A/N : Holla Familia!

So before I begin with this chapter, I have to admit one observation. The reader base on this story seems quite different from the rest of my MaNan stories - maybe I should try my hand at more conventional, non-dark fluff? What do you think? I guess I can never give up on serious, dark stuff; but I will balance it more now.

I promise to publish more stories like this - light, easy and cute-ish? ;)

Happy Reading!

***

Nandini' POV

I woke up to my alarm vibration and looked around my unfamiliar surroundings – I was lying on a settee of an unfamiliar room with stacks of presents piled around my feet, the room was still dark, since it was 5:30am in the morning – my usual time for waking up on regular days when I have college to go to. I remembered there was no college today, since I was married now. Oh and the room was unfamiliar because this was not my maiden home, and I wasn't in my good old room sharing bed with Aliya. This was my in-laws place, my place I rectified myself after remembering Ma's words that for a girl, her husband's house is her own house – I turned my head automatically towards the bed, and saw him sleeping – my husband Manik, on the massive bed – he was spread like an eagle on the bed, sound asleep. "Thank-God" I told myself, if I would hurry up and take a shower, and get dressed, then maybe I could leave the room before he woke up I thought, as I jumped up and dashed for the washroom.

My plan had worked, even when I had dressed up and left the room, he was sound asleep. Stepping out of his bedroom, which felt like a luxurious kingdom in itself, I found my feet taking me to his daadi's room. As I knocked on her door slightly before entering, I saw the old lady finishing her prayers and turning around – she saw me and a warm motherly smile adorned her face, as she whispered, "Mera bacha" in the most loving way to me. My eyes watered for a moment, remembering my own Aams back at home, and she saw it. She rushed forward and patted me gently on my face, and said soothingly, "No my child, don't cry. This is your first day in your new home, and you will begin this beautiful journey with tears in your eyes? Nah nah. Don't be so low child, you will be visiting home today anyway – in fact you will stay there for the night too, remember, today is your pag phere?" she smiled with a twinkle in her eyes. I smiled. I bonded very strongly with daadi. After exchanging a few more words, I asked her if I could get her tea, but she didn't let me go, instead she called Robin and asked him to get tea for the both of us. She told me that as her bahu, I will eventually take care of the kitchen too, but today was my first day and I should spend it getting to know people around and relaxing.

However after tea, we did go to the kitchen once, she told me that even though the kitchen staff took care of everything else, she always made coffee for her loving grandson Manik – he didn't like the ordinary coffee and until now only she could make his special coffee. I smiled understanding the close bond Manik shared with his grandmother, but at the same time, wondered, if the bond was so close that he actually decided to marry a total misfit stranger like me without any second thought? I would find out soon I thought. Seeing me lost in my thoughts, daadi gently touched my shoulder, I looked at her.

She spoke gently, "But bahu, now I am old and feeble, and it's time I pass the secret recipe to my Manik's special coffee to the rightful person – his dear wife, you"

I learned that the rockstar liked to have his coffee with a strong flavour of grounded cinnamon in it. I scrunch my nose thinking of the strange taste the cinnamon would add to the coffee, and wondered how the rockstar liked it – he was strange, but this was not the strangest thing he had done – strangest would be marrying me I thought – when normal men rejected me, how did he come to accept me?

***

Manik's POV

I wouldn't have remembered that I was married had I not seen the neat pile of presents still wrapped and lying on the settee. But where was she? I peeped into the closet and it was empty, I checked the balcony, another no show. I realized she must have gone down to meet the family – to say the least, even I was relieved – we wouldn't need to interact one on one until night again, and hopefully by then the ice will break.

As I descended the stairs, I heard sounds of laughter and merriment. I looked towards the main hall and saw my cousins and my niece and nephew surrounding her, they were talking animatedly with her as she laughingly replied to them, she looked comfortable finally. I Turned around and saw my daadi looking at me with a mischievous smile, I knew she had caught me looking at Nandini and had taken it otherwise, but I didn't bother to change her opinion – I had married her to keep daadi happy, and if she was happy, I was good.

