The next morning, Nandini woke up at 7:00 am and quickly took a shower and got dressed in this..
[Imagine her chooda and mehendi]
Then, she put on her mangal sutra and a thin line of sindoor on her middle partition and went to the living room. Daadi was awake while the rest were still sleeping.
Nandini: Good morning daadi.
She took her blessings.
Maheshwari: Good morning puttar! Teri aaj pehli rasoi hai, kuch meetha banaa le!
Nandini: Ji daadi.
Nandini went to the kitchen and made gobi parathas, with ghee for Nyonika and Cabir, some without ghee for Raj. She also made paneer frankies for Mukti, Cabir, and Manik. And for sweets, she made Rice Kheer, Vanilla Cake, and Gajar ka Halwa. All this was ready by 8:45 am, when everyone woke up, except Manik. Nandini went to her or 'their' bedroom to clean up, and she saw Manik sleeping like a log, on his stomach. She cleaned up in the bathroom and went to Manik's sleeping figure.
Nandini: Manik! Utho!
Manik: *no response*
She tapped his bare, muscular arm.
Nandini: Manik.. Wake up! Sab breakfast ke liye wait kar rahe hai.
Manik: 2 minute.
Nandini: Manik, uth jaao! (murmuring) Aiyappa!
Manik: Mom, sone deyo!
Nandini: Mom? Manik, I'm Nandini!
He turned his body and caught hold of her hand and pulled her towards him, now they were on top of each other. Manik looked at Nandini with his half-open eyes. They shared a cute eyelock which was disturbed, 2 minutes later, with Nandini saying.
Nandini: Breakfast is ready.
Manik let go of Nandini and she straightened herself. And Manik sat straight on the bed.
Manik: You go, i'll come in 15... (she was about to go) Nandini!
Nandini: Hmm?
Manik: You look nice!
She blushed.
Nandini: Thanks!
Nandini left, still blushing. Manik was also blushing, for a change. No doubts, from a corner of their heart they feel for each other.
***
Mukti: Nandu, this is damn tasty! I don't eat much, but I wanna eat everything.
Cabir: Chup bey, sab mera hai!
Nandu: Aur bhi milega, Cabir.
Raj: Nahi nahi.. Yeh mota ho jaayega, mein Ipshita ko kya kahunga?
Cabir: Uncle, mein mumma ko yeh paranthey khilaa dunga.. Woh apne aap chup ho jaayegi!
Nyonika: Manik, tu ne kuch nahi bola.. Itna accha hai ki teri bolti hi bandh ho gayi?
Manik: Uh..um.. It's nice...
Mukti: Only nice? Hum tarif pe tarif kiye jaa rahe hai aur tu.. 'It's nice'..
Manik: Ab accha hai toh achha hi bolunga.
Nandini: Yeh, meine meethe me Vanilla Cake..
MukBir: Yummy!
Nandini: Rice Kheer!
NyoRaj: Aha!
Nandini: Aur Gajar ka Halwa banaaya hai!
Manik: That's my favorite!
Nandini smiled.
Maheshwari: Puttar, aitthe aa..
Nandini: Ji daadi..
Maheshwari: Yeh rakhh!
She gave her a diamond set and gold ancestral bangles.
Nandini: Daadi, mein yeh sab nahi rakhh sakti.
Maheshwari: Meine keh diya ki so keh diya.. Puttar, shagun hai, humare purvaj ka hai. Meri saas ne mujhe diya thha, aur meine Nyo ko, ab teri baari.
Nandini: Thik hai, mein rakhh loongi, lekin Mom aap yeh apne locker mein sambhaalengi.
Nyonika: Jaisa tu chahti hai.
Mukti: Okay.. Ab chalein, Mumbai ke liye nikalna hai, aaj reception party hai aur kal college jaana hai.
Cabir: Manik, drinks hai?
Manik and Nandini widens their eyes as Daadi was there.
Maheshwari: Khoteya, mere saamne toh apni laaj rakhh... Drinks? Matlab sharab? Katai vi nahi milna tujhe!
Cabir: Ai la! Daadi present aahe.. (Oh no! Daadi is present..)
Mukti: Happy realization Cabir.
Nyo, Raj, Manik, and Nandu were silently giggling.
Raj: Ab, chalein?
The Malhotra family and Mukti and Cabir left Malhotra Haveli. Their driver drove them to the airport and from their they took the flight to Mumbai. The other families and Nandini's family also went to Mumbai.
Reception:
Manik:
Nandini:
Mukti:
Abhimanyu:
Cabir:
[I am skipping the Reception]
19th June, 2019:
Nandini Manik Malhotra wore a black crop top and jeans with a red and black check shirt jacket, on top. It hid her chooda and her hair, in a side partition, to cover the thin line of sindoor. She was ready to go to college, after 10 days.
Manik: Nandini, thoda sambhal kar rehna... Specially, Harshad. And, listen, you have to pretend that you are not our friend because Harshad will be noticing us. And by us, I mean Fab 5.
