Author's Pov:-

It's the first prahar of the day,The sky was exhibiting serene and tranquility in the atmosphere,with hues of deep blue transitioning to softer shades as drawn approaches.The darkness of sky was gradually decreasing giving its way to the soft glow of the sun.

Parvateshwar's sleep was interrupted, as it was his routine to awaken during Brahma Muhurta and engage in meditation and exercise. He was a man committed to refining his skills on a regular basis.

He sat on the bed and his eyes fell on the the person who was sleeping on the couch or you can say was almost on the verge of falling from the couch.

Parvateshwar swiftly moved to protect his newly wedded wife, placing a soft comforter beneath the couch just before she touched the ground.

Then he went for his intensive exercise session.

As the sunrise painted the horizon, its rays peeked through the window and fell gently on Ayurvati's face. "Baba kripya kar hume sone dijiye naaa....." she murmured in her sleep, but upon receiving no response. , she opened her eyes, only to realize she was no longer in her parents' house but in her husband's home. Startled, she sat up, finding herself on a comforter on the ground. She remembered not placing it there, realizing it must have been her husband's doing, which brought a small smile to her face.

"But where is my husband?" With this pressing question in mind, Ayurvati looked at every corner of the room but found no trace of him. Realizing that she might have overslept on her very first day, a wave of embarrassment washed over her. Hastily, she scrambled to complete her morning tasks.

After a quick bath, Ayurvati returned to the dressing area where her clothes were kept. Unpacking them, she initially considered wearing her light fabric lengha and blouse with minimal jewelry. However, she abandoned this idea, remembering her friend's comment that husbands prefer wives who doll up in heavy jewelry and dresses.

Instead, she chose the heaviest set of jewelry and a red colour lengha, adorned with literal precious stones, doubling the weight of a typical heavy lengha. Ayurvati had always preferred simplicity in dress and minimal jewelry, but in her new role as a wife, she felt compelled to conform to societal expectations. As she struggled to get ready in the heavy attire with cumbersome jewelry, she felt suffocated, realizing she was no longer just Ayurvati but someone expected to maintain a certain appearance in her in-laws' house.

"Bahurani sa Badi Baisa aapko yaad Kiya h unke kaksh mein" servant said keeping her head down.

"Okay I am coming , pls take me to her" Ayurvati said politely to that servant.

While walking through the corridor, Ayurvati constantly tripped over her foot, struggling to manage both the veil and the heavy lengha. Despite the challenge, she managed to safely reach Dadi Sa's room without falling.

Anxiety gnawed at her as she wondered how her Dadi Saas would treat her. Would she torture her like her friends' in-laws? Would she nitpick over trivial things or resort to physical abuse, as one of her friends' mother-in-law did? These questions escalated her anxiety levels. Finally, they reached her Dadi Saas's room.

"Arrey waah Mari bahurani toh gani chokhi Lage h" said Dadi sa waving her hand on Ayurvati's head lovingly.

She took her finger and stroked it along the side of her lower eyelid, where kohl was applied. Then, taking a small amount of kohl, she applied it behind Ayurvati's left ear to protect her from the evil eye.

This gesture from Dadi Sa warmed Ayurvati's heart, reminding her of her mother who used to do the same to protect her from the evil eye whenever she got ready.

Seeing her eyes welled up Dadi sa said "Kya hogaya Ladoo , ghar ki yaad aa rahi h kya"

Ayurvati:- "Nahi Dadi shaheb essi baat nahi "

Hearing the word daadi saasuma, Annapurna Devi sulked,"Ladoo tune mujhe daadi shaheb kaha Manne accha laga par agar tu mujhe dadi ma kahegi toh manne bohut bohut accha lagega ..."

Ayurvati:- "Ji dadi sa..ma "

Hearing" dadi ma " from Ayurvati Annapurna devi's heart rejoiced. She lovingly kissed Ayurvati's forehead, filling the void in her heart that had formed after her mother's death.

Then Annapurna Devi began showing Ayurvati around the mansion, narrating the story of Parvateshwar's life, including details about his parents and everyone, but deliberately skipping the part about the betrayal that led to his parents' death. Dadi Sa recounted every aspect of Parvateshwar's life to Ayurvati.

