Hey guys!
Hope everything's fine and you are doing good.
Please give it a try.
And if you like the story,
please show some love by
voting and commenting
on this chap.
~~~
Important :
Do follow me (Sonali_nefelibata) my dear lovelies, so as to keep track of each and every important announcement and not miss out on anything.
Moreover, catch me and your lovable JI HUZOORI's characters on Instagram with the username - 'sonali_nefelibata'. Exciting reels and igtv videos are waiting for you there.
(Link has been provided in my profile's description area.)
~~~
You may begin now.
🏵️⭐🏵️
~~~
This chap is affectionately dedicated to -
Sim072000🖤✨
~~~
NOTE:-
Can I expect numerous comments on this part?
Do empty your bucket of comments.
Looking forward to read your reviews!
~~~
"I could compare you to a thousand different things; the ocean, bright galaxies, the full moon... But nothing will ever describe exactly how I feel about you. It is so frustrating that I can't express how much I truly adore you.........................."
"Looks like surrounding temperature has suddenly gone too high..."
Shaurya remarked peeking a glance at Manjiri who was pretending to be very busy in paging through a magazine. He knew she was doing that with sheer disinterest. He also knew why was she behaving that way? Why was she oddly very quiet since the time Priyal left? He knew about it too.
But wasn't she the one who herself only asked him to help Priyal out? If that help took away more than 60 minutes of his and her assigned time together, then what was really his mistake?
At times, he wondered if she should have barged into his life with a training manual in hand. It was so hard for him to keep up with her every so often.
"Let go of my wrist, Shaurya."
Manjiri scowled at him when he held her hand in between his fingers. Matching his gaze with hers, he inquired leaning a little closer to her face,
"What happened? Any problem?"
"Too many!"
She uttered getting conscious of their proximity instantly. She tried to scoot a little away from him but he held on her wrist firmly to keep her at place.
"You know, talking about one's problem with someone smart and close can lead to a solution."
He smirked at her. While she blankly stared at him. To her rescue, her sister's call came for her to answer. She excused herself by pushing him and his hand away mumbling,
"You're neither smart nor close to me. So move aside."
At that, poor Shaurya couldn't help but gape at his wife in absolute silence and sheer confusion.
Was old, quite, courteous Manjiri better for him? Or the present one, who has started surprising and shocking him on daily basis with her swift changing attributes?
Shaurya patiently waited for her call to end, so that he could take her out. But maybe, Manjiri was deliberately stretching her conversation long enough only to irk him up. He wondered was that her way of avenging him?
Few minutes later, as soon as Manjiri got done with her call than Shaurya came from behind and cradled her against his chest. Squeezing her to him and breathing in her hair, he murmured in her ear,
"I verily hope that you aren't as upset as before and your mood has improved by now."
"I'm fine."
Her reply was curt, as if she was totally unaffected by his sudden closeness.
"Do you know, whenever something clouds your mind I can tell it from the way you avoid my eyes."
"Since when you've started understanding me so much?"
She probed with same impassiveness. He took a deep defeated sigh. Perhaps, it was not his day.
"Sometimes only a moment is required to understand someone." Inhaling deeply inside her hair, he added, "And sometimes a whole lifetime passes but one is unable to understand the other person."
She turned around in his hold and eyed him stoically. He frowned taking a note of that.
"It's all about making efforts, my Silly Head. Which you never make."
"Stay away then. I'm in no mood to hear your philosophies and be a figure of fun for you."
Pushing his arms away off her frame, she irritably voiced in a slight louder tone.
"Fine!"
Too astonished and fed up with her purposeless exasperation, he muttered and attempted to move away.
"Enjoy yourself alone."
With a sulking face, Shaurya went and settled at the same spot where she was sitting a while before. Picking up the same magazine, he began reading a random article. At then, Manjiri could only stare at him open-mouthed. Whereas he... Not even once had he met her gaze after then.
