Arranged Bhasad

1. Onset

Jaya pinned Nandini's saree looking at the mirror and kissed the top of her head making her smile.

"Manik bohot accha ladka hai, tumhe pasand aayega!" Nandini looked down, blushing to which Mrunal teased "Mummy! Di toh sirf unki tasveer hi dekhi jaa rahi hai kal raat se..dekhiye abb bhi pillow ke neeche rakha hai" Mrunal quickly took the photo envelope which was kept under her Nandini's pillow making Nandini's eyes go wide.

"Mummy wo..wo! Neend aagayi thi toh.. Jald baazi me rakh diya!" Nandini stumbled on her words as embarrassment spread across her cheeks to which Jaya smiled "Apne hone waale pati ko nihaarna kharab baat toh nahi hai, aur abb toh aur acchi baat hai jab wo itna accha dikhta hai" Jaya too joined Mrunal to which Nandini quickly turned around and pretended to adjust the  saree she was wearing.

"Jaya! Lagta hai ladke waale aagaye, neeche aa jao" Jaya responsed with an "Aayi" and walked downstairs while Mrunal walked to her room to give a last touch-up to her own look while Nandini locked the door of her room and sat on the bed taking the photo which was just beside her.



Her blushing session was in sometime interrupted by Mrunal who came up with a smile.

"Di, ladke waale aagaye!" Nandini nodded and gave a last look to her before walking downstairs to the living room, clad in a white and pink coordinated saree with some simple kundans giving her a magical look.



She took the back stairs and went to the kitchen to prepare tea when a call broke her trance "Nandini, beta Zara bahar aana" It was Mrityunjay. Her heart thumped, feeling so many things all at once. She took the tray and slowly walked to the living room, with her anklets making the most peaceful sound.

Manik, clad in a black shirt and trousers was looking down all the way, but suddenly or quickly to be precise, looked at the direction from where the sound was coming and that was it. It was her.

She, who had her eyes lowered, looked at him as her lashes curled up and both the eyes met, creating a magic no other magician was able to.

She served tea to all of them and Manik politely took tea too and everyone started having it. Manik was stealing glances who was just sitting opposite to him.

After quite some time of conversation Sreelekha smiled and said "Jee! Aaj kal toh bacche khud hi pasand kar lete hai, humein inn dono ko kuch akela waqt dena chaiye jaan-pehchaan ke liye and uske baad tay (decide) karne ke liye" Manik looked at her who was already looking at him and both of them blsuhed slowly. The elders nodded and Manik and Nandini stood up to walk to the garden.

"Hi!" He broke the silence between them and she smiled "Hello!" Both were walking around the lushy green trees and the exotic garden Junejas had.

"Hum pehle bhi..you remember uss din Christ Chur-" She stopped in mid "Jee!" And he smiled and felt relief that he she remembered him.

"Nandini, main bohot hi straight-forward insaan hu. Tum mujhe uss din hi bohot pasand aagayi thi isliye maine Maa se kehkar rishta bhijwaya. I know you know nothing about me, nor do I but I want to know.. Rest is for sure your decision!" He spoke without a full stop to which she blushed "Humein laga hi tha aapne rishta bhijwaya hoga"

"Accha? Toh kya ye pyaari si blush mujhe haa ki aur ishaara karwa rahi hai?" Nandini blushed yet again and nodded.

Manik smiled and said "I work in Microsoft and I know you are a professor..!" Nandini nodded "Jee, Economics ki!" Manik gave an impressive look "Even I loved economics in my +2 " Nandini smiled "Economics is actually a very good subject!"

"Yeh lilies toh bohot pyaare hai!" He caressed a newly developed blue lily to which she smiled "Jee, Maine lagayein hai!" Manik gave an impressive look "Aapko lilies pasand hai?" Nandini blushed a little "Jee, bohot zyaada!" Manik mentally took a note of it. She looked at and asked "Aapko kya pasand hai?"

"Jee, mujhe roses bohot pasand hai" She smiled "Roses are the symbol of love" Both looked at each other and again the same spark melt both their eyes.

"Didi, Manik bhai, Maa Baba bula rahe hai!" Mrunal interrupted their eyelock to which both of them nodded and followed her to the living room.

Sreelekha and Avinash looked at Manik who nodded and smiled at them while Nandini stood near the sofa and nodded at Mrityunjay who asked for her consent through eyes.

Both the men stood up and hugged each other "Badhai ho! Sambdhi ban gaye hum!" Sreelekha and Jaya too hugged each other and smiled "Humara yeh rishta bohot hi accha rahe, yehi dua karti hu!" Both nodded with a smile while Nandini looked at Manik and smiled too which he responded with a smile even.

Manik walked towards her while she widened her eyes and looked at others who were having sweets and enjoying to the most.

"Number mil sakta hai?" She nodded with a smile "Jee, 90******56"

"Thank you! I will message you tab mera number save karlena!" Nandini nodded with a smile and Manik turned to his mother who smiled at him and then at Jaya "Abb humein chalna chaiye!" Jaya nodded and gave her two boxes of sweet and the Malhotra went away, only to come back to take the dulhaniya later.