Chapter 7 :

Geetanjali's POV

As I entered the kitchen after the puja, I was greeted by maa drinking a glass of water. Putting the pot on the kitchen island, I walked over to her and greeted her.

"Good morning maa"

She turned around, keeping the glass in the kitchen slab and smiled at me, "Good morning Geetanjali. You look so beautiful. Where were you?"

I smiled at her before bending down and touching her feet as she blessed me.

"I was at the back garden maa. I had actually went to perform the Surya Puja and the Tulsi Puja. But the temple there looked too beautiful to resist that I spent some time there to worship", I replied.

Her smile widened, "I'm really lucky to have such a daughter-in-law. In the time where daughter-in-laws wake up late in the morning, doesn't even know how to cook, doesn't even have the basic manners, you're doing everything a mother-in-law would love to see. I might sound a bit stereotypical but I just wanted my daughter-in-law to follow some rules. She can have her freedom of course."

I nodded, "It's fine maa. Opinions differ."

"By the way are you ready for your pehli rasoi?"

"Yes maa I am. Let everyone come downstairs and I'll start cooking"

She nodded, "That's good. But where's Adhvik? I didn't see him"

I froze for a second because I didn't even know what to answer. I can't tell her what he had said yesternight like that.

"Maa he said he had some work at the office so left last night and hasn't come back", I replied. I didn't lie completely. The first part was a lie to make up for the argument and the second part was totally true because he did leave and hasn't returned till now. I knew my mother-in-law would support me because of the sweet nature she possessed.

Her smile faded, morphing into a furious one, "What? He went to his work on his first night? Is he serious? On the wedding day also he had done the same thing and now too?"

I nodded hesitantly in response. I don't know if I did right by telling her something like thay because she didn't look pleased at all.

"I'm sorry beta. I just can't understand why he's behaving like that. I'm sorry", she spoke with sorrow, her expressions showed how hurt she was by his behaviour. I felt guilty for telling her about it but I can't make up for the man who spoke so rudely like that to me. I'm new here and I need to adjust and on top of that he behaved like that.

I shook my head, "No maa don't apologise. It's not your fault. It was him who decided to set his priorities like that. And we're just married so it'll need time to adjust for both of us. So it's fine. Please don't be guilty", I spoke trying to assure her.

She smiled slightly and nodded, "But still, he's my son and he has behaved like that when he should've helped you in adjusting to this new atmosphere. I just don't want to regret marrying him to you and it ruins your life. I don't want that."

"No maa you won't. It's fine, I'll talk to him. You go and sit I'll start preparing the food", I replied with a smile before sending her out of the kitchen.

Sighing, I tied up my hair into a bun and tucked the end of the pallu inside the waistband of the saree.

The maids helped me while I started preparing different salty dishes and side dishes. I decided to make malai chum chum for the sweet dish.

After two hours I was done finally done with the food. Asking the servants to put the food in utensils, I started putting the sweet dish in bowls.

"Please bring all the food to the dining table", I asked the servants before I walked out of the kitchen, fixing my saree and hair.

Everyone was seated at the dining table, waiting for the food. So without any further delay, I walked over to Adhvik's grandfather at first. I first called him out.

"Goodmorning dadaji", I greeted. Turning towards me, he smiled as I bent down to touch his feet.

"Good morning beta. Stay married always", he blessed and patted my head.

Standing up, I walked over to dadiji and did the same to which in return she blessed me. After that I took Adhvik's father's blessings, his chacha, chachi, bua and phupha ji. They all blessed me happily. Atleast I got good in-laws if not a husband.

After that I proceeded to serve everyone their food. Unknowingly, my eyes went to the empty seats infront of maa. One belonged to him while one belonged to me. Shrugging away his thoughts, I was about to serve dadaji when he spoke up, "Where's Adhvik, beta? Hasn't he woken up?"

I got nervous but still proceeded to answer when maa spoke up, "He's at work papaji. He had left her for his work last night itself." Her tone was cold but reflected the guilt she felt for me. I shut my mouth and looked at the bowl in my hand when dadaji faced me.

"Is it true beta?", he asked to which I hesitantly nodded, "Yes dadaji."

He sighed, "Let him come. You can serve the food." I abided by his words and started serving everyone. No one was speaking. Even Nisharika, who was such a lively child, wasn't speaking at all. Neil and Adhvik's cousins were also eating their food silently. It did make everything awkward for me because I wasn't used to such pin drop silence at the dining table.

After I was done, I stood at a distance from the table and waited for everyone to finish their food so I could serve the sweet dish.

"Geetanjali why aren't you eating?", dadiji asked suddenly looking at me.

"Dadiji, I'll eat when Adhvik comes back", I replied hesitantly.

"What do you mean? You wish to wait for someone who didn't even stay by your side just after your marriage? Come and sit right now", she spoke dominantly, a stern expression was etched to her face. I was taken aback by her words because she was siding up with her grand daughter-in-law and not her grandson.

I bowed slightly and was about to walk towards my seat when Neil spoke up, "Bhai is here."

Everyone's eyes went in his direction but no one spoke anything. So dadi decided to break the silence.