Annapurna Devi:-" Laddo chal pheli rasoi ka muhrat ho gaya h."

Saying this Annapurna Devi took Ayurvati to the kitchen.

Annapurna Devi:-"Laddo,hamare yaha pehli rasoi mein kuch meetha banana ka riwaz h..iss liye Laddo tujhe Jo passand aaye woh misthan banana thike."

Saying this Annapurna Devi left the kitchen area handing over the space to Ayurvati to prepare her first rasoi.

Contemplating what to cook for her first rasoi that everyone would enjoy, an idea struck her: she began preparing maal paua.

Kneading the dough, making the filling for Polan Puri, and preparing the Cassini, Ayurvati completed everything. Additionally, she also prepared lunch for Parvateshwar and Varun, as Dadi sa had already informed her that they would be heading to Raj Mahal for work and would have their lunch there as usual.

"Everything is ready" A satisfied smile graced her lips as she saw the food she had prepared.

She clapped to summon the helpers who would assist her in bringing the breakfast to the dining hall.

Upon reaching the dinning hall she saw Dadi sa , Varun,And her husband Parvateshwar sitting on there respective seats.

"Ladoo khanne ki toh badi acchi khusbu aa rahi h ..." said Annpurna.

" Haa bhabhi jaldi jaldi khana dijiye na ...ab hamse aur raha nahi Jaa...ab hamare pet mein toh chuuhe Sher bannke daud rahe h " Varun said literally acting like a child whinning for food.

Ayurvati chuckled at her devar sa's cute behaviour ,but soon her smile dropped and an expression of nervousness crawled over her when she saw her husband who wasn't showing any expression.

She nervously accepted the bowl of Polan Puri from the helper and commenced serving. First, she served Dadi sa, who blessed her with a smile. Then, she moved on to Varun, who greeted her with his charming grin. Finally, she served her husband, who kept his eyes fixed on her, causing her to feel increasingly uneasy. As she served Parvateshwar, his unwavering gaze made her nerves escalate. Absentmindedly, she stepped on her lenga while standing, causing her to stumble. Luckily, she didn't fall to the ground but landed in the lap of her husband.

Due to the fear of falling, Aryurvati kept her eyes closed, avoiding the sensation of hitting the hard ground. Instead, she felt the warmth of her husband's embrace as she quickly opened her eyes to find herself on his lap, securely held. Varun and Dadi sa initially gasped at the situation, but after a few seconds, they exchanged glances and began chuckling at the couple, whose faces were now as red as tomatoes. Aryurvati's embarrassment deepened, her face resembling a ripe tomato, while Parvateshwar managed to maintain a composed expression, concealing his own blush. With a hasty apology to him, Ayurvati quickly stood up and made her way to the counter.

"Arrey Waah bhabhi kya pollan puri banaya h ...Pet bhar gaya parantu Mann nahi bara mera" exclaimed Varun after completing 10th pollan puri.

Ayurvati gave him a soft smile and asked "Devar sa aapko accha laga hamare haath ka pollan puri"

"Bhabhi mujhe accha nahi laga " he quickly changed his expression,making Ayurvati nervous...seeing a nervous frown on her face Varun said " Hume accha nahi bohuttttt bohutttt jayada accha laga " by expanding his both the hands in air.

Upon hearing this, a heartfelt smile adorned Aryurvati's face, a sight that didn't escape Parvateshwar's notice. His heart stirred at the genuine smile she bestowed upon his brother, yet simultaneously, he couldn't shake off the twinge of jealousy towards his own sibling, witnessing his wife's smile directed at him.

"Bhabhi ek aur pollan puri milegi kya " asked Varun. Seeing her devar sa 's request her heart welled up and when she was about to give him more puri ..

"Nahi !!bass hogaya aur kitna khayega " interrupted her husband. Unknowingly his behaviour hurt Ayurvati.

And she thought that Parvateshwar didn't liked her food as he not at once complimented her,or said anything he was silently eating the food. She expected a reaction from him atleast.

She didn't want him to build a bridge of appreciation for her but atleast a word of gratitude would be enough for her.

