September 2025, Mumbai.
Nandini's POV-
"Great work, Nandini. I'm telling you, this album is going to kill it!" Ratna, the producer of my latest album beams at me. She looks so happy that anyone would think our album has already released and become a success.
That's one of the many perks of working with Ratna; she's always so lively and positive it's hard to be sad around her. And this is exactly why I requested her to prepone our recording session and do it today- I knew I needed some Ratna time to come out of the funk I've been in lately.
"What's up with you?" She raises an eyebrow at me when I don't say anything in response.
"Nothing. The songs did come out great, didn't they?" I give her a small smile.
"Don't change the subject. I can tell something is wrong with you. What is it? Is everything okay with Manik?" She narrows her eyes at me, like she has so many times before, in the last two years since we became friends. The look on her face is so endearingly familiar that I groan out loud, my facade crumbling finally.
"Tell me what's wrong." She sits down on the chair beside me and throws an arm around my shoulder.
"It's Manik." I murmur, deciding to talk about it at last.
We've been feeling off lately. I've avoided talking about it till now because I feared that putting my thoughts into words would make them a glaring reality, something I couldn't ignore anymore. I've been kidding myself into believing that it's all in my head. But I can't keep doing that anymore. Something is definitely wrong with us and I need to address the problem instead of running away from it. Ratna is a great listener and if anyone can help me out, it's her.
"What about him? Did you two fight?"
"No, we didn't fight." I cover my hands with my face, trying to find the right words to explain how I'm feeling. "Its just that, we- I don't know, we- don't fight, or talk or do much of anything anymore." I look at Ratna helplessly. "The last time I saw him was about a month ago. He came for the award ceremony with his mom and then flew right back. His mom stayed behind, Ratna. But he couldn't." I throw my hands up in the air. The frustration has been building up for months and it's hitting me like a canon in this moment.
"So what's the problem? That his mum stayed behind or that he didn't?"
So much for being a good listener. I know she's trying to lighten the mood but I just can't humor her right now.
"That he didn't stay, Ratna." I stare at her in disbelief. "I feel this is not working anymore. He's always so busy that I barely get to see him."
Just as I finish talking, my phone pings loudly, and when I turn on the screen, my irritation goes through the roof. I had forgotten to log out of my Instagram account and there's a barrage of notifications waiting for me.
Mindlessly, I scroll through the feed, coming across picture after picture of Manik and me- strolling on the streets, coming out of my studio and so many others of us just going about our daily business. There's even one of us sharing a kiss. As annoying as they are, I have to give it to the media- I'm sure our kiss didn't last longer than a few seconds, it was really just a brush. But the shutterbugs had captured it at the right moment, and now it is open to interpretation. For all I know, people are thinking we were snogging shamelessly in public.
With a sigh, I shut off my screen and put the phone down on the table, a bit too forcefully. It isn't easy, looking at pictures of us and reading captions about our 'undying' love, when I'm feeling so unsure of my relationship.
"They mean well." Ratna smiles at me and bumps my shoulder.
"No, they don't. They write anything." I still remember how just last year, there had been so many stories about our breakup. It had only been a tiff because we weren't getting much time together and Manik had been on the edge about his company's expansion. We had resolved it quickly, but the media had created quite a shitstorm about the whole thing. Our fans had made it very clear that they were unhappy about our breakup. And then there were Manik's fangirls, who were celebrating as if he was planning to get on the first flight to marry them all, now that he had dumped me. The whole situation was unpleasant to say the least, and took a long time to blow over. But it did reaffirm my belief in staying as far away from social media as possible. My social media accounts are managed by my PR team and strictly used just for promotional posts.
"Chuck that and listen to me." Ratna turns me around so that I'm looking straight at her. "Have you talked to Manik about this?" When I shake my head, she gives me an exasperated look. "Nandini, you need to talk to him. Tell him whatever you are feeling. Don't keep it bottled up. Tell him you want more time with him."
"That's not all." I mutter in a small voice.
"What else?" She quizzes.
"He had a girlfriend before me. He was with her for a long time." I take a deep breath and try to control my rising panic. "But then he went to London for studies and they sort of grew apart. He told me they used to talk a lot at first. But eventually the conversations stopped entirely."
"And you think the same thing is happening with you two?"
"I think it might be. Manik doesn't do the long distance thing well. Soha, his ex, is proof of that. And we've mostly been apart, you know, since he started his firm. What if- he's falling out of love with me?"
