~ Because love is not about accepting each other with their respective flaws, it's also about keeping each other's heaven safe in your embrace and heaven is going to be incomplete without our families....~
" Kabir! Kabir open the damn door", Manik screamed, seeming furious though in reality he was scared. Finding no answer, he put the key in the lock and opened the door only to witness a messy room with an equally messy Kabir, sitting on the floor, hugging his knees.
"Kabir...!", Manik's voice was almost a whisper as he ran down to his baby brother sitting amidst scattered pillows and bedsheets and broken vases and mirrors.
Manik said nothing but hugged him tightly while Kabir tried his best to resist him but failed. Finally giving in to his brother, he let Manik warp his arms around him and sat silently hiding his face.
"What's wrong Kabir ? What happened?", Manik asked again, softly.
" Bhai...", Kabir finally looked up at him and he caressed his baby brother's hairs.
"Now that you have the love of your life and her siblings, you will also ignore me? You will also become busy without me? Like Mom and Dad-", Kabir couldn't finish , his voice nothing above a whisper as he broke down and Manik was taken aback. No matter how hard he tried, the trauma of their past wasn't ready to leave Kabir. He sighed, composing himself to deal with him like the doctor had suggested.
"Kabir, in life we do get new pictures to admire but the love for our that one favorite old picture never decreases. Does it? So why will I ignore you?", He stated softly and Kabir looked up at him, saying nothing.
" But you said on the phone you will go out with them?", Kabir sulked agian and Manik again laughed at him.
" Dumbo! Did I tell I won't take you?", He asked with a smirk and Kabir gave a embarrassed smile.
"You know You mean more to me than anyone right?", Kabir asked and Manik nodded before throwing a look at his room.
" Just for a petty thing, see how badly you crumbled up your room!", Manik said with fake anger and playfully hit his shoulder. Kabir laughed this time. Manik relaxed immediately at the sound.
" Stop being mom bhai", he retorted and called a servant to clean up everything while they had their dinner. Raj and Nyonika tried their best to act jovial and involve Kabir to tease Manik, who kept shaking his head at their lame attempts.
Post dinner, everyone slept off except Manik. He was standing beside his window, his favorite place thinking about kabir. The insecurities in his body language and the fear in his eyes had shaken up Manik. Of all, he loved his baby brother to death and couldn't bear a scratch on him but he knew, they themselves were responsible for the vulnerability kabir had grown up with.
Kabir was in his MBA final year and was the heartthrob of his college. Known as the joker of his group, he was famous for his witty remarks and shitty jokes. But at times like this, when his insecurities took over him, his anger was difficult to handle. Over time he had grown this way, maybe initially it was a defence mechanism for Kabir to cope up with the situations in the house but overtime it rendered him insecure and angry. Manik knew it wasn't his fault but it was a thing to worry on, definately. He just prayed to let go things smoothly before finally drifting off to sleep on his bean bag itself!
The next morning, an over excited Navya and Rishab woke up Nandini from her dream land and within 1 hour, they were all ready waiting for Manik to come. Padmini was laughing at their excitement and teasing Nandini who was also smiling at her siblings. Few minutes later, the doorbell rang and Navya rushed to open the door to find two dashing and hot men standing with a cheeky smile. Since Navya had not seen Manik, she had no idea who out of them was her jiju.
"Umm, so who out of you is jiju?", She asked standing at the door itself earning a chuckle from both of them.
"Why, won't you let both of us enter?", The shorter one of the duo asked and she bit her lip.
"Sorry sorry come in....", She said letting them in and closing the door behind. The taller one of the them bent to touch her Anna's feet and Navya realised by then that he was her jiju.
" Hey! Sali sahiba! I am your jiju and he is my younger brother- Kabir ", Manik introduced himself and Kabir joined his hands in front of padmini to wish her. Nandini smiled at him and Navya and Rishab too smiled at them. After the initial formalities, they all took their leave.
"Jiju, where are we going?", Rishab asked as he settled in the back seat with Nandini and Navya while Kabir sat in the passenger seat.
