Manik's POV
As I got out of the car and walked towards the house, I spotted a red rose and a yellow rose in our garden. It was Valentine's Day today...how I wish I could give Nandani a red rose but let's start with the yellow first. Yellow, for friendship that we need to have to spend the whole life together! By the time I had reached to our room, she seemed to have fallen asleep on the couch. I placed the rose on a table in front of her and wished her a Happy Valentine's Day. Slowly sleep took over me and yet another day ended.
The morning rays disturbed my sleep and I woke up. As I opened my eyes, I found Nandani staring at me with a cup of tea in her one hand and a magazine in another. "What?" I asked.
"You know normal people usually say good morning first." She said.
"Well normal people don't stare at someone waking up from sleep either!" I said as I sat upright and leaned my back on the headboard.
"Since you are not normal, I have to observe your mood first and then prepare myself for the day. If you are grumpy and angry then I will put my fighting mode on cause you get all cranky. And if your mood was okay, then I would ask you if you want coffee or tea for breakfast." She said very confidently.
I chuckled at her words. "Coffee please!" I said and got up to use the washroom when my eyes fell inside the little dustbin by the dressing table. "Rose..." I said it out loud and Nandani heard me.
"Oh that...! It was lying on the floor so I threw it in the bin. Was it yours? I am sorry if..." She said apologetically.
"No...no! What would I do with a rose." I said and stormed into the bathroom. It's going to take longer then I think for us to build this relationship. Sorry to all the girls who gave me gifts and I didn't care about. Now I know how much it hurts.
Nandani's POV
Spending the whole day in the house doing nothing is so tiring. Though it's not something that I don't know about. Even before this marriage, I somehow spent my life like this. But thanks to this balcony here, it helps me pass my time. It was almost 6:00 pm, Manik and dad must be returning home soon.
"You like to see the sunset or is it that you just stare at absolutely nothing." Manik said as he came and sat next to me on the the couch.
I laughed at it first and then responded it. "To be honest, I just at stare anything in front of my eyes. It helps me to stop thinking too much for a while." I said.
"What do you think about?" He asked but I don't think I was ready to share anything with anyone at this moment.
"Stuff that I shouldn't be thinking about..." I said. Manik seemed to have gotten the hint of me not wanting to talk about the matter so he changed the topic.
"Cabir and the others are going to a night club tonight...you want to come along?" He asked being so nervous about something which I couldn't figure out.
"No....what would I do there? I don't go to such places. Besides mom wouldn't like it too I guess. And people who visit there are not all good either." I said and went into the room.
"Why are you lying?" He asked me and I turned around while he lay on the bed showing me his smirk as if he knew what I really wanted.
"I am not..." I said and opened my cupboard to distract myself.
Before I could realize, he closed and blocked me between him and the cupboard. "I can easily figure out when one is lying, I did psychology in college. Now tell me what's stopping you? If it's mom then don't worry about, she doesn't care about all this." He said.
More then his closeness, his eye contact made me uncomfortable. I got out from the trap and took a deep breath first and then faced him. "Yeah, I want to go but I am scared. I have never been to such places and I don't even know how to behave there. You will be with your friends but what will I do there alone? Besides I don't even have such clothes." I confessed honestly. It was a fact that I can't easily blend into people or such fancy places. It never was my thing.
"You don't have to be sacred Nandani, it's just like a normal party but with louder music, more people and a lot more dancing. You don't have clothes, then let's go shop them from a mall. And don't worry, you won't be alone. I will be close to you." He said. I did trust him so maybe I should give it a try. After all, at one point in my life, I did want to visit a nightclub.
"Okay..." I said.
"Good! I will go take a shower, and you too get ready. We will go to the mall and do some shopping together." He said being excited.
"You are the first man who is excited to go for shopping." I said and he smiled.
"See what all you make me do....ab friendship ki hai toh nibhani padegi." He said and went into the bathroom. I was excited for today...all thanks to Manik otherwise I would never gather the courage to go there.
Manik's POV
"How does this look?" Nandani asked. I looked at her and she looked beautiful but she was clearly not comfortable in the dress.
"You comfortable in the dress?" I asked.
