An Arranged Journey To Forever

122

Nandini entered the room, her brows furrowing as she looked around. "Manik, where are you?" she called out, stepping inside, only to halt in her tracks. There he was—sitting comfortably on the bed, clad only in his bermudas, scrolling through his phone.

He looked up, hearing her voice, and caught the confused expression on her face as her eyes darted between him and their little daughter, Amayra, who was fast asleep, hugging her teddy close to her chest. He gave her a sheepish smile, looking very much like a child caught red-handed.

"I thought you said Amayra was searching for me?" Nandini folded her arms, her glare sharp enough to set him on fire.

Manik, sensing the storm brewing in her eyes, set his phone aside and got up from the bed. Without wasting a second, he pulled her into his arms, burying his face in her hair. "I was searching for my wife and some alone time with her," he murmured, his lips brushing against her neck, making her shudder.

Her breath hitched, but she quickly regained control, pushing him back, maintaining her glare. "Really? You could have just told me that instead of lying, Manik."

"Oh yeah, right. So that you could reply with 'Manik, we have a wedding na, family around, Amayra will come looking for us, and blah blah blah'?" He smirked, spinning her around and wrapping his arms around her stomach from behind.

Nandini sighed. She knew he was right. And truthfully, she needed this too—some stolen moments with her husband, her Manik. She leaned into him, surrendering herself completely as he tightened his hold, pressing a kiss to her hair.

"I missed this, Manik," she admitted, running her hands over his that rested on her stomach.

"I missed you too, Nandini. We haven't even had a proper conversation since I got here," he murmured, inhaling her scent deeply. One whole month away from her—how had he even survived? That wasn't living; it was just breathing and working, nothing more.

She turned in his arms, looking up at him with guilt-ridden eyes. "I know. I'm so sorry I haven't been giving you enough time. It's always been Amayra or the wedding preparations. I've been so selfish, Manik. I'm—"

He cut her off, pressing a finger to her lips. "Nandini, yaar, you know that's not what I meant. And don't ever call my wife selfish, okay? You were doing everything for others—either for Amayra or for the family. But I also want you to take care of yourself. And besides, I'm the one who was away for a whole month. I should be the one apologizing."

She shook her head frantically before dropping a kiss onto his forehead. "Then let's do something fun," she suggested, pulling away from his hold.

Manik leaned against the dresser, crossing his arms. "Do what, Ma'am?" he asked with a smirk.

Grinning, Nandini grabbed her phone and scrolled through it before playing their favorite song. She turned to him and held out her hand. Manik chuckled at her antics before taking her hand in his, his other arm wrapping around her waist as they swayed gently to the music.

They moved as if in their own world, oblivious to everything else. Manik held her delicately, careful not to jerk her, knowing she was carrying their second child. Nandini noticed and smiled inwardly. He was always so mindful, always so protective. His fingers trailed up to brush aside the stray fringes from her face, his gaze locked onto hers. She couldn't hold it for long, and the way her cheeks turned crimson made his smirk widen.

Unable to meet his intense gaze any longer, she buried her face in his bare chest, only to suddenly realize something.

She gasped and pulled away. "Why the hell are you not wearing clothes, Manik?!" she asked, horror evident in her tone. The entire lovey-dovey moment evaporated as reality crashed back in.

Manik rolled his eyes. "Geez, stop shouting, Nandini. It's humid, and I was feeling hot, so I found my comfort."

She scoffed. "Shut up! There is no humidity in this air-conditioned room! Just get over this weird obsession with showing off your abs, okay? Your body is for me to see, and only for me. Do you get it?" She huffed and stormed toward the cupboard, pulling out a T-shirt before throwing it onto his face.

Manik sighed dramatically but put the shirt on anyway. He knew there was no point teasing her further. But if only she knew—he did all this just to get a reaction out of her. Teasing her, annoying her, making her glare at him with those fiery eyes—that's what kept their relationship alive, what made them 'them.'

Because love alone wasn't enough. It wasn't just about the touches, the kisses, the sweet words. It was the comfort, the trust, the jokes, the banter, the ridiculous little arguments—it was all of that that kept them going.

With a chuckle, he pulled her back into his arms. "I love you, Nandini."

She sighed dramatically but couldn't hide the smile tugging at her lips. "I love you too, Manik. Now shut up and sleep."

He grinned and pecked her nose before they joined their little girl on the bed. Their other little one rested inside of them—one in her womb, the other in his heart. And just like that, with laughter, love, and a whole lot of teasing, their perfect little world kept spinning.