LOVE +

Birthday Girl

Raman is in dilemma hearing that they will have to test Mukti's blood sample for Ishitha's bone marrow transplant. Ruhi didn't match with her mother and Mukti is the only option to save Ishitha. "But aise kaise hum Mukti ko manayenge" he asked Abhimanyu.

Mukti saw Raman coming to him. "Dad aap Nandini ke birthday party mein aa rahe hai na?" she asked him. "No Mukti, I have some work to catch upon" he said. "Ok cool, are you talking to someone dad?" she asked. "Yeah, Abhimanyu, regarding a case" he said and she left from there. "When are we leaving for the party?" Aryaman asked Navya. "Today I will complete my shift by 4 o clock, we can help chachi if we go soon, what do you say Cabir?" she nudged him. "Yeah, I agree, we'll go" he agreed. "Guys, you go early, mujhe kuch kaam hai, I have to collect few lab reports but I will be there on time" he said and they decided.

Manik goes home. "Mom, I'm free now, so any plans?" he asked. "Yes, we're going to Nandini's birthday party" she said. "Oh yeah, so you got the invite too, mujhe bhi aaya tha" he said casually. "Phir hum dono saath mein chalenge na" she asked him. "No we aren't going" he said. "But why?" she said with a low voice. "Mom, Nandini poori hospital staff ko invite kiya hai, and Alya will also come there and I don't want both of you looking awkwardly at each other and you cursing her and" he said.

"Why did you stop? Bolo that I'm the only one to curse her and she is innocent and all" she fumed. "Dekha, this is how you react whenever you hear about her and meeting her! A big no" he said. "Beta, I'm sorry, aage se mein kuch nahi bolungi uske baare mein, please we'll go tonight and you said she invited everyone na, how would everyone matter to me, I'm going for Nandini, that's it" she said and Manik smiled and agreed to take her. "Acha, we will go and buy a gift for her" she said.

"Phir se!" his tongue slipped. "Kya?" she asked. "I mean we should again go out for shopping?" he covered it up. He took her on shopping and she just pointlessly searched for a perfect gift. Manik remembered how his gift was turned down by Nandini. He strongly determined that he will make her to accept his gift. He saw his mother struggling to select a gift. He decided helping her out and went to her. "Mom, itna late kyu ho raha hai?"

"I don't understand what to gift her!" she said. "Mom, come out" he took her out from the mall. He took her to a jewelry store. He ordered pendants. He checked out few pendants and selected for both of them. (Picture in media section)

"Wow, lovely Manik" she admired his selection. "Ab dono birthday babies ko gifts milega, mom and daughter pendants" he said looking at them. "How sweet! Imagine you both getting married and she will be my daughter forever!" she said and he smiled. "But tum dono idiots hai na, me and Mr. and Mrs. Murthy will keep imagining only" she said and they walked out of the store laughing. "Mom, I'll drop you home and I will be back in an hour, hospital mein kuch kaam hai" he said. "Ok" she said and he dropped her home.

He saw Nandini leaving home early. "Itni jaldi jaa rahi ho?" he stopped her midway. "Yes sir, party ke arrangements dekhna hai, so leaving early, chachi akeli hai" she said. "Oh so you will help chachi in cooking too" she didn't get his sarcasm and nodded in positive. "Tho dessert mein carrot halwa hi banao, wo mera favorite hai" he said in a teasing tone and she remembered their first meeting and how stupid she acted then. "Wo kya hai na, carrot halwa se mera rishta iss janam ka nahi balki janam janam ka rishta hai" he winked. "Saath janam ka rishta hai na" she also teased him equally. "I will cook carrot halwa in the dessert and you are gonna never forget it" she said with a mysterious smile and left.

"Oy, Miss. Nandini, iss baar namak aur mirchi thoda kam karna" he shouted and she turned back to smile. He went in and sat in his cabin. He made a secret sketch on how to steal the saree from the common room while Navya, Aryaman and Cabir are still there. He devised a plan to send them out. Later, he tiptoed into the room and took out the saree. He secretly took it to his cabin and wrote something on a paper. "Hi sir" he heard someone and hid it. It was Cabir.

