She was stood in between Sakshi and Anushka and cheering loudly for me. She came! She actually came! Wait, of course she would! Why would she not come? She promised. My smile just grew wider and wider, it was then that Virat nudged me and broke me out of my trance. He gave me a control look and I made a straight face again.
"Ab thora cricket bhi khel lai?" Dhoni said with a smirk as he witnessed me and Virat's little encounter.
"Yes Mahi bhai!" I said with a smile as I ran back towards my position on the field. The rest of the match went by and I managed to take two more catches. I made sure I gave my 100% to the game. I wanted to do my best! I wanted Nandini to see my best side, and that side comes out when I play cricket. We restricted Australia to a score of 280 runs. It was now time for a mini break and honestly I just wanted to run to that stadium and meet Nandini. Alas, I couldn't! We had to go to the dressing room and discuss the match with our coach before we were asked to bat. We all went into the dressing room and had an intense 20 minute discussion about the match. The discussion soon finished and Dhawan and Rohit started to get prepared to go on the field. The game was going to resume in the next ten minutes.
"Virat I wanna go see her!" I whined like a kid.
"Ooooh! Who?" He asked cluelessly.
"Shut up man! You know who!" I said as I rolled my eyes at him and picked up one of the sandwiches placed on the table to eat.
"Manik but match is going to start soon." He said as he too helped himself to a sandwich.
"Yeah, I know but I'm not batting first. Please it'll be five minutes, I promise!" I pleaded.
"Fine! I'll let you go! Remember though, next time I want to sneak out in the middle of the match or practice to see Anushka, you'll have to cover up for me!" He said with a smirk.
"Bro, I've been covering up for you since day one!" I stated.
"That's true. So then what can you do for me?" Virat said thoughtfully.
"You're wasting my time man!" I said irritatedly.
"Virat, Manik, Anuhska's calling you both outside!" The coach said with a smirk as he walked inside the dressing room. Virat literally ran outside the room and I shook my head at his Romeo type behaviour. "Bhuvi, save me some of that chocolate please!" I said loudly as I saw Bhuvi pulling out a chocolate bar. He laughed as I walked out of the dressing room. As I got out of the room, I saw Anushka and Virat stood next to each other with a big grin on their face.
"What?" I questioned as I raised my eyebrows in confusion. They both moved to reveal a petite figure. She was looking towards me with a big smile on her face.
"Nandini?" I said in shock.
"Five minutes! Thank us later!" Virat said with a smirk.
"I suggest you go to the cafe inside. You don't want to be caught by the paps! Next thing you know, tomorrow's headlines will be, Mysterious girl in Manik Malhotra's life! Kon hai woh? Who is she?" Anushka said dramatically to which we all laughed. I then started to walk towards the cafe and Nandini followed me. The cafe was reserved for the team players and their family and friends. After the dressing rooms, that was probably our next best escape from the media. None of us spoke a single word as we walked towards the cafe. There was a silence, but it was definitely not the awkward silence. Nothing felt awkward around her. As we went inside the cafe, we found it to be quite empty. We went to a table in the corner and I pulled out the chair for Nandini. She smiled and sat down.
"What can I get for you sir and ma'am?" The worker asked us with a smile.
"Just some water please!" I replied.
"An ice coffee for me please!" Nandini said with a smile.
"Just water? How boring!" Nandini stated.
"If this was any other day, I'd have ordered more than just water but its match day! I don't want a sugar rush! Gotta eat and drink healthy you know!" I explained.
"Hmmm!" That's all she said. What's hmmm even supposed to mean?
"Thanks for coming!" I said with a smile.
"How could I not? You invited us and I could not miss it! I promised! And Nandini Murthy...." She said.
"Never breaks her promise! I know!" I finished off her sentence and a smile formed her lips.
"I'm glad you do!" She said.
"Nandini...." I said hesitantly.
"What?" She questioned.
"Nothing!" I stated.
"Manik, what's up? Kya bolnaa hain?" She asked once again.
"No forget it!" I exclaimed and that's when the waiter came with our orders. He placed our drinks on the table and left with a smile. We both thanked him and I started to sip on the ice cold water.
"Aray, tell me!" Nandini stated.
"It's just that it felt really nice to see you in the stands cheering for team India. It means a lot to me!" I finally said it.
"Manik, I know very little about cricket and you know that. But today I've come to realise why there is such a big craze about cricket in India. It's an amazing sport! I was looking at the crowd Manik. It brings people of different race, different religion, different states together. I'm loving every moment spent here Manik! The ladies, they're all so welcoming. Especially Sakshi and Anushka, they did not once make me feel out of place. I had the chance to meet some amazing people and some really cute kids I must say. This all happened because of you Manik. So thank you for asking me to come. I really do appreciate it." She said with a smile.
