M A N I K

Fu— "no swearing when my kids are around, Manik" nandini's voice still resonated in my ears.

"But Nandini, I swear in my mind," I argued with my pregnant wife who was having another mood swing today.

"Not even in your mind," she demanded and I gave her an you-are-unbelievable face. "Orelse I will get divorced to you," she pouted and I chuckled.

"Okay baba, no swearing," I agreed and she smiled proudly.

No Fuck.

"Myra, Aarav be good children. Daadu—Daadi ko pareshaan nahi karna, okay?" Nandini instructed them and they nodded, hiding their laughter.

"Offo Nandini, they are anyway the best grandchildren in the world. And if they won't throw tantrums here and trouble us, then where?" Mom smiled patting Nandini's back and Nandini laughed, nodding.

"Aapne hi kharab kar diya hai inhe mamma itna pyaar dekar. But they miss you so much, please aap ghar aa jao rehne," Nandini pleaded.

"Mein toh humesha se kehti hu, please shift with us na. Myra-Aarav will get their grandparents back, and Manik will get their parents," Nandini said and mom gave her a smile, touching her cheeks gently as I adored them.

"And what about you?" Mom asked and Nandini smiled sadly.

"I don't have my own mother. Mere liye toh joh bhi hain aap hi hai, so aapke aane se, I will get my parents too," Nandini smiled and mom hugged her.

I was so proud of my wife all the time but today when I looked at her talking to my mother, I was prouder than ever. She makes me so happy.

"I will think about it, I promise," mom smiled and Nandini nodded.

"But aaj toh rukh jao tum dono," mom argued and Nandini also pouted.

"Even I want to stay back, mamma. It's been so long since we've had good talks and you've taught me to cook new dishes. But Manik hain na! He's got some important meeting kal. So we have to go," Nandini retaliated and mom nodded.

"Work is also important," mom looked at me and I gave her an innocent face. She smiled. "But you promise that you come here soon to be with me, okay?"

"You heard Nandini, Maa. Aap aa jao na. Atleast come for a few weeks, see if you like it there and then make a decision. But aa jao, we miss you so much," I walked to her, kissing her hand and she held both our faces with one hand each.

She smiled at me with adore. "Acha, I will come. Okay?" I kissed her forehead.

"Bye Maa!" Nandini left me with mom and went to talk to her kids, instructing them about the night.

"You know, you are very lucky. Jaha most girls of today are happy to live separate from their in laws, your wife is asking us to come over," Mom asked and I smiled, keep my hands on her shoulder.

"I am lucky, Mom; very lucky. But Nandini ne galat nahi kaha, please come over. I have missed you," I held her and she smiled. Life was odd. Once, she held me, and today, I held her.

"I will bacha. You've grown up, Manik. You have kids. And khud ko dekho, still a kid," she teased and I chuckled.

"Your kid," I whispered hugging her. "Ah my big boy, your mother missed you too," she nodded and giving her a tight hug, I walked away.

"Manik," she called and I turned. "I'm happy you've accepted us in your life again, beta," she smiled and I looked down.

"I never forgot you mom, aap bhul gaye the mujhe," I said slowly and a sad smile adorned her face.

"I'm sorry beta," she said and I sighed.

"It was the past, mum. Forget it. This is the present and we're looking forward to the future, together," I told her and she smiled.

"Ab mein jau? Nandini is waiting!" I called and she waved me, even my children did as I ran to the car where Nandini waited for me outside.

I went out to see Nandini sitting on the drivers seat instead of the passengers. "Hey? You're driving?" I asked and she smiled.

"Yes, Mr. Malhotra. I am your new driver. Hop in," she called and I made an impressed face sitting beside her.

"We're going for a date, Mr. Malhotra," she informed and I smiled taking her hand in mine as I lifted our hands together, kissing it softly.

"Don't you dare disturb me while I drive, unless you want an accident," she teased and I smiled. I loved her. More than anyone else in this world and I'd continue to love her like that, until my last breath and even beyond that if possible.

Not so shockingly, her date wasn't very far away. Just a few minutes away, and the place was surprisingly familiar to me. A thick layer of trees covered the entire place with hay sticks and still exactly the right amount of light managed to peep inside, illuminating it.

As I walked inside, and I saw a grave ahead of me, a sweet memory flashed in before my eyes from six years back. Our date, and an unforgettable one if I might add.

"May I know what kind of date do we have in a graveyard?" I frowned and she giggled as she finally left me and I looked around our creepy surroundings.

"Sssh Manik. Don't you know I am? Nandini Murthy. And Nandini Murthy always does things little hatke!" She smiled proudly.

"Acha...!" I said as my hands encircled her waist pulling her closer and she nodded shyly.

"So....", I traced my finger on her face. "Toh agar this is hatke then aage kya? Raste mein romance, temple mein shaadi, hut mein honeymoon, forest mein bache. Beautiful fairy tale, haina?" I asked and her eyes widened as she bit her lower lip.

My nose brushed her cheek and she held my collar as she pushed me away and I frowned.

"Manik, what are you up to? Graveyard mein bhi tumhe itne cheap jokes aur romance sujh raha hai, seriously?" She asked and I stared at her in disbelief.

"Acha! Toh graveyard mein date is okay but graveyard mein romance and jokes are not okay, seriously?" I mocked at her in the same way and she opened her mouth to speak something but closed it again and I had a victory smirk as I did a small victory dance in my heart.

"Manik!", she cribbed. "Tum- Because of you we are going off track. We are hear on a very important mission!" She said with excitement.

