63. SWEET & BITTER!

After two days, it’s the day when Asha is coming back with her newborn baby Atharv. The Malhotra couple i.e Nandini and Manik Malhotra held a small pooja ( prayer ) for the baby’s promising future. 

The elders’ Dixit couple welcomes the baby with his parents after performing a small ritual on the door. The house was blooming like fresh flowers which were filled with laughter all around. 

Nandini:- ( to Asha ) Bhabhi, you can go and rest in your room. I will bring healthy soup for you. 

Asha:- ( wince ) Nandini… no soup, please! 

Arjun:- ( sternly ) you have no choice, Asha. 

The rest of the family giggles seeing the cuteness of Asha who is behaving like a kid herself. 

Nandini:- Bhabhi, who will say that you are a mother herself because you are behaving like a kid. 

Manik:- ( cutely ) I am worried about Atharv. I never knew that he had a kiddo-mother. 

Asha flared her nose and punched Manik making him wince. 

In all this chaos no one noticed the absence of Innaya who is caged in her room with a new guy. She is drunk in the morning itself, unknown to the fact that the family is back home. 

Yashoda:- ( sweetly ) Nandini, go and take a rest because you are also running from the morning for preparations. 

Manik:- ( rolls his eyes ) Nandini and the rest are two poles apart. She can work 24into7 but will never take a rest. 

Nandini pouts and receives a glare from Yashoda. Surprisingly Varsha giggles and orders her. 

Varsha:- Nandini, you should take a rest also, or else you will become weak. Your health should also be your priority. 

Nandini felt so good hearing her because finally the blindfold of Innaya’s love was removed from Varsha’s eyes. Her hope of bringing Manik’s family into his life again has finally found a way to reach its destination.

At the same time, Manik is not happy nor sad about the change in his mother’s perspective of Nandini. The differences in their relationship are beyond anyone’s thought. Those hateful words which his mother used for his wife are still fresh in his mind. He knows that his mother is trying her level best to get her son back but the wall which he created around himself for her is not letting her move closer. Sometimes he feels that his mother is doing drama only to get her son back through Nandini. 

Nandini:- ( to Varsha ) Ji Maa, I will take care of myself. 

Varsha:- Good! Now go and rest. I will send juice for you with Suhana Ji. 

Nandini nods happily and walks inside their room followed by her husband who is lost in deep thoughts. As soon as Manik steps inside his room, he is pulled by his wife into a corner for a dominating kiss. 

The kiss turned out as a shocker for him who lost his memory and got confused about how to respond to her kiss. Whereas Nandini is dominating the kiss and makes him sandwiched between the wall and herself. 

After a minute or two, she left his lips and took a sharp breath unaware of her husband’s condition. She circled her arms around his waist and hopped in his arms taking him in a hug while he unknowingly wrapped his arms around her shoulder. 

Nandini:- ( excitedly ) I am so… so… happy that I can’t even explain.

At this time Manik becomes deaf. His mind left his side long ago.

Seeing no response from him, She bites his jaw bringing him back on the earth, and as soon as he lands the first question he asks is this. 

Manik:- ( with wide eyes ) Did my wife get exchanged in the hospital?

Nandini rolls her eyes and pushes him back, breaking the hug. She opens the door to move out leaving him on his own and seeing her behavior Manik panicked and pulled her closer after slamming the door. He pinned her on the wall making sure not to hurt her tender back. 

Manik:- ( cutely ) Acha!… Acha!… Sorry. Sorry, don’t get angry. Let’s continue what you are doing. This time I am in, with my heart and mind. 

Nandini:- Then, Why did you ask that your wife got exchanged in the hospital? 

Manik:- Nandini, any man can ask this question when his wife suddenly becomes romantic and initiates the make-out. 

Hearing him, the shy Nandini is back in command and blushes like a newly married bride. Seeing his shy Nandini back, Manik giggles and takes her lips for a slow kiss while pinning her to the closed door. 

His hands gripped her lower cheeks to support her neck and to have a perfect position to deepen the kiss as his wish.

Both break apart and gasp for oxygen while Manik asks the most obvious question. 

Manik:- Suddenly why this romantic mood and kiss? 

Nandini:- ( smiles brightly ) because I am very happy. 

Manik smiles too seeing her smile and asks another question while caressing her upper lip creating havoc inside the pit of her stomach. 

