Disclaimer:This chapter contains religious scenes. I have taken help from gumaank & NeetiDhandal for some scenes in this story. Thank you so much for helping me. Readers please rectify my mistakes if you find any. Hope you have a great time reading this.

~❤~
The best love is the kind that awakens the soul; that makes us reach for more, that plants the fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds...
~❤~

Crying and whining I again tried getting up when I heard a loud sharp voice. KYA CHAL RHA HAI YAHAN?

Mar gyi! Aiyappaaaaa please aaj bacha lo I swear aaj ke baad kabhi aapki sweets ni churaogi! Lekin aaj iss monster se bacha lo!

I looked up at him and smiled sweetly. It only made him glare at me more. I made a sad face and pouted which he ignored mercilessly. Aaj toh pakka yeh monster mujhe kaccha chaba jayega.

Manik woh na main....woh actually..... Nandini jaldi ek excuse dhoondh warna yeh monster ka gussa na volcano ke lava ki tarah phatega.

Ni ni tum kyu kasht kar rhi ho main batata hoon na. I looked up at him sheepishly. Kitchen main dance kar rhi thi aur pair kahi pe bang kar diya ni?

I bit my lip. Woh kitchen saaf kar rhi thi aur woh mera favourite song play hone laga toh I......started dancing. The last part of a murmur to myself yet that monster heard it.

And let me guess your favourite song was none other than that stupid Sushant wala song right? I showed him my battisi making him glare at me more. I raised my hands and pouted lips indicating him to pick me up.

He walked inside the kitchen cursing me, harmlessly. He kept mumbling things like Pta ni yeh ladki kab badi hogi, jab dekho idhar udhar girti padti rehti hai, uss song aur uske hero dono ko main kisi din permanent ban laga dunga and many more. I smiled at his mumbles and wrapped my arms around his neck.

He carried me till the living room and placed me on the sofa. Kneeling in front of me he carefully examined my foot. He traced his fingers lightly near my ankle. Slowly he pressed my ankle making me whimper. Manikkkk! He looked up at me. Nodding his head he held my foot with his both the hands and TATTTT!

Aaaaaaaaa! Manikkkk! I whimpered.

Chup chap yahan baithi raho! Dare you move from here. Ordering me he stomped his way to my room and came out with a spray and band aid in his hand. I banged my palm on my forehead. Aiyappa! Manik thodi se chot ke liye why this crape bandage. Theek ho jaugi main.

Tumhari advice ni maangi maine. Just shut up and sit. He glared at me. Guineas Book Of World Records main na manik ka naam sabse top main hoga as the most angriest man living on earth. Huh!

Spraying the pain reliver he let the liquidy solution dry and then carefully wrapped the bandage. All the while I sat there with a grumpy face which my nirdaayi boyfriend ignored mercilessly. Urrrghhhh! Aiyappaaaaa why do I love this khadoos!

Aiyappa:teri choice hai. Mujhpe kyu chilla rhi hai.

Nandini:aap na rehne hi do! Kaash aapne isko itna hot ni bnaya hota. He trapped me in his charms.

Aiyappa:*happily munching on lays and ignores nandini's rants* lays khayegi yeh Naya flavour bohot mast hai.

Nandini:*looked blankly at the ceiling.*

Ghoor liya jitna ghoor na tha aiyappa ko! Manik's voice broke my aiyappa glaring session. Ab yeh lo haldi wala doodh piyo saara dard chala jayega. Seeing the milk in his hands my eyes twinkled and immediately grabbing the glass I licked my lips.

Khana de do bas iss ladki ko! Ignoring manik's comment I continued drinking the milk. Drinking it in one go I kept the glass down. Manik giggled. I raised my eye brows. He took out his phone. I was still confused. He placed his phone parallel to my face. The front camera was open and I could see a  moustache formed right above my lips.

Smiling I licked it with my tongue and smiled showing my battisi. Manik laughed and kissed my cheeks hard. Pagal baby mera. I laughed while he too seated beside me and hugged me. I snuggled in him. Accha nandini!

I looked up at him. He was smiling goofily. Phir iske dimaag main kuch ulta seedha chal rha hai. Don't you think I deserve a reward! I shifted a little away from him. Reward? Kis cheez ke liye?

