"Manik I asked you to take Nandani alone, not your friends as well." Nyonika scolded Manik.
"Mom they were insisting on seeing Nandani and spending sometime with her so why not this trip. And Nandani has no problem with it, in fact she sounds excited." Manik convinced her.
"Manik....everything is fine right?" Nyonika asked Manik sensing some uneasiness.
"What is wrong? We are both happy about this trip, then what problem can there be?" Manik said smiling. Nyonika cupped his face with her right hand and left without saying anything. Manik took a deep breath as he managed the situation.
"I am still not going with you..." Nandani said it loud and clear to Manik who was busy packing as they were about to leave in few hours.
"Listen, I have asked my friends to accompany us to Goa. We won't be alone...so don't worry. And you can ask your friends to come to if you want." Manik said calmly packing his bag.
"Oh wow, now you asked your friends to accompany too...that means we have to pretend in front of them to. This is all your plan..." Nandani argued again with Manik.
Manik left his clothes in anger and went out, but stopped. "Pack your bags, we are leaving in few hours. My friends will be coming now. And remember not to create any scene in front of them, they mean way more than friends to me." Manik warned her calmly and left.
Nandani got even more frustrated as things were not going according to her. She helplessly started packing her clothes for the trip.
In few minutes all of Manik's friends arrived at his house and marched into his room. Manik was shocked at their sudden entrance and Nandani felt awkward seeing a bunch of people enter, who she had no clue about.
"Saale...where were you?" Cabir asked as he hugged Manik.
Manik avoided the question and hugged the rest of them. "Okay so guys meet her, my.....wife, Nandani. And Nandani, these are my friends. Cabir, Dhruv, Aaliya,Mukti and Navya." Manik introduced them.
"Hello." Nandani said being as nice as she could be.
"Nandani, what magic have you done on Manik that he no longer cares for his friends either." Aaliya asked Nandani.
Nandani was confused at her tone and her smile as they did not go well together. "Areee....Aaliya, Manik is married now so obviously he has to divide his time." Cabir said trying to break the awkwardness. "And we will talk about all this later, right now let's get going. We will get late." Cabir said noticing the fear creeping onto Manik's face.
"Yeah let's go." Dhruv said.
Nandani was struggling with her luggage and Manik noticed so went to help her. Manik tried to carry her bag from her hand and slightly touched her hand by mistake. "Stop looking for ways to touch me!" Nandani whispered angrily into Manik's ears.
Manik left her struggling and went ignoring her.
"Manik, how can you be so irresponsible. Help your wife!" Cabir said as he saw Nandani carrying her bags down the stairs while Manik was arranging all bags into their car.
"Cabir, one thing I like about Nandani is that she is capable of doing everything on her own...SHE DOESN'T NEED ANYONE..!!" Manik said it loud enough so that it could be heard by Nandani. Cabir sensed the hidden tension between Manik and Nandani but kept quite.
"And you know Cabir, one think I like about Manik is that he is VERY SUPPORTIVE in whatever I WANT." Nandani too taunted while handing her bag to Cabir. Cabir noticed that the problem was two way.
"How 'CUTE'." Cabir sarcastically said. "I will drive for sometime, till then you can sit back with Nandani." Cabir said to Manik. Nandani got more angry and Manik noticed it.
"No need Cabir....I can drive us all the way. It's only 10 hours!" Manik said closing the back of the car.
Cabir was now sure of the tension between them and thought to talk about it with Manik first. He had a doubt about it since the time Manik had not invited them for his wedding. They were best of friends, but had drifted due to this wedding. Everyone had something or the other against Manik but they all just kept quite.
It was 3 hours into the drive and Nandani was confused about everyone's behaviour. Non of them were talking to each other. Nandani wondered what the matter was. "Is anyone alive..?" Cabir finally spoke.
"Wow...somebody asked after all these months!" Dhruv said.
Manik sensed that Dhruv was pointing this out to him. "I am sorry..!" Manik said driving the car.
"Why Manik? What did we do...suddenly you stopped speaking to us? Speaking tho kya...you didn't even invite us for the wedding." Mukti asked.
Manik had a lot to say but he chose to keep quite. Nandani noticed that there was something wrong within the friends so she kept quite and listened. "I am just sorry...! Actually I started office and all during the wedding so was keeping a little busy that's why." Manik responded trying to hide his reasons.
Everyone looked at each other for a while and then bursted into laughter. Nandani was confused as she didn't know what was the reason that suddenly they started laughing. "Manik and office...!!" Navya said. Nandani was just clueless. Cabir noticed it and explained to her the reason.
"Nandani don't be so confused..! We all are laughing because Manik Malhotra is talking about Office and all!" Cabir said. Nandani didn't care but she wanted to know what was so funny about it.
