8. Their first rasoi.

Read Author's note if you want. And it's fine if you don't ✌️.

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Meera got ready in a powder blue colored Anarkali suit and went downstairs after getting ready only to found her mother-in-law already in the kitchen. Meera covered her head and went on to touch her feet.

Rashmi blessed her and made her stand up. She took off the veil from her head and said " You are our daughter Meera. You don't need to put any veil from anyone. You have to live here just like a family member." She finished and hugged her while Meera was shocked with her behavior and her hands went around her unknowingly.

"Ok, mummy ji......" Meera said and Rashmi's expression changed from excited to sad. Meera couldn't understand the change in her expression.

(Usually, Indian daughter-in-law calls their mother in law, Mummy ji which usually means mother but with much more respect)

"It's ok Meera beta if you couldn't accept me just now. But I would love it if you called me maa and not mummy ji which sounds like sasu maa." Rashmi said with a small smile.

Meera's eyes went wide on realization "No no I thought you might not like me calling you like that." She said explaining herself.

Rashmi put her hand on her cheeks "Bacha I would love it if you treat me like your mother. And you can take as much time as you want" (Bacha – Child)

Meera's eyes glistened with tears on listening to hers and she smiled feeling proud of herself for not rejecting the proposal.

"I will call you mamma. That's what I called my mother." Meera said with tears on the verge and a smile on her face.

Rashmi also got emotional and hugged Meera with utmost love and care.

They were both soon joined by another person "And I would love you to call me Choti Maa." Anika said hugging them both.

Three of them soon break the hug.

"Ok ok now is not the time to be emotional. Or else we will be late for breakfast." Anika said wiping Rashmi's tears while Meera stopped her tears before they could fall.

"Yeah right !! Aashrit will be joining you soon. I'll go and call him." Rashmi said and Meera's eyes went wide on listening to his name.

"Mamma!!!!!" She called her with a frantic look on her face and Rashmi turned back with a smile.

"Why he will be joining me?" She asked confused with her words.

Anika answered before Rashmi could say anything "Because it's the first kitchen of a newlywed and you are not the only newlywed here, Meera." She said with giggling.

Meera looked at them baffled and shocked by their words. She never heard something like that in her life. She never read that in any of her romantic books either.

Her expressions made Anika and Rashmi laugh.

" Well, beta !! This has been a ritual in our family for ages. The great great great grandfather of Aashrit started it to save his wife Queen Ahila who didn't know how to cook. And to make sure no one gets to know about her zero knowledge of cooking and to protect her from humiliation, he helped her in the kitchen and since then it has become the ritual of our kingdom." Rashmi told the story behind this unique ritual and Meera's face turned into an O knowing the love of their great great great grandfather for his wife.

(It's a ritual in most part of India where the newlywed bride cooks some sweet for the family member to start their relationship with sweetness.)

Before they could talk more they heard footsteps of Aashrit which were unrecognizable to Meera but not others. Every worker stiffened while Rashmi and Anika left after patting Meera's head.

Meera was standing there in the kitchen fumbling with her dupatta thinking about her first rasoi when his voice startled her and she jumped a little and turned back with a scared look.

Her scared look soon changed into a dreamy one on seeing her husband with his hair tied in a bun, those amber eyes looking at her, wearing off white kurta with some zari work on it tightly hugging his body accentuating his muscles, golden juti complimenting his look. She checked him out from up to down while Aashrit was also busy doing the same.

Aashrit noticed the little loose Anarkali suit with sindoor in her hair making her look like a real princess. But what got his attention was the pendant he gifted her adoring her neck. He didn't expect her to wear the pendant right away but that little gesture from her warmed his heart.

Their focus broke when a worker accidentally dropped a spoon.

Aashrit closed his eyes in frustration and glared at the worker who visibly shivered.

"Out," He said in a harsh voice and the worker hurriedly left the kitchen "Everyone".

Soon the kitchen had only 2 people left Aashrit and Meera. Meera was looking at him with a scared expression. She was confused about whether she was supposed to leave or stay. But on hearing the word everyone, her feet also ran in the direction of the door.

As she walked by Aashrit, he held her wrist and pulled her back. He raised his brows asking her about her leaving.

Meera looked at him scared worried that he would shout at her for not following his order on time.

"Aap kahan ja rhi h hme akela chhod kr?" He asked pulling her in front of him (Where are you going leaving me all alone ?)

"Wo...... Aap....." Meera fumbled with her words looking down and her fingers were furiously wrapping around her dupatta.

Aaashrit looked at her scared self and took a deep breath. He put her fingers under her chin and made her look up at him "Ham kbhi bhi is tone m aapse baat nhi krenge." He said and looked at her to see her reaction which was worth watching. Her small eyes went wide and a funny look formed on her face. "Or agar ham kbhi is tone m baat kre to yad rkhna wo aapke liye nhi h." He said to her looking deep into her eyes which she averted not able to handle the intensity.(I'll never talk to you in this tone.) (And if I ever talk in this tone, remember it's not for you.)

Aashrit cleared his throat on not getting any answers. Meera looked up at him and saw a questionable look on his face and she understood his question. And she furiously nodded her head but still Aashrit's hold was intact on her chin and hand. She looked at him and found him intensely looking at her face. And she suddenly felt conscious of seeing him this close. She felt as if he was going to see every flaw on her face. She turned her face to the other side only to hear a growl followed by some voices.

"Oh God!! Should I cover my eyes?"

"It is so romantic."

"I told you both to not come here but you are a duo of stupid."

Aashrit closed his eyes in frustration on hearing his siblings voices.

"You wound me," Both Shivansh and Revati said together keeping their hands on their heart.

"What are you doing here?" Aashrit said in a harsh voice while Meera blushed hearing them.

"Sorry bhai. I am taking them both back." Abhishek said trying to protect the younger ones from the wrath of the elder one.

"Hmmm, bhai we are going. You can continue your Roma........" Shivansh said but stopped on hearing his elder brother.

"Complete the sentence and I'll make sure you won't be able to utter any other word out of your mouth for the whole day," Aashrit said interrupting him in the middle and glaring at him while all the younger ones got scared on seeing the famous furious look on their brother's face.

While Meera was shocked to see him talking like that with his siblings. In a span of some seconds, all his siblings ran out of the kitchen like a rat leaving Meera baffled o her husband's behavior, and the fear she had of him increased 10 fold.

Suddenly, Aashrit turned to look at her and she shivered thinking about his rude behavior.

"So, what are we making?" He said and Meera jumped with his sudden question.

Her hands shivered with fear as she forgot what she was about to make for breakfast.

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