8. DEPARTURE

Nandini :- ( worriedly ) kaka…. Mai aapko yaha akele kaise chod sakti hoon?

( kaku…. How can I leave you here alone? )

Ashok :- ( tiredly ) nandu, humne do din pahle hi insaab ke bare mai baat karli h. Hai na?

( nandu, we already talked about these things two days back. Don’t we? )

Nandini :- ( nodding )hm…. Lekin mai aapke bina kahi nahi jayugi bus. Aap samajh kyu nahi rahe hai?

( hm…. But I won’t go anywhere without you. Why are you not understanding? )

Manik :- kaka… agar nandini kahe rahi hai … toh aap kyu nahi chal rahe hai hamare saath?

( kaka… if nandini is saying to come with us…then why are you not coming with us? )

Ashok :- ( with a bad face ) manik, aab tum shuru mat ho jao.

( manik now please you don’t start. ) 

Nandini :- ( nagging him ) please…na….  Chaliye na hamare saath. ( Come with us. )

Ashok :- ( lovingly ) nandu, my bacha…. Samajho na bacha. ( emotionally ) mai kahi nahi jana chahta tumhari kaki ki yaado ko chodkar. Is ghar mai uski hasi basti h uska ehsaas h idhar aur toh aur yaha uski daat bhi hai. ( nandini giggles ) lekin mai wada karta hoon ki mai tumhari shaadi se pahale hi aajauga tumhare pass. 

( nandu, my baby…. Understand my baby. ( emotionally ) I don’t want to go anywhere leaving your kaki’s memories behind. This house holds her touch, her laugh, ( chuckles sadly ) her shouts whenever she scolds me. ( nandini too giggles ) but….i promise that i will be there with you for your wedding.)

Manik :- kaka… aap yaha akele kaise rahegai?

( kaka… how can you live here alone? )

Ashok :- ohfo….. Manik, tum chinta mat karo meri, mai sambhal luga apne aap ko. Aab, tum log jayo aur jane ki taiyari karo.

( ohfo….. Manik, don’t worry i will be fine. Now you guys go and pack your bags. )

Nandini :- ( pleadingly ) ik vaari hor soch lijiye… ( think once again…. )

Ashok :- ( sternly ) nandu…….

Reluctantly Nandnini agrees and both move towards her room for their last time packing because they have a flight tomorrow at night.

IN MALHOTRA MANSION

Vishamber :- you know where is manik?

Yashoda :- now, why do you want to know about his whereabouts?

Vishamber :- i am not his enemy yashoda…i…

Yashoda :- ( cutting her husband in mid ) yes… you are not his enemy then why did you take revenge from him? ( angrily ) you put him in a dilemma only because he loves someone else and not to forget that someone is much better than INNAYA.

Vishamber :- i want his happiness, yashoda…….. Nothing else.

Yashoda :- ( with venom in her eyes )I saw your concern for my manik with my eyes that day. And one more thing I don’t know where he is? But if I knew it, I would never tell you.

Vishamber :- why are you getting hyper on me?

Yashoda :- because i never expected this thing from you. I never thought that you would push manik away from me. ( while crying ) i never thought that you gave your promise more priority then his love.

Saying this she angrily exits the room leaving her husband in guilt.

Next day, Manik and Nandini walk out of their house to the airport. Nandini is a crying mess till now because it’s difficult for her to leave her home where she spent her whole life till now. She is also worried for her kaka because he is the only one who gave her parents love.

Whereas manik’s condition is also not good but he is handling himself for nandini. He is also not happy leaving his home, his country but he is quite angry with his family for not giving him a chance to prove his love. They just put their decision on him without trying to understand him. But somewhere he is happy because nandini is with him. They are now in a phase where they can start their new life and they are going to do that. They are going to prove everyone wrong, who said that their relationship won’t work. 

Soon both of them are standing outside the airport with their luggage. Now, nandini’s mood is quite good only because of manik’s efforts. Nandini is in a jolly mood and continuously nagging Manik to tell her where they are going. But manik is manik! he likes no…no… he loves to irritate her that is why he is all calm and silent. He is smiling continuously seeing her efforts which is irking her more.

Nandini stops her nagging by seeing Cabir approaching them with his wife NAVYA.

