Author's pov:

They stood side by side at the entrance of their house.

Sushmita, his grandmother smiled at both of them, more to her less to him.
True she was angry at him for not telling her the whole marriage thing but she didn't want to blame a girl who is now her daughter in law. She was mad at her grandson because of his decision but not on a girl who she barely knows.

She was hurt from him for not telling her anything but there was a mild satisfaction in her heart that finally he married. He took a step towards a beautiful part of life. She can bear this hurt for his happiness but she won't forgive him that easily.

She admired them, his grandson with his dearest wife. She was so happy to see them together as if their match was made in heaven.
Her eyes were brimming with unshed tears of happiness while her lips were curled upwards. She took off an evil eye from them . She then instructed another house help to put the kalash near her daughter in law's feet and finally she performed the aarti rituals and instructed her to slightly kick the kalash forward with her right foot and then place her lotus feet in this alta thal"
She nodded to her and did as she asked her to.

"Come along with her. Wedding rituals should be performed together." Sushmita ordered her grandson with a cold tone.

He also nodded and stood beside her but he knew his grandmother was angry.
From childhood it was only his grandparents who held him when no one was there to support him. He was a parent-less child even after having both the parents. It was always his grandparents who cheered for him in his success who supported him at his worst and who provided him the love he needed.

They did their best in providing him with everything they can. He knows it was their right to know everything about his life. He knows that he should have told them at least. But provided the situation he did what he thought would be the best. Seeing her hurt, so distant made him hurt too it clenched his heart too. It would have been the last thing for him to hurt his grandmother but still he did hurt her. And he won't let this hurt stay forever in her heart he made an internal note to make up for his wrong deeds. He would do whatever it takes to get his grandmother's forgiveness.
.
.
After all the post wedding rituals, they were standing outside his room. He opened the door and went inside without caring for her.
Meanwhile she was fighting a battle with in her own self again. Whether to step inside or to just stand there.

He rolled his eyes at her and sighed. "Ab kya yha bhi grah pravesh ka wait kar rhi ho."he asked her and went to the wardrobe.

She opened her mouth to say something but before she could he was out of her sight.
"Grah pravesh ka toh nahi but tumhara muh khulne ka wait kar rahi thi wahi sochu itni der se shant kaise the"she loudly said and he smirked at her reply.

She grumpily went inside the room and sat down on the couch. She looked around and sighed in relief. At least ceiling achi hai ab sote jaagte toh kam se kam is insan ki surat nahi dekhni padegi.

Huṁ ā haṭhīlā prāṇī sāthē ēka varṣa kēvī rītē jīvīśa? She asked herself in her mother tounge gujrati.
(How will I spend one year with this akdu janwar?)

He came back after changing his clothes and turned to her.
My grandmother had already set up clothes for my wife. But unfortunately it's you now. So, go and get changed after that we have to keep this role of being a lovey-dovey couple too.

Ekach minute.what unfortunately huh? You were the one who was finding excuses to get married to me. Aur rahi baat kapdo ki toh pehna lena unhe apni wife ko ek sal baad.And yes what happened to our contract papers? I haven't signed them yet.

I have talked to my lawyer he will get our papers soon.

Government officers hai kya apke lawyer?

Why?

Itna slow kam to hmari govt. Bhi nahi karti na.

He sighed and controlled his anger and plastered a tight smile on his face. Was I supposed to laugh at this when I have your life in front of me? That's more funny to me at this point.

Gadheda.she muttered and said Mr. Umm...yes Mr. Shekhawat hogyi apki stand up comedy?! Meri life mazak bhi apki wajah se hi bani hai toh zayada bano mat kahi pata chale mujhpe haste haste khud rote reh jao.

She said and rushed to the wardrobe. She changed into comfortable kurta set and went back to the room again.

He was not in the room and she smirked using this time as an advantage to take revenge on him.

She went to the dresser and picked up his perfumes and went back again to the wardrobe and respectfully slid the door to his section of clothes and sprayed the whole bottles of perfumes in his every shirt.
She smiled to herself and said" this is a small gift for you my ek sal ke patidev" and with that she carefully left the wardrobe leaving no trances of her. She was going to sit on the bed when she heard the knock on the door.

