So sorry for the late update :(
A couple of weeks passed and both Manik and Nandini, especially Nandini was riding on a wave. A sweet and exciting wave that was carrying her into uncharted territories. While her friend Navya was warning her not to move too fast, not to trust a guy who had such a playboy reputation, Nandini never as much as doubted Manik's feelings or commitment towards her. She knew it was a fairy tale. She believed in fairy tales.
She was working in the cafe late that night. Her shift was almost over. It was past nine in the night. She walks to the corner in which Manik usually worked, waiting for her to be done with her shift. He did not even look at at her. She knew he was angry at her. These days she could sense his anger from miles away.
"Ice tea." she gave him a small cup and sat by his side.
Manik looked at the cup suspiciously and went back to his book. "You know I only drink coffee."
"It is late. I don't want the caffeine to keep you up all night."
"I will be up all night anyway. I have a meeting in the morning." He replied without looking at her.
She smiled looking at his anger. It was about Steve. Manik had threatened him to stay away from Nandini, even when he did not make a single move on her. He had created a brawl one evening when he caught him staring at Nandini.
Nandini was just becoming acquainted with Manik's possessiveness, so these days she chose shifts that did not have Steve around. But, tonight, she couldn't avoid it. Steve picked up a shift with her because the regular girl called in sick.
"Are you mad at me?" she hugged his arm and looked up at him pouting.
He looked down at her beautiful face lovingly but then quickly looked away trying to seem undeterred. "Don't get cute with me, Nandini."
"If not you, then who? Should I get cute with Steve?" she teased him playfully.
He glared at her instantly. He moved his hand away from her and started getting his things together. She knew he would storm out of there if she didn't do damage control. Manik Malhotra is not to be toyed with.
"Manik! Stop this madness!" she scolds him. "You know I am not interested in anyone other than you. Can I have a little trust please?"
"I trust you blindly." he replied as if hurt by her accusation.
"Then stop worrying about imaginary things."
"You are too innocent, baby." he tells her sighing.
"You are too protective, Manik." she despairs.
"Fine. That bugger better behave or I will break his face."
"I think he got that message a couple a times. I will close up and come back." she smiles, placing a small kiss on his cheek, effectively calming him down.
"I don't like to be handled Nandini. Don't think that I don't know what you are trying to do." he comments.
"I was just kissing you." she looked at him hurt.
"Hmpph!" he smiles. "Well, in that case, you could have done a better job of it. Come here." he pulls her in his arms and kisses her mouth. Nandini tries to stop him. It was her work for heaven's sake.
"MANIK!" she looks at him angrily with her hand on his chest. "I will get fired for this!"
"Seems like a good thing. I don't want you to work in this place anyway. I don't want you to serve coffee to every idiot in the campus and I don't want them looking at you. I feel like you are on a display here, Nandini."
"Well, this pays my bills. I don't want to get fired Manik." She asserts for the millionth time and goes back to work. When she walks inside, she sees Steve staring at them. Immediately she realizes that
Manik kissed her just to make a point.
Later that night, they were going up the elevator to Manik's apartment.
"I want to go home." Nandini folds her hands petulantly. She was still mad at him.
"We-are-going home baby." he hugs her from behind cajoling.
"My home. Not your home. You are so manipulative Manik. You don't want me to go home just because Dave is there."
"You are absolutely right. I don't want that insect anywhere around you." he tells her as a matter of fact.
She looks at him disbelievingly. He had an absolute straight face on. He was serious. "Oh My God!" she palms her face. The elevator pings and she marches out towards the apartment leaving Manik behind.
"I know the perfect solution to this all." he follows her.
"Yeah? What?" she humours him distractedly.
"Move in with me."
"What?" she looks at him with her mouth open. He closes it and pecks her lips.
"You heard me." he quips smiling. He opens the door and walks in.
"I am not moving in with you." she tells him without going inside. He holds her hand and pulls her inside. Arya and Soha were inside the apartment in the kitchen.
"Hi Arya. Hi Soha." Nandini greets them.
"Oh hey guys. Dinner is almost ready." Arya tells them. "I made pasta!"
"We already ate." Manik smiles at him and takes her inside.
"You are kidding!!" Nandini asks him as he was closing his bedroom door.
"Please tell me you are kidding Manik!"
"No. I am not. I am absolutely serious. I cannot stay away from you Nandini. I go crazy thinking about you, about how you are, where you are, what might be happening to you. I need to be close to you."
"Manik, we have been together since two weeks. This is moving too fast. This is jet plane fast. Slow down. Please. I am an adult. I can take care of myself."
"Hey, you don't have to work at the coffee shop then because you won't have to pay for your apartment anymore."
"MANIK! STOP IT! This is crazy insane. You are scaring me!"
"Scared of what, baby?" he goes and hugs her sweetly. "Don't you trust me?"
"I trust you, Manik." she calms down and places her hand on his cheek lovingly.
"Don't you love me?" he asks.
"Love?" Nandini looks at him surprised. "Are we there?"