She sighed. She didn't come all the way to Chandigarh for that. First, his uninvited friend broke in, then he spent more than one hour in concluding their research work together and then he himself only started frowning.
Yes, she agreed that she only asked him to help Priyal out. But what actually was she supposed to do at then? She couldn't be so mean-spirited that if anyone requires an aid, she backs off. But at least he could have procrastinated the work or made it fast.
She meekly went and got settled almost in his line of sight, across the table.
"A while before, you were saying something..."
She began but was quickly interrupted by him. Even though he was facing her, he refused to look at her.
"Nothing. You're mistaken, Madam Manjiri. Now get away and let me read."
"No, I'll not. Talk to me. Tell me what were you saying."
She cried out snatching the magazine from his hand. She was so done with him now. He looked at her,
"Just so you know, Ma'am, I don't talk to just anyone."
"I'm sorry!" She whispered looking down even though she shouldn't. All she wanted was to spend some time with him, and there his pointless annoyance wasn't helping. So she herself took the lead to dissipate everything in between them, "Just quit behaving like this, please."
"It's really a big deal that you're apologizing. And that too to me. Strange!
Quite Strange!"
Hardly had he muttered such things when he saw her pulling his hand towards her. Resting it against the table, she aligned her head on it.
Sharp blades of confused emotions etched their marks in his throat as his eyes took her in.
He leaned in when he heard her utterance which was just more than a whisper,
"When someone realizes his or her mistake, so in spite of taunting one should appreciate him or her for it."
He too bent his head against the table and faced her. Her eyes were closed and his palm was placed under her cheek. He couldn't help but breath out at then,
"Just a while ago, your mood was different. Like always. What happened so suddenly?
You feel ok, right?"
On feeling his warm breath all over her face, she opened her eyes only to find him facing her with his face upside down to hers. Basking in his vicinity, she probed him in a low voice,
"You tell me, what mood of mine do you like seeing me in?"
"What difference does it make what I like or dislike? You always behave the way you wish."
He finished with a grin. He noticed her studying his face thoroughly. Her that look made him clench his jaw. His eyes travelled to her mouth as she spoke,
"Why don't you give it a try? Maybe, some difference would be made."
It was wrong to say that he didn't get floored at then. But the thing which mesmerized him more was her sly smile. Her smile was slow. But it was warm and genuine. And somehow, Shaurya knew that it was all for him.
He was tempted to feel that grin against his skin. He suddenly felt lightheaded.
Seeing her like that almost felt like a gift. And up till then, it took him a considerable effort to not just sink in where he wanted to. But now, he suddenly felt the urge to offer her the sweetest thing he was capable of.
However, barely had he leaned in more when she tore her gaze away and tipped her head back smiling.
"Enough!" She muttered sitting straight. Raking her fingers through her hair, she added, "Remember, we were to go out."
He couldn't help but shake his head at her. Mimicking her, he spoke.
"No, I don't like going out. Can't we stay here only, Shaurya?"
Manjiri chuckled on his act of imitating her. She too tried,
"No, Silly Head. We'll go out."
"Shaurya, but I don't wish to go out."
Shaurya muttered pulling her hand and placing it against the table and leaned his head on it. Copying the same thing which she did a while before, he chuckled in between.
"Enough. End this now, Shaurya." She pulled back her hand and added, "I really want to go out. Come on. Get up."
"Ok. Let's go then."
"When they make your heart feel full>>>>>>....................."
_
_
_
"So what would you like to eat, My Silly Head?"
Shaurya quizzed scanning the menu card of a fast-food corner. They would have casually dined in a restaurant but on Manjiri's insistence they were there.
It was practically not possible for both of them to view major tourist spots of the city, that too when they only had a few hours in hand. So they just visited some nearby monuments, a garden and at last they were at a market place presently. As new year was round the corner, so the whole market area was all decorated, proudly radiating the lively spirits of Christmas and New year.
"Whatever Mr Stubborn Head would like me to eat."
