6. Video Calling

Fab5 reached MURTHY’S house after picking up navya from her radio station. All of them move inside to see only Raj and Raman with Abhimanyu seated in the living room . They move ahead and greet everyone and make themselves comfortable on the sofas. 

Spending some quality time mukti stood up from the sofa to go towards the kitchen for making alya’s dinner. 

Muk:- ( excitedly ) you guys talk , i will make a move . I have to prepare dinner too . 

After saying that she moved towards the kitchen . But she doesn’t know what she did just a few seconds back . 

When Abhimanyu , Raj and Raman heard her,  their breath got hitched. They looked towards each other and gulped their saliva in tension . Fab4 giggles  looking at their expressions . Soon Alya cleared their tension.  

Al:- dad and uncle don’t be sad because mukti is making soup and salad for me.

After listening to her they released their breath which they were holding till now. They all started talking to each other, but stopped in between due to Raj’s question.  

Raj:- How was your meeting ? 

Ma:- it’s good dad …. We just have to prepare 3 songs for an album .

Raj:- ( confused ) only 3 songs . 

Dhruv replied on behalf of Manik . 

Dhr:- yes uncle …we have to prepare 2 rock songs  and one romantic song . And we have a press conference at the end of this month . Where we are launching our new album . 

Ram:- ohh great ! ( After thinking something ) Dhruv, why don’t you open your relationship with Alia in the same press meet . Because you two are going to tie the knot soon . 

Raj:- yaa it’s a great opportunity.

Everyone nods their head in positive . After thinking for a while Dhruv says.  

Dhr:- umm uncle i know that it’s the best day to announce , but the decision is not solely mine. I need alya’s confirmation too . 

Al:- Dhruv i don’t have any problem with it . ( And blink her eyes too giving much needed affirmation to Dhruv, who smiles in return )

Dhr:- ( smiling ) soo it’s decided that we are announcing our relationship in the press meet which is held at the end of this month. 

Everyone jumps on their seats because of happiness after listening to Dhruv’s decision. At the same time both the ladies came from the kitchen and smiled after seeing everyone’s smiling faces . 

Nyo:- what happened ? Why are you all smiling ? 

Ca:- aunty , our lovebirds decided to make their relationship official.

Ish:- ( happily ) really ….. I am so happy for both of you.  

Nyo:- yaa it’s the best decision you took after dating each other. ( Giggles ) 

Everyone giggles on nyo teasing and again indulges themselves into the discussion regarding the coming press conference . Mukti too joined  them and congratulated dhurv-alya . Everyone forgets why they all are here , but remembers when they hear cabir asking.  

Ca:- ( seriously ) dad , why Nandini wants to talk to us, all of a sudden.  ( Worried about her ) is she all right ? 

Raj:- ( irritated ) don’t ask cabir , i asked him the same but he is not ready to say anything . He Keep repeating ” LET HER CALL ” ( imitating his best friend ) 

Ram:-( angry tone ) for god sake raj shut up . How many times i have to say this again i don’t know what she wants to say , that’s why I am saying let her call. 

Raj:- ( equally angry ) so you can say that again in a calm tone . But to whom I am talking, the great Raman murthy who doesn’t have any relation with calmness.

Ram:- ( fake surprised ) ohhh see who is talking about calmness . 

Raj:- you know what , your kids are much better than you . 

Ram:- you……

They start their usual bickering.

Everyone gives each other a knowing look . Without giving a damn to their fathers , Abhi takes all the young clan upstairs in guest rooms to get freshed. Cabir too moves in his room with navya to spend some  cozy time with her. 

And the ladies again go back  into the kitchen to have a last minute check on food.  Leaving their childish husbands behind . 

After spending some time after having dinner and with usual raman-raj’s fight, they move towards the living area . Where the two best friends make a call to their princess . Everyone got settled on the sofa in front of the  screen to have a clear look of Nandini . Manik makes himself comfortable behind the sofa so that he can admire his jaan easily without any disturbance .  

