Cool breeze was blowing through her window. it will rain' nandini concluded. She opened the window completely to let the breeze enter fully. The wind chime made tinkling sounds. Overall the atmosphere was quite romantic and once again nandini started missing manik. She went back to her bed and checked her phone. But there was nothing. No sign of manik.
What if manik doesn't do anything? If he thinks of letting the things be as they are...what will she do? Should she call him and talk to him? But that would mean i gave up on my determination and i don't have any self respect...aiyappa what r u doing!! And as if aiyappa once again heard her plea, her phone started ringing. It was manik . nandini jumped in joy.
But she didn't pick up the call. Let him try harder. Mujhe subah se pareshaan kar k rakha hai isne, thora maja toh chakhana banta hai!
Her phone rang 2-3 times. But she didn't pick up. Soon it started raining outside. The windows panes started shattering as the fierce winds blew amidst thunderstorms. Nandini's phone stopped ringing and she moved to close the window, but the scene outside that she saw made her breath stick in her throat. Manik was standing in rain and drenching himself. What is he doing!! Aiyappa!!! Nandini panicked and ran out of her room, when she came in the living room, she asked the househelp for an umbrella. As soon as she got one, she ran outside. Nandini was feeling guilty now for not picking up his phone.
As she reached near him, she took him under the umbrella, sharing with him.
"manik tum ase barish mein q bhing rahe ho??? Main call ni receive kar rahi thi toh tum car mein kyu ni baithe?? Ase barish mein bhingne ki kya jarurt thi??" nandini was complaining but manik's whole focus was on her face. He was looking at her face after such a long time and he studied her features for any changes that he might have missed. Nandini noticed that he wasn't paying attention to her words and was just looking at her face, blankly.
"manik!" she spoke louder and shook him to bring him back out of his trance "tum sun rahe ho main jo bol rahi hun??" she asked as he looked back at her attentively.
"ha sun raha hun...bolo na.." he said cutely and nandini felt like doing a googly-woogly-woosh of his cheeks. But she feigned anger.
"maine pucha tum yaha kya kar rahe ho...go home and sleep...ok!" she spoke sternly. Hearing her, manik who was standing sideways turned fully to face her and looked straight into her eyes, and said "nandini, my home is where you are...and i am where, i should be!"
As he said those words, nandini knew she can no longer be angry with him.
Its useless even to try! She didn't reply back instead just held his wrist and dragged him with her to her parent's home. Manik just stared at her and let her do whatever she intended to do. As they reached her room, she bolted the door and turned to manik "go and dry yourself, till then i will look for something for you to wear" she said that with a straight face and manik couldn't comprehend if she was still angry or not. so avoiding any chances of risk, he quickly went inside the washroom with towels. Here nandini began searching her wardrobe, but found nothing that could fit manik, not a single thing!! Nandini started thinking what will he wear?' till then manik came out wearing a towel and wiping his hair with another. It took nandini few seconds to force her eyes to shift their gaze from manik's well-sculpted torso to his face "there is nothing of your size in my wardrobe.." nandini spoke with a little extra sadness which caught the attention of manik who was till then looking in the mirror. He quickly walked up to her and cupped her cheeks "hey its ok...i can survive in a towel...don't be sad...please"
"you will have to spend the night in towel, but in the morning i will borrow something from bhai.." nandini spoke softly almost in a whisper as manik was standing very close and was slowly leaning in to kiss her. But she turned away from him and walked to the dresser , shyly and manik smiled biting his lower lip.
Nandini took out her hair dryer and spoke "manik, come here , i will dry your hair" manik obeyed and sat down while she dried his soft locks standing in front of him. The sight of nandini in front of him was very tempting to manik but he controlled himself thinking to himself that he doesn't love her for just her body.
When nandini finished her work, she kept the dryer aside and asked him "tumne dinner kiya?" and manik shook his head in a no, pouting cutely.
Nandini felt like pulling his cheeks and doing googly-woogly-woosh and the thought threatened to bring a smile on her face but she recovered on time and maintained a straight face.
"i will go and bring dinner.." she informed and started to go but manik stopped her by holding her arms and got up to talk "am i forgiven??" he asked sceptically.
"have dinner first, then we will talk about this" was nandini's reply and manik didn't press further.
"ok" he said cocking his head sideways and nandini went out.
Manik looked around for any source of entertainment, then he picked up his phone and called ramesh.
"ramesh, come inside and take my car keys and get my guitar from the car..."
"ok sir"
After a few minutes...
"sir here is your guitar"
"thank you ramesh"
"sir kya main kuch puch sakta hun??"
