Let Me Love You ✨|| Completed

14. Family Bonding

" Remember this always! It doesn't matter I stay here or somewhere else, I talk to you over phone or not, I will always be there. At any time. You both are my life and will always be. Their isn't a need of prioritizing you and Manik. All of you are at the same priority for me. And duffers, you call me your first mother. Which mother ignores or forget her child? Seriously idiots! These many tears for such a junk?", Nandini smiled and scolded and made fun of them, all At once finally making the room echo with laughter.

" But didu! What if Jiju loves us more? Won't you be jealous? Afterall I would be the aadhi gharwali( half wife) ,right?", Navya beamed marking the return of the dramatic sister back.

" I would be the happiest in that case", Nandini replied.

" Dhatt didu. You should be jealous. Like those flaring nose, frowned forehead and chinese eyes kind of jealous", Rishab laughed at her making nandini giggle.

"Diduuu, I want to talk to jiju. I haven't seen him even...", Suddenly Navya cribbed and even Rishab agreed with her, finally convincing her didu to call Manik.

Manik's phone rang bringing him out of the trance he was in. Nandini calling. An involuntary sweet smile made its way on his face as he picked up the call with visible excitement.

" Hey!", He chirped but instead of Nandini's voice he was welcomed with two overexcited chirpy voices. It took him a moment to realise who they could be but as the realization dawned upon him, he smiled wider.

" Hey kiddos!", He replied back to their hyperexcited hiii jiju!

" You know who we are?", Navya asked shocked at his casual reply and Nandini laughed at the other side.

"Obviously I do. This pretty voice belongs to Ms Navya and that handsome laughter was of Mr Rishab. Am I right?", He answered them and laughed listening their happy squeals.

" But jiju that's wrong. You came and even didu agreed but you didn't meet us. Without our final approval, didu won't agree, understood?", Rishab spoke trying to be a little strict and Manik controlled his laughter. They were already calling him jiju and then saying they haven't approved yet.

" I know that. But I thought it would be a little better if we go for an outing tomorrow to know each other, like some shopping and eating kinds, it would be a great opportunity to make you both fall for my charms, won't it?", He asked casually and Navya and Rishab jumped in excitement. Finally after few more minutes of their jiju banter, Navya handed the phone to nandini but not before showing her thumbs up for her choice, making her smile.

"Hello?", Manik tried gaining Nandini's attention who was lost in her own world.

"Thanku Manik...thank you for treating them as your own...", Nandini spoke and Manik sighed at her. He understood her concerns but sometimes it went too much.

" Nandini...when I said I love you, it meant I love you as a whole, with all your responsibilities and baggage. With everything. And there is nothing your or mine in a relationship. Its about ours. So, they are part of my world too", Manik explained her with love and Nandini just hummed, unable to speak anything. After a few minutes of one sided talks, Manik realised she wasn't much of a phone person and both retired for the night.

One side Nandini was in deep thoughts. She was unable to comprehend how could Manik be so understanding and supporting, so loving! She had never seen people like that. Or more specifically men like that! There was always a dark side to men they didn't show, or so she thought. What if Manik wasn't actually like this? What if he changed after marriage? And shit! She still haven't confirmed with him her need to keep working even after marriage. What if they deny owing to their such grand status?

But then a tiny part of her heart revolted. What if he actually is different? Wasn't judging someone based on your own experiences ethically wrong? What if he actually loved her? But then she was still not clear that amidst thousands of angels on earth, why had he chosen her to love? Maybe, she forgot that amidst thousands of bees, there is always only one queen Bee!

Manik, kept the phone and was about to lie on the bed when Nyonika came rushing in.

" Manik!", Her voice was panicked and it alarmed manik.

"What's wrong mom?", He asked trying to calm her down.

" Kabir!!", She shivered and Manik instantly stiffened.

" What happened to Kabir? Where is he?", He asked, urgency clear in his voice.

" In his room. He came downstairs for dinner and I told him about you and Nandini. He was so excited and came to wish you but I don't know what happened to him. Minutes later, I heard his room door bang and he has now locked himself in. He is throwing things and I am afraid he would hurt himself....", Nyonika finished, fat tears flowing down her cheeks. Manik wiped her tears and turned to pick up the spare set of keys of Kabir's room from his drawer, the one he kept with him always. Running towards Kabir's room, he knocked the door hard!

" Kabir! Kabir! It's me! Open the door", Manik shouted trying to convince him to open the door and all he heard was a loud ear shattering noise, sufficient to dry his blood in his veins!