~ He loved her like she was the reason behind his existence. She loved him like she saw her own heart existing outside her body~

"Explain me the sunset".

"Come with me to Delhi".

"What Sunset?"

"Why Delhi?"

Both Manik and Nandini were baffled at the other's words, because both of them had not seen it coming from any possible direction. Manik sat up and Nandini followed suit, as they continued to stare at each other, not following the other one's line of thoughts. Manik broke the silence first.

"What Sunset are you asking about?", he arched his eyebrow and Nandini could see the smirk on his face, the reason of which she could not comprehend.

"That one lying in your study, the one you were working on before you fell asleep", Nandini shrugged, making faces. For some reason the sunset portrait had unsettled her, and Manik could see right through her as he shook his head, trying hard not to smile.

"What is so funny about this!", Nandini hit him with a pillow and that made him laugh, as he held the pillow in her hand, trying to dodge the next attack.

"What is so worrying in a sketch of sunset?", Manik questioned her back, tilting his head to one side as Nandini stilled, fidgeting suddenly.

She took a deep breath before blurting it out because keeping things in weren't her cup of tea.

"Sunset signifies endings. I know the quote about how endings can be beautiful and blah blah", she air quoted, shaking her head simultaneously, "but I don't like the idea of endings. Especially absurd endings. Also there were so many colours in there. I know I don't know a lot about paintings but usually extra colours define mixed emotions no? Are you confused? Are you upset? Why did you draw a sunset sudden-? ", Nandini was cut off when Manik pulled her into him and she fell right onto him as he lay down on his back with her over him.

Tucking her loose hairs behind her ears, he kissed the top of her nose. He loved watching the intense effect he had on Nandini, in the way she would immediately close her eyes, in the way she had literal goosebumps wherever he touched her.

"I am definitely rubbing off on you Mrs. Malhotra. So much worry over a portrait?", Manik chuckled, making her pout.

"Anything that concerns you make me worry. I don't want to loose you", Nandini was as usual blunt, she never knew how to Suger coat or say fancy things anyway unless she was teasing him. All her feelings were straight from her heart.

Nandini didn't realise what she spoke until she saw the sudden shine in her husband's eyes. The way his lips curved up, and his eyes would fill up with unadulterated adoration, and gratitude, Nandini loved those moments. It was in them that she knew Manik didn't need big surprises to be happy, he was over the moon just with her words and ecstatic with her love.

Manik made her rest her head on his bare chest, much to her annoyance because that would mean she could not stare in his eyes anymore. Kissing the top of her head, he wrapped her arms around her, nuzzling slightly.

"The best part about a picture is that it captures just a moment Nandini, and the best part about the magic in this world is there is a moment in the dawn and in the dusk, that is absolutely similar. Of course you won't know that because you are never up early enough to watch the sun rise", he ended up teasing her and she instinctively slapped his chest before sitting up, flaring her nose.

"Did you try to taunt my sleep?", she pointed her finger at him, fluffing her cheeks, trying to sound angry but ended up being look cute.

"That's all you heard from my speech?", Manik questioned back, his eye going wide and it acted a perfect distraction because Nandini forgot her question and started going over his words in her mind to know what important did he say.

"Ohh, so it was a sunrise? Not a sunset?", Nandini blinked in surprise, suddenly relaxed and all chirpy. Manik shook his head at her unpredictable behaviour and exhaled, taking in a long patient breath.

"Nandini, you really need to calm down and stop worrying so much, especially with respect to me", Manik held her by her shoulders, and stared right at her when she tried to answer back.

"But Manik, I care-", she was cut off by Manik who put his right index finger over her mouth to sush her.

"I know you do, and I am not asking you to stop caring. I am asking you to stop worrying, mainly because you and I are two very different person as individuals Nandini. We think quite different from each other. We understand each other too, but our first instincts are opposite to each other. You got yourself so worked up over a portrait that was sunset for you, and I made it as a sunrise", he sighed, before smiling slightly at her.