"Yeah...don't I look okay?" She asked. Why does she never share her feelings with me, when I can clearly see the discomfort on her face. I chose this dress because I have always seen Mukti, Aaliya and Navya wearing such clothes at discos. But they look comfortable while Nandani's entire attention is on her dress. How will she be able to enjoy then?
"You look fine, but the dress doesn't look nice." Of course I lied as she would never tell me how uncomfortable she felt. "Try this..." I said and handed her a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.
"How does this look..." She asked as she changed into it. Just the tone of her voice suggested she liked it.
"Perfect, just like how it should be." I summed up all my billion feelings into one word, perfect.
Nandani's POV
I clinched onto Manik more as we entered the club while he placed his hand over mine to ensure me his presences. "Manik..." I heard Aaliya call him from a far. She came and dragged Manik along, he almost let go my hand but he didn't. I did get terrified for a moment when his hand was slipping of mine.
"Welcome welcome...." Cabir said. We all exchanged our formal greetings.
"Come let's dance Manik..." Aaliya came and asked Manik. I still had held onto his hand and I didn't want to let go but what if he wanted to go? I let go his hand but to my surprise he decided to stay back. I was thankful.
"Manik....you can have fun with your friends. You don't have to be here." I said after everyone had left us alone and were on the dance floor.
"I am with my friend." He said and smiled at me.
"You do remember our deal right. You can do whatever you want, I wouldn't mind! Just live your life like you lived before this marriage. You know like....girls and stuff! I heard you are quite famous with them." I said and he laughed about it.
"I am...the girls love me too much I guess. Not my fault!" He said.
"Oh wow....so it's their fault that you are a playboy?" I asked.
"Of course....now tell me what you would like to drink?" He asked.
"Anything that doesn't have alcohol." I said and we walked away to get us drinks.
"Can I ask you a personal question? Beer or wine?" A guy asked and stood next to me.
"Excuses me?" I said and tried to move away but he held my hand.
"Oh come on...." He slid his hand to my waist and pulled me closer. "Don't play too hard girl...I know girls like you." He said nearing his face to mine. I tried to get out of his hold but failed when suddenly someone pulled me out of his grip.
Before I could even blink, Manik hit his face and he landed on the floor. "How dare you!" He screamed and the whole club had taken a standstill. He was going to hit him again but I held his hand.
"No...don't. Just leave it Manik!" I begged but the anger in his scared me!
"You...." He was about to say something but the others came by.
"Let's get out of here.." Dhruv said and we all left.
"Manik...since when do you lose your cool so easily?" Aaliya asked Manik as we stood outside the club by our cars.
"Ha Manik...this has happened to us so many times before, then you always handled it with calm. But why did you get so violent?" Mukti asked. I felt so bad that he did all this because of me.
"Guys chill...there is a difference between you guys and Nandani right!" Dhruv said the rest giggles while Manik was just fuming in rage.
"Let's go..." He looked at me and then sat in the car.
"Bye guys....sorry for spoiling the night!" I said and sat in the car while Manik drove us back.
I wanted to thank Manik but he was still so angry. Why was he so angry? "Are you an idiot? Couldn't you just slap him? Or couldn't you call for help?" He screamed at me in anger.
"Manik it happened so fast I was...." I tried to calm him down but he had lost it completely.
"What fast?? How dare you let him touch you like that!!" He screamed and hit his hand to the steering wheel.
"Manik can you calm down!!!" I too screamed at him to make him hear my words.
He was shocked as my tone raised but managed to cool down in few minutes. "Sorry...!" He said looking on the road.
"It's okay...it's wasn't your fault anyways. I am sorry for ruining tonight and thank you for helping me." I said and he looked at me in disbelieve.
"Chuck it....you hungry?" He asked.
Oh I was so hungry. "No I am fine...it's okay, we don't have to stop anywhere!" I said.
"I know you are hungry, then why are you even lying? Let's have something." He said and stopped in front of a restaurant.
"Why did you ask then?" I asked him quietly.
"Leave it, you won't understand." He said as he opened his seat belt and went out.
How was the update? Did Manik feel bad when he saw his rose in the bin? Is Manik getting to know Nandani as a person more now? Is Nandani a weird person or just normal with messed up things in her head? Do share your views...