Kuch Love Jaisa (VirMaan FF)

Part 10

PART TEN


It was half past nine when Prem, Atul, Shekar, Puja and Maanvi returned home. Thankfully they escaped the clutches of the mogambo(dadaji) and Maanvi retreated to her room. Inside his room, Prem was doing his victory dance.


"Oh my god! O my sweet god! Poo.. did you see.. Virat ko kithna gussa aagaya! Maine sirf jealousy ke baare mein suna hai, aur aaj Virat ne dikha diya!"


Puja giggled, "zor se mat bolna koi sun lega! Par.. kya Virat sach mein Maanvi ko pasand kartha hai kya?"


"Ofcourse kartha hai.. voh khud yeh baat nahi jaantha!"


Puja yawned nodding. Prem went on, "You know Poo.. Ab tumhe so jaana chahiye!"


Puja smiled as Prem went to hug her, " 'Night Poo!"

The girl turned pink as she replied, "good night Prem! 'Night guys!!"


With that she hopped off towards her room.


Atul and Shekar glanced at each other, "duh"



The day of Karvachaut ~


It was a bright morning, the day of Karvachaut which the Vadhera's wanted to make it a special day for their bahu to be, Jeevika.


Jeevika and other ladies planned out the evening, the bride to be was delighted to receive a gift from her fiance. It was a great occasion. Prem joined the girls in the kitchen.It was half past ten in the morning and he was hungry.


"Oh good morning girls! Hey Poo!" he greeted, Puja smiled back.


"Good morning Prem!" Maanvi and Puja greeted in unison.


"Toh breakfast keliye kya hai?"


Manvi grimaced, "aaj di ka vrath hai! Toh main bhi nahi khaanewali!"


"Acha? Di keliye? Oh, hmm.. Poo! Chalo hum kuch khaate hai!"


"Nahin, Prem! Aaj main bhi kuch nahi khaanewali! Sari ladkiya nahi khaarahi!"

Prem raised a brow, "kyon? Vaise yeh vrath hai kya?"

Puja smiled, "Oh! Yeh karvachaut hai! Ladkiya yeh vrath apne pathi ki bhalayi ke liye karthe hai.."

Prem smiled wickedly, "oh! Toh shaadi karne ka iraada hai Poo? Hmm?"

Puja was staring at her feet, "nahin, aisi baat nahin.."

"Oh come on! Mujhe consider nahin karogi? Main bhi toh ek acha ladka hoon? Kyoun Manvi? Nahin hoon kya?" Prem smiled.

Manvi laughed.

Puja's eyes widened, her cheeks turned slightly pink as she smiled.

"Bolo toh, " Prem took her hand, "mujh se shaadi karogi?"

Puja choked and this. Manvi just smiled, Prem was so sweet! She wished she had someone like him, just the way her di had found Viren jiju.

"Joke yar!" Prem laughed as Puja blushed.

"Prat!" Puja smacked his head, trying to calm down her throbbing heart. How she hated him for playing with her feelings! But it wasn't his fault. He didn't know, she felt this way for him. She didn't want to tell him, not want to ruin this beautiful moments they shared everyday! If only he could notice these feelings!


"Oye. Poo! Kahan kho gayi! Mere liye sandwitch banaa please?"

She smiled.

