The next day,
Manik was so excited to meet Nandini in the name of finalizing the menu for Mukthi's engagement. He checked himself thrice and adjusted his collar before descending the stairs.
Seeing Mukthi too ready to come with him, he frowned and asked "Are you also coming...!?"
"Of course... It's my engagement and food toh it must be of my choice..." She declared and he rolled his eyes before signalling her to come.
They were about to step out of the house but gasped when Cabir came in front of them all of a sudden.
"Monkey" Mukthi tapped on his head and rubbed her chest controlling her increased heartbeat due to him."What the hell are you doing here...!?" Manik asked and Cabir clutched his heart and said "Insult...Dost dost na raha..."
"Drama band kar and go inside...Mom will make something for you..." Manik said and Cabir frowned saying "Ek second...You guys are going out then why should I go inside...Take me as well..."
"Cabir...We are going to finalize the menu for her engagement..." Manik said and Cabir eyes shone in excitement and said "Then I must be there...to taste everything..."
Cabir licked his lips imagining the dishes and Manik groaned being annoyed and looked at Mukthi who was controlling her laugh.
"Come" He said in irritation and drove to the place where Nandini asked him to come.
They went inside to see Nandini waiting for them and he waved a hi at her with a smile.
"Hi Manik...Hi Mukthi..." She greeted them and looked at Cabir who was giving teasing smile to Manik.
He cleared his throat and said "This is my friend Cabir..."
"Oh hi Cabir..." She wished him as well and when he stepped forward to hug her, Manik pulled him back holding his collar.
"Chill bro..." Cabir said and Manik looked at Mukthi and Cabir who were smiling with naughtiness.
Nandini smiled bending her head down and excused herself saying that she will ask her friends to join and to ask the workers to get the platter to taste while Manik placed his hands on his hips and asked "Mukthi...!? Seriously...!? You told this fellow about Nandini...!?"
Cabir interrupted saying "Arey...Why are you yelling at her...!? Dost hu bhai tera...I have all the right to know...In fact, I should be the first one to know and it must be you who should have told me...But nahi...Sir has got no time...You have got all the time in lockdown to eat my brain telling about her...But when you found her, you didn't tell me...!? Me...!? Me Manik...!?"
Manik sighed and said "Enough of your drama...She is waiting...come...and ha...No nautanki you both...please..."
They placed fingers on their lips like kids and he chuckled before joining Nandini.
Manik saw Nandini talking to two other boys and walked towards her and she smiled saying "Manik...Meet Dhruv and Abhi...My school friends..."
He smiled at them and shook his hands and asked "Oh so the event organisers are these two...The A and D in AAND...!?"
"Yeahhh right...They are interested in this field from schooling itself...So they worked for it after schooling while me and Aliya opted for fashion designing... They started this start up before lockdown and were doing good with small events....But this lockdown has closed everything and we are back to square one...So when we are waiting for a big break, you came as a rescue..." Nandini said with a smile.
Manik chuckled and said "Oh come on Nandini... It's actually you guys who rescued our event by taking it up...Arey I forgot to introduce..." He looked back to see Cabir and weirdly silent Mukthi and said "This is Mukthi...my sister and the bride...And this is Cabir...My best friend..."
They shook hands with a small smile and Nandini said "Shall we go for tasting...!?"
"Yeah sure...Mukthi go ahead..." Manik said and she nodded in a no saying "I'm not in a mood Bhai..."
Manik frowned and asked "Kya hua bacha...!? You were so excited to finalize the menu on your own...what happened...!?"
"Aye lady bheem...Natak mat kar and chalo..." Cabir said and dragged her with him making Manik and Nandini chuckle.
Dhruv and Abhi accompanied them while Manik and Nandini walked behind everyone in slow pace.
His eyes fell on the ice cream boxes and he smiled before getting a scoop in a small cup.
He forwarded the cup to her and she smiled saying "Thank you... Where's yours...!?"
He made a pout and said "You said we can share na..."
"I never said that...I said 'let us see' and moreover, we have more cups and spoons Mr.Malhotra...Go and get yours..." She said with a smirk.
He made a face and said "Not at all fare..." and stumped on his foot before getting a cup for himself making Nandini chuckle.
"So what else you have in store Miss Nandini Murthy...?? Fashion designer...Event organizer...What else...!??" Manik asked as they walked side by side with their ice cream cups.
She smiled and shook her head saying "That's all...I want to achieve more in fashion designing only...This event organizing is for my friends..."
He nodded with a smile and looked at Cabir and Mukthi and frowned saying "What has happened to her...!! Ab tak thik thi...She became silent all of a sudden...!!"
"Mukthi...!??" Nandini questioned looking at them and when Manik nodded, she sighed saying "May be mood swings...or may be...wedding jitters...She will be fine...Do you want me to talk to her...!??"
"No no...She will eventually come to me if she is not okay...Bachi hai bilkul...That's why I'll be constantly worried...Poor girl...Just because I say no for the things that my parents expect from me, she will be the one doing all those for them...She takes up those responsibilities and would not let them worry me..." Manik said looking at his sister.
Nandini asked "You mean...marriage...or anything else...!??"
"Hmm...Not only this...Even masters in abroad was their wish...They asked me but I wasn't interested to leave this country...I have my own comfort zone here...So she had to take it up and went to the US...Now this...They wanted me to get married and since I was adamant, she became the bali ka bakara for them..." Manik explained and they threw the empty cups in the nearby bin.
"And why are you adamant in not getting married...!??" She asked while he shrugged saying "May be...I didn't find a girl of my choice..."
"Ohhh...So...Mr.Malhotra has a choice and will wait for his entire life for the girl of his dreams...!!!???" Nandini asked with a tease in her tone.
Manik smirked and wiped the trace of ice cream from the corner of her lip making her gasp and he replied "May be yes..."
She smiled with a blush and when she was about to ask more, he licked his finger making her gulp and just at the moment, the gang returned and Manik asked "Mukthi...Finalized the menu...!??"
Mukthi gave a nod with a small smile and said "Bhai...I'm having a very bad head ache...Please chale...!??"
"Sure...sure bacha...chalo..." He gave keys to Cabir and eyed him to take Mukthi to car while he turned to Nandini and her friends and said "Thank you guys...It was nice meeting you..."
"Same here Manik..." Dhruv said shaking hands with him while Nandini walked beside him till his car.
"We will take care of the arrangements Manik...Don't worry...and Mukthi will be fine..." Nandini said with a smile to which Manik reciprocated and was about to open the car door but stopped and turned to her and said "I need to tell you something..."
"I'm all ears Manik..." Nandini said and Manik shook his head and said "After the engagement..." and Nandini nodded and waved him a bye with a smile.
Ignore mistakes...
Don't know why but just a huge writer's block on my head...And poor response on this story is not at all helping...I'll be winding this story in 15 chapters...
Thank you for all those who were waiting for this update... Will update regularly from now...
