Love will Find The way

Chapter 20- One Night with you

"Manik" Nandini called out his name and he saw her. "Nandini! Come here" he asked her to come near him. "Tum subah se mujhe wish kyu nahi kiya?" he asked her. "Maine kiya tha na" Nandini said casually. "Ah maine tujhe cake nahi khilaya na, isliye hoga" Manik said and called her closer. "Happy birthday to me! Happy birthday to meee!" Manik sings as he cuts the cake and feeds it to Nandini. Nandini smiles wide and wishes Manik, happy birthday. "Aise thodi bolte hai, come give me a hug" Manik pulls her into a warm hug before she could react.

Nandini responds in a minute and wishes him again. "Wish tho kiya par gift nahi diya? Too bad" Manik commented. "Kya gift chahiye tumhe?" Nandini asked Manik after she breaks the hug. Manik thinks for a moment, "I will take what I wanted". " What" Nandini didn't understand. "I will take it from you when it is a right time" Manik said. "Ok, ab ghar chalein" Nandini asked him. "Ok chalo then" Manik readily agreed. Manik walked with Nandini and she suddenly realizes that she was the only one with Manik and all others left. She feels that no one should come to know that Manik is drunk and is with her.

"Manik, yaha se nahi hum service lift se chale jayenge" she said to Manik. "Service lift! Kyu?" he asked. "Fans honge, media wale honge neeche, we wouldn't want that fuss, so please mere saath chalo" she however makes him agree with her and takes him to her car. "Manik, let your car be here, you can get it tomorrow, now I will take you home" she said sounding excited. "Manik, address batao" she asked. "You fool! Tumhe khud ka address nahi pata?" Manik burst into laughter.

"I'm asking your address damn it" Nandini didn't find it funny. "Main sabko apni address nahi bataunga, please you take me to your place" he asked her. "My place?" Nandini's face changed as if she had seen a ghost. "How can I take you to my place? No way" she denied but Manik tried to pacify her. "Tumhara boyfriend se kuch problem hai! Are you afraid of him?" Manik asked concerned and Nandini didn't understood a word of what he said. Nandini is left with no option other than taking him home as she cannot take Manik to Siya or Aryaman's place too. "Raaste mein na mujhe ice cream khilao" Manik asked her.

"We are already getting late Manik, aur ye sab!" Manik interrupted her by placing his finger on her lips. "Kitni bolti ho tum, you did not get me a gift and you are denying ice cream also!" he made a cute face for which she has to accept. She went out and got an ice cream for him. "Mujhe ye flavor pasand nahi hai, but it's ok" he said before taking it from Nandini.  "Bachpan mein I used to be excited for my birthday, but now there's nothing excited. Pura essence hi khatam ho gaya. I used to celebrate not just a day but the whole birthday month" Manik said remembering his childhood days. "Were you also the same?" he asked her.

"No, I don't even know when is my birthday, aur mujhe ye tak pata nahi mere parents kaun hai, all I know is my adoptive grandparent" Nandini said. "Yes, life is not same for everyone. It is mostly like this ice cream, khao warna pigal jayegi" he said eating his ice cream. "I'm feeling good now, kahi baahar ghoomne chalein?" he asked her. "Abhi! No way" she said. "Nandini, don't be a spoilsport, it's my birthday, come on" he said. "Spoilsport aur main! It's almost 12 and people will usually sleep at this time, ghoomne nahi jaate baahar" she said. "You seem too innocent, and 12 bajne wale hai ab tak nahi baji, so its still my birthday'' he said. ''But, I'm sleepy'' she said. ''But what to do, I can't sleep anyway so someone has to be with me all night, roz raat tho akela ho sota hu'' Manik said. ''Why can't you sleep at night?'' Nandini asked him. ''Because I'm an insomniac'' Manik revealed to her. Nandini couldn't believe him. 

''Maine bola na, life is like an ice cream, baahar duniya ko mere life bahut colorful dikhta hoga, but I have my own set of problems to fight with'' Manik said. ''Ok, so let's keep everything aside, let's live life to the fullest'' says Nandini to Manik. ''Come down'' she asked Manik to get down. ''So, this is my place, let's go'' she invited Manik home. Nandini checks on Satya who is fast asleep. Manik sits down on the sofa trying to make himself comfortable. ''Didn't you want to spend time with me this night'' she asked him. ''But tum mujhe ghar le aayi'' he accuses her. ''Who said we can't spend time at home, come let's cook'' she asked him. ''I don't know how to cook'' he said. ''Main sikhaungi'' Nandini drags him to her kitchen and asks him to mix the dough to make cake. ''Ab cake bake karke hum kya karenge Nandini'' he asked whining. ''Birthday tho ho gaya but we can still celebrate YOU'' she said. 

Manik makes the cake batter ready as she instructed. Nandini whips the cream and pipes Manik's name on the cake. ''Ab tho cake ready bhi hua'' Nandini said and asked Manik to cut it. ''Happy birthday to you'' Nandini sings for Manik as he cuts the cake. Nandini and Manik fed cake to each other. Manik began to feel weak as he had not taken his pills to sleep. Nandini finds Manik restless and asks him to take rest. Manik insists on being awake. ''Manik, just look into my eyes'' she said. Manik looked into her eyes. ''Forget everything, its just you who matters at the end. You will always be on top in your priority list. Now close your eyes and take a deep breath'' Manik does as she told him. He slowly dozed off to bed and Nandini makes him sleep on the couch in the drawing room. 

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Manik keeps pulling his duvet and suddenly wakes up with a strange voice. ''Manik Malhotra is here! I can't believe'' Satya screams looking at Manik. Manik wakes up not knowing where he is. Nandini comes out from her room as she heard Satya and sees Manik shocked. ''Why I'm here?'' he asked Nandini. ''Satya, please main sab baad mein explain karungi, can you please go and make black coffee for Manik'' she asked Satya and he readily agreed. ''Manik, last night Aryaman has spiked your drink, so I had to get you home and I was left with no option'' Nandini explained to him. ''And you! You knew he was spiking my drink and didn't stop him!'' he accused Nandini. ''Aryaman said you're a teetotaler and he wants to see you get drunk, so he did that and I couldn't stop him'' she said. ''So you know I don't drink and still didn't help me'' Manik asked her.  

''Manik Malhotra, don't try to fool around, you are a person who regularly drinks and I know all your secrets now'' Nandini blurted out.