MRS.NAVYA CABIR DHAWAN

Four months pregnant lady. Wife of CABIR DHAWAN. Loves her husband a lot but hates his nonsense jokes contrary to her mood swings. Nandini’s co-employee and childhood best friend. Consider nandini as her younger sister. Shares Tom and Jerry’s relationship with manik. She doesn’t like manik as well as he does. 

Nandini :- cabir, you here?

Cabir :- ( cutely ) what is this nandini, no hey…no hello…. How rude!!!

Nandini :- ( sarcastically while waving her hand like saying “bye” ) HEYYYYYYY…………

Cabir :- ( narrowed eyes ) your actions and words don’t match, nandu.

Nandini :- shut up!! ( To navya ) hey navya. How are you? ( Caressing her stomach, excitedly ) And how is my little baby doing? 

Navya :- baby’s mumma and baby both are fine. 

Nandini :- good!!!

Cabir :- ohhh ladies… Please spare us some of your attention. We are getting late. Our flight is announced. 

Nandini :- one second…. Manik tells me, are these two also coming with us? 

Cabir :- yes genius!!!!!!!

Nandini :- ( cribs like a baby ) Manik please at least now tell me where we are going?

Cabir :- ( with irritation ) yr… Manik please tell her or else she will brainwash us while asking this again and again. 

Manik :- Nandini yr, calm yourself. I will tell you everything but right now we have to move. 

Stomping her foot on Manik’s right foot, Nandini walks inside the airport angrily. Manik also runs behind her with their luggage trolley. 

After completing all the formalities they settled on their respective seats in the airplane. Nandini is silent and angry at Manik because of his suspense. He didn’t even let her see her boarding pass ( airplane ticket ). That’s why she doesn’t know where they are going.

Nandini is avoiding Manik and he also can’t do anything because according to him she is sitting far away from him. Manik is sitting on the cornered seat whereas nandini is at the window seat and some random stranger is seated between the lovebirds.

Manik is continuously glaring at the stranger and cursing him in mind.

Manik :- ( to the stranger ) sir, can you please exchange seats with me? Actually she is my WIFE ( pointing towards nandini ) and she is a little uncomfortable while sitting beside a stranger.

Nandini glared at him for his lie and her next statement shocked him to the core.

Nandini :- I AM COMFORTABLE…. MR.HUSBAND.

Manik can easily recognise the sarcasm behind “MR.HUSBAND”. Whereas the stranger looks at him in confusion. 

Manik :- arey… ( to the stranger ) she is angry with me that’s why she is talking like this. ( to nandini with a stern tone ) nandini… don’t do this or else the results won’t be good for you.

Nandini ignored his talks completely. Seeing her like this manik nods his head in disbelief on his angry baby.

The stranger :- ( whispers to manik ) i think your wife is really angry with you. All the best…. I am also a husband and I can understand your state. You can manofy her, I will sit somewhere else.

Giving the sympathy look to manik the stranger left them alone. Manik smiles on his helping nature and feels sorry for cursing him before.

Manik :- ( move towards nandini and take her in a side hug ) ok.. Sorry… WE ARE GOING CALIFORNIA. As I got my business degree from there that’s why I decided to shift there because I have some contacts there which can help us to start fresh. Sorry, because i don’t ask your opinion about this and myself took all the decisions.

Nandini :- you have all the rights to make decisions about me. I trust you.

Manik smiles and places a tight kiss on her cheek with a sound “muahhh”. Nandini’s eyes widened seeing his bold move. 

Nandini :- manik, we are in public!!

Manik :- No stupid!!!!….. ( banged his forehead with her’s ) we are on an airplane.

Nandini glared him for his stupid joke and pushed him while breaking the side hug with an irritated look.

Manik laughs seeing her like this, gaining attention from the nearby passengers.

This time he pecks her lips without caring about the damn attention which he gained. Nandini blushes in tomato shade and turns her face. He intertwined their hands and placed a kiss on the back of her palm. 

Manik :- forget about everything just focussed on our future. We are happy if we are together right? ( Nandini nods agreeing with him ) LET’S START OUR JOURNEY. MANAN’S JOURNEY…….

Nandini :- ( she cuts him in mid ) TOGETHER FOREVER.

Nandini smiles while snuggling in his neck like a baby. Manik too takes her in his arms happily and both confess their love once again.

To be continued…