MaNan Stars & Fireflies #5 Part 123 Page 97 No PMS - Page 31

Manik & Nandini - Stars & Fireflies 120

I close my eyes and I see you; your sweet smell lingers in my senses. Your smile strums the strings of my heart and your voice.. I open my eyes to see you and hear your voice but you are not here, there or anywhere. It's just me, our memories and our absence.

Manik walked in the bus closing its door with heavy steps. He saw his friends sitting in the lounge celebrating with champagne and wine. Cabir came and asked him to pop up a bottle. Manik denied saying he is not in the mood but Mukti came and said "Manik I know what you are feeling, even im going through the same. But let's celebrate for Abhi and Nandini more than ours its their dream to see us performe and make this tour a success and let me remind you Nandini is in every corner of this tour bus a she designed it." Mukti winked and Manik ran his fingers through his hair and said "Nandini!".

He walked over to his friends and poped open the champagne bottle and soon it was back to old fab5 days of being friends and brats. Just as the party began and the music flowed soon Manik and Mukti's phones started buzzing. "who is this irritating yaar we just started the party" Alya cribbed. Manik took out the phone to see Nandini's name and picture flashing. He gave a glare to Alya and said "It's Nandini." And walked off. Alya hung her head low and said "I didn't mean that." Mukti said "I guess you didn't but the people calling matter to us and she too walked to her bunker to attend Abhi's call.

Manik made himself comfortable on the huge couch and took her call. "H" and before he could even say hello Nandini showered him with questions "hi Manik. How are you? Did you like the bus dcor? Did you like your room? Did you like the pictures that I put up in your room? Did you celebrate with your friends your first major tour?" Manik burst into laughter hearing her non stop chatter. "why are you laughing now?" she asked faking anger. "Nandini pehle thoda saans to le lo." Manik said pacifying her. "now coming to your questions i am doing good and bad both. Good because I am living my dream and bad because without you it's a freaking nightmare." Manik sighed "Manik I am there wth you in every breath you take, every smile that leaves your lips and every tear it wets your eyes Nandini is there with Manik. Now tell me did you see the bus how is it?" Nandini asked diverting his mind.

Manik sighed and said "well I haven't looked around the bus but baby this couch is heaven and this." Before Manik could say anything further Nandini cut him off and said "Manik Malhotra this is the first and the last time you called me a baby. Don't ever baby me. Now go to your bunker and tell me how did you find it." Manik chuckled at her her silly annoyance and said "ok baby! I won't call you baby and let me go to the bunker." He walked off laughing with Nandini shouting "Manik!" as soon as he stepped in the bunker he was astonished by it.

(Fab5 Tour Bus)

(The Sitting Lounge)

(Fab5 Jam Room)

(Mukti, Alya, Cabir and Dhruv's Bunkers)

(Manik's Bunker)

Manik's room was simple yet elegant. The whole room was done brown and olive color. There was a single bed with many cushions and pillows as Manik loved sleeping with cushions and pillows around. There was a single couch in one corner and wall mounted TV. The whole room had pictures of Manik and Nandini, Manik and DJ, Manik and Abhi & Manik and badi maa. Manik was spell bound and speechless. "Manik! Manik!" Nandini's voice broke his trance and he whispered "it's beautiful Nandini. I miss you." Nandini was silent for some time and said "we will sail through it Manik." Just as Manik was about to say something someone knocked his door, it was Cabir "Manik let's have lunch and then we need to practice." Nandini heard this and said "Manik we will talk at night." Manik hmmed and disconnected the call and walked out.

The rest of the day passed with Fab5 rehearsing and after lot of insistence of Nandini and Abhi; Manik and Mukti decided to spend time with Fab5 although their mind and heart was present with their partners.

Manik and Mukti were two the most scarred people in Fab5; they always pretended that nothing effected them but they were the most broken people. Everyone else had someone who loved them unselfishly even Alya for whom Harshad's love was beyond his hate for Fab5 but not these. Although Manik had DJ but to his dismay her age was not on her side and he worried a lot about his life after her, ever since Nandini and Abhi walked into their lives they got the love they carved for and this to them was beyond par anything in the world.

It was late evening when Nandini was sitting on the terrace of the penthouse overlooking the sea wrapped in Manik's blazer soaking in his presence. She missed him, terribly would be an understatement for what she felt. Every breathe she took was a struggle for her without Manik. Soon she heard a knock on the door and rushed to open it, she was pleasantly surprised on finding badi maa, chichi and Abhi. "waah nandu mere shahrukh ne toh bada khoobsurat ghar liya hai." Chichi as usual drowning in her never ending love for Manik praised him. Badi maa and Abhi smiled ear to ear and said "of course chichi Manik ki choice kitni superb hai who toh hum Nandini ko dekh kar hi bata sakte hain but I wish I could say the same for Nandini." Abhi chuckled and chachi again jumped to Manik's defense saying "hayee mere bte ko koi kuch nahi bolega. Aur tu Nandu chal ya toh ghar chal ya Malhotra Mansion waise bhi abhi Manik ke aane mein time hai." "main kahin nahi ja rahi hoon." Nandini announced to everyone's surprise. "haan chachi and badi maa this house is just not a house it's home, it's home for Manik where he knows he will find me, it's home for me where I know he is there to care for me and protect me even in his absence. It's home for both of us where love healed us in the most difficult time of our lives. This is just not a house it's Manik and Nandini's little paradise."

Nandini's words moved everyone and they realized they will never be able to understand the deapth of their love nor they should they do. Finally agreeing to Nandini they all went back but befre leaving badi maa said "Nandini be ready from tomorrow onwards you training in Malhotra Industries will begin under me. After college you will come staright to office."

Finally it was night, the time which scared both Manik and Nandini; thoughout the day they talked with each other trying to get as much possible but night was scary because they were not in each other's arms. Nandini layed in bed wearing Manik's tee hugging his pillow trying to feel him but he wasn't there. Same was Manik's condition maybe even worse. Suddenly Nandini's phone buzzed, it was Manik she picked in one ring and only thing he said "open skype and come online." Soon they were doing video chat and as soon as they saw each other their hart wrenched on other's condition. Pale and dull face, swollen and red eyes and smile which just didn't seem real. "Nandini!" Manik said with a choked tone and Nandini well it seemed words failed her "let's just our silences speak Manik." They both kept looking at each other they never realized when they dozed off unknowingly.

End of chap

Ciao.