Chapter 12
The Enchanted Princess😳
'Kya hua?' Nandini asked with a confused expression on her face.
'Nothing' he said as he looked away from her.
'Tho aake khaana khaao na! Maine khaana lagaaya hai' Nandini said to him as she placed a jug of water on the table.
Manik got up from the sofa with a dazed expression on his face.
'Who was that man? Why was his face not visible? Did somebody want to harm me? Magar maine aisa kya kiya?' he thought as he sat on one of the chairs.
'Manik..tum thik tho ho na?' Nandini asked with a concerned look on her face.
'Mujhe ek sapna aaya...' Manik whispered softly.
'Sapna?? Kya tha??' Nandini asked curiously as she sat on a chair adjacent to his.
'It was all dark... but I saw a man whose back was turned towards me. He shouted that he wouldn't let me have what I desire for. Then I felt something hit my head and I woke up' he said with as he looked with a dazed look on his face.
'Manik...shayad tumhaari memory wapas aa rahi hai..' Nandini said her eyes widening in hope. 'Kuch aur yaad aaya? Try to remember what you saw in your dream' Nandini encouraged him.
He closed his eyes tight and tried to remember what he saw. But it was all hazy to him. He continued to put all the pressure on himself to remember what he saw.
'Ahh..' he whispered as he felt a headache.
'It's ok Manik..don't put stress on yourself..khaana khaao' Nandini said placing her hand on his. He pressed his fingers onto his temple.
'Manik..tum thik tho ho na?' Nandini asked with a worried expression on her face. 'Ye lo..pani pi lo' Nandini said pouring some water from the jug and stretching towards him. He opened his eyes and looked at the glass and then at Nandini and took the water and started sipping the water.
'Manik abhi bhi sar dard ho raha hai?' Nandini asked in a bit worried tone.
'Nahi...abhi thik hoon...dard kam ho gaya' Manik said with a little weak smile on his face.
'Manik..khana thanda ho jaayega..let's eat?' Nandini urged Manik. Manik nodded with a smile on his face as he poured the curry into the rice and mixed it up and took a spoonful and put it into his mouth.
'It's delicious...' he thought as he took one more spoonful and shoved into his mouth and one more spoonful...was it the hunger or was it the pain or was it the taste of the food she cooked for him..he didn't know. He just knew that the food felt heavenly.
'Taste kaisa hai?' Nandini asked looking at him eagerly.
'Delicious..' he said with a huge smile on his face as he shoved one more spoonful of food into his mouth. 'You are the best, master' 😃
Nandini felt herself blushing hearing the compliment. Nobody complimented for her food. She remembered the last time..she cooked for Dhruv. It was on his birthday. Nandini went to his house and he was alone at that time. His mother had gone to visit his maasi and Nandini went inside with a gift for Dhruv. Dhruv was in the kitchen trying to make rotis and it was all sticky as the rotis were not mixed in the right proportion.
'Dhruv..tum kya kar rahe ho?' Nandini asked with a questioning look on her face.
'Wo Nandu...khaana pakaa raha tha..'
'Tum peeche hato..main banaati hoon na' Nandini said pulling Dhruv away.
'It's ok Nandu..main kar loonga' Dhruv said.
'No..main banaake doongi na...jaake baitho hall main...you'll get to taste my cooking' Nandini said with a smile on her face.
'Ok..' Dhruv whispered and went and sat in the hall. He switched on tv and was watching some sports channel.
That moment when Nandini made the rotis..she felt that she wanted to make rotis for Dhruv always. She started weaving her dreams with Dhruv. Dhruv was too engrossed in watching the channel and Nandini placed the plates of rotis on the table and invited him to have food. Dhruv got up from the chair, his eyes still gazing to see when Germany made the next goal.
Nandini placed the rotis and curry on the table and waited for Dhruv to taste them. Dhruv sat on the chair and suddenly turned to Nandini and said
'Tum football dekhti ho?'
'Nahi...mujhe sports main interest nahi hai..zyaada'
'Arre yaar...tumko dekhne chahiye. Bahut interesting hai'
'Dhruv..khaana kaise bana hai..khaake tho bataao..' Nandini said eagerly waiting for Dhruv's comment.
