Parineeta

What I wanted!

Soo as I promised here's your mext part and you will have many more of them until the story finishes, so enjoy the rideee!!

And thankyou all of y'all for still sticking around, I lovey beautiful readers🥺

Lots of love
-S
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Nandini:
"Hm? What's up? What's so important that it couldn't be done inside? Introduction? Hey I'm Manik Malhotra, host of the party that... is going on over there.." he came out buttoning his shirt and sarcastically pointed towards the hall behind him. For a minute, there, I will admit I was taken aback by his cold nonchalant behaviour as if he hadn't recognised who I was. I felt.. hurt..
Yes! I know this plan about starting a fresh was mine but he didn't have to be so rude about it. Ugh monster!
I stared at him trying to read what was on his mind but all I could get was a cold shoulder as he glanced at all his friends, until finally his eyes settled on me. He cautiously looked at me, trying not to give away his thoughts from his expressions, but it had already been done. I had caught him oggling at me, checking me out as he realised I was wearing the dress he had got for me the other day. I'm pretty sure he was appreciating his choice and the designer who made this dress because his eyes seemed to glow under that dim orange light as he sincerely looked at every single profile of mine, all the accessories, my shoes, the slit of the dress and how the dress fit me perfectly.
"Hey, looks like we're wasting your friend's time here!" I remarked as I rolled my eyes at him while he still stared at me with those oggling eyes.
"What?" I prompted once again, this time I felt a slight blush creep up onto my cheeks as I could feel his intense gaze on me. He looked away trying really hard not to make it too obvious how much he loved me in that dress nonetheless the damage was done.
"Yeah.. I mean if we're gonna stand here all night.. because time is money.. and every second we waste is a delay of what is planned next.." he finally retorted as he realised he was was about give away with all the pretence. However the arrogance in his tone and his new found attitude kind of caught me off guard. I was not expecting him to damage control it so good, that it was almost unrecognisable. This Manik was absolutely unrecognisable. I looked at Navya as he abruptly turned away and walked towards the party hall.
"So how about we go in and do the introductory part inside, Ms. stranger.." he turned away towards the hall without waiting. As much as I was intrigued to know this new Manik, I could feel my heart breaking everytime he pretended like he really did not know who I was or he did not care about me. Was this how he was with every girl around him now? The thought of that made me slightly happy on the inside, that he had become unapproachable to all the other girls around.
"Sure thing, Mr. Rude" I mumbled as he began walking back towards the hall. All of us followed right behind him with me leading the entire group as if I was in some kind of a trance. Like the pied Piper of Hamlet he was leading us inside the hall, piercing through the crowd and right towards the stage.
I would be lying if I said I wasn't impressed by how Manik had grown in the past year. The old Manik would've flirted his way through the crowd with the amount of eyes that were oggling at him but this Manik, he was a grown man, who had no care in the world for the people around him. But not like in the arrogant way. Just the "I mind my business, you mind yours" way, and I liked how The Manik Malhotra was now a businessman.
He walked over and stood right next to the stage and it automatically changed the mood of the room. There was a silence that followed him as he reached the centre of the hall with Fab5 following right behind. It felt powerful.
"Hmm.. so to introduce.. I'm Manik Malhotra, member of Fab5, these people who you've already met.. I'm a businessman and I work for the Malhotra industries. And you are?" He started muttering as he turned to face me, loud enough for about everyone to hear but most importantly me. He stood with the same power that screamed that you cannot mess with me and I liked his usage of words. He was definitely a different person, he did not have the arrogance that would make him say he owned Malhotra industries, which he did.
"I'm Navya's friend from New York.. Nandini Murthy.. we used to study together in college but then I had to leave for New york.."I left the sentence in the middle as I realised where it was going to end. I looked at him, a slight change in his facial expressions, a little guilt, but he covered it up with the same attitude once again.
"Hmm.. cool.. so now that all the niceties are done.. can we start the program?" He looked at all of us and I was again taken aback. He was being cold. I chugged all the thoughts out of my head and nodded as did all the others and Manik immediately headed to the stage.
"Good evening to all the beautiful ladies and gentlemen... Toh aaj humare bride and groom ka first official shaadi function hai.. it is their cocktail party... Toh yeh party itni Dry dry kyu ho... Grab your glasses and lets start the funn.." he screeched over the mic and the crowd cheered.
So the first performance for the evening, for the most beautiful bride and groom is by the drama queen of the gang, Cabir's Madhubala and our very own Navyaaa Naveliii." Manik screeched over the microphone and Navya walked over to the stage, blew a kiss in Alya and Dhruv's direction and then waved in my direction.
"Aaj humari Alya ki shaadi hai, aur humme kabhi socha nahi tha ki vo aur dhruv..." Navya started and started giggling and so did we and a-lot of the crowd. I looked around and a part of me felt sad. No, it wasn't because of Alya and Dhruv's wedding, I was very very happy for them. I've always loved Dhruv, he's always been a good friend to me, he's been so kind and Alya.. despite everything that happened between us, I knew she wasn't a bad person, nobody was, actually. Well, Manik was a man child I'll take that from him and that was the only problem.. but.. that's not the point. I was happy for them but this was all so beautiful. This was what a wedding would look like. All this celebration, all this pomp and show and excitement, it's like a fairytale. It's everything that I ever wished for, for my wedding but none of it happened. My wedding was just... a wedding.. a formality, a ceremony, not a celebration.
"Woohooo" there was a sudden hooting and whistling that brought me back to reality.
"Go Navyaaa" I heard Alya shouting and turned to her direction. She looked so happy and in a momentary deflection my eyes fell on Manik in the corner beside the stage but to my surprise his eyes were already on me. He was looking at me curiously as if he was trying to read my mind and I realised my thoughts had shown on my face. I gave him a small smile and looked back at Navya on stage. Her song had already started.

"Jaanu nahin kaise, jaanu nahi kaise,
Piya ghar jaun
Paayaliya, paayaliya kahe ke piya ghar jaaun
Paayaliya, paayaliyaa...

Paayaliya chhan chhan, chhan chhan shor kare mohe piya ghar jaaun
Paayaliya, paayaliya kahe ke piya ghar jaaun- 2

Araj araj kari, garaj karajwa ko
Kare hal pal bechain
Daras daras ko kahe paayaliya
Aas lagawe din rain
Soojh boojh bhulawe
Goonj goonj uthawe
Piya ko pukare haye re...
haan, jiya pe chhaye, jiya pe chhaye
Chhaye, chhaye, chhaye, chhaye re

Paayaliya, paayaliya kahe ke piya ghar jaaun- 2

Asar asar aso basar basar kari
Neendein bisar karde
Janam janam ki preet lutati haye
Saiyan ke milan ko re
Paas paas bulawe
Raas raas rachawe
Piya ko manawe hai re...
haan, mujhe sajaye, mujhe sajaye,
Hai, hai, hai, hai re

Paayaliya, paayaliya kahe ke piya ghar jaaun
Piya ghar jaaun.."