A/N: Hello Readers, I'm back with yet another update, but before that hope you all have great plans for Valentines! I almost didn't have any cause the hubby is stuck elsewhere and the kids (well how can they ever provide their mum with a moment of peace?!) BUT then I decided I can't let all these matters dictate my life & I decided to pull off a li'l Mrs. N in my own life :P
I left the kids gang with their grandparents & I'm taking a flight back to good old Mumbai for the week! I'm meeting friends over drinks & chats every evening this week & hopefully will be sober enough to commemorate Chapter 50 & Valentines week special for Hustle for Love next week (key word being, hopefully!!)

Anyway, back to the story. This chapter isn't light but it's warm & peaceful & most importantly positive! I loved penning this down & I truly hope you will enjoy reading it as much :)

No more chit chat, happy reading!

***

Crystalbrook Bailey, The Esplanade, Cairns, Aus. circa 2019

(The Grand Reception Hall)

Nandini Murthy

If extravagance  ever had a name, it was Nyonica Mal..oops..now Khurana. Yes, this woman had it all. All that can vouch for luxe & couture & everything larger than life! Mrs. N's reception decor looked nothing less than a magnum opus set from Hollywood, the one that was so larger than life that it could intimidate you. Your existence could feel at threat suddenly realizing how miniscule you are or your life is when compared to the grandeur this woman swore by. I entered the property hand in hand with Manik & Appa, both men by my side, maybe that's why I could handle the overwhelm, knowing these two men would be there to catch me if I faltered?

Anyway, coming back to the venue, it was an outdoor setup of the most massive landscaped piece of earth I have ever laid my eyes on. I don't know, were they allowed to have pastures inside a hotel in the heart of a crowded city and holy next to the beach!? Now you know what I mean by abundance here? The lawn could house at least a thousand folks standing at half a metres distance & it was decorated sporadically in places, leaving large areas untouched & lush green. Right in the center was a tiny white gazebo in Japanese finish, standing quaintly on an elevated plain; it housed just one frail white garden bench whipped with the tiniest white fairy lights one could ever lay their eyes on - from where I stood, it looked like a tiny bench under a fairy white and dark wooden paneled gazebo that was home to the most intricately scattered design work of fireflies in the world!

"Fireflies..." I mumbled, as we stood there at the mark of twilight & it lit up like a dream!

"You like them?" I heard Manik whisper from next to me.

"Love them, my Amma always said fireflies bring hope!" I barely whispered. Mrs. N was nothing like my Amma, but this strange source of connection between these women amazed me.

"Amma & Mrs. N both like fireflies?" I wondered out loud, in daze. I suddenly felt Manik stiffen next to me.

"Nandu, as much as you can find your Appa in dad, I suggest you don't start looking for your Amma in Nyonica; telling you from experience, you will be very disappointed." came Manik's grave voice.

"Manik.." I began & from my own tone, I knew I was about to defend Mrs. N, but why the hell was she worth defending? Manik was obviously right about her! But I said it anyway - maybe because in many many years I never found anything to compare anyone with my Amma? No, not because my Amma was extraordinary, you know. In fact quite the opposite, my Amma was an ordinary woman with ordinary beliefs, she was as regular as any other mom out there, and hence she blended so easily with them that after she was gone, I found nothing about her that I could hold onto as unique and look for it in others. Irony lay in the fact that I lost the essence of my Amma in sheer ordinariness & Manik lost his in his mother's extraordinariness but the world had a strange way of bringing two different poles to a common point; a place where the ordinary & extraordinary met & merged in such a way, that it gave me an illusion of oneness, of hope, of fireflies..

"Manik, maybe we misjudged her to some extent?" I whispered, and almost immediately regretted doing so; of course Manik wouldn't like it, not after the hideous childhood this woman gave him. Damn my mouth, Ayappa.