Manvi slipped away calmly smiling at the duo.

~~~ That evening

The guys gathered in the backyard, relaxing a bit. While the ladies, including Manvi, Puja were busily scanning the sky from the terrace, obviously looking for the chaand. Virat was off somewhere by his bhai's side. Atul, Shekar and Prem were having the guy talk.


"Manna padega yar! Virat toh obviously jealous hai! Par.." Shekar trailed off.

Prem nodded, "par kya.. mera plan kaam kar raha hai! Aage dekho main kya kya kartha hoon!"

Atul shook his head, "Woh toh teek hai yar! par kyon.. kyon tum ye sab kar rahe ho! Bhool gayye, hum yaha kyon aaye hai.. Viren ji ki shaadi mein aaye hai.. apne naye project ke liye aaye hai! Toh ye match maker ka plan kahan se aagaya?"

"Don't be silly yar! Yeh sab.. yeh humari yar ki baat hai! Aur.. main toh humesha chahtha tha, uski zindgi mein khushiyan ho! Woh bahar se jithna cool dikhtha hai, uthna hai nahin! Bachpan se main use dekh raha hoon, humesha apna dard apne andar rakh letha hai.. Uski zindgi mein pyar ki kamee hai aur.. woh kamee Maanvi pura kar sakthi hai! Tum log shayad nahin jaanthe.. is ghar mein sab use kaise treat karthe hai! Sivay uske bhai aur maa ke!" Prem spoke rather emotionally.

"Of course! Okay, par Maanvi hi kyon? Kyon tum aaj kal unko milaane ki koshish karthe ho?"

"Atul!" Prem laughed, "tum toh aise baat karthe ho jaise main un dono ko force kar raha hoon! Yaha aane ke baad main ne pehle din hi notice kiya ki Virat kuch ajeeb sa barthav kar raha tha! Use mera Manvi se baat karna pasand nahi tha! And I was curious! Par mera shak sahi nikla!"

Shekar smirked, "hmm.. par Manvi ka kya? Pyar toh dono taraf se honi chahiye na?"

"Hmm.. yeah! Patha nahi! Par Virat keliye voh bilkul sahi hai! I mean woh bhi Virat jaisi hi hai- fun loving and emotional! Lets see. Virat mein kamee kya hai! Woh dono perfect honge!"

Atul laughed, "toh cupid mahashay, agla plan kya hai?"

"Nahi.. patha nahi.. bhai ki shaadi nazdeek hai! Toh baad mein sochenge!" Prem smiled shaking his head, "I'm not cupid!"

"Oh well, tum log kuch bhi kaho yar! Ofcourse Virat gussa hua tha iska matlab yeh to nahi ki voh Maanvi ko pasand kartha hai!" Shekar wondered.

"Stop it yar! Mujhe pura yakkin hai,.. I just know ki-" Prem was cut off by Shekar who spoke abruptly.

"Jab tujhe khud yeh nahi patha ki Puja tujhe pasand karthi hai toh, tumhe yeh yakkin ke saath patha hoga ki Virat Manvi ko.."
Shekar held his tongue. Atul smacked his head. He had just let out Puja's secret! Oh no!

"Poo? ...Puja mujhe pasand karthi hai?"

Shekar shook his head, "bhool jaa maine kuch kahan!"

"Atul! Shekar!"

But they were already gone. Prem shook his head. 'Puja mujhe .. aur.. aur ye baat unhe pata hai.. mujhe nahin?'

He closed his eyes as he recollected all those moments.

*flash back*

"Main toh humesha tumhare saath rahoongi, Prem!"

"Tum duniya mein sabse best friend ho meri, Poo! I love you!" he hugged her close.

"I love you too..." was her meek reply.

*end*


"Oh my god! Matlab, matlab.. puja mujhse pyar karthi hai? Aur aaj yeh vrath.. kya ye sab mereliye hai?" He wondered aloud as he saw Puja running down the stairs towards him.

"Prem! Are! Use pakdo.. chodna nahi!" she yelled as she lunged for a tiny pup dog, "ruko Dino!"

Prem looked at her wide eyed as she somehow caught up with the doggy.
"Pyara hai.. hai na? Prem!? Prem? Kya hua.. chup kyon ho? Tum teek toh ho na?"


~ ~ ~

"Outch!" Maanvi cried in pain as she pulled back her finger. She was in the kitchen to prepare a salad with her own hands and here she had cut her finger. Crap!

She was about to put the bleeding finger into her mouth when someone came to her aid.

"Tumhe kabhi bhi apni phikr hogi kya?"

She turned to spot Virat attending her wound. He washed it quickly, applying some dittany. Why was he being so.. nice to her? Wasn't he the one who complained to beeji? Probably he was paying back for helping him on the day of mehendi. But he the way he was looking at her- like that as if he cared. Manvi smiled at him.

"Thanks!" she examined her finger which was now clad in a bandage.

"I can make the salad for bhabhi!" Virat took the knife from her, smiling. He wanted to be mad at her, for going out with him, but simply couldn't. Not when she was smiling at him, her eyes shining with mirth.