"Nandini tum ho hi aisi, that everyone will like you!" I stated.
"Acha? Really?" She questioned with a smirk as she took a sip of her ice coffee.
"Really!" I stated.
Well the first time we met, you didn't feel that way!" She said.
"Listen! The first time we met I had woken up after being unconscious for a few hours! What do you expect?" I explained in my defence.
"Excuses excuses!" She said as she rolled her eyes.
"They are not excuses!" I stated.
"Excuses!" She stated once again.
"You're so stubborn! Matlab sirf tum hi sahi ho!" I said dramatically.
"Hahaha, so funny!" She said with a sarcastic smile.
"Okay, okay! Anyway are you staying till the end?" I asked.
"Of course! I wouldn't leave halfway through! Too much suspense dude!" She said dramatically as she sipped on her coffee.
"Acha? I thought you weren't interested in Cricket!" I said with a smirk.
"I may have changed my mind!" She said with a smile as she looked down at her coffee.
"Gurl you haven't even seen me bat yet, and you've changed your mind already!" I said dramatically.
"Those catches and throws on the field you did were enough!" She confessed.
"I guess my batting will truly blow your mind away!" I stated.
"I'll be the judge of that!" She said with a smirk.
"And you shall!" I replied.
"By the way Manik, did no one from your family come?" She asked.
"Well mum and dad are out of town with dadi. Bhai is at work and Mukti was too lazy to come. Zoya bhabhi will be coming soon with Amayra!" I explained.
"Yeah I was going to ask where Zoya bhabhi was because she is your manager after all so you'd expect her to be here." She replied.
"Yeah she had a couple of meetings to run so she'll be coming soon!" I stated.
"That's great! By the way, Alya said hi!" She said as she played with the straw in her ice coffee.
"She came? I'm so glad she did!" I replied.
"She was crazy when I told her the news!" She said as she carried on fiddling with the straw. This girl could never sit still.
"It's only you who doesn't see the hype of cricket!" I said in an attempt to get her attention. Little did I know, her attention was always there!
"Stop taunting me Mr Malhotra or I'll leave!" She stated as her eyes shot up to look at me.
"No no no, don't leave! Please!" I said immediately.
"I was joking!" She said with a giggle. Just then the waiter came and handed a note to us. I read it out loud.
"One minute left! Make it quick!" I had a feeling who wrote this! I looked around for the familiar face and there they both were. Anushka and Virat smirking at us through the window! They were stalking us! Had hai yaar! A little privacy is needed.
"I guess we should go out now!" Nandini said.
"Hmmm, yeah! Has it already been five minutes?" I questioned.
"Yup, nearly!" She said with a smile.
"Let's go then!" I said half heartedly.
"Manik!" I heard her call out as I got up from my seat.
"Yeah?" I questioned.
"All the best! I'm sure you'll do amazing!" She said with a smile.
"Thank you! Now that you've wished me, I'm sure I'll do amazing!" I replied.
"No! You'll do amazing because you are extremely talented and you love what you do!" She corrected me.
"You're so different!" I stated. She always managed to bring out the best in people.
"Matlab?" She asked cluelessly.
"Nothing! Come let's go!" I said with a smile and started to walk out.
"Hmmmm" I heard her mutter as I sensed her following me behind.
"Come on guys, you could've given us some more time! What's the rush? The game hasn't even restarted yet!" I whined like a kid.
"There is a rush! Zo is here! She's looking for you!" Anushka said.
"Zo?" Nandini questioned.
"Zoya bhabhi!" I stated.
"Oh!" She said.
"Where's bhabhi?" I questioned.
"She's waiting for you near the dressing room!" Virat said and I almost ran towards the dressing room.
"Manik!" I heard Nandini call out.
"Sorry Nandini! I need to go, now!" I said as I carried on running towards the dressing room. I eventually got there and found Zoya bhabhi talking to our coach and Amayra was stood next to her playing with her soft toy.
"Chachu!" Amayra said in excitement as her gaze fell on me.
"Look who's here! Finally your Chachu got some free time! Where were you Manik? I told you I'm meeting you outside your dressing room at exactly 6:30!" Bhabhi stated sternly.
"I know bhabhi, I'm sorry I was just caught up with something important." I tried to explain. I was only 5 minutes late, but bhabhi valued time a lot and I understand why.
"Important? Manik Nothing should be more important to you on a game day other than cricket!" She stated.
"I know bhabhi I'm sorry, I..." I tried to explain further when I was interrupted by a voice.
"Chachi!" Amayra said excitedly. Her voice held the same excitement as it did when she called me chachu.
"Chachi?" Me and bhabhi exclaimed as we looked at each other. We then looked at the direction in which Amayra's finger was pointing. As we saw the figure, we were shocked.
