Parineeta

Isn't She A Carbon Copy?

Manik's point of view :
Huh! Finally i had reached home before my girl went off to bed.. Yess i was late.. Not on purpose i swear! The traffic here was worse than India.. And then i decided to get a take away so that i get all the best of the things but right now all i had to do was to get her to open the door for me or let the others to open the door for me. Honestly this girl was a true copy of her mother who cares if she isn't born to her. Not always do you need a blood relation to love someone unconditionally and i knew if My lady would know about our girl she'd forget all about our fights and come back.. I hope.. Even if that's only for Medha.. I just want her to come back.. to explain to her once.. To apologize for all of my foolishness.. To tell her how much i loved her.. To own all the harsh punishments that i deserved.. Just once for her to come back.. I hope.
I rang the bell. Twice. Thrice. But. No answer. These girls and their anger i tell you!
"you're late mr. Malhotra!"i heard her voice from the other side of the door.
"baba I'm sorry! Dekho i got us dinner.. Aaj bhot traffic tha.. I toh had left office on time.. I'm sorry..!"i said in an apologetic tone. To be honest.. I've turned into a real guilty person each time it comes to my daughter and my wife. I feel guilty each time i think about all that i did to Nandini and now even a slightest mistake that i make in giving Medha all that i couldn't give to Nandini, i just dive deeper into my pool of guilt! And. Guess what.. My little girl understands this.
"this once.. Mr. Manik Malhotra.. Aap ho business man.. Lekin ghar late aaoge toh bhaar hi rehna padega! Samjhe"she said just as the door opened and she stood their with her hands crossed around her chest.
"sorry Medha!"i said kneeling down in front of her holding my ears.
"its okay.. Abi andar chalo.. Mujhe yha thandi lag rhi hai!"she said and i smiled as i picked her up in my arms amd got her in.
"papu.. Alya massi and Dhruv chachu ki engagement ho rhi hai?"she suddenly asked me and i looked at her.. How did she know?
"baba aapko kisne bataya?"i asked her. My baby was too naive to get into these engagement and stuff. And I was very protective about her. These things should only mean another party to her.. But I was wrong.. These kiddos have more ideas than us.. And i knew i couldn't keep her away from things for long.
"vo na card aaya tha.. Aur phir aaj Alya massi aur dida ka call bhi aaya tha! Vo mujhe vaapas bula rhi hai!"she said and gaped at her. I could let her go.. And i didn't want to go back.. Not atleast for a few days! Until i satisfy myself that Nandini wasn't NY as well.
"papa mai jaau kya?"she asked as we sat on the table while the cook served us dinner.
"baby aapko jaana hai kya?"i asked her back and she looked at me with her eyes glistening. I would ne a real bad dad if i said no to those shining eyes who wanted to be with her massi this once. May be my little girl already knew what these things meant. She probably knew that soon she was gonna miss her Alya massi's company specially when she went for shopping because this dud father of hers knows nothing of shopping because when his wife used to go shopping with her supposed best friend, he was busy dating her massi! Such an asshole i was. Since forever i knew i hated guys around Nandini but i could never understand why. On the first night of our marriage when she spoke to Aryaman about naming their kids when they get married i had felt this churning sensation in my stomach but i couldn't realize my love for her. Each time that Maddy sent my wife an I Love You message my insides used to burn but i couldn't recognize this jealousy. I always told her that she was my wife and so she had limits but why didn't i ever tell myself that i was her husband and i also had limits. Maybe because she never asked me to be like a husband. She never expected anything from me while i did despite the fact that I didn't believe in marriage. She did believe in our marriage, i know it, and that's why she let me be on my own, to understand what gave me happiness, only if I'd known earlier that it was her and her alone.
"papaa bolo na! Mai jaa sakti hu!"Medha asked me again and i wondered if i should be a bit selfish this time to say no to her and keep her by me but my daughter was my weakness and i couldn't say no her.
"haan meri jaan.. Aap jaa sakti ho.. Mai kal Cabir chachu ko yaha bula lunga.. Aap unke saath chale jaana.. Ohkay?"
"aur aap?"she asked as her hands fisted my sleeves. I didn't know what to say. I wanted to look for Nandini.. but what about Alya.. She is my Bestfriend afterall.. She is a part of fab5. She deserves to be happy and deserves to have her family her Fab5 with her in her happy moments.
And even if i decided to stay what reason will i give Medha for staying back.. I didn't want to lie to her.
And what if Alya thinks i stayed back because i still haven't moved on from her and so i don't want to see her going with Dhruv.. Though everyone knows how much i crave to have Nandini by me but misunderstandings can happen like the way it happened when Nandini left me forever.
I had no clue of what to do.. Look for Nandini in a big city where nothing is definite or go back to where everything is.
"papuuuuu!"Medha pulled my sleeves bringing me back.
"haa.. Baba aapne puchha kab hai massi ki engagement."
"Saturday ko... Dhruv chachu ne toh mujhe promise kiya hai ki agar aap bhi mere saath aaye toh vo mujhe badi si chocolate denge!"she said and laughed. Dhtuv just knew where to hit me. I wonder how did this guy not hate me even when i had taken his love away from him because apparently after a few days of Alya's break up with me that day i got to know that Dhruv loved Alya since the very beginning. I still feel very guilty for having played with so many lives.. How could i ever be so indecisive. How could i not see any of it. Nandini's love for me. Dhruv's love for Alya. Alya's love for him and my love for Nandini. How could i be such an idiot.
"so that's just day after tomorrow!"i said and she nodded.
"phir toh hume kal hi flight leni padegi.. Btao Medha.. Hum aaj hi aaye aur kal vaapas chale jaaege?"i looked at her and she looked sad.
"koi baat nhi.. Medha ko massi ki engagement bhi attend karni hai na.."she noddee sadly.
"toh hum next month yha phir aa jaege haina? And tab hum bhot masti karenge.. No meetings only masti!"i said and her face ligjted up like a candle.
"pakka?"she asked.
"pakka!"I repeated.
"pinky promise?" She asked holding out her little finger in front of me and I wondered what this was now but i did as she instructed me to.
"aap promise todoge toh nhi na!"sje asked as she digged into her food and i smiled at her as I assured her that I won't break my promise and she happily began chomping down her food.
One thing that I did not understand was that if there was any such engagement plan for this Saturday only then why did they not tell me this morning or yesterday.. What's going on!
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Hello hello all.. There's another thing I want to tell you all that the number of votes and comments is decreasing these days which is honestly not appreciable.. Do not just enjoy the story on my cost.... Please please please... Comment your views.. Yaah but that doesn't mean you comment asking for 'only Manan parts'. Apne views do... Aur pasand aa rha hai toh vote karo! I'm sure there are a lot of people out there who have alot of ideas for in what more angles can this story go, put them in the comments.. I'll definitely choose any of them if i like and use them as my next plot for the upcoming chapters... Okay so lets do it this way.. Ab aap mujhe ideas do so as to where to lead the story and then only you'll get the next updates... Lets seee... All the best!
Keep smiling!
Cheers!