Parineeta

First Night!

I was busy peering harder into my laptop screen shrugging off all the irritating thoughts about this curse:marriage. I might not be happy with this contracted marriage but the unchangeable fact was that now i was lawfully married to mr. Manik Malhotra..for a whole year and the time period had already started. The damage had already been done. I was his lawfully wedded wife and he was my...
"Nandini"i heard his deep voice from the door.
"hnmm.. "i did not look up and he knew i was at my best to ignore him. Basically that is what I've been doing past the two days. Every time he turned to me in the last 48 hours i would just be ignorant or turn a cold expression to him. I was dying out of emotions for him yet whenever i looked into those eyes my heart managed to skip a beat and end up falling for him again. But not this time.
Where once my life used to feel alive with his presence around, it now feels suffocating to be around him. Neither can i hate with all my heart nor can i love him with this broken heart..
"can we talk.?"he asked in a soft yet stern tone.
"bolo!"i bobbed my head without looking up.
"if you're free!"he Completed eyeing the laptop in me lap.
"apparently I'm not free! And i don't think I'll be able to get free for a few more days! This presentation is important! Arya amd i have been working hard on it!"i actually wanted to say not until i accept this joke of my life Manik. But i resisted.
"what's up with you?"he askwd, walking into the room and sitting beside me.
Really Manik? As if you never knew what was up with me.. Since forever did everyone know what i feel for you.. Even you knew but you chose to be ignorant.. You very well knew what i felt for you.. You knew it since a long time.. Now i would be a mystery.. You won't ever know what's up with me.!
"what's up with me! Nothing!"i turned my head to his side and gave him shrugged expression.
"achha? Really?"he asked looking deeper into my eyes. Don't try Manik you won't get anything in there!
"then why are you behaving so cold.. I told you right nothing's changed between us!"i said with concern in his voice. I noticed he was still wearing his sherwani.
"Manik.. You should change!"i said looking back at my computer screen.
"thats not the answer to my question!"
There's no question Manik!"i said promptly looking at him.
"there is.. Why are you doing this Nandini!"he continued. "mujhe batao na if there's something disturbing you! I'm there for you na!" he said softly.
"Manik please! Can we not talk about this! The answer to your question is nothing..."i said looking at my laptop screen unblinking.
"Nandini tum aise kyu behave kar rhi ho.. I told you na there's nothing changed between us tum.. You can be free with me!"he said.
"Manik! Things have changed.. Not today.  Not yesterday.. They've changed long back.. And we both know it! Let's not get there! And you know me I've never like being free with anyone.. Not even you.."he silenced but the change in his expressions was clear. He understood what i meant.
"ya except for that best friend of yours Aryaman! What do you call him.. Haan Arya! Nandini he knows you in and out more than I've known you!"he said irritatedly.
"Manik.. Don't you know everything about Mukti, Cabir, Dhruv and Alya! Don't they know everything about you! They even know what i don't because they've seen those times with you! So this is the same case! He knows everything about me because he's been through it all with me!"i said calmly. He sighed and just in time my phone rang.
Arya.
A smile crept on my face. He always knew when i needed him. The heart to heart connection between us. He was one of those Bestfriends who stand by their friends forever with no complaints and no demands. Just the one I'd always been for Manik but he never needed it he had Fab5.
The whole of Fab5 was now good friends with us-me, Navya and Arya except ofcourse Alya. And all of them knew what Arya felt for me. The same that i felt for Manik. I did understand what not being reciprocated with the same love feels but i never let him feel left out. Even he knew what i felt for Manik but he had always supported me with whatever i did. He even knew about this contracted marriage but he made look at the brighter side.
Maybe he'll fall for you in the due course of time! He had said when I'd had a breakdown just before the marriage. He had wept with me and he had smiled with me like a true friend.
I looked at Manik and he rolled his eyes. "yeh tumhara majnu tumhara peecha nai chorhega!" he said irritatedly.
"nai.. Kyunki usse pata hai first mai usse khudse itna easy escape nai dungi second he knows ki agar usne ya Navya ne mera peecha chhorha toh mai bilkul akeli ho jaungi..!"i said smiling at my phone's wallpaper that had me and him laughing together. It was clicked by Navya long back and i had loved it alot.
"ek kaam kyu nhi karti! After this one year of contract jab hum free ho jaaenge tab tum ussi se shaadi kyu nahi kar leti!"he said sarcastically.
"wow! I never thought about this! Not bad haan mr. Malhotra your chhotu sa brain does work! Its a good idea.. I'll talk to him about it! You never know maybe we are meant to be.."i said dreamily. Manik had always known that i truly believed in meant to be(s).
"you and your meant to be!"he cringed.
"by the way you sleep on the bed.. I'll take the couch!"he suggested and i looked at him.
"no! I'm taking the couch.. I've lots of work!"i said sternly and he looked at me confused.
"bed par kar lena!"he said.
"nhi.."I said getting into my stubborn mode and he knew there was no point arguing with me.
"fine" he said and got up. Just then my phone rang again.
"hello best friend!"i squealed and Manik turned to me with a smile but his smile faded away just as he noticed the phone stuck to my ear.
There was once a time that i used to call him with that phrase and he used to tell me stop it Nandini! Its so kiddish! And so i stopped.
"slept?"Arya asked me.
"naah working the presentation!"i said and Manik vanished into the washroom.
"how much completed?"he asked.
"just the final touch ups and I'll mail you... Or haan padh lena nhi toh kal subha lecture sunaungi!"i threatened him.
"yaah yaah! By the way.. All well between you guyz!"he asked and i stared at the washroom door.
"i wish!but it's hard.. Nothing's falling back in place!"i said reluctantly and Manik came out in his vest and tracks.
"give it sometime! It will get better!"he said. No doubt he'd always been my hope tree.
"no hopes! What didn't happen in 15 years won't happen in just another year! Arya it's just another year!"i said and Manik looked at me hoping to get some clue of what i was talking about.
"shut up! My Bestfriends so irresistible that nobody can stop themselves from falling for you!"he said and then just like a thunderstorm something hit my brain. I put me phone on speaker and spoke.
"arya! Manik just suggested me something!?"i said and Manik looked at me confused.
"and what is it Einstein.."he mocked.
"as you already know that this marriage and all is fake and a contract that ends after a year.."i paused and Manik cringed.
"go ahead.."Arya said.
"he suggested that as it is when this marriage gets over he's gonna marry Alya! So he said why don't i marry you?"i said and Manik looked away nodding.
"hello! Wait!"Arya said and Manik smiled at me.
" was this a proposal! So let me tell you ms. Murthy.. This was the most unromantic proposal ever!"i smirked.
"so what do you expect from an already married girl.."
"something more romantic than this..i know you can do it Murthy.."he encouraged me and Manik made a disgusted face.
"ohky..So let me think.. Umm.. Okay! So Aryaman Khurana! I Nandini Murthy hereby sit on my knees and ask you if you may let me have the honors of being your wife and the mother of your children!"i said and Manik snapped his head in my direction. His eyes wide with shock.
"gladly!"arya said and we chuckled.
"Nandu! But bachho ke naam!"he said amongst his laughing fits and Manik lied down on the bed turning the lights off.
"vo hum kal sochenge!"i said controlling my laughter. He had managed to lighten my mood.
"good idea Einstein! Send me the presentation soon!"he said.
"yep.. Goodnight Bestfriend!"i said.
"goodnight doll.. Still keep your hopes high!"he said and we disconnected.
Manik seemed fast asleep though i knew he wasn't but i didn't bother and continued with my work.