"मर तो जाना ही है एक दिन,
तुम मिल जाओ तो थोड़ा जी लेंगे हम!"
Kapoor Apartment-
It was night now, The trio had their dinner with Anahita's usual tantrums with food. And now it was sleeping time where again, she was busy talking with her Mumma, who was shaking her head and smiling at her all the time energetic daughter laying beside her.
Anahita:(cutely) Mimi!!!!
Nandini:(softly) Yes bache?
Anahita:(tilting her head) Shong??
[Song]
Nandini:(amused) Do you want Mimi to sing??
Anahita:(after two min pause) Yesh!!
(Yes!!)
Nandini:(nodding slowly) Oh-kay!!
Sajra savera mere tann barse,
Kajra andhera teri jalti lau,
Anahita:(widening her eyes) Mimi, top!!!
(Mother, stop!!)
Nandini giggled a little at the faces her daughter was making, as she got it that her daughter didn't liked her singing, but still she teased her and kept singing..
Sajra savera mere tann barse,
Kajra andhera teri jalti lau,
Anahita:(palming Nandini's mouth with her small palms) Mimi no, no Shing.
(Mother no, don't sing)
Nandini giggled in between and removing her palms kept singing..
Qatra mila jo tere darr barse..
Anahita:(with cute frowns) Shiii Maaa jilli aao, Mimi no shing naa.
(Ishii Maa come fast, Mumma don't sing)
And at her complaint, Nandini burst out laughing to which first Anahita frowned but then she too started giggling with her Mumma darling.. Both mother and daughter were laughing and giggling while Ishita who came to fetch water came towards room listening Anahita's voice but stopped seeing them smiling and laughing. She blessed them from afar and prayed for Nandini's smile to be constant always. And then she quietly moved to her room back .
Here, the mother-daughter duo stopped laughing after sometime and Nandini kissed Anahita's forehead who grinned and kissed her forehead back making her smile..
Nandini: Ok, aab Mimi bole??
Anahita:(nodding) Yesh!!
Nandini:(softly) Ok! Thank you, thank you that you let me speak. So, now it's sleeping time baby and affirmation time too, right??
Anahita: Light!!!
(Right)
Nandini smiled and pinched her cheeks lightly making her giggle..
Nandini: Ok so, my first affirmation today is, Every problem have a... ?
Anahita:(softly) Soution
(Solution)
Nandini: Solution!!! Very good! Umm next is, I Am...?
Anahita: Enough!!
Nandini: And...?
Anahita:(grinning) Kid...
Nandini:(giggling) Kind my Kid. Ok last one is, I Love....?
Anahita: Mysef ...
(Myself)
Nandini: That's my baby.. Always remember ok!! Mimi too loves you!!
Anahita: I too lobb you Mimi!!
Nandini smiled and kissed her cheeks before putting the blanket properly on her and palmed her eyes closing them..
Nandini: Good Night baby, have some sweet dreams.
Anahita:(opening one eye) Mimi, Lexa!!!
(Mimi, Alexa!!)
Nandini shaked her head in disbelief and asked Alexa to play a song by Fab Five, and Anahita grinned hearing her favourite voice and closed her eyes, welcoming sleep.
While Nandini was awake. Her mind keep flashing her yesterday's and today's meet with Manik. She even recalled the conversation they had, beneath the tree. She was confused with her own self. Never in these past four years, she talked with someone unnecessarily. Even if someone initiated, she always tried to make it short, except for Ishita ofcourse. She never felt like making anyone understand something, or giving sarcastic replies to anyone, like she did today. She sighed deeply and closed her eyes with frowns, and soon sleep took over her too as the melodious voice rang in the background.
"तेरे मेरे रास्ते,
तेरे मेरे वास्ते,
अब हो चले एक!"
Next day:-
Fab 5 were settled on their usual table in the canteen . It was the another normal day of theirs, with normal bickering going on between Abhi and Cabir, while usual girls stuff was being discussed in between Navya and Mukti. And the only unusual thing was Manik being silent.. Navya saw him lost somewhere and nudged the other three who shrugged looking at him, who was fiddling with his mobile with a long face..
Cabir who was sitting on the chair beside him leaned towards him and spoke in his ears lightly..
Cabir: Kya hua? Apni 'The One' se sapne me hi shadi se pehle divorce hua kya?
(What happen? Got divorced with your The One before marriage?)
Listening him Manik cane out of his trance and awarded him with a super hard glare followed by a slight push ..
Manik: Saale kya problem h teri? Humesha bakwas marna jaroori h kya?
(Idiot what's your problem? Is it necessary to speak bulshit everytime?)
Cabir:(bobbing his head) Haa, food khana and bakwas marna is my only aim..
(Yes, eating food and talking bulshit is my only aim)
Abhi: Thank god ye pata toh chala tujhe .
(Thank god, you atleast realised this)
Cabir:(smile sarcastically) Award de mujhe.
