M: sorry mukti aaj baat nahi karr sakta! Jab tumhari subhe hogi tab baat karenge!! Tum sojao!! And yea aapni bhabhi ko mera number de dena!!
He closed his laptop and left for the meeting with cabir.
AFTERNOON
Manik and Cabir were sitting in the Famous Tim Hortons coffee shop. Cabir bought a honey dip donut and Iced cappuccino while manik about double double coffee.
M: nandini ne call nahi ki!
C: (smirking) ohhh nandini ne call nahi ki!! Idiot! Wahan raat hai! Kaise baat karegi!!
M: lekin jab waha dinn hoga tab to humari raat hogi! Abh kya karu?
C: (dramatically) Kya karun hayye...kuch kuch hota hai!!!
Manik glared at him and checked his mobile. There were two missed calls from home, one had a voice messaged attached to it. He checked the time and they came 20 minutes ago. He put the phone next to his ear and listened to the message.
It was mukti's message.
Mu: bhai mujhe 1 ghante mein call karna skype pe! Mom ko aapse baat karni hai! I know yaha raat ke 12 baje hain but dont worry we are all awake.
Manik checked the time on his watch and it said 3 pm.
M: (mind) abhi wahan to 12 baje honge! Aur mukti ka msg bhi aaya! Hotel jaake phone karta hu!
Manik told cabir that he wants to skype home. Cabir nodded and both finished their coffee/cappuccino.
INDIA
Nyeonika and aliya were sitting in the hall, drinking coffee. It was 12 am and they were waiting for manik's call. Suddenly, a skype call came on mukti's laptop as it was placed on the side table beside the sofa. Nyeonika answered the call and saw it was manik's.
Ny: maani beta kaise ho?
M: main theek hu mom! Aap soyi nahi abhi tak?
Ny: nahi maine kaha tere waha afternoon hai to main call karti hu! Aur waise bhi hum sab jaag hi rahe hain! Bas Atul aur Anjali soo gaye hain!!
Nyeonika kept on talking while manik was scanning the hall behind Nyeonika to get a glimpse of nandini.
Ny: (teasing) arre manik mere piche kisse dhoond rahe ho?
M: ahh mom mukti nazar nahi arahi?
Ny: mukti ya koi aur?
M: ahh-woh-
Ny: seede seede bol ke tu nandini ko dhoond raha hai!
Manik froze as he did a crime and was caught redhanded. Yes he was finding nandini , but why?
MANIK'S POV
Main usse hi dhoond raha hu! Lekin kyu?
Kyu meri naazrein itni betaab hai uske ekk jhalak keliye?
jab woh saamne hoti hai, to main hosh kho deta hu?
MANIK POV END
Ny: kahan kho gaya?
M: huh? Nahi mom aise koi baat nahi hai! Main mukti ko hi dhoond raha tha!
Ny: (chuckling) acha? Tum kehte ho to maan leti ho Lekin mujhe abhi bhi lagg raha hei ke tum nandini ko hi dhoond rahe ho!!!
Before either of them could say anything, they heard mukti shouting and nandini laughing. Manik was surprised to see this side of nandini. He always thought she was a chup rehne wali, innocent nandini but here on skype he saw a cheerful, shararti nandini.
Nyeonika turned her head back to see nandini running with a paper in her hand and mukti running behind her. Nandini raised her with the paper in her hand and mukti jumped and tried to get it. Nandini was laughing while mukti was shouting.
Mu: bhabhi!! Kyun tang kari hain mujhe?
N: awwwwwww mukuu!! Lekin mujhe bohot mazaa araha hai!!!
Mu: (pout) bhabhi!!
N: (same expression) mukuuu!!
Nandini pouted like mukti and then burst out laughing. Nyeonika laughed while manik was confused what was happening here.
Ny: nandu kya hoa? Itna hass kyu rahi ho?
Aur mukti tum itna ghussa kyu ho!!!
Mukti understood what nandini was gonna do and she made her eyes wide.
Mu: bhabhi! NO!!! Aap mom ko woh photo aur uss list ke baare mein nahi batayengi!!!
Ny: konsi list? Konsi photo?
N: (controlling her laugh) maa woh kya haina k-
Mu: BHABHIII NOOOOO!!!
Nandini started running around the hall as mukti ran after her trying to snatch the paper.
Manik was amazed to see his cheerful and full of mischief wife.
Ny: nanu- muku?
