Nyonika smiles at manik and all moved to the middle of the hall.
Nyonika gestures him to stand beside Nandini and he walks up to her.
All eyes were set on the couple and manik turns to Nandini to stand face to face.
He looks at her and she looks at him back.
There was a silent talk going between them through their eyes but soon enough Nandini smile at him which made manik smile at her too in return.
"Bhai",mukti said him.
Manik nodded at her and took out the box from his jacket pocket and looked up at cabir once nervous.
Cabir nodded at him and manik took out the ring and gave the box to mukti.
He looked at Nandini and she forwarded her hand in front.
Manik holded it in his right hand and look at her.
Her eyes held nervousness, excitement,scared and determination on it.
He hold his hand a bit tighter and she wrap her thumb around one of his finger in return flashing him a nervous smile.
He lifts his left hand and slowly slides the ring on her finger.
Everyone clapped for them and went silent after a while.
Navya passed Nandini the ring and she took it from her.
She looked at manik once before taking his right hand and sliding the ring in his finger.
Everyone clapped again louder this time and the elders hugged each other.
Manik was still holding her hand rubbing his thumb over the back of her hand.
Nandini blushed at the gesture but was interrupted by the gang who came and congratulate them.
"Picture time.",dhruv said and asked one of the photographer to take their photos.
All gathered to each other side pushing each other and Nandini was pressed with manik on her side.
He gave her a smirk before wrapping his hand around her.
She looked at him surprised and he smiled down at her when the camera clicks the picture.
They turn to camera and gave a smile.
Everyone came soon one by one near them congratulating them and giving their blessings.
Soft music was playing and most of the couples were dancing on the floor.
"U guys should go and dance. It's your day.",alya said them to which everyone agreed.
Manik looked at Nandini and forwarded his left hand to her.
"Wanna dance??",he asked her.
"Yes",she said and gave her hand in his.
The other guys too joined with their partners while Karan and Arya went with a random girls.
Manik lead her to the middle of the dance floor and puts her hand in his shoulder. He holds her left hand with his right and put his left hand on her back.
They slowly move with the music.
"Finally I got the time to talk to you.",manik said looking at her and she smiled.
"What do you want to talk about?",nandini asked him slowly.
"Dad wanted to do the press conference today in the evening but I wanted to inform everyone at the office first then do the press conference and also tonight it would have been hectic. So I hope u don't mind, I actually wanted to ask you first but I didn't see you and it was all of a sudden so I hope u are not upset or mad at me for that and would understand the reason.You aren't mad at me, Are you??",manik asked her looking thoughtful.
Nandini chuckles seeing his expression and he frowns.
"U are so cute when u get nervous.",Nandini said him and pulled his cheek from her right hand.
"I am not cute and answer the question.",manik asked and twirled her around.
"I am not, infact I am glad to know u want to inform everyone at office first then to the media.",Nandini said with a smile wrapping her hand around his neck and he sighs in relief.
Manik keeps both his hand on either side of her waist.
Nandini looked at him and saw him lost in thought.
"What's wrong?",she asks him.
He smiles at her and nods in no.
"Tell me.",Nandini insisted and he looks at her once and then looked up.
"We are close friends right?",he asked her with hope.
She looked up at him confused but still nodded.
"Are you uncomfortable with me?",he asks her again nervous.
She frowns at this but still nodded in no.
"Then why all your friends can hug and kiss you whenever they want and I can't. U don't even say a proper hii to greet me when we are with everyone but you hug all your other friends to greet them, why so??.",manik asked her honestly and gazed into her eyes.
She was surprised at this and was blank at his question.
Before Nandini can think anything and answer him. Arya interrupted them.
"Manik do you mind if I steal nanz from you?",Arya asked him and manik nodded in no before taking a step back.
Nandini was staring at him still lost thinking about his question when he gave her a small smile and left to talk with some clients.
Manik was talking with the clients when his eyes fell on Nandini who was laughing at something Arya said.
A small smile appears on his lips seeing her laugh freely but it fades away once he realised it was not because of him.
Nandini felt his gaze and turns to him.
She smiles at him and he smiled too at an instant.
They changed partners and Nandini danced with everyone while manik made conversation with people.
Naina came near manik and he smiled at her.
"Why are you not dancing?",she asks him.
"Not a big fan of it.",he answers.
"Just like Raj. He used to always complain about dancing.",Naina said him and he smiles looking at his mom forcing his dad to dance and him complaining.
"Manik",naina called him.
"Yes aunty.",he asks her.
"My daughter is a little stupid when it comes to matter of heart just like her father. U have to say her clearly in words to get her understand but u know what she also appreciate small small things in a relationship like me.",Naina said her and manik smiled hearing it.