There. It's out, my biggest fear.
Even though we haven't been able to spend much time together and I feel something is wrong, I'm still madly in love with Manik and I don't know what I'd do without him. I don't know if he still feels the same way.
"That's nonsense, Nandini. I've seen the way he looks at you and I can tell you that he's as in love with you as anyone can be in with another person."
Her words are reassuring and ease some of my nerves. "I don't know." I tell her uncertainty. "He's known Soha all his life and he still stopped loving her. Me, on the other hand? Our case is different."
"You've got this all wrong, girl." Ratna gawks at me. "You can know a person all your life and still feel nothing for them. While there are others, who you hardly know, but they still manage to turn you upside down. This shit happens in weird ways. I thought you knew this."
Just then, her phone beeps and she jumps out of her chair, groaning loudly. "I've got to go. But you'll talk to Manik, okay?" She looks at me sternly and when I nod, she gives me a thumbs up and rushes out of the studio.
She's right. I've got to talk to Manik and ask him how he feels. A part of me knows that he loves me too much and what we share is the real deal. But I still need to tell him what I've been thinking. It was going great until he started his company. But since then, we've been really pressed for time and it's taken a toll on me. There have been times when I've just wanted to go home after a long day and be with him, but he hadn't been there. We've managed so far, but now, I often find myself wondering if he still loves me the same way.
Grabbing my phone, I quickly call him and wait for him to pick up. I am prepared for the call going unanswered, but he picks up at the last ring.
"Hey, I was about to call you." His voice rings through the phone, its usual calming potential still intact.
"Are you busy?"
"No, just got out of a meeting. You?"
"Just finished a recording."
"Recording? Today?"
"Yeah, I preponed a recording session. Anyway Manik, I need to ask you something."
There's a brief pause on the line, after which he answers, "I need to ask you something too."
"Manik, I-"
"Nandini, it's important actually. And I don't want to do this over the phone." He's talking very fast. "Listen, can you come here today?"
"Today?" I ask incredulously.
"Yeah, I'll wrap up everything and we can have dinner together. What say?"
"Manik, is something wrong?"
"No, relax. I just need to discuss a few things with you. It can't wait. Please? Just come."
"Okay. I'll take the first flight and be there. But everything's okay, right?"
"Yes, madam. Everything's fine. Just come, okay?"
"Yeah, I'll see you."
With that, I hang up the phone and quickly find the earliest flight to Delhi. It's about two hours from now, so if I leave right away, I could make it. Grabbing all my things, I go down to find my car parked in the front, with the driver seated inside and Kamlesh, my new bodyguard leaning on the side.
I quickly get inside and we set off for the airport.
"Ma'am, kitne din ka plan hai?" Kamlesh asks from the front seat.
"Pata nahi, bhaiya. Dekhte hain." I tell him and quickly send a text to Akriti, my manager, telling her that I'm going to Delhi for the day.
As we amble through the roads, the driver takes a shortcut to surpass the traffic and it brings me to an area I try to avoid with a burning passion.
Another sharp turn and I'm right in front of the one building I absolutely loathe- Singhania Mansion.
The last time I came to this area was very long ago and the sight of the building surprises me for a moment. Its thoroughly dilapidated and dirty- paint peeling off the walls, the wrought iron gates rusted and the once immaculate garden all slimy and wild now. There's fungus and weeds growing out of the walls, the glass in the windows is broken and the building looks like it could crumble any minute. Completely stripped of all its former glory.
I heard that the mansion was auctioned off after Singhania's arrest and all his other properties were sealed as well. I have no idea what shape the rest of them are in or where all his blood money went, and I don't care either, but there's definitely something oddly satisfying about seeing the mansion in such a horrible state. For the first time since morning, I find myself smiling genuinely. Rotten, just like it deserves to be. Seeing the roads empty, the driver speeds up and soon enough, the mansion is left behind me.
When I came back to Mumbai, nearly five years ago, for a singing competition, I didn't think I would stay here for long. The plan was to wind up the competition and go back to Bangalore. But the competition had turned out to be something I never expected; it gave me a taste of what it could be like to be a singer for real. The instant popularity I gained was too overwhelming and I had been flooded with offers the minute I won the show. In the end, I had stayed back and decided to test my talent in the Hindi music industry.