N: woh kya haina maa!! Mukti na apne future husband mein jo qualities honi chaiye uski list bana rahi thi!! To maine usse ekk aisi tasveer dhekahi jo bilkul uss list ko match karti hai!!
Ny: acha! To mujhe bhi dhekao woh tasveer!!
N: BHABHIII NOOOOO!!!
Aliya who went to the kitchen to watch the coffee mugs got confused to see them like this.
She looked towards the laptop and saw manik staring at the girls running.
Nandini turned the paper towards everybody and showed the picture to everybody. It was a monkey's picture hanging off the tree.
Aliya and Nyeonika burst out laughing. Mukti pouted.
Ny: heheheh...nan-nandu ekk baat to batao? Yeh bandar (monkey) iski perfect husband wali wishlist se kaise match karta hai!!
N: maa! Mukti ko ekk Cute sa, Strong aur powerful pati chaiye!! Aur...hehehehe...yeh bander cute bhi hai, aur jis tara yeh bandar tree se latak raha hai to dhik raha hai ke yeh kitna strong bandar hai!! To I think, this is perfect match for her wishlist!!
Mu: mom dheko na bhabhi ko!!!
Nyeonika looked towards mukti and then towards nandini. Mukti was wishing that Nyeonika sides her and nandini was wish that Nyeonika plays along.
Ny: waise mukti baat to sahi hai......NANDINI KI!!!
Nyeonika gave a high five to nandini while mukti whined and stomped her foot. Nyeonika went and twisted nandini's ear lightly.
Ny: waise mujhe nahi pata tha ke meri bahu itni badmaash hosakti hai!!
Mu: aap sab burre ho!!! Main kissi se bhi baat nahi kari!! Bhai idhar nahi hain na isiliye aap log mere saat aisa kare ho!!
A: bhai ! Omg! Aaplog yaha busy ho aur udhar bhai aap logo ko istara pagalon ki tara ladte dhek rahe hain!!
Mukti and nandini froze where they were. They both acted innocent in front of manik, mukti a perfect sister and nandini a perfect wife, but here we saw two jungli billis getting together and meowing.
Both turned their back towards the laptop which was now placed on the table in front of the sofa.
They looked at eachothers faces and bit their tongues!
Mu: (whispering to nandini) oh no! Bhabhi bhai ne dhek liya! Maine is tara unke saamne kabhi behave nahi kiya!
N: (same tone) to tumhe kya lagta hai? Maine kiya hai?
Mu: nahi lekin aapko itna haasne ki kya zaroorat thi?
N: tumhe woh list banane ki kya zaroorat thi?
Mu: to aapko yaha neecha laake sabko bataane ki kya zaroorat thi?
N: tumhe itna chillane ki kya zaroorat thi??
Manik, Nyeonika, and aliya saw them murmuring. Manik and aliys could only see their backs while Nyeonika got some side view of them. Manik cleared his throat and both girls turned around and passed him a nervous smile.
Mu: woh mujhe sona hai subha college bhi hai!!
Mukti ran off to her room. Everybody looked at her running to her. Manik chuckled knowing why she ran like this.
N: woh- maa mujhe sibha sanjeevni jaana hai! M-m-main bhi sone jarahi hu!!
Nandini also ran to her room as fast as she could. Manik's eyes traced her all the way to the bedroom. Nyeonika and aliya smirked and sat on the sofa to talk to manik.
M: chaliye mom aap bhi sojaye! Bohot raat hogayi hai aapke wahaan!!
Ny: okay beta aapna khayal rakhna!! Aur yeh cabir kaha hai?
M: woh! Woh aapne room mein araam kara hai!!!
Ny: acha chalo tum bhi abh rest karo aur mujhe bhi sona hai!
He cut the call and Nyeonika and aliya retired to their rooms.
NEXT DAY
MORNING 8:00 am
INDIA
Nandini came down ready in a bottle green net saree. Her long hair landed near her slender waist. She had her long neck bare except the long manglesutra around her neck. Sindoor was adoring her forehead.
N: goodmorning maa!!
Ny: goodmorning mera bacha!!
Nyeonika kissed her forehead while she hugged her. Mukti and Aliya also came ready with their stuff.
Ny:: waise nandini! Aaj tu dhaang se tiyaar hoyi hai! Warna to humesha murjaye hoye dead colour pehenti hai!!
N: chalein maa mein chalti hi warna der hojayegi!!!
Nandini took one car while mukti went with aliya as aliya will drop her to college and then she will go to her boutique.
