41. Bonding With MIL

TARGET: 145 VOTES & 40 COMMENTS

Juhi woke to the commotion in her kitchen. She saw Maitri was sleeping on the sofa in a weird position and smiled seeing Maitri snore lightly. Juhi sat straight and kissed Maitri's head who murmured something in sleep and hid her face with her hand. She stood up from the sofa and checked in the kitchen to see the commotion.

"Am telling you they like it spicy" Manav said with his hands at his waist.

"But I know their food tastes better" Aryaman stood with the jar of sugar in his hand and argued.

"Who eats sweet malai kofta idiot?" Manav pulled open the container of all the spices from the drawer underneath the cooking stove.

"They could be one who eats sweet malai kofta. Maitri sits with the sugar container" Aryaman said shrugging his shoulders and shuddered slightly thinking how his wife added sugar on top of everything.

"That's a huge red flag I am telling you. Malai kofta is supposed to be spicy not sweet" Manav complained.

"Idiot even I know malai kofta is supposed to be spicy but they might like it sweet is what am saying" Aryaman hit Manav behind his head.

"Divya doesn't eat it sweet" Manav rubbed his head and said angrily.

"So? Am telling you lets make it sweet" Aryaman said and opened the jar to add sugar.

"Woah woah woah no" Manav tried to snatch the sugar jar away from him. Juhi looked at laughed. She walked into the kitchen to find Aryaman and Manav's cheeks covered in flour as they cooked naan.

Manav and Aryaman stood straight seeing Juhi in the kitchen. They were waiting for her to scold them but she simply walked around in the kitchen. She looked at both of them sternly and asked them to step aside. She tasted the malai kofta they made as both of them eagerly waited for her to approve of it. She stepped back and saw their faces which were a mix of excitement and nervousness.

"Kon pagal malai kofta mein sugar add karta hai?" She said smiling making both of them at ease.

"But Maitri..." Aryaman said remembering that she adds sugar on top of her sabzis.

"Ofcourse Maitri is an anomaly to that trend, she adds sugar on every edible thing but eww sweet malai kofta is like you are molesting it, don't do that" She said laughing hitting both the boys on their heads playfully as they smiled shyly.

"Go wake up your lady loves, I'll serve it" Juhi said switching off the gas seeing that malai kofta was ready and also the naans were done.

"We will serve it, you wake them up" Manav said scaredly. Juhi and Aryaman looked at him questioningly.

"Uggh don't look at me like that" Manav complained with a bright pink face.

"Come on spill it out already" Juhi waited for Manav to reply.

"She will murder me if I disturb her beauty sleep. Last time I tried I almost died. I was this close to dying" Manav made a small gap between his index finger and his thumb showing them how disturbing sleeping Divya could cost him.

"Agreed, she gets pretty murderous when woken up" Juhi agreed to Manav.

"I'll wake her up, atleast you go wake up your wife" She turned to Aryaman who looked at her with a fake smile and acceptance.

"Come on kids, my daughters aren't that bad when woken up. You just fear them too much" Juhi understood Aryaman's expression and scolded both of them.

"Ask us ma. I wake her up everyday. All the black spots on my body are caused by her" Aryaman complained making a pitiful face. Manav looked at Aryaman teasingly and scooted closer to him. Juhi shook her head at the boys and went to wake up the girls.

"Black spots...I see" Manav teased Aryaman who threw the kitchen towel at his face.

"Wait for your time" Aryaman ignored Manav and removed the sabzi and naan in serving bowls. Juhi walked into Divya's room to see that she too had fallen asleep while crying and felt bad that her daughter cried to sleep because of her. Juhi lied down beside Divya and pushed her hair behind her ear and kissed her forehead.

"My sher bacha" Juhi stopped herself from crying and tried waking up Divya who was in deep sleep. Juhi shook her head and scolded her to wake up. Divya woke up rubbing her eyes and scrunching her eyes at Juhi who was shouting at her.

