Strings Attached (ON HOLD)

Late Night Chat

Both finished their dinner and then Manik helped her to clear the table. Nandini arranged his bedding in the guest room and after wishing each other good night they went to their respective rooms.
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Nandini came in her bed and switched on her laptop. She was doing something when she recalled the incidents that happened today. The car broke down ; Manik's lift ; rains ; his kiddish behaviour while walking to home in rain ; the black out ; their eye lock ; his coughing ; everything. Nandini recalled each and every moment. She realised that she was smiling at them.

"What's wrong with me...?" She questioned herself. She again shifted back her attention to the laptop. After 10 mins she was closing all the applications to switch it off when her eyes fell on a folder on the desktop. Manik's statement "why are these empty..?" pointing towards the empty photo frames echoed in her mind. Her hands automatically moved on the touchpad to make the pointer open the folder. As she was going through the contents of the folder ; her eyes were getting clouded with tears. She blinked her eyes and tears kissed her cheeks.
Suddenly she heard a knock on her door. Quickly she closed that folder and wiped off her tears to check the knock on the door.
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"Kya hua..?? You want something..?" Nandini opened her bedroom door and asked Manik who knocked the door.
"Mmm... Woh actually ... I mean"
Manik was struggling with words.
"What happened Manik..? It's ok .. Tum bata sakte ho kuch bhi..!" Nandini helped him to come up with the words.
"Wohhh actually mujhe neend nahi aa Rahi hai... And I can see ki tum ne bhi abhi tak sone ki planning nhi hai ki." He said pointing out to the laptop which he could see from the door.
Nandini was clueless as to how to help him with this problem. Manik then said ; "if you don't mind ; can we talk..? Bahut aacha mausam hai.. Sirf Agar tumhe koi problem nahi hai to..!"
Nandini as herself was not feeling sleepy. She did not find his idea bad. They both moved to her bedroom's balcony as it was spacious enough. Bu then it had stopped raining. Nandini placed some cushions on the floor of the balcony after clearing the water from the area. Both seated themselves and Manik exclaimed ; "beautiful...!"

"You know I love rains.. They are soo pure. Just love them." Manik started the chat. Nandini looked up in the sky.
Manik was feeling the cold after rains breeze with his eyes closed. When he got no response to his statement ; he opened his eyes and asked her ; "Aur tumhe...? Do you like rains.?"
"Not any more" Nandini just replied in a low tone. Manik who was already sensing something wrong found another thing that proved him right that something was surely wrong. He did not wanted to hurt her so he avoided the topic.
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He tried to divert her mind from the question he just asked so he started ; "waise tum Khana bahut aacha bana Leti ho.. Tum yahan kyun apna time waste kar Rahi ho ...? You should be in a restaurant somewhere . Head chef and all..you are really good." Manik praised her widening his eyes.

Nandini looked at him "really Manik..? Tumhe wo Khana itna Pasand aaya that you want me to join the hotel management field..? Kya chahte ho that people should stop eating in restaurants...? Mera khana khakar hotel industry aur insurance sector dono ko bahut bada loss hoga. you want this to happen..??" Nandini questioned him with her eyes. Manik gave her a questioning look but and Nandini started smiling on it. After a moment they both started laughing. Manik first time saw Nandini laughing and that too from her heart. He could see her laughter in her eyes.

MANIK'S VOICEOVER :-

"She's sooo pretty. Haste hue kitni pyaari Lagti hai. But I have hardly seen her smiling ; hasna to door ki baat hai. Kyun hai aisi..? It's difficult to understand her. Kuch to hai jo yeh duniya se hide karti hai.. Par Kya...??"

VOICE OVER ENDS...

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Nandini in her laughing mode said "Maine agar restaurant join kiya na toh uss restaurant ka owner suicide kar lega. Band ho jayega restaurant. "
"Nooo but seriously ; the food was yum." Manik controlling his laughter said to her. "Thank you" Nandini replied to him.
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Both went on talking for hours. Sleep was no where round them. One topic was leading to another and their laughter bar was also increasing. Nandini was laughing after a long time. There was no nervousness no awkwardness between them. They both went on talking and didn't realised when they both dozed off. Nandini in her sleep kept her head on his shoulder and he too unknowingly rested his head on hers. Their faces seemed to have a contend look. Cold breeze was blowing and her hair strands were playing in them. A big white pearl above in the sky was witnessing something very blissful.