Manjiri replied with a smile whilst drawing invisible patterns on the tablecloth with the help of her fingernails. Exchanging the smile, he commented to make her smile grew even more wider,
"Such an obedient wife!"
"Was it a taunt?"
She attempted to confirm. Ignoring her query, he called an attendant.
"Hey! Come here." Shaurya told the attendant when he reached their table, "Two millet dosas and a half plate veg chowmein please."
"Millet? Why not Masala Dosa?"
Manjiri inquired. She never heard of the eatable which he had ordered for him. Though she was glad that even without telling him, he made the right choice for her. She had to agree that her husband has got a sharp memory.
Manjiri rolled her eyes when she heard him answer her,
"My food. My choice."
"Thank you!" Shaurya passed a sly grin to the attendant as he arrived with his order. "My food is here, you'll have to wait a while for your junk to arrive."
Manjiri knew that Shaurya hated carb loaded, highly oily and salty food, so she didn't really mind his words. Whatever were his opinions regarding it, her love for Chinese food was pure. And no one, not even him, could deter her from loving it.
Tearing a piece for her from his plate, she shrugged,
"Sometimes one should also try something new." Devouring it she announced, "Not bad."
At that, Shaurya was tempted to remark,
"Surprisingly, Missus Shaurya is making Mr Shaurya's choice hers, even though she may not like it. Good!
In fact interesting!"
"Missus Shaurya once got married to a man whom she didn't like at all. If she could start acting like she is liking his presence in her life then she could even try liking his choices too.
It's as simple as that, isn't it?"
Manjiri asked raising her eyebrows in enjoyment. To which Shaurya asked her back,
"Is this a question, a complain or a self-praise?"
"Think of it as you want."
She smiled. Her eyes smiled too when she saw the attendant re-approaching their table with her choice of food placed on his tray.
"Thank you so much!" After expressing her thankfulness to the attendant, she chanced a glanced at her husband who was busy shaking his head at her excited self, "Want some?"
"No, thanks!"
He refused focussing on his plate. Abruptly, his phone began tootling. But instead of his phone's screen, his eyes flew up to her who was already throwing questioning glares at him.
"Silent right?"
"I'd put it on silent. Maybe, there's an issue with it's functioning these days."
He sheepishly muttered silencing the call. But the name flashing on the screen didn't go unnoticed by her eyes. She mumbled trying to distract her from thinking all those things all over again.
"Attend it!"
"No, will talk later."
He replied. Soon he heard her question him,
"You both know each other since a long time, right?"
"Yeah, since a very long time. On being our fathers good friends, we both were in same class in school. Her elder sister and Shreya Di are best friends to each other too."
"Is she your best friend then?"
"Umm... She was in school. Then there was a time when she wasn't. And now, at workplace, can consider her as a trusted friend but not best friend."
His phone started tootling again. Manjiri spoke up when her gaze met his,
"Take it. There must be something important."
"Yes, Priyal! Yeah, I got it."
Shaurya answered the call. Manjiri didn't know why she wasn't feeling good with Priyal calling Shaurya time and again. She didn't have bitter feelings for his that friend. However, it was also true that whatever she was actually feeling for Priyal wasn't pleasant either. She clearly disliked her interference in his life, her life or more precisely in their married life.
Though, Manjiri also knew that she might be wrong in here. Probably, she was just overthinking. Perhaps, Priyal wasn't a wrong human.
"Do one thing. Go to Aarif if he can do something. If not then after dinner, we both can meet at his place and discuss the matter there. Cause right now I'm busy and outside."
Shaurya voiced and disconnected the call.
"Priyal is the only one in the dietetics department who is held responsible for maintaining the research reports of day-to-day medicals camps in and around the city. Cause remember father-to-be Dr Kushwaha isn't here." He informed Manjiri. She raised her gaze when he added, "So she reaches out to me whenever she needs any sort of assistance regarding those matters."
