Hello people, finally I am back.
As I had previously informed you, I am informing again. If I am MIA for long, please check my message board even if you are not following me. You will Atleast be updated about where I am and when will I update next.

Thankfully, this month my posting changed, and I have a little less laod this month, so updates will be frequent. I am not setting a date this time, because this week I have to catch up with other stories too, but I will let you know when will be the next update.

Last month had been too hectic, 12 hours a day shifts, my dad's surgery, my Nagpur classes, it had been all too much and I couldn't keep up with writing. I am really sorry for making you people wait.

Lastly, I am touched with so many messages asking me to update and telling me they miss my stories. This means the world. Now that I am back, would love to read your comments and views about the chapter.

Please don't stay bounded to 'beautiful', 'lovely chapter' and 'loved it. Please update next'. Tell me how you felt about it? *puppy face*

Also none of you guessed right. Read to know the answer, it's a long update and stop assuming the worst first, hahaha!!!!!

~ There could be a thousand reasons why you don't love someone, but there is never a single reason why you do love someone. The day you get a reason to justify, the love is over Sweetie ~

Nandini opened the gate and raised her eyebrows at the visitor who gave her his most innocent smile ever, scratching the nape of his neck, his eyes a little downcast and hairs messy. Nandini frowned.

Didn't Maa said she drove herself to here? Then what was Abhik da doing at her door?

"Abhik?", Mrs. Chattejee who had come to see what was taking Nandini so long, was equally confused. Abhik had a business party that he said would be attending with Manik, and also that it would be late return at night. Then what was he doing here? That too at Manik's door step?

But the expression on Abhik's face was almost like the fake innocent one Shinchan had just before being samcked by his mother on head and that was enough for Mrs. Chatterjee to know that he had done something mischievous.

"Abhik Chatterjee! What is it this time? And where is Manik?", she crossed her hands in front of her chest, and looked at her sternly who gulped. Twenty nine years but the terror of his mother was still the same.

Before Abhik could reply though, a head peeked from behind him, with a thirty two teeth wide grin adorning the chieseled face, hairs completely messed up, tie hanging loose and the shirt tucked out of his trousers.

"Maaaaaa!", Manik almost sang as he made the appearance, still grinning like a fool while Abhik slapped his head.

So much drama to hide this giant who sang his way to the front!

Nandini was stunned, her eyebrows ready to touch the sky as he took in her husband's appearance who swayed before entering, singing a monosyllable 'Maa' but stopped when his fell on Nandini who was standing closer to the door than Mrs. Chatterjee.

He pouted, and a smile formed on Nandini's tensed face watching the goofball her husband was, staring at her with an utterly confused face, trying to decide who to hug first, Nandini or Maa? And both the ladies could not bite back the fond smile that erupted on their faces, knowing they were both special to him.

Manik continued to look between Nandini and Mrs. Chatterjee several times, but when his eyes met his mother's, she gestured him towards Nandini, making Nandini blush for she noticed the exchange, and with a huge grin, Manik lept on to her, hugging the life out of her, publically for the first time since they were married.

"Sorry Bhabhi, he had way too more shots than he could handle, and hencd this", Abhik motioned towards Manik who still was wrapped around Nandini, mumbling things she could not even comprehend, but she nodded at Abhik, knowing fairly well that Manik had quite low tolerance for alcohol.

Mrs. Chatterjee winked at Nandini before leaving the couple alone, laughing at Nandini, and even Abhik could not help but give them teasing smiles, for the scene was too adorable, the way he had held her considering the difference in their heights, and he had to really bend to hold her. Until then, Nandini had kept her arms hanging by her side, clearly awkward but as soon as they left, she wrapped her arms around him too, feeling his heart beat in sync with her own.

"Manik?", she called him very softly, wanting him to loosen his hold so that she could close the door, but Manik paid no heed, he continued to hold her clumsily, muttering something under his breath.

"Manik please, let me go no? You also have to have some food!", Nandini requested again, and this time he left her with lightening speed, his eyes twinkling at her offer.

"Food? I want all the food in the world! Chicken tikka, white sauce pasta, waffles, panckes, sundae and mint chocochip! ", he clapped his hands, running his tongue over his lower lip, and said aloud, "Slurp slurp!!!".

Nandini giggled loudly, unable to control, before moving to close the gate but when she turned he was looking at her with a frown. Before she could question he stomped his foot, one after the other and started walking tandemly towards their bedroom, stumbling with the dining table, and then the wall in the process.

"Manik!", Nandini ran after him, trying to hold him but he pouted and jerked her hand away.

"Nandini is pretty but Manik is gussaa!", he rolled his eyes and sat down on the bed with a thump, unaware of the redness erupting on his 'pretty' wife's cheeks.

"and why is Manik angry?", Nandini sat beside him, softly cupping his cheeks. Manik threw his shoes away and sat on the bed, crossing his legs, playing with the half undone tie.

His entire concentration was on the tie, that was loosely hanging around his neck and he was trying to open the knot but failing miserably.

Nandini sighed before crossing her legs to sit on the bed, just in front of him, and helped him remove the tie from over his head, and then cupping both his cheeks which made him look at her.

