Arranged To Love

Chapter 25

Nandini's Pov(Its  been 6 months since I moved to the The Hamptons...I love everything about this place...I have been strong for my baby...Dhruv has been the biggest source of support here...from getting me here to making sure I get checked everytime.. .every ultrasound...I am so grateful to him...But there is still a certain void in me which only he could fill...some part of me still thinks about Manik..How might he be doing...Hope he is doing fine...Because I have accepted the fact that  I can't Forget Manik he will always be a part of me...Though I try to be happy I just can't be...my world heart still wants him...his warmth.. his protective instinct But it is what it is...he is never going to love me so I will learn to live with this ANDam not going let him be any part of this baby's life because I don't want this little baby to grow with knowing Manik is never going to love it...So this baby will never get to know Manik... It is going to grow up as a Murthy and not as a Malhotra..I try to be happy every day)

*Dhruv enters*

Dhruv: Nandini hello hello....

Nandini: huh?

Dhruv: Where are you lost ?

Nandini: Hah nowhere....Don't tell me you are slacking off at work...see I caught you  hedhanded...(tease)

Dhruv: Excuse me madam...Its my company...And I am not slacking off..And you are crazy

Nandini: huh!! Whatever..

(Dhruv starts talking to Nandini's tummy)

Dhruv: Hey little one!!You mother is such a wiredo you  know that? she eats  pickle and salmon, eats tubs of chocolate ice cream and also is always hungry...

Nandini: Stop bad mouthing me in front of  my own baby(annoys)

Dhruv:(Laughs)But it is the truth isn't it(laughs)

Nandini: Now lets talk about your blind date shall we? so did it work out?(curious)

Dhruv: Oh no she was way to talkative to an extent I got an headache

Nandini: This is the 3rd blind date in this month right? Oh My God Dhruv like this you end up alone and lonely like those annoying old men in the world...I am so worried  now...(teasing)

Dhruv: Stopp!!! Stopp nagging me like my mother will you?(laughs)

Dhruv's Pov:(Nandini is bent upon finding someone for me because she promised my mother that...To be honest I still like her...although the feelings are not strong as before...I still like her and probably that is because we have been very close in fact closer after she moved to the States...I value our friendship very much and in order to keep  it safe I will do whatever it takes be it going on useless blind dates or pretending to stop liking her )

Nandini: I heard you are skipping the Blind date in New  York city?(teacher stare)

Dhruv: Who in the world tells you all this?

Nandini: I have my sources you know...(laughs)

Dhruv: Yes I am as a matter of fact I am..

Nandini:NO you are not... Are you crazy...you might the your potential wife there and you are saying no to that?

Dhruv: Yes because I can't leave you alone, Specially when the due date is near...

Nandini: You think I am a small girl? I can manage and how far is New York from here? Hardly  an hour drive...I can manage you know...And If you don't go I am going to be really really upset and you should never upset pregnant women..

Dhruv: Okay there you play the pregnant women card again....You always have it your way with that(annoyed)

Nandini: So you are going?(curious)

Dhruv: Yes otherwise you will annoy the hell out of me...

(Dhruv starts taking to Nandini's tummy)

Dhruv: Baby after you come out I will take all my revenge on your cheeky mother(laughs)

Dhruv: Now I am going to have a driver stationed at the house...Don't you dare drive...Ask the houseboy if you need anything...Don't just storm into Target because you are craving for cheese..no walking ask the driver to take you anywhere you want...Always take the caretaker with you...Okay..?

Nandini: Okay Bestfriend!! Now go get read to impress your potential future wife...(pushes him out of the house)

Nandini's PoV(This is the place my parents left for me...I spent the most part of my childhood here...Hmptons always has been some sort of comfort place for me...My grandmother moved me to India after my parents' death because she taught it would be hard for me to move on...But here I am after 25 years of my life in the same place...I guess my parents saw this coming and left me  this house and a huge trust fund enough to raise a baby until college...So when Dhruv asked me where di I want to live...I happily choose The Hmptons...But I still miss India...It was a place that made me feel home...India would always be my 1st choice to raise the baby in...But  If I move to India...me and the baby will both be close to Manik...I can not afford that at this point of my life)

(A few days later Nandini giver birth to a tiny baby girl...She was the most adorable baby in the world...Nandini named her Maahi...(Heaven on earth)  Because she brought so much of happinesss and joy to Nandini's life)

*4 years later*

(Maahi grew up to become a  child version of her father...her facial features...her smile..the way she spoke to Nandini was the same way Manik spoke to Dadi in concern...she was a naughty little troublemaker.. Her taste in food was exactly the same as Manik...She was the literal female version of Manik...anybody who saw the little girl  and knew Manik could tell she was Manik Malhotra's daughter...she was  a splitting image of her father...)

*morning at Nandini's Houseold*

Nandini:(places a small kiss on Maahi's forehead)Good Morning sunshine...its time to wake up...

Maahi:(drowsily opens her eyes and hugs her mother) Good Morning Mumma..

Nandini:Now lets get Maahi a nice bath shall we?And what does Mahi want for breakfast?

Maahi: Maple syrup on my toast with loads of butter(Nandini laughs)

Nandini: No no sweets in the morning...

Maahi: Mumma please(puppy eyes)

Nandini: Okay...Today is going to be the last day Maple syrup on toast for this whole week understand?(trying to be strict)

Maahi; Okaay Mumma...You are the best(the little girl surely knows to get what she wanted...with her puppy eyes just like her mother)

(Nandini and Mahi would eat their breakfast and Nandini would drop Maahi off to the playschool and later head to work...While coming back Nandini would pick Maahi take her to the near by park let her play in park for a few hours...and  got her back home prepared dinner made sure Maahi ate it and tucked her in bed...Nandini's world revolved around Maahi...Everything started and ended with Maahi...Weekends were the days Maahi and Nandini would head out to New York and explore different places although Maahi was small she loved travelling and exploring...Dhruv would join them on some weekends too...Anybody who saw all the 3 together could easily mistake them for a family of three....)

 *At night After Maahi slept*

(Nandini sits by the window  sill looking at the sky filled with stars)

Nandini's Pov(Its already been 4 years...I miss him...I miss him so much...Does he ever think about me? I taught I would  stop loving him with time...But specially after Maahi's birth the certain void in me grew bigger...the fact That I am keeping a daughther away from her own father...that guilt eats me inside...But we were never ment to be...And Maahi dosen't deserve to be to be unloved or at least she  dosen't need to know the past..no matter how happy I was during the day..at night somehow Manik slips into my head and tears start flowing through my cheek bones...I really am a fool to love him so much that even after 4 years and even after all he has done to me I still choose to love....)

(Nandini cries herself sleep from time to time because she just can't get over Manik)