" A loving relationship is one in which the loved one is free to be himself —
to laugh with me, but never at me,
to cry with me, but never because of me,
to love life, to love himself, to love being loved.
Such a relationship is based upon freedom and can never grow in a jealous heart. "
***
It was a bright new day for the new couple in the town . After confessing out their feeling and agreeing to make it official Manik and Nandini were truly became the idol couple . They kept a perfect balance of their personal as well as professional life .
Right now Manik and Nandini were walking to Manik's house as Nandini wanted to visit Mukti and after a long time she got free and hence she can't loose this opportunity .
They were walking hand in hand talking about something , which more looked like Manik was telling her something while she was giggling about it . Her giggles stopped as she looked at the person who was looking like waiting for Manik infront his house .
" Dr. Vibha " Nandini called out her name looking at her , while Vibha glanced at them with curious look . As they both were standing close holding hands , was just burning her insides.
" Why are you here ? " Manik asked her , he had taken an off from the hospital to spend time with Nandini and didn't expected Vibha to be standing right infront of his house .
" I have to talk about something with you Manik , alone . " Vibha said gazing their enclosed hands . Manik looked at her with a raised eyebrow while Nandini noticed her gaze on their hands so she just said " Umm , I will go and see Mukti . "
Manik nodded at Nandini and pulled out the keys of the house from his pocket , as he had an idea Mukti would be sleeping in her room . He passed the keys to Nandini and said " Mukti must be in her room . "
Nandini nodded at him , while he removed his hand from her grip and gave a light push on her lower back as she moved forward . They looked Nandini moving towards the house , when Manik attention shifted to Vibha and pushing his hands inside his trousers pocket he asked " So , what it is ? "
" It's the same thing I told you before . " Vibha said looking at him .
" And I said I would not go ." Manik replied with a stern voice . He will never go to his parents house , especially if it's an occasion .
" Come on Manik , He is you father . You can't live all the life keeping grudges on him . " Vibha told him .
Manik just looked away not answering her . She sighed at him and continued saying " I heard my father saying that Raj Uncle hasn't been well lately . No matter what happened before , he is an old man now . As a son , should you atleast visit him and wish him on his birthday . "
It was his father's birthday in the two days and from past few days Neyonika with Vibha was trying to get Manik to come in the house to at least wish his father and have lunch with him , but Manik was persistent to not go there.
" I said I would not go . You don't need to persuade me more , even if it's for someone else . I have my girlfriend waiting for me inside , we will talk about this later . " He said with a dead pan voice and started moving inside while Vibha just looked at him in shock , thinking ' did he just said girlfriend . '
But ignoring the stab in her heart she followed him inside his house persuading him.
" Manik Malhotra , I am not leaving you today until you agree to go and meet him." Vibha shouted at him . Nandini who was in the living room playing with lucy as Mukti is sleeping heard them . She knew that Vibha is here for persuading Manik to come and wish his father as she heard them outside . She looked at them and wanted to speak but she didn't knew if it would be good to speak in between them.
Manik was giving no head to Vibha's words while Nandini saw this and finally decided to try his luck and she moved near Manik standing at a one feet distance from both and asked " Manik , Are you having any trouble with your father ? "
Manik looked at her and nodded in No , he was not having any trouble with him , but he doesn't want to be with him . All the old memories always resurface whenever he is with him .
Nandini gave him a relief smile and said " You know Manik , A father and son can never have overnight enmity. It's his birthday , you should go and be with him and wish him if you are not angry with him anymore . If it would be my dad , he would come crying to my house If I didn't showed up for his birthday . "
Manik chuckled at her last sentence , seriously imagining Abhishek Murthy coming to Nandini's house crying for not attending his party . He looked at her and saw her smiling as she continued saying " This is how they are Manik . As our parents grow old , they become more like children to gain our attention and spend time with us . Right ?"
She asked him with a nervous smile and also looked at Vibha who gave her a uninterested look and said " Miss Murthy , Can you leave us alone to talk ? "
Nandini made an O face at Vibha's comment and started to move when Manik asked her " Do you really want me to go ? "
Nandini looked at him and gave him a nod . He looked at her nod and smirked internally as he said the words " Well , you come with me then ."
" I .. / She ? " Nandini and Vibha both said with shock as they listened to him.
Manik nodded at Nandini innocently ignoring Vibha and said " You can take it as meeting my parents . "
Both the ladies looked at him with open mouth , while Manik just had sly smile looking at Nandini's expression and he said " I won't go unless you go . "
Nandini looked at Manik with a nervous expressions and then looked at Vibha who was still looking at Manik with an unbelievable expressions . She then glanced at Manik again who was looking at her with hope and it made her just say " Umm.. I will come. "
Manik grinned at her answer , while She smiled at him. Vibha who looked at their little interaction just stumped her foot on the ground and moved out of the house . Both looked at her then back at each other , Nandini looked at her with confusion while he just grinned at her .
Nandini got settled on the couch as Manik made coffee for both of them . He placed the her coffee mug on her table and got settled infront of her .
She looked at him and said " Dr. Vibha was not very happy when she left just now . Did I say something wrong ? "
" Don't worry about her , But remember what you have promised me . " Manik said to her .
She looked him with and asked him with her voice full of confusion " Why do you want me to accompany you ?"
He smiled at her and said with a determined smile " Because I want the whole world to know that you are my girlfriend , { She blushed at his comment } even if I had to meet someone I don't want to see . "
Saying this he drifted in his thoughts and flashes of past which made him feel why he didn't want to see that person .
- 15 Years Back -
" Manik , Mukti " Raj called both his kids as he finally came to a decision to tell them what he wanted to say .
