23. MANAN

The next morning Manik woke up early before his usual timings. He got ready in casual wear, took his car keys, and moved Down. 

Downstairs both mother-daughter duo is talking and making preparations for breakfast. Alya too joins her mother because she wants to learn some dishes before her marriage so that she can cook for her husband after marriage. 

They both are sitting at the dining table and cutting veggies for breakfast. Hearing footsteps both frowned first and then looked towards stairs to see an unexpected person descending the stairs while whistling.

Al:- ( confused )  Manik??  Is he our Manik, Mom?

Nyo:- lag toh Manik hi raha hai. ( seems like our Manik )

Now, Manik completely descends the stairs and turns around feeling a gaze only to see his mother and sister who are looking at him like they saw a ghost in the early morning. He moves towards his mom.

Nyo:- Manik, it’s morning baby?

Ma:- ( confused ) yes, I know!! Mom.

Al:- Manik, it’s 5:30 in the morning. 

Ma:- ( sarcastically ) oh, what a coincidence I know that too.

Nyo:- ( ignoring his sarcastic reply ) Manik you are fine na, baby? ( Checking his pulse and forehead )  Are you feeling dizzy?

Ma:- what rubbish is this, mom. I am fine and blooming like a fresh flower. 

Al:- ( mocking him ) ahh flower. …….. GENDA FOOL hai tu. 

Ma:- ( childishly )  mom, see na….. she is calling me GENDA FOOL instead of PHOOL.

Nyo:- she is saying right, baby. ( Manik made a bad face seeing his mom supporting his sister ) but first, tell me where are you going in the early morning?

Al:- mom, even is that a question. He must be going to meet his girlfriend.

Ma:- awwww di, you are so intelligent and I never knew. 

Before nyo asks any more questions he leaves the table and goes out.

Manik is going towards his car but someone stops him in mid. He turns around to see his dad who is already looking at him with confusion.

Raj:- Are you my son? Manik Malhotra!!!  Who always wakes up after getting some scolding from his mom?  

Manik rolls his eyes on his ever soo cool dad. 

Raj:- Are you the same Manik Malhotra who is arrogant, impulsive, short-tempered, or as long as BURJ KHALIFA. 

Ma:- yes, I am the same MANIK MALHOTRA, your one, and only son. I must say dad Your the world’s first father who introduces his son with such sweet adjectives.

Raj:-  ( bowing down ) thank you ( become serious and points towards the sky ) Manik it’s morning. ( Points towards sunlight ) and this is the sunlight which is coming from the sun. Sunlight is very essential for us.  

Ma:- ( confused ) I know. Why are you telling me this now? 

Raj:- ( innocently ) arey, I thought that you don’t know what morning clouds look like or how the sun shines in the morning. Because you never wake up this early naa.

Ma:- ( with a lip-tight smile ) ho gaya aapka ( are you done? ). Now can I leave?

Raj:- yes, but tell me where you are going?

Ma:- I am going to see my girlfriend at her home.

Raj:- ohhh, but how will you enter her room? Through the balcony?

Ma:- noo…

Raj:- ( confused ) then how? The back door will be locked.

Ma:- through the main door.

Raj:- main door? Do you have keys?

Ma:- ( smirking ) yes, I have and it’s not my first time.

Raj:- ( proudly ) ohhh, ALL THE BEST. Vijaya Bhava.

Manik smiles brightly at his father and sits inside the car and drives off. Here, Raj is smiling proudly. He goes inside to see his two important ladies doing work while sitting at the dining table.

Nyonika saw him and frowned seeing his toothy smile. 

Nyo:- why are you smiling?

Without replying to her, Raj hugs her and kisses her cheek tightly making her blush.

Raj:- nyo, we made beautiful products. I am proud of my creation. 

Saying this he moves towards his room to get fresh leaving both the ladies confused. 

Al:- what does he mean?

Nyo:- I don’t know. What happened to both father-son? 

Al:- Mom, I think you should consult Navya about this?

Nyo:- why? She is a radio journalist, not a psychiatrist.

