2. FAMILY TIME!

Today as usual MALHOTRA’S morning starts with manik’s romance and Adi’s interference between them. And now they are all sitting and ordering MANIK MALHOTRA to prepare their favorite dishes for breakfast. 

Adi:- Dad, I want to have shahi paneer and naan. ( paneer gravy and white flour chapati ) 

Nan:- ( while licking her lips )  Mr. Husband, I want to have red sauce pasta and momos with chili sauce.

Ma :- mrs.malhotra and mr. Junior Malhotra, I am not a chef and this is not a restaurant. ( glaring both of them )  I will not make all this.

Nan + adi:- ( cutely ) pleaseeeeeeeeeee…..

Ma:- No….. 

Na:- ( while pouting cutely ) ok, then I don’t want to eat anything. 

Adi:- ( like his mother ) copy-paste. 

Ma:- ( rolls his eyes in annoyance ) ohh God, why are you both so stubborn?

Adi:- because of you. 

Ma:- Now, what I did? 

Nan:- ( while shrugging her shoulder ) you always fulfill our wishes that make us greedy and stubborn. So it’s all your fault.  

Ma:- ( grinned happily ) And I am proud of it. 

Everyone laughs at their sweet bickering forgetting about the fact that within two days the sole reason for their happiness is going away again for the nation’s duty  

X—–X

Everyone is in the main bedroom. Adi is sleeping with his parents because he wants to spend the remaining two days with both of his parents. 

Manik and Nandini both looked at each other with pain in their eyes. They know that now they have to part their ways again for the duty which is more important than anything.  

Nandini placed her head on his arm and Manik takes her in his embrace while kissing her temple. 

Nan:- Manik, I am scared.

Ma:- Nandini you don’t have to be scared. It’s normal you know na. 

Nan:- I know but… I always get scared thinking what if we are not able to see each other again. You know na about this job no one knows what would happen next? 

Ma:- I know Nandini but we can’t back out. 

Nan:- ( with slight tears ) hmm…. Please hide me in your arms. I want to feel you close to me. 

Manik nods and tightens his hold around her shoulder and waist making her squeeze in his embrace. He kisses her head once again and mummers I LOVE YOU in her ear.

Listening to his confession Nandini smiles shyly and places a kiss on his chest sensuously making him go insane. He caresses her back to calm her down because this is not the right time to proceed with anything. 

Ma:- ( whispers in her ear ) wohhhh… Lady!! Calm down. You know I have very little control over myself when you are around me. I don’t want to telecast our private moment in front of Adi.

Nan:- I don’t care. 

Ma:- ( with wide eyes ) wow!!!!….. How come romance spoilers become romantic? 

Nan:- ( caressing his face, lovingly ) Manik, you don’t need to pretend that you are happy. 

Listening to her, Manik tries to avoid looking into her eyes. He knows that he can’t hide his emotions from her but he didn’t even want to make her upset. So, he tries to change the topic. 

Ma:- Nandini sleep it’s too late. You look tired.

Nan:- ( lovingly ) Manik!!!

And this is it for him. He tightens his hold on her and digs his face in her neck after changing their position. 

Ma:- ( emotionally ) please don’t talk about this. I don’t want to discuss this. I just want to capture our moments in my heart till next time.

Seeing his emotional state Nandini nods in acknowledgment and kisses his forehead making him sign in peace. After this, she leans down and slowly sucks his upper lip as if she is taking all his pain away through the kiss. 

When she breaks the kiss, Manik smiles wholeheartedly at her cute gesture and smilingly took her in his arms after lying straight on his back. Whereas Nandini places her head on his chest and snuggles in his arms like a cocoon. 

He slept within minutes Whereas Nandini is still awake. She is just adoring her man. She is storing all his features in her heart. She doesn’t want to stay away from him but she has no choice. She has to be strong for him and her son. 

X—–X

The next day, father and son are sitting at the breakfast table and glaring at each other. Today Mrs. Malhotra took charge of cooking for her family. But the father and son are fighting over the breakfast menu. Both of them want to eat their favorite food made by her hands. 

Whereas Nandini is having her morning coffee silently while watching the duo. 

Ma:- I am your father, so my decision is final. Nandini makes aloo paratha.

