Ties That Bind

4

''Listen Mannat there is nothing to be shy off. You have full rights on me to see me in whatever way you want.'' I said softly.I slightly backed off and went to closet and quickly got ready for my meeting. Oh how badly I wanted to be home and spend some time with my newly wedded wife.

I came out and fond Mannat setting bed. '' Mannat don't do these works, we have workers for that.'' I said to which she replied looking down '' There is no bad doing your own work.'' ''Mannat how many times I  have to tell you look at me while talking to me.'' To which she nodded and looked at me. ''So, How I am looking Biwi.'' I asked her holding her hand. I was not like this off! Abhimanyu why are you behaving like this cliche boy. '' Aap bhot ache lag rhe h.'' She said meekly with a small smile.''Oh! shit ham aap ko bulane aay the niche sab hamara wait kr rhe honge. Hey! Bhagwaan sab kya sochenge ki hame yaha chod kr pta nhi kha gyi. Sab aapki wajh se hua h aap he itna samay laga rhe the pta nhi kya karne lag gye.'' She hold my hand and dragged me downstais and to my amusement I let her drag me like a rag doll. She is speaking non-stop and I think she doen't realise what she is doing otherwise she would have been looking like a tomato right now. 

When we were descending down the stairs everybody was looking at us with horror, amusement , shock and what not. And why will they not 1. I never wake up or get ready this late and now I am late thanks to My little wife's warm ambrace . 2 nobody have ever dare to do what mannat is doing. So their looks are explainable. As she reach to her  destination she stopped panting while clutching my arms. ''Bhabhi aap kha rh gyi thi ham sab aaka intezaar kar rhe the.'' My little brother asked her to which she said'' Mr.Pratap he ready nhi the meri koi galti nhi h.'' She said and I looked at her.

''Leave it now lets eat '' Chachi said. ''NO ........I mean wait. First we should offer god.'' Mannat said to which everybody looked shocked because after my mother's death nobody had ever offered to god  because after her there is no one left in house who knows it. I looked at her as she bring a thali and held my hand taking me towards mandir. 

''Mr.Pratap please remove your shoes.'' She said as I noticed I was just going and going. I looked at her and everybody else between me and her. I have never entered in mandir as ma use to do pooja after her death chachi doesn't know how to do it perfectly so she never did and all others were also the same. One of our house maids use to clean and light the Diya everyday. To not make it long I quietly removed my shoes and  entered the mandir and every body looked shock. I never entered here because I don't know how to offer , it was not because I don't believe in god. I do believe in god. 

She did everything just ma used to do and then she came to me with a plate in her hand , The pooja thali. She forward the smoke from Diya to my direction with the help of her hands. Then she put tilak on my head. She did the same with every one else present here giving us prashad she completed the pooja routine. 

My thoughts broke as my phone rang as there was a pin drop silence it got noticed by everybody so I just ''Excuse me'' and took the call it was of my P.A asking my presence for meeting. I went back and saw only Mannat was there wearing her footwears. I went to her as she finished and held her hands saying '' As much as I want to spend the day with you I have to go office as today is very very imp. meeting.'' I said and her face fell a little but she masked it quickly with a full blown smile ''Aap khana to kha ke jaiy'' She said as I was about to go.

Food I hardly have ever had food at my house. I looked at her face and God! I  can't say no to her.So I said yes and she quickly went to dinning hall. I sat on the head chair opposite to my chacha. As I looked towards The table my mouth watered it was a fu*king feast . Instead of maid Mannat put the food in my thali. Warmth spread in my whole body as from the childhood I use to see my mother , chachi , and dadi use to do it always when males of the house use to eat food. So I did what The elder males of the house taught me. I took her hand and made her sit at my right and filled her plate and said '' Eat.'' She looked at the food wide eyed and then at me and said ''This is too much Mr.Pratap. I can't eat this much.'' I looked at her in utter disbelief Like the food is not even half of what I eat . No doubt why she is like a small bird.'' Eat it Mannat no arguements.'' I declared she pouted and shut her mouth. If right now we were not in the hall I would have kissed that pout off her face.

 I took the first morsel and put that in front of her mouth and she looked at me with a little blush. Imotioned her to eat with my eyes and like a good girl she ate. My father always use to feed first morsel to mother with utmost love saying Ghar ki annpurna ko sabse phle khana chahiy.

I took the first bite and restricted myself to moan loud as the food is really really very tasty.''Maria today food is really good.'' I said to one of the cooks ''Bhai aaj to khana bhabhi n banaya h sara ka sara , kitna tasty h na? kl maine to vhi khana h jo bhabhi banayngi.'' I looked at her in shock that she made all this. All while she had a faint blush on her face as my brother complimented her. She really doesn't know how to take compliments.