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Hey guys,
Here i am with a os which i wrote for a os competition, sorry a little long one.
The one that got away
Manik Malhotra sat dejectedly, how much ever he showed himself strong to the outer world, this day and this place would never fail to bring tears from his eyes, though he may look as the terror to outside world, there were persons who had seen the human within him. He plucked a red rose the flower bunch and kept in his pocket and signaled her to look at it. He closed his eyes to relive his past, which has kept him alive til now, if not for it, he would have been devasted the next moment on that day.
*FLASHBACK*
"You are testing my patience Nandini, then don't complain to me later" Hearing her friend Mukti's voice, Nandini digged her face deep in between the pillows and pulled the pillows closer so that it could cover her ears completely, and a moment later, she felt a kick on her back, she woke up with a jerk and rubbed her back and with a sad pout said "Is this how, u wake ur friend in the early morning mukti?" Mukti couldn't help but smile, she turned Nandini's face towards the wall clock, it was 10 minutes to 9, Nandini's face paled out, she with a puppy face turned towards Mukti, but she was at the door waving bye and said "see u at office sweetheart" and closed the door behind her.
At office
"Again, again again and again... Seriously.. I seriously don't understand what the hell your problem is Nandini Moorthy, this is your third month in office and not even a day u were on time, everyday i have to come and wait for u to know my schedule for the day, if its not for my father, i would have fired u on the first day itself" Shouted the angry lion, the CEO of the office, Manik Malhotra. However Nandini tried to be punctual and to be a perfect secretary for Manik,she badly failed in that. Certain things can't be changed easily and one such thing is Nandini being a punctual and obedient employee. She tried very hard to be in good books of Manik, but she failed miserably and here she stand before him shamelessly giving a weak smile while he was at the peak of his temper.This was what he thought about her. Nandini came and sat at her place, while Mukti gave a I-told-u-look.
Things were not the same, 8 months back, when Nandini met RK for the first time in a get together party, Moorthy and Malhotra were childhood friends and they met with their family after long time, Nandini has fallen for this chocolate boy, standing before her at the very first sight, yes, love at first sight, but what she didn't knew was he was not a chocolate boy for the outside world and he was a very rude, he was as hard as rock. Nandini realized that Manik didn't spare a look to her. She heard her dad and Malhotra convo and she got the message that he was not interested in girls or marriage, he was fed up with the fights between his father and mother, they were like Tom and Jerry at home, but he missed to see the love between their fights, all he could see was their fight,and he assumed that marriage destroys people's life and freedom and he never wanted to get married.
Nandini thought about all these, she wanted to show the power of love, its essence, and the love between every small fight that every couple has, though there were cute fights. Malhotra came to visit Moorthy regarding some work, she smiled seeing him, she was ready to execute her plan.She came down with determination and expressed her thought to everyone, Malhotra was happy at first hearing this, but knowing about his son, he had no hope, Moorthys were silent, but they didn't oppose too, and Malhotra helped Nandini in all possible way to get close with RK.
Nandini gathered all information about Manik, his favourite food, pass time, places, people, game and so on. Manik was busy with his work, he went to their head office at Delhi,and stayed there for few months and solved all the issues there, and also Malhotra didn't pressure him to come back, as he knew his son was better at the new place, but soon Malhotra health worsen and Manik came back.
And as per their plan, Nandini showed up at Manik's office, as his secretary, as his father has recommended for her and he heard Moorthys were so helpful to his father on his absence, so he has no choice than to accept, though he found Nandini attractive from the very beginning, he always points out her mistake, not even once he has appreciated him, alas, who he was? the great Manik Malhotra, who hate girls, for him they all throw themselves on him, all they care about was beauty and money, but Nandini didn't have any complain, she loved the way he complain at her, as she thought, he concentrate much on her atleast to find some mistakes, so she was happy and then Nandini started her plan.
Nandini always get every information about RK daily activities, when he start for his jogging, when he enters his gym, when he have his breakfast, when he start to office, all the employee in the house were secretly instructed to inform her, though they didn't know to whom they were informing, they all do their duty perfectly, so before Manik enters his office, Nandini use to put a sticky note or a flower bunch or a gift on his room, Manik found it annoying at first, but later he became curious to find a different thing in his room every day, many times he tried to find who did that, he checked and rechecked his cctv footage, but when it was Nandini who was planning, then there was no chance to be caught.