"Really. Important mission, nahi? Kya karna hai? Dead bodies ko identify karna hai? Tum koi chupi hui CBI agent ho kya?" I teased rolling my eyes and she made a disgusted face.

"Manik! Mujhe na tumhaare saath is date pe aana hi nahi tha! I should have got someone better, jo atleast aise cheap jokes toh nahi maare!" She said with a fake angry face as she pouted and looked away and I could kiss her right there and then.

"Can I kiss you?" I asked in trance and her eyes widened as she looked back at me.

"Kyu?" She asked with a shy smile as she took a step towards me and I held her waist, her hands encircled around my neck.

"So that the ghosts here know that this beauty belongs to the beast himself!" I smirked as my lips lingered upon hers and she closed her eyes, the red hue spreading over her face.

"Manik!" She brought me out of my thoughts and I was smiling at her like an idiot.

"So you already know why are we here?" She asked and I nodded negatively. I remembered our date but I couldn't know what would be the reason to revisit this place after seven years.

"We're visiting MaNan, Manik!" She blurted, half annoyed. Manan? Who's MaNan?

She pointed towards the corner and an almost half grown tree stood there and then I remembered the magic seeds that we had planted. "Tumne—....?" My voice trailed off and I couldn't stop smiling.

"Yes, hubby!" She was overwhelmed, "I payed them through the years to take care of our little seedlings and look how they've grown, into a half grown tree!"

We walked ahead too it and saw the MaNan that we had once engraved there as still there as if it was fresh. As if answering my thoughts, she said, "I asked the caretakers here to not erase this, I wanted to save this memory for us till one day that we come back and see this with our kids and when we're old with grey hair, this would mark our eternity," she slowly slipped her hand in mine and I looked at her with love.

"Do you remember what I had told you when we planted this tree Manik?" She asked and I nodded. It was seven years back but the faint voice still reminded me of the beautiful words she spoke, because they were unforgetful.

"See, Manik it grew! And look at the surroundings, it's so creepy. It's dark, so many insects, and vultures and what not. Weird sounds, bohot bad, nahi?" She asked and I nodded as I sat near her and she held my hand in hers.

"Our Love is like that. Days might be dark, we might fight, some days we might scream, we might even pull each other's hair and as well hit each other with pillows. In the worst conditions, I might try to leave Home and run away, you might even curse at me in anger. But nevertheless, our love will grow. No matter what, it will grow stronger and thicker. Binding us together, humesha, just like this plant that grows notwithstanding the bad conditions around!" She smiled and her words directly touched my heart.

I smiled at her and saw her already smiling at me with raised eyebrows. "And see, our love grew," she reminded me and I laughed at her excitement.

"Kaise time change ho gaya na Nandini, we were in our twenties, still playing around, enjoying life. You were trying to patch me back with my family and we hadn't even thought about marriage. Leave marriage, we did not even know that we'll reach this far together in life. And now? We're getting older, we are not only happily married, we have children. I've accepted my family back and from being my personal assistant, you're my wife. We've had so many ups and downs and it amazes me to see how we're still together, holding each other's hand and looking forward to our future," I smiled. This was the only thing I spoke in a long time and she kissed our entwined hands.

"Like I say, we have no idea what the future holds for us. But right now, here, I want a promise from you, Manik," she requested and I turned to her, putting her lose hair traces behind her ear.

"I want you to promise me, that whatever happens ahead, we will always be by each other's side; and no more secrets between us anymore," she asked and I nodded, kissing her forehead.

"No more secrets, I promise I will never hide anything from you ever again. Thank you to forgive me this once," I pleaded and she smiled, "thank youu, for accepting me the way I am," she added.

"Accepting you? You are perfect, baby. I am tainted. I was tainted. And I will be tainted. And a forever of thank you will not be enough for what you have done for me. I remember myself as a monster, always shouting on everyone, pushing you away. I insulted you. Because of me, Soha insulted you so miserably," I told And she nodded negatively, tears filling her eyes. I kept my finger on her lips, telling further.

"Because of me you left India and everyone you loved, you stayed in London. Because of me, Harshad almost harassed you. Because of me you were so broken. Because of me you almost died while giving birth to our kids. Every problem you've ever had is because of me. And what have you done in return? You have loved me, endlessly. You have given the orphan his family. Thank you, baby," I didn't realise how my eyes moisturised and I drunk away the upbringing feelings.

"That's a lie, Manik. Because of me you've undergone problems as well. But you know what matters? That we've been together all this while and we still are. That matters. And for me, what we've been though doesn't matter. Our present does, our future will. And I have the most beautiful family, because of you. Can I ever thank you for that? You have made just a personal assistant of yours feel so special, made her your wife, a mother. You make me, me Manik. I love you so much, more than anyone else," she smiled as she fell into my arms and I embraced her, she fit in perfectly into me like we were two pieces of jigsaw puzzle.

We were two very different people by nature, attitude and by soul. But we complimented each other like no other and I was proud about that. I was happy in life and she was the reason.

When I look back, I can't believe what we've been though. She was a personal assistant to me, whom I kept shouting at all the time. She annoyed me. I was a monster to her. And today, this monster has a family, just because of her.

She makes the monster in me a human. It's been a long journey until here, my personal assistant is now my wife and I think I would have liked to have it no other way.

~•~

It seems like I just looked back and realised what a long journey this has been, I still remember sitting in my doctor's clinic waiting for my chance and writing the Prologue of His P.A. ; and that's how this big big journey started with so many of you being a part of it and making me a proud writer today.

Thank you for being there, reading it, and making me happy. Thank you, you guys!

Your writer,
StarsAndFireflies_