Nandini: Manik, don't worry. Sab thik hoga!
Manik smiled and Nandini too. They went to college together and Nandini, immediately, went to Navya without acknowledging Manik. As it was to be done.
Navya: How are you, Nandu?
Nandini: I'm great!
Shahid: Arre, Nandini, kahan thhi tum? Missing for a whole 10 days!
Nandini: I went to Mangalore, to meet Amms.
Harshad: How was your trip?
Nandini: It was nice.. Let's practice?
All agreed. Nandini went to the keyboard, Harshad on the guitar, Shahid on the drums, and Navya was the main lead.
While in Fab 5's jam room.
Cabir: We are back!
Alya: We missed you!
Mukti: Feelings are mutual, babe.
They had a Fab 5 hug.
Cabir: Yaar, bhook laggi hai..
Fab 4: Bhukkad!
In the canteen:
Someone: Guys, Manik, Mukti, and Cabir are back!
Another boy: Nandini, Aryamann, and Professor Abhimanyu are also back.
Boy 3: Have you noticed something between those three? Looks like Nandini's double dating them.
Unknown to them, someone heard this and was fuming in anger. That someone was none other than Abhimanyu.. He went to that boy.
Abhimanyu: I want you three in my office right now.
They went to Abhimanyu's office. He was sitting on his chair and those three boys stood in front of him with their head down.
Abhimanyu: Mikhail, Jitesh, and Arush.. Kya baatein ho rahi thhi? Meri, Nandini, aur Aryamann ke baare mein?
Jitesh: Kuch nahi, sir.
Abhimanyu: Nandini, hum dono ko double date kar rahi hai?
Mikhail: Sir, it's okay aap ko bura maane ki koi zaroorat nahi hai..
Just then, someone entered the office without knocking. It was his own fiancée, Mukti.
Mukti: Abhi!
The three boys looked at her in horror, trying to digest the fact that Mukti called Prof. Abhimanyu, Abhi!
Abhimanyu: Mukti, I'll meet to after college!
She nodded.
Abhimanyu: Accha, tell me... Um.. Mera last name kya hai?
Mikhail: Thakkar.
Abhimanyu: Aryamann ka?
Arush: Thakkar..
Abhimanyu: We are brothers and Nandini is our sister. So, please, you don't need to exaggerate our relationship. You may leave.
As they left, Abhimanyu burst out laughing in his cabin.
Canteen:
NH3 and Fab 5 were sitting on different tables.
Manik: So, how was your week?
Cabir: Mein bataau?
Manik: No need, cause tu mere saath thha! Buddy, chal tu bataa!
Dhruv: Kya bolun? Sab thik thha, par boring thha.. Uss Harshad ko akele jhelna pada, buddy.
Alya smacked his shoulder.
Alya: Dhruv, he's my brother.
Cabir: He's an a**hole.
Mukti: I second you Cabir.
She picked up a slice of the sandwich, with her right hand, and munched on it.
Alya: Guys, phir bhi.. Accha tell na Manik, how was Dubai? What did you get for us?
Manik: Uh.. Dubai.. (his eyes shift to Nandini, who was eating a slice of pizza) It was nice..
Alya: Show some pictures, na!
Manik: Um.. Uh.. Alya, woh.. Um.. Business trip thha na, toh I didn't get time to click pics.
Dhruv: Buddy, as far as I know.. You haven't joined Uncle's business.. Toh, yeh business trip kyun?
Manik: Buddy, I'm actually planning to join Dad's business. So, he suggested me and Cabir to accompany him to Dubai.
Dhruv nodded. Manik's gaze shifted to Nandini. She, herself, felt like someone was staring at her. Actually, Manik was worried for Nandini. Her eyes met Manik's eyes and he signaled her to go out and meet him.
Nandini: Mein washroom jaa ke aati hu.
Manik: I'll just get some fresh air.
They left the canteen, after the other. And met under the stairs. First, their eyes met and then, Manik engulfed her in a tight hug. He loosed up after 5 minutes and cupped her face.
Manik: You okay? Ussne kuch kiya toh nahi..
Nandini: I'm fine, Manik..
He realized what he just did.
Manik: Uh.. I'm sorry.
Nandini: Kis baat ke liye, Manik? Mujhe hug karne ke liye? Mera haal puchne ke liye?.. You have full rights on me, Manik. I agree that we never began on good terms. But, I want to give this relationship a chance. Will you be my friend?
Manik: Yes, Nandini! I would love to be your friend.
Nandini: Great!
Manik's Pov:
Kuch samajh me nahi aa raha hai... Why I am worried for you, Nandini? Do I feel for you?
Nahi.. Nahi.. Aisa kuch nahi hai!
But why do I want to protect her? Do I love her?
No Manik.. Love is a very strong word!
But, what is love?
End of Manik's Pov
Manik and Nandini went back to their friends and, at times, looked at each other from the corner of their eyes. All this was noticed by their Cupid Cabir. Ab aage kya hoga inn dono ka?