71. ONE-TRACK MIND

Cabir walks towards Nandini and whispers in her ears. 

Ca:- I am going out. Treat your mani, he needs you right now and I know that you want him too. 

Saying this he moves back but not before placing a kiss on her cheeks. 

Ca:- don’t worry your brothers are here. They won’t let anyone harm you. 

Nan:- ( instantly with a big smile ) I know!

Hearing this cabir smiles brightly and walks towards Manik. He handed him the ointment that Dhruv gave him. 

Ca:- apply this on her leg. I am outside making sure that no one disturbs you both. I know you want assurance that Nandini is fit and fine and trust me no one can give you that assurance except her. So, sort out your emotions before anyone comes. 

Hearing this Nandini looks at him with different emotions and says dramatically. 

Nan:- when did my brother become so mature? He is leaving his sister alone with her boyfriend! 

Cabir looks at her with narrowed eyes but soon his expression turns into a naughty one. Seeing his expressions Manik palmed his face.

Ca:- ( with a smug smile ) I became mature when I got to know that my sister kidnapped her boyfriend and took him to the waterfall to celebrate their love anniversary. Am I right, sister? 

Listening to him Nandini shoots glares at Manik making him scared like a kid. 

Nan:- you told him this too? 

Ma:- ( smiling sheepishly ) wo..h he is my brother..na…. So he understands me very well. 

Nan:- then, why don’t you date him instead of me? 

Before Manik could say cabir chirped in mid. 

Ca:- oh… sister! I HAVE A STANDARD. 

Hearing this Nandini stiffs her giggles while Manik looks at him angrily. 

Ma:- what do you mean by that? 

Ca:- ( cooly ) Nandini knows what I mean. So, ta…..ta bye…… bye. 

Saying this he walks towards the door giving a cold shoulder to Manik who is digging a hole in his head from the back. But he turns around suddenly and says genuinely. 

Ca:- Nandini, I am leaving you alone with MY BUDDY…… NOT WITH YOUR BOYFRIEND. And I trust my buddy more than anyone else. 

Seeing his trust, Manik bites his lips and blushes whereas Nandini proudly looks at Manik and murmurs inaudibly. 

Nan:- and I TRUST HIM TOO MORE THAN ANYONE ELSE. 

Manik walks behind cabir and gently with full respect throws him out making him stumble exactly knowing that now he will say something which would embarrass them. But cabir is cabir… how can he stop teasing anyone? 

Ca:- oh….. So desperate! But be gentle on her. She is a baby…… ( after a pause )

Do you have that? 

Manik looked at him shockingly and a word unknowing left his mouth. 

Ma:- what? 

Ca:- arey, that……… ( whispers ) through which you can postpone your pregnancy phase. 

Manik took time to register his words and when he realized that he is talking about conde*, his eyes came out from their sockets. 

“WHAT THE HELL!!……. WHAT ARE YOU SAYING?” 

Getting this high voltage reaction from him, cabir assumed that he didn’t have that. Then, without a second thought, he stuffed something in Manik’s left pocket while giving him a sheepish smile. 

Seeing his actions Manik yelled at him in a weak tone.   

Ma:- Are you sure that you are not picked up by Raman uncle from the garbage bin. Because you are so different from him. 

While here, cabir blushed hearing his praises in the form of insults from the one and only MANIK MALHOTRA. He wipes his fake tears with the hanky. 

Seeing his actions Manik banged his head on the door and tried to close the door but before that cabir peeped his head into the room through the small gap. 

Ca:- hey, try to moan less as I am standing here only and I don’t want to hear how good you are in bed. 

Without further options, Manik bangs the door hard on his face and turns around to get captured by Nandini’s beautiful orbs who are looking at him suspiciously. As she noticed everything but was not able to hear anything. 

Nan:- ( suspiciously ) what did he give you? 

Ma:- nothing!!! Not your kind of thing. 

Nan:- but I want to see. 

Ma:- ( sternly ) I said NO!!……… not useful for you. So, forget about that. 

Nan:- ( like she is doing live commentary ) and here comes my monster boyfriend back in his usual arrogant mood after a long tiring journey of caring for his girlfriend. 

Ma:- Bhagwan Ji, saare antique pieces meri hi life mein likhne thai? ( god, why do you write all antique pieces in my own life, why…… god why? ) 

Nan:- ( sweetly while pulling his cheeks ) I AM YOUR PERSONAL ANTIQUE PIECE. 

