Nandini was still sinking in the beauty of her room. The room was filled with pastel colours just how she likes. Walls packed with white marble with golden border and so were the flooring with black and white texture. A big window in front of here was giving a good view of nature and lawn of the Villa with soul-soothing humid air flowing through it. 

The sides of the window were covered with a light shade of cream curtains matching perfectly with the room. her bed looked so fluffy covered with white and Tortilla colours of pillows and duet. It's footboard and side rails covered with Tortilla shade of brown with the same colour of headboard and bed couch. 

The bathroom was attached to the left side of her bed and Tv unit set in the front with the texture of Coffe and Tortilla shade with the light golden border but what caught her attention the most was the portrait of a firefly which was glowing in reflection of ceiling lights. 

Nandini sat on the fluffy and snuggly bed for a moment admiring the firefly portrait but then the bed was inviting her to have a tranquil slumber in its arms and she was about to accept the offer when she heard a knock on the door. 

Giving a pouty face to the bed she sighed and got up to see who was at the door. 

"Helloooo bha... Bella... Hello Bella!"  

Nandini was greeted with a very enthusiastic  Meher standing in front of her accompanied by her mother. 

"Bella!? and Hello to you too Miss Malhotra." Nandini smiled at both of them. She doesn't know why but being around Meher does give her a lot of positive vibes and her personality forces you to be happy around her. 

'Manik is blessed!' She thought looking at his sister. 

She then looked at her Mumma and asked if she was okay through their eye language. Shikha blinked in assurance getting a smile of her daughter in return. 

"Oh-hoo Bella what's with the formality, you can call me whatever you want, but I prefer hearing a nickname from you other than my name. You know just like I call you Bella which also means beautiful, I could have called you beautiful, but I'm very lazy to call you beautiful so I cut short beautiful to word Bella which is also cute. But do tell me if someone already calls you Bella because I don't want to nickname you what others already have, Meher Malhotra is a synonym of uniqueness so I need to maintain by the tag. You know..." 

"Meher?" Her rant was interrupted by Shikha who was silent spectator till now, who was smilingly widely at the girl who brought a smile on her daughter's face. 

"Ji Aunty!" 

"We came here for something, remember!?" Shikha had a tinge of humour in her voice. 

As soon as the realisation hit she bit tongue timidly closely her eyes. She linked her hands with Nandini and did the same with Shikha and started dragging them making them gasp in shock. 

"Meher..." 

"I'm sorry Bella and Shikha Aunty,  but you guys need to walk fast before the family members kill me. You know they might be waiting for us in the dining room and I might warn you hungry Malhotras are is equal to angry Malhotras  and angry Malhotras is never a good sight!" Nandini chuckled at her complaining tone while Shikha just shook her head at the little girl and her antics. 

She is same as Nandini... or was, Shikha thought looking at Meher and Nandini. She misses her bubbly, content with everything and happy Nandini.  

*At The Dining Table* 

"Cabir?" Ansh called him while looking at his father, whose constant gaze was on the staircase, but before Cabir could reply they heard Vihan's happy voice. 

"Finally!" Vihan exclaimed as soon as he saw the three ladies descending the stairs. 

"I'm sure she might have been boring you with her rants, right Nandini?" Cabir snickered. 

"Navya Bhabhi!" before Nandini could say something Meher called Navya which immediately made Cabir shut up much to Nandini's and Shikha's astonishment. 

'This family was not that typical Mafia family you see in the films or read in the books.' Nandini thought looking at their happy faces and then it struck her that one of the important faces of the family was missing.  

"Now will you people stop your bickering? I and my baby is hungry." Sharanya cried 

As soon as Shikha saw that Sharanya was standing her motherly instincts kicked in, "Shranya why are you standing, it's not good for you to stand for a long time and if you were hungry you should have ha0d your meal without waiting for anyone, you are eating for two beta." 

To say everyone wasn't sweetly surprised and happy would be wrong. 

This Malhotra family had everything money, fame, family relations, shoulders to lean on when tired, eyes to trust upon but no motherly figure to guide, to scold, to love, to pamper.  

Looking at everyone's face Shikha stopped and looked ay everyone's amused yet shocked faces making her realize about what happened moments back.

