Manvi composed herself and moved out of the room. Gautami was sitting on the couch and see called her "Manvi"

Manvi looked at her and smiled "Maa main lunch ready karti hoon aapke liye" saying which she moved to kitchen.

Manvi started cutting the vegetable, Vineet's words were still echoing in her ears. Gautami entered in and saw her, she was about to cut her finger. Gautami stopped her with "manvi"

Manvi looked at her "jee"

"Dekhke beta abhi ungli cut jaati" Gautami said caringly.

Manvi nodded and continues with the work. Gautami said "sorry Manvi Vineet ne jo kuch bhi kaha uske liye"

Manvi smiles painfully "nahi maa unhone kuch galat nhi kaha sach hi to hai aap mujhe sadak se hi to uthake laayi thi"

Gautami turned her towards herself and said "Manvi aise mat bolo pichle paanch saal se tum yahan rah rahi ho mere bete se bhi zyada pyari ho mujhe tum"

"Lekin aapke bete ko main pasand nhi hoon mera yahan se chale jaana hi thik hoga Maa" Manvi said

Gautami replied "thik hai Manvi tum jaogi yahan se lekin shaadi karke"

Manvi was in tears and said "maa aap kyun? Sirji fir aapse jhagda karenge aap unpe haath uthoagi mujhe acha nhi lagega na mere karan maa aur bete mein problem ho"

Gautami wiped off her tears "tum uski chinta mat karo usko main sambhal lungi tum bas itna batao meri baat manogi?"

Manvi nodded in yes "aajtak aapki koi baat nhi taali maine to ab kaise mana kar sakti hoon"

Gautami smiled and kissed her forehead "acha ab tum kaam karo" and she left.

Manvi prepared the lunch and took some in a plate for Gautami. She moved upstairs to her room and saw her engaged on phone.

"Jee haan thik hai main aapko photo bejh dungi namaste" and ended the call.

Manvi smiled and said "maa ye lijiye lunch fir aapko medicine leni hai" she picked up the medicine box and took out the tablets.

Later in evening Vineet returned home, he was surprised to see a family sitting at his home. He thinks "what is happening here"

Gautami spoke up "toh thik hai yeh rishta pakka" with a smile on her face.

The family greeted her and left, Vineet asked her "maa ye log kaun they? Aur kiska rishta pakka ho gaya?"

Gautami spoke up "wahi jo tu chahta tha wahi kar rahi hoon Manvi ki shaadi karake usko yahan se bejh rahi hoon"

Vineet was shocked and he shouted "kya? Matlab ab iss ladki ka shaadi ka kharcha bhi tum uthaogi?"

Gautami gets angry and said "Vineet bas! Tujhe shaadi nhi karni hai to mat kar lekin uski shaadi ko main hi karungi samjha beti jaisi hai wo meri and you should be happy jisse tu nafrat karta hai wo yahan se chali jayegi" she moved to her room.

Vineet sighed and moved to his room. Manvi knocked on the door, he looked at her shouted "kya hai?"

"Sirji wo chai" she forwards the cup.

Vineet moved to her and threw it on the floor, Manvi was shocked. He said rudely "nhi chahiye kuch mera deemag mat kharab karo jao yahan se" and closed the door on her face.

Manvi thinks "inko kis baat ka gussa aa raha hai itna? Yahi to ye chahte they main yahan se chali jau" and left to her room.

Maria picked up the broken cup and cleaned the floor.

Manvi was outside and watering the plants, Manvi became a bit playful and she twirled around along with the water hose.

Vineet came out while talking on the phone and the water splashed on him. Manvi stops and drops the hose down nervously.

Vineet looked at her in anger and shouted "what the.. Bachchi ho kya tum?? Jo aise pani waste kar rahi ho"

"Sorry Sirji" Manvi said.

"What sorry?? Mera phone kharab ho gaya hai do you even know how importance it was for me" Vineet said arrogantly.

He moved to her, he picked the water hose and splashed the water on top of her. Manvi kept her hand on her face and said "sirji.. Nahi.."

He threw it away and said rudely "agli baar aankhen kholke karna kaam samjhi" and moved back inside the house.

Manvi looked on, she went inside the house. She was about to move to her room when Vineet pulled her and took her into another room.

"Sirji chodiye na"

Vineet said "shut up!!"

Manvi became quiet, he turned on the air cone. Manvi started to feel cold, he brought the temperature to 16 degree and moved out locking the door.

Manvi hugged herself because she was feeling cold.

Gautami came downstairs and called "Manvi beta kaha ho? Zara help kar dena thodi"

Vineet passed by murmuring "bloody phone ko bhi damage kar diya"

Gautami stopped him "Vineet"

Vineet stopped and asked "kya hua Maa?"