A 12 year old Manik stood with her 9 year old sister , Mukti in front of their father .
" From now on Aunt Neyonika will stay with us ." Raj said and smiled at Neyonika who was standing beside him . The kids looked at him with some stern expression which they inherited by him only .
Neyonika smiled at Raj and then moved towards both the kids and scooted down at their level and said " Mukti , Manik . I hope we can get along well with each other from today . I will take good care of you both."
Mukti looked at her with a curious eyes and " You are my father's assistant . What are you doing here? You are a wicked woman ."
" Mukti " Raj shouted at Mukti .
Manik looked at his father and then at her sister and said " Mukti , come let's go ." And started to move away when Raj stopped them .
Both stopped and looked at him , while Neyonika went back near Raj as he shouted " Didn't you get along well with your Aunt Neyonika before ? Then how can you treat her with this attitude now? "
Neyonika held his hand and said " It's okay , it's just me . Just give the kids some time . "
" No way , we are a family from now , you can't spoil them. " Raj said to Neyonika and then turned towards the kids and said " Manik, you are the big brother . You should be sensible little . "
Manik just looked at his father and then moved towards the mantel piece where his mother's frame was which had a fresh flower garland on it . He picked the frame looking at her mother's picture and then moved towards her sister and looked at his father again.
" Put it back " Raj said pointing back at the place from where he picked the photo .
Manik just looked at him with a stern face not answering him . Raj moved near him and shouted saying " I said you to put it back . "
Raj pulled the photo from Manik's tight grip , but he gripped tightly on the frame and started pulling it on the different side . While the tug of war between Raj and Manik turned violent as Neyonika too tried to stop them . Mukti cried looking at them and just moved near her father and bite his hand making him shriek back in pain , in this moment the photo of Manik's mother fell down and broke .
Both looked at the shattered glasses of the frame with much shock . Raj just turned towards Mukti who was the reason why the frame got broken and shouted at her and raised his hand to slap her when Manik held his hand to save his sister . Mukti's tears burst out seeing her father raising hand on her . She just ran away from there where her brother called out for her name but of no use. Manik just glared at his father and jerked his hand away and ran behind his sister .
" Manik .. " Nandini called him out , making him come out of his memories . He looked at her in confusion while she looked at him with a little guilty expression and said " It's okay if you don't want to talk about it . "
He sighed at her and said " The thing we had between us is complicated , I will tell you about it in the future . "
But then he looked at her and held her hand in his grip and said " But this time , I hope you can come with me . I don't want to face him alone . "
Nandini heard his words and went into thoughts when Manik looked at her and with a sly smile and said " Okay ? My girlfriend ."
Nandini looked at him and with a smile she kept her hand above his and said " Okay . {And gave him a teasing smile continuing } Boyfriend Uncle . "
Manik giggled listening her and soon Nandini joined him, They both held their hands together and continued smiling .
----
Next Day
It was a bright afternoon where Manik was walking towards the hospital after visiting a patient near by . He was walking by the street when his phone rang . He pulled out his phone to look at the caller ID . He smiled at the caller ID and walked slowly picking the picking the call and pressed the phone near his ear .
" Hello ." He greeted the person with a smile .
" Are you busy ? " The person on the other side , which was none other than Nandini asked him . He smiled slowly and said " No , I was about to call you . "
He heard her a small giggle from the other side and he knew she was smiling listening him and then she said " I am near your hospital . How about having lunch together ?"
He smiled listening her offer , and just hummed walking towards the hospital .
----
Restaurant
Manik and Nandini were settled in the corner window table in the restaurant , eating their lunch in perfect silence . The silence for Nandini was a calm and comforting one , but for Manik it was filled with his nervousness . He looked at his girl eating peacefully and he just sighed at it and kept his spoon down on the plate and called her name gaining her attention .
" Nandini . " He called out , she looked at him with her black dove eyes .
Gaining her attention , he looked at her with a nervous expression and said " Umm , let's just forget about my father's birthday ."
She looked at him in confusion but then something struck in her mind and she said " Are you regretting about the decision to take me with you ? "
" Definitely Not , I will take you anywhere with me . But I just don't want to see him myself . " Manik said looking down at his plate full of food .
She made an oh face understanding him as he continued saying " Umm I don't get well along with my father . I don't know what to say to him when we meet . "
She nodded at him understanding his point and asked " Didn't Dr. Vibha said that uncle has been not well recently ? "
Manik gave him a little nod , making Nandini continue " Then you should visit him . Although I don't wanna judge anything from the moral high ground . After all , I am an outsider , I don't know much about your family . But you can't keep yourself away from him forever . Can you choose to escape the days of meeting him all the time ? "
Manik went into the thoughts of what Nandini just said . Seeing him drown in the thoughts Nandini gave an mischievous smile and moved a little forward folding her hands across her chest and said " Umm you said that you are going to introduce me to everyone , or Does, Dr.Manik feel ashamed to introduce e to everyone ? "
Manik just chuckled at her question knowing she is teasing him and with an embarrassed face he said " I am just feeling nervous . I feel like something is going to happen . "
Nandini smiled at him and said patting his fisted hand " It's fine . I am with you this time . Don't worry ."
Manik smiled at her and held her hand in his asking her " Will you be with me forever ? "
She just blushed at his question and pulled her hand from his grip and started feeding him saying " You should eat more , otherwise you will get cranky ."
Manik just chuckled at her and started eating his food .
***
❤ Chapter 60 ❤
Woahh , I never thought I would reach this number of chapters ever .
I am so so happy .
How was it .
Hope you liked it .
Precap : Mukti in some action
Stay Safe
Love