"Go freshen yourself and come for dinner" Juhi said pulling off the blanket from Divya who walked to the bathroom banging onto random things on her way. Juhi laughed to herself seeing Divya still having the habit of banging into things after just being woken up. She walked to the living room to see Maitri was now sleeping on the carpet, spreading her limbs everywhere. Juhi hit her head with her hand seeing Maitri sleep so peacefully.

"Yeh ladki bhi na" Juhi sat down beside her and kissed her forehead.

"Dinner's ready baby" She whispered in Maitri's ears who was suddenly awake at the mention of food. Maitri stood up rubbing her hand over her face and walked to the dining table and sat at her usual space in her home unconsciously. Manav looked at Maitri weirdly seeing the way Maitri smiled sniffing the food. Aryaman placed his hand over Manav's shoulder telling him it was normal with her.

Divya walked to the dining table jumping up and down and kissed Manav on his lips before sitting down on the dining table beside Maitri. Juhi, Manav and Aryaman stared at each other awkwardly after Divya's little stunt. Aryaman looked at Manav with a big teasing smile as Mana stared at the dining table knowing Aryaman was waiting for him to look up and tease. Juhi cleared her throat with a smile and sat down.

"Diii" Divya hugged Maitri who pushed her away irritatedly but Divya being Divya kept hugging her tightly until Maitri gave up. Manav and Aryaman served the ladies and asked them to eat. Divya stopped hugging Maitri and had a bite of the food and smiled widely. Maitri on the other hand had a bite and opened her eyes to directly look into Aryaman's eyes which were stuck over her.

"Why's there no sugar in this yaar?" Maitri complained as usual as Juhi and Diya ignored her and complimented the boys for their amazing cooking skills. Maitri stood up to get the sugar container and added a little sugar on her naan and sabzi as all of them looked at her as if she just pulled an eyeball out of its sockets bare handed. Maitri ignored all and mixed her food and then again ate and smiled widely.

"Now this is what I call food. Its so delicious guys. You both cook so well, muahhh" She complimented both of them as they both nodded their heads while still looking at the malai kofta they made with so much love being molested by added sugar.

"Thanks" Aryaman said feeling sad for the naan and malai kofta.

"You both are amazing cooks. My daughters are extremely lucky to have you both" Juhi said looking at Aryaman and Manav proudly who looked at their women smiling.

"We are lucky too to have them in our lives" Aryaman said looking at Maitri who looked at her plate shyly biting on to her lip.

"May god bless all of you" Juhi said smiling seeing her both daughters blush. The dinner went by as a fun affair without addressing the elephant in the room.

"Go chill, I'll wrap the kitchen and come" Maitri said kissing Aryaman's cheek telling him to relax. Aryaman and Manav sat in the living room and found Juhi missing. Aryaman saw Juhi standing in the balcony holding a photo frame in her hands. He stood up and walked to her and shut the balcony door.

"Why punish yourself by remembering the bad phase repeatedly?" Aryaman placed his hands on the railing and held it tightly knowing how Akshit had behaved with her.

"Its been long since I had a good phase. 30 years...30 years I spent with him, tolerated his nonsense, let my self-respect crumble all for him and he didn't even have to think twice when he wrapped his arms around another woman" Juhi choked on her tears. Aryaman hugged Juhi letting her cry as much as she needed.

"Promise me beta you'll never do that to Maitri. My girl knows how to love but sometimes she's unable to express it but that doesn't mean she doesn't love you. She loves with her whole heart, don't be my husband to her, she will break down, let go of her dreams and respect but will hold onto you tightly. Sometimes her stubbornness seems stupid but it isn't beta, its the fear in her that's making her do it. She tried to protect herself from any pain before it even reaches her" Juhi wiped her tears and looked at him asking him to promise her. Aryaman nodded his head and held her hand promising her that he won't turn out to be like Akshit.