And now it has became a practice for Manik to find a hidden gift/note in his room, he was curious in finding that, and Nandini use to suppress her smile when his eyes wander like anything to find the hidden thing for the day. Nandini came out of his room, after successfully placing the sticky note on his king sized chair, she knew he will not look on the chair easily, and once Nandini was out, Manik started searching his cabin,he looked at every corner, even under the dustbin, hoping to find anything, it was more than half an hour now and RK had became very tired in searching, he punched his chair in anger shouting, "What am i doing, am not any love sicken teenager to get obsessed with these things" and a small smile crossed his lips seeing a sticky note on the chair at the place where he punched, he immediately grabbed it and it read as follows
"Missing ur sexy smile, yearning for that, do flash one and let me live few more years seeing that"
Manik flashed his famous smile and drew his hand over his hair, he felt contended, seeing it, he murmured "This person,must definitely be knowing everything about me, not so long, tch tch tch, not so long, i wil definitely catch u red handed".
The next day he came early to catch this mystery person, but alas,there was no one in office, and the watchman was stunned seeing Manik this much early, he was a punctual man, but reaching office this much early was a shocker. Nandini smiled receiving the text that RK has reached office, she was so happy that her plan has worked and she sang
Love makes fools of everyone: all the rules we make are broken.
Yes, love, love changes everything: live or perish, in its flame.
Love will never ever let you be the same.
Love will never ever let you be the same!
(Love changes everything from Sarah Brightman album)
and went back to catch her beauty sleep, and as usual she turned up late to office, but to shock her Manik didn't yell her, he was busy with his own work, Nandini was curious to know what it was, but he didn't give her a chance, he dismissed her by saying he was getting ready for the meeting and not to direct any calls and not to let anyone in.
After the meeting, when Manik returned back to his room to take his coat back, he found a sticky note pasted on his table, he nodded his head and it read as follows
"So u started searching for me, thats good, but its not that easy my sweetheart, just say me, and i will come before u the next moment"
He smiled and continued reading it
"But i know u my boy, and lets continue this game for some more time, and don't forget to look at ur second draw".
He immediately pulled and it and found a red rose with a note saying
"I love red rose, and i will be happy if u put that in ur coat"
RK quivered his eyebrows, he placed the rose in the draw where it was before and placed the sticky note in the other cupboard where he had kept the other sticky notes he had received before. Soon his cupboard overflowed with sticky notes and there was a fresh red rose everyday in his draw and the dried rose was cleared up. He self thought, "This girl never gets tired, lets see how long she can go"
A week later, RK had become restless, it has been two days now and he didn't receive any sticky note,and there was no new rose in his draw,though he didn't show it to anyone, Nandini easily guessed it from his eyes.And few hours later,Manik found a new sticky note on the back of his phone, he wondered how this girl enters his room this much easily without his knowledge, leaving all his thoughts, he hurriedly picked up and read it
"Missing me already, okay i have decided to give u a bigger gift, guess what, yes its me, well technically i will give u myself later to u, but for now i have decided to give u a glimpse of me, so meet me tomorrow sharp at 8 at your favorite coffee shop at your favorite seat, *smiling* yes the corner one"
Shock was an understandment, RK was stunned with the depth of this girl's knowledge about him, and he smiling reached his car parking to fine the next sticky note on the mirror.
"Seems someone is so happy, but there is a lot more to go my sweet heart, and from now on u wil receive all of it *evil smirk*"
He pushed the sticky note on his pant pocket and drove away to his home. RK self thought "I know what is coming? But am i ready for that, am i misguiding the girl, by reacting to her surprises, i clearly have no idea of marriage, but then why am i doing all this, i must make sure that i must make sense to all these pranks tomorrow, and have to put a full stop for it"
He slept late with all these thought, and sharp at 6, he heard a knock on his door, he sleepily asked the person to come in and he continued with his sleep, and at 8 again there is a knock on the door, he was quiet irritated, and on opening a door there stood his maid with a coffee cup in her hand, he took and closed the door on her face and placed the cup on the table while some coffee spilled over. His eyes caught notice of the sticky on the coffee cup, he plucked it and read as follows
"Good morning my sweet heart, Mani. See, being angry in the morning is not an indication of a good start for the day, so just throw it up and smile, and if u have missed seeing it, turn to ur left and see what i have got for u"
He turned around and found a bunch of red roses, and he continued reading it
"I know red is your favorite color and rose is your favorite flower, but then why are u avoiding it, since am sending it? I hope one day u put that in your coat and hope that day is today. Ok, now get ready to office and get ready for more surprise"
Later that day he received gifts every now and then, a cologne, a smiley with phrase "Always smile like this", a music card with his favorite song, and then finally he received a envelope with a message "Do not open me now, u can open and read it after u meet me" He got ready to meet her, he wore his white suit, which she has mentioned that it suits him perfect, he was about to close the room, when his eyes landed on the red rose bunch, he went close to it and he plucked it and kept in his coat and pushed it inside so that it was not seen clearly and then he started.He reached the coffee shop and he was stunned.
