YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL (Completed)

part-9

# YOU_ARE_BEAUTIFUL
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PART – 9
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After witnessing the uncomfortable mother-son scene, Nandini remains out of sight, figuring that she’d better not let on that she knows.

Manik broods alone in the studio, working on music but feeling the weight of his unpleasant encounter .Nandini laments her inability to help, thinking, “Is he okay? It’s his birthday, and he must be feeling hurt. I’m really useless.” She sees him drinking his water and setting aside an empty bottle, then seizes on one thing she can do — get him more water!
Nandini dashes to a convenience store to buy more water, then races back. Remaining out of sight, Nandini swaps in the new water, then notices Manik’s annoyance at a flickering light. She rushes out to buy new fluorescent bulbs ,when saw and by the time Manik comes back with a replacement light, it’s already been fixed. This is odd, and he now registers that water has also been replaced.
Testing out his suspicions, he says loudly, “Ah, I feel like drinking really hot coffee all of a sudden.”Once again, Nandini seizes upon her task and runs out to buy some. Manik watches as she returns carrying coffee and confronts her. So was she the one who’s been lurking around all night?
A thought occurs to him, and he asks suspiciously, “Did you see something?” thinking of his conversation with Neonika. Nandini takes a moment to think of a good answer before admitting, “I saw your present!” She begs forgiveness for Aunt Sannu opening the package, and with relief, he takes that to mean she didn’t witness the scene with Neonika.
She says hesitantly, “I’m not sure if this will make you angry, but happy birthday.” She’s sorry for causing yet more trouble, and invites him to treat her as badly as he wishes until he’s over his anger .Her understanding attitude makes him furrow his brow: “If you say it like that, it makes me sound like someone who enjoys abusing you.”
Amused now, Manik comments that Nandini has “grown up,” even resorting to flattery and bribery to get what she wants ,
*****=*****

Aunt Sannu finds it curious that Dhrov and Cabir’s current images seem nothing like the “legends” she’d heard from the fan girls. Thinking of Dhrov’s reputation, she asks if he used to fight in school. He answers vaguely, “Well, all boys fight once or twice in their school days.”
Cabir’s messy eating habits seem at odds with his aristocratic back story, so she asks about the princess. To her surprise, Cabir says that he still keeps in contact with her. Guessing that the legends must not be entirely groundless, she wonders if that means Manik’s birth secret is true after all .

****+****

Manik doesn’t need anything to celebrate his birthday, but Nandini insists, so he tells her to decide what to do. She reminds him that he always decides things and dislikes her interference. He answers, “This time, I’ve decided that you should decide.”
She offers to re-create the celebration from his “fake birthday,” so Manik instructs her to borrow a gym large enough to accommodate 15,000 people and invite 15 famous singers and actors as special guests. She should also call the Asian media outlets to cover it.
She hadn’t realized he’d gone to such lengths for his birthday, but she’s not daunted — all birthdays should start with sea food! Of course, at this hour, the only way to get any is the instant kind at a convenience store. Furthermore, Manik asks her (with his usual know-it-all air) whether contains oil. It does.He follows that with the question of what oil made of, and Nandini answers, “ sea of course ,” which makes her recall that he’s allergic. He says dryly, “Thanks to you, I would have died on my birthday.”Okay, so sea food is a no-go, but Nandini proceeds to the next step, which is to get presents.
Unfortunately their options are pretty limited, so Nandini takes him to a stationery store — the kind with cutesy pink notebooks and pens designed to appeal to young girls. One wall of stickers catches Nandini’s eye — it’s A.N.JELL merchandise with cartoon renderings of Manik, Dhrov, and Cabir.They’re pretty adorable.
Thestore owner assures them that Manik’s sells the most, but he’s more embarrassed than flattered. They buy a sheet of cut-outs (like pogs), and Nandini takes a positive outlook — at least this indicates how popular they are.While they linger at a deserted playground, she flicks a Manik pog with her pinky, then flicks another, announcing, “Dhrov’s flew farther!” Manik is NOT about to let that stand, so he grabs some of his own pogs and starts flicking them, disgruntled when they all flop. Nandini continues flicking Cabir’s and Dhrov’s and announcing that they’re traveling farther..
When they arrive home, Nandini’s a little disappointed that his birthday is almost over but he hasn’t done any birthday things: “I didn’t do anything for you today.” He answers honestly, “Because of you, I was able to pass the time without thinking about it. If not for you, the day would have been horrifically long.”
Seeing that there are five minutes left, Nandini offers to use those up for him. There’s something the Mother Superior used to always do for her, but she warns, “You can’t hate it.”
He retorts, “If you think I’ll hate it, don’t do it.”
Nandini replies, “You toldme to make the decisions today, so I’ll do as I want.”
With that, Nandini hugs Manik. She says, as the Mother Superior would have told her, “Since today isthe day you were born, it is a truly precious day. Thank you for being born.”
Taken aback, Manik struggles with his reaction. Unnerved, he tells her not to speak in banmal (since she usually speaks in such elevated honorifics). Ignoring his surprise, Nandini pats him on the back gently, in a consoling gesture, as she prays, “Mother Superior, I want to take the warm comfort I received every birthday and give it all to him. Please comfort him.”
Nandini pulls away and cheerfully announces that his birthday is over, and heads inside first. As she leaves, Manik smiles slightly and muses, “Today, Nandini was quite useful.”
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