You won't believe me if I say I wrote a 6500 word update and then had to split it into two parts 😂😂😂
Mehndi function was going in full swing. The ladies dancing to music, so many mehndi artists showing off their talent, and the happy faces of the brides.
"I miss Bhabhi" Mukti said. Deepu and were Mukti were sitting next to each other.
"I miss her too, kithna mazaa aatha agar wohh bhi hothi toh. Waise Manik ko hua kya hain achaanak se?" Deepu asked.
"Yeh top secret hain, promise tu kisi ko nai bathaayegi" Mukti said.
"Promise, ab jaldhi batao" Deepu said.
"Meine kal raat un dhonon ko pool ke paas dhekha. Mein Abhi se baath kar rahi thi and I was in the balcony, jahaa se you have the perfect view of the pool. Bhai toh bade romantic ban rahe the, pool mein rose petals and all. And then Bhabhi came, and then....i leave upto your imagination" she said giggling.
"Haaawww! Tujhe sharam nai aathi?" Deepu asked.
"Jab Bhabhi aayi thi na, mein use moment andhar chali gayi, I don't know what happened after that" she said winking.
"Mujhe hi5 dhene kaa mann kar raha hain, par mere haath" Deepu said.
"It's okay" Mukti said hitting Deepu's leg with hers.
"Le ho gayi teri hi5" she said and they both were laughing.
Navya and Alya who were busy with the guests saw them smiling bright, and went towards them.
"Kya baatein ho rahi hain? Jokes and all huh?" Alya said.
"Nai, hum bas ek dhoosre ke design pe comments kar rahe the" Mukti lied.
They cracked some jokes on the boys, and were having gala time.
At the hospital:
They were waiting for their turn to get in. Though they had an appointment, there were a couple emergency cases, and their appointment schedule was pushed back.
Manik leaned on the chair and rest his head on her shoulder. She pat his cheeks lightly, and he closed his eyes, feeling her soft touch.
"Tired?" she asked.
"Thora sa" he said.
"Tum baitho, i will go check with them. I understand there is emergency, par yeh bhi toh emergency hain" she said and went to the front desk.
"Could you tell us how long it's going to take?" she asked the lady sitting there.
"15 more minutes mam. I am sorry aap ko wait karna pad raha hain" the lady said.
"Can he at least get a bed till then?" nandini asked, and the lady guided them to the commons.
She showed them the room, Manik laid on the bed, and she sat on a chair next to the bed, holding his hand.
After 5 minutes, a nurse came in.
"Mam, inkii blood sample leni hain" she said and Manik freaked out.
"Blood sample? Kyun?" he asked getting up.
"Kyun ka kya matlab? Sister, aap aaiye" nandini said.
"Nandini no! Anything but a needle" manik said covering himself up with the blanket.
"Manik don't act like a kid now. Jaldhe se apna haath dhikhao and let her do her work" nandini said.
"No way! No way nandini! No way!" he said.
"Yes in every way manik" Nandini said and pulled off the blanket.
"Manik mein hoona, kuch nai hoga, just one small prick and then you'll be done, haina nurse?" Nanidni said.
"Ji sir, aap ko bilkul dard nai hoga" the nurse said.
"Please nandini" he requested.
"Manik meri baat suno" she said moving closer and signalled the nurse to get ready.
She held his hand, "kuch nai hoga, just a second and then it's done, look at me. Dont look elsewhere" she said and he exactly did the same.
The nurse held his hand and pricked the syringe after finding the nerve.
He was in pain and she was sad to see him in pain.
"Shhh shhhh kuch nai Manik, dhekho ho bhi gaya" she said and the nurse pulled the syringe out.
"Take it away, before i see it" he told not looking at the nurse. And the nurse left.
"Dekho kitna simple tha" she said.
"Dard ho raha hain" he said looking at the bandage.
"Ab nai hoga" she said kissing over it.
Twenty minutes later, the nurse called them in to see the doctor.
"Hello Manik! How are you?" the doctor asked. He was the family doctor for Malhotras, and a friend of Manik's dad.
"Not fine doctor! Aaap ko patha haina i am scared of syringes and then you ask for a blood sample" Manik said.
"School-college-grafduation-shaadi...and still the same fear for syringes" the doctor said smiling.
"Doctor reports sab theek haina?" Nandini asked.
"Yes, complete report abhi tak nai aaya, but so far it's good. Normal fever hain, ek do din mein chala jaayega" the doctor said and she was satisfied now.
