"Truth or Dare, what say?" Mukti suggests.
Everyone quickly took their places in one circle, all the girls first and then the boys. Cabir spins the bottle and it stops on Aryaman.
"Truth or Dare?" Mukti asked.
"Truth." He replied.
But before Mukti could ask anything Manik took over. "What type of a girl do you wish to get married to?"
Everyone looked at him as why was he interested in Aryaman's personal life. He had just meet him few hours back.
Aryaman smiled and replied, "Well she should be independent, so that she is strong enough to make decisions without me. A sweet girl, who can easily win anyone's heart. Someone who loves my family as her own. I guess these are few qualities I would like."
Manik's face fell as he answered his question. He knew just one girl who fell in the category, Nandani! Manik had now started to strongly believe that Aryaman had feelings for Nandani. But he was not sure if he was noticing all this or was it his heart which was hurting?
Aryaman now spanned the bottle and it stopped on Nandani. "Truth or dare?" Aryaman asked.
"Dare." Nandani replied.
"Guys, Nandani is a trained classical dancer. So you have to show us your moves." Navya said.
"But Navya, I haven't practiced for years now. How will I do?" Nandani protested.
"Nandani please stop with all this. I know that even if I wake you up at midnight, you will be ready for dance." Navya said faking her anger.
Nandani thought for a while and then agreed to dance. Everyone moved to a side and gave her enough space.
Nandani did her namaskaram but hesitated as she was not dressed appropriately. She wore tights and a short top. Cabir played the song.......
Mohe rang do laal
Mohe rang do laal
Nand ke laal laal
Chhedo nahi bas rang do laal
Mohe rang do laal
Nandani hesitated but started with her Bharatnatyam.
Dekhu dekhu tujhko main hoke nihaal
Dekhu dekhu tujhko main hoke nihaal
Chhu lo kora mora kaanch sa tann
Nain bhar kya rahe nihaar
She looked at Manik, as if she had asked him to do what the lyrics suggested.
Mohe rang do laal
Nand ke laal laal
Chhedo naahi bas rang do laal
Mohe rang do laal
Manik was admiring the most beautiful thing in his life. He couldn't believe she was such a great dancer.
Marodi kalaai mori
Marodi kalaai mori
Haan kalaai mori
Haan kalaai marodi.. kalaai mori
Churri chatkai ittrai
Toh chori se garwa lagai
Nandani was lost in the lyrics and its beats. She could feel the music within her and her body swayed automatically.
Hari ye chunariya
Jo jhatke se chheeni
Hari ye chunariya
Jo jhatke se chheeni
Main toh rangi hari hari ke rang
Laaj se gulaabi gaal
She expressed each and every expression which one could using the words of the lyrics. Manik was so lost into her. He wondered, how could someone be so pure and expressive. He noticed how she was enjoying dance. For the first time she looked stress free.
Mohe rang do laal
Nand ke laal laal
Chhedo nahi bas rang do laal
Mohe rang do laal
Mohe rang do laal
Nandani completes the dance but while performing the last few beats, she slips but someone saves her.
She closed her eyes in fear and anticipated it to be Manik, as he had take the responsibility to be her saviour lately. But as she opened her eyes she saw a different familiar face. "Dhruv?" Nandani said as she stood upright on her feet.
"Murthy?" Dhruv said in a shock.
Suddenly they did a weird hand shake and hugged each other.
Manik's POV
She looks so beautiful. It felt as if she was feeling each and every word in the lyrics. The way she looked at me, it felt as if only her and I existed. Suddenly she slipped and was about to fall. I stood up, but before my reach a guy held her. I was thankful that he reached on time otherwise she could have hurt herself but somewhere deep down, I was ready to commit the crime and finish him off on the spot.
But to my surprise, she knew him. How? Billions of other questions raised in my mind till she mentioned his name. Dhruv, Navya's brother, for whom she had already asked before. Wasn't Aryaman enough that dear god now sent him as well.
End of POV
"Where have you been all these years Murthy?" Dhruv asked as she broke the hug.
"I had shifted to Mumbai, but now that we meet I want to know all about you. What have you been upto?" Nandani asked.
"Nandani Murthy, If you don't mind than can we continue with the game?" Manik asked as he got annoyed.
Dhruv introduced himself to everyone and again began to play the game.
"Manik, truth or Dare." Cabir asked.
"Obviously dare!." Manik said as he felt annoyed by Dhruv's presence.