" Shopping I guess. Then movie and then food!", Manik replied excitedly and Rishab and Navya shouted in happiness while Kabir looked at them in disbelief. Didn't Manik said they were both just a year younger to him?
15 minutes later Manik parked in front of the mall. As he went to park the car in, Nandini dragged Navya and Rishab with her to one side.
"Both of you remember! Run around or stroll but don't shop too high on standard. I mean they are different than us when it comes to shopping, so just don't get carried away. Okay?", She warned them like a mother and both giggled at her.
"Yes boss!", Rishabh saluted his sister like an army man and Navya laughed at him and at the same moment Manik and Kabir came back. Nandini had noticed how Kabir was quiet and stayed by Manik most of the time, but she also remembered Manik telling her about how extrovert and jovial he was otherwise.
"So, let's go in?", Manik asked and everyone nodded. Soon Navya and Rishab were tagging on either sides of their jiju moving towards the dress section and Nandini giggled at them from back when she noticed Kabir waking behind her and rather slowly.
" Hey!", She turned and waved at him and he was startled at her voice.
"Hello!", He wished back and now was standing awkwardly not knowing how to react. Nandini herself was not a conversation person and she hated small talks but at the moment she realized, he was more awkward than she was.
"Let's have ice cream?", She aksed him and he nodded. The rest three were already out of sight by then. Holding their icecream in one hand they settled on one bench near the fountain and sat silently gazing the water.
"Kabir?", Nandini called again and he looked at her."
"You don't like Salman Khan?", She asked out of the blue and Kabir was startled again at her random question.
"I do. Very much. Hum saath saath hai and hum aapke hai kon are my favorite family movies", Kabir answered with a smile and Nandini laughed.
" And still you are behaving like this?", She aksed confusing him and he looked at her with wide eyes.
"What? I am your soon to be sister-in-law or bhabhi to be specific. And we both are meant to be best friends. We have to do so many pranks together and trouble your brother. And here you are sitting like this, uncomfortably!", Nandini rolled his eyes dramatically and Kabir who was astonished for a moment slowly started smiling and finally burst out laughing.
"God bhabhi! I thought I was filmy! But you are more then me. I guess our bond will be the best", Kabir exclaimed and Nandini laughed with him. For a moment she could not believe herself. She was shocked and proud of herself for taking the initiative.
" Indeed!", She replied and both had a high five.
Two hours later, they saw an over happy Navya and Rishab coming towards them with a worried Manik whose face was frowned but he instantly relaxed seeing her and Kabir .
" Didu you missed everything. See jiju shopped so much for us", Navya exclaimed and Nandini i was all wide eyed seeing the shopping bags in their hand, already glaring at them.
"We didn't miss anything. We had lot more fun than this faltu ka shopping experiment. Right bhabhi?", Kabir said and this made Manik's jaw open in shock and even Nandini agreed with Kabir making Navya and Rishab whin in annoyance.
The next round included a movie session with Manik sandwiched between his in laws and Kabir and Nandini sitting together happily! Even during their food hunt, Nandini and Kabir had lasagne together while Manik and Navya-Rishab had chinese. Kabir was happily chatting with Nandini and also with Navya and Rishab. Manik was smiling but somewhere his eyes were moist. He felt his heart swell with happiness looking at how Kabir had opened upto Nandini and he was pretty sure it was her attempt.
Finally after an eventful day, while they were leaving for home from the mall Kabir, Navya and Rishab made an instant plan to have road side food and also give some space to the be couple.
"Bhai we will come soon. You go with bhabhi. And bhabhi don't worry. Trust me I will drop them safely!", Kabir assured them and the trio left happily, signalling each other without even giving them time to react.
Manik turned towards his girl, a small smile playing on his lips when he saw she was already staring at him.
"What's wrong Manik?", Nandini questioned, and Manik's eyes widened in sheer astonishment!
Note:
How many of you were expecting Nandini to question him?
Caring Manik is our favourite already. Let's see if Nandini lives upto that? Stay tuned?