'Doctor anything specific that should be taken care of? Food? Kya yeh sab kuch kha saktha hain or would you suggest some light food for these two days? I gave him toast and ketchip this morning for breakfast..." she was doing the same thing mothers do when they take us to the hospital.
"Doctor aap ko yaad hain, mom bilkul yahi same karthee thee, when she used to get mukti or me here?" Manik said, and then she realized she over spoke.
"Mein bhi wahi soch raha tha. Young lady! He is totally fine, he just needs some rest aur no specifications in food, wohh sab kuch khaa sakta hain. As i said, all he needs is some rest" the doctor said.
"Great! Thankyou doctor" Nandini replied.
"Aur Manik? Mukti ki shaadi ki tayaari kaisi chal rahi hain?" doctor asked.
"All good! Aap aa rahe ho na shaadi mein?" Manik said.
"Oh yes!" the doctor.
"See you at the wedding" Manik said and they both got up from their chairs.
"Take care Manik! Bye nandini" doctor said and they both left the room.
While they were walking back in the lobby, they saw a couple. The woman was pregnant, with her baby bump visible, and her husband was holding her and helping her walk carefully. There were bright smiles on the faces of the couple.
Manik was walking without noticing that she wasn't there next to him. He looked at her side, and she wasn't there, he turned around to see nandini looking at the couple, her eyes shining bright and a beautiful smile on her face.
He walked toward her, "Kya dhekh rahi ho wifey?" he asked.
"Unhe dekho na, how cute they look together" she said showing him the couple.
"Yeah" Manik said.
"When i will be carrying our baby, tum bhi aise hospital chaloge na mere saath?" she asked cutely as they started walking back.
"Tum chaaho toh mein hospital ko hi ghar pe laa dhoon, so that you don't have to walk" he said,
"Manik" she said hitting him lightly.
"What? Sachh mein! I won't let you put your feet on the floor. Tumhe jaha bhi jaana hoga, i will carry you and our baby in my arm, like this" he said lifting her in his arms.
"Manik! Manik put me down" she said as everyone were smiling watching them.
He put her down.
"I will be heavier at that time, nai utha paaoge tum" she said,.
"Gym jaoonga, body build karoonga. And yeah! Don't underestimate my strength okay! Yeh dekho" he said showing her his biceps.
"Acha acha fine, aur haan ek aur baat, tumhe irritate bhi nai honaa hain, if i show tantrums, ki manik mujhe yeh chahiye mujhe wohh chahiye. I can ask you for an ice-cream at 3 AM midnight" she said.
"Anytime! Anything for you! Form anywhere! And you already know that! Next?" he asked.
"Lots of toys for the baby! Room full of toys" she said.
"Check! Next?" he asked.
"Make sure we live long enough to have some good memories with the baby, and give them some good memories" she said sadly.
"Nandini" he said holding her, "are you okay baby?" he asked.
She nodded her head.
They got into the car and started back home.
But instead of home, Manik was taking her somewhere else. To her favorite ice-cream place.
"Yaha kyun aaye?" she asked.
"Pakode khane" he replied and there was confusion on her face.
"Ice-cream khane stupid, and haan before you start, mein nai khaunga okay" he said and they got down the car. He ordered her favorite ice cream for her, and a coffee for himself.
"Nandini, i know you were not able to spend time with your parents, in the age you needed them the most. I totally understand how difficult it must have been for you. You see death, is not something which is under our control. God forbid you don't know when it's going to come, and to who. My parents taught me to live life to the fullest, my dad was busy setting up his business, making sure, we'll be able to fend for ourselves, at any point of life. But he never ignored us. One step out of office, and that window used to shut in his brain. That is what he always used to tell me. Family..wife..children, these are what that come first" he was talking when their order arrived.
"Khao" he said giving her the ice-cream.
"So yes, never will you worry again about that. Nandini hamaare paas sab kuch hain, we have enough money, a house to live in, we have wonderful people around us, touchwood. And i promise you, we will make the best memories with our babies, and i would want you to enjoy along with them, as another baby and not as a mother. You know i am capable enough to become both the mother and father of you all" he said and that made her smile.
"Aur bolo na" she said,
"Kya?" he asked.
"About us...about how life is going to be" she said.
"I don't believe in thinking how life is going to be, but yes, every moment will be wonderful, that i can promise. You will experience everything you missed in your childhood and i assure you that" he said.