"Ok, then I dare you to confess something. Like a guilt or a secret." Cabir said.
Manik thought for a while and then began, "Actually, I want to say sorry...." Nandani looked at him with confusion. "I am sorry Nandani. Our marriage and all, I should have just spoken to you about it rather then....I am so sorry for hurting you. I know how rude I was and the way I spoke to you, about you." Nandani just looked into Manik's eyes with absolutely no reaction on her face. Manik was getting annoyed as there was no reaction coming from Nandani. "Say something Nandani." She still did not react and just looked at him. She broke the eye lock and excused herself to go to the wash room.
Dhruv and Aryaman both stood up to follow her but Manik stopped them. "Wait, I will go."
After Manik left, Navya, Dhruv, Aaliya and Aryaman were shocked to know about her marriage. Cabir and Mukti told them about how the events took place between them. But obviously leaving out the part about them trying to bring them together.
Nandani tried to lock the door of her room, when Manik forced himself in. "What the hell man, I am busy saying sorry to you, which by the way I had never ever said it to anyone in my entire life and you are ignoring it?" Manik said as he was annoyed.
"What am I supposed to do with your sorry? How is it going to change anything in my life? You know what I don't want to talk about it. Please just leave me alone." Nandani said in an angry tone.
Manik just stood there which made Nandani even more angry. She started pushing him back but Manik held her arms and kept them behind her waist and pulled her closer. "What is your problem. I have been trying so hard to behave nicely with you, but have you ever put in any effort?" Manik asked.
"Have I not tried? But why would you notice, these days you are to busy elsewhere. Once you are done with me, you will just throw me out. Then why should I even try Mr Malhotra!" Nandani said looking into his eyes.
"Stop with this 'Mr Malhotra'. How many times did I tell you not to call me that. And anyways, you are right. With me you have to 'try' but with others it comes out naturally to you. So if we want to peacefully spend these few days, then it's better we don't interact at all." Manik too said without breaking the eye lock.
Nandani's POV
Of Course that's what you want. Why would you want to interact with me anymore now that you don't need me. It's okay. But I will also show you that whatever you do, does not affect me. Not at all!
Manik's POV
I can't believe this girl. She is driving me insane. But since she doesn't want to try, I won't either. And it will be better if we have no interactions anymore because I, myself don't know what I might just end up doing.
End of POV
Manik left her with a jerk and walked out of the room.
Cabir and Mukti saw Manik leaving in anger and they understood what possibly could have happened inside. "The more we try to bring them together, the more they drift apart. What can we do now." Mukti said to Cabir. But before he could say anything Navya and Dhruv interrupted them.
"You guys are trying to bring them together?" Navya surprisingly asked.
Mukti and Cabir freaked out as this was their secret mission.
"Navya, what are guys doing here?" Cabir asked.
"Please Cabir tell me what are you two upto? She is my friend as well." Navya asked.
"Yeah Cabir, what are you guys planning to do." Dhruv too asked.
Cabir knew that it was now impossible to hide everything from Navya so he told them everything.
"Oh so this is the matter. I can help." Navya said.
"Are you thinking what I am thinking." Dhruv asked.
Navya winked at Dhruv in agreement while Mukti and Cabir stood there not knowing anything. "Will you tell us also?" Cabir asked making faces.
"Okay the problem with you guys is that you are trying to bring them close. That won't work because as far as I have noticed them, they both are stubborn heads.So what we need to do is drift them apart a little and see what will happen." Navya said.
Cabir was confused as hell, "What are you saying? Drift them apart?"
"Not literally but like make both of them jealous. Sometime jealously can make you realise few things. Remember Sameer, how you got jealous when he was flirting with me." Navya said.
Cabir knew she was saying the right thing but didn't figure out how they would carry this out. "But how are we going to do this?"
"I can make Manik jealous, in fact when I had saved Nandani from falling, I saw how his face just fell. So it will be a piece of cake for me." Dhruv said.
"And Nandani?" Mukti asked.
"Well the only girl we have is Aaliya, but the thing is we don't know what she feels about Manik so we shouldn't involve her." Navya said.
"I don't think she feels for Manik, I know. And Aaliya is not the ones who keeps her feelings inside. But yeah, lets not involve her in our plan but we can create such situations that will make her jealous." Cabir said.
"Perfect, so let's begin we have 6 more days." Mukti said.