Even in the overwhelm of the moment, as I watched Mrs.N walk into the gazebo hand in hand with Arya's dad, I felt Manik's stark silence. I tore my eyes from what lay ahead of me to Manik, to explain to him that I didn't mean what I said, but when I looked into his eyes, strangely, I didn't see anger there, was it despair? I couldn't tell because Manik looked down & broke our eye contact before I could really read him. He pulled back his hand from my waist and put it back in his pockets as he bit his lip for a moment looking down; then when he looked up at me, he wasn't vulnerable anymore. I could see a glimpse of the old, angsty Manik in him, but I was surprised to see the amount of self restraint he had in him now, when instead of lashing out at me, he patiently looked at me and said, "Nandini, if you notice properly, they are not fireflies, they are tiny bulbs, they're a fake. I hope you see it, now" he whispered in an emotionless tone & softly excused himself and walked away. A part of me wanted to run after him, but I realized maybe he needed that space?

I watched him walk towards Appa & Roo, who were sitting by a table in another part of the lawn, where they made a few seating arrangements by a massive tree that was lit with more fairy lights. I saw him go and sit next to Appa and pick Roo up and hug her tight. Did I push the wrong button there? Did I remind him of his childhood, the dark & terrible days that promised to mar him? Maybe by hugging Roo tight he was reminding himself that he was in a better place and doing a better job with his child? Ayappa, why did we have to be so damn complicated?

"You can't have your cake & eat it, you know" I jumped, hearing that familiar voice. Of course he'd be here too. Who was I kidding? He was, in some deranged measure, Mrs. N's son-in-law too, remember?

Abhimanyu Murthy, my brother looked at me, with a small smile playing on his lips.

"Damn" I mumbled & he chuckled.

"Never thought we'd go so far, that the only way we'd ever meet is by bumping into each other in parties thrown by strangely distant relatives?" he spoke, looking towards Mrs. N as she sat with Arya's father in the gazebo & guests walked up to them.

"I..I didn't think Mukti would come, given..you know.." I muttered, looking around trying to find Mukti.

"She didn't, I did." he replied simply. I stared at him. If Mukti didn't feel obligated to come, why'd he feel the need?

"I am here as a business associate & a close friend of Mrs. N" he answered my question, without me asking.

"Excuse me?..and Mukti is okay with this?" I asked, perplexed.

"She doesn't need to be. I don't meddle with her work, and she shouldn't with mine" he replied, in a matter of fact tone.

"Are you serious, you fought with her to be here, didn't you? All this for a woman like Mrs. N?" I asked, in a scandalized tone.

"Says the woman, who fought with her fiance right now, because she found a glimpse of our long gone Amma in the same Mrs. N?" he replied, silkily, eyeing me curiously.

"That's different, bhai..I.." I tried saying something, but stopped abruptly. Did I just call him 'bhai'? It had been quite some time since I last did. Our talk during his wedding pretty much set the tone for the future of our relationship & 'bhai didn't seem to fit in the new order of things.

"Bhai" he murmured the word softly & laughed a sad laugh. Like I said it as a joke. I know he was hurt by our distance too, he was hurt when I fought for Manik going against him, but wasn't I hurt too? Who had brought Manik back into our lives? Not that I'm complaining here, but how about he took some accountability of things too?

"Anyway, I hope you enjoy your business dinner, I gotta go check on Manik" I spoke hastily & was about to leave, when he held my wrist and stopped me. I didn't turn back to face him, but I stopped nonetheless. Maybe he'd like to bury the hatchets? If he took one step, I'd take the rest.

"Nandini, as a key founding member of the Khurana-Malhotra-Murthy joint venture in Dubai, I have worked very closely with Nyonica for months now, and I can assure you, as much of an amazing woman she is do business with, she is a monumental disappointment as a person. Don't gamble your relations for her. You've made that mistake once by choosing her miserable excuse of a son over me & Aryamann; don't make the mistake of choosing her over that same said son now. You will have no one to go to once she ruins you." His voice was stiff and cold. It was very unlike the voice I was hoping to hear.

