Manan FF - Kaisi yeh Yaariyan season 3 - Chapter 123 & note - Page 65

Chapter 108 - diwali special!!

A/N: The writer wants to wish you a happy diwali and the only way she knows is through her words..

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Resting against the pillow, with her legs stretched out in front of her, Nandini was listening to the clock ticking away . After the endless cacophony of the day, the decadent silence was looming heavily through the thin veil of the night. She looked at Navya, sleeping peacefully next to her. In the adjacent room, Rishab was fast asleep and so were Chacha, chachi and Amms downstairs. Only Ranbir wasn't here. He had left in the evening itself, with the Dixits to drop them at the hotel. He had told her, he had some last minute stuff to take care of & might not be able to return before early next morning.

Nandini too was exhausted, her joints were aching from all the stress and running around. She hadn't slept well in two days and her body was on the verge of giving up. Yet her eyes wouldn't close, and even when she tried to sleep , the knots in her stomach would force them open.

Now that she was still and everything around her was so quiet, her fears had grown their own voices, wreaking havoc in her head. Nandini plugged in her earphones and started browsing random songs in Youtube to distract her wayward mind.

She tried a couple of funny videos, her usual staple playlist of kids playing with dogs , but today even they couldn't uplift her mood and involuntarily she started shuffling through sad songs. And then her ears fell on this one.

Tears began to cloud her vision, as she imagined Manik singing it to her in place of the actors enacting the song on her mobile screen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sBfh0vFKYk

The more she thought over it, the more it amazed her, how they had come together and traversed such a long road together.

Love knows no reason, it makes no distinctions, it understands no excuses, it respects no borders, and no matter how hard you push it away, no matter how much you refuse to acknowledge it, it will happen when it has to. Who would have ever thought that one day she would bump into a stranger at a bus stop and even before his face could register in her mind, his fate will be entwined with hers for eternity. Who would have known that the guy she couldn't see eye to eye with, the guy she hated with a passion, who made her do things she had never imagined, who made her cry more than anyone else, would one day become her world. Who would have known she would one day fall so hard for a monster, that every sad song would remind her of him. Who would have known that after losing him once, she would get him back like this... who would have known that one day someone would become the reason of her existence.

She missed him, a little more than she usually did when he wasn't around. She walked up to the window and pushed it open, and a breath of fresh air rushed in. She called him from her other phone that Manik had given her.

"Nandini, you are still awake?? I thought you had slept long ago."

"Neend nahi aa rahi Manik, missing you a little too much" she whispered, carefully not to wake Navya up.

"I can understand that you are missing me but this is not done yaar, kal bhi you didn't sleep..infact uske pehle bhi..Aise to you will fall sick Nandini and tomorrow its going to be a tough day" She could hear the muted sound of speeding cars in the background. He was travelling back to Mumbai, she guessed.

"Tum bhi to nahi soye na 3 din se.."

"Haan but.." he hesitated a bit "Mere paas koi option nahi hai Nandini. I have to do this and its just this night. After tomorrow, everything will be fine. All this darkness, all this distance will be gone. Chalo no more batein, go and sleep."

"Kyun karte ho itna kuch mere liye? Navya told me everything."

"Acha, you girls na, tummy mein koi baat nahi rehti tumhari?"

"Bolo na Manik kyun karte ho itna kuch, har pal har bari kyun mere aur meri kismat ke beech mein deewar bankar mujhe protect karte ho, kyun mujhe khud se bhi zyada pyaar karte ho, kyun mere liye har halaat se lar lete ho?"

Manik smiled "Really? So what do u suggest? Tumhi kisi hot larki ka number do, Let me check her out.."

"Manik!!"

"What abhi you only said.. Why I love you so much..?"

"You are not allowed to love anyone else..Mr. malhotra..not even if I tell you to. Get that engraved in your head?"

"Aur agar kiya to?"

"I don't know Manik, I trust you more than myself, I know you will never hurt me but... "

"But?"

"But if u happen to like someone, I would kill her and throw her tiny pieces to wolves.."

"Oh ho.. Possessive possessive, but you know what I love this possessive wali nandini, much more than the usual mother teresa wali Nandini."

"Manik tumhe hamari pehli diwali yaad hai? At your place?"

"Yup, how could I ever forget that night..for the first time, you and me, we came close...and for the first time I realized that jab main tumhare sath hota hun, to main kuch aur hi ban jata hun...main kuch aur banna chahta hun. Nandini, you know, before you I didn't use to believe in any of these festivals. Yes I was infamous for playing some nasty holi, but I did it all for fun. But after you came into my life, everything has got a new meaning. And its kinda strange but every occasion that we have spent together takes me back to those memories.."

"Kya hum isbar bhi diwali saath mein celebrate karenge?"

"Do you doubt? Of course we will. See Diwali is still a couple of months away and who knows what all can happen till then..my Diwali might become your Diwali , or our Diwali.."

"Manik, tumhe lagta hai Amms man jayegi?" She was still apprehensive and her words came out unsure, depicting her current state of mind.

"Of course she will. Don't underestimate my impressing skills? Are I will rub off some of my charm on her and she would easily give in. Agar unki know-it-all grand daughter ko mana sakta hun to unki to yun pata lunga" Manik knew it wasn't going to be as easy he had just made it sound. But at this point he had to sound strong as Nandini had pinned all her hopes on him.

"And your papa?"

"What about dad?" Manik was surprised by this question. They had never discussed his dad, why today?

"If he doesn't like me and .."

"Nandini, tum janti ho ki it doesn't matter to me ki dad likes u or not. In fact kisi ki bhi opinion doesn't matter. Infact I am doing all this, only because you believe in your family warna to it would take me less than a day to show that bas***d his place and take you away from all this. So don't worry about what my dad says or thinks. But, if you ask me honestly, if he loves me, he should love you as well. Koi reason hi nahi hai ki he shouldn't like you. So stop worrying and go to sleep."