It wasn't easy by any means, to come back to this city. It had taken a lot of effort and solid willpower on my part to stay put here. But I had managed somehow. Manik was with me throughout, reminding me that if this city held bad memories, it was also the place where I met Navya and Cabir. If this city had taken a lot from me, it had also given me the love of my life- him. This was the place where I embraced my love for music for the first time and also, hadn't it given me an amazing opportunity to touch people's lives through my music?
It was also the city where Jenny is resting.
It couldn't be so bad, could it?
Eventually, I had been able to get over my reservations and make a home for myself here. Navya and Cabir were always around and also, Manik made frequent trips to visit me so I wouldn't be lonely. I still have my Bangalore home- it's too damn special to me and I can never part with it. Murthy uncle and aunty are happy to look after it and Aryaman uses it occasionally for the committee work. Really, I couldn't have put it to better use myself.
_________________________________
"Thanks, bhaiya. You can wait in the lounge area. I'll go up." I tell Kamlesh in the reception area of Malhotra Technology and get into the private elevator that will take me up to Manik's office on the tenth floor.
It's all very impressive; I've come here several times before, but the sheer grandeur and elegance of the building leaves me awestruck and feeling incredibly proud of Manik, every single time. In just four years, he has already become a huge brand in his industry and there's still no stopping him.
Stepping out of the elevator, I am greeted by Manik's secretary. "Hello, ma'am." He says politely. "Manik sir is waiting for you."
"Hi." I give him a smile. "I actually need a favor. Kamlesh is waiting in the lounge area. Can you send him something to eat?"
"Kamlesh?" The door of Manik's office opens right then and he walks out, stopping in front of me. "Who's Kamlesh?" He asks with a puzzled look.
I give myself a minute to take in his appearance; he's dressed in a black suit and his hair is slightly longer than the last time I last saw him, almost a month ago. His beard is neatly trimmed and I have to say, he looks gorgeous. His warm brown eyes are staring at me intently, doing their own assessment of me. Even after all these years, looking into those eyes leaves me mesmerized. He grins at me and I sigh inwardly. I've missed him so much.
"Who the hell is Kamlesh?" He asks again, and I see a little bit of humor in his expression.
"My new bodyguard." I mutter.
"Er- ma'am," the secretary clears his throat, making both Manik and me turn to him. "I'll make sure he's taken care of."
"Good." Manik nods at him and turns to me. "Shall we?" He places a hand on my back and guides me into his office. When we are inside, he locks the door and turns to me expectantly. I merely shrug in response.
"Do I get a kiss?" He asks tentatively, probably sensing that my mood is off. Slowly, I walk towards him, pull is head down and brush my lips against his. He is quick to wrap his arms around me and hug me tight, burying his face in the crook of my neck. The familiar smell of his cologne engulfs me and I feel my eyes getting teary.
"Hey, what's wrong?" He murmurs against my ear and places a light kiss on my neck. "Nandini?"
"Nothing. I just need to talk about some stuff." I pull away from him and place a hand on his chest.
He looks at me for a long minute and then points to a corner, where a table is laid for dinner. "Come on." He takes my arm and pulls me along to the dinner table.
"So." He says once we are seated and our plates are laden with food. "Kamlesh, your new bodyguard, is he any good?" He smiles.
"Yeah, he's great actually."
"Well, he can't be better than me." He winks at me and I laugh. "I'll always be your best bodyguard."
I roll my eyes at him. "Listen, I need to ask you something." Now that we are together, I can't hold it in any longer. I have to get it all out so that I can rest easy.
"I need to ask you something, too." He nods at me, "can I go first?"
"No." I shake my head. "Me first."
"Nandini-"
"Please?" The minute I say the word, he sighs and I know he's about to give in.
"Fine. Ask away." He gives me a soft, warm smile, the one that does stupid things to me.
"I wanted to know if- if you- still love me?" I mumble, looking at the floor. But Manik's reaction to my question makes me look up at him anyway.
"Wh- what?" He splutters, choking on the water he was drinking. "Why would you ask that?"
"Because you- you don't like long distance relationships, do you?" I groan, panic getting the better of me.
"Nandini, seriously! What?" He asks incredulously, shaking his head.
"You told me so yourself. Remember? You stopped loving Soha after you went to London." I whine loudly. I probably look like an angry kid right now, seeking reassurance, but I don't care. I need him to tell me he still loves me.
"Nandini,", he holds up a finger. "Don't put words in my mouth, okay? I never said I stopped loving Soha after going to London." He gives me a stern look. "But I do remember telling you clearly, that I was never in love with her."