"Love is a feeling, Nandini. You either have it or you don't. I know I have it for you."
Nandini looks at him with a small shy smile. "You do? When did you know?"
"Probably ever since the day I saw you. My heart fills up with it every time I lay my eyes on you. My nerves burn when I see you with anybody else. I feel like I have to be with you every minute, every second of the day, just to make sure you are okay. Just to make sure you are not doing anything stupid." he laughs.
Nandini looks down at her feet . She did not know what to say. She was absolutely stupefied and her voice was choking up.
"I know you love me too, Nandini. I knew it on the day we made love for the first time, in the camp. I didn't say anything because I was scared of the commitment, scared of the responsibility. But, now, the alternative scares me more than anything else in my life. Not having you in my life is unthinkable, baby."
"What about Aryamann and Soha?" Nandini asked.
"What about them? They will be happy for us."
"Okay." she smiled, still looking down.
He lifts her chin up and looks into her eyes. "Okay for what?"
"Okay, I will move in with you." she blushes.
He smiles and hugs her tightly. "I love you, Nandini."
"I love you, Manik." she whispers.
"I know a lot of people have been warning you about me. But, I promise Nandini. I will never hurt you."
"I know."
"Now since all of that is sorted out, can we make out now?" he pulls her into her arms, grinning.
"I was wondering when you were going to say that!" she smiles as if teasing him.
"You are getting a taste for me, baby." he cups her face and kisses her.
"Is that a complaint. Because it is easily fixable." she teases him further.
"I am not so sure about that. I am kinda addictive." he carries her in his arms to his bed.
"I don't want to become an addict Manik. Especially since I am moving in, I think we need to restrict our passions. How about we sleep together once a week." she asks him seriously.
Manik looked at her bewildered. "What about the rest of the days?"
"You can take the floor or the couch outside."
"Huh!? I cannot stay away from you for a week, Nandini! I will go nuts!" he looked flabbergasted.
Nandini dies laughing looking at his expressions.
He places her on the bed and looks at her angrily. "You are not as innocent as you look, you know that."
"No?"
"Do you know all the things I could do to you?" he asks with raised brows, unbuttoning his shirt.
"Manik!"
"Its payback time, baby." he switches off the light and makes sweet, sweet love that absolutely takes them out of the world.
******
Nandini POV:
"So, you moved in with an almost stranger, what next Nandini? When are you getting married!" Navya asks me in her condescending tone. God! it is never ending with her.
"Navya! Please..come on babe. I am happy."
"So long as I do not suffer from another heart attack like the one I got when you said you were living in sin."
"Stop dramatizing! Tell me, what's going on with you? When am I seeing you? I really want you to meet Manik."
"I am coming to New York."
"When?" I shriek. I see Manik walking into the kitchen with raised brows. He stands in front of me with a curious expression. I turn around and keep talking as I was too excited.
"Weekend!" Navya tells me excitedly. "I am coming with mom and dad thought."
"When were you going to tell me, you idiot!"
"Sorry. Acha, I have a surprise for you. I got to go now."
"WAIT!"
"I have a class Nandini. I have to go."
"Whats the surprise. You cannot leave me hanging."
"It's called surprise for a reason Nandini. Take care babe. See you soon."
"Don't you hang up on me...." I look at the phone and she left me to it.
"She hung up on me!" I complain to Manik.
"That Bitch.." Manik pretends to sympathize. "Who is it by the way?" he asks pouring himself coffee.
"My friend, Navya."
"Ah, your over protective friend who keeps tabs on all my advances."
"That's the one. She said she is visiting me this weekend." I smile.
"Do I need to fetch my running shoes?" he laughs.
"Depends, if you are up to no good...then.."
"I like being up to no good with you..." he looks at the stove where I was making some breakfast and then at me. I see his eyes shine in mischief. "I am hungry.." he walks towards me.
"Get out of my kitchen!" I warn him.
"You are not wearing any pants Nandini...what will my friends think?" he asks passing his hands down from my waist to my legs, making me squirm.
I turn around and look at him angrily. "Your friends are away. And I would be wearing my pants and my top if I had them. Gimme back my clothes Manik!"
"Are you accusing me of stealing your clothes. Whatever gave you that idea, Nandini?" he asks putting his hands on his hips and looking at me amused.
"Manik?" I threaten him.
"I need to get my own place real soon. That way I can steal your clothes all the time." he pulls me onto his chest grinning.
"Manik...please! I need to get to class! You distract me all night! You distract me in the mornings! I am rethinking about this whole moving in thing! You are such a bad influence. I cannot study in the middle of the night like you!" I push him away. "And my eggs are burning!" I scream.
"What about my heart?" he demands. He hugs me from behind and starts feeling me up. And that little touch was enough for me to lose my marbles, my body surrenders to his readily. "That's my girl..." he kisses my neck tenderly.
Suddenly, we hear the lock of the main door turn. We stop and look at each other. " Arya and Sohaa are out of town." he looks at me surprised. And then we hear a voice. I almost expire.