"Neend nahi aa rahi hai Manik, I am missing you.."

Manik could easily make out that she was nervous. "Its just a matter of few more hours Nandu ... you are to my bahadur bacha, aaj kya ho gaya?"

"Pata nahi kyun par bohot bechaini si ho rahi hai... sab thik ho jayega na?"

"Age kya hoga, koi nahi janta, but as long as I am there, I won't let anyone even touch you Nandini. Not until my very last breath."

"Hmm"

"Waise to you are always ready with your sword to fight it out with me, but on days like these, when you are a little lost, you actually sound so cute that I feel like stuffing you in a bag and run away from this place."

"And go where?"

"Somewhere far from here, to a place under the stars where I can keep staring at you and keep loving you. Waise bhi its been since I last got a kiss and it feels like draught..."

"Acha? Draught? Seriously Manik?? Kal hi to we kissed na... kuch bhi bolte rehte ho.."

"Haan to kal and aaj ke beech mein there were 24 hours.. 24* 60 minutes... 24*60*60 seconds"

There was so much she wanted to tell him, but wasn't sure how to bring herself about to speak up. Had he been with her now, he would have somehow read it in her eyes..or felt it in her embrace, she thought. But if she told him now, would he judge her?

"Nandini...what are you silent...what are you thinking?"

"Manik..."

"Yup nandini, bolo"

She began with a lot of hesitation. "Pata nahi kya ho gaya hai, but with each passing day, I feel I am missing you more and more almost to the point of becoming desperate..Infact I miss you all the time. "

"I miss you too Nandini. I can understand, last few days we haven't spent enough time with each other..but don't worry things will become normal very soon."

"No Manik, you are not getting me..." nandini stopped o gather her thoughts "Ye wo wali missing nahi hai jo pehli hoti thi. This is something new and something different. Both the missing and the pain is almost physical. When you aren't near, I feel an actual void, a heaviness in my heart and I don't feel like doing anything. I want to be closed to you, I want you to envelope me in your arms all the time, I want to talk to you all the time and when I can't I feel restless. I don't seem to be able to handle a situation on my own, I am dependent on you emotionally and otherwise.

And I crave for you physically too, like I want to actually hold you, cuddle you to sleep and wake up next to you and I don't know why this is happening, but its just driving me crazy. Am I behaving like a love sick teenager, am I becoming to dependant on you. Honestly bolo na Manik what's wrong with me, why am I having these mood swings, why I am so scared and sad?"

Manik tried to grasp her words, he had never heard her talk like this.. Unsure, uncertain..apprehensive. But maybe he knew why "Nandini, tum badi ho gayi ho Nandini"

"What does that mean Manik, I am 22"

Manik started explaining to her as one would to a nave child "Nandini, as we grow and pass through different phases in life, our needs, our expectations, our personalities also change. When we are in college and have our first crush, there's this hormone rush, and we feel those butterflies in the stomach... waise hi, when we grow a little older and mature, we assume different personalities and start craving for a different type of companionship...one that is both physical and emotional.." After a long pause Manik continued "I guess you are ready Nandini.. We are ready to take our relationship to the next level."

Nandini was cringing with embarrassment. She hadn't meant this.. Infact she had but not meant it to sound like this..like she was forcing a commitment on Manik. She wondered what Manik might be thinking of her. "Wo.. I didn't..I didn't mean it.."

"nandini..nandini, first of all don't feel embarrassed. I know you have your inhibitions and there are few things you are still not comfortable discussing with me. But I love you Nandini and I am also your best friend. You should not feel shy or scared to discuss anything with me. Infact unless we share our deepest thoughts, how can we ever grow together?

And secondly and most importantly, its not just you Miss Nandini Muthy, even I am dying to make you mine. I am tired of stealing these moments..i want to have you with me all the time so that I can love you as much as I want, without anyone poking their nose. And I wanna see the whole world with you, share every small thing with you and make lots of cute babies."

"Manik.."

"Don't blush.. Itna blush karogi to mujhe abhi tumhare ghar ana parega to bring the colour back on those skin...and that might be quite dangerous."

"MANIK.."

"What Manik...infact main to soch hi raha tha ki I should help you in putting on the sari.."

"Manik I know how to wear a saree..ok?"

"So what, you know how to eat with a spoon and still you insist that I feed you. It's about the feelings Nandini and then imagine, everytime you wear a saree you will remember & feel my touch on you ...tying it around you. Apni shaadi mein to pakka we will do it together."

"Tum kabhi nahi sudhroge.."

"Nopes..I am not going to change..I am always gonna be crazy for you"

"Waise thank you.."

"Thank you???? What for?"

"There are a few things that a girl only shares with another girl, but I am too shy to bring these things up..thank you for guiding me through everything, even those things... that I myself don't understand..each time I think I can't love you more, you prove me wrong."

"Ok so gimme a kiss.."

"Kiss abhi? Abhi kaise dun.. Navya jag jayegi.."

"Excuses banana to koi tumse sikhe. Batein karte time she didn't wake up and ek kiss se she will wake up. Ok koi baat nahi. I know how to get what I deserve. So wait and watch. Now be a good girl and sleep. I want you to glow and shimmer in that lehenga or the saree. Waise which one will you wear?"

"I won't tell you..Kal dekhlena.."

As always, Nandini was feeling much better after talking to Manik. If only she could sleep holding him close to her. On the other hand Manik was thinking about Nandini. Even he couldn't wait to get married to Nandini. A couple of minutes later Manik saw a message from NANdini.. But she had just sent him a link of a song, that made him blush he too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXtsqwl9Qfk