We stare at each other silently as I let the meaning of his words register. Some of the restlessness I've been feeling over the past few weeks lifts as I take in Manik's sincere expression.
"How long have you been thinking this?" He demands.
"A while." My voice is so small I barely hear it.
"Nandini." Shaking his head, he gets up, walks around the table to reach my side and pulls me up too. When I give him a puzzled look, he simply sits down in my chair and pulls me into his lap. Instinctively, my arm goes around his neck and he places a hand around my waist, holding me close. "Its my fault, actually."
"What?" I whisper. Our faces are so close together that one tilt and we'll be kissing. His hand tightens on my waist and I feel my blood racing in my veins, the familiar hot, all consuming desire pooling in the depths of my belly.
"Its my fault that you think I don't love you anymore. I'm sorry, Nandini." He kisses me briefly. "I know I have no time for us anymore. And I knew something was up with you, but I never realized you were thinking this. Sorry, I should have made more time for you."
"Manik-"
"No, listen." He leans his head on mine and I practically feel my heart squeeze. "What Soha and I shared was nothing. This-", he moves a finger between the two of us, "is everything." Another fleeting kiss. "I love you, Nandini, and that's never going to change. You are the most important person to me and I've realised my mistake. From now on, I'm going to prioritize us."
"What do you mean?" I lean in and capture his lower lip with my teeth, kissing him languidly. Hearing those words from him was like a soothing balm to me. All doubts finally leave me and I press down on his lips harder, savoring.
"If you had let me talk first," he pulls away after a minute, panting, "I would have told you that I've found a solution."
"What solution?" I murmur, loosening his tie and placing light, feathery kisses along his jaw and neck.
"I've hired a new guy for this branch." His voice is hoarse and laced with the same desire that's playing me.
"What?" I pull away and ask.
"Yeah. I am going to offer him the post of regional head, here." He gives me a pointed look. "And then, I am going to move to Mumbai and operate from there."
"But, Manik-"
"Listen, Nandini. I can't stay away from you anymore. I miss you too much." He leans forward and kisses me deeply, threading his fingers through my hair.
"What about mom?" I push him away and ask.
"She'll come with me too, of course." He shrugs.
"Have you discussed this with her?"
"Not yet."
This guy! With a huff, I get off his lap and throw my hands up in the air.
"What if she doesn't want to move, Manik?" I snap irritably. "You can't force her!"
"What else can we do!" He looks annoyed as well. "Look, I don't want to force her either, but I want to be with both of you."
Shaking my head, I turn around and walk over to the other side, plonking down on the couch at the far end. Manik gets up too and he's about to follow me, but I stop him right there. "No!" I hold up a finger and he stops midway, his face falling comically. "Stay right there. Let me think."
"So, you can't think straight with me around?" He asks innocently and I give him a nasty look.
We stay on the opposite sides of the room for a long time after that, staring at each other and thinking hard. When I finally reach my decision, after much pondering, I say in a clear, sure voice, "Manik, we can't ask aunty to move. It's not fair to her."
"What, then?" He frowns.
"What if- I move here?"
His eyes widen at my words. "You want to move here?"
"Yeah, why not? I can open a new studio and set up a team to do all my recordings from here. And anyway, most of my projects this year are with Ratna. I'm sure we'll figure something out." The more I think about this, the more I'm convinced this is what I need to do. This way, all three of us- Manik, aunty and I, will get what we want.
"No, Nandini." Manik shakes his head vigorously. "All your life, you've moved and moved and moved. First from Chicago to here, and then between Mumbai and Bangalore. How is it fair to you? No, I can't make you move again. You deserve to have a happy, stable home, do you understand?"
"That's exactly the point, Manik." I smile at him and walk over to sit in his lap again. "My stable, happy home is wherever you are. And I can move a hundred times to be in my happy place." I throw my arms around him and hug him tight, placing my head on his chest. "I don't mind, really. And I'm sure I'll be able to manage everything else. So, will you have me?"
After a long pause, he relents. "Always." Giving me a searing look, he kisses me with such fervour that the wind is knocked out of my lungs. We stay there, kissing and hugging, whispering I love yous to each other for a long time. By the time we pull apart, its dark outside.
"Are you ready to head home?" I ask breathlessly, running my hand all over him.
"Not yet." With one deep kiss, he pulls away and makes both of us stand up. "Let's see, I've to show you something, do something and then ask you something." He says thoughtfully.
"Show, do, ask." I repeat after him, giving him a quizzical look.