Ma:- undoubtedly………

Manik nods his head in disbelief and settles down beside Nandini. He with shivering hands raised her dress-up from her legs and saw the red scratches all over her lower portion of the leg. He with gentle hands applies the ointment to her wounds. 

Nandini hissed lightly but her one hiss made him worried a thousand times. He immediately blows air on her wound and states sternly. 

Ma:- you are not going to put your foot on the floor until it gets healed properly.

Nan:- ( cutely ) but Manik, today is sangeet and I want to dance.  

Ma:- ( with narrowed eyes ) you are already dancing on my head is not that enough? 

Nan:- ( with wide-open mouth ) haww…… how can you even say that? 

Ma:- ( ignoring her question ) lay on your stomach. 

Nan:- you are trying to romance in this situation. 

Listening to her, Manik rolls his eyes. 

Ma:- oh…… MISS ONE-TRACK MIND. I know you hurt your back because of the fall. So, turn around and I will give you a little massage that will soothe your stiffness.

Nan:- ( excitedly ) wow! What a match? I am MISS ONE TRACK MIND AND YOU ARE MR. ONE-TRACK MIND ALSO. AND AFTER MARRIAGE WE WOULD BECOME MR. and MRS. ONE-TRACK MIND. How cool!? 

Ma:- ( seriously ) should we consult any brain specialist for your treatment? You need that treatment before situations get worse. 

Nan:- ( with puffed face ) hey, I am all right. 

Ma:- ( surprisingly ) really? I don’t think so. 

With a pissed-off look and without further arguments, Nandini turns around and lays down on her stomach. Her upper back is in his mercy now. As soon as Manik’s eyes landed on her back, his breath hitched. 

Ma:- ( murmurs slowly ) control…… Manik…..control!!

He leans down on her back and slowly roams his long, cold fingers on her back. He got tears in his eyes again seeing her like that. Although the accident was small but it had a great impact on him.  

Nandini fisted the pillow and closed her eyes feeling his touch on her back which was so tempting for her. 

Manik slowly yet delicately pressed her collar bone, shoulders, and upper back to give her some relaxation. Whereas Nandini can’t stop herself from moaning. This massage is really helping her to feel relaxed.  

Manik is doing his work sincerely but after 5 minutes a sniff left his mouth making Nandini alert. She turns around swiftly to face him and pulls him above herself. He looks at her with slight tears but she looks at him with all the love she has for him. She caresses his cheeks lightly to assure him that she is fine. 

Nan:- I am fine, Manik. 

Hearing her soothing voice Manik released his breath which he was holding unknowingly. But he avoids looking at her eyes. 

Ma:- Nandini, leave me, you need rest.

Nan:- hey, Mr.boyfriend I will never leave you. Ask something else. 

Ma:- This is not the right time for all this.

Saying this he struggles to come out from her hold. Although it’s not difficult for him to come out from her hold, seeing her’s condition he didn’t use force. 

Nan:- ( stubbornly ) Manik, look at me.

And her boyfriend does the opposite of whatever she said. Don’t know why but suddenly the window looks interesting to him. 

Nandini cups his face and turns his face forcefully towards herself before taking his lips for a gentle kiss. 

Few tears slipped down from his eyes, making Nandini’s cheeks wet. After the very-very short kiss, She breaks apart but keeps him close to herself. 

And this is enough for Manik. He breaks down in front of her and hides his teary face in her neck while mumbling one sentence only. 

I CAN’T SEE YOU IN PAIN…… I CAN’T SEE YOU IN THE SLIGHTEST PAIN….. I CAN’T SEE YOU IN PAIN……. IT HURTS ME….. 

 Nandini tries hard to calm him while kissing his neck, shoulder and caressing his hair to make him realize that she is near to him and fit and fine. 

Whereas In the other corner, one man is caressing Nandini’s picture which is hanging on the wall in his room. The man is none other than AKSHAT DHAWAN. 

His man:- sir, everything is done as you said. Here is the proof. 

Saying this, the man hands over the picture which he received recently where Nandini is palming her blood-filled forehead and wincing in pain. 

Akshat:- see Nandini, what I can do for you….. No one… I repeat….. No one has the right to touch what is mine. And that bloody boy kissed your forehead ( while looking at the picture ) see I removed his touch from your body. Now you become pure again. 

To be continued…