"I hope you enjoy the dinner, Mr. Murthy" was all I said after that & after smiling at him politely, I walked away. I glanced at the table where Manik was previously sitting with Appa & Roo, he was still sitting there, hardly paying attention to the reception area, where Mrs. N was now cheerily dancing with her new husband & a couple of other friends, to the slow music playing from another lit corner of the lawn; only difference was, now Soha, Cabir & Priyank had joined them. Manik didn't seem upset or morose anymore, he was living the light, fun moment, probably he had even forgotten I was here too. I wondered, how'd I manage to make myself invisible even when I'm right in front of my loved ones?

When Manik & I met, Manik was the lonely boy whose family had abandoned him, while I had a boat full of family and loved ones - look at life, today standing here in a dark part of the lawn, I was alone, my only family had walked out on me & Manik, he was basking right under the lights with love, comfort & music. I wasn't jealous, I was just numbed. A part of me wanted to run to Manik & his light & I knew for a fact, he'd embrace me if I did, but I felt like an outsider there, I didn't want to go there and make everyone awkward. I knew Soha wouldn't like it, and the rest of them, instead of enjoying freely, would try their best to make us both comfortable & all the ease would be lost. My Manik had suffered too much in life, I couldn't be the one to take the light away from him. 

I sighed and turned around and decided to walk in the opposite direction. There was a small manicured lake a little further down & I decided to sit for a while by that; there were a few seats arranged there too. On second thoughts I like how Mrs. N made the arrangements here, unlike most places where everyone sat together, this helped people who wanted space to actually space out & yet be present. I mentally thanked her for her eclectic style & walked towards the lake.

"Nandini?" I jumped a second time today as I heard another voice coming from the other end of the lake, the dark side, where there were no seats. Someone was standing there, gazing at the sky. I had seen his silhouette, but didn't realize who it was. Of course his presence wasn't a surprise, in fact I was expecting him, but due to everything that happened so far, I forgot about him.

Arya was standing in the dark & looking at me with hooded eyes. I sighed. In so many ways, this man was my saving grace. He was just the man I needed right now, the one who got me, the one with whom I didn't need to make an effort. Although no matter what I was going through, today was Arya's turn, he was going through so much more than me.

"Gosh Arya, I have been meaning to meet you from the moment I entered this place" I gasped & ran towards him.

"I know, I was waiting for you to bombard me asking why I didn't tell you anything. In fact to be honest, I was dreading it! Until my luck worked today & I saw you walk through disaster after disaster like a pro." he chuckled and I rolled my eyes in response.

"Yeah, what did you manage to say that both Manik & your brother looked so pissed so fast while talking to you?" he grinned; his usual easy, breezy grin that always assured me that no matter what happens in life, I've got this!

"Shut up, Arya!" I feigned a glare.

"Come on, I could do with a smile tonight!" he played his victim card with a smirk & I couldn't help but laugh. This idi*t.

"I um..told Manik he might be wrong, his mom might just not be the raging b*tch he claims she is & I may have treated Dufus as the d*ck he seems to have become" I replied, looking at him with a sly grin.

"Ouch & Ouch" he replied, with a warm laughter that eased me.

"..don't know about your douche-buoy, but Abhi; I agree with you about Abhi. He's become damn weird, man!" he replied, thoughtfully. His answer took me back to the conversation we had some time back, amidst all the emotional drama, I forgot to ask about something Abhi let slip.

"Hey, what's this Khurana-Malhotra-Murthy joint venture that he mentioned about?" I asked, curiously.

"Yaar, Khurana means dad & my brand new mum dearest & Malhotra definitely means Shrikant uncle, which err..makes me think this is some kind of a weird orgy kink of my new mum? But I honestly don't know what your Murthy brother is doing amongst them" he sniggered evilly & I dropped my jaws in shock before I broke into a peal of laughter.

"Arya!!" I shouted, smacking him on the head.

"Nandu?" I immediately turned around hearing someone call my name. It was Manik. He was calling me from the other side of the tiny lake which was lit, since I had walked over to the dark side to greet Arya.

"Hey Manik, I'm here talking to Arya" I replied, my voice still ringing in laughter. Manik looked at me for a second & then his eyes lingered to Arya; I wondered how he'd react, when he passed a formal smile & nod to him. Arya reciprocated and then Manik turned to me.

