Mantramugdha – Thipkyanchi Rangoli

“Mhanje tula aapli anniversary lakshat hoti tar… Mag sakali itaki natka ka kelit?”

“Nahi, te tasa nahi-“

“Mag kasa? Haan, Apurva? Tasa nahi tar mag kasa? Bol, patkan bol. Aiktoy mi!”

“Arey tula kashala nastya chaukashya karaychya aahe? Dila aahe bouquet tar swatala lucky samjun chupchap thevun ghe na? Apurva Vartak kadun bouquet milna kay sadhi-sudhi goshta watli tula? Line lagaychi line mazyasathi rose day la college madhe…” She flicked back her hair.

“A. It’s Apurva Vartak Kanitkar. Stop forgetting that you are taken, Mrs. Kanitkar. B. Te rose day vagere kay te mala nako sangu. Porkatpana nusta. And C. Talking about me being lucky… when have I ever denied that, Mrs. Kanitkar?”

She slapped his hand away when he tried to hold her wrist. “TU… visarla hotas, Khadoos. Tu aapli anniversary visarlas mhanun-“

“Mi visarlo? MI visarlo?” Furious, he was about to slam the bouquet on the table by his side when she grabbed her hand midway.

“Jar mi dilela bouquet kharab zala tar tuza akkha mahina kharab karel mi, Khadoos, lakshat thev!” 

He looked at the bouquet in his hand and sighed, realizing what he was about to do in the heat of the moment. 

“Tula… ajibaat farak nahi padat na, Khadoos? Tula mahiti aahe, ha bouquet me vikat nahi aanlela. Swata banavlay… tuzyasathi aani tu…” Her voice trailed off as her upset self turned away from him. 

“Sorry!”

She heard him faintly whisper from behind but she stood indifferent until she felt his chin on her shoulder. 

“Mazya lakshat ch nahi aala haatat tu dilela bouquet hota mhanun. Kay karu? Tu mhanalis mi visarlo aapli anniversary. Raag aala mala.”

“Khadoos, tu tuzya raagashich lagna ka nahi kelas re? Karaycha hota. Perfect jodi aahe tumchi. Na to raag tula sodat na tu tya raagala…”

He chuckled. “Tyachyashi lagna kela asta tar tu bhetli nastis aani te… mala nasta chaal-la, Shishta. Tula sakali mhanalo chal mazyabarobar tar tu adun basli yenar nahi mhanun. Kay watla kuthe gheun janar hoto tula? Surprise hota pan tu-“

“Mala watla Netra Tai chya party madhe-” She slapped her forehead. 

“Kay? Dhanya aahes tu, Apurva. Tula kharach watla mi tula tithe… DHANYA aahes tu…”

“Sorry!” She turned to look at him with her guilty eyes. 

“Jasa tu mhanalis ki mi mazya raagashi lagna karayla hava hota, tasa tu hi na, Apurva tuzya ya Netra chya obsession sobatach lagna karaycha hota. Perfect jodi aahe tumchi. Na tu tya obsession la sodat na te obsession tula!”

She frowned, narrowing her eyes at him upon hearing him mimic her. Oh, how desperately she wished that she could retort and snap back! 

You can’t… otherwise you would be Apurva Hypocrite Kanitkar. Shedding a bucket full of tears internally, she sulked over the punishment of staying quiet in front of his taunts that came her way because she had foolishly assumed things… once again. 

But even though her heart was guilty and apologetic, her enemy named ego had to jump in. “Tasa baghitla tar yamadhe mazi chuk-ach nahiye.”

“Aani asa baghitla tar?” 

She stomped her foot on his leg, making him yelp. 

“Ow. Arey kay challay tuza?” His poor leg could only curse his tongue that had dared to tease her, wondering why it had to bear the punishment for his tongue’s misbehavior. “Ha attyachar aahe, Apurva. Tu mala asa… maru nahi shakat. Mi… thamb tu, mi morcha gheun yeto tuzya viruddha! Ithech thamb.. Ghabrun palun jau nako. ” 

She looked down for a moment, laughing to herself before she stepped forward and placed her elbow on his shoulder. “Tu visartoys tu konashi boltoy, Khadoos. Apurva Vartak Kanitkar konalach… konalach ghabrat nahi. Kay morcha gheun yeto mhanalas? Ja… aan.”

His jaw dropped at the maddening confidence of his wife that he could never manage to shake. His wife was one of a kind, he had come to accept that long ago. He wondered if he was really being foolish to think that the morcha bit might catch her off-guard for at least a moment or two. 

He geared up for the battle. He wasn’t going to back off that easily. “Ja mhanalis? Aata tar tu thamb-ach. Gheun yetoch ki nahi baghach aata tu.” Darting a stern glare at her, he turned around to leave but the poor soul had no idea where to go. Kuthun… aanu kuthun ha morcha ki kay mhantat te…

“Oh, and by the way, Khadoos… morchya chi leader kon asnar aahe? Ladkya Shashank Siranchi navadti assistant?”

He clenched a fist, gritting his teeth. “Ex-assistant. EX-ASSISTANT.” Nothing frustrated Shashank Kanitkar more than his wife bringing Netra into their conversations. 

“Tech te!” She gave him an indifferent shrug.