Al:- ( mischievously ) I know but she believes in those ghosts and all. So she will help you. Maybe someone possessed them and made them do this not-so-usual stuff. 

Nyo:- ( thinks about Alya’s words but suddenly comes out from her zone ) what rubbish!! I don’t believe in all this.

Saying this she left the table and went inside the kitchen. Here, Alya laughs seeing her innocent mother.

Otherside, after a 20 minutes drive, Manik reached Nandini’s home and parked his car away from Nandini’s building. He gets down and moves towards the gate and opens the door with keys. He comes inside and again locks the door from inside. He removes his shoes and walks towards Nandini’s room.

Manik comes inside Nandini’s room. First, he checks everything, her washroom, balcony, and every corner of her room to see no one is there except Nandini. He quietly placed his shoes in the corner and slid the curtains aside so that sunlight peeps inside.

He moves towards Nandini who is sleeping on a bed cutely hugging her pillow. He stands facing her back and removes his t-shirt. Then he too slides down beside her taking her in his arms and hides his face in her hair. 

For a couple of minutes, he didn’t move. After some more minutes, he moved upwards and balanced his weight on his left elbow while nuzzling his nose in her cheek. 

He caressed her cheeks lovingly and placed a sweet wet kiss on her cheeks. After kissing her cheek he starts caressing her hair with the other hand.

Nandini stirred in sleep, feeling someone’s fingers in her scalp, and opened her eyes to see the most beautiful face. She turns around and hugs Manik in sleep. 

When the realization hit her. She moved back immediately and yelled at him.

Nan:- what are you doing here? If someone sees you here na toh Phir Yahi par Mahabharat start ho jayegi.

Ma:- ( with a lip-tight smile ) expected reaction! At Least once in a lifetime praise me for how I every time come into your room without getting caught.

Nandini again lied down beside him and kept her head on his heart.

Nan:- I always like it when you put in so much effort to meet me. But I get scared too. What if someone caught you?

Ma:- ( kissing her hair ) you don’t have to be scared. I will handle everything.

Nan:- I know. 

Ma:- ( caressing her hair ) are you fine? Is it painful?

Nan:- I am fine, mani.

After this, both kept quiet and soaks each other’s presence.

Nan:- mani

Ma:- hmmm

Nan:- I want to eat chocolates.

Ma:- Nandini I don’t have chocolates right now. But don’t worry I will bring it for you.

Nan:- how will you give me chocolate?

Ma:-  today, I am gonna drop you at your hospital. When I come to pick you then I will bring your chocolates. Ok?

Nan:- hmm and bring kinder joy too.

Ma:- ( smiles ) And you said that you are not a kid.

Nan:- ( cribbs ) mani …..

Ma:- I am not calling you kid.

Nan:- good.

Ma:- Now, get up or else you will get late for the hospital. 

Nan:- ( lazily ) hmm

Ma:- why so lazy, baby?

Nan:- because of you.

Ma:- arey, what I did?

Nan:- whenever you are beside me na then I don’t want to get up. I just want to keep lying there in your arms. 

Ma:- really …

Nan:- hmmm but I don’t want to be late for my hospital. So pick me up and drop me till the washroom.

Ma:- as you say my majesty. If you give permission then I am also ready to give a bath to you, my love.

Nan:- ( blushing ) mani……

Manik laughs and picks her up and places her on the washbasin cabinet. He comes out and locks the door. He picks up his shoes in one hand and takes his t-shirt in another and exits her room. 

He came out and just went towards the stairs but stopped hearing some glass breaking sound. He moves his gaze towards the direction from where the sound comes.

He moves his gaze there to see glass pieces here and there. But what caught his attention was someone’s foot. He lifted his gaze to see the shocked face of his future father-in-law. He gulps his saliva seeing him there.

Raman is going towards the kitchen to fill water in the jug as per his wife’s order. But suddenly he saw a man coming out bare-chested from his princess room. Seeing this scenario he becomes shocked and the jug slips from his hold and shatters on the floor.

To be continued ………