SANJEEVNI
Kirti saw nandini and got surprised. Nandini was standing near the nursing station.
Kir: nandini tum?
Nandini turned around and saw kirti.
N: (hugging her) kirtii bhabhii!!
Kir: tum yaha hospital mein kya kari ho?
N: woh maine hospital wapis join karliya hai!!
Kir: thats great news! Shubhankar sunega to bohot khush hoga!!
N: lekin chachajaan ne aapko hospital mein dhek ke kuch kaha nahi?
Kir: unke bahu hu mai, unke eklaute bete ki biwi! Moreover shanshank papa Pune gaye hai peechle 2 week se! Aur maine aur shubhankar ne last week hi join kia!
N: Shubhankar bhaiya kaha hai?
Kir: briefing ke time ayenge!!
They turned around to see Atul standing there with his labcoat.
Kir: goodmorning doctor atul!
At: doctor keerti yeh file jo aapko chaiye thi!!
N: jeeju aapne bhi hospital join karliya?
Kir: jeeju?
N: kirti bhabhi yeh Anjali di ke pati hai!!
At: bhabhi?
N: jeeju yeh kirti bhabhi hai! Shubhankar bhai ki patni!
At: shashank papa ke beta be hai?
N: haan woh actually......
Nandini told how shubhankar married kirti and padma didnt accept her. Then she told kirti how anjali ran away with Atul.
Kir: hum sab ki zindagio mein kitna kuch badal gaya hai?
At: sahi keh rahi hai app dr kirti-
Kir: arre abh to bhabhi bala lo? Abh to main tumhari bhabhi lagti hu na!!
Atul chuckled while kirti and nandini giggled. A man dressed in 3 piece suit came.
Man: kirti woh ward number 3-
Kirti: shubhankar!
Shubhankar froze when he saw nandini . Tears came to his eyes.
Shub: nan-dini?
N: (hugging him) bhaiyaaaaa!!!!!
They parted after 5 min. Shubhankar was unaware of nandini's marriage. He was surprised to see nandini in saree.
Shub: kya baat hai nandu aaj saree pehan ke tiyaar hoyi ho?
N: meri shaadi hogayi hai bhaiya!!
He then looked at atul and thought he was her husband.
Shub: (to atul) ohh to tum ho mere jeeja jee!
N: bhaiya nahi!
At: main aapka jeeja to hu lekin main anjali ka pati hu!!
Shubhankar then got to know Anjali's story.
Shubhankar: nandu aaj tu aur tere susral wale duty ke baad humare ghar pe dinner karenge!!
N: bhaiya lekin pehle mein maa se poochogi phir!
Shub: (teasing) kyu tumhari saasumaa bohot khadoos hai!
Kir: arre nahi shubhankar Nyeonika aunty to bohot achi hai!!
Shub: arre yaar mazaak kara hu! Chalo phir nandu duty ke baad phone karke bata dena mijhe!!
Nandini nodded.
CANADA
NIGHT 11 PM
Manik was sitting on the bed lost in deep thoughts when cabir came in. He came and sat next to him.
C: buddy kaha khoya hoa hai?
M: huh? Kahin nahi!!
C: bhabhi ki yaad arahi hai?
M: cabir ekk baat sach sach bata?
C: bol?
M: tujhe kaise ehsaas hoa tha ke tuje aliya se pyaar hai?
C: jab woh paas nahi hoti, to meri ankhein bekaraar hoti hain usse dhekne keliye!! Jab woh paas hoti hai to dill tezz dharakta hai!! Uski harr khushi mein khush hota hun! Aur uska harr gham chubta hai!! Uska harr aansoo takleef deta hai!!
M: iska matlab mujhe nandini se pyaar hogaya hai!! Nahi nahi yeh nahi hosakta! Manik Malhotra ko kabhi pyaar nahi ho sakta!!
C: Manik Malhotra !! Oh gawwwdd maan le ke tujhe aapni HOT, SEXY, aur IRRESISTIBLE biwi se sachi mohabbat hogyi hai!!!
Manik started to hit him while Cabir was trying to save himself.
C: abhay saale maar kyu raha hai?
M: teri himmat kaise hoyi? Tujhe sharm nahi aati apni keliye istara ke words use karte hoye?
C: dheka horaha haina jealous? Tu usse pyaar karta hai isiliye tujhe bura lagg raha hai kee koi aur teri biwi keliye aisa bol raha hai!!
Now manik was in a dilemma. He thought for a while and a beautiful dimpled smile came on his face.