"Just so you know, that sunrise was you. I was picturing you while I drew it, which was precisely why it's so bright, so many colours, so many layers. It's my happiness and that's you. And you are acting like me, assuming the worst of every situation. Seeing it in either black or white. Now I understand we live together and it's common to pick up on each other's habit, but the good ones no? We shouldn't loose our individuality, especially in a bad way!", Manik explained, playing with her locks, as she shiftef herself into his lap, resting at ease now.

On giving it a thought, she realised he was right. Like he usually was. This brooding, over thinking, a bit pessimistic approach was Manik, not her and she was the colour of their life, and she needed to retain that to colour his monochrome life. All the chaos now made her chuckle and she laughed hard at her stupidity while Manik, with a smile dancing on her face, admired her like he always did.

To say she was such a intelligent, straight forward and independent women, but at times like these, she needed quite big lectures to keep her brain on right track. Manik now understood why her Appa worried so much about her.

" Oh I totally forgot, why Delhi?", Nandini turned to face him, who was lost in her and her question broke his trance.

"You remember I told you about that VIP case I took, the rape case of a minor? It's final hearing is in Delhi. So I was thinking if you could accompany me? We would get sometime to ourselves!", Manik was suddenly embarrassed, he looked down as he spoke, and didn't meet her eyes anymore.

" Are you by any chance asking me out to our long pending honeymoon?", Nandini rolled in her lips, her eyes dancing with mischeif.

" Uhh, maybe!", Manik scratched the back of his neck, his cheeks red from all the shyness and when he felt Nandini crossing her arms around his neck, adjusting herself on his lap, he could actually feel the blood rushing to his cheeks.

He thought she would kiss him on his lips, but Nandini simply kissed his forehead, long enough for him to enjoy being pampered, and then she smiled at him, the same smile he loved to death.

"Manik, you have every right to love me, any and every way you want. You don't need to be shy about it, because in all honesty, I want to love you, again and again, with the same desparation", She rested her head on his shoulder and Manik felt like his heart would burst with joy. He wasn't used to so much of it.

The next moment that Nandini registered, she was beneath him and he was above her, looking at her like she was the only thing that had ever mattered to him, and ever will. Shifting his weight enough to not hurt her, Manik wrapped his arm around her and hugged her tight, making space for his head to rest in her bosom as he inhaled her feminine scent, happy where he was.

"Just stay the same, don't change", he nuzzled, his voice so soft that Nandini felt her heart go crazy at it.

"I am not going to stop loving you Manik, not today, not ever. I will love you, till the stars shine and fireflies exist, okay?", she comforted him, and spoke to him like she would speak to a child but the smile that he gave her, in an answer to her words, was worth everything.

They finally slept, at peace and content from the core of their souls.

The next morning, Manik was in shower when he remembered he hadn't yet done their flight reservations. He hurried up, because his case was scheduled for next Monday and he needed to book them for at least Friday. Coming out of the shower, he was about to reach his phone when Nandini entered, yawning for she was still sleepy.

"What are you doing? You don't have the right to look so sexy okay?", she blabbered stopping Manik in his tracks, who turned around slow motion to see if she actually said it. Nandini was least bothered.

With blush creeping up his cheeks, he bit a smile.

" I was doing the reservations or else we won't get them on time", Manik explained as she settled on the bed, looking at him.

Snatching his phone from him, Nandini ordered him to get ready or else he would be late for work, while she did the reservations. Manik shrugged, and let her be, as he walked to his cupboard.

Nandini slid open his phone, scowling at how such a hot shot lawyer did not have his phone password protected but as soon as she saw the homescreen, her eyes went wide and a blush erupted on her cheeks this time.

Because covering the six inch display was her picture, and what amused her more that it was a old picture she remembered using as her WhatsApp DP a long time ago.

And by long time, she meant three years ago!

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P.S:  just so that you guys don't have to worry about next update and I have a deadline to work on, the next update will be coming Sunday.

I will be updating this story every Sunday now!