Parineeta

Changes!

1 year later:
Troubled? A word that doesn't fit in my situation right now. Like guess what.. I am stuck here in this music launch.. Which is actually the launch of my.. sorry our first Album in this year. Well! To be honest.. I don't wanna be here right now.. Because my love.. She is waiting for me somewhere else. And i am definitely gonna get a perfect scolding from her for not being on time. I remember her excitement when i had secretly sneaked in her room late at night and whispered into her ears that we'd be leaving for New York today so that mom, dad, Fab5 None of them know about this and convince her to stay back with them. I don't wanna feel lonely again. She's been my escape past these months of my darkness afterall!
"mom.. What is all this.. I told you i have a flight.. And you're keeping me held up here.."i pestered mom for the nth time.
"Manik.. That's enough... What's wrong with you... Why are you behaving like this... I mean... Look at you.. You want to get out of your own music launch that you'll have been waiting for since so long.. Haven't you?"she asked me.
"no.. It was them.. I never wanted to do this! I had told you that this'd be my first and last connection with music... Ma.. I don't want to get into this again... My music left me when she left me.."i said remembering that awful day when i lost my life. My Nandini.
"Manik.. She left you because of your own mistake... And then you leaving your music.. Is just another mistake of yours!"she said getting pissed off.
"mom.. Please! I have an important meeting!"i ranted.
"Manik.. Why are you getting into your dad's business... Please concentrate on your music..."concentrate? For now all my concentration was on her. She was waiting for me... Another minute or so and I'll be receiving calls from her.. I had to get out of here.
"by the way.. Manik where's your darling?not yet ready.."mom asked me and i knew i had no escape out of this now.
"mom no.."i muttered.
"what? Manik why do you pamper her so much... Okay.. I know we all pamper her alot.. But it's your day and she isn't here.."she began.
"mom she doesn't know about this!"i burst out.
"all she knows is that she is going with me to NY today.. She had gone to her teacher's to meet her before leaving.."i looked away to avoid my mom's strong gaze on me.
"Manik you're not taking her along.."she repeated.
"aunty no point she called me... She is hell angry... But excited to go to NY.. These guys didn't even feel like telling about their plan.."roped in Mukti. No i wasn't in for amy lecture now. Especially when i know that my chhota packet is angry.
"okay. Now i gotta leave...okay bye everyone.." i rushed out from there abruptly, not caring about the media people capturing me on Their cameras and my mom shouting my name behind me.

"baby I'm sorry!"i sat down on my knees and she looked away.
"aap late ho..."she said in her cute voice and i couldn't help but smile. No doubt her speaking was now getting clearer and more audacious day by day.
"sorry! Dekho na.. I got this for you!"i said and held up a box of chocolates in front of her. My bribe to get  that smile back on her face!
"chocolatesss!"she grabbed the box and jumped in excitement.
"yeh toh meri favourite hai!"she said overjoyed at the box of Ferrero rochèr. And i remembered how Nandini used to jump happily whenever i got her these chocolates but of course that was before marriage. That was my bribe for her too and it's the same with her. This girl of mine was too similar to that girl of mine.. Like mother like daughter afterall!
"Medha.. Chale!"i asked her finally and she jumped excitedly.
I have been traveling to places past a year in the hope of finding my Nandini somewhere at least. All that i  ever got to know about jer was that she'd left the country that day. She had gone abroad to get her higher studies. And since that day I've been trying to trace her out but i haven't gotten anything.
"papa.. Hum New York kyu jaa rhe hai!"she asked me as we sat in tje car amd headed towards the airport.
"baby.. I have a meeting there today.. Then we'll have fun.. Masti karne jaa rhe hai!"i loved hearing her call me papa. It felt like i had a part of Nandini here with me. Though she wasn't really a part of Nandini but she was a lot like her. Surprisingly it wasn't difficult for us to convince her to call me papa, mom-dadi and fab5, chacha amd chachi respectively while Navya remained Massi.
"yayyy!papa.. Mumma kab aayegi?"she looked at me. And i was taken by surprise. This was the first time that she had mentioned Nandini.
"aa jaegi baby.. Bhot jaldi aaegi.. Hum lekar aayenge na.."i told her and she nodded.
Now i had my hopes with New York as well. Hope it gives me my life back.

"mr. Malhotra amd ms. Malhotra your seats are in here.. Please be comfortable!"said the air hostess as we got in the plane and Medha gawked at its interior.
"papa.. Yeh toh itta bada hai.."she said amazed at the what shenwas looking at. This was the first time Medha was traveling and that specially by plane. She was completely taken by surprise.
"jab mai school jaungi na tab mai sabko chidhaungi!" she said excitedly amd i shook my head. These girls and their habits.
We sat comfortably with Medha at the window seat watching the plane move in the runway and then take a flight. Just as the plane began to go higher her hold on my hand cuff tightened and I knew she was also afraid of heights jusy.. Like.. Her mom.. I wondered how had Nandini managed to get through that without someone to hold her tight and assure her that she wasn't going to fall or even the plane wasn't going to fall. My strong girl was weak at many points. And one such was me. I feel so ashamed and guilty to have spoken to her that way. Those bitter words today pinch mr like needles and i now know that i can't even imagine how much it would've hurt her.