The Big Uneasy |COMPLETE| MaNan Fiction

Chapter 1: First Day As Mrs. Malhotra

Nandini' POV

I have visited this house quite a number of times now, for all the pre-wedding rituals. I have met them all, his daadi, his sister Mukti, tayaji, tayiji, his older cousin and his wife - their children Aisha & Aman too – I already have a sketchy understanding of each of them now. I was silent most of the times we met and interacted, but I noticed all the small details – his daadi is an epitome of love and maternal affection, I felt that from the first time I met her; even tayaji and bhaiya are nice, they are quiet and docile, but they smile genuinely every time they meet me – I like them. His other cousins are sweet but they are really young, and they seem to adore me, much like Aisha and Aman, his brother's children. Even Bhabi seems like a gullible woman, in spite of the fact that she hasn't been very warm with me yet, just the niceties and impersonal exchanges, but I can feel that we may get along, given sometime.

However, if there are two people I have felt almost hostility from, they are his darling sister Mukti and her childhood best friend Soha, the supermodel, who is always around. The way they smirked at my relatives' non-designer wear, didn't go unnoticed by me, the face they made whenever they were invited to my place for the wedding rituals, the displeasure they showed, the reluctance, didn't go unnoticed by me either. I know I would have a tough time, to bring our equation down to a cordial one – but I am hopeful. I guess I have to first find out why they spite me.

Although my real worry isn't any of them, my real worry is the man who has now entered my life, and will permanently be there with me – my husband, Manik. Strangely, I realized, he is the person I have interacted the least with, throughout the wedding - all I have noticed is, he is unnaturally reserved and impersonal when he interacts with me. He is guarded, almost like he is cautious – this somehow doesn't match with his rockstar personality that flashes across all youth channels across the nation.

My sister Aliya is a huge fan of his, and as a result, in spite of not liking his genre of music, I happen to know a lot about his onscreen personality – he is charming, fun-loving, dashing, spontaneous and a people's man – The Rockstar Manik – he has had affairs, maybe even hook-ups who knows? He has a flamboyant life, and was one of the most eligible bachelors in the country; and this man suddenly agreed to marry a professor from a middle class family, from the suburbs of Mumbai. Why? Because his daadi wanted this – that was his reason, is it a valid reason even?

Of course I have my own reasons for agreeing to this alliance. Did I have a choice? Not really, not with an ailing mother who stood through three tentative weddings of mine, that didn't materialise in the nick of time, not when she passed out cold, when I had just told her that I was thinking of refusing, not when the doctor had said, her cardiac conditions weren't great – I had to say yes. What else could I do, but hope that a miracle would happen and make me fit into this rockstar's life?

Manik's POV

There is absolutely no escaping now, I have been as distant as I could, so far, but now it's just her and me. How do I begin this thing? Will she ever understand me? My life? My priorities? Will I ever be able to give her the place I had given Soha? She is such a plain jane, how will she ever fit into my world? I had these thoughts stirring in my head, when I cautiously opened my bedroom door, with daadi, Mukti, and my cousins at my toe. The cousins were ecstatic and giggly, and daadi was happy – I sighed, this is what I wanted – to see these faces smiling, and here I had them smiling – this marriage hadn't failed its purpose I thought. Then I looked at Mukti, my sister, the apple of my eye, the reason I worked hard ever to make it big – she looked disappointed. Of course she did – she knew about Soha and me, and she knew how Soha broke my heart, she knew how I gave in to daadi's demand and agreed to marry whoever she chose for me, she knows that after seeing me agreeing to tie the knot, Soha wanted to come back, and she also knows that in spite the fact that I have forgiven Soha and still love her, I could not let daadi down, hence I am where I am now – outside my bedroom door with a bride who is not Soha, waiting for me inside. I wish I can do justice to this relationship, and that girl Nandini too. I hope a miracle happens, and everything becomes right, soon.