"Nandini don't you have friends here in Mumbai? I have never seen you hanging out" he asked her.

Nandini got a blanket, they spread it and laid down.

"Well, yeah i don't have friends here. The people i work with are just colleagues. I am not really a friendly person. It takes time for me, to gel up with strangers. And after coming here, i didn't have time to do that. Toh haan, ab tak no friend. In fact, my first friend here was your mom" she said.

"My mom?" he asked.

"That night when I forgot my keys and stayed at your place, we became friends then" she said.

"Good. waise accha hai to maintain a friendly relationship with your mothe" he stopped in between.

She looked at him, surprised to assume what he was going to say.

"Tumhe neend nai aa rahi hai Manik?" she asked, yawning.

"Tumhe aa rahi hain? You wanna sleep?" he asked.

"Nai, thoda sa bas. It's okay, we can talk" she said.

"Coffee?" he asked.

"Abhi abhi ice-cream khaaye hain Manik, and yes unlike for everyone, coffee doesn't help to stay up" she said.

"Really? That's strange" he said.

"Acha let's play something na" she said.

"Do you wanna learn snooker? Table bhi hain aur time bhi" he suggested.

With eyes wide open, she nod her head in yes.

"Yes yes yes! I would love to, and this time when appa comes, i am going to defeat him" she said.

They went in, Nandini was going to turn all the lights in the living room on when he signalled he to stop.

"Let's keep it dim" he said. There was a spotlight above the table, he turned that on and another small lamp.

Romantic setting mein snooker classes! Wow!

"Okay, so basically i play this for fun. For killing time when i am alone. But reason jo bhi ho, there are a few important things you need to know before getting started. And the first one is the grip, i mean the way you hold the cue. Come here let me show you" he said and she moved closer.

"Your right hand please" he asked.

"Okay so now, fix your fingers, and hold it like this" he said giving her the cue.

She held it but it definitely wasn't perfect.

"Let me show you" he said holding her hand and placing it properly.

"You got this" he said and took another cue.

"Watch me" he said and she did the same.

"The next thing is the bridge. So you place your left hand on the table" he said placing his hand and she did the same.

"Now spread your fingers and lift them up like i do" he said and she copied him.

"Bend down a bit, jaise you're placing weight on your left leg, especially the knee, this is called the stance" he said taking the position.

She tried to do it, failing miserably though.

"And that's it" he hit the cue ball.

"Your turn now" he said. She took the position, which wasn't approved by him.

"Hang on, let me help you" he said and came next to her.

Slowly holding her by her elbow, he stood behind her, locking their finger together.

Getting themselves closer to the table, he held her hand in the right position.

While it looked extremely normal to see, it was giving her jitters. Feeling him so close to her, was something different.

Nandini

I regret for saying okay to his snooker training proposal. I didn't imagine it would go something like this. His hands were magically moving on mine. The moment i felt his hand around my waist, i couldn't feel the ground under my feet anymore.

"Concentrate" he said noticing me getting lost.

"You're making it difficult" i said.

And the next moment i felt like slapping myself.

"Sorry?" he asked.

"Nothing, let's finish this" i said looking at him.

One more step he takes, and our faces could touch. I was being extremely careful to not let that happen.

"Okay, 3..2..1" he said and i moved the cue. It wasn't that bad of a strike.

"That's not bad" he said still in the same position.

I was trying to move, when his hands started travelling all the way to my shoulders. Extremely slow.

I could feel the bones getting loser under my skin with his touch. He was there right behind me, and I relaxed my back against him.

You see it was so quiet, so dim, and i could hear every breath of ours.

Slowly turning me around to face him, he tucked the curl that escaped it's way behind my ear. His touch was making me shiver from inside, but in some little unknown corner, it also made me want for more.

"This moment here....feels amazing. I feel so lucky to have you" he said, his fingers trailing down my cheek.

"It's all so dreamy" i said.

He moved closer, placing his lips on my nose, "Does it still feel dreamy?" he asked. I had to blush. Before i could recover, he did something so crazy.