"Alright!" She grinned even though she wasn't sure if she should. She added only to know his views with regard to it, "I must say she's very diligent and perseverant."
"Definitely, she is. And I really admire her for these qualities."
He spoke and she looked at him with an unease in her eyes. Many disturbing emotions instantly sprouted within her.
But Shaurya was oblivious to all that. He kept on pouring out all his fond school memories revolving around Priyal on her.
"She is still the same. You know, Arsh, she and I were best of friends in school. But during exam times, we used to be nothing but rivals. You won't believe but she used to cry for single-single mark if I or Arsh were ever be ahead of her in any subject."
_
_
_
"There's no place I'd rather be than in your arms..............."
The sun bit by bit moved down in the sky, and by now Shaurya and Manjiri were back at his room. It had grown chillier outside.
Manjiri was in the balcony watching the sun who was very slowly and gradually hiding behind the huge buildings of the city. Some background music was also marking it's presence around. A marriage hall was there in front of the guest house in which Shaurya's room was. And that peppy music was blaring from there.
"They will be here in 20 minutes."
Shaurya informed about Dev and Sameeksha as he entered the balcony. To which she nodded without even sparing a glance at him. And that made him wonder where was she so busy staring.
"What are you busy looking at?"
"Looks like a marriage party is going there."
She gestured him to look in front. All of a sudden, the sky in both of their sights got alight with vibrant colours. Spirals of smoke and light swirled around with nothing but a deliberate ease.
"Wow!"
Manjiri exclaimed with joy as her eyes grew wide on watching those brilliant colours of the fireworks lighting up the entire sky in front of her. Shaurya didn't enjoy watching them as much as she did. However, he enjoyed watching her delighted smile more than anything.
"You like them?"
"Yeah, but only from far away. Seeing and thinking about them remind me of countless happy memories." She probed sparing him a glance, "What about you? Do you like them?"
"Yes, fireworks are very pretty, especially the organized ones. But again, they freak me out in ways that I just don't understand why." Shaurya casually shrugged when Manjiri eyed him. Her smile got weak as he resumed adding, "The loud noise it produces at times makes me feel agitated and nervous. When I'm close to the fireworks, I'm often afraid of being touched by the sparks. Which is stupid, I know, but I can't help it."
"My Dadi used to speak the same. She hated these. Maybe because she was asthmatic or maybe because she used to be afraid of an explosion happening nearby." She filled him with her childhood memories. He could notice the shine of the alighted sky in her eyes when she added, "She never allowed us lightening these but you know, whenever Jai Bhaiya used to visit us in vacations, he secretly used to bring and burn them for Dii and my joy."
"How inconsiderate of him!"
That came out of his mouth before he himself could realize. She turned to him as if challenging him to either immediately offer her an explanation for that or take back his words.
"I mean despite knowing that your grandma had asthma, I wonder why he used to bring all those and burn them."
"We all were small at then."
She put forward her clarification on behalf of Adishri and Jai too. But that didn't quite impress him.
"Still he was the eldest of you all. He should act responsibly."
Many large fireworks made a loud boom after they were up in the sky. And they obviously would, after all fireworks were never meant to be silent. However, an uncomfortable silence had effortlessly submerged Shaurya and Manjiri within it.
It was completely dark by now. Only the light of the fireworks were glowing on both of their faces.
Shaurya was regretting speaking too much. He literally cursed himself for losing the filter in between his brain and mouth in nearly all those topics which concerned her family and especially her cousin brother, Jai.
Without saying anything he held her hand and dragged her in a corner, thus putting themselves out of the sight of the outside world. Her dumbfounded eyes held his as he stepped closer.
It was dark everywhere, they didn't even switch on the lights of the room. Then switching on the balcony's light was still a very far thing.
As he brought their footwears toe to toe, the light of the fireworks glimmered on them. He noted that her face was radiantly glowing with those flashes of light. She looked so easy on his eyes that he felt arrested with her incorruptibility and winsomeness instantly. Without a doubt, she was exquisitely beautiful to him in the most honest of ways.