Soon Nandini picks up the call . Everyone smiles brightly seeing her after a long time . 

Nan:-hello my dears and bears ( giggling )

Everyone laughs at her special greetings . But our Manik is the only one who is admiring her constantly. Nandini is very well aware of his gaze and tries very hard not to blush in front of the whole family . But still Manik is not removing his gaze from her . 

Raj:- hello girlfriend . How are you ? 

Nan:- hello boyfriend . I am fine. But I must say you become more handsome than before . ( Raj smiles at her compliment ) 

Ram:- tch tch tch .. Nandini, your eyesight gets weak? You come back soon then we will consult a good eye specialist . 

Raj gives a mean look to Raman who ignored because his looks never mattered to him. 

Ish:- please you both don’t start again . Let me talk to my baby . ( Turn towards Nandini ) Nandu, why do you become so thin? Don’t you eat your meal properly? 

Nyo:- right ishu. Princess this is not right we send you there because you promised us that you will take care of yourself . 

Nan:- uff maa and maa ( giggles ) i am perfectly fine. It’s my thin look. Don’t take tension . When I come there then you will make me eat lots of dishes so that I put on weight just like cabir bhai . ( Teasingly ) 

Ca:- ( fake threat )  hey … You are trying to say that I put on weight . 

Nav:- she is not trying , she did! And it’s true you become so fat . Now I am thinking of finding a new boyfriend . Nandini starts researching.  

Ca:- nooooooooo ( pleading ) please Nandini don’t do that . 

Everyone laughs at cabir’s expense. When they all are talking with Nandini, one soul who is present in the hall physically but mentally he is doing all mature stuff with his girlfriend and constantly staring at her with pure love and innocence. 

Nandini quietly took her phone and dropped a message to Manik. Deliberately she indicates her phone to him without anyone’s notice and tries to make him understand. Getting her actions Manik opened his phone and saw a message from his jaan which says. 

Please don’t do that. You know how difficult it becomes for me not to blush in front of others. ( At last makes puppy face to melt him ) 

After reading her message he smiles on his effects on her . But to whom she is saying . Instead of removing his gaze he kept staring at her but at this time with much more intensity making her knees go weak after every nanoseconds and nandini mumbles “MONSTER” with a sad pout, making him chuckled. 

Nyo:- okkk ….times up 

Ish:- yes……it’s too much ( turn her attention towards her daughter ) Nandini you want to say something na . So what is it?

Now everyone was attentive to her . 

Nan:- ( dramatically ) thank you so much everyone for letting me speak . So i want to say that i am really sorry . ( In sad tone ) 

Ram:- ( tensed ) why princess ? Why are you saying sorry? Are you fine na. 

Nan:- ( sadly ) dad i am completely fine . It’s just that I am not able to come back to India . Got stuck in something important . 

Everyone got sad listening to her . Manik is sad and angry both because she is the one who promised him that this valentine she is gonna be near him . And now she is breaking her own  promise . 

Everyone consoles her not to be sad . They knew that Nandini must have some important work although she will never compensate for her family time . They ended the call and started chit chatting to divert their mind.

But one soul moved towards the garden area after giving an excuse to the younger ones. And the man is none other than Manik who is so depressed and angry with the news. 

He roams in the garden to calm himself. At the same time he received nandini’s call. Seeing her call his anger increased to another level. For 3-4 times he cutted her call to avoid her but alas his heart picked her’s 5th call. 

Ma:- ( angrily , without giving her a chance  to say anything ) this is too much Nandini . I know that you have your career which is very important for you . But that doesn’t mean you will treat me like trash . You promised me that you will spend this valentine day with me . That is why I took 3 days off from the office so that I can spend some more extra time with you . I am done with you, Nandini , I am done!  

He cut the call in anger , without even listening to her one word . After that he took his car and zoomed out from the mansion to find his much needed peace . He still doesn’t know what shit he done in his anger . 

To be continued …………