Arrey main tumhe kitchen se utha ke yaha tak laaya aur phir tumhari marham patti bhi ki. Toh I atleast deserve a reward na. His eyes were shining and I exactly j ew what reward he wanted. Mr. One track mind.

Of course you deserve a reward. Infact I think itna kuch kiya tumne you deserve something really BIIIGGGG. I stretched the word big along with that I sexily scooted a little closer to him. He got all excited and and pulled me closer. Haina! Toh chalo like a good girl give me my BIG reward. Saying this manik leaned closer.

I got up from the sofa. He looked confused. I moved a little far away from him. Grabbing a thin cloth that was lying near the window I walked towards manik limping a little. Slowly and gradually I reached towards him and placed the cloth on his eyes. He was about to speak something and raised his hands when I stopped him by whispering in his ears.

Sshhhhhh! That immediately stopped him and he relaxed. Tying the cloth on his eyes I moved away. Aise kaise aapko reward mil jayega Mr. Malhotra! Thodi aur mehnat karni padegi aapko. I saw him smirk. He carefully got up from the sofa and started walking in my direction. I carefully slipped away from him.

{A/N:Guys Please imagine manik in place of the girl and nandini in place of the boy. Sorry couldn't find a perfect image. }

So acting naught with me! I giggled and again moved away. He turned around listening to my giggles. Nandini you need to keep quite. I thought to myself. Carefully tip toeing I moved from behind him. As if sensing it he immediately turned around. Flapping his hands in air he walked here and there. I kept circling around his distracting him. At one moment I stood behind the couch while manik was looking around.

Nandini bas na baby! Ab aa bhi jao mere paas. I awwed at his cute plead. Having teased him enough I slowly tiptoed right in front of him. Slowly I wrapped my hands around his neck. Feeling my touch he smiled widely and slid his arms onto my waist holding it tightly. No words were exchanged. Our faces were glowing and the smiles on our face. My cheeks hurt due to smiling yet it was nothing compared to the peace that I was getting seeing him smile.

He slowly bend his head and locked his lips with mine. We kept sucking on each others lips. In between the kiss I pulled out manik's blindfold and threw it away in some corner.

As if waiting for me to do that manik in an instant picked me and walked to my bedroom. He still didn't stop kissing me. It was a slow kiss.

He placed my on the bed carefully. Parting a lil away he asked, Does your foot pain? I smiled and pulled him closer. His forehead placed on mine and our nose touching each other. Not that much. Somebody treated it with so much love that the pain had to go away. He smiled and once again started kissing me.

He respects me a lot. He controls his desires. Till date not for once manik tried going any further. And that makes me love him even more. Manik continued kissing my entire face and my jaw and my neck. He sucked on my skin. I clutched his hair in my fingers and in return kissed his cheeks. He hid his face in my neck peppering light kisses there.

I have missed you so much nandini. I smiled and kissed his forehead. I have missed you too manik. But that project was important na. And now I m happy that you actually passed through it successfully. He  looked at me quizzically. How do you know miss? Are you stalking me? He asked me with one eye brow raised.

Tch. I don't need to stalk you. Your heart belongs to me. Your mind belongs to me. Your soul belongs to me. Whole of Manik Malhotra belong to Whole of Nandini Murthy.

He smiled widely and kissed my cheeks. I smiled. And waise bhi I am your lucky charm. Lucky charms ko sab pata hota hai. Even before its owner words it out. He kissed my forehead. Just the way I belong to you. Same way Only Manik Malhotra owns Nandini Murthy.

I nodded agreeing to his words. The rest of the evening passed in manik taking care of me and both of cuddling. I m glad I was able to distract manik. I don't know what tomorrow hold for us. Manik these days is quite disturbed. We all understand what he is going through. Just four more days manik and nidhi will be with us. I murmured in his ears and kissed his ear lobes. He smiled in his sleep sensing me. I too smiled and snuggled in him closing my eyes and lettings sleep engulf me.

4 Days Later.....

(Top Left:Nandini; Top Right:Mukti; Bottom Left:Navya; Bottom Centre:Cabir; Bottom Right: Manik. )

We all were travelling in cabir's car. Manik was the one driving with cabir seated beside him and mukti navya and me were seated behind. There was complete silence in the car. No music. No talks. Each one of us were fighting with our own thoughts. I was still dissolved on my thoughts when I saw a dargah on the laft side of the road.