"Chachi?" Nandini muttered as she looked around herself to confirm that Amayra was definitely calling out to her and nobody else.
"Chachi!" Anushka exclaimed as she looked at Virat.
"Already?" He said with a smirk to which Anushka agreed proudly.
Amayra then ran and hugged Nandini's legs.
"Chachi! It's so nice to see you again! How's my friend Abeer?" Amayra said cutely.
"Urm Abeer is great and it's so lovely to see you too!" Nandini said hesitantly as she tried to take in everything that was happening.
"Amayra beta, why are you calling Nandini aunty Chachi?" Zoya asked.
"Because remember when we went to her house, dadu had told me that she might be my new Chachi. Even you and papa told me too mummy!" Amayra said innocently.
"Bhabhi? Really?" I questioned in disbelief.
"Beta, we said she might be. She isn't though, okay!" Zoya tried to explain to her little daughter.
"But I like Nandini Chachi! I don't want another Chachi!" She said sadly with a pout.
"Amayra baby please! You have chachu with you, so why do you need a Chachi!" Manik explained.
"I know chachu but you don't have tea parties with me and you don't let me dress you up as a princess!" She said with a frown to which we all giggled.
"Amayra, we can have tea parties together and dress up as princesses. But for that, I don't need to be your Chachi." I exclaimed as I bent down on my knees to match her height.
"What can I call you then?" She asked innocently.
"Masi! You call me masi, right? So you can also call Nandini masi too!" Anushka said excitedly.
"I like masi!" She said with a smile.
"I like it too!" Zoya bhabhi replied.
"Me too! But there's someone in here who would much rather prefer Nandini to be Amayra's Chachi and not masi!" Virat said with a smirk.
"Shut up Virat!" I said as I rolled my eyes at him. Who would think that he was the same serious captain that we saw on the field.
"What? I didn't say it was you!" He said innocently.
"We all know what you meant!" I stated.
"No Manik, we all know what you meant!" He said correcting me.
"Virat! I won't spare you!" I said irritatedly.
"Too late! Gotta go! The coach is calling me!" He said as he ran away from there.
"Amayra baby come let's go to see Ziva, she's been waiting for you to come!" Anushka said as she held Amayra's hand.
"Yay Ziva! Let's go!" She said excitedly.
"Nandini, are you coming?" Anushka asked.
"I'll bring her along with me." Zoya bhabhi replied.
"Sure!" She said with a smile as she left with Amayra.
"So this was what was so important Manik!" Bhabhi said as she folded her hands and then gestured towards Nandini.
"Bhabhi I can explain!" I said hesitantly.
"It's okay! I understand! Nandini, it's lovely to see you here!" She said with a smile as she hugged Nandini.
"It's lovely to meet you too. Also, I hope you don't mind Amayra calling me masi!" Nandini stated.
"Not at all! I would love to have a cute little sister like you any day!" Bhabhi said as she pulled Nandini's cheeks.
"Thank you di!" Nandini said with a smile.
"You're welcome." She replied.
"Bhabhi, you need to discuss anything with me before the game?" I asked.
"Yes actually, I had a couple of meetings today and I've shortlisted a few companies who you can possibly be a brand ambassador for. We'll discuss it in detail after the match. For now, go ace that match!" She said as she showed me a big thumbs up.
"Yes boss!" I replied as I saluted her.
"All the best Manik!" Nandini said with a smile.
"Thank you!" I said softly. I then waved them both goodbye and went into the dressing room. I saw Nandini and bhabhi walk away towards the seating area together. They were giggling away and I assumed they're probably gossiping about me but honestly it felt amazing to see Nandini getting along so well with my bhabhi. I am blessed to have such amazing, strong, positive, and powerful women in my life. Mum, Mukti, Zoya bhabhi, Dadi, and now Nandini, they all inspire me to do well everyday and remain positive all the time. It felt amazing to see one of the most important woman in my life, my bhabhi, getting on well with a woman who is turning important for me day by day, Nandini. I didn't realise when but she has made a special place in my heart. Her smile makes me happy, her words bring me peace, and her presence makes me feel amazing. Nandini Murthy, you have really got in to my head and I cannot find a way to get you out, and I don't think I want to either.
"She didn't need a man to feel secure. that made me want her even more."
~r.h. sin 💕
A/N: Chapter 18 updated! I know you guys have been waiting eagerly for this so I hope the chapter made up for the late update. Also, the response on the previous chapter has been crazy! It received over 100 comments and that amazed me so much! I had so much fun reading your comments! Hit me up with your comments on this update too please. I really hope you all enjoyed it. Do let me know your favourite part. Have a lovely weekend! ☺️❤️ Lots of love xxx