15. ICE CREAM DATE

In a cafeteria, Manik is sitting on one of the tables around the mirror wall and continuously looks out while tapping his foot on the floor in nervousness. His meeting ended half an hour ago and from that time he has been sitting here waiting for his lady love. He is sweating in this cold weather because of tension.

Manik:- ( praying to god ) Waheguru…… please don’t let anything bad happen to her. 

Soon the waiter comes there with his order. 

Waiter:- ( while keeping his order on the table ) here is your 5th coffee mug, sir. Would you like to have something rather than coffee, sir?

His voice held sarcasm whereas In reply, Manik just shook his head and the waiter went from there after giving him weird looks which currently do not affect him. He sips his coffee slowly-slowly with his gaze fixed on the college gate. He felt like Nandini was testing his patience level. 

Soon his wait comes to an end when he sees Nandini who comes out from the college with a sad face. Seeing her like that, Manik understood that she didn’t get the job. 

Nandini walks and sits beside him with a sulking face. 

Manik:- what happened, baby? 

Nandini:- Manik, i got the job. 

First, she starts with a sad face but at the end, she has a sweet smile lingering on her lips making his heart flutter. Manik looks at her with a beautiful and proud smile. 

Manik:- I already knew that you will get the job because my baby is the best.

Nandini:- and how was your meeting? 

Manik:- mine was great. Everything went as perfectly as I thought and I finalized the office design too.

Nandini:- ( excitedly ) really? Then, show me. 

Manik:- Nope……. It’s a surprise for you. 

Nandini:- ( cribs like a kid ) Manik, this is not fair……..

Manik:- ( smiles on her cute expressions ) everything is fair in SURPRISES. 

Saying this he pulls her cheeks and bites it lightly making her shocked. she cringed her eyes.

Nandini:- ( pushing him back ) Manik, we are in public!!

Manik ignored her and took her lips for a short kiss. After sucking her lips for a second he leaves her with a mischievous smile. She looks at him with wide eyes and hits his bicep. 

Nandini:- Manik, are you mad? You can’t kiss me in public.

Manik:- ( teasingly, while biting his lips with a grin ) It means I can kiss anyone in public, except you. 

Hearing this Nandini shoots daggers at him angrily and starts hitting him.

Nandini:- How can you even think that? 

Manik is not at all affected by her punches, he is enjoying this with a smile. When Nandini gets tired after all the boxing, he holds her hand in his, making her calm, and caresses her back of the palm. 

Manik:- look around, here no one cares about what we are doing? They don’t even say anything if we make out on one of their tables.

Listening to his words she palms his lips blushingly, making him laugh. 

Nandini:- ( blushingly ) Manik……………………….

Manik:- yup!!! My Jaan. 

Nandini looks at him cutely from sideways. 

Manik:- ok…. No more teasing. ( while standing up ) let’s go. 

Nandini:- ( confusingly ) where? 

Manik:- aree………. Chalo Toh Sahi. ( arey……. First, come with me )

Saying this he drags her and makes her sit in the cab.

Nandini:- Manik, where are we going? 

Manik:- Nandini, keep quiet. I won’t tell you until we reach our destination. 

Nandini:- ( with a bad face ) you are very bad. 

Manik:- really?….. Then wait till we reach our home. I will tell you how bad I am. 

Saying this he kisses her cheek while Nandini hits him with her elbow and gestures towards the driver who does not really care about what they are doing behind his back. Manik rolls his eyes on his shy girlfriend and asks the driver. 

Manik:- will you mind if I kiss my girlfriend here? 

Nandini gasped while listening to his question whereas the driver is so cool. 

Driver:- sir, unfortunately, you are not the first one. 

Manik gestures to her to listen to this and leans down towards her lips while hiding his mischievous grin. Seeing his behavior Nandini glares at him and sticks herself to the window making a lot of space between them. She mumbles some harmless curses to him whereas he laughs seeing her act. 

Soon they reached their destination i.e. ICE-CREAM PARLOUR with manik’s notorious efforts to get Nandini’s attention. 

When Nandini came out from the car, she frowned seeing the location. 

Nandini:- what is this? 

Manik:- ( sarcastically )  this is an ice-cream shop, stupid. 

