A Part, Yet Apart

Chapter 89- Cherished Moments

After a minute or two, they gasped for breath and broke their kiss. There were no regrets, no complains, it was a pure magical moment of bliss for both of them. "Bye" he said and pecked on her lips once again. She blushed red like a cherry tomato. He quickly descended down and bid bye to others. Nandini walked to her balcony to send him off. She waved hands at him as he settled in the passenger seat of the car beside Aryaman. He waved back at her until the car disappeared off her sight. "Yeh le tera phone" Aryaman gave it back to Manik. ''Was it with you all the while" Manik asked. "Who cares! You obviously didn't go back for phone" Aryaman said and the Malhotra siblings laughed hard. "Aren't these girls making us dance over their tunes?'' Manik asked. "Which girls?'' Aryaman asked. "Girls nahi ek hi hai, tumhare wali" Manik asked raising his brows. "What! No" Aryaman tried to bluff. "I know about you and her. And I know that you know me too well" Manik caught him. 

"Kaash wo sab itna easy ho jata" Aryaman said. "If it doesn't give you pain, it's not love" Manik said. "Mr. Love Guru, thank you for intervening in my life. Agar tum nahi hota pata nahi kya hi hota hoga ab mera life mein" Aryaman said. "Kya hota hoga?" Manik tossed a question. "Shayad life hi nahi hota" Aryaman said. "I'm not surprised that she is your life. Usse milne ke baad mujhe bhi yahi laga ki wo tera zindagika hissa nahi poori ki poori zindagi hai" Manik said. Aryaman smiled. "Mom dad ko pata hai kya?'' Manik asked Aryaman. "No, usse shayad thoda time chahiye" Aryaman said. "Ok, let her take time but you don't lose yourself again. Come what may, but stand by her and trust your love" Manik said. "When I come back again, be prepared to introduce your love to all of us in the family. Zyada din mom dad ko nahi batana is risky too" Manik said. "Did you tell Bhabhi?'' Aryaman asked to confirm. "Abhi tak tho nahi" Manik simply said. "Tho mat batana, I'll tell her myself some day. Remember, we were friends before you both got married" Aryaman asked Manik to promise. "Pata hai, isliye main chup raha" Manik said. "Ok, go now. I'll catch the flight, see you soon" Manik bid bye to his brother and they hugged each other. 

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Life without Manik had given Nandini a 360 degree turn. Everything seemed boring and uninterested. She missed his hand cooked food even though Anitha cooked her favorite meals. For most of the time, she felt alone and slept like she hadn't slept in ages. On the other side, Manik became busy in his meetings and deadlines and hardly had any time left for himself. He missed the feeling of having someone back at home, waiting for him to have dinner together. He missed making morning coffee with her. When he reached home late night, he wished Nandini was there to cheer him up. He wondered how he had lived all these years alone without her. Nyonika told Manik that his wife would turn it home, what he calls it as house. He felt how true his mom was! Both their memories were full of each others' warmth. 

"Nandu" Anitha called Nandini from the garden. She lazily got up from the couch and went to her mom. ''What amma?'' she asked. "Gorintaku" Anitha said excited showing her. "Not now, I'm in no mood" Nandini turned her down but Anitha chose to speak to her daughter. "This is to set your mood right. Sit with me" Anitha made Nandini sit near her. "You know this plant was planted on our fifth anniversary. You were just 3 years back then. This slowly turned into a tree in a few years and this was in huge demand from all the aunties in the colony" Anitha said going back in time. "Why do we apply gorintaku in Aashadam" Nandini asked her mom. "Ok, let me put it this way. You and Manik are newly married. Both of you are bound to stay separate for the whole month. What if you are missing Manik and want to go back to him?" Anitha asked. ''How did mom know this?'' Nandini thought. ''But I can't go right!" Nandini sadly asked. "No" she expected her mom to be liberal at least. 

"If you and Manik make love in the month of aashadam, you'll likely get pregnant next month and the baby is expected early in next summer which is not good for the baby" Anitha said holding Nandini's hand. "Amma!" Nandini's cheeks turned red as Anitha said so. "So, that's the technical reason why newly weds are asked to stay apart for the whole month and the reason behing gorintaku!" Anitha paused in between and Nandini looked at her mom. "Come closer!" Anitha leaned on Nandini and whispered in her ear, "How are you going to cool the heat within you without making love to your husband!" Nandini moved away and sat at a distance. "Arre! This is the actual reason why ladies apply gorintaku on their hands" Anitha said playfully. "Amma, according to you only newly weds are staying away but what about all the ladies who are applying it?'' Nandini asked. "Because, gorintaku has some coolant properties and it will make you ready for the contrasting temperature. It will make you adapt to the sudden shift in weather from summers to rainy season. And this gorintaku will make a woman appear more beautiful and feminine than they are!" Anitha said.