Manik please left main ek second gaadi roko naa. All looked at me. Manik please. I pleaded again. He stopped the car finding an empty space and then again all looked at me. Guys waha dekho dargah!

Toh? Navya asked. Toh guys hum jis kaam ke rahe jaa rhe hai na woh hum sab ke liye bohot important hai toh agar hum ek baar bhagwan se pray karle toh isme kya burai hai.

Cabir turned around. Nandini it's a dargah and not a temple. I nooded. Haan cabir i know. I stepped out of the car and everyone followed me. Nandini dargah is a place where Muslims pray. Cabir again argued with me.

Accha! Kaha likha hai aisa. I don't see any hoarding over here that says only Muslims allowed, do you? My words left him speechless. Everyone was looking at me.

I believe every god is the same. It's us who have made this divisions. Allah jesus bhagwan waheguru sab ek hai bas naam alag hai. Aur agar mere yaha maatha taik ne se humare case Jitne ke chances 1% bhi badte hai toh kya galat hai. Mukti and navya immediately nodded while cabir too smiled.

Let's go. Zyada time ni hai. Cabir said and we all started walking towards the dargah except manik. Manik chalo? He just looked at me blankly. I don't believe in him. He hasn't given me any reason till date to have any faith in him. You guys go ahead I am waiting here. Come fast we have to reach on time. Saying this he sat inside the car.

I turned to look at cabir navya and mukti who looked at me with sad eyes. I motioned them to go inside. I walked back to the car and sat on the passenger seat. I placed my hand on his shoulder. Nandini please don't. I don't have time for all this. Just get done with this.

I looked at him with sad eyes. Only thing I would want to say is that he is the one who induces positivity in us. Aise kehte hi ki koi bhi kaam karne se pehle na inka naam laine se kaam main humesha success milta hai. He is the one who holds the strings to all our lives. I agree he hasn't given you a reason to believe in him. But manik you can give him a reason to believe in you. Tell him how capable you are. Tell him how much you love nidhi. And see how he will never leave your side. He will be there with you always protecting you.

Seeing no change in his demeanour I sighed in defeat and moved out. Once again I turned to look at him while he kept looking straight avoiding eye contact with me. I turned around and started walking.

{A/N:Please listen to the song in the media box.}

Maula wa sallim wa sallim da'iman abadan
Ala habi bika khairil khalqi kullihimi
Maula wa sallim wa sallim da'iman abadan
Ala habi bika khairil khalqi kullihimi

(O Mawla (Protector, speaking to Allah)
Send prayers and peace always and forever
Upon Your beloved, the best out of all of Creation.)

As soon as I stepped inside the dargah I felt a sudden peace engulfing me. I saw the ladies around there having either their duppatas wrapped around their head or are wearing burkhas. I immediately wrapped my scarf around my head. Walking more inside I spotted cabir with a napkin on his head and navya and mukti wearing scarfs just like me.

Muhammadun..
Muhammadun sayyidul kawnayni wa thaqalayn
Muhammadun sayyidul kawnayni wa thaqalayn
Wal fareeqayni min urbin'wa min'ajami
Wal fareeqayni min urbin'wa min'ajam

(Muhammad is the Sayyid (leader) of the two worlds.
And the guide of both the Arabs and the non-Arabs.
Both creations and of both groups Arabs and Non-Arabs.)

Walking towards them I joined them. Seeing me come alone they sighed while I too looked down. Not wanting to talk more on it we loved inside. There were too different sections for men and women and cabir moved there while I along with mukti and navya walked to where all the ladies were sitted.

Maula wa sallim wa salim da'iman abadan
Ala habi bika khairil khalqi kullihimi

Huzita fil lahilam tuzham wa'lam tahimi
Huzita fil lahilam tuzham wa'lam tahimi
Hataa ghuwadad ummatal islami finjoomi

(You (Muhammad) were guided by Allah and not defeated or weakened.
Until the Muslim Ummah remains among the stars.)

Cabir Navya and mukti had already taken a thaal that had flowers along with a chaddar and some attar. All four of us went there and gave the thaal to the Saint there.

Maula wa sallim wa sallim da'iman abadan
Ala habi bika khairil khalqi kullihimi
Maula wa sallim wa sallim da'iman abadan
Ala habi bika khairil khalqi kullihimi (x2)

Habiballah rasoolallah imam'al mursaleen (x4)

(Beloved of Allah, Messenger of Allah
Leader of the Messengers.)

