67. EXPLOSION…

Ma:- I LOVE YOU, NANDINI

Raman looks at him with a wide-open mouth while his eyeballs are ready to dance on the floor after coming out. Whereas Raj spits out the coffee as soon as Manik’s words hit his eardrums.

Alya is having happy tears because she wanted this to happen for so long. She squeals happily because her mission was successful. She finally finds out the real equation between Manik and Nandini. 

Cabir falls from his chair and looks at Manik with shock, first. Then soon he composes himself and notices everyone’s expressions. After noticing everyone’s expressions he looks at Manik again and murmurs. 

Ca:- ye ladka mere pure khandan ko hospital bhej ke rahega. ( he will send my whole family to the hospital ) {while looking at his father } god, please give strength to my father. I don’t want to snatch grandfather’s hand from my kids’ heads. 

Abhimanyu looks at Manik and Nandini who are sharing a cute eye lock forgetting about their surroundings. He looks at them continuously one by one while biting his nails in tension. 

Abhi:- Aaj toh dhamaka hoke hi rahega Manik or dad ke bich…. ( today, it will going to be an explosion between Manik and dad ) 

Rest all the members are breathless because their breath got stuck in mid listening to Manik. All of their eyes are out of their sockets. Except for Raj who is grinning over his son’s bravery. He is waiting for a real drama that has been missing for the last few days. 

Raj:- ( with a surprised look ) wohhh!!!!! Courageous move. 

Before anyone could get a heart attack Manik comes out from Nandini’s land and immediately changes his statement, innocently. 

Ma:- I LOVE YOU, NANDINI…FOR THIS ( showing her coffee mug ) you make the world’s best coffee. 

Listening to this cabir palmed his face in disbelief because he is all set to order his three-piece suit for his dear sister’s wedding. But his so-called best friend just ruined his happiness which makes him frustrated. 

Ca:- ( frustratingly ) then, what?…… Should we open a “NANDINI BUCKS”? 

Dhr:- what is that?

Ca:- ( listening to him Nandini rolls her eyes on his heights of stupidity ) imitation of “STARBUCKS”, “NANDINI BUCKS”. Hope it is clear now? 

While here, listening to Manik, everyone releases their breath with “ohhhh” making Manik smirk. Raman and Abhi shoot daggers at him for snatching their breath for a second. Whereas rests are all cool with that except Alya, cabir, and Nandini. 

Alya is sad because she desperately wants to know their true relationship, but her dreams are just brutally crushed by her brother. Whereas Nandini is sad because he completed his punishment gracefully which she didn’t want to. She wants to tell everyone about his and her relationship because she can’t hide this anymore from anyone, especially from her father. 

Raj:- damn……… don’t know when they will tell everyone about their relationship? ( pouting ) My sherwani ( wedding outfit ) is waiting in the cupboard to come out. Don’t know when I will wear that.

His slow whispers are heard by his best friend who is already losing his temperature seeing Manik’s actions. 

Ram:- here your son is planning to send my entire family to the hospital and you are thinking about your damn dress…

Raj:- ( stubbornly ) no matter what, you should always be prepared for unexpected events. 

Ram:- Now, what is unexpected here? 

Raj:- arey, we don’t know about them na… ( pointing towards Manik and Nandini ) They are a unique couple. What if they come to us saying they want to get married tomorrow itself so what would I wear in my son’s wedding? 

Ram:- ( crying on his fate ) are you even in your senses? Do you know what you are even talking about? I think instead of me you are losing your thinking capacity because of Manik. 

Raj:- ( with a bad face ) This is called future planning. 

Ram:- ( sarcastically ) if you know what is future planning then why don’t you plan anything about your second child? ( glaring Manik ) why did he come out like that? 

Raj:- I don’t know, ask Nyonika… She is the one who delivered him. 

Ram:- ( joining his hands in front of him, sarcastically ) thank you for telling this UNKNOWN FACT to me. 

He emphasized the word “unknown fact”. Their whispers come to a halt hearing Ishita who is calling them for so long. 

Ish:- now, what is cooking between you both? 

Nyo:- ( nodding her head in disbelief ) other women get tense when they see their husbands with another woman but we ( indicating herself and Ishita ) get tense seeing you both together. Is there something between you two that we are unaware of? 