Mam sushmita mam is calling you downstairs.

"Theek hai aap jaiye mai aati hu"noor said.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Noor came in the hall where everybody was sitting and there she saw him too. She ignored her and went directly to sushmita.

On seeing her sushmita also made space for her beside her and gestured her to sit down.

She smiled at her and again took evil eye of her.

Kinni sohni aa mere ishaan di noor.

(Oh! How beautiful is my ishaan's noor.)

She didn't know what she said except the names.

Actually, aunty-

Before she could proceed more sushmita cut her off and said dadi. Aunty nahi dadi.

Hanji...dadi.she replied with a smile a genuine one.

Sushmita too smiled at her and said"beta I don't know what in What hurry you guys married without even caring to tell anyone but because of what you both did I don't want to spoil our present.

You are my grandson's choice and I am one hundred and one percent sure of his liking. I know we don't know each other for now but from now you are the part of our family and with the time we will know each other too. She said to her while keeping her one hand on her cheek while was nothing but a warm homely touch.

Noor has never felt this homely feeling in her own house. She was always a thing to his father and nothing to her mother. They used her as nothing but showoff. She was the coverage to her father's wrong deeds. It would be a poor thing to say that they loved her or she ever got parents warmth.
Meeting the lady who she barely and have talked to not more than two times but still she accepted her. Tears welled up in her eyes and without another thought she enveloped her in her arms.
She hugged her so tightly that sushmita too was flabbergasted at her sudden reaction but she reciprocated the hug and patted her head.

They broke the hug and sushmita continued what she was about to speak before.
Today is your pehli Rasoi but you might be tired now so we will perform this ritual tomorrow.
And Not only you but your husband will also have his Pehli Rasoi too. So, tell him to be prepared for tomorrow.

On hearing this Ishaan choked on his coffee and looked towards his dadi.
Dadi what? Meri kyu pehli rasoi hogi mai thodi apki Bahu hu.

Kisne kaha ki sare rituals bahu ko hi perform karne hote hai?...woh sirf teri biwi nahi bani hai tu bhi uska pati bana hai. So, every ritual will be equal for you both.
Moreover, don't you want my forgiveness? Do as I say.

"Jaise aap kahe dadi" ishaan said.

Sushmita smiled a little but immediately masked it.
------------

It was night, ishaan was peacefully sleeping on the bed when noor entered. She looked towards him and muttered "Ju'ō tō, māruṁ jīvana barabāda karyā pachī tē kēṭalō śāntithī sū'ī rahyō chē."

(See, how peacefully he is sleeping after destroying my life)

She thought she said it all to herself fully unaware of the frown forming on his face.
"What the hell is she muttering?" He thought and without giving it much importance he shifted to one side of the bed.

What did you think that she will sleep on the couch? Ofcourse not. If her patidev has an attitude of sticking to his point then she is no less then than him.

She braided her hairs into a loose braid and then collecting all the pillows from the couch she separated his and her's side of bed.

Due to the sounds of her anklets and bangles ishaan was unable to sleep but he kept his eyes closed not wanting to talk to her.

But he couldn't resist himself from teasing with"why are you making this separation? Don't you trust yourself?"

"I trust myself but I definitely don't trust my stranger patidev." She replied

Still lying beside him on the same bed.

Already hurted my pride by marrying you why should I hurt my back now?

You know what do whatever you want but don't disturb my sleep.

"She rolled her eyes and said as if I am the one disturbing you" saying then she turned to the opposite direction and slept.
.
.
In the midnight they both were sleeping his back was facing her's. After sometimes he was at the edge of the bed with the pillows covering his side. And then boom.

She kicked his back and he landed on the floor with pillows on his top. Due to this sudden jerk his sleep broke and he turned his head to see what's happening.

He saw her lying on the whole bed and kicking and muttering something in her sleep.