Dhruv dipped the roti into the curry and ate it..his eyes still on the channel. He continued to eat the roti silently looking at the channel.
'Dhruv? Batao na...kaise bane hai roti?'
'Thik hai...nice..' Dhruv said giving a calm smile to Nandini.
'Thik?' Nandini mumbled to herself. 'Par chachaji tho bolte hai ke Nandu tu sabse best rotis banaati hai...magar Dhruv ne usko sirf thik bola?' Nandini thought to herself as she looked at Dhruv enjoying the football match and eating the food. The dinner went away in silence and Nandini was just happy watching Dhruv eating more rotis.
'Shayad...ye Dhruv ka tareeka hai...shayad Dhruv zyaada comment nahi karte...main agar zyaada poochoongi..tho shayad Dhruv ko pasand na aaye.' Nandini thought as she took the plates inside and washed them. She wiped her hands and returned to watching Dhruv sitting on the chair once again watching the football match.
'Dhruv..Happy Birthday' Nandini said stretching the gift she brought for him.
'Thanks Nandu' Dhruv said with a smile as he took the gift and placed it next to him. 'Thanks for remembering'
Nandini smiled back and even now she smiled thinking of the smile Dhruv had on his face while he received the gift.
Manik looked up and noticed Nandini smiling to herself. Manik placed the spoon on the plate and lightly tapped waking Nandini from her dazed smile.
'Kya hua master? Why are you smiling to yourself? You loved my compliment?' he asked with a huge smile on his face.
'Nahi..kuch nahi..' Nandini said as she looked away.
'Kuch tho hai...master warna aap itne muskuraate nahi...'
'Pets don't need to know...ye personal matter hai' Nandini snapped back at him.
'Master..that hurts!' Manik said with a sad pout on his face. 'Main pet hoon..tho aap mere saath kuch bhi share nahi karogi? Masters usually share their feelings with pets na?'
'Haan wo isliye kyonke pets unn share kiye hue baaton ko kisike saath share nahi karte aur unko samajh aaye tho bhi kisiko batayenge nahi..magar main tumpe kaise trust karoon?' Nandini asked raising her eye brow a bit.
'Master..aapne humhe pet tho banaaye..magar master must trust pets.'
'No..not so easily. I'll first know how you are..uske baad hi trust karoongi..you are a human pet!' Nandini said with a frown on her face.
'Hmm..human pet...so at night...should I sleep outside like a dog or sleep inside like a cat?' Manik asked with a smirk on his face looking at Nandini.
'Ayyappa...ye tho maine socha hi nahi...will I make him sleep outside or will I make him sleep inside?' 😕
Manik got up from his chair with a smirk on his face as he went to wash his hands and returned back and looked at Nandini who sat there with a confused look on her face. Manik sat on the sofa and switched on tv. Manik scrolled through the channels aimlessly and suddenly he reached a channel where 'Tom & Jerry' cartoon was going on. Manik paused there and started watching cartoons with a curiosity in his eyes. Nandini got up from her chair and came and sat next to Manik as she looked at him watching the cartoon.
'Manik tumko cartoons pasand hai?'
'Hmm...' Manik mumbled as he continued to watch the animation with a huge smile on his face.
Nandini looked at the animation and suddenly Manik turned to look at her.
'Master...you like cartoons?'
'Haan..pasand hai..I used to watch cartoons a lot when I was in school...aajkal nahi dekhti' Nandini said looking away.
'Aur kya kya pasand hai?'
'Fairytales' Nandini said as she looked with a huge smile at Manik.
'Fairytales?' Manik repeated after Nandini.
'Haan...main bachpan main akeli rehti thi tho Manik ko bithaake fairytales padhke sunaati thi' Nandini said with a smile on her face.
'Wow! Ok mujhe bhi fairytales sunne hai' Manik said switching off the tv.
'Abhi?' Nandini asked with a surprised look on her face.
'Haan abhi...' Manik said as he sat cross legged on the sofa.
'Ok...wait' Nandini said as she got up from the sofa and walked upstairs. Manik looked up and smiled as he sat excitedly. Nandini walked back inside after a few minutes with a book in her hand.