Manik was shocked to see Nandini at the said table, he felt something at the pit of his stomach, he was not able to realize whether he was happy or sad seeing Nandini at that place, it took him few minutes to understand how his mystery girl manages to slip in his room or at his house effortlessly, a small smile crossed his lips, he remembered about the times how he struggled hard to fight his growing attraction towards Nandini, then he started complaining about her punctuality, finding mistakes at every simple work she does, so that she has to redo that work and will have to come back to him again and again, and only God knows how he missed her on her absence. He smiled realizing even she felt the same for him, deep in his heart.
But then the reality hit him and his smile was wiped away and he came to the table with his famous smirk." So, it was u, Miss. Nandini Moorthy" Nandini expected this, that he will not readily give in, so she with the same attitude replied " Ur thirst for finding me, has finally ended right my mani.." Manik angrily replied "Am ur boss, stop calling me names, and let me make it clear, am here to tel u that am not interested in your silly games, i might have been curious to find who it was, and how dare you were to play with me, The Manik Malhotra."
Nandini with a smirk replied "So that is why u came here with a rose in your coat?", Manik immediately straightened his coat and so that the rose won't be visible anymore, but it was already done. When Nandini continued "And u always chose to sit here in this corner table and to watch the couples, dreaming of ur love, and then making yourself believe that there is no such thing called love, come out of your shell Manik, love is not a mistake and it never destroys anyone's life or freedom."
"You are no one to say that to me, i have seen it all my life time, not even a day passed without a fight, and i have swore myself that i will never get married"Manik roared out.
"Who said am here to marry you? Yes am in love with u and i want to spend the rest of my life with u, but i will not force u on marriage?" Manik was shocked hearing this, While Nandini continued "I know u completely, i know how u were scared witnessing your parents fight, so i don't want to force u to do the same, I love u madly like anything, and if u feel the same, am ready to start our new life, the next moment u ask me to come with u."Nandini took her bag and moved out of the table.
She turned back and said "U failed to see the love behind their fight, the care behind their shouts, u said, u were fed up with their fight, but answer me one thing, had your mom and dad hated each other or showed any sign of it, atleast once, love could not be seen mani, it should be felt. I will be waiting for u" and she moved further, but Manik pulled her again and made her sit next to him, he was on his mission to make her realize he will not marry her ever, so he pinned her to the wall and said " So trying to impress me Nandini, what would i get in accepting your deal, nothing right, but you will get me, a luxurious life, and the tag Mrs. Manik Malhotra, and for all these u r performing this melodrama right,tel me one thing, what can u do to prove your so called love? Will u jump off the building (pointing to one tall building in the street), like in movies or commit suicide to prove your depth of love."
Nandini gave a questioning look to him and he said "Just do one thing, one simple thing,just don't come in front of me, don't show ur filthy face to me, then i accept u truly love me without any expectations, can u?" She just nodded with hint of tears in her eyes, which were ready to expel themselves from her eyes and she immediately zoomed out of his vision. Manik felt something being taken out of him and its thrown very far away, he reached home and shut himself on his room, her words were ringing in his ears, he remembered about her envelope and rushed to see it.He found her resignation letter and there was a sticky again,
Hope its my last sticky note, either your answer is favorable or unfavorable for me, i know u need time to accept all these, take as much time as u want, but til then i will not show up in front of u.
Urs mystery girl.
Manik crushed the paper and kissed it, he felt guilty of his words, but he want to drove her away from him, she deserve happiness, but he can't give her that, he doesn't want to hurt her,but he has no choice either. If he start to live with her, without marriage, he might be happy, but she might not be happy definitely, he knew about this cruel world and he doesn't want her to face it all because of him.
On the other hand, he was not ready to give up on his promise and marry her, for her happiness, his conscience would prick him every moment, if he did it. He felt very restless, he went out of his room and heard some sound, he approached it and found it from his dad's room.
He peeked inside the room and found his dad resting on his arm chair with his mother's photo in his hand, and he saw his dad caress the photo and talking to it. "u know what, today Nandini would have met Manik, and i know Manik would have broke her heart mercilessly, but he is not the one to be blamed, it should be us, no it should be me, we shouldn't have fought before him, he was a kid and he believed that we both hate each other, thats why he hated the term marriage, but how could i make a 8 year old kid understand that his mother was suffering from cancer and she hate receiving sympathy from people around her, and according to her, "anger exposed never harm anyone, and suppressed anger blast out like a volcano one day" and thats how we came to conclusion that we must vent out all our anger we have for each other on same day and will not carry it forward." and a tear leaked out from his eyes.