"Yes, show, do, ask." He gives me a bright smile. "Come." Pulling me out of the office we get into the elevator and he presses the ground floor button. We come out to find the huge reception almost deserted. The receptionist gets up on seeing Manik and gives us a polite smile. He simply nods at her and ushers me through a side corridor into the room at the end of it.
"You remember what this is?" He asks me with an excited smile when we are inside the small office.
"Of course, how could I forget?" I beam at him. This is the room where it all began- Malhotra Technology and what followed afterwards. The foundation of the office building had been laid here and this was Manik's very first office, the first space that was his own. This is where he had sat for hours on end, working tirelessly to expand his firm. I know this is a very special place for him- it stands to represent his hard work and dedication. Over the years, he has taken care of this one small room almost reverently. As the company got bigger, he had acquired the surrounding areas too and the building had been revamped to make it fit to be the premises of the biggest marketing firm in Delhi. But this small room had been left untouched, preserved in its original state forever. It may not be state of the art, like the rest of the building, but it's still the most important part of this space.
As I look around, I notice a few changes that weren't there the last time I came here- several elegant looking, mahogany shelves are placed side by side along the left wall of the room. They all hold numerous files from top to bottom, stacked neatly one after the other.
"My dad's work files. Many of the documents are handwritten. I brought it all here from my old home." He wraps his arms around me from behind and rests his chin on my shoulder. "All sprayed with anti- mite, laminated and arranged by the year."
"This is amazing, Manik. Really." I turn around and hug him again, so glad that unlike me, he has some part of his father that he can hold on to forever. Too precious.
We are staring at the shelves when Manik's phone rings. "Hey, mom." He answers it quickly. "No, mom, I was about to." Pause. "Yes, mom, I know." Another pause. "No, mom!" He groans this time, "I am not scared, okay?"
I lean in closer to hear what she's saying but it's all a mess. "Aap phone rakhoge toh na." He frowns deeply. "Accha, thori der aur. Bye." With that, he snaps his phone shut and gives me a sheepish smile.
"What was that about?" I grin back, my suspicion rising.
"Nothing." He settles down on the couch and pulls me down so that I am straddling him. "Enough of talking. Time to do you." He whispers against my mouth, eyes darkening just a shade.
Slowly, one by one, he starts unbuttoning my shirt and pushes it off my shoulders to expose my bra. With another flick, the bra is off too and his mouth is on my breast, sucking hard. I moan loudly and press myself deeper into his mouth, desperate for his touch. My skirt is bundled around my waist, leaving my panties in plain sight. His hand goes down between my legs, moves the thin fabric aside and two fingers delve into the depths of my folds, making my eyes roll to the back and I cry out loud.
"I need you, Manik." I whisper urgently and with shaking, impatient hands, quickly unzip his pants and free him. Pushing my panties aside, I move up slightly and then sink down on his hard length, slow and steady. Both of us groan at the contact and he quickly plants his hands on my hips, moving me up and down on him.
"Yes, Manik." I moan breathlessly, our rhythm picking up. Increasing my pace to an almost frantic level, I feel him thrusting hard into me, going deeper and deeper. Soon enough, I find myself climbing high and the only sounds in the room are our mingled breaths and moans, along with the thudding sounds of our bodies pounding agaisnt each other.
With one particularly hard thrust, we both find our release and I collapse on top of him, utterly exhausted.
"I love you so much, Nandini." He says in a throaty voice.
"I love you more." I move up and kiss him again, rough and dominating.
"Wait, wait wait." He frees his mouth suddenly and exclaims, pushing me back slightly. "Before we go again, I have to ask you something."
"What is it?" I mumble impatiently, trying to kiss him again but he dodges my mouth.
"Nandini, behave." He says sternly. "Don't make this more difficult for me."
"Okay, sorry." I pout. "What do you want to know, Manik?" I say in a sickeningly sweet voice and laugh.
"Do you know why I've brought you here?" He asks seriously.
"To show me the shelves?"
"Yes, but there's another reason." He cradles my jaw.
"Okay." I draw out the word, wondering where this is going.
"This room is sort of lucky for me. It's always given me everything I've wanted. And now", he takes my hand into his, "I'm hoping it'll give me one last thing, the most important one, the- the answer I want." He finishes, looking slightly nervous for some reason.
"Manik, what is it?" I can't help but feel uneasy all of a sudden.
"Nandini Murthy, will you marry me?"
