22. TOM & JERRY!

Nandini:- Shy boy, Why do you always think negatively about yourself? You have an amazing talent and a phenomenal voice. I know tomorrow is a very big day for you but TRUST ME you will do great. Don’t get nervous or underconfident, you are and will shine tomorrow like the brightest star. 

Hearing her, Manik’s nervousness and stress went into the drain. He is feeling motivated and confident again like before. Still, he wants assurance from her. 

Manik:- Nandini, Do you trust me? Do you believe that I will give my best performance tomorrow? 

Nandini:- I TRUST YOU, SHY BOY! YOU ARE A ROCKSTAR, MY ROCKSTAR! 

Nandini makes him understand like a kid and tries her best to boost his confidence. Otherside, Manik is somewhat relaxed but the anxiety is still there and he knows how to deal with that. And the solution is HIS FIREBALL. If she will be beside him during the performance then he is sure that he will create magic on the stage. 

Manik:- ( hesitantly ) Nandini, Will you stay beside me during the performance? 

Nandini:- ( while rolling her eyes ) Ya… why not? I will even sing along with you also, ok? Then, we both will go to jail because of murdering the audience with my horrible voice. 

Manik:- ( cribs ) Nandini!… 

Nandini:- Shy boy, don’t be ridiculous. I can’t be there with you on the stage but I will be around you backstage. 

Hearing her, Manik relaxes completely and smiles brightly. Soon the stubbornness took his senses and he couldn’t stop himself from asking. 

Manik:- ( stubbornly ) Nandini, promise me that you will be beside me the whole time. Not with me on the stage but you will stick to me backstage. And I am warning you, I will not perform without you. 

Nandini laughs at his cute warning, making him pout cutely. This is the first time Manik is showing his stubbornness to anyone except his parents. And this is also the first time when Nandini is agreeing with someone without showing her stubbornness. 

Manik:- ( stubbornly ) Nandini, I am asking something… 

Nandini:- I promise, Shy boy. ( After a pause ) By the way, you don’t have to ask that as I am not going to let you be alone. ( naughtily ) Not even in the washroom, if you will allow me to accompany you there. 

Hearing her last sentence, Manik blushes like a new bride and rubs his neck while biting his lower lip. Once again HIS FIREBALL made him turn into a beetroot without much effort. 

Manik:- No… I will handle myself in the washroom. You don’t have to accompany me there. 

Nandini:- ( teasingly ) Sure? 

Manik blush harder and palmed his eyes cutely while rubbing his head, cutely. There was silence for a minute and Nandini was just waiting for his reply, controlling herself from bursting into laughter. 

Manik:- ( impatiently ) Bye… Nandini! 

Not getting any words to say, he just cut the call after bidding her a quick bye and blushed, showing his bunny teeth. 

Manik:- ( complaints to the almighty ) God! Fireball is so bad… How can she always make me speechless? 

Otherside, Nandini is laughing while rolling on the bed, and seeing her condition Pihu frowns, who comes there to see her Bui. 

Pihu:- ( concernedly ) My Bui is gone case now! ( asks Nandini ) Bui, did you rob the mall today? 

Nandini looks at her and frowns, nodding her head in denial. 

Pihu:- Did you get the free pizza delivery? 

Nandini:- ( confusingly ) No… 

Pihu:- Then, any violence… like, did you beat any boy who tried to misbehave with you? 

Nandini:- No!… Why are you asking such questions? 

Pihu:- Then… ( after thinking for a moment ) Did you get 5 Gol Gappes instead of 4 in 20 rs? 

Nandini:- ( irritatingly ) Pihu, Why are you asking such questions? By the way, if I ever get free pizza delivery or get 5 Gol Gappes instead of 4 then I will throw a party to celebrate this occasion. 

Pihu:- Then, why were you laughing a moment ago? You weren’t just laughing, you were rolling on the bed. For a second I got a heart attack. 

Nandini:- it’s nothing… forget it. 

Pihu looks at her suspiciously and her CID brain works like a machine. 

Pihu:- ( suspiciously ) Were you talking with YOUR SHY BOY? 

Hearing her Shy boy’s name, Nandini again recalled all the mall’s scenes, and again her heart burned. 

Nandini:- Where is Bhabhi? 

Pihu:- In her room. Why anything serious, Bui? 

Nandini:- No… I just want to talk with her and it’s urgent. 

She stood up to go to her Bhai and Bhabhi’s room but Pihu stopped her, making her confused. 