Nandini:- ( giving him a pointed look ) I know that…… but, why are we here?

Manik:- to celebrate our first success. 

Nandini:- manik, you know na…. That you get cold easily but still you want to have ice-cream in this cold weather. 

Manik:- nothing would happen to me. Take a chill pill, baby. 

Nandini:- no…. We will not have ice cream. Let’s go somewhere else. 

Manik:- but this is your favorite….na.

Nandini:- yup! I love ice-creams but not more than you. Your health comes first. 

Manik:- ( pinching his throat ) I promise that….. I will not eat more than one scoop. Now, let’s go, or else ice cream will melt. 

Nandini:- how…

Without giving her a chance to complete he drags her inside and places an order for themselves. They both celebrated a little with each other. 

Nandini:- Manik, buy ice cream for navya and cabir too. 

Manik nods while focusing on his ice cream more than her. She shakes her head in disbelief seeing him having ice cream like a child. A little of the ice cream stuck on his lower lip making him look cutest. 

Nandini notices this and without caring for anyone she wipes it with her right thumb and sucks that later. Seeing her move, Manik looks at her in surprise. Making him more shocked she says further. 

Nandini:- ( while moaning in pure bliss ) um…. Your ice cream is tastier than mine. 

Manik:- ( with wide yet cute smile ) you are flirting with me?

Nandini:- ( with narrowed eyes ) so, you want me to flirt with someone else? 

Manik immediately shook his head like a kid. 

Manik:- NO!!!!!

Nandini giggles seeing his reaction. 

Nandini:- my possessive boyfriend. 

Saying this she pulls his cheeks making him wince in pain and starts eating her ice cream. Manik looked at her with a pout and soon the idea stuck in his mind. Without any delay, he dips his fore-finger in the ice cream and rubs it on her cheek. 

Nandini looks at him with horror but before she could open her mouth to say something Manik leans towards her cheek and licks all the spreaded ice cream from her cheek. 

Nandini closes her eyes and bites her lower lip whereas Manik shows no mercy on her but their moment is disturbed by the waitress who comes there to give them their next bowl of ice cream. 

Seeing her they come out from their zone. Nandini looks here and there while blushing whereas Manik rolls his tongue inside his mouth remembering all the scenes. 

Manik:- ( accusingly ) Nandini, stop distracting me. My ice cream is melting because of you. 

Nandini:- hawww…… I am distracting you or you’re distracting me? 

After this Nandini ignored his presence whereas Manik hides his chuckles from her. 

On the other hand, Avantika and her daughter are planning to get sympathy from the Malhotra’s and Dixit’s. Unknown to everyone, Arjun got a lead in his search for his baby sister. 

Arjun:- Asha, I have to go to Bangalore for two days and I am leaving in an hour. 

Asha:- why?…. What happened suddenly? 

Arjun looks at his lovely wife who is getting worried for him. He held her hand and made her sit on the bed and himself sat in front of her on his knees. 

Arjun:- nothing happened. Don’t get tense. It’s just that I got the lead. 

Asha:- ( happily ) what lead? 

Arjun:- I got the address of the same doctor who treated my baby last time. He is in Bangalore and I am going there to meet him. 

Asha:- it’s good news. 

Arjun:- yup! But don’t tell this to anyone. Let it be our secret. 

Asha:- don’t worry, I will not tell anyone about this. But promise me that you will come back soon. 

Arjun:- I promise that I will come back as soon as possible. But till then, you will take care of yourself and our baby. 

Asha nods and hugs him tightly while getting emotional. 

At the same time in the living area, Avantika is playing her cards in front of Varsha Malhotra.

Avantika:- what is this, Varsha Ji? How can manik do this with innaya? She loves him with all her heart. Now, who will marry my daughter? 

Varsha:- you don’t worry about that, Avantika Ji. I know my Manik will come back soon because he can’t stay away from us. His love for us is more than ( with hatred )  that girl.  

Avantika:- but if he comes back. Will he marry my daughter leaving that girl? 

Varsha:- I know who is better for my Manik ( while caressing innaya’s head ). He will leave that girl without a second thought if I tell him to marry innaya.

Listening to this Avantika and innaya smirked evilly. 

To be continued…