"hmmm" manik spoke tuning his guitar sitting on the bed in nandini's room.
"sir apko kapro ki jarurt hai? Agar aap bolenge toh main manilla se laa sakta hun"
"arey that's great..mere dmaag me ye idea hi ni aya...jao mera night wear la kar rakho...main call karunga toh mujhe dena.."
"ok sir"
Just as ramesh left , nandini entered the room with tray of food.
"kya hua? ramesh yaha q aye the??"
"i asked him to get my guitar"
"oh ok.." she said and placed the tray on the table and manik got up from the bed and sat on the couch in front of the table "actually itne kam time mein ye hi ban paya...you must be hungry na..." nandini said a little apologetically pointing towards the Maggie, pasta and sandwiches. Manik smiled and pulled her to sit beside him "its ok, relax, i understand" .and he began eating while nandini watched him keenly. The way he was eating, said that he had been really hungry. Manik felt nandini's eye on him so he looked up from his food "tumne khaya??" he asked and nandini bobbed her head in a yes.
"Thora sa mere sath ni khaogi??" he asked again.
"tum khilaoge toh khaungi" nandini replied a little emotionally and manik smiled heart warmingly before scooping a spoonful of pasta and feeding her, without breaking the eye contact. In this way, they finished the food and nandini offered him juice, which he drank in one go. Then nandini got up and bent down to pick up the plates , manik watched this at first , then held her wrist and stopped her "don't go"
"but manik, plates bas rakh kar .." she couldn't complete as manik pleaded through his eyes "please..."
"ok" nandini replied knowing very well that manik wanted to talk. She sat back in her former position and manik spoke looking at her face "nandini , i know you are trying to avoid talking to me...but please agar hum baat ni karenge toh ye misunderstanding dur kse hogi? Main janta hun maine jo bhi uss time pe kaha wo galat tha..aur justification de kar mai khud ko sahi prove ni kar na chahta...mai bas itna kahunga ki main kabhi apne wildest dreams mein tumhe disrespect karne ki baat soch v ni sakta...u r a part of me..how can i dislike something that is me? maine abhimanyu se aaj baat ki aur usse maafi bhi maanga...he forgave me..and trust me jitna tum mere family se pyar karti ho usse kahi jyada main tumhri family ki care karta hun. I had always wanted a brother and i see a brother figure in abhimanyu...i have trust him with my sister...agar mujhe doubt hota uspar toh main asa kabhi ni karta...but...(taking a long sigh) jab mukti ki baat ati ha i go mad with rage aur mujhe kuch dhyan ni rehta main kya bol raha hun...mujhe bas laga tha ki abhimanyu ne usey kuch bola hai jse ki uske past k baare mein kuch question kar diya ho..dats why..please mujhe maaf kar do...please, main tumse bahut pyar karta hun...i can't see you sad and unhappy..please" manik finished his long monologue while nandini had her gaze fixed on the ground. As nandini felt that manik was waiting for her reply, she looked up and manik saw the tears breaming in her eyes when she asked , innocently " agar itna hi pyar karte ho toh subah se kaha the??" and a big fat tear fell off her eyes. Manik sushed her "hey , hey, jaan, don't cry...ok i think i hurt you once again...i am sorry, sorry, sorry...look i am ready to do sits up...but please don't cry..." and he got up and started doing sit-ups which made nandini laugh "manik, stop it!!
Towel pehen kar kar rahe ho...acha ni lag raha" she said amidst her laughing fit. Manik smiled on succeeding in making her laugh "acha matlab main poore kapre mein rehta toh sit ups karta???" he asked faking surprise and nandini bobbed her head laughing hard.
Manik sat beside her and took her in a bear hug when she stopped laughing.
He spoke over her head , still having her in his embrace "always keep laughing like this...it makes me happy too" he said and nandini pushed herself more into him and he hugged her tighter "and about what i was doing today...toh actually i was settling all the matters , so that i can spend a peaceful holiday with you...in Fiji...you know the Fiji islands..we are going there tomorrow"
Nandini abruptly broke the hug and looked at him in utter shock and disbelief "manik, if you are doing this for forgiveness, then i have already forgiven you...we don't need to go on a holiday"
"i am doing this for myself, i want to spend some quality time with you...and moreover abhi hi toh time hai ghumne ka enjoy karne ka...while we are still young and energetic!" he countered shutting her up. Manik had conveniently hidden some facts and the plans because of which he had been hell busy today. It was good that she had not enquired further , otherwise he would have to spoil the surprise that his friends and family had planned. Both , looked at each other for quite a while and no one spoke anything. The silence felt comforting and emotions were conveyed through eyes. Nandini was the first to break the silence as she realised that they were alone in the room and she was no longer angry with him.