Little did she know that Parvateshwar was barely able to contain his emotions, as it had been nearly 18 years since he last savored Polan Puri. In his childhood, it was his mother who lovingly prepared it for him, and apart from her, he never found the same enjoyment in anyone else's rendition. After her passing, he had refrained from eating Polan Puri altogether. As a child who used to delight in indulging in plenty of sweets, especially Polan Puri, also died with his mother.

After so many years, he finally tasted the familiar flavor of his mother's Polan Puri in his wife's cooking. Although he tried to conceal his emotions,but Dadi sa noticed his feelings. She understood that if her grandson was eating Polan Puri made by someone other than his mother, it meant he had begun to trust his wife. With eyes that had seen much, she envisioned a future of happiness for the couple, silently blessing them as her eyes welled up with tears.

"Dadi sa kya hua aapko,aapki aankhon mein anshu ?" asked concerned Ayurvati.

"Kuch nahi Laddo ...yeh toh Khushi ke anshu h ...Meri Laddo Rani ne inta accha pollan puri Jo banaya h ...bas iski swad ne mujhe kuch yaad dila diya" Annapurna Devi said the last line looking towards Parvateshwar who was already looking at her. He knew what his dadi sa meant.

"Accha baato baato mein ,mein toh bhul hi gayi tujhe pheli rasoi ki neek dena ...yeh le meri bachi isse mera ashirwad samjh ke rakh" dadi sa said giving a exquisite,most beautiful golden bangle.

Ayurvati Frist touched dadi sa's feet and then accepted the gift.

"Vese mein bhabhi kya hi uphar du ...bhabhi sa mere Jessa devar kisi upar se kaam h kya " Varun proudly exclaimed which made Ayurvati laugh ,dadi sa face palmed herself and Parvateshwar was spated Varun's head.

But after few seconds Varun stood up and moved towards Ayurvati, suddenly he bent down and touched her feet..

"Bhabhi ma" he said ,hearing maa from Varun's Ayurvati felt a motherly warmth towards him,tears started blurring her vision. Even Parvateshwar was shocked to see his brother calling Ayurvati maa as after his kaki maa's death Varun never ever called anyone maa not even dadi sa also,but now he is calling Ayurvati bhabhi maa to whom he just meet in a short time.

Well it's because Varun found himself instantly connected with Ayurvati. He could feel the motherly warmth from her.

"Bhabhi ma mere pass essa kuch nahi jo mein aapko upar mein de saku,parantu aapke charano ke dhul ko apne sheesh par lagakar aapka ashirwad lena chahta hu ...Kyuki aap mere liye Devi ke saman h aur mein aapka daas ...bhabhi maa kya aap iss Dass ko swikar kar iss Dass ka Jevan dhanya karengi ".

( Bhabhi ma I don't have anything to offer u,but I want to take the dust of your feet and apply it on my forehead as blessing .. because for me you are no less then a Devi and I will be your servant..pls accept me as your servant)

Tears escaped from Aryurvati's eyes as she quickly helped Varun to his feet and enveloped him in a motherly hug.

Varun also surrendered himself to the embrace, for today, this lost child finally found his mother in his bhabhi maa.

Looking at the bond between the devar and his bhabhi,Dadi sa and Parvateshwar, became emotional.

Gently pulling away and wiping his tears from his eyes, Varun said" Abh bhabhi maa ab aap humare sath h toh ab aapko ab apne iss pyaare se masum se devar sa ka hi paksh Lena hoga ..." he said playfully glaring at Parvateshwar.

" Ji ji bilkul Devar Sa" said Ayurvati lovingly feeding a morsel of pollan puri to Varun. Seeing Varun she felt a connection with him more like a connection between a mother and son.

Clearing his throat Parvateshwar went to his room.

Looking at his disappearing figure Ayurvati felt heaviness in her heart . Sensing her sadness Varun said"Arrey bhabhi maa Bhai sa ko chod woh toh hai hi aakdu... bilkul nariyal ki tarah h woh bahar se jitne sakht ,utne hi andar se naram.."

To which she faintly smiled and left to her room.

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Stay tune for next chapter...