"Manik" came a high-tone bitchy voice from the entrance grabbing everyone's attention.
"Uh-ho" manik and nandini uttered looking at each other with a scared expression.
All turned their heads towards the source of voice. Raj and Nyonika were shocked till no end seeing soha on their doorstep. While Bhushan, latha and Gagan had a confused look on their face. But our younger clan were too confused to react so stayed quite.
Manik was sweating profusely looking at soha, at that time soha looked like a road roller which is coming towards him and would roll over his body smashing him to the ground. He knew this situation would come but didn't expect this soon. Geez, his parents just arrived for christ sake.
Soha walked upto manik, ignoring the fact that maniks parents are looking at her cause she didn't want to mess with her plan. She believed that manik took her back cause he was in love with her before and still is. But his parents, not so sure.
"Manik, hey ! I missed you soo much that I came all the way over here to meet you" soha coaxed in her honey-coated tone. Nandini's finger formed into a fist and her teeth clenched together, looking at soha standing so close to manik.
"What the hell is she doing in our house ?" A voice boomed in the house. It was Raj.
Manik closed his eyes briefly to get a grip on himself as he wasn't ready for this.
Suddenly the atmosphere turned tensed. Arav grabbed on to his mother's leg in fear as Raj shouted.
"Dad, listen....." manik moved away from soha and made his way near Raj.
"You better have a good reason why she stepped into our house manik, but right now I don't want to see her face. Tell her to get out" Nyonika snapped. A women standing in front of her took away her children happiness and ruined their whole family, what else could anyone expect from her.
"Raj who is this girl ?" Bhushan asked keeping his hand on Raj's shoulder.
"The one and only Soha kuranna, who took away our house happiness " Raj spat in anger. Bhushan knew everything about soha, what all she did to Malhotra's family but never saw her. When raj said who she was, he cringed his face looking at her. He too has a daughter, but he would never want his daughter to play with other peoples life and feelings just for money.
"Dad just ..." manik started but stopped in the middle and went to soha and dragged her to a corner and said "soha you need to go right now, I'll call you later. Just go" manik said softly but didn't attempt to touch her.
"But manik .." before soha could continue manik spoke.
"Listen I need to explain to them that how much I love you, right now you should go" manik felt disgusted when he uttered 'I love you' but he had no choice.
"Ohh manik ...I love you too and I'll wait, but please can I join tomorrow's function please " soha pleaded. She wanted to attend so that she could talk to mukti and manipulate her (at least that's what she thought).
"Oki you can but right now, you should go " manik gave a tight lipped smile. Soha nodded and left.
"Dad, mom can I talk to you guys in study ..please " manik pleaded.
"Come with us " Raj dragged Bhushan along with him.
Raj, Nyonika,Bhushan and manik walked to study.
Here in the hall, all sat in silence except Arav who nagged saying he's hungry. Navya and aliya took him to the kitchen to feed him.
Nandini came and sat next to mukti.
" Its going to turn out ugly, isn't it ?" Mukti asked with a poker face.
"Have faith in manik, mukti. That's all we can do" Nandini mumbled, more to herself.
"Baccha, who is she ? " Latha asked Nandini caressing her hair.
"Mumma, I'll explain everything to you tomorrow but right now you need some beauty sleep, remember tomorrow Pooja function is there" Nandini tried to change the topic.
"Ohh yeah, I forgot. Even I'm very tired" she said standing up.
"Aunty your luggages are kept in the guest room, come I'll show you the room. " Mukti said getting up. She got to know there's no use in taking tension, as her Engagement is going be to be one hell of a function.
"Thank you beta" Latha stood up along with Gagan.
"Gagu freshen up and come down for dinner. And if you want to have dinner better drop that creature in the room itself, am I clear ?" Nandini warned slightly combing his hair, brushing his shirt near his shoulder, acting all warmly while giving him treat.
Gagan was too tired to mess with her right now so just nodded glaring at her and followed Latha.
In study, Manik explained everything to Raj, Nyonika and Bhushan and told them to keep it as a secrete cause he don't want any kind of complication at the end. But didn't mention Dilip patil, because Bhushan was there. All understood his situation and nodded.
"You really are tired, aren't you?" Nyonika said caressing maniks hair with so much of love.
"Yeah mom, dealing with her is too difficult" manik said with a sigh.
"Aww my baby " saying this Nyonika pulled manik into a hug. It's been like really long since she used this endearment to him, his eyes got teary when she pulled him to a hug. He got to know how badly he missed his mother.
"Manik just make sure you're plan wont backfire, I don't want either you or mukti hurt this time " Raj said patting manik's shoulder. Manik nodded.
"Manik, your parents have told me everything about you and the way you are right now is completely opposite to how they described you, since what all that soha did. You look changed but the question is how ?" Bhushan asked in curiosity.
Maniks eyes widened, he broke the hug. Now he got to know from where Nandini got that 'curious cat' tendency. Like father like daughter.
'All because of your daughter ' he wanted to scream but they have just recovered from one shock so he didnt want to give them a heart attack.
"I just got to know the value of my family in their absence and time helped me heal " manik said with a cute grin remembering Nandini. Dude, having mental images of daughter when talking to her father. Too bad !! Too bad!!.
"Lets just forget about everything, I'm very tired. Lets have dinner and get some good sleep cause tomorrow function starts " Nyonika said yawning. All agreed and came out of study. Elders went to their room to freshen up and manik came to hall where his friends were waiting like vultures to know what happened in there.
