Bade Acche Lagte Hain | MaNan

Insecurities.

The ride to Mr. Dayal's house was dead silent. Manik wanted to explain his side to her but had nothing reasonable to say. She wouldn't ever understand his reasons, would she?

On the other side Nandini was clueless what to feel or say. Disappointment and hurt from Manik lying to her was more than him not reverting back to her letter. She tried thinking of all the befitting reasons but couldn't find one. He surely wanted to stay connected to her in their courtship period. He never missed any chance to talk to her then why not through letters? Even if he didn't like the idea of exchanging letters, he was frank enough to tell this to her. Manik was always blunt with everyone, even with her. Sugar-coating or lying isn't his thing, she had understood that by now. The more she thought, her frustration only grew.

"Finally you both are here!" Parminder exclaimed in delight as she opened the door for them. They greeted each other warmly and Nandini handed her a small gift they brought as it was the first time they came to their house as a couple.

"How are you man? Eid ka chand hi hogya hai." Nandini heard a new face greeting her husband as long lost friends and a lady standing next to them with a kid. She surely didn't see them in her marriage.

(How are you man? It's been long since we met.)

"Hum gayab hogye the ya tu. Shaadi me hi nhi aya aur baat krta h." Manik retorted and by his smile, Nandini could guess they were close.

(It was you who'd disappeared not me. You didn't even attend my wedding.)

"Chachu!" The kid winds his arms around Manik's leg and the latter picked him up in his arms.

"Hi Yash. Chachu is very upset with you. You didn't come in his wedding." Manik complained with a sad face making everyone smile at their banter.

"Shorry chachu but Yash was busy. I had to say good-bye to nanaji. He was going to heaven na." Manik looked at his two best friends Kabir and then Navya questionably.

"It happened the day prior to your wedding so we didn't want to bother." Kabir passed an apologetic look to Manik understanding that he was angry for kept in dark. Navya was just like a sister to Manik and they four- Manik, Kabir, Happy and Navya were close knit since Kabir and Navya were a couple from their college times and Happy introduced them to Manik as his best friend.

"Are you okay Navya?" Manik asked with tenderness evident in his features.

"Yes, better. And now leave that interrogation and introduce us to your wife." She ordered covering her emotional side that she doesn't like to make obvious. Manik nodded getting her and gestured Nandini to come forward who was already staring at them.

She was a bit shocked by the way this girl Navya had the audacity to order Manik and he was obeying her. They were close.

"Nandini he is my best friend Kabir and his wife Navya. And she is.."

"Your wife Nandini, we know." Navya cut him off and took Nandini in a warm hug making the latter smile at her candid behaviour.

"And Nandini the introduction was totally wrong." Manik frowned at her statement but those lines disappeared as she corrected him.

"I'm Manik's best friend Mrs. Navya Dhawan and he is my husband Mr. Kabir Dhawan and he is also one of Manik's close friends, that's it." Nandini shot a surprised look at Manik who was hiding his smile while Kabir had his jaw hung open. His wife was again doing this with him.

"Excuse me? One of the close friends?" Kabir sounded offended but this didn't have a slight impact on Navya.

"See even he is admitting it. Remember from next time Manik." Manik nodded like an obedient kid and by now Nandini understood that was some internal matter amongst them but then she couldn't deny the fact that Navya being Manik's best friend hadn't thrown her off guard. It wasn't very common for girls to have such deep bond with any male but her husband. They were much closer than she thought and it stung her somewhere. It was an odd feeling she never felt before.