"You've finally decided to show up, I see", she spoke with a stern tone, staring at him sternly while he stood there silently staring at me.

"Usko kya dekh rahe ho? Meri taraf dekho Adhvik", she demanded with her raised voice.

(What are you looking at her? Look at me Adhvik)

He trailed his gaze from me to his grandma silently.

"Why did you leave last night?", she inquired.

"Dadi I had some work to take care of. I had told you about the project I was working on", he replied calmly.

"Oh is it? So you're saying that your work is your first priority?", she asked with sarcasm.

"Dadi it's nothing like that. You all know how I was forced into this marriage when I had clearly stated that I didn't want to marry a traditional woman. Yet, you all forced her on me. So just give me some time to adjust, please", he replied. His tone and expressions indicated that he hadn't slept at all throughout the night. He seemed annoyed of the confrontation.

"Don't be so immature Adhvik. It was for your own good. Now you can't deny this marriage because it'll ruin her life", his mother spoke this time, standing up from her chair.

"Maa, I promise I'll try. Please give me some time. Please", he spoke softly, or say trying to be soft because his popped up veins and clenching and unclenching fists told a different story.

"Fine. But firstly apologise to her", spoke maa, sternly.

My eyes widened slightly because she had asked him to do something which would definitely hurt his male ego.

"No I won't", he gritted staring at me before he stormed away from there.

After he went upstairs, everyone sighed in defeat before sitting down on their respective seats.

"I'm sorry for his behaviour Geetanjali beta. He's been always like this", spoke maa staring at me with a sorrowful smile. I didn't want her to feel that way. Only she knew how it felt to see the son she had raised with so much hardwork behaving like that.

I shook my head, "No needs of apology of maa. It wasn't your fault. He'll be okay when he calms down", I replied reassuringly even though I knew my end words held no meaning.

She smiled at me painfully before asking me to serve the sweet dish.

Obliging to her, I went inside the kitchen and asked a maid to bring out the tray of bowls of sweet before I served everyone.

Just after the first bite, maa spoke up, "I guess I'm in heaven." Her tone was full of enthusiasm while her eyes glimmered in joy.

"Dadi, dadu, don't you both think sweets aren't good for you?", spoke Anamika, chacha ji's younger daughter, in an elderly and stern tone.

I smiled, "No it's fine Anamika. I made it sugar free for them."

"Ah! I'll miss you after you shift to Mumbai. God gave me the best grand daughter-in-law", spoke dadi with joy making me laugh despite the turmoil inside me.

This family was a gem in today's time.

After that, everyone had their food with joy before I received their gifts and climbed up the stairs to his room. I was a bit upset for the fact that I'm going to Mumbai with him tomorrow because he has important deals to sign there.

Entering the room, I heard the shower on. So he was in the washroom. It was good because I didn't have any will to see his face.

I didn't open the gifts but kept them on the bed to pack them with my other essentials.

I sat down on the bed and picked up my phone to check the received messages when the door of the washroom clicked open. I kept my attention on the phone as he entered the room and walked inside the walk-in closet.

I was busy scrolling down my Instagram feed when he came outside fixing his t-shirt, I saw through my periphery.

He cleared his throat asking for my attention. I knew he wanted to say something but I acted like I didn't hear and kept doing what I was doing.

"Listen to me Ms. Manyavar", he finally spoke. It irked my nerves because he again called me like that. It wasn't like I was desperate to hear him calling me with his surname but because I had a damn name.

I looked up at him nonchalantly, keeping down the phone on the bed.

"What?"

"Whatever the promise and sh!t I made downstairs, don't take it seriously", he spoke looking directly into my eyes.

I stared at him blankly in response before replying, "And what makes you think I'd take your words seriously?", I backfired. I had enough of his arrogant tone and egoistic nature.

His jaw muscles twitched as he stared at me with intensity. Yes his gaze affected me because it was too sharp and intense to be ignored. But I won't let it show.

He stood infront of me with just two strides before he bent down and rested his hands on the either sides of my thighs. Our faces stood too close causing our breaths to mingle, giving birth to a new mixture of the smell of smoke and chocolates. I had eaten a chocolate while making breakfast.

My insides were slightly shaking feeling his intense gaze so close to me and his cold aura was being a cherry on top.

"Don't be so bold and daring. You don't know the consequences of disobeying and disrespecting me", he spoke with a tone dripping with  warning. Its deepness complemented the deepness his hazel blue eyes bore.

This was the first time I was being so close to his eyes. If I remember about the distance we had during our engagement photoshoot, then that distance would be nothing compared to now.

Only if he smiled, he'd have looked like the Greek God.

"Then I should slap you for the incident at the party right? I'm a lecturer, so I know how to put egoistic people in their places. Shall I try it on you? Because don't bear the misconception about me bearing your egoistic nature", I spat back with confidence, even if the proximity and his musky cologne was making me weak.

He didn't reply but just kept staring into my eyes. Standing up on his feet, he smirked at me before walking out of the room.

I frowned.

Did I marry a psychopath? Or a bipolar? Because a while ago he was getting furious and now he smirked at me.

And men call women complex.