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Manik and Nandini's table was filled with joyful laughter.

"No way, seriously! " Nandini laughed before she took a bite of her creamy pasta.

"yaa! Cabir mistook the drag queen as a real woman and tried to impress her by flirting with her, buying her drinks, telling jokes to entertain her, dancing with her and then at the end of the night we came to know about the truth. It was a prank played on Cabir by karan and the other guys at the club to take revenge on him for always playing prank on them. You should have seen his face, it was so hilarious and totally worth watching to see the prankster himself becoming the bali ka bakda... " Manik said while taking bite of his food.

"Oh My Goddd! Does Navya knows about this" Nandini exclaimed while laughing and asked Manik.

"No! I don't think so she knows... It's an old incident, that time he wasn't in relationship with Navya." Manik replied

"Then I'm definitely telling Navya about this." Nandini said as she took another sip of her wine.

After telling each other their 'rules', Manik and Nandini have been having a good time by telling jokes and sharing likes, dislikes, funny memories of their lives, trying to know each other more.

Ten minutes later both of them had finished eating their delicious scrumptious dinner and were just drinking the rest of their wine, enjoying the soft music playing in the background.

The waiter came back to their table.

"Will there be dessert?" He asked.

Manik shook his head in no and asked for the bill.

The waiter nodded and began to pick up their dinner plates, and left.

"What... you don't like dessert?" Nandini asked with shock in her voice and pouted... Nandini always craves for something sweet after every meal.

Manik rolled his eyes and leaned closer to her.

"of course... I 'LOVE' DESSERT! " was his double meaning reply with an intense predator look in his mesmerising eyes.

Nandini blushed cutely and bit her lip in response.

She opened her mouth to say something to counter back, when the waiter came back ruining the intense cute moment between them.

He handed Manik the bill while he picked up their wine glasses. Manik looked at the bill then pulled out one of his credit card from his wallet and handed it to the waiter.

The waiter took the card in one hand, glasses in the other and said,"I will be right back sir."

Manik looked over to see Nandini trying to take a peek at the bill. However he snatched the bill off the table and shove it into his back pocket along with his wallet.

Nandini pouted again seeing that.

Manik sighed and said, "Stop pouting. There's another surprise after this waiting for you."

Nandini squealed silently listening to him and asked, "There is! What is it? Are we going somewhere else again, Where are we going?"

Manik shook his head at her childish behavior, but thought it was very cute.

"I'm not telling you. Then it wouldn't be a surprise any more. " was his reply as he leaned back further into his sit.

"But-," Nandini started, but stopped when the waiter came back to the table with a copy of the bill, a pen, and Manik's credit card in hand.

"Here you are sir. I hope you two have a good night. " he said then turned and walked away.

Manik signed the checked and put his credit card in his wallet.

"Let's go. " he said as he got up from his seat. He helped Nandini out of hers like a perfect gentleman and wrapped his arm around her waist.

They began walking to the entrance. Nandini didn't notice the pair of eyes watching them.

10 minutes later

"Where are we going? " Nandini complained again.

She has already asked more than five times in the last 10 minutes.

They were outside of Mumbai driving on the highway in full speed at the moment.

Nandini was confused as she could not guess where they were going by looking at their passing surroundings.

"Are you kidnapping me or something ?" Nandini asked looking at him weirdly.

Manik smirked and leaned towards her side a little while still looking at the road in front of them and said, "Maybe!."

Suddenly Manik felt a stinging feeling on his left arm.

'She... she just punched me!' Manik exclaimed inside his head being surprised.

"Damn girl you can really pack a punch huh with those tiny fists of yours, man that hurted. " Manik complained like a kid while rubbing his left arm .

"Well if it really hurted you, then you deserve it, for troubling me since the past few minutes by not telling me where we are going. "Nandini said while crossing her arms over her chest.

"Patience Nandini patience, how many times do I have to tell you it's a S. U. R. P. R. I. S. E surprise... I bet your little cousin also knows the meaning of surprise better than you do. Why don't you keep quiet for few more minutes and just enjoy the drive. Once we reach there you'll automatically know what it is?. " Manik said being a little irritated at the end, because of Nandini's constant cribbing and nagging.

Nandini just huffed with a grumpy pouty look and said grumpily while looking out of the window," I hate surprises... And right now I hate you."

Manik chuckled quietly hearing her and seeing her act so childishly, after that the journey continued with a comfortable silence between the two.

Finally, after another 10 minutes Manik stopped the car and both of them got out from it .

Once Nandini was out, she looked around herself with a frown, as they were in the middle of nowhere. She wasn't scared or afraid, as Manik was here with her and she trusted him, but the thing that was bothering her was that what were they doing here in a place like this and what his surprise could be.

Manik brought her back to her senses, when he held her wrist gently but firmly keeping in mind not to hurt her with his super strength and said "let's go, follow my every step carefully okay, so that you don't trip." and then they started walking into the woods, as he lead her towards a trail.

They kept on walking for 5 minutes, the only light present there was the moon light, but this made no difference for Manik because of his sharp demonic eyesight, his demonic senses increases his night vision 10 times more making him able to see clearly in the dark too...

As the two kept on walking the only sound heard was the crunching noises made by their shoes crushing against the dry leaves and other things on the forest floor and the far away sounds of owl or wild birds and animals.

After some time they came out from the woods into a clearing, the scenery of which made Nandini gasp and palm her mouth in wonder. She never knew a place like this existed here in the outskirt of her city.

She was captivated by the view in front of her. They were standing in a green round clearing surrounded by tall lush trees. The whole field was filled with beautiful glowing fireflies and the sky above was showing the milky-way galaxy with millions of twinkling stars.

"M-Manikkk... T-this." Nandini was speechless, she was not able to form any proper words. She was completely awestrucked by the pure, sheer beauty of Nature in front of her with her favourite fireflies glowing brightly everywhere around her and the stars sparkling brilliantly above her head.

"So did you like the surprise, this is one of the places where both your and mine favourites meet... Your fireflies and my stars." Manik said while admiring her angelic face which was shining beautifully in the glow of fireflies and starlight.

Nandini turned towards Manik and hugged him tightly which he returned happily, and said with immense joy" Thank you, thank you so much Manik ... This is beautiful, I love it. "

Manik broke the hug and then held her wrist again, pulling her forward with him," common let's go and settle down somewhere, there is another surprise waiting for you princess. "

As soon as Nandini heard Manik's word she smiled widely and said excitedly, "whattt!? There is more, Oh my Aiyappa!"

They reached an area in the middle of the clearing which was filled with small beautiful, pretty looking lovely, colourful wild flowers, making the place appear magical, enchanting like a fairy tale.

"Woowww! How did you find a place like this Manik?." Nandini asked in awe as she admired her entire surroundings.

"Tch... Don't you know nothing is impossible for Manik Malhotra." he replied with his usual cocky attitude and shrugged his shoulder.

Nandini ignored him and ran like a free child through the flower covered meadow which made Manik laugh cutely and then plopped down flat on her back and kept staring at the beautiful night with a gorgeous smile, enveloped in the sweet fragrance of the flowers... As the gentle cool breeze kept blowing all around making her long straight hair, the grasses and flowers sway gently along with the air , caressing Nandini's face, arms and legs.

While Manik couldn't take his eyes off from the epitome of beauty and simplicity sitting right there in front of him under the soft moonlight... even for a second.

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How was the chapter, few words... The night is still long... What surprises more has Manik planned for Nandini... Are you guys liking the date so far?

Bye and stay safe,

Love you all,

Ria❤️