"Manik! Mere Bhai!! Look who I brought to see you here!"
Good God!
"CABIR? What the hell are you doing here?" Manik asks coming in front of me, covering my pant less state. The only item of clothing on me was Manik's cashmere sweater. I hide behind Manik as the blood from my face drains.
"Umm..I thought this would be a surprise to you but..." Cabir stammers.
I peek out from behind to see a man dressed exquisitely. Oh my god! That's Manik's dad!
"Dad!?"
"Manik? Who is she?" I hear him gasp in shock.
"Ummm....well..actually..." Manik stammers. Manik stammering! Go figure! This must be the most embarrassing way a girl could ever met her guy's father. God! I am ruined.
I got to do something. I can't stay here forever. "Hi Uncle. Hi Cabir!"
I hide my face and run inside and lock myself. I am never getting out of this room. Yes. That is the perfect solution.
"Nandini?" I hear Manik knock in the next two minutes.
"Huh?" I look at the closed door shocked.
"Open the door Nandini!"
"No!"
"Open the door right now!" he threatens in a restrained voice.
I peek out to see Manik standing in front of the door. "Move." he comes in. He goes to his closet and gets my jeans and top out. "It's okay. Get dressed and come out. I want you to meet my dad!" he gives me back my clothes.
"I can't...I am never coming out of this room again."
"You have two minutes." he tells me and leaves
"No!"
~~~
Later that evening, Manik was calling me incessantly. I answer the third time around. "Where are you Nandini? Dad wants to meet you."
"I have an exam tomorrow Manik.." I reply in a small voice.
"Heeey...Don't worry about morning. I told him all about you. He just wants to meet you casually. Nothing serious."
"I am in trouble?"
"No baby. Come on. Come."
"What did he say about the morning incident?"
"Which one? The one where you were barely dressed or the one in which you stormed out wearing my baseball hat to cover your face." he laughs unable to stop himself.
"It's not funny Manik! This is all your fault!" I start crying.
"I know. I know! You should know I murdered Cabir in the afternoon. He is no more."
"That doesn't help me!"
"Come home baby. I will be waiting. Okay?"
"Okaaaaaay." I reply without any conviction.
Around eight, I knock on Manik's apartment. How nice it would be if Cabir actually did learn the art of knocking the door. Manik opens the door talking with someone of the phone. He stops chatting and looks at me stunned. Like literally stunned. Like he could not muster any of the words from any of the languages he knew. Not even a Hi Nandini.
"Quite an upgrade from morning, I'd say." Cabir peeks out and whistles.
"I am leaving!" I turn around angrily.
"Bhai, I am going to disown you. Idiot!" Manik yells at him.
"Nandini.." Manik comes behind me to the elevator and stops me by holding my hand. I was almost in tears.
"You look amazing baby. I have never seen you in a sari. I was surprised. That's all. You look out of the world."
"Really?" I ask. I was wearing one the few sari's my mom had. My favorite among them a pale blue silk. This was really the third time I was wearing one. I wasn't even sure I was wearing it right.
"Really." he kisses my cheek and smiles. "Trying to impress my dad?" he teases.
"That's a far reach considering today morning, don't you think?"
"Long forgotten. Come on." he holds my hand and takes me in.
"Dad..I'd like you to meet Nandini. My girlfriend." he introduces.
His dad looks at me with a small smile. "Hi Nandini. Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you too uncle. I am sorry about morning."
"Yep. It was clearly a functional glitch. Totally unintended. Right Manik?" Cabir chimes in eating ice cream.
"Tere functional glitches ke bare main bath kare, saale?" Manik walks to him and puts his arm around his neck threateningly.
"Aaise dangerous topics kyu Bhai? Tu relax kar." he cajoles him.
"So, Nandini?"
"Yes, uncle?"
"My son tells me that he is in love. Did you know that?"
I look at Manik and of course turn deep red.
"Haye..haye..bachhi sharmagayi." Cabir teases Manik.
Manik looks at me and shakes his head smiling. "Uncle ki lottery lag gayi." Cues Cabir.
"Haan yaar. he always thought you will like an African or Italian hippie."
"Shut up. Lets go out for dinner dad. What do you want to eat?" Manik tells her.
"I am not eating out. Muje apne bahu ke haat ka khana khana hai."
"Bahu? Wah, uncle! Wah! Aap toh apne bete se be fast nikle?" Cabir claps.
"Arey..I want to know how good is my son's choice is." He exclaims.
"Dad! Don't act prehistoric. Let's go out. Nandini had classes all day. She must be tired." Manik laughs.
"No, I am not tired. What would you like to eat uncle? I make awesome Indian food." I tell him.
"Nandini, you don't have to do that." Manik tells me.
"No. I want to. I used to cook for my mom and dad all the time."
Uncle smiles at me as if touched. "Uncle's expression says 100 on 100." Cabir tells me.
**************
This song always reminds me of #MaNan <3 Do listen.