Manoj greeted Manohar who welcomed the Bansals warmly. Amaya’s heart was thumping loudly as she stayed back in the kitchen with the pretext of preparing coffee for the guests while Nirmala sat on one of the accent chairs clearly observing Atul and his family.

Atul touched the feet of his future in-laws to take their blessings. His heart urged to assure Nirmala that there was nothing to fear about but he sat like a mere spectator on sofa wondering about the reactions of his parents. The conversation was awkward and tension was really thick inside the living room.

“Where is Amaya?” asked Vandana politely. As the past memories of Aggarwals...