Everyone got ready for the next function which happens to be Sangeeth while Manik was all set to have an open discussion with Nandini.
Hall was decorated perfectly and the stage was all set with dim lights.
Soon everyone arrived and the function started having Cabir as the speaker.
"So ladies and gentlemen...As we all know we are here for the Sangeeth function of THE MANIK MALHOTRA and THE CUTE NANDINI MURTHY....and it should be something special...So the younger clan....we have a theme in the function and that is 'Dance with a mask'. Here we have masks..please help yourself and take your masks and and and...you have to dance with the girl or boy who has got the same mask....I hope you all got it.."Cabir announced.
The crowd cheered and everyone took masks from either sides of the hall – boys on one side and girls on one side. Cabir asked Navya to give a mask to Nandini and tell her that Manik will come with same mask. Cabir gave the similar mask to Manik and said "Ab chal...She is waiting.."
Manik gave a small smile and kept the mask seeing Nandini waiting for him amongst the people who were dancing with their mask partners. Lights were dim and there was soothing music playing in the back ground to which everyone were moving their steps accordingly.
Cabir after talking to Navya for a while, then had a look at the couple who were dancing in rhythm and smiled.
Nandini smiled seeing him so close and blushed when he pulled her towards him holding her waist. They moved their hips in swift and then matched their steps and when the music was about to end he twirled her. She came to halt to find him missing and soon everyone took off their masks and settled in their places. She then searched for Manik but he was nowhere found. She then asked Cabir "Bhai..where is Manik..??"
"Umm...Ab tak yahi tha na..." He said and started searching too.
Guests started having their dinner and there she found Manik sitting silently. She stepped towards him sensing something wrong but she couldn't understand what it exactly was. A few minutes back, he was all happy and dancing with her and next moment he was missing and abandoned himself.
"Manik.." She called slowly only to the greeted with his blood shot eyes which scared the hell out of her.
"Is..Is everything alright..??" She asked slowly.
"We need to talk.." He said gritting his teeth.
"Ha...Ha boliye..." She said in fear.
"In private" He said and started walking while she tried matching his steps. He ignited his car and accelerated indicating her sit and she sat beside him immediately. He straightly drove to Murthy's house and unlocked the door with his keys and straight away went to Nandini's room.
Nandini couldn't understand what happened to him and she locked the door behind her, took water for him and opened the room door.
"M..Manik.." She called and forwarded the bottle. He gave a small smiled which relaxed Nandini a bit. He drank some water and sighed and she was waiting for him to talk.
After few minutes he stood up and she jerked a little back.
"Relax.." He said and took her left hand slowly and pecked her knuckles to which she shivered.
He slowly removed bangles from her left hand and stared at her Mehendi. He then kissed her palm and asked "So...did u enjoy it..??"
She, amidst her blush, looked at him with slight confusion. The next second, her hand was twisted back and he pulled her towards him with full force while she winced in fear and pain.
"who was he..??" He asked in pure rage.
"Wh..Who.??" She asked in tears.
"Don't.act.smart" He said stressing every word. "Who was that you were dancing with..??"
She looked at him in confusion and tears started flowing down.
"Ma..Manik...mein toh...aap ke saath..." She tried to speak but he cut her in between and said "Don't you dare lie...I'm not that fool to not understand what's going on...Just wait and watch...."
"Manik...Aap galath samaj rahe ho...Listen please..." She tried but he left her hand and walked out.
'What went wrong Manik...Why are you angry...Why don't you talk and listen to me once...' She cried.
She then heard the honk of his car and she wiped her tears and put the bangles on her red hand slowly and walked out after locking the door.
"We need to be there..It's not over yet.." He said in a cold tone to which she just nodded and sat.
"Manik..meri baath suniye...I was dancing with you only...Navya told you will be the one coming with same mask...and I thought it was you...and" She stopped when the car came to halt while Manik's knuckles turned white.
"Get down" He said in stern tone.
"Manik..Please..." She tried again.
"I said get down" He said a bit louder and she shivered and got down.
"I don't want anyone to know about the chaos between us...Get that..??" He said in dominating tone to which she nodded while wiping her tears.
"Words Nandini" He shouted and she said "Yes"
He parked the car and went inside while Shobana and Nyonika went to their children and asked "What happened beta...?? Where were you..??"
"Maa...Wo..she was a bit uncomfortable..So we just went out for a while..Sorry..I saw you were busy..so.." Manik answered to which Shobana said "It's ok beta...Nandu bache are you ok now..??"
"Yeah Maa..I'm fine.." She replied.
"Beta...You didn't have your dinner right..?? Chalo.." Said Nyonika and took Nandini with her to the dining area.
Cabir pulled Manik aside and asked "What happened bro..?? Did you talk to her..??"
"What the hell Cabir...Didn't you see how she was dancing with him..??" Manik said in irritation while Cabir frowned.
"With him..?? koun...?? I thought it was you..." Cabir said in confusion.
"Oh really Cabir..!! I didn't even reach the stage yaar..." He declared.
"What..!!" He exclaimed. "Manik..What exactly happened..??"
"Wo..When I was about to go, I got collided with a waiter and my blazer got spoiled with a drink and then I went to washroom to clean it...By the time I came back I saw.." He stopped and rewinded the scene of Nandini dancing with someone else.
"And who was that.??" Cabir asked.
"Arey who else Cabir....Aryaman tha...and I'm pretty sure it was all their plan..." Manik said in anger.
