My king

Part 16

Manik sat with all the soldiers .... .And discussed regarding the area ....And asked them to be alert for any attacks .....

Some soldiers slept and some are guarding the place ..... They made duty in terms .....After sometime they will sleep and rest will gaurd ....Such that they can travel back happily next morning without any problem ......

Manik moved inside his tent.....To see nandini sleeping in a corner ......She is shivering as it is very cold outside... He just covered her with blankets .... But still she is shivering ....

Manik in mind ....She is shivering badly .....There is no more blanket here .....I can't even arrange a fire in tent.....What to do ..... If I touch her she may feel bad .....But there is no other option....Even tough she is my wife i should not touch her without permission .....What to do .....She is still shivering .....I can't waste time thinking all this it will affect her health ....I will apologize her morning if she feels bad  ....I'm doing this just to keep her warm .....

Thinking to himself and fidgeting with his thoughts.....manik slept beside her and put his hand on her waist and pulled her in his arms and hugged her tightly . .....And covered both of them with bedsheets.....

He is just holding her tight....She exactly fit in his arms .......She snuggled more into him .....After sometime she slept happily hugging him back ......Unknowingly even manik fell asleep he felt peace holding her safe in his arms ......

Next morning nandini woke up early ....Due to light ......She just turned her head but felt some breath on her neck .....She tilted her head to see herself packed in manik arms ..... She looked at herself in a daze ..  she is in complete clothes ....She sighed in relief bcoz nothing happened last night but she is confused on how she hugged him.....She tried to untangle herself But manik is just holding her very tight ......

She tried but is not successful in untangling herself ..... So she waited for manik to get up ....She is just starring at him .....

Nandu in mind ....He just looks like a baby in sleep ....So innocent ..... I just feel to stare him like this .....How can I be lucky to get married to him.... He just cares for everyone .....He is so simple ... A man of actions than words
Yesterday when I fell asleep in his arms he didn't disturb me ...He waited for me to wake up by myself ....But now how can I disturb him.....Let him sleep ....I can wait ......

She is just starring him thinking all this.Finally birds are making sounds
And even the sun is rising ...He just stirred in sleep and hide his face in her long hairs ......

She is smiling looking at his acts ....
Finally they are disturbed by a soldier .......

Soldier : yuvraj ....Sorry to disturb you but .....We got a message from South king .....

Manik : i am coming.... he said ...And the soldier left......

He turned to see nandini still looking at him .....

Nandini blushed by keeping her head down ...... Manik immediately left her .....

Manik : vo ....I'm sorry it's just .....

Nandu just got up from him and left out covering her head with veil.manik moved behind her ....To see the soldiers little far .....Some are giving food to horses ..... nandini is moving in the direction of river to bath .....
With clothes ....

Manik : nandini....He just called her .....

Nandini turned around in shock bcoz this is the first time he called her with her name ....... she is just looking at him.....

Manik : you can't go alone here ....It's dangerous .....Wait till I come. .....

He said in a serious tone .....nandini just stood on her place without moving  and waiting for him .....

Soldier : yuvraj the message is they want us to be on time to perform some rituals ......

Manik : get everything ready .....I will just fresh up and come .....

Saying manik moved to nandini and asked her to move.....

He just removed his clothes leaving only his dothi and moved in water to take a bath ......

Nandini just turned the other side ...
.manik cleaned himself and came out ..And changed his clothes ....Than he noticed nandini still standing there turning the other side ......

Manik : nandini....Go have a bath we are getting late .... ..

Nandini turned the other side to see him fully dressed ....But she is still shy to have a bath in front of him....

Manik understood her dilemma .....

Manik : you go have a bath ...I will sit here for your safety .....Don't worry i will not see anything just like how you didn't see me ...Saying he sat under the tree on a stone. ......Turning the other side ......

Nandini removed her dress wrapping herself in other cloth and took bath in the river and did surya namaskar..... And then she wore her clothes and jewellery and came to see manik in the same position thinking something
She found his hair wet .....She took the dry cloth in her hand and  hesitated to dry his hairs ...But finally put her hand on his head .......He just looked up to see her looking cute and fresh like a flower with wet hairs ....She has  long hairs.....

She just wiped his hairs and took her hands back ....manik is just looking at her in trance bcoz she herself  came near him......They both walked back to the soldiers ....To see them packing everything .......

Nandini just saw everything bcoz manik didn't let her do anything ..She binded her long hair in a plait ..... And kept her veil covering her face .......

They soon are on horses.....To reach the south kingdom before the auspicious time completes .........

On their way nandini is just blushing at the thoughts of sleeping with manik and the journey with manik ....

But manik is still unaware of all these thoughts of hers .....They both reached the palace along with soldiers .....

Mothers of nandini did their tilak and welcomed them with flower shower..
manik and nandini took blessings of everyone .....They are taken in for breakfast ......