"I love you" she said.
"Thats a good thing to hear after all this speech" he said holding her hand.
They sat there for some more time, and left for home.
On their way back home, Alya sent some pictures to Nandini with a message.
"We missed you nandini, function abhi khatam hua" it read. There were pictures of them all, with mehndi and a video where Alya and Navya were dancing.
"I don't even remember when i put mehndi on my hands for the last time, their hands look so beautiful" she said looking at the pictures. Manik was feeling bad as she missed the occasion because of him.
They reached home, and there was no one in the living room.
"Guys" Manik called out.
"Hey tum log aa gaye? What did the doctor say?" Alya asked coming from her room.
"Normal fever hain, bas ek do din mein kam ho jayega, where are the others?" Manik asked.
Mukti and Aryaman in Mukti's room. Cabir, Navya and Dhruv at the wedding venue, and me just resting" Alya replied.
"Nandini can you get me a jacket from our room?" Manik asked, and she went to their room.
"Alya listen, i need your help" manik asked her.
"Haan bolo na"
"Nandini ki outfit jo wohh aaj pehen ne waali thi, i need that, and by any chance, do you have any mehndi left over after the function?" he asked.
"Yes, outfit mere paas hi hain, and mehndi bhi hain, par kyun?" she asked.
"Kuch nai, i dont want her to miss anything, so ek chota sa surprise for her" he said.
"You never stop surprising me Manik, kithna sochthe ho tum" she said.
"Acha, take ramesh's help, and make a small setting on the terrace, zyaadha kuch nai, bas someplace to sit and can i get the outfit and the mehndi?" he asked her.
"Sure" she said and went back to her room.
Meanwhile Nandini also came down with her jacket, so he had to tell Alya not to get the outfit right away.
"Alya! Nandini is here" he screamed.
"Manik chilla kyu rahe ho?" Nandini asked.
Alya understood why he said that and put back her outfit in her room.
"Kuch nai she was asking for you" he covered up.
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In the evening
Manik
I left the outfit on our bed, with a small note,
Wear this and meet me on the terrace at 7"
Alya arranged everything for me perfectly. It was 6:45 and i was waiting for her on the terrace already, and before she starts scolding me, i had a thick jacket on me, had some food took my medicine and then came here, to be safe.
And then she was here, the red saree, looked extremely beautiful on her.
"When are you going to stop surprising me like this?" she asked walking toward me.
"Never! And you look beautiful in this saree" i said.
"Thanks! But what is all this?" she asked.
"Come sit" i said and we sat on those stools that were placed.
"Meri wajah se you had to miss the mehndi event, and i know how much girls like putting mehndi. So, a small effort from my side, to make up for it" i said and showed her the plate, that had two mehndi cones.
"Awww! Thats so sweet of you, par lagaayega kaun?" she asked.
"Of course me!" i said.
"Manik! I am fine without mehndi par mujhe apna haath kharaab nai karna, let's just forghet this" she said.
"Have you ever seen me do this? You dont know how good i am at it" i said.
I tried it a few times for Mukti, Alya and mom and i wasn't too bad. I could easily draw those flowers, strings and some weird designs.
"Nai Manik, if you really want to do it, then just write an M, that's enough" she said.
"M bhi hoga, par pehle design, see i am ready with the sample design too" i said showing the print outs i took out for a simple design.
"Itna planning?" she was surprised.
"Ab haath dikhaao" i said and hesitantly, she gave me her hand.
"It's going to be the same design on both hands okay? I am not super creative" i said and she nodded her head.
I started applying, while she was talking many things....about everything.
It took me an hour, to do it on one side for one hand, but it was good.
"Manik! I am really very impressed by this. This looks so good" she said. Yes! Mission accomplished!
"Let me finish it" i said and wrote an M, like the musical note.
It was almost 11 PM, and i finished both hands, front and back, taking breaks. She was feeding me dinner, while i was busy with the mehndi.
"Side business shuru kar sakte ho tum, Manik this is really so good" she said looking at the complete hands. It didn't fill her hands entirely, but it was good.
Proud of myself!
Then i adjusted the lights, and clicked some pictures for her, to add them in the album, along with those of others.
She then took the cone, and wrote N on my right hand, and drew a heart around it.
It was getting colder, and we have things to do tomorrow, so we finally wrapped up our private mehndi session, and went back to our room.
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Hope you enjoyed!