"Now tell me, why is Manik angry?", she asked again, but Manik pulled away her hair clip in response and started twirling a loose tendril around his finger, before smiling wide.

"Why is Manik angry?", he continued to play repeating her question and Nandini rolled her eyes. She was already leaning towards her since he was pulling her hair in the process of his game.

"You smell so good", Manik suddenly leaned into her neck and sniffed her, "the shampoo is so good. I want this in my hair too, now!", he demanded, starting to get up and go towards the washroom but swayed again while Nandini rushed to hold him.

"Manik it's late, you can use my shampoo tomorrow no, please?", Nandini pleaded with him, but he shook his head stubbornly.

"Now, now now! I want that shampoo now so that-", he grinned mid sentence making Nandini raise her eyebrows, "so that you sniff me too", he smiled, entangling his arms around her neck, this time well aware of her red cheeks.

"Sometimes I want to eat you", Manik suddenly declared, and Nandini's eyes went wide like suacers, courtesy all the dirty double meaning thoughts she had been having all day since their text message encounter.

But Mnaik had plans of his own, he leaned into give a open mouth kiss on both her cheeks, and she could feel her skin burning.

"Laal laal gaal, jaise tamatar!", Manik giggled, while that brought Nandini out of her fantasy world, as she slapped his arm.

"You change your clothes first, I will bring food", she avoided his eyes as she handed him vest and comfy payjamas, but Manik continued to stare at it like he did not know what to do with it.

"I don't like clothes, it's so hot!", he dropped the clothes on the floor, before himself sitting on the bed. And then, started to beat the ground with his hand like he was playing drums, laughing.

Nandini slapepd her head, as she tried to pull him up but he was resisting it until he stopped at once. Everything happened in one second, him being pulled up by her and she losing balance, her falling on the bed and him over her, with his face right over her chest, such that his lips slightly grazed her mounds, sending shivers down her spine, but Manik who was completely unawre of his actions, continued to nestle in her chest, letting her deal with an entire zoo in her stomach alone.

"Manik!!!!!", her voice came out extremely husky, and that made him raise his head and grabbing the opportunity she immediately rolled away, catching her breaths. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself before turning to Manik who was looking drowsy, and yet was counting the stars that were visible from their bedroom window.

"manik?"

"Nandini you know, twinkle twinkle was my favourite poem!", Manik exclaimed, and then jumped on the bed to lie down in her lap, holding her hand tight.

" If I tell you something, will you again laugh at me?", he asked, too innocently and it only made Nandini kiss his forehead before shaking her head.

"I love you", he smiled at her, and she smiled back, looking at him with deep profound love in her eyes.

"and You look pretty in pink!"

"and I love you too", she again kissed his temple.

"and I like when you talk to me all day without getting bored".

"I love you", it was his left cheek now.

"and I like when you say I am not bad, everyone else always told me I wasn't enough you know?"

"I love you Manik, you are enough for me", she kissed his other cheek, and jaw together.

"I cry alone at nights sometimes, wanting somebody to tell me it would be all right, but there is no one, and you are also sleeping", his voice had a complain she has never heard before, his eyes almost dropping as he stared at her, "Why are you crying?", his face held confusion.

She sucked in  a breath at that, and bent to kiss both his eyes.

"When was the last time you cried alone?", she asked, but Manik made a face, and didn't answer, instead got up from her lap and sat with a super grumpy face.

Nandini tried to go closer to him, but he won't let her, instead look at her with angry eyes and angry face, jerking her away. It took her a few minutes but she realised the folly.

He did not want her to question him or anything, all he wanted was her confession.

"I love you", she smiled at him sweetly and watched him grin again, before jumping to sit beside her.

"and I make better white sauce pasta than you".

"and I love you", she kissed his shoulder this time.

"and I want to hold you close you know, but you always go away from me. Bad girl",Manik made a face, and Nandini held her ears at that.

"I love you", she kissed the side of his neck, making him grin again.

He looked at her, trying to poke her nose but he couldn't. His finger was constantly misisng the target.

"Nandini I agree I love you, but one Nandini is enough, I do not need, one. Two, three, four- baabare, four four. Nandu!", Manik exclaimed horrified, making her chuckle slightly.

"Four Nandu means four times the love know Manik?", she kissed the top of his nose, simultaneously opening the buttons of his shirt and helped him out of it.

"Wow, so much love. For me?", he pointed at himself, so happy and surprised that down the line it hurt Nandini to know that even subconsciously he believed he wasn't enough.

"Yeay!!!", he smiled happily before slouching on the bed.. Nandini helped remove his socks, his watch and his wallet, while he kept lying down humming to himself.

"laal laal gaal jaise tamatar!"

Nandini sat beside him, and switched off the main light, lighting only the night lamp before patting him to sleep. He got so excited at the prospect that he happily rolled to his side and let him pat her.

"uhh Nandu, not here. On my head, and slow", he instructed her half sleepy, and she followed his command shaking her head.

In a few minutes he was asleep.

Nandini covered him with a comforter before sighing and slipping in beside him. He looked so serene, like a drop of rain on the fresh leaf.

She snuggled closer, and he let her, wrapping his arms around her.

This was bliss, she thought, her other haywire thoughts could wait. Right now, with her head on his chest, she wished for nothing more but time to freeze.