He frowned at her and said"ye insan hai ya jungli billi"

He then stood up from the floor and made space for him on the bed but then he heard her saying in her sleep"akdu janwar, ab batati hu tumhe...Havē bōlō kēma cūpa chō"

(Why are you quiet now, say it)

And then another kick in the air." Jungli billi nahi gujrati gadhedi biyah laya hu mai, khud mast so rhi hai meri neend kharab karke"

He then lay down on the bed and again tried to sleep but just when the sleep hit him, he was again lying on the floor.
Clutching his back in his hand he irritabily cried,
"Ye sara badla raat mei hi legi kya"

He got up, taking his pillow with him he slept on the couch.

Net morning, it was there pehli rasoi as per sushmita's instructions they were in the kitchen making their own dishes. She asked noor to prepare something sweet and ishaan to prepare breakfast.

After hundreds of confusions in mind and a will to win she finally decide that she will make dhokla.
Meanwhile ishaan, whose back was still in pain but couldn't accept it in front of his dadi so he composed himself and started preparing chhole bhature.

Ishaan kneaded the dough for the bhature first and then started preparing chhole. He added the necessary spices in chhole and the only thing that was left was salt. He searched in the kitchen for it and then he saw noor using it. He asked her to pass it to him but she just ignored him.

He again said"Noor". Still getting no reply he calmed him anger and again said Noor but she ignored him again.Controlling the anger building up with in him he reached for the salt himself but while picking up the salt his hand accidentally brushed with the container containing dhokla's batter and to his bad it landed on the floor.

"Aaaaa" ye kya kiya tumne.

"Sorry woh galti se."

"Shut up! Mujhe ache se pata hai ki ye janbuj ke kiya hai tumne taki Mai dadi ki jayada favourite na ban jau."

"What the-, matlab kuch bhi. Yahi toh kam reh gya hai ki tumse jitne ke liye sazishe karu."

"Yes. You can do anything I am sure of that till now. "

He rolled his eyes and got back to his work.

"Jao jao.mera kam toh kharab kardiya ab toh zayada swaad banege tumhare bhature."

"Ha bahut ache se fulenge bilkul tumhare muh ki tarah. Yahi toh chahta tha mai ki tum twinning karo mere bhaturo ke sath."saying this he turned to her but before he could react she threw water on his face.

His eyes went close, his mouth opened as a reflex and he shouted ,"what the hell."

She started laughing seeing him like this and then
Thud.

He threw the leftover dhokla batter on her face.

She was flabbergasted. She wiped her face still covering from shock. Seeing her like this he grinned and said ab maza aaya apko ardhangini ji.

(He turned off the gas stove in between)

Tumhe toh mai. She started running behind him. They both were circling around the kitchen counter.Ishaan was running away from noor because she was holding the container of sweet syrup in her hands to pour it onto him.
Soon,the small banter turned into the big one she threw sweet syrup on his face and then he threw water from the flower pot on her face. They left the kitchen still running behind each other and looking for the things too seek revenge.

They were fighting like children. And then finally they stopped because noor was out of breath. But then looking at each other they both laughed clutching there stomach.

Pointing out at each other's faces they laughed. Since his childhood it was the first time when he openly laughed and actually enjoyed.

Sushmita, saw there condition and came towards them. She paused few steps away and saw them laughing whole heartedly. Her heart melted. She has never seen her grandson like this before. The scene in front of her was too overwhelming that she didn't wanted to break it. So, she turned her steps towards the hall.

Soon, noor stoped laughing and her eyes wide opened. She kicked up and realised. Hey mata rani humne khana toh banaya hi nahi...ab dadi ne hume aise dekha toh daat bhi padegi.

Ishaan too realised what he was doing and straightend up.He cleared his thought and said"sab tumhari wajah se ho raha hai gujrati gadhedi"

Shu bole che( what are you saying)

Jo tum ho gujrati gadhedi.

Mai, mai gadhedi toh tum kya ho akdu janwar.

Bas bas pehle hi bahut der hogyi hai baki ki ladai baad mei continue karenge. Now, let's go and make something otherwise we both will be at the stake.

For the first time you are saying something right.
Jaldi chalo.

Then they again went to the kitchen. This time they divided the task and decided to prepare both the sweet dish and breakfast together.

They fought a little, they laughed a lot and with a good coordination they finally made the food.

Sushmita, tasted the food and gave shagun to both of them.

The food might haven't tasted so good before like it did now because it had a new warmth, a new hope and a start of building a new relationship.