Hello Fam :)

Happy Reading...

Reaching the cliff, Manik saw Nandini there smiling and sighed heavily seeing her smile after this long. Nandu while walking towards them, messaged Manik to collect all his packets and follow her, making him nod his head in disbelief. Meanwhile, she thanked the driver and asked him to go home, taking her car.

Manik collected all the packets and raised his eyebrow seeing all the decor there.

Manik(glared): when I am standing here right in front of you, why are you messaging me? Baat nahi kar sakti thi?

Nandu(nodding her head in disbelief): Hey Bhagwan, kitne questions puchte ho tum.

Manik(looking around): Why this decor?

Nandu(glared): Dude, it's my birthday tonight.

Manik(guiltily): Sorry, main bhul gaya. I am feeling so useless right now. This is the first time and..

Nandu(cutting him off): Shh..Manik. Many birthdays will come for us to celebrate. Stop all this and idiot, tujhe packets open nahi karne kya?

Manik(chuckles): Ok, I know these are sorry cards but why these many? Inke chakkar mein main aadha Mumbai ghoom aaya hun.

Nandu(ignoring his question): Put all these on the ground and start opening them one by one according to their number. Before that let me take this one.

All the packets were red in color except one which was white. Nandu takes the white one.

Manik(suspiciously): Usme kya hai?

Nandu(whined): Tujhe maine itne sare diye na, us par concentrate kar na. Why are you bothered about my packet?

Manik(teased): Usme tune nuclear bomb ka secret dala hai kya?

Nandu(scolded): Shut up and open. You are wasting a lot of time. And one more condition, you shouldn't talk till the time you open all these.

Manik pouts but opens it one by one. All the packets had one placard each and some words written on it. He started reading them one by one.

1 - On the day I was born, I got my first gift, my best friend. I won't lose you at any cost with my stupidities. But you know main kuch bhi karu woh gadbad ho jata hai. I will try not to do any such stuff that will put our relationship in trouble.

Manik(smiled): Good to know. But I will be there to pull you back to me whenever any unexpected situation tries to take you away from me.

Nandu grinned.

Nandu(whined): But maine tujhe bolne se mana kiya tha?

Manik(smirked): Aaj tak humne kuch bhi according tu rule kiya hai kya aaj karenge.

She pouted.

2 - I will always include you in my pranks or my craziness because jab main pakdi jayungi there should be someone who will cover me up, right? Remember, you are my shining armor who protects me from the whole world including my own parents.

Manik(pissed): Haan of course. Mujhe include kar aur kisi din papa aur Ishu maa ko lagega main tujhe bigad raha hun.

Nandu(pissed): Nahi lagega. Remember you are their ladla. Meri toh fikar hi nahi rehti unhe. Bahar jayenge toh bhi tujhe hi call karte hai.

Manik(sarcastically): That's because tu apna mobile kahi bhi phenk kar ghumti hai. Or you won’t pick up the call because you will be ‘busy’ playing some stupid games in it.

Nandu smiled sheepishly.

3 - I won't make you hell angry on me because main jab tujhe ignore karti hun, you become restless. But agar tu mujhe ignore karega, I can't even move an inch, Manik. You are as important to me as my breath. Maybe more. Because I know even if my breath stops any day, you will somehow make me alive with your magic.

Nandu(shyly): I know yeh thoda cheesy tha, but you are my magician. Tu kahi se bhi mere problems ka solution nikal deta hai.

Manik(casually): Because I can't see you in trouble. If you are safe and happy, I am at peace.

Nandu tried not to get emotional right now.

4 - I won't flirt with any guy. Don't believe me now. Because I am lying partially. Agar mujhe koi cute sa ladka pasand aa gaya toh, I will check him out and we will together make fun of him but you don't need to kidnap him for me. You are more than enough.

Manik(sighed in relief): Thank God, mere par at least koi kidnapping cases nahi rahenge. Nahi toh meri puri reputation kharab ho jayegi.

Nandu(raising an eyebrow): Aur agar koi mujhe irritate kar raha hai toh you have to murder him. Us case ka kya?

Manik(seriously): Pagal hai? Tujhe koi irritate kare aur woh zinda bhi rahega? Not possible. Dono saath mein murder karenge. Case ka tension mat le, Dad or Papa bail karwa denge hamara.

Nandu grins.

5 - I will always stay by your side in all your ups and downs. Agar tu mujhe chod kar jane ki sochega phir bhi main tujhe fevicol se chipka kar rakhungi. Because I need you always.

Manik(whines): Not fevicol yaar Nandu. Mera skin kharab ho jayega.

Nandu(suggested): Only haath par fevicol dalun? Phir bachpan ki tarah we can peel of that layer. That's fun.

Manik(smiled): Ok. Agreed. But fevicol ki bhi zaroorat nahi padegi shayad. Main tujhe chod kar kaha jayunga? Agar kabhi gusse mein chala bhi gaya, tu statue bol de, rukh jayunga.

Nandu chuckles.

6 - Main tujhe Chand tare tod lane kabhi nahi bolungi because they are just a ball of rocks and gases. And also because I have the brightest star with me, YOU. Instead, I forever will be your star gazing partner.