He lift me up in his arms, and now I am sitting in the center of this snooker table. I have never pictured this kinda scene.

"Manik" i said and was about to get down when he held me by my shoulder.

"Wait" he said.

"Manik, let me get down. Yeh snooker table hain, couch nai" i said.

"Shhhh. Chup" he said with his finger on my lip.

Gooooooddd!! This man!!!

I nodded in yes, looking at the finger. He immediately took it off.

"I need to talk to you something, about us" he said.

"I thought we were over the talking part?" i asked.

"Not really" he said.

"Tell me what it is?" i asked.

"Okay, is it fine with you if we keep our relationship a secret for a while? I mean i don't think i can go public about us already" he said.

"But why?" i asked.

"See Nandini, i am still in the process of making a career. I am going in different ways now and i am expected to focus only on work and nothing else. If people get to know about us, i don't think it is going to do good for me. I just need some time. I promise i will set things up perfectly by then" he said.

"Manik, i don't have a big world outside unlike you. All i have is appa. And if he knows about this, i really don't care if anyone else does or not. If you think you need sometime then it's perfectly alright with me. We just started and it's no harm in taking it slow" i said.

"Thankyou for being so thoughtful" he said holding my hand.

"Now can i get down?" i asked.

"Absolutely" he said and i was thinking of how to get down, when without asking he again offered me help, by putting me down.

We were in the living room watching tv when he got a call.

"Excuse me" he said walking into the verandah.

He came back within a couple minutes.

"All good?" i asked.

"Not really" he said sitting down.

"Kya hua?" i asked.

"I totally forgot about my trip to America. I have this thing planned up like a month ago par date kuch fix nai hua. My manager just called to tell me that i need to travel tomorrow" he said.

What!

"Tomorrow?" i asked.

"Yeah, i really don't want to go. But i am part of a tv series and i have to go. No choice" he said.

"Okay" i was disappointed.

"It's just for a week" he said looking at me.

"Yeah. just a week" i said stressing on every word.

"Cherry look at me" he said and i looked at him.

"Are you worried?" he asked.

"I don't know, i mean we just started off, and you'll be gone for a week. I don't really like it" i said.

"You trust me right?" he asked.

I nodded in yes.

"You know i hate nods" he said.

"Yes" i said and he smiled.

"Toh phir? Don't worry, mumma bhi toh haina yaha. Agar tumhe time pass karni ho toh unke paas chalii jaana in fact mein toh kehta hoon yeh poora week tum mumma ke saath mere ghar hi ruk jao" he suggested.

"I will see" i said. I am actually comfortable in my place, i cannot adjust to new places quickly.

"Good, ab mein jaoon? Or you want me to stay?" he asked.

"Jao bohot late ho gaya. I need to go to work tomorrow" i said.

"Okay madam" he said getting up.

"Goodnight manik" i said.

"Mein toh apni girlfriend ko itni simple goodnight nai kahoonga" he said.

And the next moment, i hugged him.

I don't know why but i already started feeling insecure. I know it sounds so stupid. But something was bothering me.

"Acha, toh samajhne wale ko ishaara kaafi hain" he said hugging me back.

"I will miss you Manik" i said. I was trying not to cry.

"I will miss you more my cherry" he said. I pulled off making sure, no tear escaped.

He held my face between his warm hands, took me closer, and gave a soft kiss on my cheek.

And now I guess I really look like a cherry.

"Pastry hain?" he asked.

"Hain? Pastry? Nai kyun?" i asked.

"Cherry hain toh pastry bhi honi chahiye nai? Like cherry on chocolate cake? Remember?" he asked.

"Acha go now" i said pushing him off.

"Goodnight love" he said and i opened the door for him.

A smile was my reply.

"Text me when you go home" i said.

"Window" he said and got down the stairs.

I closed the door and ran to my room and opened the window.

And in a minute he was there.

I gave him a flying kiss and he caught it.

"Got it" he texted.

"Great. See you tomorrow" i replied.

He waved back and i closed the window.

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Hello, Happy Ganesh Chathurthi everyone. I hope you've all had a nice day.