"I will remember it.",manik said her and she smiled.
"I need to go now.",Naina said him and he nodded and kissed her cheeks.
"Thank you.",he said her and she puts her hand in his cheeks and smiled at him.
She left him and went to greet others.
Cabir wraps his hand around manik shoulder and manik turns to face him.
"Bonding with my mom??",cabir asked him.
"She was asking about navya.",manik said with a straight face.
"What?, U didn't say her anything right. Both mom and navya will kill me. Manik what did you say her.", cabir asked getting panic.
"I was joking. We were just talking randomly.",manik said laughing at him.
Cabir hits his shoulder.
"Not funny.",he said annoyed.
"Cabu...",manik said shaking cabir shoulder.
"U are so irritating and dare you call me with that name again.",cabir said making irritating faces.
"Godd what did I do to end up with this crazy brother sister?", Manik said aloud.
"I should be the one asking this.", cabir said him.
"Yeah yeah..",manik said copying his actions.
They hear a laugh and turned around to find the gang laughing at them.
"U two are always fun to watch. I missed seeing you guys like this.",dhruv said and hugged both of them.
Alya and mukti too joined them.
Abhi wrapped his hands around Nandini and both smiled at each other.
"Go for dinner.", nyonika said to them and went away.
They nodded at her and went to the area were dinner was arranged. A large table was arranged for them.
They all sat down. Nandini was sitting beside manik and cabir.
Two girls approach their table.
"Would you mind if we join you for dinner?",one of the girl asked them.
They were the daughters of a important client.
"Yeah sure.",dhruv said them.
They sat beside Arya and Karan.
The dinner was served while they made small talks.
"Guys let's make it interesting.",mukti suggested.
"Mukti it's dinner time. We will do it after eating.",abhi said and was about to pick the spoon but mukti slaps his hand.
"It's my brother and best friend engagement and I have every right to do anything so yeah we are playing something while eating.",she said and abhi glared at her.
All looked at each other faces thinking.
"I am in.",cabir said her making her grin.
"U are the best.",mukti said and hi-fi him.
"So as cabir agreed we are playing.",mukti said firmly.
"We still didn't say yes.",abhi complained.
"Your don't have a choice.",she said him with a wink.
"The game is quite simple. We have to eat the favourite food of someone else. The food we want to eat is served in front of us. We have to give it to someone else of our choice and eat the choice of others. Like I want to give my favourite to alya so now alya have to eat my choice of food and her food will be given to someone else and so on. In this way everyone food will be exchanged.",mukti explained smiling at her new found idea.
"What's the fun in it?, U don't get to eat your favourite food. What if I get food full of calories. I can't eat that.",the girl named Sia complained.
"I don't think anyone else has problem with eating others food. So no problem u don't have to exchange your food with us.",mukti said her and then turned to others smiling brightly.
"Okay let's do it.",cabir said excited.
The others too nodded and started passing plates to one another.
After sometime everyone had different food infront of them.
Everyone had a satisfied look except abhi.
"Why do I have to eat salad and boiled vegetables and fruits?, Seriously ,Who have it for dinner",abhi complained looking at his food.
Mukti chuckles at him.
"Abhi it's good for health. U should be happy. I got this butter parathas and I don't know how am I going to finish this.",alya said defending her favourite.
"Now let's eat .",dhruv said and everyone started eating.
Nandini looks at manik and found him looking at her.
She smiles at him and takes a bite of her dish.
Everyone started having small talks.
Nandini and manik were eating silently smiling at each other once in a while.
Suddenly Karan started coughing.
"Godd It's so spicy.",Karan complained and everyone chuckles at his expression.
"Here drink it, its fresh and cool.",Sia offered him.
He was about to take when Nandini stopped him.
"Sia the drink has mint flavour in it and he is allergic to that.",Nandini said her and Sia frowns at her while Nandini gave orange juice to him.
Manik smiled at Nandini actions.
Navya looked at manik and smirked.
"Manik and Nandini will u both stop smiling at each other every time u glance . It's getting creepy now. At least talk some thing.",navya said to them irritated.
Cabir and manik chuckles while Nandini blushed a little.
Others were too busy to notice.
"And don't you guys know sharing your food increases love. Share and eat", navya ordered them.
"U can't be serious, I am not sharing my food with her. This is delicious.",manik said putting his plate away from her.
"I am not interested to share mine too with you. Bhai you want to taste it.",Nandini asked cabir and he nodded.
She picked the spoon and fed him.
He smiled at her making her raise her eyebrows.
"It's yummy.",he said and she grinned.
Manik smiled at their interactions.
"Manik don't be a kid and feed her your food.",navya said him sternly.