"Office...he goes everyday. What's so funny?" Nandani asked calmly. Manik was surprised to see this coming from Nandani.
"Nandani have you seen the sun rising from the west? No right...You don't know, this husband of yours always ran away from his dad's company. His day began partying with us and ended in partying with us...Now if somebody changes so suddenly it will be surprising for us right." Cabir explained jokingly.
"Nandani changed him...." Aaliya again made a comment and Nandani didn't know how to respond to it.
After 7 more hours of drive they reached Goa. It was quite and awkward ride for all of them, specially Nandani who didn't know what was happening and Manik who knew everything yet couldn't do anything.
"This place is beautiful but then there are only two rooms. How are we going to stay here?" Navya said.
"Sorry guys...actually I couldn't find a bigger place on a short notice so I got this place." Manik said apologetically.
"It's fine...we can manage. Girls in one room and guys in the other?" Nandani suggested quickly as she knew this way she wouldn't have to share the room with Manik.
"Okay...but you are on your honeymoon, don't you need a room?" Cabir asked.
"Cabir...we don't need a room to be together. We will find our own ways." Manik said trying to control the situation. Nandani once again got annoyed with Manik's word and went away.
"Okay guys I think we need to end the day here....specially Manik, he has been driving through out the day." Aaliya said. They all agreed to it as they were tired travelling the entire day. The girls took the room on the right and the boys took the one on the left. They joined the beds and it was big enough for everyone to sleep on.
Nandani saw Manik going out to the car so went to talk to him. "What the hell was that...we don't need a room...we will find our ways? Have you lost it..!! Thank God that we got a smaller place, otherwise I would have to share a room with you and you would..." Nandani went on and on but Manik was annoyed now. He held her tightly by her shoulders and brought her closer to him.
"Stop it!! Just stop it...! If I want to do anything to you then I would have done it by now. Even now if I want I could have shared the room with you. And what do you think, that I got this place because I couldn't get a bigger one!......Just leave it. You will never get it!" Manik walked away pushing her in anger.
Cabir wanted to speak to Manik but waited for the right opportunity but they had all slept. Around midnight, Cabir woke up from his sleep when he heard the door of his room open. He saw Dhruv sleeping, which meant Manik had walked out. Cabir thought of grabbing this opportunity and speak to Manik.
Cabir walked out and saw Manik sitting outside on the bench in the garden. "Sleepless nights? What's happening Manik?" Cabir teased.
"Cabir...you still awake?" Manik asked.
"Can I ask you something?" Cabir too asked.
"What do you want to ask Cabir?" Manik asked knowing Cabir in and out.
"The obvious question! Why didn't you invite us for your wedding?" Cabir asked calmly.
"What was the use Cabir. This wedding is just name sake. Nandani and I had a deal before marriage, she wouldn't interfere in my life and I wouldn't interfere in hers." Manik said the truth to him. Though Cabir knew there was more to it.
"Congratulations.....that means you are still free to do what you want. Partying, girls, clubbing and unlimited fun. But then you still haven't answered my question, why didn't you invite us for the wedding?" Cabir asked as he knew the reason was something else.
Manik hesitated and spoke, "Nothing Cabir, I just didn't want to involve you guys into this fake thing." Manik knew he will be investigated completely if he stayed more with Cabir so he thought to walk away. He stood up but stopped as Cabir spoke.
"You still haven't answered my question, but what's wrong with you? Are you in love with her?" Cabir said joining the pieces together in his head from what he had noticed so far!
"What..!!" Manik said being shocked at his words.
"You got in this deal with her but slowly you fell for her. You tried hard to not let these feelings come to you but they eventually did. Your ego would have been hurt if we mocked your feelings as you always claimed that you would never fall for a girl, was this a big enough reason for not inviting us? Which still doesn't make sense but Manik Malhotra is in love?" Cabir said walking in front of him analyzing everything one at a time.
"Manik Malhotra will never fall in love...! This is a deal, a deal which I had made. I don't believe in love and I never had a place for it in my life either." Manik said confidently.
"Okay okay....So you wanted this? You wanted to be free...and you are now! But why aren't you happy? And tell me one thing, why have you changed so much? Where is your 'playboy' side after this marriage?" Cabir asked determined to find explanations to his queries.
"I am HAPPY...!" Manik said.
"Are you really happy?" Cabir asked again to make sure.
Manik thought for a while and answered again. "I am....I am....I am." Manik spoke as if convincing himself that he was happy. He left saying it again and again but Cabir had understood what all this was about. There were few things he couldn't figure out but he knew he had to help Manik.
So how is the story so far? Is Manik in love with Nandani? Will Cabir ever find out the entire matter? And what about Nandani? Do let me how this chapter was and are you guys liking the story so far?