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"Nandini! You are zoned out!" Manik yelled a little when he didn't hear anything from her for almost a minute over the phone.
"Ughh... I'm not zoned out, Manik. I had a pin between my lips. I'm wearing this damn saree... Besides, why are we even on this call?" Nandini questioned him in frustration as she tried to set the pleats neatly.
"Right! We should be on a video call, shouldn't we?" Manik asked her seriously. The image of her struggling to tuck the saree near her bare waist flashed across Manik's mind and that was an irresistible thought for him.
"No! Why are we on the phone when you, literally, left like just an hour ago? Plus, you're headed here right now so why are we talking over a call?" Nandini threw the questions and sighed in relief after managing to wear the piece of clothing, a little close to clean.
"I forgot to ask you... What did you get me to gift them?" Manik, deliberately, ignored her fussing and put forth his doubt.
"The stroller you asked me to get." Nandini answered him after sitting down to wear her jewelry.
"You said that you bought that as a gift from you, didn't you?" Manik asked her in confusion.
"Yeah... But you wanted to gift that so I kept it for you and I got a small rose-gold bracelet for her along with the cutest little frock that I know she will outgrow in like a week but I could not resist." Nandini spoke about the dress in her baby voice making Manik smile about her love for babies. He remembered how she told him once during college that she loved babies and also that she could be with them forever until they turn 3 after which she felt that they become annoying. Well. that hasn't changed, it seems- he thought to himself.
"Manik!... I think you should stop spending a little less time with me because clearly, ever since we've been hanging out around each other, you have picked up on my habit of, irritatingly, zoning out into wonderlands. I know that you put up with me when I do it but, please, I don't think that I can because it is really annoying." Nandini called him out loudly and said all that to him which only made him laugh harder.
"Well, that isn't happening anytime soon... I was thinking about the time we were babysitting my cousin's kids, Harsh and Antara, during college and how you stuck to the baby boy and ignored the poor 5-year-old who was bored out of her mind because I couldn't entertain her and you refused to play with her." Manik dismissed her comment and told her about were he was lost.
"Oh... Baby Harsh was such a cutie but like I always say, beyond 3, kids turn into little devils. Antara broke my favorite star-lamp and to this day I couldn't find it anywhere." Manik knew that there was a deep frown on her face as she recollected the broken lamp that he had gifted her for her first birthday with him. It surprised him that she still remembered the lamp and also that she missed it this much. He decided to mask his surprise because he knew that he knew bare minimum of her feelings for him and he'd always come across more astonishing facts about that time.
"So, tell me something, Nandini... Someday, when you have a kid of your own and he or she turns 3, what would you do with it?" Manik quizzed her with amusement in his voice.
"The baby would be all mine till it's 3 or 4 if it is like too adorable but then after that it will be all yours to take care of at least till it is 12 after which I'd come back in the picture because lets face it, teenagers are a handful for even 2 people so..." Nandini shrugged, saying it ever so coolly as if it was an everyday thought. She finished wearing the light make-up and began setting her hairs.
"Now, are WE going to be having kids in the future, baby?" Manik could not resist from grinning ear-to-ear and ask her that, teasingly. Nandini paused her actions and bit her lower lip. 'Think before you blabber out shit, Nandini.'- She reprimanded herself, internally.
"I... I did not mean it like that... Ahem... What I meant to say is that you are my best friend as well so even if this relationship craps out, you will have to be there to help me with my kids." Nandini cleared her throat in between to gain some composure and confidence. She did not want to come off as the sappy and romantic fool who had thought about having kids with the guy after just dating each other for two weeks.
"Didn't I already tell you that if this craps out, I am not sticking around to see someone else stand in your life where I wanna stay forever?" Manik asked her in a husky tone. 'Both of us are sappy idiots. Great!'- Nandini said to herself, sarcastically.
"Shut up, Manik! Nothing is crapping out for now and we definitely are not having kids, right now so let's just focus on the present, shall we?" Nandini suggested strongly.
"Are we sure about that second part? I mean the process is so much fun soo..." Manik teased only to have her screech his name out in a whining tone making him laugh.
"Alright. Alright, I'll behave! Be a dear and open up your door for me." Manik reassured and asked her to open the door of her apartment while she heard the elevator's sound indicating that he was already out of it.
"Coming!" Nandini muttered before tapping the red button on her screen to end the call and heading out to the living room but only after having glanced at herself thoroughly in the mirror. She had taken a little extra effort to look good and that was for the man on her doorstep so, she had to recheck if it showed.
Nandini opened the door with a smile that said 'Look at how pretty I am...' and boy was Manik floored at her beauty. He had only seen pictures of her teenage days in the traditional south Indian look but to look at her in one for real and when she had grown into a beautiful woman, mesmerized him.
"I did not make a promise to behave..." Manik muttered to her as he stepped inside her home.
"Huh?" Nandini didn't understand what he meant but it changed quickly as he grabbed her up close to kiss her with a certain zeal that was unexplainable. He shut the door by pushing it with his foot, picked her up in the air, without breaking their steamy kiss and lead them to her bedroom with no doubt in his mind about his intentions with her.
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"We are an hour late and it is all because of you." Manik blamed Nandini for their tardiness, shamelessly as the two of them, hurriedly, made their way to the elevator in Cabir and Navya's building.