"Now stop crying ma. Both your daughters are waiting for you inside" Aryaman said with a smile and pulled her inside where Divya laid her head on Maitri's lap and scrolled through her phone while Maitri stared at a picture without blinking. She was talking to Manav but her attention was stuck on the picture. Juhi noticed it and sat in between blocking the picture from Maitri's view.

"Who's up for icecream? I want to have butterscotch" Manav said trying to cheer up the women who sat silent.

"I want" Divya sat upright making Manav pull her towards him.

"Let's go" Aryaman entwined his arm with Maitri's and pulled her up. All  5 of them walked to the ice cream parlour. Manav stayed behind walking at Juhi's speed as Aryaman entertained the two sisters with his skills.

"Why do you love Divi?" Juhi asked noticing how eery dew seconds Manav looked for her.

"You should ask what is there not to love Divi? She's strong and soft at the same time. There's nothing that can explain why I love her. She makes me feel me better about myself, reminds me that I could do better. She has a whole team of men wrapped around her little finger, a little bossy and a lot mischievious. Iske nakhre uthane nahi padte, iske toh nakhre pure kiye jaate hai" Manav said looking at Divya who looked at Maitri with her tongue out as Maitri glared at her and Aryaman hid Divya behind her hiding her from Maitri's anger.

"She's my lioness. Touch her and she'll rip you apart within seconds. She shows that she doesn't need anyone to hold her, listen to her or just stay with her but she loves it when you do that for her. Don't stop doing anything that brings a smile on her face and your face too" Juhi said smiling at the couple.

"I'll always be the reason she smiles" Manav held Juhi's hand and assured her of it.

"When are you proposing to her?" Juhi asked.

"I want to but Divi won't accept it right now, at least not until she feels like she's achieved something in her career" Manav said with slight sadness in his tone.

"Give it a try, she won't refuse" Juhi laughed at him and motivated him to propose to Divya.

"Hmm" Soon they reached the ice cream parlour and Aryaman ordered for everyone after taking their order.

"American nuts for me" Maitri said rubbing her hands in excitement.

"Same" Divya who was waiting for Maitri to say replied almost immediately earning a glare from Maitri.

"Stop copying me" Maitri scolded her.

"Stop copying me" Divya repeated her and Maitri pretended to raise her hand to hit her but she hugged Manav hiding herself from her laughing. Maitri shook her head and walked to Aryaman who was waiting for the order.

"Go sit, I'll get the order" Aryaman said looking at her.

"Are you trying to get rid of me Mr. Aryaman Ranawat?" She looked at him keenly and he looked around to check if anyone was looking at them and pecked her lips.

"Is that what you think of me Mrs. Aryaman Ranawat?" He deliberately licked his lips slowly making sure her eyes wandered where he wanted.

"You...you... you are so shameless" She said hiding her smile and looking around shyly.

"By the way" Aryaman pulled her closer by placing an arm around her neck. She looked up at him questioningly.

"Aloo paratha have never tasted so good like yours. I'd like it if you'd make more of them for me, they were extremely delicious that I can still taste them on my tongue even after having dinner" He whispered in her ear making her blush instantly and look at her hands.

"You really liked them?" She asked him shyly and he nodded his head.

"I learnt it from Youtube from Chef Kunal Kapoor's youtube channel. I'll try and make more of his recipes, you tell me how they taste okay?" She said excitedly, overjoyed that her husband liked what she made for him.

"Done" He kissed her cheek and let her go.

"Acha suniye" Maitri wrapped her hand around his.

"Malai kofta and naan both were extremely scrumptious. I didn't know you could cook so well" She kissed his shoulder and looked up at him.

"Your Youtube devta helped me and Manav to make it" He said laughing and looked ahead to get the order.

"Maitri..." Aryaman stopped her but then shook his head letting it go. Maitri nodded her head and reminded herself to ask him later about what he wanted to talk.