The Enchantress |COMPLETE| MaNan Fiction

4. Turning of Time

A/N : With every passing week, my readership for this story is dipping. I kinda find it funny actually. I mean readers don't like it, if Nandini is portrayed as a slightly younger, under confident person & herein where she is all 'lit', it's too dark/ strong tough for them to handle..anyway, I will keep telling this story & take it to its end - if you're interested, hop on to the journey & do make some noise! :)

Thank you to all those who are reading it!

Happy Reading!

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Nandini:

I saw Armaan peeping out of the window as the flight started to tear down the clouds for its descent in Mumbai. He had a wide grin on his face; I couldn't help but laugh, seeing his childlike enthusiasm of seeing his 'nani' and 'maasi' again. I had kept Armaan as far away from all our complications as I could, but Armaan is an intelligent child, more often than not I felt he had sensed the ridge between me and my maternal family, but he never asked me anything.

***

Sitting on the couch by the table where Aliya was enthusiastically displaying her array of wedding shopping to show me, my eyes fell on the kitchen slab where Armaan was now sitting with his 'nani'. Mumma was quietly smiling at his random stories and feeding him his breakfast of demand for the day – 'poori aloo'. Seeing her pamper my son thus, anyone would think it was a normal household, but not in our household. This was her way of indirectly telling me to not behave distant in front of Aliya's in-laws – I laughed at the thought of this – if Aliya's in-laws were any different family, I would understand why she wanted to put up this charade, but this was Navya's family, they knew me better than Mumma anyway. However, to be fair to her, as she hasn't ever been fond of us, neither has she ever let the bitterness seep into Armaan's heart. She has always shown cordial affection towards him.

"Di, di, see this earring!! Manik bought this for me!! He said, it would look prettiest on me!! It's so beautiful naah?'' The mention of Manik's name caught my attention & I looked back at Aliya, who was now enthusiastically waving a box of earrings before me. It was a simple diamond dangler earring in the shape of a dew drop. My hands automatically moved to touch it gently as my thoughts moved on to the person who bought it for Aliya.

After Manik had left that day, I did think about those days for some time, but I was as clear as ever in my mind that those were memories that were tangential to my reality. I had a chance to create some perfect memories and store them in the hidden chambers of my heart forever, and so I grabbed the opportunity. There aren't many such fulfilling moments of love and passion in my life anymore, thus I knew the value of these – they were perfect because, none of us were ever going to visit the past to change it, none of us had a future to add to it – these were untouched virgin memories, and I held them close. But Manik? I had reasoned with myself that the next time I will meet him, he will be my half-sister's beau. Other than being my best friend's brother, he will only be my brother-in-law now and nothing else.

Also to be honest, after Armaan returned from his boarding and Aryaman joined too, I really didn't get the time to think about Manik and my escapade anyway. Armaan and his mischief, his demands, Aryaman's routine kept me busy. In a way it was good, because by now when I had to fly to Mumbai, I knew I was mentally sorted and over that phase of possible guilt and dilemma. Now I was ready to face Navya and Manik and not feel awkward about it. Why should I? I didn't seduce Manik into sleeping with me, it was a mutual decision between two adults and I intended to uphold my share of the deal.

***

"Destiny waits alike for the free man as well as for him enslaved by another's bond"