80. HARSHAD SAXENA

A man is angrily walking to and fro while cursing his fate. The man is none other than MANISH SAXENA. 

Manish:- how can he get arrested? ( breaking the table mirror while kicking it ) 

His son:- dad, I am telling the truth. ( while gritting his teeth ) I already told you Manik Malhotra is very smart. You can’t easily ditch him when it’s about his family.  

Manish:- but HARSHAD……..

Yes, the man is none other than HARSHAD SAXENA. 

HARSHAD SAXENA

AN NRI LIVES IN AMERICA WITH HIS MOTHER. A TOTAL WORKAHOLIC AND A SAINT FOR GIRLS. 

NOW HE IS BACK IN THE TOWN FOR HIS FATHER AND WITH A MOTIVE TO DESTROY THE MIGHTY MANIK MALHOTRA. 

THE VILLAIN IN MANIK’S LIFE. JEALOUS OF HIM TO NO END. WANTS EVERYTHING THAT MANIK HAD IN HIS LIFE NO MATTER WHAT IT TAKES. HIS AND MANIK’S RIVALRY IS THE TALK OF THE COLLEGE AND IN THE BUSINESS WORLD. 

AFTER TRYING EVERYTHING STILL, HE IS NOT ABLE TO PUT MANIK DOWN. BUT HE DIDN’T LOSES HIS HOPE. 

Harshad:- Dad, please………….. You don’t know Manik. He can go to any extent to save his family. 

Manish:- I know that…… I also know that ……. That girl Nandini is the weakness of both Malhotra’s and Murthy’s. But, why did Manik come in between? If he hadn’t come in between then Akshat would take that Nandini with him and I would destroy that Raman by blackmailing him with her name.

Harshad:- plan was good but unfortunately Raj Malhotra used his contacts and canceled Akshat’s bail. 

Manish:- and Manik put some more allegations on him and with that, we can’t even think of getting him out again.  

Harshad:- tch…..tch…..tch…..

Manish:- ( while rubbing his forehead due to stress ) Akshat was my last weapon to destroy Raman’s life but now it’s become more difficult after his arrest. 

Harshad:- By the way dad, why was Akshat so obsessed with that girl?…. ( stressing his brain ) Ah… what was her name? 

Manish:- Nandini Murthy….. ( answering his first question ) Well, Akshat is head over heels on her beauty. They have known each other since their school days because Nandini’s sweet nature and the way she always protects him from bullying made him fall for her. But with time his one-sided love turned into an obsession which led to his destruction. 

Harshad:- oh… I see. Dad, don’t you think that I should meet her at least once in my lifetime?

Manish:- ( with a smirk ) I can bet on this my son, you will fall in love with her in just one sight. 

Harshad:- ( rolling his eyes ) that day will never come. ( after thinking something ) Dad, Why do you want to destroy Raman Murthy? 

Manish:- ( with venom in his eyes ) because of him my amma ( mother ) threw me out of my house and broke all her relations with me. He instigated her against me and snatched my daughter from me. 

Harshad:- ( shockingly ) SO, NANDINI IS YOUR DAUGHTER? 

Manish:- ( with blank eyes ) NO!

On the other hand, the atmosphere in Malhotra’s residence is as cold as Iceland except for the two lovers who are sweating in a fully chilled room. 

Nyo:- ARE YOU BOTH DATING EACH OTHER? 

Gulping her saliva, Nandini looks at Manik who also looks at her while trying to hide his face from his mother. She asks him through her eyes what to do now and in reply, he nods slightly telling her to say the truth but the next second shakes his head negatively making her confused with his actions. 

Seeing their eye-to-eye talks Ishita asks the same question in a higher pitch making everyone deaf.

Ish:- ARE YOU BOTH DATING EACH OTHER? 

Hearing her the couple jolted back in fear and spoke at the same time but with different answers. 

Nan+Ma:- Yes/No………

Listening to Manik’s answer, Nandini looks at him with sharp eyes. 

Raj:- ( murmurs ) aaj yeah sirf meri biwi se hi nahi balki apni hone wali biwi se bhi pitega. ( rubs his face in distress ) ( Today he will be beaten not only by my wife but also by his future wife. )

Nyo:- what the hell are you saying, Manik? ( while angrily marching towards him ) Did you kiss her ( pointing Nandini ) just like that? 

Before Manik could say something in his defense, Nyonika pulls his left ear making him wince. 

Ma:- ah…. Mumma……. It’s hurting. 

Nyo:- will you say the truth now? 

Manik nods slightly while wincing in pain. Getting the answer she leaves his ear and as soon as she leaves he hides behind Nandini and says. 

Ma:- but first you promise me that you will not beat me. 

Instead of Nyonika, Ishita replied. 