Adi:- No… I am the younger one in the house so mom will make what I say. Right, mom?

He asks Nandini while showing his puppy eyes. Seeing his pleadings, Nandini melts like ice cream and nods. Whereas Manik got annoyed because his wife is giving priority to their son. 

Ma:- Nandini I am your husband so you will listen to me. 

Adi:- No mom, you will listen to me …

Ma:- may I know why Mr. Aditya Malhotra. 

Adi:- because mom loves me more. That’s why she will make my favorite food. 

Ma:- Mom loves me more.

Adi:- huh!!!

Ma:- I mean your mommy loves me more. 

Adi:- mom, you tell me. To whom do you love the most? 

Ma:- yes… Nandini tells him that you love me the most. 

Nan:- ( frustratingly ) what stupidity is this Manik? You know na I can’t choose between you two. 

Adi:- Mom please naa… 

Nan:- baby please understand me. How will I choose between my heart and heartbeat? 

Ma + adi :- but…..

Nan:- No … BUT – WHAT ….. I am making both of your favorite dishes. 

Ma:- ( sulking like a child ) ok… Aloo paratha for me. 

Adi:- ( same like his father ) idli sambhar for me. 

Ma:- You are not my son for sure. Who eats idli sambhar in the early morning?

Adi:- correct, I am not your son. I am mumma’s boy. I am resigning from your son’s post.  

Nandini giggles listening to the father-son duo. 

Ma:- ( angrily ) you….. I hate you.

 

Adi:- ( in Manik Malhotra’s style ) feelings are mutual FATHER. 

Ma:- Ewwww…… Nandini, see him….. He is imitating me. 

Nan:- Manik, he is your son. If he will not imitate you then, who will? 

Ma:- but this is not good manners. 

Nan:- ( with a disbelief look ) ufff….. You both are hopeless. You guys have to wait till then I will bring your food. 

Ma:- bring it fast, I am hungry. 

X—–X

In the kitchen 

Nandini is making dough for the parantha. At the same time, Manik comes inside and hugs her from behind startling her with his sudden presence. 

Nan:- Manik!! you scared me.

Ignoring her completely, Manik tightens his hold around her stomach making her lose her senses and places his chin on her shoulder. 

Nan:- what are you doing? Someone will see us. 

Without giving her any reply he places a chaste kiss on her shoulder giving her jitters. 

She pushes him back with full force. With this move, he comes out from her spell but again he pulls her towards himself while turning her around and digs his face in her neck making her giggle.

Ma:- ( still nuzzling in her neck making her giggle ) don’t forget Nandini, you gave a holiday to every servant. So, no one will interrupt our romance. 

Nan:- I am talking about adi. He is here na with us. 

Saying this she tries to push him back with the help of elbows because her hands are filled with flour but her husband is not ready to go away from her. Manik kisses her cheek in the same position making her giggle. 

Ma:- ( in a non-interested tone ) I don’t care about him. I just know that from tomorrow you are not going to be in my arms. ( pleadingly ) So, Please today let me stay like this. 

After this Nandini didn’t say anything and let him stay close to herself. Because she is also going to miss his warmth from tomorrow.

They both are busy with their work. Nandini is doing her cooking sincerely whereas Manik is troubling her continuously by kissing her here and there now and then. Suddenly he cups her face and tilts it back while placing his lips on her forehead. 

Nandini smiles blissfully but their moment is disturbed by their son. Aditya comes inside while calling for his mother but gets startled seeing his parent’s position.

Seeing him there Nandini immediately pushed Manik back and turned around to face her son. But on the other side, Manik fell down because of the sudden push. He got up while glaring at mother-son. 

Ma:- ( irritatingly ) what was that, Nandini? 

Instead of Nandini, Adi replied with a grin while snuggling in his mother’s tummy like a kid. 

Adi:- Mumma pushed you because you were troubling her.  

Manik pulls adi away from Nandini and takes her in his arms making adi angry. 

Ma:- ( possessively ) stay away from my wife. 

Hearing this adi looks at him with a wide-open mouth and shoots daggers at his father. Whereas Nandini looks at them with a bad face because they both are equally possessive for her and it makes her irritate sometimes. 

X—–X

To be continued…