"Well, yeah... I am that good!" Nandini always threw him off with his replies and this was again one of those instances so he just shook his head, mutely.
Nandini faced the mirror to recheck her make-up and hair as she had to redo everything in a rush, courtesy to their off-the-schedule endeavor in her bedroom. She had to fix a couple of strands in her bun and thus she had to arch a little which left Manik with little to imagine about her petite waist.
"God, you are killing me today, woman!" Manik grunted as he pinched her waist and dropped a feather kiss on her back which was visible to him because of her backless blouse.
"Manik! We are in public where we have to hide our relationship, remember?" Nandini yelped in surprise. Manik, plainly, winked at her before exiting the lift with Nandini following his trail.
Nandini's gaze was fixed on the ground as she walked slowly towards the apartment with its door wide open since she had to hide the blush that had crept on her cheeks. That was exactly why she froze at Manik's voice which sounded astonished.
"Aliya!? You're here..." Manik exclaimed as he caught a glimpse of her near the entrance, all decked up in a fancy lehenga.
"Hi Manik! I was... actually, waiting for you." Nandini heard Aliya say to him. She even felt Manik's gaze at her but she did not dare to look up. Aliya was here and she was waiting for Manik- what was she supposed to take from that. She wasn't the jealous type but this was a special circumstance when all she wanted was for her boyfriend's ex to disappear even if she was a dear friend of her as well, in the past.
"Oh! Nandini is with you! I didn't see you there, Nandini. How are you?" Aliya called for her when she decided to finally look up. She hated the fact that Aliya looked so darn pretty and stood so close to Manik with one hand on his bicep. She, promptly, fixed a smile on her face which she knew was a fake one that Manik had identified.
"What a pleasant surprise, Aliya! I'm good... How are you?" Nandini moved ahead to give Aliya a short hug. After all, they were friends in the past and it had been almost 4 years since they last met.
"I am good too." Aliya replied with a smile and it did not go unnoticed by Nandini that she was looking at Manik while saying it.
"You guys should talk... I'll see you inside." Nandini said, suggestively and even though she said the last part to both of them, Manik knew that it was specifically for him. It was her way of telling him that she was okay. She then picked up her gift which was on the stroller and walked ahead inside the house which was overflowing with the new parents' guests.
After making sure that she was far away from them, she turned to look back at Manik while still taking small steps only to catch him glancing her way as well. She passed a small smile to which he responded with a frown. In the next moment, she understood the reason behind his frown as she bumped into Randhir who apparently was waiting for her to look at him.
"Sorry! I'm so sorry!" Nandini apologized and swiftly stepped away from him.
"Hey! It is okay... chill." Randhir urged her to relax while holding her elbows.
"We are not doing this... especially, not here." Nandini deadpanned and turned away to head anywhere away from this chaotic company.
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After walking away from Manik, Aliya and Randhir, Nandini took a minute to compose herself and then decided to meet Cabir to congratulate him for becoming a father. She left her gift on the dining table with all the other presents and got herself a glass of juice when someone tapped on her shoulder.
"You okay?" Dhruv asked her with concern when she turned to look at him.
"Yeah. Why do you ask?" Nandini asked him after responding positively.
"Aliya is here so I figured... you know?" Dhruv did not know how to put it in words so he fumbled with words.
"Not gonna lie! It was a surprise to see her here but it is okay, I guess..." Nandini uttered at which Dhruv passed her a sympathetic smile.
"We carpooled to get here." Dhruv informed her about how they got here and put an arm around her shoulder.
"You and Aliya? Am I missing something here?" Nandini asked him because she was taken aback by the fact that Dhruv knew about Aliya's arrival in the city yet he kept it a secret from her.
"No no... She called me up the other night saying that she is in Mumbai and wants to catch up over a cup of coffee which is what we did. She mentioned that she wanted to meet Manik so I told her that he would be here today at this function. She asked me if she could tag along and I couldn't say no. Is that okay with you?" Dhruv was not completely oblivious to what was happening between Manik and Nandini even if she had not mentioned anything. He was aware of what went down between the two girls, all those years ago. Hence, he was not sure if this was a good that he had helped Aliya with.
"What has it got to do anything with me? It is between them and I do not think that it should affect me." Nandini told him, grimly. She was affected, undoubtedly, but she did not want to tell anyone about it.
"You are cute when you try to lie to me..." Dhruv remarked with a chuckle which earned him a smack on his chest from her. He bussed her head with a light kiss at which she simply relaxed and rest her head on his shoulder.
"Did I tell you about this cute girl I met at the set? I think not... She is so pretty that I wanna cry, Nandini. She wants me to help her with the new routine and I am worried that I might not be able to hide my crush at all." Dhruv told her about his recent crush just to divert her from whatever was bothering her.
"Someone made you wanna cry then she must be really cute. Show me a picture!" Nandini played along and decided to deflect her thoughts in some other direction. Both of them got busy in their conversation about how he could ask the girl out but Nandini could not help herself from gazing everywhere to catch a glimpse of Manik but she could not see him anywhere inside the house.
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How cute are Manik and Nandini? Do you feel the same way that I do? ;-)
Do you like Dhruv in this book? Why?
Aliya is back! Were you guys expecting this?
Take a guess about what Aliya might do next.