"i will just go and change...for bed" she said awkwardly as the mention of bed made her ,self conscious and shy.
Manik just nodded knowing very well that she was getting shy, her blush always told her heart's story.
Nandini came out wearing her night gown. She combed her hair and applied lotions sitting in front of the mirror while manik watched her every move, sitting on the bed and strumming his guitar. He wondered how , even after so much of intimacy, she still shies away from him, as if they have met just a few days back. He liked it because it made him to woo her and to win her heart, everytime, so that she allows him to get close to her. Her ,being difficult, added the fun element to their love. Even now, she is deliberately delaying in coming to him and he knows very well that he has to work hard to get her permission. And as always he knew how to do that. So he began singing.
Tere sang yaara
Khushrang bahara
Tu raat deewani
Main zard sitaara
meaning of zard sitara:-
// pale star
Nandini turned to look at him in surprise. He got up strumming his guitar and nandini smiled shyly watching him coming towards her.
O karam Khudaya hai
Tujhe mujhse milaya hai
Tujhpe marke hi toh
Mujhe jeena aaya hai
O tere sang yaara...
Khushrang bahara
Tu raat deewani
Main zard sitaara
O tere sang yaara
Khushrang bahara
Main tera ho jaaun
Jo tu karde ishara
Nandini didn't get up, she continued doing her work and manik smiled standing at her back looking at her reflection in the mirror. Then , still singing, he moved and stood beside the mirror leaning against it, looking at her intently. Nandini looked at him every now and then and then looked away shyly. When she was done, she got up and manik followed her.
Kahin kisi bhi gali me jaaun main
Teri khushboo se takraaun main
Har raat jo aata hai mujhe
Woh khwaab tu...
Tera mera milna dastoor hai
Tere hone se mujhme noor hai
Main hoon soona sa ek aasmaan
Mehtaab tu...
O karam Khudaya hai
Tujhe maine jo paaya hai
Tujhpe marke hi toh
Mujhe jeena aaya hai
O tere sang yaara
Khushrang bahara
Tu raat deewani
Main zard sitaara
O tere sang yaara
Khushrang bahara
Tere bin ab toh
Na jeena gawara
She walked to the door and checked its lock and manik leaned in her ears and sang the lyrics. She blushed and turned to check on the side table , if water is there in the jug. Manik kept following her.
Maine chhode hain baaki saare raste
Bas aaya hoon tere paas re
Meri aankhon mein tera naam hai
Pehchaan le...
Sab kuch mere liye tere baad hai
Sau baaton ki ik baat hai
Main na jaunga kabhi tujhe chhod ke
Yeh jaan le
O karam Khudaya hai
Tera pyar jo paaya hai
Tujhpe marke hi toh
Mujhe jeena aaya hai
Satisfied that everything has been taken care of, she walked towards the bed and manik took the hint and stopped playing the guitar but continued singing. He placed the guitar on the couch and walked over to the bed , where she had bent down now, arranging the sheet and cushion.
O tere sang yaara
Khushrang bahara
Tu raat deewani
Main zard sitaara
he leaned over her bent figure and encircled his hand round her waist from back and sang rest of the lyrics in her ear.
O tere sang yaara
Khushrang bahara
Main behta musafir
Tu thehra kinara
As nandini stood straight in his embrace , he tried to turn her and in the process, the knot of her gown opened exposing her lingerie clad front to him. Nandini tried to cover herself up but couldn't as manik took her lips in his mouth with such force that she had to hold on to him for support. He kissed her hungrily and nandini felt that he had not been this hungry even for the food. She tried to participate in the kiss but he didn't let her. Her shrug was on the floor now and she stood there in just her lingerie. He made her sit on the bed, without breaking the kiss. She moved back but he followed her , lips still intact. She stopped in the middle of the bed and pushed manik, who was on his knees, on to the bed and kissed him, telling him that she was a participant in the kiss, too. His hunger had subsided a little , so he let her take the lead. She was totally lying on him now. And their exposed skin rubbed against each other, sending tingling sensations down their body.
Nandini broke the kiss and they both were panting heavily. As nandini was trying to recover her breath, manik got up and pulled the sheets over themselves taking her in a hug.
"tonight will be a peaceful night" he whispered as her eyes drooped.
"good night, manik"
He didn't reply instead kissed the top of her head...as they drifted into a peaceful slumber...
ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL
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Credits to the writer- Manini Mehra