Taking their silence in a negative way Shikha cleared her throat getting ready to apologise but before she could utter something Sharanya spoke with slightly moist eyes.

"Thank You"

She gulped the lump formed in her larynx and smiled with happy tears in her eyes. 

"I-- Yesterday I was missing my mother and I cried in Rehan's arms. I-- I wanted a mother's warmth to protect me, to -- to tell me that its okay to be nervous, it's your first baby after all. To scold me when I'm not taking proper care of myself. I begged in front of Bappa yesterday that I need my mother with me to pass through this phase, but I never knew he'll be fulfiling my wish this soon." A mixture of sob and laugh escaped through her while Rehan side hugged her trying to soothe her. 

Shikha's eyes were filled with empathy and care for her. She looked at her daughter who blinked her eyes as if agreeing to what her mother was thinking. 

Shikha moved towards Sharnya "Come here" she whispered and as soon as she Shika said it Sharanya launched herself in her arms.   

"Careful bacche. Everything is fine. Stop crying. Everyone is here. I don't know what happened to you and your mom or why she is not here but whenever you miss her you know where to find me right?" Sharanya sniffed and nodded in affirmation. 

"Good. I'll not be able to take the place of your mother in your life because its special and only mothers deserve to be there but I can be a motherly figure you need in your life." This made everyone smile. 

"Can I also be counted in this Masi maa?" A meek voice asked. 

Shikha smiled and forwarded her another arm "You don't need to ask Meher." 

Meher gave a toothy smile and ran to hug Shikha. 

"I also want to be a part!" four voices spoke together making everyone laugh. 

"And I would say the same I said to Meher." Shikha gave an inviting smile making Aparna, Navya, Mukti and Aliya squeal in delight making their respective partners admire them. 

And for a surprise, Deven also had the same admiring look --- for Shikha? 

Which was observed by Cabir, Abhimanyu, Ansh and Vihan who gave each other amused smirks. 

"Thank you" Nandini was startled when she heard a voice close to her ears. 

She gasped and tried to control her heartbeat. 

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you but thank you." Manik thanked her again who was till now observing everything from the entrance of the dining room. 

"Umm..." Nandini moved forward to maintain some distance from him much to Manik's dislike. 

Nandini was already struggling to control her heartbeat from the scare and Manik's proximity wasn't helping her to bring her heartbeat back to normal. 

"You okay?" Manik asked after observing her slightly pale face. 

"Yeah--- Yeah. I--I'm completely fine--- I guess." 

"Relax Nandini. I'm sorry again." Manik gave her a small soothing smile.

"No, it's-- it's completely fine and you are thanking a wrong person Manik. You should thank Shikha Maa not me she is the one who is making your family happy not me." 

"How do you know that I'm thanking you for this."  

"Its Obvious Manik." 

"Not really. But you deserve a thank you too. On the first day itself, you are proving my decisions correct so Thank you Nandini." 

This time his sentence made her confuse, 

'Was he talking about the decision he made of making me live in his house or something else?' She thought but didn't pry more.  

*** 

Manik came out of her washroom after a much needed soothing hot shower changing into his night suit he slumped down on his bed for a much-needed sleep he was on the verge of slipping into a deep slumber when he heard someone knocking his door.

*knock knock
*knock knock* 

Manik groaned and murmured profanities under his breath thinking it might be Meher or Cabir and Vihan ready to irritate him with their silly problems. 

"They are so dead now!" Manik murmured to himself 

He moved to open the door with a sour face only to find a nervous-looking figure standing there which automatically changed his mood and face both from sour to delightful. 

"Nandini?" 

"Yeah, sorry to disturb you Manik but I need to discuss something important with you. So-- can we?" Nandini was fidgeting nervously. She could have waited till tomorrow morning but her willy brain wasn't letting hers sleep. So she finally concluded that talking with Manik about the deal would be good.

Manik guessed regarding what she wanted to talk but was in delusion if its a right time to disclose it. 

"Only if you aren't busy." She added seeing the reluctancy on his face. 

Manik gave her a small smile "I'm not busy Nandini. Come with me." 

Manik reached his office with Nandini behind him. Entering the pin and scanning his finger both of the waited for the office to open. 