'Kaunsewaale sunne hai?' Nandini asked in a confused tone.
'Koi bhi..' Manik said with a smile. Nandini sat next to Manik and opened the book and looked through the stories trying to select one. Manik suddenly placed his head on her lap and looked up at her with large puppy eyes. 😛
'Manik tum ye kya kar rahe ho?' Nandini asked her eyes widening with shock.
'You owner..me pet...pets lie on master's lap...haina?' Manik asked with an innocent pout on his face.
'Haan...pets lie on master..but you are a human..pet..' Nandini mumbled in a perplexed tone.
'Human hoon tho kya hua? Aapke pet hoon na? Aur aapko tho story sunaane main focus rakhne chahiye! Aapke focus mujhpe hai ya story par?' Manik asked with a naughty gaze in his eyes. 😛
'Story par..' Nandini mumbled looking away with a perplexed look from him. 😕
'Ayyappa pata nahi ke pet hone ke naam pe ye aur kya kya karenge' Nandini thought as she looked back at the book. Nandini scrolled through the pages and took one of the pages. It had the story of 'The Enchanted Princess'. Nandini started reading the story loud for Manik.
'Once upon a time there was a farmer who had two sons...Ernest and Alexander. Ernest is arrogant and selfish while Alexander is good and kind-hearted. The farmer liked Ernest more than Alexander because he thought that Ernest is brave and courageous while Alexander is stupid. Alexander was very hardworking while Ernest had fun with his friends and never cared for his father.' Nandini paused and moved the book a bit and looked at Manik. Manik was looking up at her with pouty lips listening to the story. Nandini returned back to reading the story.
'One day..the farmer went out of town and he overheard a talk. Two men were saying that the princess was kidnapped and is locked up in a castle. The guards are a dragon and an old lady. To free the princess...a brave man must go to the castle and do three tasks. Whoever succeeds will help free the princess and he will get the hand of princess in marriage. But if the person fails, the dragon will eat him up' Nandini paused and looked again and Manik and he was still gazing at her.
'Hmm...then?' Manik asked with a questioning look at her.
'The farmer didn't trust Alexander and he trusted Ernest most and he gave Ernest a sword and a horse to go through the forest to the castle and try to complete the task'
'Ye farmer tho bilkul tumhaare tarah hai..trust hi nahi karta..' Manik mumbled with a complaining pout on his lips.
'Trust kyon karoon? Tumse milke kitne din hue?' Nandini asked moving the book away and looking at him.
'Ok aise hi bol raha tha...continue' Manik said with a serious look on his face.
'Hmm...then...' Nandini said looking back at the book 'As Ernest was riding through the forest, he saw a beehive and he destroyed the bee hive and when he went further he saw an ant hill which he destroyed...and then he saw a pond with ducks on it and treated them badly.'
'Achcha? Wo bilkul tumhaare tarah nahi hai. Tumne tho mere itne khayaal rakhe..bechare..bees, ants aur ducks ne Ernest ke kya bigaade?' Manik mumbled looking with a sad pout on his lips.
Nandini smiled slightly as she noticed the sad pout on his lips.
'Achcha...tum hote tho kya karte?' Nandini asked looking at him.
'Main hota tho bees se poochta..ke thode se honey milenge kya? Ants ko bolte ke Ernest aa rahe hai...so pick up your ant hill and run away and ducks se bolte...quack quack quack' 😛😆
Nandini started laughing out loud listening to the answer of Manik. Manik looked at Nandini with a soft smile on his face...a little shine appearing in his eyes. 😳
'Agar iss ladki ke chehre pe smiles laane ke liye..mujhe poore life pet banke rehne pade..tho main rahoonga...har din...aise baatein karoonga..inn aankhon main dekhta rahoonga'😳
'Ayyappa...itne tho main kabhi Dhruv ke saath bhi nahi hansi...why am I feeling so enchanted?' Nandini thought as she supressed her laughter and looked with a smile into Manik's eyes...his eyes were shining and his smile was glowing and they made her feel as if she was living a fairytale...a fairytale she never imagined before. 😳
Edited by priakachan - 9 years ago
Indian Idol 15
