Taming The Monster

Chapter 7

Manik's friends sat in his room as Manik paced back & forth complaining about Nandini.

"Like...she has fully lost her mind! Dekho kya halat kar di usne mere room ki!" Manik said.

"I think it looks nice. Achi taste hai Nandini ki." Aliya smiled. Manik glared at her. "What? Tumhare purane black & white room se toh 1000 times better hai."

"I cannot stand that girl. Kal woh shaadi nibhane ki baat kar rahi thi." Manik said.

"Yeh pakka uski koi plan hogi.....but kash inn dono mein sachi ka pyar ho jaaye. Humare is Monster Manik ko toh Nandini hi sahi raaste pe laa sakti hai." Cabir thought to himself.

"Tere jaise harr koi shaadi ko game nahi samajhta hai na." Mukti taunted. 

"Shut up Mukti....you have no idea what she did." Manik argued.

"Kya kiya usne?" Mukti asked. "Come on...spill. What did she do to deserve being forced into a marriage like this?"

"Its-"

"Papa!" A small voice could be heard calling through the mansion. "Papa! Mahi home!"

"Shit....Mahi aa gayi." Manik mumbled. 

"Woh toh apne Dadu aur Dadi ke ghar gayi thi na?" Dhruv asked.

"Haan...I completely forgot she was coming home today." Manik stood up and ran downstairs where a small 3.5 yr old girl stood with a backpack. Manik smiled seeing her and spread his arms out. "Mahi...."

"Papa!" The little girl, Mahi ran to Manik & hugged him. This whole thing was seen by Nandini who stood by the kitchen door and looked shocked.

"Papa? Yeh....iska bacha kaha se aa gaya? Cabir ne toh kaha he never  even dated or anything....phir?"

"Mahi...mera bachi. Aa gayi tu?" Sumitra picked up Mahi and kissed her face. "Nanu Nani missed you soooo much."

Even Dhananjay looked very happy to see the little girl and hugged her. Nandini got even more confused. "Nanu Nani? Par...agar yeh Manik ki beti hai toh phir aunty aur uncle Nanu Nani kaise?"

"Confused?" 

Nandini was startled as she hadnt seen Cabir walk over to her while the Malhotras were busy with Mahi. 

"Of course Im confused...kaun hai yeh bachi?" Nandini asked.

"Manik's niece....lekin woh Manik ko Papa bulati hai." Cabir replied.

"Niece?"

"I can't tell you more than that Nandini...Manik ko pata chala toh problem ho jayegi." Cabir whispered and then quickly walked back to his friends.

"Niece? Manik ki behen toh Pakhi hai....aur uska koi bhai toh hai nahi. Phir yeh kiski beti hai? Yeh Cabir bhi na....aadhi baat jab bol diya toh puri baat bolne mein kya jaata hai?" Nandini sighed.

"Papa...whos pwetty guwl." Mahi asked Manik as she spotted Nandini. Manik's smiled dropped and he looked at Nandini with hatred.

"Hi! Main tumhari Papa ki...dost hoon." Nandini replied with a smile.

"Papa ki Dosh?" Mahi asked. Nandini nodded. "What name?"

"Mera? Its...Nandini." Nandini replied.

"Nad..Nad...Naduwi?" Mahi cutely tried to pronounce her name making Nandini chuckle. "Thas sho hawd!"

"Aww...thats ok. Tum mujhe, Nandu bula sakti ho."

"Nannu!" Mahi cheered happily. Nandini smiled at her cuteness and reached foreward to touch her cheek but Manik moved away.