Arranged Bhasad

19. Together Since Forever.

Manik was sleeping peacefully on his bed while Nandini was literally snoring since it was just 8, moreover a Sunday for them plus Nandini looked prettier last night.

"Manik! Aap dekhiyee..let me sleep" She pulled the duvet for her and snuggled more to it while he came closer to her and hugged her tightly "Uff! Choron.. Let people knock"

"Manik, main Divya Chachi!" As soon as the name rang in both their ears, both sat up and looked at each  other horriedly. Manik looked at her and her puppy eyes worked too. Sighing to himself and yawning badly, he donned both his tee and shorts and walked to the gate to open it "Nandini nahi uthi abhi tak?" Divya tried to peep in but thankfully there was a little space for the bed to be visible "Chachi! Bathroom me hai wo" Divya nodded "Thik hain! Sunn, Lucknow ke Phupaji pure family ko lekar aarahe hai, neeche aaja discussion karna hai!" Manik nodded and closed the door when suddenly it stroke him "Phuphaji?? Are you serious? Uff!" He quickly ran to bed and sat while she pecked his right cheek "Thank you for making up!" But he didn't smile back and looked at her with a tensed face to which she asked "What?"

"My uncle is coming.. You remember the one who couldn't attend? He's coming!" She gave a little smile "Yeah! Good for us!" He shook his head "Not really" Saying so, he walked away to the bathroom not before stating "Tum Rukmini bhabhi se puchlenaa why"

She stood up, followed him to the large bathroom and brushed her teeth while he waited for a while outside. After a good ten minutes, she came down while he went inside to get changed "Good Morning!" The huge family wished and she smiled and wished them back "Where's he?"

"Maa wo aa rahe hai" She said and walked to the kitchen to see Rukmini arranging the breakfast with Rohini, a maid "Good Morning Bhabhi!" Rukmini was about to wish back when she noticed a mark on Nandini's neck who was busy pouring the milk for Nitara.

"Good Morninggg to you Nandu!! Seems like someone had an amazing night, no?" Nandini's eyes snapped back at Rukmini who motioned her to the mark and she would have never been that embarrassed. Quickly adjusting the dupatta over her neck, she blushed at Rukmini and continued with her thing not before muttering under her breath "Yeh Manik bhi na! Kahi bhi"

"Accha bhabhi! Yeh Lucknow ke Phuphaji kaun hai?" She turned and leaned against the slab to which Rukmini gave a look and giggled "Well, very bad for married couples!" Nandini battled eyelids with her, confused with the statement "I didn't get it!"

"Well, when Yash and I got married, he came after a week and then slept with Yash for a week because apparently he missed his bhanja and I had to sleep with Avneet" Nandini widened her eyes "Seriously?" Rukmini nodded and went towards the dining table while Nandini stood there with am awkward smile. Manik just then entered the kitchen to get the eggs from the fridge and noticed Nandini looking at him.

He smiled at her and walked to the kada where already Rukmini had kept the oil to warm up "Manik, is Phuphaji exactly the way Bhabhi described?" He whisked the egg and smiled faintly at her "Can't help sweetheart" She nodded and continued cutting the salad, with a half-heart. They just got married few months back and all these are happening already! I ha- "Nandini! Salad Kat gaya beta?" She stomped her foot to which Manik quickly looked at her while she turned around and walked to the dining table with the salad while he stood there frying the omelette "Weird"

It was around midnight when Manik came to the bed from the study table. He adjusted near Nandini who was going through some book leaning on the bed, legs laid on the bed. He smiled at her while her eyes were still stuck on the pages but mind somewhere else.

Taking a seat just beside her, he took her right hand and entwined them "What happened?"

"Nothing" She forcefully broke their entwined hands and focused on the book while he let out a giggle. That one giggle snapped her eyes at him and he suppressed his laugh.