(Give me the award)
Abhi: Baba ji ka thullu!
Mukti:(rolled her eyes) Oh jokers!! Stop with your nonsense, and Manik tereko kya hua?
(Manik What happened to you?)
Navya: Haa Manik, sab theek h naa?
(Yes Manik, is everything alright?)
Manik:(smiled) Chillax my lady bheem and Madhubala I am fine.
Abhi: Pehli baat, wo meri lady bheem h.
(First thing, is she is my Lady Bheem)
Cabir: Dusri baat, wo meri Madhubala h.
(Second thing, she is my Madhubala)
Abhi: Teesri baat, tu fine jaisa lag nahi raha!
(Third thing, you aren't looking like fine!)
Cabir: Chothi baat... Ek second what's the fourth thing waise? Yaar Abhi ye cheating h, aab hum Manik ko teen (3) ke baad counting kaise sikhayege?
(Fourth thing, Just a second, what's the fourth thing by the way? Abhi, this is cheating, now how will we teach counting to Manik after three?)
And soon Cabir found himself drenched in ketchup by Manik, and the girls were giggling while Abhi snickered and so does the whole canteen.
Cabir:(shouted) Sale ye Kyuuuu?
(Dumbass why this?)
Manik:(grinned sarcastically) Because mera mann kia, tune mujhe counting sikhai naa, it was fee for you, hmm?? Suit yourself!!
(Because that's what my mind wished, you taught me counting, no, so this was your fee, hmm?)
And then Manik barged out from the canteen leaving a sulking Cabir who just bathed with a ketchup and his snickering friends behind..
Abhi:(composing himself) But ise hua kya h?
(But what actually happened to him?
Cabir:(bad face) Pagal ho gaya h ye, mental asylum me jane ke din aa gaye h.
(He is gone mad, its his days to admit in mental asylum)
Fab 3:(in unison) Shutup Dhawan!!
.
.
Meanwhile, Manik was walking through the corridor muttering some curses to Cabir, for irritating him, when he was already frustrated due to lack of sleep. Reason? Well, he was so into the book Miss Deep Eyes' suggested him, that he was not able to leave it before completing, and at the end he was so emotional, that he even shed a few tears picturing Violet's state after Theodore. And then he realised that Miss Deep Eyes actually played with him, and gave him a book with such an emotional sad ending, for which he wasn't even prepared. And hence, he was angry.
He was lost in thoughts while moving when he bumped with a petite figure and in reflex his hands went around the waist of that person to balance himself and saved both from falling down.. He looked at the person only to blink his eyes seeing the girl in his arms with closed eyes... But in all this the unknown shiver which ran down her body didn't got unnoticed by him. And hence he made her stand up before taking a step back and spoke ever so softly .
Manik: Hey there, Miss Deep Eyes...
Meanwhile, Nandini who was late for her class all thanks to her cribbing daughter who was insisting her to make her admit in college, because according to her she is a big girl now.. Lost in her daughter's thoughts she was climbing the stairs when bumped with a tall muscular guy who saved her from falling holding her by her waist. Due to fear of falling she closed her eyes and as soon as the person touched her, a shiver ran down her body which was strangely not an uncomfortable one, as she always feels when a man comes even near her . She then opened her eyes to saw it was none other than, Manik Malhotra. She stood straight and fixed the strap of the bag on her shoulder. She looked above to saw him looking at her with narrowed gaze, to which she frowned and was about to pass, when heard him.
Manik: You cheated!!
Frowns of confusion appeared on her face and she looked at him, who was giving her accusing looks.
Nandini: Excuse me?
Manik:(pointing finger) You are Not Excused!!
Nandini sighed and turned around to go when he hurriedly came in front of her.
Manik: Hey, where are you running after ditching me?
Nandini: Huh?
Manik: Yaar!!! You said the book was with a happy ending.. But it was so emotional!
Nandini:(surprised gaze) You read it? Complete?
Manik: Ofcourse! And I loved the book, but I wasn't ready for that drastic end, no? I had in my mind that everything will fall in place at the end, but no! You know, I even almost cried.
Nandini:(amused) You cried?
Manik;(shrugged) Almost! But that's not the thing, the thing is, why you suggested me that book?
Nandini: Wasn't it good?
Manik: It was, but...
Nandini: But you wanted to read a sappy happy ending, which is anything but original. Life is not always about Happy endings, and as you said you weren't prepared for that ending is what life actually is! There is no such thing called "Happy Endings".
Manik looked at her as she air quoted the word Happy Ending.
Manik: Lovely!!
Nandini: Huh?
And Manik just chuckled and nodded his head in No making Nandini confused, but nevertheless she turned to leave.
Manik: Lovely is a lovely word that should be used more often.
Nandini rolled her eyes without turning, but her lips twitched upwards in a curve and shaking her head she moved from there leaving chuckling Manik behind.
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1700 words!!
♡A