Before Malhotra could wipe it off, Manik wiped it saying "Sorry dad, sorry, i never understood u, how could i think so low about u that, my mom died fighting with u. U were not the reason, its bloody me, who hurt u and mom in the past and Nandini today, am sorry dad" The night passed away with father-son time with lot of apologies. Manik felt so relieved and he thought to meet Nandini and thank her atleast, because she was the one, who knocked sense into his brain and he owe her for this.He called her number, tried to contact her through all means, he even went to her house, but alas, he couldn't get a single trace of her.Though her bestie Mukti, and the Moorthys knew where she was, they were bounded to the promise they have made to Nandini and Manik thought he deserve this for breaking her heart mercilessly with his cruel words.
10 years later
Manik got a call which shattered his existence, he rushed to the airport, where his dad was waiting along with Moorthys, he just boarded in the flight,and he couldn't shut his eyes even a moment, all he could see was Nandini, he began to sweat badly, and finally after hours of travelling, they reached. He stepped out of the plane. He sat in the car waiting for him along with his and her family members.
There was dead silence, and Manik could feel every one glare him, he felt like a murderer,he was the sole reason for everything, if not for him,Nandini would have not left her parents,and lived alone like a orphan, and now all these, his thoughts came to halt as the car stopped, his feet trembled, his hand shivered, he felt pale with every step he is getting closer to her.
And finally she is here, she kept up her words, she never showed up her face, he was the one who shamelessly stood before her, seeing her for the last time, he watched her face for so long so that he could memorize her each and every feature for his life time, he took her hands, which were chill and kept close to his heart to give some warmness to her, he kissed her forehead, he kissed her closed eyes, as if requesting them to open and look at him for one last time, he engulfed her in his arms, giving as much as warmth and love he could give, but then too love comes second for him.
He felt a touch on his shoulder, he turned back to find Moorthy, saying its time to take her, he felt a pang in his heart, before he could protest, Malhotra embraced him signaling Moorthy to proceed, he felt as if his heart was ripped into pieces, he watched her until her face was closed, and then he closed his eyes wishing that it would never open further, but he did, God is not that kind to him, when he opened his eyes he was in hospital, he was there lying unconscious for past 3 days, the moment he got into his sense, he tried to go out of the place, but Malhotra held him and took him to a room.
RK switched on the light, and his eyes got filled up with tears, all over the room there was his poster, it includes the recent one, when he got the best industrialist award few months back, and at the bottom of every poster, it was written "Love u mani" he slanted down on the floor crying, yes he finally cried and shouted her name aloud, his cry heard all over the house, he cried as much as he could, or until his eyes had no trace of moisture.He lied down on the bed, and sighed remembering that Nandini died out of heart attack, but it was not the reason, it was his words, that pained her all these years and finally not able to bear the pain for any more, her heart stopped beating, he caressed the pillow, as if she is lying there, he closed his eyes and he could feel her.
"Mani, pls don't cry, i could not bear it, i could do anything that is possible to stop your tears, the one thing in the world that i could not manage is your tears, so please, for my sake, stop crying, don't feel guilty, u were not at fault, i know u did all these for me, u could have lived with me ignoring your conscience, but u did not, u r a real man, and don't feel i have left u, i will be there with u at all places and in all moment, either it be good or bad, i will never leave your side." Manik's grip on the pillow lightened and he opened his eyes to take a closer look at her, but alas, she is gone forever, how much ever he tried to see her or hear her voice, he failed in it.
He ran to her grave like a mad man, he stood there for few mins and then he cried lying on it, as if he was lying on her lap.After crying there for some time, he got up to find a yellow sticky pasted on her grave, he grabbed it as if his life depends on it and read as follows
"Oh my sweet heart Mani, i knew u will come here, i am at peace now, and as i said, i wil never leave by ur side, whatever the situation may be. and there is no one who can separate us, it wil always be us. See mani, how many times, i have told u to flash that sexy smile of urs, so that i could live few more years, but for the past few years, u seem to forgot how to smile, thats why god cut down few years in my life, never mind, flash that evergreen sexy smile, and let me live happily in heaven seeing that, yearning for it very badly mani"
and he smiled amidst his tears and he caressed the name engraved on it "Nandini Manik Malhotra", she has officially changed her name the day she told him she was ready to move on with him, she has already accepted him as her husband, he caressed it again and said "My Nandini" and shed the controlled tears.
FLASHBACK ENDS
Manik opened his eyes with the continuous ringing of his cell and he answered it "what the hell Aman?" and he got the reply "Sir, sir!!" Manik was irritated and shouted i didn't pay u to call me Sir everyday, whatever the problem may be ,sort it out, before i reach there" and he disconnected the call.
Though he has changed a lot, he had not changed his rudeness to the outside world, like how his Nandini liked him, he remains the arrogant devil CEO, Manik Malhotra.
Pheww finally done, thanks for reading it til now, hope u had not slept in between, waiting to see all ur reviews, don't throw tomatoes and eggs for killing nandini.
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