"Guys, I just explained to them and they agreed " Manik said as everyone threw their question at him and nandini just sat there with a expressionless face. You could say she already started her ignore game.
"Explained them what ? Cause we don't know anything " Abhi said glaring at manik. Manik just sat on sofa sighing.
"Guys, just give me a week time. I'll let you all know everything. Right now, I don't want to drag you guys into this. Just trust me " manik said in tired tone.
All just dismissed that matter seeing his tired face. Nodding their head at him all started moving towards the dinner table. Manik and nandini were the last one to leave. Manik looked at Nandini, who was starring at him only but quickly diverted her eyes as soon as he saw her. All he wanted was to hold her in his arms so he looked around and when he found no one, he slightly moved towards her. Sensing him walk towards her Nandini moved faster into the dinning area before he could reach her. Manik just huffed in sadness while Nandini smirked.
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Saturday (Pooja function )
Manik knocked on Mukti's room. Mukti opened the door and was surprised to see manik.
"Bhai, come in " manik went inside.
"Mukti I just came here to ask a favor " manik said in hesitation.
Mukti cringed her eyebrow in confusion but nodded anyway.
"I kinda gave soha permission to join all your engagement functions, I know I should have asked you but I had no choice, so please will you act normally around her. I'm not asking you to talk to her all the time but just control your anger around her " Manik finished his speech looking everywhere except mukti, he knew what he was asking her was too much but he had too.
"Bhai .." Mukti held Manik's hand " you just said 'I gave her the permission' but you didn't say 'I invited her' so from that sentence only I understood you are doing all this for a reason and I'm with you. Lets face them together this time. " mukti said with so much determination that manik felt so proud to be her brother.
"Thank you so much " manik said kissing her forehead.
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Nandini went to college at 9 as function starts at 1 in the afternoon. By then she could be back as she's gonna bunk on Monday. She worked on her project with Mona and the good thing was she started to recognize that Mona was getting affected by her presence either in jealousy or envy. Nandini smiled to herself seeing her friend squirm in her seat. And also observed Mona ignoring Arya completely. 'It's a good thing' thought Nandini but Aryamaan's condition was different.
At break, Nandini went to washroom and later went to the empty room where they were working on a project. Laptops and sheets were spread out on the last benches, just the way she left them but the odd thing was the room was empty. 'Even Arush went to washroom but at least Mona and Aryamaan should be here' thinking all this Nandini opened the door entirely and went in only to stop on her tracks. Her eyes widened when she saw Arya and Mona kissing each other in hunger at the corner of the room.
Soon her shocked face turned into a evil smirk and in no time she started her acting.
"Aryaaaaaaa " Nandini shrieked with a horror expression.
Listening to Nandini, both broke their kiss and moved back grasping for air.
"What the hell is going on here ?, How could you do this to me Arya?" Nandini said in whining tone keeping her hand on her heart. Arya just rolled his eyes at her acting.
Soon Mona got out of trance and realization dawn to her that she just kissed Aryamaan and accordingly he is nandinis boyfriend. Guilt crept in her heart.
"I'm soo sorry Nandini, I'm really sorry " Mona said in hurry and went out of the room.
As soon as Mona went out Nandini started searching. Aryamaan wanted to shout at her for spoiling their moment but got confused as he saw her searching for something.
"What are you searching for ?" He asked coming near.
"Video camera " Nandini said and continued searching.
"What " Aryamaan shrieked.
"It's so obvious that you guys were shooting porn, I mean come on yar you both were chewing each others face off " Nandini said waving her hands on air.
Aryamaan face palmed himself.
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Nandini came back home after finishing half of the work. Mukti also invited Aryamaan to her engagement so Aryamaan said that he would join them tomorrow as today he wanted to talk to Mona. Nandini agreed and came back home wishing him luck.
She went straight into her room to get ready. All the guest had already arrived and latha told her to come down fast as pooja will start in half an hour.
(Nandini's attire)
Nandini got ready wearing her lehenga and matching jewellery. By the time she came down, Malhotra family members along with Abhimanyu were moving near the centre of hall where pooja was set up.
(Mukti's attire)
(Abhimanyu's attire)
(Manik's attire)
Lastly her eyes fell on manik who was looking incredibly hot in his white sherwani.
She descended down the stairs gaining few attention, she looked at manik who was standing there ogling at her without blinking his eyes. Even she was looking at him with dreamy eyes and mumbled to herself 'hot stuff'. But her ogling face turned to a disgusting face looking at Gagan standing behind manik carrying the box, which she knew had frog in it.
Manik was soo turned on looking at Nandini who looked like a goddess descending from heaven and also smirked when he saw Nandini checking him out but looking at her ogling face turn into a disgusting one, he cringed his eyebrows and looked at himself from bottom to top in confusion.
Before he could do anything, Raj called him so his mind got diverted.
She came down and stood with Gagan and her parents not before telling Gagan to keep that box back into the room to which he reluctantly agreed. Nandini had a smile on her face looking at Malhotra family performing pooja but it soon disappeared when she saw soha. Her anger increased to another level.
She started planning how to make soha's life a living hell, that's when she got an idea. Smirking she turned towards the pooja.
Part 2 - Nandini's prank and manan romance. I'll publish maybe tomorrow or Saturday.