After giving the thaal each one of us one by on bowed down in front of the grave. I too bent down. Aap jaante hai hum yaha kyu aaye hai. Aapke saamne maatha taik rahe hai aur aapse sirf itni Dua karti hoon ki please in logo ko Khushiyaan wapas lauta dijiye. Inn sabki jaan basti hai uss masoom bacchi main. Meri aapse bas itni request hai ki please hume humari nidhi wapas de dijiye. Bas itni hi Dua krti hoon.

I then got up and walked out. As soon as I stepped I saw people tying threads onto a criss crossed wall. Mannat ka dhaga. I took one from one of the shops there and walked upto that wall. I started tying that the thread on the wall when I felt a hand creep up and holding the dhaga. I looked upto see manik towering above me.

Allahumma salli ala sayyidina
Muhammadin wa ala ali
Sayyidina muhammadin
Wabarik wa sallim

(O Allah! Send your blessings and peace on our Master.
Muhammad and on Progeny of Muhammad.
Your favours and your blessings.)

He looked down at me with an intense look. I turned back and started tying the dhaga. This time manik too helped me tie. Together we tied the dhaga and then slipped our fingers in between the criss crosses and placed our forhead on the wall bowing down to the almighty before moving out of the dargah.

Cabir mukti and navya were already standing near the car. Seeing manik and me walk out together they smiled widely. Once again we all settled in the car with a peace surrounding us. We reached the court in next thirty minutes.

Manik parked the car and joined us as we all started walking inside the court. As soon as we stepped in nidhi, who was already there, came running and hugged manik's legs. Manik picked her up and kissed her face. Both of them had slight tears in their eyes. All of us became sad seeing these two.

Mamu aaj toh mujhe apne saath le jaoge na? Her question broke each one of us. Haan meri jaan. Pakka le jauge. Aapke bina aaj mamu ghar nhi jayege. Manik once again kissed her forehead. He then put her down while she hugged each one of us. At last when she came to me she hugged me real tight and whispered, I Love You. 

Awwing at her simple words I kissed her cheeks. At that very moment we saw the lawyers walking in I put nidhi down and she went running and sat on her place. Manik walked to the front panel and sat there. We followed him and sat on our places. Soon enough the judge walked in.

We all stood up in due respect and as he settled down motioning us to sit as well. It wasn't any criminal case where the defence and prosecution would put forth their arguments. It was a custody case where the judge would ask ask few questions to the respective sides and arrive to a conclusion.

He started reviewing the documents and then raised his head to address all of us. I request Mr. Malhotra to step onto the dias. Manik looked at us and then stepped in the dias. The judge asked him few questions regarding his finances his past his recent activities to which manik answered politely.

He repeated the same procedure with the head of the social services. The social services member pin pointed as to how manik failed to pay nidhi's school fees and how he failed as a gaurdian to which manik argued back.

My lord, I might have failed to pay her school fees. But please consider the fact that I lost my job. And why did I lost my job. Cause I was on a leave as my daughter was suffering from dengue and at that very moment she needed me. I was beside her taking care of her medical needs. She was weak and needed lots of care and attention. That is why I was on a leave. How did I fail as a father when my boss failed to understand my fatherly needs and fired me. I tried every possible way to find and new job but I didn't get one due to the recession in the market. Then how did I fail as a father.

Manik's voice turned shaky at the end. He was right. He never failed as a father. Never. The judge continued his questions. Some minutes later he asked manik and the social service head to take back their places. As soon as manik came back, cabir who was sitting next to him patted his back.

The judge broke our reverie. Keeping in mind all the documents and pros and cons, the custody of Nidhi Agnihotri will be given to......

The judge was interrupted by nidhi who was till now silently sitting and constantly fidgeting with the corners of her frock. Judge uncle. She said grabbing our attentions. All of us looked at her. She jumped down from the bench and walked a little ahead.

~❤~

I'm much more me when I'm with you

~❤~

Hello!
Long time, eh?! Sorry for the delay had my exams.
Hope you guys liked the update.
Do let me know your views on this update.
Thanks. ☺

P.S. It's been quite a long time since I gave cliffhangers, Ni?! 😈