"I was just looking for you wondering where you were. It's okay, you guys catch up, I will see you in a bit?" he spoke quite normally to my surprise. I nodded with a smile & he left from there.

"Woah. Nandini Murthy, how the the f*ck did you manage that? How am I still standing here, without having my body mutilated and thrown in this very lake?" came Arya's melodramatic voice & I glared at him mockingly.

"Shut-up, Arya! My Manik is a changed man." I replied proudly.

"Yeah, I mean, it's almost like he is a different man! Does he still love you even?" he asked in a teasing voice. I stared at him, and my smile faltered. I know Arya was joking and just pulling my leg in a friendly way, but did he just voice out what I was feeling too, but not ready to acknowledge even to my own self?

"Hey, hey Nandu, relax. I'm joking. Jesus! Do NOT take me seriously, okay! Manik Malhortra loves you. He truly does & we all can see it." he immediately altered his statement seeing my vacant face.

"I..I know Arya. Don't worry about it" I managed to reply after a while.

"Nandu, is everything all right?" Arya asked in a serious voice, now peering at me.

"Yeah, of course." I replied, not meeting his eyes.

"Good. I know you need sometime to figure this out, but Nandu, it wasn't easy for Manik when he was in LA either, okay. Not with Navya literally shoving me in his face & showing him how I was better for you in every which way; plus his mum tried telling him the same thing too! It couldn't have been easy, no matter how easy he might have made it look for you." Arya gently explained. I nodded. Yes, Manik did make it look easy but he took in all of that just for me, what if he had lost faith in us? Would we still be together? The ball was in my court now & I was going to give it my best shot. Manik loved me & I loved him. Arya may have been the best choice for me on papers & in ways he comforts me & makes me laugh, but only Manik can make me smile, only he can tear me apart & put me back to whole too, and that meant something to me; my heart, my soul. No matter how easy a path I had in life, I would ditch it in every lifetime to choose a life with Manik, even if that meant, I'd be on a path of perpetual self destruction. I know it makes no sense, but what can I do with my heart? It just wants what it wants.

"I know, Arya...and my Ayappa knows how much I love that man; only He knows" I whispered. Arya smiled. I could see a slight bit of despair hidden very carefully in his eyes, but I knew he'd get over it. Life had better plans for a man like him, I always prayed that better life found him soon.

"Let's go back & meet and greet the couple of the hour now? I think I am drunk enough to pull it off now!" joked Arya.

"Not so soon, Mr. Aryamann Khurana, nice try though. We haven't even begun with you" I replied, holding a laugh. "Damn" he whisper-sulked and looked at me, with puppy eyes; I laughed.

"Arya, please sit down, we need to talk" I said, carefully.

"I'm not drunk enough for this talk" he retorted.

"Waiter" I called out, "Please, get us a bottle of your best single malt for the son of the host & hostess of this party" I requested & the waited obeyed immediately getting us a bottle of Macallan Fine & Rare 60 Yr Old (Holy F*ck, Mrs. N had definitely gone overboard with the liquor!)

"Let's talk." I whispered, pushing the bottle towards him.

"Holy f*ck, I'd even admit to a crime I've never committed for this old man here" joked Arya, as he happily motioned for the waiter to serve.

{After another half an hour}

"...so, that's how my dad & new mum realized they were never happy in their whole life or in their life with their respective partners up till now, because they were deeply in love with each other. It was so organic, so gradual that they never got a whiff of it & when they did, they realized wedding was the obvious next step, to begin their together forever!" wrapped Arya melodramatically pointing towards the gazebo far away where his dad & Mrs. N sat now, greeting guests and laughing with them, like any ordinary blissfully happy newly married couple. I sighed, seeing them. Yes, agreed, all this was twisted. Mrs. N was twisted, but if she could find her rainbow at the end of her sky, I realized, Manik & I still had hope of an as blissfully happy & uncomplicated life in the future.