All the ladies sat together with their husband ......They are served by dasi and all are eating together ......Manik is surprised on seeing this bcoz .....In his kingdom all his mothers and wives eat after all the gents eat .....

Then all men are indulged in talks....
After having breakfast .....All the ladies moved to get ready .....After they got ready......

Than all the couples moved to the court palace .....

They all got seated ....gents sat on the ground floor in front of the king and  presence of ministers and people of kingdom... ....Where as all the ladies got seated on the top floor behind the curtains ....Such that they can see everything but no one can see them ....manik is getting shock by shock seeing everything different from his kingdom....He is highly impressed by their culture to include ladies in everything ......He also met guruji and took his blessings .....

Than the meeting continued ....People are putting forward their problems.... Even the Queens are telling their opinion ....In fact their opinions are the best than the king or ministers .....

After the meeting commenced it's nearly afternoon....All the ladies moved to check lunch arrangements 
While the gents moved to practice ground and gave instructions to all the soldiers regarding  safety which are discussed in meeting ........

Then while they are moving back to the dinning hall manik saw that some ladies are not only dasis but also soldiers ...They are guarding the kingdom also .....

Manik then thought to ask guruji about the ladies in the ashram and also about mythili and imli....

He moved to the dinning hall ....He is served with sweet dish ....It tasted the same way like how mythili used to cook for him.....He just looked at all the dasi...Bcoz he know mythili would recognise him....

Manik : who prepared this dish .....

He asked making everyone look at him....

Aditya : which dish ...

Manik: this sweet ....

Jija bai : i made this .....

Manik : okay ....

Jija bai : is it bad damad ji....Should I serve you something else .....

Manik : no it's very tasty that's y i asked .....Thank you for making it ...

Jija bai : good you liked it ...You can ask me whenever you want to eat it ...I will make it for you ....

Manik smiled at her .....And thought in mind ....It's made by mata ji...But y did i feel like mythili made it ...y am i remembering her a lot ....I need to meet her she is my friend....I need to tell her the truth and apologize than only i can be at peace ......

He completed the lunch and turned the other side to see nandini playing with her brothers son and giggling .
..He is lost in her smile ....Which is noticed by all the family members who felt happy on seeing manik looking at nandini with all the love and adoration .....

Than after lunch all moved to their rooms to take rest .....Even manik is shown the way to nandini room to rest ....He came to the room to see it beautifully decorated with paintings .
Mostly of radha krishna ...This reminded him of the song sung by mythili .....He thought he is full of mythili thoughts today ....He turned his head to the other side to see the room empty ....

Manik : where is nandini ???

He asked one of the dasi in their room

Dasi : yuvrani is in her mother room...Should I call her yuvraj .....

Manik nodded in no and  just moved back to the bed and slept as he is tired of the journey ......

Nandini came back to the room after talking to her mother's ......And saw manik sleeping in her room on her bed.....

She covers him with the quilt properly ....And moved to change her dress ....After changing she also slept on the other side of the bed.....

It was late evening manik woke up and saw nandini sleeping peacefully...
He just felt an urge to kiss her looking at her cute face. .....He just pecked her forehead and moved in to fresh up .....

He left the room after getting ready and asked the soldier to show him the way to guruji room ......

As he reached the room he asked the soldier outside guruji room to inform him about his arrival ...... Than he got permission to go in ......

Guruji : so you are finally here damad ji of the king .....

Manik took the blessings of guruji ...
.But I want to be the manik who is your student .....

Guruji smiled listening to his answer..
They both sat down and are talking on random things ....

Manik : how are everyone in ashram dhamini ji imli....And mythili ji and maaji .....

Guruji : all are good they are here in our kingdom only .....That's y I'm here ....

Manik : where is mythili....He asked guruji ....

Before guruji can answer they are disturbed by a soldier ......Who came to call guruji as the king wanted to meet him ......

Manik felt disheartened as he is not able to know about mythili.....

Guruji along with manik left to meet the king ......

King his wives and nandini along with  her brothers and bhabi's are present there ....Nandini is holding  small baby girl this time  .....Sitting beside her bhabi who is holding her son..She is not wearing a veil covering her face  in this kingdom ..Like north kingdom...Bcoz not only nandini none of the ladies are covering their faces in palace ......

Jayavanthi bai : guruji ...We want an auspicious date and time for doing mruthyunjay homam { a pooja for long life } ..........

Guruji smiled listening to this and took his books and told the time and date which is after three days .....

King : good ....Than let's invite our new family members from north kingdom .....Already damad ji and nandini beti are here .......

Everyone nodded in yes....

King : do you have any problem damad ji ....To wait till the pooja ..

Manik : no problem .....It's okay ...

King : than i will send the messenger to north kingdom immediately ... Such that they could come early......

Precap : manik sees dhamini and imli in the palace .......