"Come" Manik moved aside to give her space. 

Nandini entered in what seemed like one-bedroom kitchen apartment to her. 

The office was very spacious with she didn't know which flooring but she was sure it was expensive with plush silky soft carpet enhancing the beauty of the floor. Next, she saw was a spacious library to her left which maybe has all types of books looking at how huge it was! 

To her right was a small kitchen which only had utensils and a compact refrigerator. To the side was another door which she assumed as a bedroom as she saw a glimpse of a bed's headboard.  

In the middle, she saw an enormous table standing with pride made up of palmwood maybe with glass on top, and was it handcrafted? 

"Is the table made up of Palmwood?" She couldn't control herself from asking and pointed towards the table. 

"Yeah Palmwood and Bamboo." 

'Woah. The Mafia boy is a nature lover!'  Her conscience teased.  

"How do you know its Palmwood?"  Manik asked out of curiosity. It's not like everyone know palmwood and it confuses people with its ability to look similar to wood. 

"I attended an ecofriendly carpentry workshop." She shrugged and Manik gave her an 'I'm impressed' smile. 

There was eerie of silence which was making her nervous and Manik passing smile wasn't helping her. Nandini just looking around unable to take this silence any more Nandini came to the point for which they came to discuss here. 

"So?" that bought Manik back from his 'smiling slash admiring session' of Nandini

"Yeah. Sit Nandini we need to discuss something important and for that, I need you to listen to me patiently and keep an open mind, okay?" 

The seriousness in his voice was like a disclaimer for Nandini that whatever she is going to hear further is going to be distressing. 

She took a deep breath and nodded him to continue. 

Manik sighed and removed a black folder from his case and slide in front of Nandini. 

"These are the deal papers I signed with Neha." He paused "According to them she has -- umm -- She has sol --- I mean exchanged --- exchanged you with some amount of money I offered her."

*** 

The four brothers were sitting in the lawn couch with a beer can in there hands thinking something deeply. Cabir and Vihan sitting in opposite to each other on the single chairs kept left and right of the couch that was set in the middle where Vansh and Abhimanyu asses were settled. Vihan was looking at everyone's face that's when he noticed Cabir smirking 

'Why is he smirking like this as if he has solved the mystery behind the Bermuda Triangle and I doubt that somewhere Cabir Bhai's doubt and my doubt are same, I think I should clear the doubt so there will be no doubt on what Cabir Bhai is doubting.'  Vihan thought looking at Cabir

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking Cabir Bhai?" Vihan who was sitting to Abhimanyu and Vansh's left caught their attention. They looked at Cabir whose lips didn't leave the smirk yet instead he was smirking more now. 

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking little bro?" Abhimanyu and Vansh now looked at Cabir who was to their right with raised eyebrows trying to decipher what was happening. 

"What are you thinking?" Now their (Vansh and Abhimanyu) heads snapped towards Left 

"What are you thinking?" Now right 

"I'm thinking what are you thinking?" Left  

"I'm also thinking what are you thinking?" Right  

"Then tell me what I'm thinking?" Left 

"First, you tell me what I'm thinking?" Right

"Wait, How do you know what I'm thinking?" Left  

"Then, how do you know what I'm thinking?"  Right

"Why do you think...." Having enough of the TT game of words Abhimanyu palmed Vihan's mouth

"Then why do you think...." and Vansh did the same with Cabir.  

"Abey oh, T-series ke gaano jesa Joey and Rachel ka reprised version will you both stop and tell us what you both have found? 

"Haa Cabir Bhai tell us," Vihan demanded. 

"Why should I be the first one, Vihan will say," Cabir demanded 

"I swear if both of you didn't open your mouth I'm calling Manik now, and I think you both remember what happened last time when you broke his sleep." Vansh threatened which turned their faces pale remembering the punishment Manik gave them. 

"Okay, Vihan on the count of three," Cabir said as soon as he remembered the punishment tp save himself and his sometimes saviour and all-time crime partner Vihan. 

Vihan nodded at waited for Cabir to count. 

"Okay. Three!" Abhimanyu and Vansh rolled their eyes at the crime partner's 'count of three' version. 

"IthinkDevenunclelikesNandini'smom"

"The Fuck"