"Don't be surprised! Main acha khana banaletha hoon! Jab US mein tha.. tab well, I used to cook!"

Manvi nodded, "oh! Par Prem ne kabhi bataya bhi nahin! But madad ke liye thanks, chep!"

Virat went still as he heard those words, "hmm!"
He took a deep breath Prem was his friend. His best friend! He couldn't, shouldn't be mad at him just because he was going out with Manvi. Manvi was nothing..! He sighed. Okay, may be he liked her a bit! Only a tiny bit!

He dropped the knife. She chuckled, "Virat! Main kardoongi.. tum thake hue lag rahe ho!"

He liked the way she uttered his name, the way she was concerned about him. The way she aided him during the mehendi. The way she blushed when he complemented her. Okay! He definitely liked her and the girl he liked already was in love with his best friend. Holy crap!

"I'll see you around!" he muttered and walked out of the kitchen. This was wrong! He couldn't fall for her. She was sweet but still. Falling in love would only result in heart break, he had witnessed Atul's tragic story.

Wait! Love? Where did that come from. He walked into the back yard and saw his friends. Prem and Puja were talking, rather seriously. He shook his head and walked ahead.
~ ~

"Kya hua Prem? Kahee bukhar toh nahin hua na?" Puja asked him.

"Nahi.. bas kuch soch raha tha!" Prem replied.

"Acha doggy hai hai na.. Viren ji laaye the Jeevika keliye! Tumhe yaad hai Prem? Tumne humare tenth class mein mere birthday keliye aisi hi doggy gift kiya tha.."

"Yaad hai..." he replied staring at her beautiful face, " kaise yaad nahin hoga?"

She smiled, "haa.. chalo kuch khaalethe hai..! Finaally woh dekho chand!" she squealed. "khubsurat hai na.."

He nodded glancing at her. She looked like an angel shining beneath the moon, "bahut zyaada!"

~ ~

That night ended uneventfully, Virat ignored Manvi completely and she was puzzled. She couldn't understand his mood swings.

The rest of the week was the same. Prem, Atul, Shekar were like her best friends now. She enjoyed her time with them, though it hurt her that she would have to bid god bye to her di. It hurt her even more, though she wouldn't admit it, it hurt her seeing how Virat was ignoring her. Prem seemed to be making his best efforts to cheer up Puja. Apparantly Virat was avoiding them too. Prem was sweet person, he and Puja were made for each other. They were perfect, just like her di and jiju. But her? She was about to leave her best friend and her mentor! Beeji might find her some rishta for her but... Would she find someone for herself who truly loves her?

Finally the day of shaadi arrived and she was jumping up in joy. Her di was so happy and she was happy for her.It was only a matter of minutes the shadi would be over. She was wearing a blue lehenga with multi coloured blouse. The jhumkis that Virat gave her. Somehow, she liked these very much.

She ran down the corridor as Vanshika pproached her.

"Mandir se sindoor mangvaliya beti?"

Manvi's grin dropped.Its Viren Jeevika's shaadi.And she.. oh no!

"Sindur laaye ho beta..?"

"Nahi Vanshikaji.. abhi jaake laathi hoon!" Maanvi broke into a run.

"Sindoor mere paas hai maa!" Virat handed her the box and when his mother was out of sight,

he sneered, "vaise aaj kal tumhe Prem ke sivaa aur kuch yaad nahi rehtha hai na!?"

Maanvi blinked, that was just so rude, "I'm sorry. Galthi se.. "

"Aaj kal tum apni cheezon mein ithni busy rehthi ho ki...Di ki shaadi ke baare mein bhool gayyi! Prem ke saath dinner pe jaana toh yaad hoga hai na.." he narrowed his eyes.

"Tum bar bar Prem ko beech main kyon lathe ho?"

"Kyon? Oh haan! Tum dono toh well.. Patha nahi donon ke beech mein kya hai?..kya chakkar hai tum dono ka?"

SMACK!

Maanvi slapped him, tears gathered in her eyes, "mere aur Prem ke beech kya hai.. yeh humari aapsi mamla hai!"

He looked at her perplexed.

"Tumne kabhi mujhe teek se nahi samja!" Tears gathered in her eyes, "aur aaj bhi tum galat hi samajh rahe ho! Mujhe laga.. tum.. mujhe pasand karthe ho! Par.. urgh! I hate you!"

And she ran.

Just then Prem walked in, his eyes widened as he saw her running. This wasn't the part of plan.


***************************


That came out to be a bit longer than expected. Aww! Next part! Prem and Virat will have a chat!? Muahahah! Review, please!