I joined the family in the hall and soon we all were chatting and having a good time, but both of us made sure to keep our mutual interaction to bare minimum. Soon Robin got our wedding presents down for us, and we all got together opening them, it was a happy morning, when each one opened gifts reading out who they were from, the youngsters were most excited in unwrapping the presents, and from the corner of my eye I saw Nandini was only too happy to let them open her gifts, our interaction was limited to me passing her a gift, that I had opened and it turned out to be a saree for her.

The morning went on smoothly, until after lunch when everyone slowly retired to their rooms and I realized we were going to be on our own way earlier than we expected. I quickly thought of an excuse that I needed to go out, but it backfired, as daadi wouldn't let me go out, owing to the fact that it was Nandini's 'pag phere' and we had to go to her's. Fortunately, she saved us the awkwardness again, by spending the afternoon with my cousins in their room, going through wedding photographs and listening to their gossip. As much as I was relieved, now I had another tension in my head – an evening with the Murthy's, none of whom I knew too well. I knew her sister was my fan, and her mom was a kind lady who ran their small family business for their living – was that information enough to survive one evening? For the first time, I realized how lost Nandini must have felt yesterday, but she did a commendable job of not showing it.

In the evening, when we were to leave for the Murthy's I glanced at Nandini, she looked very happy and way more relaxed – I guess I understand, she was really looking forward to seeing her folks. I smiled slightly seeing her excitement, and she turned to look back at me with a smile, that is when I noticed it, but before I could tell her, daadi entered the room.

***

Nandini's POV

The morning was going good so far. I had settled in with his cousins and the kids in the hall; they were excitedly chatting about the wedding, the news coverage, their friends etc. I found myself in similar company to that of Aliya – nostalgia was getting the better of me when one by one many of the family members joined in – bhabi, tayiji, daadi, tayaji; with their added company, I got busy in the moment. Soon everyone joined, including his sister Mukti and her friend Soha – I had noticed that they were around out of politeness; they weren't taking part in unwrapping the presents or talking, they were just sitting in the corner. I once tried to pull them in, by passing a gift for Mukti to unwrap, she seemed surprised at my gesture, but she took it with a tight smile, and when she thought that I wasn't looking, passed it on to Soha, who then tossed it back to the pile of presents. I felt strange, but I ignored it in light of other things.

Later in the afternoon, when I saw everyone dispersing to their respective rooms, I realized that Manik and I would be stranded together again – but then I saw even he was trying to escape by saying he had to leave, relief shot through me, but I was discouraged at the same time, seeing him show reluctance in being with me. It was a strange mixed feeling, but when daadi didn't allow him to go, a tiny part of me actually felt good – but that also brought me back to the situation of spending awkward moments with him – not being able to bear that either, this time I put in effort and told his cousins I would come to their room and chat some more – the cousins were only too happy and a glance at Manik told me, he was relieved too. Again with mixed feelings I went off to the cousins room.

I was on my way, when I saw Mukti's bedroom door ajar. I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I couldn't help hearing her friend Soha's voice. Her voice was shaking, maybe she was crying? I was surprised, and never realized when my feet stopped.

"How could he do this to me? I won't spare her, what does she...I still love him, Mukti, I still do, and now we can never be together.." she moaned. I sighed and decided to walk away and give these friends the privacy they deserved. So Soha had a breakup and that's why she was low-key, I told myself – that explained their behaviour too, when one is going through a breakup of a relationship one thought would last for life, and at the same time is made to attend someone else's wedding – which heralds a happily ever after for the couple, how can one be happy in such a situation? I felt our happiness was mocking her misery and that's why she was upset. My heart went out for her – but I knew she wouldn't appreciate it if I tried talking to her, so I left. Poor Mukti, I thought to myself, she couldn't enjoy her brother's wedding freely with her best friend's broken heart to mend. But I was relieved that they had nothing against me per say – who knows maybe at some point I could even help Soha in moving on?