"Aapko hasi aarahi hai Manik?" She kept the book and her spectacles away, turning towards him while he mouthed a Sorry and took her arms which she forcefully withdrew "You know this is not what I imagined it to be! This is going so bad you don't know"

"Nandini! What happened? Don't freak out please love" She glared at him "I always wanted a fairy tale marital life. A marital bliss is what I thought of it to be but this is exactly the opposite!!" She sighed and continued "Aap Shaadi se pehle kitni baar ghaat le jaate the, we had so much of fun!! You used to text me beautiful things.. You loved me but now.. " he let her complete "And Manik!! I am finding it hard.. Seriously hard!! I never had such a huge family.. Yeha sabke alag alag rules hai!! Honeymoon me gaye toh second day Divya Chachi was like.. Don't get intimate, Panditji ne mana kiyaa hai!! Who the hell is this Panditji Manik?? This is ridiculous!! You know main kitna kuch lekar gayi thi just for us to enjoy!! Ramisha, my friend.. She just got back from her honeymoon and they enjoyed so muchhh Manik!!" She snobbed little and further spoke "Then, sab theek hai!! Abb yeh Lucknow ke Phuphaji!! Why doesn't anyone revolt against his habit of not letting two people in love sleep together?? This is bad Manik!!" She hit his chest lightly and said "And then, aap!! Itne busy rehte ho.. Just sab theek nahi chal raha hai Manik!! Aap subah 9 baje jaate ho aur raat 10 baje aate ho.. No candlelight dinners nothing..sab kitne beautiful dates pe jaate hai aapko pata hai!!" He was about to say something when she palmed his mouth "Aap toh ek ice cream bhi khilane nahi le jaate" She glared at him and ultimately finished sighing with tears in her eyes "I am sorry" She spoke at last and he pulled her in his embrace and spoke, caressing her hair "I know Jaan! Tumhare bhi bohot hopes, sapnein hai and I am not able to fulfill them.. I know honeymoon me jo hua nahi hona chaiye tha! But trust me, what I am doing is for all of us!! Promotion ke baad bohot pressure aagaya hai!! There are files, codes and what not and trust me, people do expect very much from me.. I should have taken you to dates and dinners but it just escaped my mind.. Yeh pressure, phir family, tum.. I am really sorry!!" He kissed her forehead and she snuggled to him closer pulling his shirt "This is really bad but I really love you!!" She wiped her face with his shirt and looked at him with eyes lowered "I am sorry Manik! I am venting out unnecessarily..Main aapko hi pressure me daal rahi hu I know.. I am really sorry!" She hugged him tightly to which he smiled and kissed her shoulder "Never sweetheart!! You are just being honest and this is really hard! But trust me, I really love you and will keep loving you!!" She caressed his stubble "I know! I love you too" And she hugged him yet agai.

"Waise, ek baat bataun?" He asked wiping the left over tears to which she nodded "Lucknow ke Phuphaji is the most frank person you would ever meet.. Sabse modern and sabse cool" Widening her mouth, she pushed him "you lied to me? And bhabhi too?" He laughed out lard while she kept hitting him playfully and faked crying "You are so bad and mean!! I was angry over this angry!! You cheattt" He pulled her by wrist to which she fell on him "You are so desperate to sleep with your husband!! You can't even sleep a night without him, haan?" His hands slowly traced their way to her waist while she smirked and covered with legs with her legs "Is that wrong?"

"Of course not!" He pulled her closer to which she giggled "Manik!"

"Waise! Since the spring is yet to come and the college is going to get you a week off, I have asked my head  to spare me a week since I couldn't enjoy our honeymoon and he had agreed too" Using the side partition of her kurti, he slid his hands under it and traced her bare waist to which she called out softly "Manik"

"Where do you wanna go now?" He asked softly to which she blushed "Paris! Only if we can afford" He giggled softly eyeing his economically benefitting wife and turned their positions hovering on her "Paris it is then" And delved deeper into her neck while she clutched his hair, letting out a soft call "Manik"