"Oh shut up Manik...Seeing that you can't decide Nandini's character...and why didn't you talk when you decided to sort all this out...?? Just because you saw her dancing with someone else when she doesn't even know who was behind that mask...?? We already said that you will be the one and obviously she might have thought it was you man..Usko sapna thodi na aayegi ki person will get changed right on the stage...Buddy...Thoda dimag se soch...Did you see her talking to him..?? Did she see his face..?? Think buddy and think positive.." He explained
Manik held his head and sat on the chair and kept rewinding everything.
"God.....What's happening Cabir..?? Why is this happening....??? I should sort this out...I shouldn't have hurt her.." He said palming his face.
"Hurt..?? Now what you did..??" Cabir asked in concern and Manik explained what he has done.
"Pagal ho gaya tu..." He shouted.
"Cabir.." Manik called but his mouth got shut when Cabir shouted "Just shut up...bakwas bandh kar apni...Ab tu kuch nahi bolega....Now it's my turn to talk and your turn to act...and this is because you have stopped using your freaking brains...idiot.." Cbair muttered in anger and left.
After one more hour, function came to an end and guests dispersed.
"Shobana jii..ab hum bhi chalthe hai...Haldi aur shaadi ki thayaariyan bhi dhekhni hai.." Nyonika said and they were about to leave.
Nyonika turned back and said "Nandu beta...jaldi aa jao...We are waiting for you.."
Nandini smiled and looked at her mother and then at Manik whose face was a bit softened after Cabir's lecture.
"Bas ek aur din Nyonika jii...And she is all yours.." Shobhana said and Nandini had tears in her eyes fearing about her future.
"Arey beta..rothe nahi....Even that's your house..."Nyonika comforted and she nodded while wiping her tears.
"Chalo...let's leave.."She said to her husband and Manik and they left the place.
In the mid night, Nandini was tossing around her bed as her mind was consumed with many thoughts and fears. She heard knock at her window which scared her but she asked "Who was that..?? Koun hai..?"
"Nandini.." She heard someone calling and she was surprised.
"Bhaii.." She called and opened the window where Cabir was standing in the balcony.
"Bhaii...You..?? Here..?? At this time..?? Sba thik hai na..?? Manik..?? wo thik hai na...??" She asked in concern to which he smiled and kept his hand on her head.
"Wo thik hai beta....He is waiting for you on the terrace.." He said and she looked shocked and scared.
"Don't worry...Everything will be alright...jao.." He assured and she nodded.
She took slow steps towards terrace and saw him standing facing his back to her.
"Ma..Manik..." She called slowly and he turned to see her as beautiful as moon.
"Come here.." He said like a whisper and she took baby steps towards him.
He held her left hand which he had hurt and she gasped thinking he will do something again. He gently kissed on the lightly swollen wrist and looked at her.
She already had tears and said "Mein..Mein ne kuch nahi kiya Manik.."
He sighed and said "I'm sorry..." to which she was surprised.
"I'm sorry Nandu...I'm not in a correct state of mind right now...I may hurt you for no reason..and that's my temper as you already know...Give me some time...We will figure it out..." He said looking into her eyes and slightly rubbing her wrist.
She held her hand and asked "baath kya hai Manik..??"
"Don't ask me anything now...and I'm sorry for doubting you...My mind is a mess right now..." He said closing her eyes.
"Manik...You can trust me when I say I'm yours...Jo pal humne kuch days pehle bithaye hai,,, jo comfort zone aapne create kiya hai and the memories we have shared...please think about them once...I can never leave you...Please come back Manik...I was very happy with that Manik...Please..." She pleaded and he could do nothing but wipe her tears with his thumb.
"We shall figure it out..." He said again and applied something on her wrist and she realized that it's turmeric paste.
"Manik.." She looked at him in surprise.
"Haldi Mubarak ho Sweetheart.." He said with a smile and then continued "pehla hak toh mera hi bantha hai na.."
She blushed and nodded her head in a yes.
"Promise me Nandu...You should never give up on me...give up on us...Whenever I lose my temper, you should be there to bear with it and control me..." He asked.
"I promise.." She completed the promise and wiped her tears.
"Aurrr...meri haldi..?" He asked and she too took some and applied on his cheek and blushed.
He smiled seeing her blush and pulled her towards him and rubbed his cheek against hers to which she shivered because of her proximity. He did the same with other cheek too and came a step back.
"Go have your beauty sleep and leave all the tensions for me...I promise to make everything alright.." He assured and she went to her room with a content smile.
"Cabir...I need to know everything..." He said once he came down to Cabir.
"We will..soon...and did you ask her if she was hiding something or if she wanna say something.." Cabir asked.
"No Cabir...I'll talk to her once we get married...That Aryaman or whoever it is behind all these...just planning to spoil our relationship...and I'll never let that happen..." Manik declared.
"Great...atleast you got some brains...well buddy...I think you should continue that angry young man pose till you get married...I mean that person who is behind all this misunderstanding won't take next step if you maintain distance with Nandini for another day..I mean till we sort this out..You are getting me right..??" Cbair asked and Manik nodded in yes.
All of a sudden, he hugged Cabir and whispered "Thanks yaar..."
"Chup kar..ab mujhe thanks bolega.."Cabir said with a smile.
"I must thank you buddy..I would have definitely made it worse for us...and you saved it..." He said with a smile.
"Yeah...That's true...You would have spoiled it..." Cabir too smiled and hugged him tightly.
They both left while thinking about the next step but with a contented heart that they didn't make it worse for any of them, atleast whatever Manik has done can be corrected.
Here we go guys...Sorry with the crap if it is...
Ignore mistakes...
How many are happy...?? MaNan are together again...
I may delete this story here and update in any other platform...Not yet decided...
So remaining stories are on hold for now..
See you soon..