The rest of my afternoon went without much ado. I sat with his cousins chatting, hearing about their fun moments during the wedding, their boyfriends and crushes – it was just like sitting with Aliya after dinner and hearing her day out. I was getting comfortable in my new setting, even though my equation with my husband was still very awkward, but I could afford to push it at the back of my head for now – after all tonight we were going to stay at my place, and even if I have to be alone and awkward with him, it would at least be in the comforts of my own home for tonight! The mere thought that I will be seeing Ma, Aams, and Aliya in some hours managed to lift my spirits. I was so excited. Strangely it had only been a day since I saw them last, but the distance between my home in Matunga and this felt too big – it's not that I haven't lived without them either; I have done my Phd from Pune, so I have spent about four years away, but I guess I had that assurance then that after all this, I would be going back home – this time I don't have that, hence home felt further distant.

By 5 'o' clock in the evening I was ready and waiting for Manik in my bedroom. He was in the studio again – when he came out, I saw that he was ready too – I think even he had noticed my childlike excitement for going home, because he smiled a little seeing me – but then his face formed a slight frown looking at my face, but before I could enquire, I heard daadi's voice.

I turned around to see her standing at our door, with a bag full of presents in her hand – I looked at the bag and then to her inquiringly, she smiled explaining those were gifts she wanted to send to my family, they were my 'shagun'- as much as I tried telling her that there were far too many gifts then required, she insisted we take them with us, and after sometime I gave in – a happy daadi bend forward to kiss my forehead but stopped mid-way. Even she had a frown on her face, but to my surprise, her eyes twinkled in a moment, she didn't say anything, but asked us to follow her – we did as told and she took us to the mandir in the main hall – then she slowly neared the mandir and picked up a small silver box and brought it before Manik – he looked at both of us confused.

"Your bride will take some time in changing from a young unwed girl to a married woman, all this is very new for her, you must help her" she said while extending her hand containing the box towards him. When we both still looked perplexed, she explained laughing a little that I had forgotten to apply my sindoor! As Manik silently took the box from her hand and opened it, we heard a voice from behind us, "Daadi, isn't forgetting to wear sindoor considered unholy?", we all turned around to see his sister Mukti standing there with arms folded before her, beside her was her friend Soha. I glanced at Manik nervously, for some reason he was looking exasperated. But it was daadi who answered, "No betey, it's not. In fact small mistakes should be made, when going out for an important purpose, it works as an evil eye, it saves the important purpose from going wrong!'' Then she turned to Manik and asked him what he was waiting for – so a very self-conscious Manik opened the sindoor box, pinched out some sindoor and put it on the middle parting of my head before the mandir, with Mukti, Soha and daadi as witness. I shut my eyes as his hand touched my head, and I heard a soft almost inaudible sigh of content coming from daadi – I smiled, at least someone was truly happy.

***

Manik's POV

I was holding the small silver box in my hand, I knew it contained sindoor, I had applied the same on her forehead just one day back amidst a thousand guests, I didn't mind it then – amidst the crowd it felt like one of those pre-planned stage moves that I was often made to do in my rock concerts – like pulling up a fan-girl from the crowd and dancing – I didn't mind, or think so much. But today in the privacy of my own home, where my actions aren't pre-planned by the marketing team, and amidst the people I loved the most, this action felt more real, more suffocating and strangely scary. I was conscious of Soha's hurt stare and Mukti's annoyance, but did I have a choice anymore? I slowly applied the sindoor on her forehead, and much to my surprise, I saw her shut her eyes and smile softly. I stiffened, It slowly dawned upon me that even she had some expectations from this relationship – it was only fair. I married out of obligation, she didn't, so her expectation of a normal, happy relationship with her husband was natural. But, was I ready to do justice to her? An old saying of daadi floated in my mind, "You can't pour from your cup to another's, if your own cup is empty". I gulped again as the bizarre magnanimity of the situation hit me hard.

I was really married to this oddly short, seemingly quiet and plain Jane woman Nandini, and she was here to stay.

Before I could dwell further, daadi rushed us to leave for the 'pag phere' ceremony, and we as man and wife silently left for the Murthy's. I don't know about Nandini, I was feeling super weird about this already.

Had I really thought this decision through? It was too late now, anyway!

***

A/N : So, how'd this one go? Still quite awkward eh? Okay, let's see how they break the ice! What are your thoughts on Manik & Nandini here? Do you guys like them?

Waiting to hear from you all!

Until next, Sat.

Much love,

A.