"Manvi kaha hai?" she asked.

Vineet said "kya maa kabhi apne iss bete ke baare mein bhi puch liya karo"

Gautami spoke up "mujhe usse kaam hai abhi"

"Mujhe nhi pata kaha hai wo" Vineet replied and moved to his room.

Maria came to her and said "mam wo sir ne Manvi ko room mein lock kar diya"

Gautami was shocked "kyun??"

"Nahi maloom" Maria said, Gautami moved to the room and she opened it up.

Manvi was shivering, she got her out from there and made her sit on the couch, she said to Maria "jao garam pani leke aao"

Maria nodded and went, Gautami rubbed her palm. Manvi was still shivering "tumhare toh kapde bhi bheege hai" Gautami said worriedly.

Manvi looked at her and said "maa.. Wo meri galti hai meri wajah se unka phone kharab ho gaya"

Gautami scolds her "chup karo tum! Haalat dekhi hai apni.. Kuch zyada hi badtameez ho gaya hai ye"

After sometime, Manvi was feeling better. Vineet came out, Gautami was about to say something but Manvi stopped her with "maa please kuch dino ki baat hai fir ye sab nhi hoga"

Gautami sighed and moved to her room. Manvi got up and moved to the kitchen, she warmed the food. She turned and found Vineet standing there.

She looked at him nervously, Vineet asked her with his eyes fixed on her "ye maa ko rok ke kya sabit karna chahti ho tum? Ki tum kitni mahan ho"

Manvi shook her head in no, Vineet said rudely "to kya? Aisi kya jadoo kiya hai tumne jo meri maa har baat pe tumhari tarafdari karti hai?"

Manvi replied "Sirji main bas apna kaam kar rahi hoon caretaker"

He shouted at her "to caretaker banke raho na rishta kyun jod rahi ho"

"Main to bas" Manvi tried to say but he did not let her.

"Tum to kya haan? Ek baat ache se samjhlo mere muh lagne ki zaroorat nhi hai tumhe samjhi aur ye innocence maa ko pasand hogi lekin mujhe nhi.. I know it tum yahan apne matlab se rah rahi ho" Vineet said in firm tone.

Manvi looked at him with tears "aap kya kah rahe hai?"

"I am saying the truth.. Tumhe to ehsan manna chahiye maa agar tumhe utake na laati to tum kisi railway station pe khadi hoti.." Vineet said..

Gautami came there she shouted "Vineet!"

Vineet turned, Gautami said "kyun baar baar usko hurt karta hai haan? Mat bhool aaj main iski wajah se thik hoon"

Vineet replied "bhoola nhi hoon main kuch maa.. Aur jitna jaldi ho sake isko yahan se rawana karo I am just fed up with her! Jab dekho mera kaam kharab karti rehti hai"

"Aur tum jo iske saath karte ho wo sahi hai?" she asked

"Yahi mera tarika hai maa.. And please aajke baad kisiko bhi sadak se uthake ghar mein mat laana" Vineet said arrogantly and left from there.

Manvi wiped her tears, she smiled to Gautami and said "Maa aapka khana kha lijiye ga aur dawai aapke room mein maine nikal ke rakh di hai le lena.. Ab aapko apna khayal khud rakhna hai" and she moved to her room.

She locked the door and sat on the floor, she cried.. She recalled...

Gautami was at the temple, she saw a girl 16 years old sleeping on the stairs. She moved to her and caressed her head "beta.."

The girl got up and looked at her "nahi mujhe yahan se mat nikalo main kaha jaungi"

Gautami said "nhi beta aap yahan kya kar rahi ho?"

"Mujhe bahut bhook lagi hai 2 din se kuch nhi khaya aap koi kaam dogi?" she asked.

Gautami was feeling bad for her, she said "khade ho.." the girl got up.

"Tum chalo mere saath" Gautami said.

"Kaha?" she asked..

"Main kah rahi hoon na chalo ghabrao mat main tumhe kaam hi dungi" Gautami said with a smile.

She walked down with her, Gautami firstly made her eat something and asked "tumhara naam kya hai?"

"Manvi" the girl replied.

"Bahut hi acha naam hai.. Aur tumhare mumma papa kaha hai?" Gautami asked.

Manvi was in tears and replied "mujhe nhi pata.. Main 3 saal ki thi jab orphanage mein aayi kuch saal pehle mujhe ek family se adopt kiya lekin wo log gande they main waha se bhaag aayi"

She came out trance of her thoughts when she heard knock on her door.

To be continued