There is pin drop silence for a minute as Manik stares at me hopefully.
And then, the silence is broken brutally as I shriek and throw my arms around him, hugging the life out of him.
"Oh my god, Manik!" I screech, unable to believe those words have come out of his mouth. "Really?" I pull back and laugh, tears flowing freely. "You seriously want to get married?" I giggle.
"Yes, you crazy woman." He laughs too, his nervousness going away. "I want to spend all my life loving you." He flicks my nose fondly.
"Wait." I wipe away my tears and hold up a hand. "Where's the ring? You do have a ring, right? Manik Malhotra, if you tell me you were too busy to get a ring, I'll kill you." I am full blown jumping on him at this point, unable to control my excitement. "There had better be a ring, mister."
"Calm down, there is one. And I picked it out myself." He rummages in his pocket and pulls out a tiny, beautiful box. Inside it is the most exquisite ring I've ever seen; there's a huge, square- cut diamond resting on a simple, elegant band. Its perfect. I'm in love with it at first sight.
"So you'll be my wife?" He asks again, slipping the ring on to my finger and kissing my hand. Perfect fit, just like us.
"Yes!" I smile through my tears and hug him again.
"I love you so much, Nandini. I can't wait to marry you." He murmurs and shifting me slightly, pounds into me again, all set to rock me to my very core. Again.
___________________________
"Aunty already knows, doesn't she?" I smirk at Manik as he opens the car door for me. We are parked right in front of his house. "She thought you were scared to propose." I laugh, bumping his shoulder.
"Ha ha. Very funny." He deadpans. "I was not scared, okay." He rolls his eyes as we climb up the few steps to the door.
The minute the door opens, there is an explosion.
Or that is what it feels like, at least. I watch in dumbfounded shock as the door swings open to reveal a huge crowd of people standing in the foyer, all screaming different words at us.
"SHE SAID YES!" Manik shouts back, to which they all yell 'congratulations' and the next minute, Cabir and Navya run at me and throw thier arms around me, squeezing me in between and yelling in my ears.
"What is this?" I turn to Manik when they finally let go of me and stop shouting.
"Surprise?" He smiles sheepishly. "I got everyone here to celebrate our engagement."
"So you knew I would say yes?" I ask him in disbelief.
"Yes, and if you hadn't, I would have made you. When have I ever been known to give up." He answers smugly.
"Nandini!" Aryaman comes forward next and hugs me gently, so unlike Cabir and Navya. "Congratulations! I'm so happy for you." He pulls away from me and walks over to Manik, hugging him too.
I look around at the people assembled in front of me, all beaming at us- Murthy aunty and uncle, Dhruv, Alia, Pathak uncle, Vrinda aunty, Suraj uncle and Soha, they're all here!
I run straight to Shanno aunty and hug her tight, while Manik walks over to Suraj uncle and touches his feet. One by one, we walk over to each of our guests and greet them as they offer their congratulations.
"Arey, Fab 5! Bade log." I bump Dhruv's shoulder and he laughs. "Hamare ghar me."
"Oo, madam." Cabir complains without missing a beat, "bade log toh aap hain. Fab 5 ke paas hamesha time rehta hai friends ke liye, samjhi." I am about to respond when I hear Sarika aunty's voice calling our attention.
"Hato sab, jaldi jaldi. I have to welcome my daughter."
Dhruv, Navya and Aryaman quickly move aside to let her through and she walks out, holding a huge aarti ki thali. Both Manik and I touch her feet, after which she begins her aarti, rotating the thali in front of us.
"What took you so long?" She asks us briskly.
"Ye kya batayenge, aunty. What took them so long!" Cabir laughs and both Manik and I punch him, earning a glare from Sarika aunty.
"Manik, behave beta." She glares at him and he rolls his eyes. "Chalo, ab andar aao."
"Aunty, I think aapko Nandini ka grih pravesh bhi kar lena chahie." Its Navya this time, never the one to miss an opportunity. "After all, you are going to get grandchildren very soon." She laughs.
"Navya!" I groan at her, blushing profusely.
"Yes, there are going to be grandchildren very soon, and we'll name a few after you, okay Navya?" Manik taunts back and Navya hits his shoulder.
"You thankless git!" She narrows her eyes at him. "Don't forget, if I hadn't given you Nandini's Bangalore address all those years ago, you wouldn't be standing here today, making fun of me."
"Accha bas." Sarika aunty interjects before Manik can respond. "Lets go inside now. Abhi and Mukti want to congratulate you too, beta."