Ca:- ( palming both cheeks in horror ) dad, ARE YOU DATING RAJ UNCLE? Is this the age of dating an OLDIE?

Manik too joined his friend in this topic to troll both the fathers. He too palms his cheeks shockingly and says. 

Ma:- Dad, how can you do that? I mean seriously…… AN OLDIE IS DATING ANOTHER OLDIE? What I will say to my kids that their grandfather had very bad taste in choosing his girlfriends? Even when he has a hot P.A around him 24*7. 

Saying this he hi-fi with cabir. 

Raj:- ( angrily ) to whom you are calling OLDIE? If you call him oldie ( pointing to Raman ), then it’s ok, but if you call me an oldie, please go and have a checkup for your eyes. 

Ram:- in all this, you only got the word “OLDIE” for a fight? Don’t you hear that they are accusing “US” of having an extramarital affair?

Raj:- ( with his so cool attitude ) I am cool with that until they are pairing me with you. 

Ram:- I should stay away from you. You are too dangerous for my character. And Manik you….( innocently ) what are you saying about raj’s P.A? What was her name…….

He tries hard to remember it while hiding his smirk from everyone except raj who is his soul brother. Whereas Manik immediately got excited and said it all in a flow. 

Ma:- Her name is AASHIMA…..such a cute name. Isn’t it? She is such a hot man….. I can’t even say. 

Cabir too joined him in the lane to praise Aashima. 

Ca:- ( dreamily ) ya…. She looks even hotter when she wears a black pencil skirt with a white shirt. 

Ma:- and her saree look……uff…. You know what? 

WHAT?!!!

The voice comes from his side who is none other than Nandini. She looks at him with puffed cheeks while crossing her hands around her chest with raised eyebrows. 

Manik turned his attention towards her for a second and again said further. 

Ma:- She looks like a party cracker in…….

Suddenly realization hits him hard, making him hell shocked. He turned his face towards her with trembling lips while his lips automatically uttered the last word “SAREE”. 

Unknown to everything cabir too spills the beans in his dreamy voice. 

Ca:- don’t forget Manik, you gave her the name “dynamite”.  

Nan:- ohhh…. He gave her the name. Great!

Nav:- oh really cabir, dynamite? 

Cabir too recognizes the voice and turns his head towards Navya who is all ready to pounce on him as a predator. He gulped hard seeing the site in front of him. 

Nyo:- raj, what are they talking about?

Raj:- ( scaredly ) Nyo, you also have ears don’t you hear them? They are calling Aashima dynamite but trust me she is just a bomb. She is nothing in front of you. 

Manik interrupts before Nyonika pounces on both father-son duos. He avoids looking at Nandini who is staring at him with her big doe eyes. 

Ma:- Mom, Aashima is a married woman. She has two kids…..and she is just like a friend to me. I said all that for fun.

Although he said all this while looking at his mother, Nandini knows that he said all this to convince her. 

Nan:- ( whispers to Manik ) Aryaman is also like a friend to me and he asked me for an ice cream treat and I am going with him, ”ALONE”. 

Manik shoots a short glare at her, who is also giving him a pointed look in return. But soon his gaze landed on Raman who was giving him a nasty smile. Seeing him, he understood that all this was his plan and he got trapped in it like a fish. 

Ma:- ( to Nandini ) you won’t do that….

Nan:- ( angrily ) try me, malhotra. You just go and buy a saree for “YOUR AASHIMA”.

Saying this she turns her gaze giving him a cold shoulder making him sad. He doesn’t like whenever she gets upset with him. He looks at Raman who is smirking victoriously seeing the table that got turned. Last time Manik was the one who was smirking towards him but now he is the one who has the upper hand. 

Manik glares at Raman for playing such a nasty game with him whereas Raman just blew a kiss in his direction making him cringe. 

Ma:- I have to do something. This father is getting on my nerves day by day. But ( pouting cutely seeing Nandini who is ignoring him ) first, I have to manofy my angry bird or else I will lose my mind seeing her ignorance. And after that, I have to set Aryaman….. How can he ask her for an ice cream date? 

To be continued…