In a spontaneous action, he first locked her arms around him and then encircled his arms around her frame firmly. She blinked moving her body into his personal space. And there she took no time in melting down in his arms.
She had waited for that moment from so long. The moment which she had been yearning from days. She was back in where she claimed to be her home. She tightened her arms around him when he whispered in her ears,
"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to..."
She cut his words with her words instantly, sinking more in the warmth of his embrace. Her voice was feeble.
"I know."
At that, Shaurya took a sigh of relief. With a little delay, she pulled back just enough for their eyes to meet. Inadvertently, his hands travelled from her back to her shoulders on peering at her face. Then they slid up to her collarbones and neck. Her skin tingled beneath his cold fingers. She felt some change in his touch.
She took a note of the urgency with which he held her. She was sensing some alien sensations with the way his body made contact with hers. It was definitely different. Literal sparks were dancing on her skin at every point of their contact.
The air was undoubtedly getting very thicker in between them. She wondered was it actually December going on or not.
Amidst all those thoughts, she didn't realize when did his fingers sink in her hair. He held there tightly. A shiver rolled up her spine not because of the chilly breeze blowing around but because of him.
Cool wind whispered through her hair which instinctively made her lean into his embrace a little more, but much to her surprise he didn't allow her to hid her face anywhere. Tugging at her hair, he positioned his eyes on her mouth. Twisting his head a little, he closed his eyes and began leaning in.
All of a sudden, Manjiri screamed intensely. Shaurya anxiously opened his eyes staring her.
Without thinking, she got plastered to his frame complaining,
"Something crawled on my leg. I sensed it slithering away close by."
With the help of the flashlight of his phone, staggered Shaurya scanned the floor of the entire balcony. Whereas Manjiri who was inside the crook of his arm too attempted to peep around. His arm held her protectively to himself. He found nothing but a long coiled piece of cable wire in a corner.
"Was it a snake?" He looked at her when she asked looking here and there. She added one more question on not getting any reply from his side, "Is it gone?"
He finally nodded looking at her. He inwardly took a defeated sigh on realizing that the moment which he almost had, had straight away got vanished into the thin air. And now there was nothing hanging in between them except of her keyed up and suspicious glances and that piece of wire.
Suddenly somebody opened the knob of the door by using a key from outside to open the door of the room,
"Hello! Anyone there?" Dev's voice reached both of their ears. Sameeksha's shrill voice joined too, "Shaurya Bhai? Miru, where are you guys?"
Shaurya switched on the light of the room on walking inside it. Manjiri followed him still throwing her cautious stares all around the floor.
"There you both are. By the way, what were you guys doing in the dark?"
Dev probed as his eyes landed on Shaurya and Manjiri together. Before any of the two could speak, Sameeksha intervened with her eyebrows arching up in a teasing manner.
"Is it necessary to tell you everything, Dev? Few things are need to be understood."
"We were in the balcony since the sunset."
Manjiri kind of reprimanded Sameeksha whilst giving her a meaningful look. Whereas Shaurya just seemed to ignore the flowing conversation and the people around. On taking a note of his that attitude, Dev was tempted to remark,
"Alright! But why does this husband of yours looks so pissed off? Or his face is like this 24/7. Don't tell me you people got disturbed."
"You shouldn't let your mind wander so much, Dev, it's too small to go out on it's own."
Shaurya replied with a derisive smirk directly mocking at Dev. To which Dev argued exchanging the similar kind of smirk,
"Bhai, life's good and you definitely should get one."
"Don't go crazy, Dev. There are better things to do."
"One second, Shaurya Bhai. What are you saying?" Sameeksha interjected looking at Shaurya, "I'm sorry to say but you're wrong this time."
Dev and Manjiri looked at her with slight surprise. Was she actually taking Dev's side and opposing Shaurya?