"Oh, shit. Yes." Manik exclaims and quickly runs inside, impatient to be untied with his bhai.
We all follow him in and watch in amazement as he yells at Abhimanyu, "Abey, saale. Didn't I tell you she'd say yes?"
"Kya baat kar raha hai bey." Abhimanyu shouts back, sounding even more excited than us.
"Watch it, you two. No bad words around the baby." Sujata aunty, Abhimanyu's mom, glares at the pair of them. She is sitting on the sofa, beside a heavily pregnant Mukti, feeding her fruits.
"Mom, the baby can't hear us." Abhimanyu rolls his eyes, bumping his fist with Manik. "Congratulations, bhai."
"Yes, the baby can hear everything." Sujata aunty presses, caressing Mukti's baby bump lovingly. "My baccha can hear everything, okay. So watch your language."
"Congrats, Nandini!" Abhimanyu walks over to me and gives me a hug, ignoring his mom completely. "I'm so happy for you two."
"Abey, dhongi." Manik comes forward and puts an arm around my shoulders. "You thought my plan to propose in the office was shit, okay. You were asking me to take her to some fancy place."
"Well, grand gestures do work, bro."
"Not on me." I move up and quickly plant a kiss on Manik's cheek. "I don't care about grand gestures. And-", I look straight into Manik's eyes, "it was the best proposal ever. Thank you, for making us a part of that office."
"Besides, we wouldn't have been able to do what we did there in a public place." Manik whispers in my ear, making my ears redden. "I always liked the idea of proposing to you while you were naked in my arms."
"Guys." Abhimanyu clears his throat, his eyes lit up with humor. "Stop with the whispering okay. Aur thora dur dur khade ho jao. Otherwise bro, my mom will throw you out of your own house. You know how she's gotten, right?"
"Manik, Nandini?" Just then, Mukti calls out our names, beckoning us over. I step around Abhimanyu and walk over to her. She extends her arms out to me and I give her a brief hug. "Congrats, so happy." She squeals in my ear, her pregnancy glow making her look too beautiful. After quickly greeting Sujata aunty, I settle down on the floor in front of Mukti.
"How are you doing?" I ask her, touching her bump tentatively.
"Great. Full on queen treatment I'm getting." She leans her head on Sujata aunty's shoulder.
"Did the baby kick again?" Soha asks, rushing into the room and sitting down beside me on the carpeted floor. "Nandini, you have to feel it dude." She takes hold of my hand and places it on Mukti's bump, putting her own hand just below mine.
"I want to feel it too." Alia gushes next.
"Come over na. She's too big. There's room for everyone." Soha, bless her, scoots over and Alia immediately squeezes in beside Mukti on the sofa, adding another hand to Mukti's bump.
"Baccho, ye kya hai. Don't crowd Mukti." Sujata aunty chides.
"Arey mom, ruko na." Soha brushes her off and leans in.
The three of us sit there with our hands on Mukti's belly for a long time, waiting. But the kick doesn't come.
After some time, the others start going out one by one, telling us they will all be in the pool area, having fun, while we obsess over Mukti. Even Sujata aunty walks out in the end, muttering about 'crazy girls' and 'stupid Soha'. Apparently, they all had already witnessed Mukti feeling the baby's kicks and the novelty of the whole thing had worn off them. The same couldn't be said for Soha and Alia, though.
The three of us don't budge from our place around Mukti, waiting expecting. The door to the poolside has been left open and after a couple of minutes, we hear Cabir and Dhruv singing songs, probably for everyone's entertainment. We can also hear the occasional shayari from Navya. There's a loud round of applause every now and then and the sound of laughter in the air is mingled with the heavy aroma of food being grilled. I hardly ate anything before and my stomach grumbles at the delicious smell wafting in from the poolside. Hmm, so they've set up the grill as well.
"Bacchon", Suraj uncle pokes his head in after another fifteen minutes, "come outside. You are missing all the fun."
"Five more minutes, dad." Soha mutters impatiently and waves him away. "Don't disturb us na."
Shaking his head at us, he walks out again, leaving us in pin drop silence.
"Girls!" Mukti yawns. "I'm getting bored. Lets go outside."
"Come on, Mukti." Alia scoffs at her. "Don't you want us to feel the kick? Just ten minutes more, then we'll go out."
"Yes, bhabhi dearest. Just ten minutes." Soha pouts and Mukti rolls her eyes at her.
