Happy reading peepz!
●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●
A woman can't change a man because she loves him,
A man changes himself because he loves her.
Manik stood numb at his place. His face was expressionless. This made Nandini tensed. She had put a lot of efforts for this gift and if the results doesn't come out the way she thought then it will surely break her but she has a fear that it may break their relationship too.
Slowly Manik looked at her with questioning eyes.
"This.. what.. how?" He fumbled with his words.
She came to him and held his hand.
"Manik this is your gift. I was preparing for this from a long time. You liked it na?" She said meekly.
She was hell scared of his reaction.
Manik just stared at her face. He didn't said anything and removed his hand from her grip. He slowly walked past her. Nandini thought that it was their end. Everything was finished. All the beautiful dreams she wanted to come alive with him were shattered. Instant tears rolled down her cheeks. She didn't look back and just stood there crying. While Manik walked close to the building in front of them. He reached a big board in front of the building and caressed it with his shivering hands. Tears rolled down his cheeks.
Everything was silent. Both of them were crying but the reasons were different. Both had their back facing each other.
"This- this is the best birthday gift I've ever received in my life." Manik whispered still touching the nameplate.
But that mere whisper too caught Nandini's attention. She jerked back her head at him. She saw him caressing the names engraved on the board.
"What?" She asked in disbelief.
"Yes! This gift haves no comparison." He said making her sigh in relief.
She felt her body getting relaxed. All those negative thoughts slowly fade away from her mind.
"You liked it?" She asked.
"More than my life." He replied.
She sighed and smiled and then walked to him. She slowly held his arm from back and entwined the other hand with his.
He looked down feeling her touch. Both the pair of moist eyes met with each other.
"You truly deserve to be their daughter-in-law." Manik said with a small smile.
If it was some other situation Nandini would have blushed hard listening 'daughter-in-law' but currently she couldn't help but smile ear-to-ear.
"This was Nayonika Mom's dream. So I had to fulfill it anyhow." Nandini said tracing the board.
Manik looked at her little surprised as she called his mother mom and not aunty.
"What? Aise kya dekh rahe ho?" Nandini asked him.
"Yeh aunty se mom par kab aagayi tum?" He asked.
"Abhi to aapne bola ki I truly deserve to be their daughter-in-law so being a obedient daughter-in-law I should call them mom and dad na?" Nandini asked innocently.
Manik didn't knew but Nandini's cute talks were bringing him out of his gloomy mood.
He swiftly pulled her by her waist.
"Achha ji. Daughter-in-law and all, huh? Bada jaldi hai aapko Malhotras ki daughter-in-law banne ki." He teased her.
"Haa to hai jaldi. Toh batao kab bana rahe ho mujhe Malhotras ki daughter-in-law?" Nandini asked boldly encircling her arms around his neck.
He was little taken aback by her bold move but nevertheless composed himself.
"Tum bolo to abhi bana deta hu. Chalo mandir chale." He said with a smirk.
"Ohh hello Mister! Kya mandir chalte hai? Mujhe aise mandir wagera me shadi nahi karni. I want a grand wedding okay?" She commanded him cutely pointing her forefinger.
He mentally noted the thing that his baby wants a big wedding and he promised himself that whenever that day will come, he would make it the best day of her life.
"Okay!" He said pulling her even closer by entwining their forefingers.
This time Nandini couldn't control her blush and became a ripen tomato. Manik smiled seeing her blush and pecked her cheek making her more red. She slightly pushed him.
"Ab andar chale?" She asked.
"Mera mann to itne se bhara gaya." He said intensely staring at the nameplate.
"Uff! Kitna chhota mann hai aapka. Itna jaldi bhar gaya." Nandini said comically.
Manik glared her for her sarcasm. In return she just grinned like a baby. He shaked his head in disbelief.
"Ab chalo bhi." She said and started dragging him by his arm.
"Arey princess ruko toh." He said and again came back to the board.
He kneeled down in front of the board. He bowed his head and closed his eyes.
"Your baby misses you so much mom dad." He said in a melancholic voice.
Nandini too kneeled down beside him. In front of them on the board it was written, 'In the memory of Late Mrs. Nayonika and Mr. Shekhar Malhotra'. The building was a newly constructed orphanage named 'INAYAT'.
Inayat is a Urdu word meaning blessing.
Nandini placed her hand on his shoulder to give him support. He slowly opened his eyes and wiped the corner of his eyes. He smiled at her.
"Let's go inside." He said and she just nodded.
Both went inside.
They were welcomed by the receptionist at the reception. Once again Manik became emotional seeing the reception. A big frame of his parents was hung on a wall. The smiling faces of his parents made his eyes teary.
"I know you always wanted to fulfill Nayonika Mom's this dream but you had Malhotra Empire to handle too. And even I alone cannot handle this. So now we both together will handle this orphanage and give shelter to all the needy children out there." Nandini said from back and Manik just nodded his head.
Nandini walked forward and side hugged him. He too wrapped his hand around her shoulder.
●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●
Words: 991
Thankyou!
Lots of love❤
Dhruvi.