"Dev never goes crazy. Cause he is crazy. And he goes normal from time to time. Don't you know?"
Sameeksha chuckled after declaring, thus making Shaurya chuckle too at Dev's expense. Dev seemed to ignore those two completely. Looking at Manjiri he quizzed,
"We people need to catch the bus in 2 hours, remember?" Manjiri nodded at Dev. They both could still hear the other two snickering. Dev turned around and yelled irritably at them,
"Will you both stop poking fun around and carry on to finish off the needfuls?"
Soon all four of them left for having dinner at some nearby restaurant and returned back. Time literally was flying by. And now Dev, Sameeksha and Manjiri had to leave to catch their bus to get back to their place. Shaurya too had to leave the room to see off the other three at the bus stand.
Shaurya held Manjiri's carry on bag on his shoulder as she bent down to tie the laces of her shoes.
"Will you make it fast?"
Sameeksha yelled at Dev who was busy styling his hair in front of the mirror from last 10 minutes. Sameeksha was about to slip her feet inside her shoes that's when she remembered something,
"Oh! I think I forgot my stole in the washroom. Shaurya Bhai, hold this for me. I just come."
Shaurya in an instant took Sameeksha's backpack from her shoulders and threw it onto his front.
After getting done with his hair styling spree, Dev switched off the lights of the room and made his towards the room's entrance. Only a dim light was lit in the corridor. And it was enough for Dev to make out the vague shapes of Shaurya and Manjiri near the door. Shapes which were nothing but shadowy dark outlines.
"Shaurya Bhai, it seems like your due date is even nearer than Shri Bhabhi."
Sameeksha returned and laughed hysterically at Dev's remark on Shaurya. She supported Dev,
"Yes, Shaurya Bhai, Dev's correct. With my backpack onto your front in dark, it appears like you're pregnant and very proud of your baby bump."
Shaurya stayed quite. He had enough of the nonsense for the day. He didn't respond to anything. But when he noticed Manjiri fighting a laugh and squinting at him from beneath her lashes, his mouth unknowingly twitched.
"You too can laugh."
Hardly had these words escaped through Shaurya's mouth, when Manjiri began giggling uncontrollably and joined the other two. She laughed with them until water started forming in her eyes.
Shaurya was supposed to be frowning at that but surprisingly he was receiving second-hand happiness on seeing Manjiri so happy. It was surely one of the very few times when he saw her laughing so freely. 'She should laugh often' - that was all he could think at that moment. His heart obviously gave louder beats on hearing her hearty laugh.
Time to say goodbye arrived too soon. And now Shaurya was watching Manjiri climbing the small stairs of the bus behind Dev holding his hand. But before stepping inside, she turned around to look at him. Dev stopped too and looked at her, following her gaze he then looked at Shaurya, who stood at the bus's door down.
For the first time, Shaurya was sensing some tightness in his heart. He always had left people behind, thereby he barely knew how does one feel when he's left out as someone dear to him leaves him.
It took him a lot to smile at her when she gave him a tired, half-hearted wave. He wanted the time to get freeze, however the door of the bus got closed behind her and she got distanced from his sight. And he couldn't help but stand there blankly.
"I won't say I love you but every time I see a beautiful flower, I want to give it to you; everytime I see the moon, want you to see it with me too; everytime I see an old couple holding hands, want that to be us some day; and everytime I shut my eyes, my head is filled with nothing but you...................."
~~~
Dear ones, do share your honest views on this chap and the story, as this is the only source of motivation which literally pushes me to pen down.
This can also help me in improving. So yes, eagerly waiting now.
I would really appreciate if each one of you will come and put forward your genuine reviews + expectations from me and
"JI HUZOORI".
~~~
This is it for now. Hope you liked it. I am sorry for the mistakes.
In case if you want to share your views or suggest something, you are more than welcome.
⭐My sincere request to all the SILENT READERS - Do vote this chap.⭐
Till then take care and stay connected.
Love ♥️✨