Turning toward her, he pulled her toward himself by her arm. “Tech te nahi. TECH TE NAHI. Mhanun dakhav… e x a s s i s t a n t.” He spelled it out before letting her go and folded his hands across his chest. “Patkan mhanaycha… ex-assistant.”

She chuckled at the visible irritation of her husband. Mirror asta mazya haatat tar aata dakhavla asta yala… kay cute navra milalay mala! Lost in him, her eyes did not want to look away but her admiring her Khadoos session abruptly ended with her husband snapping his fingers in front of her. Back to earth, Appu. Back to earth. You can’t accept your defeat in front of him no matter how adorable he is looking at the moment. F O C U S. Focus!

“Arey mala mhantach nahi yet, Khadoos. Kay karu mi?” Faking helplessness, she bit back on her chuckle. 

“Ah, I see. Harkat nahi… harkat nahi,” he said, nodding his head in acknowledgment before lifting her up in his arms, “chal mi shikavto!”

“Ae… Khadoos,” she screamed, stunned at how quick and unpredictable her husband had become lately. “Tuza kay doka firlay ki kay?” Her punches landed on his chest but all in vain. Yacha gym band karayla lagnar. She made a quick note mentally before traveling her gaze around, sincerely hoping that nobody saw them. 

“Magchya prakara nantar hi tuzyat ashi kashi himmat aahe aapan room madhe nastana mala asa uchlun ghyachi?” Annoyed and afraid, she got her hand behind his neck. “Tu patkan mala khaali thev nahitar… aaj tu aahe aani…” She brought her nails in front of him with a villainous motive crystal clear in her eyes. 

“Ka nasnar himmat mazyat? Tuzi Kukki Gang tula chidavte… mala nahi aani samja jari chidavla… tari mala nahi farak padat. Tula padto tar tuza tu bagun ghe!” He stated the obvious, making her hit her head on his shoulder in exasperation.  

Smiling at his wife’s antics, he pressed his lips on her hair before putting her down. “Daya aali tuzi mhanun sodtoy. Baki kahi nahi!” 

And the moment those words escaped his lips, the khooni side of his wife was awakened. “Daya… aali tula… mazi,” she murmured, her gaze fixed on the ground before she charged toward him. Grabbing him by his collar, she pushed him against the wall. “DAYA AALI TULA MAZI? Aata na, Khadoos…tula tuzi daya yete ki nahi baghach tu.” 

“Nahi tu maar mala pan…”

His dramatic pause was beyond her to stand. “Pan kay?” she sternly asked. 

“Tu tuzya honarya mulanchya babala marnar aahes? Te mula yetil kase mag ya jagat, Apurva? Vichar kar zara.” 

Her hold on his collar loosened and he couldn’t remember when he had such a hard time controlling his laughter last.  

He couldn’t digest that she was actually seriously contemplating his words. His wife was too innocent for her own bad at times. 

It was when her hands fell to her sides and she pressed her index finger to her forehead, he couldn’t take it anymore. He burst out laughing before enveloping her in his arms. “Koni itka niragas kasa asu shakta… koni itka niragas kasa asu shakta…” he murmured. “Tu kharach kay itka vichar karat hotis? Mi maskari karat hoto!” 

“Tu kadhi honar?” she asked, stepping out of the hug. 

“Kay honar?” He raised a brow, growing suspicious at the way she was looking at him. 

“Mazya mulancha baba!”

“Haan?” His mouth fell wide open as he heard her. 

“Mazya mulancha baba, Khadoos,” she repeated herself, circling her hands around his neck, “tuch nahi ka mhanalas aata, mi jar mazya honarya mulanchya babala marla tar mazi mula… yetil kashi ya jagat?” She leaned forward, pressing her cheek against his. “Mag… kadhi honar… mazya mulancha baba?” 

“Um…te…mi… actually, Apurva…” He fumbled. His senses that she had impeccably hypnotized with her proximity did not let him form a coherent response.  

She pulled herself back, just enough to be able to look at him. Letting her one hand still stay around his neck, she pulled down the other hand to pat his cheek. “Te kasa aahe na, Mr. Kanitkar… aaplya baykovar ashya tricks khelaychya nastat karan… navryacha parabhav… nishchit asto, hmm?” 

She sweetly smiled at him once before walking away and all that he could do was stare at her, standing dumbfounded.  

Ila parabhav mahiti aahe… nishchit mahiti aahe. His mind was amused at the difficult Marathi words she had been impressing him with lately.  

Murkha, tyacha kay gheun basla aahes… saglyat mahattvachi goshta ji tila mahiti aahe ti mhanje… Shashank Kanitkar la kasa mantramugdha aani nishabda karaycha. His heart smacked him, forcing his attention to the important stuff. 

Mantramugdha nasel mahiti tila… His mind thought, causing his heart to shed tears of frustration. 

This is a random piece of fiction. Absolute imagination. Kind of a random mini tale based on the picture.

This is so not my comfort zone. I’ve no idea what I ended up writing here but if you enjoyed reading, I am happy. If not, forgive me. <3

Dedicated to Vidula because coincidentally, today happens to be her marriage anniversary. Happy anniversary to you. Best wishes. Much love. <3

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