~ I might not be there beside you everytime you look, I might not be there behind you everytime you fall, but my love, I would always be there for you, forever!~
"Shriii", a female voice huffed, running behind a five year old girl. The baby girl, who was apparently named Mishri, and lovingly called Shri, looked at her mother running behind her and ran faster, giggling all the way. Her giggles that echoed in the mansion, were put to a halt when two arms caught the baby girl and threw her high in the air.
" Abhi!", The lady who was running behind her stopped at the sight of her daughter in air and screamed, while this 'Abhi' person caught Shri in time, and tickled her making her laugh like a clown.
"Calm down, Maa, you know I won't let my baby sister fall", Abhi put Shri down who hid behind Abhi as their mother, Sneha Malhotra pulled Abhi's ear not bothered to even listen, forget about considering his explanations.
"Mr. Abhigyan Malhotra, do not mess with me using your adorable expressions. Use the charm on those girls that follow you like bees", Sneha snorted, her nose flaring in anger.
"Don't be jealous mumma", Abhi winked at her," I would still love you more, just like dad loved grandmaa more", he teased her, simultaneously drawing soothing circles on the dorsum of her hand, only to saw his mother blush like a teenager, at the mere mention of his father, on a simple comment from her eighteen year old son.
" Bhai", a small voice caught their attention, and it was little Shri, trying to catch their attention. Her face was a cute pout and Abhi would have ate her up like she was a jar of nutella and not a child if not for their overprotective mother.
" Do not steal the attention girl, see Maa is blushing", Abhi picked up Shri in her arms as he pointed at his mother, who gave him a fake glare, trying hard to hide the heat that had erupted in her cheeks. For a women who was 45, Sneha Malhotra was extraordinarily beautiful, inside out. Well, that also explained her husband's obsession with her.
" What is blu-blushing bhai?", Little Shri asked, putting her thumb in her mouth. This was one habit she had not gotten rid of even though she was five now.
"This", a deep male voice spoke while landing a pack in his wife's cheeks, as Sneha blushed beetroot, and Abhi giggled.
" This is a kishmish, not blu-blushing", little Shri interrupted again as her father kissed her on her cheeks too, laughing out aloud at her question. She pouted in annoyance, why the hell was she a baby, every body ignored her.
" That was gross Papa", he made a face looking at his father who gave him a 'my-wife-my-rules' face, simultaneously slapping Abhi's forehead.
"As if I don't know the gross things that happen in your parties and school, huh", the man stuck out a tongue at his son.
" Aayush", Sneha slapped her husband's forearm in horror as she took her daughter in her arms. For god's sake, he was teasing his son in front of their little baby, and that too about, hmph, she could not even think about the word.
Both Abhi and Aayush burst out laughing. For a 21st century mother, Sneha was too naive.
" Dont worry Maa. Let Papa tease me, but I am also Manik Malhotra's grand son, I will wait until I meet my Nandini to fulfill all his gross fantasy about his son's life", Abhi winked at his parents as Sneha and Abhi looked at him, their eyes reflecting the pride they felt for their son.
"Who is nan-nandini?", Shri asked again and this time Aayush cradled her in his lap.
"My mother. Your grandma", he kissed her hairs as she giggled with the touch.
"Grandma! I want to meet her!", Shri jumped excitedly but she failed to notice the glassy eyes of her parents at the mention. Abhi saw his father getting super emotional, and hence he took Shri in his lap.
"Seriously again? Everytime you hear their name you want to meet them! Come I will take you to Grandma!", He squealed matching her excitement and Aayush and Sneha smiled at him, as Abhi climbed the stairs to his grandparents room. Aayush and Sneha followed suit. On reaching, Aayush pushed open the door to his favorite place in the world- his parent's room.
"Manik leave ne na, Aayush will wake up anytime. He is a big boy now"
"Nandini yaar! My tie!"
" Why the hell are you tall like a tree Manik! I can't find the stool now, go without a tie today"
"I love you Mrs Nandini Manik Malhotra."
" I love you both more though", a ten year old Aayush jumped at his parents who took him in a bear hug laughing.
" Isshhh!", A fifteen year old Aayush covered his eyes as he entered his parent's room, " why are you guys glued to each other all the time?"
"The same reasons you are glued to your phone, and Sneha's wallpaper all the time", Manik commented making Aayush flush.
"Maa, I want to spend my entire life with Sneha, but I am afraid of rejection", a twenty three year old Aayush sat with his head in his mother's lap as Nandini ruffled his hairs.
"Don't be. The first time your father proposed me, I have rejected him too and it was your grandmother who convinced me to give him a chance. Who know, even I might get that chance with her? After all, history repeats", Nandini winked at her son, making him giggle.
"Maa, will I be able to keep her happy? Will I be able to manage between you and dad and her?", Aayush was skeptical, two days before his marriage.
"You are Manik's son Aayush. The one person who have nurtured every relation with same care, successfully. And we are here with you anyway", Nandini has kissed his forehead hiding her son in her bosom.
"But maa, I don't want to leave you both here", Aayush pouted at his mother, while Manik shook his head, his arm around Sneha who was giggling.
"So shall we both join you on your honeymoon? You are my son, Aayush, atleast be a little romantic", Manik huffed while Aayush made a grumpy pout.
" I am mumma's son", he grumbled as Nandini and Sneha burst out laughing.