Pihu:- Bui, you can’t go like this. 

Nandini:- ( sarcastically ) So, would I wear a saree or lehenga to talk with Bhabhi? 

Pihu:- Bui… I didn’t mean that. It’s just, Mumma and Daddy are busy. 

Nandini:- ( confusingly ) Busy in doing what? 

Pihu:- They are busy making my younger siblings. 

Nandini heard her and sat down on the bed with a naughty grin, making her giggle. 

Nandini:- Oh… How cute! ( with narrowed eyes ) But, How do you know this? 

Pihu:- Don’t underestimate the power of PIHU DHAWAN. I am a modern kid who has surveillance eyes everywhere. 

Nandini goes on aww on her and pulls her cheeks.  

Nandini:- Oh… My… CCTV… you are great. 

But something again struck her head and she got up from the bed while walking towards her brother’s room. Pihu is also running behind to stop her. 

Pihu:- Bui… Bui… where are you going? 

Nandini:- I need my answers, Pihu. I can’t wait anymore. And I won’t let Bhai to increase the population. 

Inside Cabir’s room, the temperature is getting hotter and hotter as the couple is busy chewing each other’s lips. Leaving Navya’s lips, Cabir is exploring every inch of her body with his tongue, giving her immense pleasure. But before they could proceed further or undress, someone knocks on the door. 

Cabir ignores the first knock as he is high on hormones but Navya pats his cheeks to make him realize. 

Navya:- Cabir, there is someone at the door. 

Cabir:- Not someone, Navya. I am sure that it’s MY HEADACHE who wants to come back with a new prank. 

Saying this, he stood up from her and wore his t-shirt. 

Navya:- Go and open the door. 

Cabir:- No! Let her knock. I won’t open the door. 

Navya:- Cabir, don’t forget that she is Nandini, THE NANDINI, who can do anything. 

Cabir:- ( with a lip tight smile ) Ya… she can do anything but she can’t come inside our room until I open the door… 

He is just saying but gets abrupt when the door opens and Nandini walks inside with Pihu. Both the girls are palming their eyes just to save their innocent eyes from any vulgar scene. 

Cabir’s mouth opens wide while his eyes come out from their sockets. Navya giggles seeing how her husband’s assumption was just brutally murdered by none other than Nandini. 

Navya:- open your eyes, my two little devils. We are sober. 

Both the girls remove their palms from their eyes and give a toothy smile to her, making her smile brightly. But soon her eyes land on her husband who is sitting like a statue. 

Navya:- ( teasingly ) Nandini, someone is saying that you won’t come inside until THE CABIR DHAWAN opens the door. 

Hearing her taunt, Cabir comes back into his senses and yells like a real monster. 

Cabir:- From where you both entered my room? 

Nandini:- ( innocently ) From the door!… Bhai, you are the one who advised me to use the door for entry and exit. And now, you are shouting at me just because I followed your order. 

Cabir:- Oh… How innocent! You always follow my every order like there is no tomorrow. 

The sarcasm is dripping from his tone, making the three ladies giggle. 

Nandini:- ( getting displeased with Cabir’s sarcasm ) If I would come from the window then, you would also shout like this, and now when I come from the door, you are shouting again. ( irritatingly ) What do you want me to do? 

Cabir rubs his forehead which starts aching again. He walks towards his cupboard and takes out his white hanky, the ladies are watching his moves curiously. He comes and hangs his hanky in front of Nandini’s eyes as a gesture that “HE SURRENDERS HIMSELF”. 

It’s Cabir’s way to end the fight with Nandini as he knows that he can’t win against her. So, he chose his defeat silently and always surrendered like a good brother. 

Cabir:- I am tired, Nandini. I can’t fight with you anymore. 

Nandini:- ( grinned ) Good decision! I appreciate your efforts and better luck next time. 

Navya rolls her eyes seeing the most unique brother-sister duo who fights a lot but still showers love on each other in different ways. They are the perfect example of Tom and Jerry where Cabir is tom who always loses in front of the notorious Jerry i.e. Nandini.

Cabir:- Now, Will you please highlight to me, How did you enter My room when the door is locked? 

Nandini:- So simple, Bhai. I used the spare key. 

Cabir:- ( angrily ) And from where did you get that key? As far as I know that all the spare keys disappeared last year. 

Nandini smiles brightly and passes him her famous clever smirk. 

Nandini:- How can things get disappeared when Nandini Dhawan is here? 

To be continued…