Ish:- ( with a lip tight smile ) it depends on your answers LOVEBIRDS. 

Nan:- ( to Manik in a whisper ) why am I finding something fishy in mom’s tone? 

Ma:- ( surprisingly ) In tone……! I am finding everything fishy in my Mumma. I am seeing an invisible sword in her hand that is ready to stab me. 

Nyo:- I am waiting, Manik. 

Manik gathered courage but didn’t come out from Nandini’s back just to make sure of his security. 

Ma:- NANDINI IS MY GIRLFRIEND! 

Alya:- ( sarcastically ) wow!…… What a piece of information! We didn’t know that, didn’t we Dhruv?

Dhr:- girlfriend?……. What does that word mean?

At the same time, Nandini elbows him and whispers yelled in his ear. 

Nan:- they already got to know that after your kiss act just come to the point. 

Ma:- NANDINI IS MY FIRST AND MOST PROBABLY THE LAST GIRLFRIEND. WE ARE DATING EACH OTHER FOR THE LAST 8 YEARS. 

Alya:- ( gasped ) that means when you were in your 16s you came into a relationship. 

Manik nods like an innocent kid which he is not. Everyone’s eyes came out from their sockets when they realized that NANDINI IS DATING HIM FROM THE AGE OF 13. 

Nan:- ( while shooting daggers at Manik ) what do you mean by “most probably the last girlfriend”, Mr. Malhotra? 

Dhr:- ( to Nandini ) solve this matter afterward. First, answer me, why are you dating him? 

Nan:- ( confusingly ) maybe he is a boy and I wasn’t supposed to date a girl because I am straight. 

Ma:- ( glaring at her ) now, what do you mean by “maybe he is a boy”? I am a boy!….. Come into my room and there I will prove you. 

Everyone giggles hearing Nandini’s reply whereas Raman makes a bad face hearing Manik and curses him under his breath angrily. 

Ram:- this naughty Malhotra is getting on my nerves now. 

Dhr:- I mean to say that, you are too small to get into a relationship, Nandini? 

Hearing him, Manik’s nose flared in anger. 

Ma:- Here comes her one more overprotective brother. ( asks from the boys ) Don’t you guys have any other work rather than breaking my relation? And from which angle she looks small? 

The four overprotective brothers and father replies at the same time. 

“FROM EVERY ANGLE” 

Ignoring everyone, Ishita asks Nandini with all seriousness. 

Ish:- you love him ( eyeing Manik ), Nandini? 

Without any hesitation, Nandini nods, making him proud. 

Ish:- and you Manik? 

Ma:- ( mischievously ) I don’t have any other option, Ishita aunty. 

Hearing his reply, Nandini gasps while Nyonika again pulls his ears to make him confess. 

Ma:- oh….. Yes, I DO…… I DO. 

Raj:- lo Ji Shaadi sampan hui, mubaraka Ji mubaraka…… ( congratulations….. Now you are married ) 

Nyo:- Raj, when did you and Raman Bhaisaab get to know about them? 

Listening to this question Nandini’s eyes shot up in her father’s direction and a question popped up in her brain “DID HER FATHER KNOW ABOUT THEM?”. Whereas Manik scaredly looks at his father from the corner eyes to get his attention to stop him from blurting out the truth in front of Nandini. 

Raj:- a few months ago. 

Nyo:- How? 

Raj:- Manik, told us. 

Manik palms his face in distress knowing now that the damage has been done. Now, no one can save him from the almighty Nandini. Whereas Nyonika nods while glaring at her husband as well for keeping this a secret from her. 

Muk:- Abhi and Cabir, you both also knew about their relationship? 

Mukti asks them after getting no high voltage drama from their side after the revelation of their little sister’s relationship status. 

Nan:- I told Abhi Bhai about us after Aryaman comes home with the alliance as I can’t even think about anyone in that way except Manik. 

Malhotra smiles seeing her confessing her love in front of them without any hesitation. Whereas Manik admires his lady love but soon he comes out from his admiration zone hearing Alya’s question.

Alya:- But Manik, why did you keep this a secret from us for so long? 

Ma:- first, as I already mentioned that we were small at that time and we want to be sure about ourselves before revealing our relationship to anyone. And when I decided to confess then Akshat came in between as her obsessed lover and to save her from any kind of torchers I decided to keep all this a secret until the problem got solved. But I failed miserably because she got hurt at last. 

Ram:- you did your best, Manik. No one can protect her the way you did and I must say no one can love her the way you did. 

Manik looks at him with astonishment because he is praising him in Nandini’s matter. Whereas Raj’s state is also the same as his. He pinches himself to believe all this. 

But Raman’s next statement crushes his dream. 

Ram:- but it will be good if you keep your lips away from my daughter’s lips……… 

To be continued…