Nandini Murthy, an orphan, architect
Manik Malhortra, music composer turned actor
Their special first meet, coming into contact, fitting into each other's lives and poles apart professions, balancing their lifestyle, escaping the eyes of media and f...
Nandini shrieked as Manik said that they have reached and corrected herself in the mirror. She took out her shawl and spread it around her shoulders as Manik giggled.
"Shall we go...??" He asked once he saw she was ready.
Though excited at first, she became nervous all of a sudden.
"Relax...I'm here...Anything that comes at you, must face me first..." He assured and she smiled.
They got down and she looked at the upper middle class duplex house and it is no different from their villa. Only addition is that the front garden with lots of plants making it fresh and the swing they had on terrace is in the vast garden.
Before Manik could call his father, he himself turned and saw both of them and smiled to his fullest.
"Manik...Nandini...Come come..." His father, Raj, came towards them and called "Anjali...Look who is here..." He called out his wife, Manik's mother.
Meanwhile, Nandini covered her head with the shawl and they bent down to touch his feet for blessings.
"Aaravvvvv..." Manik's mother squealed happily upon seeing him after months. Using his pet name 'Aarav' is reserved only when he was missed by his mother the most.
She strode towards them and cupped his cheeks with a broad smile and he bent to hug her tight while Nandini witnessed how lucky can someone be with parents.
"Remember that you have home and parents...??" She asked making Manik chuckle and he signed her to look at Nandini.
"Oh my god...Nandu beta..." Anjali squealed with the same excitement that made Nandini smile and she bent to touch her feet for blessings. She touched her head as a blessing and swiftly removed her shawl from her head with a smile and said "Not needed beta..."
"Come come...let's go inside..." Raj made a move and they got inside the house.
After all the pleasantries are exchanged, his mother asked "So...what made you remember and plan to come here...?? Waise even if I plead, you wouldn't have come..."
Manik smiled sheepishly and looked at Nandini who was biting her lips in anticipation.
He cleared his throat and said "Maa...I'm hungry...Breakfast first...Please..."
Anjali, on hearing the word hungry from his beloved son's mouth, forgot everything and rushed to the kitchen and Nandini followed her.
"Aunty...Shall I help...??" She asked slowly.
"No no beta...Everything is ready...I'll prepare...He likes my Aloo parathas...I was thinking about him in the morning while preparing stuff for making them..." She kept talking about Manik and how she missed him while preparing parathas and Nandini helped in toasting them with ghee as she instructed. The dad-son duo, talked about random things from his old colleagues to Manik's movie experiences.
"Manu...Come...Breakfast ready..." His mother called out and they seated in the dining table.
His mother sat after serving them and asked Nandini to sit with them.
"I'll have later Aunty..." She said and his father immediately denied saying "Everyone will have food at a time beta...No need of waiting or serving in this house...Come on...Have with us..."
He took the parathas and placed in her plate as she sat beside Manik who smiled at his parents and then at Nandini. She waited till they had their first bite and started munching on hers. Though she couldn't loudly moan to the taste, she loved the food like nothing else and then she understood why Manik loves food than anything else. Her eyes teared unknowingly, maybe she has tasted mother's food for the first time in her life. While she was quick to wipe off her tears, Anjali placed one more paratha in their plates though they resisted.
"Where's Aarthi now...??" Manik asked about his elder sister while eating.
"She is at her in-law's place...If you had informed, she too would have come maybe...I have informed her that you came and asked if she can make it up to come..." His mother replied.
"That's ok Maa...Anyways we will leave tonight...So, once we plan for bigger holiday, we will ask her to join..." Manik said and his mother widened her eyes as they will be going back the same day.
"You just came for a day...??" She asked in disbelief and he nodded with a sheepish smile while moving to wash his hands after placing his plate in the wash basin.
Once they were done, they settled in the living room and Nandini composed herself for the upcoming conversation.
"So...Tell us already..." His mother asked and Manik looked at Nandini and said "You wanted to ask permission na...Go on..."
He expected her to panic for his leg pulling but seeing her compose herself and ready to talk, made him wonder.
'Had she already prepared a speech...!!' He thought.
"Aunty...Uncle...You may not know how our relation evolved and how it is going...Yet, you trusted me and just asked me to accept him and his love...The fact is, I was and am always in love with him...Right from his first music album to our first dinner and many other eventful memories...His love developed and mine increased...And he has given me this ring as his token of love..." She said pointing her ring and continued "So...with your permission and blessings, I want to do something...in front of you..."
Manik's parents patiently waited and Manik was beyond surprised when she shuffled her handbag and got the box that she was looking for. She opened it to show a plain platinum ring that has infinity symbol carved on it, for Manik and looked at them.
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Manik gasped in surprise and looked at Nandini with uninvited tears in his eyes and that was all the evidence his parents needed to know how much he loves her and how much he waited for the moment.
"On one condition..." His mother said making the men look at her while Nandini gulped and waited for her to continue.
"Jii" She asked meekly.
"You have to address us as Maa and Papa just like Manu does...Agree...??" She asked in a strict tone and Nandini smiled with happy tears.
"Okay...Maa..." She said for the first time, first time in her entire life.
Unable to sit back, she moved towards the lady who gave immense happiness with her motherhood, hugged her tight while shedding tears of happiness. Manik sat experiencing the love in different angle, respect towards his father increased a bit more for teaching him to treat everyone equally, loved his mother a little more for sharing her love, proud of himself for giving Nandini a mother, admired Nandini for accepting his family and him along with his flaws and etched the day into his memory that has two most important women in his life.
Ignore mistakes...
Sorry guys...unable to reply your comments and dms...packed with too many things...
