Almost Not Love! |COMPLETE| MaNan Fiction

17. The Blast From The Past

A/N : Hello Readers, so here you go! A second update in a week! I told you, if you guys showed me some extra love, I'd post one :)

Also, my li'l one took his first (proper enough to call it so) steps last Thursday! How time flies, he's going to be one in a few months now! So he saw his toy lying around closeby & just when he thought no one was around to help, he disbalancedly stood up & what followed were 4 very clumsy steps before he fell down on his bum and looked scandalised. It was so adorable, but unfortunately we couldn't cam it :(

Anyway, small joys of successfully dispatching a second functional human to the planet caused me so much joy, that in order to share it, I decided on a double update here!

For those who didn't read it already, the chapter before this, was updated yesterday. You might want to read that first before starting this!

Anyway, happy reading!

***

The guests had finally started to arrive at the venue to meet and greet Mukti and Abhimanyu; they looked radiant and happy to be together. Manik and his father were personally attending to guests and greeting them; people were gathered in small groups on different tables that were allotted to them in the lawn, all facing the stage where Mukti sat with Abhimanyu.

Nandini was taken aback when she realised which table her name was allotted against, she hurriedly went to talk to Manik, but he was with his father, greeting the guests. Nandini contemplated whether she should go to him then, but what other option did she have? Mukti and Abhimanyu were on the stage surrounded by guests, and shortly they'd all need to sit anyway. She decided to talk to Manik.

"Manik, do you have a minute?" she asked cautiously as she approached them, Manik turned around and smiled.

"Of course, tell me Nandini!" he said, as he gently held her elbow. She became conscious at once, because his gesture didn't go unnoticed by Manik's father who then turned around. She gently pulled her hand away and Manik looked at her surprised.

"Actually, really sorry to bother you now, but I think there is some issue in the seating order" she mumbled, stealing glances at Manik's father who was now looking at her.

"What issue?" asked Manik urgently.

"Actually, they placed me at your family table" she mumbled looking down, "I mean I suppose I should sit with Dhruv, Navya, Cabir, Parth and all right?" the moment she mentioned Parth, she bit her tongue, now she had it; Manik stiffened at the mention of Parth, but her cute expression calmed him down, he smiled.

"Relax Nandini, that's no mistake at all; since Abhimanyu's parents couldn't make it due to his father's surgery, Abhimanyu wanted you to represent his family." he smiled, then further added, "Plus you are much closer to us than Dhruv, Navya, Cabir and whoever you just mentioned, right?" Then he winked; Nandini smiled; true it would be awkward sitting at that table with Manik's father, but Abhimanyu's gesture overwhelmed her. Also, Manik remembered everyones' name, barring Parth, the one guy he met so many more times! Jealousy much?

"Also beta, Mukti and my Manik here, can't seem to stop talking about you, I'd love to have an opportunity of knowing you" added Manik's father with a kind smile, to which Nandini shakily smiled and agreed.

***

He was sitting there, as the engagement was about to begin; he had met Mr. Shrikant Malhotra and Manik, they had welcomed him warmly; he was yet to meet Mukti and her fiancé; by the time he had arrived the religious offerings before the engagement ceremony had begun. Shrikant Malhotra and Manik were on the stage sitting on either side of Mukti and her fiancé.