Manik(winks): And you are my brightest star. My binary star partner.

Nandu(surprised): Tujhe ye yaad tha? But you were drunk that night?

Manik(chuckled): Idiot, mere subconscious state mein rahega toh hi bolunga na. I always felt this. Bass kabhi batane ka mauka nahi mila. Lekin tujhe kaise yaad hai?

Nandu(casually): pata nahi. I had slight glimpses. So, thoda thoda yaad hai. And Cabir ne baad mein bataya tha.

Manik nods.

7 - I won't irritate you with all those babu, shona, baby names because I love your name as it perfectly defines you, Manik, a gem.

Manik was confused about the last one. He looked towards her and found her already looking at him.

Manik(frowned): Nandu, Ye sab…

Nandu silently hands him the eighth card along with a small paper and asks him to read it too.

8 - These are my saath vachans to the most important person in my life.

Paper - Now place all the cards on the ground and turn them around.

He follows the instructions on the paper and finds these words.

I L O V E Y O U

Dumbstruck, he kept on staring those words with tears continuously streaming down his face. Words failed to come through his mouth making Nandini hell scared, who was looking down due to nervousness. Staring the ground, she blabbered.

Nandu(croaked): Manik, I am not forcing you. It's ok if you don't feel the same thing towards me. But please don't hate me or push me away.

She tried speaking further but instead, she was grabbed into a tight hug.

Manik(whispered): Shh...Murthy kitna bolti hai tu. It's true, getting into a relationship never crossed my mind, neither with you nor with anyone else. But now when there's a situation, I can't think of any other girl, Nandini, other than you. But wait a second.

He broke the hug making her frown.

Manik(pouts): Lekin mujhe pehle bolna tha na. Tune kyun bol diya?

Chuckling at him, she hugged him again and snuggled more into him.

Nandu(sincerely): You always do so much for me. You never need words, Manik. In these two days, I realized, your every single action only speaks the amount of love you have towards me. So today, it's my turn and waise bhi tune college mein bol diya na that you can't live without me. I got my answers from there.

Manik(teased): Right. Toh tu mujhe ache se propose kar. Yeh placards mein likh kar nahi, bol kar.

Glaring him, she went down on one knee.

Nandu(sarcastically): Mr. Manik Malhotra, are you willing to accept me, Nandini Murthy, as your girlfriend for the rest of your life.

Manik pretends to think hard when Nandu glares at him.

Nandu(warned): Malhotra, jaldi bol. Meri jeans kharab ho gayi toh teri Ishu maa mujhe pura ek ghanta lecture sunayegi. Phir tujhe hi unhe sambhalna hoga.

Manik chuckles at her and holds his hand in front of her, asking her to stand up. He picks her up and twirls her around, making her giggle. Putting her down, he looks into her eyes.

Manik(confessed): I love you, Nandini Murthy.

He places a deep long kiss on her forehead. They both settle down and gaze the stars, Nandu leaning on Manik and playing with his fingers.

Manik(puzzled): Nandini, how did you even realize that you love me? You were busy ignoring me, right?

Nandu(pouted): Tujhe sab aaj hi janana hai kya?

Manik(glared): Stop diverting the topic, Murthy. Tune mujhe more than 48 hours ignore kiya.

Nandu(teased): You are such a kid.

Manik(rolling his eyes): Look, who’s talking.

Nandu(excitedly): Acha, you remember that confession on the party day, right? Aryaman changed the word ‘hate’ with love. And Manik tujhe pata hai, it really looked like I am confessing love to you.

Manik(chuckles): Yes, I know. That was the funniest part of it. It sounded as if you were praising me.

Nandu(scared): Manik, papa said if you had taken those words seriously, I might have already lost you. Manik, I was so scared. I realized I shouldn’t be impulsive but I was too scared to even face you. I was thinking all those things. I couldn’t even stay at peace even for a second thinking about you leaving me.

Manik pulled her into a hug. She composed herself when she felt him crying. Breaking the hug, she looked at him and found him in tears but still smiling, as if trying to hide them.

Nandu(worriedly): Manik, tu ro raha hai. Mat ro na. I can’t see you like this. You are my anchor, you can’t cry.

Manik(wiping off his tears, chuckled): where’s that promise of yours, you said you will stay beside me in all my ups and downs.

Nandu(declared): Abhi toh promise kiya. Plan validity ke liye do din lagenge. You can’t cry now. That’s it.

Manik(emotionally): I am not crying. I am just so happy. You are the best gift I have ever got even before me asking anyone.

Nandu(whined): Manik, I am not a gift. Gifts bore lagne lagte hai kuch time baad. 

He smiled widely and took her into a hug.

Manik(kissing her hair): Meri Nandini kabhi bore nahi lagegi.

A/N - Okay, Manik's world always revolved around Nandini. He never even thought about the relationship they share. Hence, "I can't live without you" is his way of proposing her, unknowingly.
On the other hand, Nandu's world revolved around Manik and her crazy activities. Manik have always done so much for her and I felt it's Nandu's turn to confess her love for him.

Many people might have guessed about the confession but how many of you have guessed the placards thing? :P

I would love to read your guesses too.

I am too nervous about this chapter. Are you happy? Need your feedbacks. 😶😶