"Fine.",he said and looked at her picking his spoon .
He feeds her the bite and she slowly eats it enjoying its taste.
"It's really good.",she said him and he smiled at her.
He got back to his eating.
"Do you want to taste mine??",nandini asked slowly.
He looked at her once and then nodded.
she picked up the spoon and was about to feed him when cabir noticed and ate from the spoon.
"Bhai it was for manik.", nandini said irritated.
"Manik?? Choti the dish has black pepper in it.", cabir said her as a fact.
Manik and Navya sighed in relief hearing it.
"So??",nandini asked confused and glanced at cabir and then at manik.
Manik frowns a little at that.
"Manik is allergic to black pepper, he gets rashes throughout his body and high fever too. How come you don't know it? U have been living in his house for two months now right?",Navya asked her surprised.
Nandini felt guilty hearing it and her face fell.
She looks at manik once and saw hurt in his eyes.
She looked down at her plate.
"Navya maybe she forgot, stop asking questions now.",cabir said a bit strictly seeing Nandini upset.
"I was just saying cabir.",navya said in her defence.
Cabir gave her a helpless look.
"Cabir, Navya shut up both of you. I never said her so she didn't know. Stop discussing now and eat.",manik said with a stern face and both got quiet.
"Cabir",manik called him and he looked up at him.
Manik nodded at him and cabir too gave in and nodded before turning to navya and trying to cheer her up.
The rest of the dinner the four of them were mostly quiet.
The elders were busy with closed relatives and saying goodbye whereas the youngers went in a room to spend some time.
All got settled in the sofa whereas Nandini stood.
"Doll come here.",abhi said her with a smile.
She gives him a small smile.
"I need to make a phone call. I will come in a minute.",Nandini said him and went outside.
She saw a open balcony and went there.
She was standing holding the railing tightly looking at the ring and bracelet in her hand.
She felt a hand on her shoulder and composed herself before turning around.
"Karan what are you doing here?",she asked him.
He looked at her face then sighed and opened his arms.
"Come here.",he said her and hugs her.
Nandini relaxes herself and hugs him back.
"U are upset.",Karan said her breaking the hug.
"I am not.",Nandini said smiling at him.
"Ohk fine, come inside.",Karan said her and pulls her with him.
They met cabir half way.
"Everyone is about to go home, I was about to call you. Come.",cabir said and both went down with him.
Karan and Arjun hugged her and wished her again and went away.
"Ohk so manik you, Choti, alya, mukti and dhruv come in one car and me, abhi, Arya and navya will come in another.",cabir said him and manik nodded.
They all settled down in the car. Manik was driving and Nandini was in the passenger seat, rest were sitting on the back seat.
Nandini was looking outside.
"Nandini",alya called her and she looked at her.
"Tell me whose compliment was the best today.",alya asked her excited.
"Obviously it was of bhai. Right nandu?",mukti asked her.
Nandini realized manik didn't compliment her at all and looked up at him to see him looking at her.
"Awwww",the three of them said together making Nandini blush and looking away.
They reached home soon and everyone started going inside.
Manik locked the car and went inside. He saw Nandini going to her room.
He walked faster and holds her arms and turn her around.
"Manik??",she asks confused.
"Where are you going?",he asks her.
"My room, I am a little tired, goodnight.",she said looking down and tried going inside but he stops her.
She looks up at him and he stares at her before sighing.
"U are really stupid.",he said her and leaves her arm and takes her in a surprise hug.
Her eyes went wide in surprise and she tries to understand everything.
"Aunty was right, u need to told very clearly in words to make u understand something.",manik said and tightens his arm around her shoulder.
She lifts her hand and hugs him back still confused at his words.
"Did you seriously thought that I didn't compliment you because you didn't look good?",he asked her a bit angry.
"How did you know I thought this?",Nandini asked him.
"I just know and it's not like u didn't look good. The dress suits you completely and you are looking breathtaking. It's just that when I saw you I was just thinking of words to compliment you but no words could be good enough to say how u were looking. I thought you could see it in my face how much surprised I was seeing you but no u are a stupid girl.",manik justifies her and she smiles keeping her head on his shoulder.
"I am not stupid.",she mumbles to him.
"Yes cause you are a bull, my bull.",manik said looking at her and she looks up at him.
She gives him a smile.
"What?",he asked confused.
"U called me bull after so long.",Nandini said with a smile.
"I missed calling you that.",he confessed and hugged her again to which she smiled and hugged him back.
Someone coughed loudly and they both break the hug and look at that direction to find cabir standing there leaning on the wall with arms crossed.
"Goodnight.",Nandini said with a blushing face and went inside her room.
Manik and cabir chuckles and made their way to their rooms.