you to call me Aunty. And it's good that you didn't put sindoor and mangalsutra. We couldn't see your wedding but we can atleast she this ritual happen." Everyone looked at each other in confusion when mom asked Nandani to get the sindoor box and mangalsutra. She quickly rushed and handed everything to mom. She walked towards me and said, "Manik, I want you to do the ritual in front of us."

I was shocked at what she said but there was no way I could denied her wish, so I took the sindoor and mangalsutra from her hand. Nandani looked at me with intensity in her eyes, as if wanting to say something and I wasn't able to read it. But I could see the purity in her eyes. It felt as if my brain was on a long vacation and my heart was in total control of me. Without breaking the eye contact I filled her forehead with sindoor. She closed her eyes as soon as I touch her forehead. I couldn't understand why? She was a selfish person, who only chased after money. Then why was the institution of marriage binding us together. I go behind her and make her wear the mangalsutra. The images of our marriage was flashing in front of me. All of this was an act, then why was it affecting me? Affecting both of us so much.