Manik:-( huskily ) and may I know, Why are you happy? 

Nandini:- ( with slight tears ) MY HOPE IS WINNING, MANIK. YOU CAN GET YOUR FAMILY BACK WHICH YOU LOST BECAUSE OF ME. 

Manik breaks their contact and takes a sharp breath to keep his anger in check. 

Manik:- How many times have I told you not to feel guilty? You are not the reason why I left my family? Why can’t you understand this simple thing? ( after a pause ) And what is that hope and all? 

Nandini:- Manik…. 

Manik:- ( cuts her in middle ) I talked with them and shared a few happy moments with them. That doesn’t mean I will go back with them. ( authoritatively ) Nor will I let you go with them. 

Nandini:- ( sweetly ) Manik, family is a forever thing. It won’t join in a day or not it will break in a day. No matter what, in the end, everyone needs a family. 

Manik:- And my family is you, Jaan. 

Nandini:- Wrong! I am not your family, Manik. I AM A PART OF YOUR FAMILY. 

Manik:- ( relaxes a bit ) Nandini, I can’t forget that day when they didn’t even try to listen to me. The day when they tried to defame you, DEFAME OUR LOVE. Will you accept that person who will call our love by different names? Will you accept that lady who named OUR LOVE AS LUST? 

Nandini:- ( in a reflex action ) No!… I can’t give a right to anyone to comment on our love. 

Manik:- So, you still want me to reunite with my family? 

Nandini:- Manik, everyone deserves a second chance and so does your family. Can’t you see how they are putting efforts to gain your trust back? 

Manik’s tongue-tied and he has nothing to say more. Somewhere he finds her right but somewhere he finds her stupid. A knock brings them back from their deep discussion. 

Manik opens the door until Nandini sets her hair and looks presentable to avoid any kind of embarrassment. He finds his mother Varsha at the door who brings a glass of fresh juice for Nandini. 

Varsha:- ( hesitantly ) I bring juice for Nandini. 

Manik:- ( politely ) You? Why did you make the effort? 

Varsha:- Woh… Suhana Ji is busy with lunch preparations so I thought to bring juice myself for Nandini.  

Nandini comes forward and greets her respectively. Varsha greets her back and hands over the glass of juice to her. 

Varsha:- Drink this, you will feel better. 

Nandini nods but before her lips could touch the glass Manik snatched it from her hold and drank the half juice. He can’t trust his mother who was against them a week ago and now doing all the sweet things for his wife. If his mother mixed something in the juice then it would affect him before harming his Nandini. 

Manik:- ( looks at Varsha while giving the glass back to Nandini ) Now drink this. 

Varsha’s eyes turn moist when she understands his reason for drinking the half juice from the same glass whereas Nandini is clueless about their rift. 

Varsha:- ( disappointedly ) Don’t worry Manik I am not that cheap who will mix poison in juice to kill my daughter-in-law moreover when I understood her importance in my son’s life. 

Saying this Varsha left, leaving a slight hurt Manik. 

Nandini:- When you get hurt after doing stuff like this then why did you even do that? 

Manik:- ( without any hesitation ) Because nothing is above you in my life. 

Nandini felt so happy after getting such a place in his heart. Every time he made her speechless with his love. Every day he makes her realize that no one can love her as he does. Her thoughts are broken by Vishamber and Yashoda who come to talk with the couple.  

Vishamber:- ( calmly ) Manu… 

Manik turned to face him shockingly because it’s been a while since he called him this name but still he didn’t reply. 

Vishamber:- Are you angry with me? Won’t you talk to me? 

Manik:- I am no one to get angry with you, Mr. Malhotra. 

Yashoda:- ( nods her head in disbelief ) Can’t you both talk normally like a sincere Grandpa and Grandson? 

Nandini:- ( murmurs ) Not possible because anger always stays at Malhotra’s nose.

Both the Malhotra’s look down in embarrassment while Yashoda giggles as everyone hears Nandini’s murmurs. Clearing his throat Vishamber hides his smile which is on the verge of spreading on his lips and says further. 

Vishamber:- Manik, there is always a valid reason whenever VISHAMBER MALHOTRA chooses his reputation above HIS MANIK.

Manik and Nandini look at him shockingly except Yashoda who is already aware of his reason. 

Manik:- You had a reason? 

Vishamber:- everyone has! 

To be continued…