"Hi Cabir" he wished. "How's Alya sir?" he asked. "Good, I dropped her home" Cabir talked for a while and Manik was not really interested or involved in the chat. He escaped out of the hospital as soon as possible with the saree. He went home and Nyonika asked him to take her to Nandini's place. "Maa, abhi time hai" he said but she said she wanted to help them in arranging the party. So he took her and took care to hide the saree from her. He dropped her and said that he will come after parking the car. He secretly went behind Nandini's room and placed the pack near the window, making sure none of them saw him. He casually came and sat there.

He saw Cabir and Navya already there. "Hi sir, aap bhi jaldi aa gaye" Navya smiled. "Yeah, mom wanted to help Nandini" he searched for something with his eyes. "Kisiko dhoond rahe ho?" Navya asked him. "Nandini kitchen mein hai" Navya stopped for a minute and Manik eyed her, "aapke mom ke saath, she told me to call you to kitchen when you come" she informed. "No thanks, I'm quite comfortable here" he said and sat beside Cabir. "What are you guys doing here?" Manik asked Cabir. "Cheese cake" he said showing the cake batter. "Maine dish ke baare mein nahi poocha" Manik said. "Same, to help Nandini" they said in unison. "Manik, zara kitchen mein aao beta" Nyonika called him and he went.

He saw Nandini wearing white sleeveless crop top paired with lavender colored skirt. Her hair placed in a messy bun, dough on her hands, droplets of sweat on her neck. She looked beautifully messed up and he couldn't take his eyes off her. "Beta, ye zara check karke batao" Nyonika broke his trance and he came to her. He tasted the dish and asked her to adjust. "Arre waah, Manik is your judge" chachi commented on Nyonika. "Ha, he can say even the slightest change in my dishes" she said proudly.

"Chachi, aaj khaane mein kya hai? Sirf South Indian hoga ya humara Punjabi dishes bhi" Manik winked to chachi. "Both are there, Nandini is cooking Bangude Puli Munchi" she said. "Wo kya hota hai chachi" Navya asked coming there. "Navya ye traditional Manglorean fish curry, can be served with rice or dosa" Nandini replied. "Oh yeah, fish! sounds yummy even, take this batter" Cabir handed over it to Nandini. "Wo kya hai Nandini" Nyonika asked. "Cheese cake for the dessert aunty" she replied. She checked her phone as it buzzed. She flashed a smile seeing Manik's name in the notification bar and opened it.

"Where's my carrot halwa" he texted and she replied, "aap ko jald hi milega." He smiled. He waited for her to see the pack in her room. They are all done with cooking and Nandini served carrot halwa to everyone. She stopped at him and he winked while taking. He ate it and instantly loved and texted her, "Wow, I never knew that you can add sugar in sweet and make it more sweeter" she read it. "Nandini, jaldi jaake tayyar ho jao, mehman aate hi hoga" her chachi said.

Nandini went in and got freshened up. She changed into her birthday dress and got ready. She then saw the pack and opened it to find the black saree she left in hospital. "Chachi" she shouted and everyone came. Manik understood that she found what he got for her. "Ye idhar kaise aa gayi" Navya asked Nandini. "Pata nahi" she said unbelievably. She read the note, which is beneath the pack. "Happy Birthday Nandini, I wanted to say this meeting you, but you didn't take my gift and that stopped me. You deserve it" he was in hurry and that clearly could be seen in his hand writing.

"This means Nandini, someone who know you gave this gift" Cabir pointed. "Matlab humara Nandini ko koi follow kar raha hai?" her chachi panicked. "Chachi, aise kaise follow karenge, ek saree hi toh hai, lene se kya problem hai, ab toh confirm hai na, ye Nandini ke liye hi aaya hai" Navya said.

Sanjana came to meet Aryaman. "Hey, I'm ready" she announced. "Tum kaha jaa rahi ho" he asked her. "Nandini's birthday party and she invited me too" she said. "But you are not coming" he said. "No, I took permission from Mukti, you can call if you want" she pacified him and he agreed to take her out.

Navya saw her phone and there were few missed calls from an unknown number. She called to the number and was stunned to hear the voice from the other side.

"I never thought I would hear from you again, ayinda se mujhe call mat karna, that Navya you know is already dead" she had cut the call without giving any chance to talk.