"Girls." I murmur suddenly, "I think I felt something." Their eyes widen and they all press their hands to Mukti's bump more firmly, mouths hanging open. And there it is, finally- a definite rumble just under my hand.
"Oh my god." All four of us squeal loudly and clap our hands together.
"Amazing, Mukti." I smile at her and squeeze her hand.
"Wow, Mukti. An actual human inside you!" A teary eyed Alia kisses Mukti's forehead and hugs her sideways.
"I'm going to be an aunt." Soha exclaims happily and goes over to Mukti's other side.
"Um- girls?"
The four of us turn around to find Manik standing in the doorway. "Nandini, can you come with me? I have to show you something."
Giving Mukti one last hug, I make my way to Manik and he pulls me through a corridor into another sitting area. The front wall here is dedicated to numerous pictures- of Manik with his mom, dad, the Thakkars and me, as well as pictures of him standing in front of this bungalow and the office. There are also ten or so pictures of Manik posing with his favorite bikes from his collection. There's one beautiful life-size portrait of Manik's dad hung in the centre and the space beside it, which was empty until now, is holding another life-sized portrait, a new addition. Its covered with a cloth, so I can't see whose it is.
"Go on, take the cover off." Manik pushes me towards the portrait.
"Okay." I walk over and grabbing one corner of the cloth, pull.
My eyes widen when the achingly familiar face comes into view, instantly brimming with tears. Hastily, I wipe them away to clear my vision, not wanting to miss even a tiny detail. Its an old picture, Manik probably found it in one of my albums and got it enlarged. The warmth in those happy eyes is unmistakable and her mouth is pulled into one of her kindest smile.
A portrait of my Jenny.
Looking closely, I see the words, 'always with us' , carved at the bottom of the frame in Manik's long, slanting handwriting.
I turn around and gape at Manik, at a complete loss of words. Smiling, he comes forward and hugs me.
"Thank you." I cry into his chest. "Thank you so much. I love you, Manik."
"I love you too and I can't wait for you to come here." He kisses my forehead tenderly and we stand there, hugging each other and looking up at Jenny's face. I could probably keep standing here, looking at her forever.
Eventually, we go out to join the others by the poolside, where a party is in full swing. Mukti is also seated here with Abhimanyu by her side while Suraj uncle and Sujata aunty are dancing to an old song. Cabir and Dhruv are by the grill and Navya is sitting in front of them, her plate held up. The others are all seated at a huge table, chatting animatedly and discussing wedding plans.
When we walk out, Soha pulls us both to a corner where two chairs have been put together. What follows is a long photo session with all the people. I am pleasantly surprised to see that everyone has brought gifts for both of us.
"Soch, Nandini." Cabir sits down beside me and grins. "Agar tu ne mana kar diya hota toh sab ka popat ho jata yaar."
"Cabir-", I give him an exasperated look and he giggles, "I couldn't have said no to Manik. I just couldn't have."
"I'm so happy for you. Really." He ruffles my hair.
"Sach me, Nandu." Navya sighs next to Cabir. "Kahan se kahan aa gaye hain hum."
As I take in Navya's words and look around, I can't help but feel that I really am lucky. Early in the morning, I had been stupidly thinking Manik didn't love me anymore. But this day had actually become the most beautiful day of my life.
And really, hadn't this been the story of my entire life as well? There was a time when I was angry, bitter and thought I would never be happy. But here I am now, with so many people who love me and doing something that brings me so much joy. Now, when I look back, I realize its been an amazing journey and I'm grateful for where I am today.
Manik is sitting beside Abhimanyu and Mukti, laughing wholeheartedly. I stare at him, feeling a kind of happiness that I don't think my tiny body is capable of holding; its almost as if I'm bursting at the seams. My Manik.
What is the most important thing I've earned out of life?
This.
And I wouldn't have it any other way.
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A/N- Hi! Long note ahead.
This story is officially completed. Its been a long journey and I'm so pleased at finally being able to click the 'completed' option. Yaay!
MaNan fandom is amazing to write for on Wattpad and I am glad I could be a small part of it ❤
I'm extremely grateful to each and every person who has taken time out to read my work. It means a lot to me! Special mention to the people who have voted and commented regularly on the chapters. I honestly can't tell you how much those notifications meant to me
*wipes away tears of joy*
And the few of you who have commented regularly, please know that this is my first book and I will always be thankful to you for your kind words 🥺😘❤
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