MaNan-Colors Of Destiny

Chapter 21

(A/N: Hey everyone. Your wait has finally come to an end. Here is the next chapter for you all. It is pretty long. Hope you like it. Please vote and comment. We really need your support. Thanks again. Love you all☺️)
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~~Nandini's POV~~
I come home and the door is already open. I rush to my room, to see the mess my babies created. Of course, Manik is also a baby. My baby. I treated him like my baby till the time we were together but now, I really have kids. I see all of them hugging and a tear falls from my eyes. They need their father's love. But who will tell them? I think it is a good idea to let my kids be with Manik for a week. Vaise bhi agar kuch ho jata, toh Manik won't just let it be. He is damn possessive. He believes that whatever belongs to me, belongs to him too. 'Jo tera hai, voh mera hai; jo mera hai, voh tera.' His principle in life. I click a picture of this father-children moment and they come back to their senses.

Naman: "Mom!"

Nidhi: "Amma!" They hug me and I look at Manik. He wipes his tears and avoids eye contact. He stands up and goes to the bathroom.

Naman: "Mom, we will miss you. How can we stay away from you for 1 week?"

Nandini: "Don't worry, baby. Time will fly. before you realise, I will be back."

Nidhi: "Aur Appa?" Appa? Did they get to know? But how? Manik does not know. Cabir?

Nandini: "Appa? Who?"

Nidhi: "I mean, Aryamann uncle." Uff... I sigh. That was close. Of course, Cabir won't tell them. Nandini, trust your friends. They break the hug and I help them pack their clothes. While they are busy, I go inside the washroom, just to make sure Manik is okay. I turn the knob and its open. I go in and see Manik there, sitting in the corner. His knees are against his chest, his arms folded and laid on his knees. His head is bent down, on his arms and he is crying. My heart hurts to see him cry.

Nandini: "Manik..." I say, in a soft voice. He looks at me and his eyes meet mine. His eyes are bloodshot! He slowly stands up but falls to his knees again and I panic. I sit on my knees in front of him.

Manik: "Nandini..." When he calls my name in that tone, when he is crying, it's enough for me to break down. I cup his face and he hugs me tight. I start crying and I hug him back. I run my fingers through his hair, patting him.

Nandini: "Manik, kya hua?" He holds me tighter and speaks.

Manik: "Nandini, today is my Dad's death anniversary." What? Today? I cry harder. He breaks the hug and cups my face. "Why are you crying? I've hurt you enough and I deserve all this now. You stop crying." He wipes my tears with his finger. I pull him by his collar and kiss him. I can't resist this guy. He makes me crazy. We have a lip-lock and he breaks the kiss for air.

Nandini: "Manik, I gotta go now. Bye." I leave the bathroom to get rid of the tension between us. I go to the bedroom and sit on the bed. I get lost in my thoughts.

"Ayyappa, yeh Manik ko kya ho gaya hai? Why has he become so weak? I have never seen him like this ever before. I just hope he gets well soon. The kids can divert him. They diverted me and made me stronger, so they can help him too. I want him to forget everything which he fears of and move on. I want Manik to realize that Naman and Nidhi are his kids, on his own but at the same time, I don't want him to take them away from me. He has time until I am away. I think that's more than enough time to understand a kid, or rather 2. If I could understand him just by getting locked in the storeroom with him for 8 hours, then of course he can understand the connection they share with the help of their similarities. The kids come to me again.

Naman: "Mom, I want to tell you something."

Nidhi: "Amma, even I want to tell you."

Nandini: "Dono? Accha okay fine, speak."

Naman: "Mom, ek Family Competition school mein hone vala hai, after a week, jisme bacchho aur puri family ko ek song gana hai. Actually, it's on Sunday, on Friendship Day."

Nidhi: "And Amma, aap Delhi ja rahi ho and Appa is also not there... so hum dono perform kaise karenge?"

Nandini: "Don't worry. Arya nahi hai toh kya hua? Manik hai na? He will train you both and rahi baat meri... I will manage and will sing with both of you."

Nidhi: "Appa???"

Naman: "Nidhi, kya Appa-Appa lagake rakha hai tune? Aryamann is not our Appa, okay? Get it straight. Aur haan... Aryamann nahi hai toh kya hua? Manik will perform with us in place of our Dad." Should he? Can he? Of course, he is their dad, but he isn't my husband. So, what should I do?

Nandini: "Naman is right. Nidhi, don't worry. Manik will help you out but, ask him whether he can perform or not, okay?"

Just then, I hear the bathroom door open. I look up and of course, it is Manik. The kids run to him and hold his legs. They look into his eyes and plead to him just like his children would. They ask him whether he is comfortable to perform with them.

Manik: "Of course, I will perform. Vaise bhi, all the others are busy with their own kids for the performance and mein office mein akela kuch nahi kar sakta. We are a band, you see."

Nandini: "Toh problem sorted na? So, now I will have to pack. I'll be leaving tonight because the flight is at 2:00 a.m. and I need to be there by 11 or so. Varna meri flight miss ho jayegi." Naman and Nidhi pull me down and I sit on my knees. They hug me from either sides.

Naman: "We will miss you, Mom."

Nidhi: "Amma, come soon."

Nandini: "I will also miss you Naman-Nidhi. Vahan, tum dono ke bina, bahut boring hoga. But, main jaldi vapas aungi aur tabtak tum log Cabir ke saath rehna okay?"

Naman: "But Mom, hum toh Manik ke ghar..." He looks at Manik and Manik looks at me. I try to avoid eye contact.

Manik: "Haan... voh actually, Nyonika Pandit ke saath Pune shift ho chuki hai. I am going back to the Malhotra mansion and I thought not to disturb Cabir's and Navya's practice. Issliye meine decide kiya ki let them stay with me." But he left Malhotra mansion after we slept together right? Anyways, that's none of your business, Nandini.

Nandini: "Par Manik... how will you handle them alone?"

Manik: "Don't panic, servants hai mere ghar pe aur hum roz Cabir ke ghar jaate rahenge... hai na champ? Aakhir unhe bhi toh practice se distract karna hai?"

Naman: "Yo Manik!" He makes that 'YO!' symbol. I'll bet he learnt that from Kavya.

Nandini: "Acchha... Teek hai. So kids, Manik ko zyada tang mat karna aur no masti, late night TV, video-games, iPad, and on top of everything, no troubling anyone. When I will not be here, I don't want others to get scoldings on my behalf okay? Please." They nod and give an assuring smile. "Aur haan... sone ke pehle, time pe brush karna, change into your nightsuits, wash your legs properly and lastly... pray to Ayyappa okay? And subah 6 a.m. sharp uthna okay?"

Manik: "What? subah 6 baje?? I sleep only at 4!"

Nandini: "That's your problem! So kids follow this instructions okay??"

Naman: "Okkaayy Mooommm.."

Nidhi: "Aye... Aye... Captain!"

I bid goodbye to Nidhi-Naman and Manik. Naman and Nidhi peck on my cheeks and Naman pulls my cheeks. Yeah. That's his way of annoying and irritating me. It's 9. I hug Naman-Nidhi and say 'goodbye' to Manik and then leave for the airport.
~~POV ends~~
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