" Manik see, he is so cute, so small, a carbon copy of our Aayush", Nandini smiled in satisfaction as she took little Abhi in her arms while Manik supported her from the back, smiling.
Sneha's warm embrace pulled Aayush out of his memory lane, and he instinctively wrapped his arms around her.
"Maa loved Papa more, she proved it by leaving us alone here", his eyes had filled up yet again, and his voice was grumpy.
"No Aayush, they had promised to be there for each other, till the last breath of life, and a MaNan promise is not to be broken, right?", She cajoled her husband, who smiled at her.
"Sometimes I get confused if you are my wife, or their daughter-in-law", Aayush laughed and Sneha giggled at his husband. Their trance was broken by the voices of their children, Abhi was showing all the pictures to Shri, who had already seen them a thousand times, and yet was excited the same everytime.
" Grandma is so beauty", Shri exclaimed and Abhi laughed at her sentence.
"Beautiful baby", Abhi corrected her and she made a face.
" Why is grandma looking fat in this picture?", Shri questioned pointing at the picture and Sneha laughed.
" Because she had your papa in here beta", sneha explained in turn confusing her more. She looked at his papa and then at the picture, and no way her mind could process her papa being inside her Grandma's tummy. Everybody started laughing seeing her horrified expressions eventually making her cry.
After a compensation of big tub of vanilla ice-cream, Sneha cradled her in her lap trying to make her sleep, but Shri was persistent in her demand of a fairy tale. Aayush blinked his eyes at Sneha, who continued patting her head while Aayush begin with the tale.
"Once upon a time, there was a princess. And obviously there was a prince. The prince asked the princess to marry him, but she denied, telling him that she was not good enough for the princess. The prince with all his love, convinced the princess that she was perfect and then married her. After marrige, the princess now asked for a gift, and that was she wanted a happy family. The prince kissed her forehead making sure to fulfill her wish. And then they loved happily ever after", Aayush completed the story, his hands cajoling a photo frame in his hands, as his parents looked at him from the picture with a wide smile.
Sneha rested her head on his chest as Shri slept and kissed the area above his heart, lending her silent support. Abhi who wa standing at the door, wiped the lone tear out of his eyes and made his way upstairs to his room.
Sitting on the bed, he picked up his favourite photograph of his grand parents as he remembered the last conversation he had had with Manik, in his room, as they sat beside a sleeping and gravely ill Nandini. She had a clot in her major artery of the heart, leading to a massive heart attack a week back.
" Grandpa, don't be so tensed na, grandma will be fine", a twelve year old Abhi tried consoling his sad grand father.
"You know Abhi, I made two promises to Nandini. One when I proposed her, and that was to be there for her all my life, in every breath that I will take. And the second, when she proposed me, after our marriage though, and that was to give her a happy family. I am proud to fulfill my second promise and I am certain I will fulfill my first one too", Manik had spoken with a pensive smile, and little Abhi had understood nothing except that in a world which praised romeo-juliet, Antony and Cleopatra, Ravin-khushi and so many others, Abhi had a personal one- Manik and Nandini, the epitomes of love.
Therefore One week later, when everybody woke up in the morning, only to find, Nandini and Manik already on their way to heaven, Abhi wasn't surprised. He knew Grandpa had finally kept his first promise to Grandma too.
A few days later, Abhi was out partying with his friends and cousins. Tejaswi, who was his Chote Grandpa, Kabir Malhotra's grand daughter sat beside him on the porch of the house they were in. Rajeev, who was technically tejaswi's brother and Abhi's second best friend was sitting on his opposite side, while Shubh Murthy, who was Aaradhya and Rishbah's grandchild and Abhi's bestest friend was leaning on the parapet in front of them. Samrat and Stuti sat along side, as Stuti explained her over the edge grandma, Navya Mehra that all the kids were safe. These six along with Shri were the youngest generation of the Malhotras even though they were all mature for their age. The cousins were extremely close to each other, in a relatively happy space.
Kia and Kim, the twins and the host of the party, came towards them, a little tipsy under the effect of the booze and sat beside them.
"Hey guys! Why don't you enjoy? Go find some partners and have fun people", Kia giggled almost falling down and Stuti handled her making her sit properly.
"We are enjoying Kia", Shubh replied with a smile that made her heart flutter. Only if this guy would notice her.
" Why don't you make a girlfriend Shubh?", Kim asked and Abhi and Rajeev alongwith Samrat smiled at the question while Tejaswi and Stuti giggled. They all have been asked the same question a hundred times, but none had ever understood the answer.
" We will bro, we all will, one day", Samrat stood up and answered.
"Yeah, when we find our Manik", Tejaswi and Stuti smiled.
" And we our Nandini", the boys completed the sentence before leaving the venue together, leaving the twins perplexed.
Only if they knew that for all of them, love was not about relationships and fun. For the entire Malhotra, Mehra and Murthy clan, love was all about being Manik and Nandini to their partners!
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And with this, we officially come to the end of this beautiful saga. I hope you enjoy reading it as much I did, writing.
And one last time please vote and comment, to let me know if it was worth it.
One question to every reader.
Your favorite scene or chapter from the book?
Taataa.
Note: This is the official end to this book. The next chapter will be an alternative to this chapter. You can follow any one of the epilogues, like you would want to believe MaNan's story ended. ❤️