"Arya, do you realize, this makes you and Manik step brother's now?" I spoke lightly, trying to keep it light for Arya & he rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"What else do you think has been giving me jitters from the time I heard about my dad & Mrs. N? I mean, at some level I'd even get their  weird love story, but to have Manik as a step-sibling? It is so out of the question!" replied Arya in a mock dread.

"Come on, my Manik is a nice guy. Give him a chance!" I teased back.

"Never in seven hell! That guy stole my beautiful fiancee, remember?" he replied back with a lopsided grin & I whacked him on his arm in response, with a giggle.

"Shut-up, Arya!" I fake glared at him & then suddenly a thought crossed my mind! "Arya, do you realize, with Manik becoming your step brother & I being his fiancee, by relation, I become your si..." but Arya never let me complete that sentence. He suddenly put his hands on his ears and looked up towards the sky singing "La-La-La-La" trying very hard to drown my voice! I giggled seeing his childish behavior & glanced around to see if we were garnering unwanted attention because of this drunk friend of mine, thankfully no one noticed us!

"Don't even go there Nandu, or my ear will bleed!" Arya replied with a funny face and continued, "..and I thought the whole point of this conversation was for you to make me feel better about this whole damn fiasco. Can't even do your job properly, silly girl" Arya mocked me.

"But I did! See you're smiling!" I retorted childishly.

"I am smiling because I saw the beautiful Soha looking towards us from that marquee..aah that woman! It's not your doing okay!" mocked me, pretending to gush over his sudden crush on Soha!

"Ewww Arya, not her. We have too much hate chemistry going there" I said, rolling my eyes like a drama queen.

"So? Did that stop you from going ga-ga over Manik all this while?" He teased me further.

I smiled at him mischievously for a second before speaking again, "Arya, just so you know, she calls Appa, 'Pops', as in a father equivalent?"

"So?" Arya asked casually.

"So, Manik is your step brother now..so Manik's dad..your dad..Soha's dad..thereby making Soha some kind of a sister figure for you?" I teased & Arya's eyes turned like saucers.

"Nandu, you evil evil girl. Soha is soo not my sister figure! Neither are you for that matter! See why I hate this deranged marriage? All awesome girls are somehow becoming my sisters! Dad, what were you thinking!?" cried Arya, faking heart break!

"We all are your sisters!" I teased back, laughing uncontrollably now.

"Nop. Never. I shall always have the right to flirt with you!" he said in a matter of fact voice.

"Eh, why on earth?" I replied, scowling at him.

Arya giggled like a child before replying, "..because I just realized this is the only silver lining to this wedding! I can now officially flirt with you for the rest of our lives to piss Manik whenever I want & he can't say anything because..hell you're my bhabi apparently & this much flirting toh bhabi-devar mein chalta hain!" he sniggered as I looked at him scandalized.

"You evil man!" I fake growled at him.

"..and oh another plus, I will always be in touch with the beautiful Soha!" he replied dreamily.

"I will never approve of Soha for you Arya!" I said, raising my hand & Arya giggled some more & took a sip & turned around to look towards the table where Manik, Soha & the rest were seated now, with their champagne. I followed his gaze and glanced at Soha; she was sitting with Roo on her lap as Manik fed Roo; both were laughing innocently and enjoying the moment. A sigh escaped me.

"You don't want Soha there, you don't want Soha here. You are so confused, Nandu!" Arya's teasing voice caught my attention again & I looked back at him. I wondered why indeed I was so impulsively against Soha & Arya? Standing afar from here, Soha seemed like a perfectly normal girl, and beautiful too. She deserved to be happy & loved too; she needn't be alone just because that guy left her, but suddenly I was appalled at the instant rejection I had for her, when Arya spoke about her. Was it because I didn't like her? Did my dislike have anything to do with Soha or was it because of my protectiveness towards Arya?

"Arya, I honestly don't have anything severe against her, it is you I am protective about" I murmured more to myself.

"Maybe, that's exactly how Soha despises you? Maybe it's nothing personal Nandu..after all wasn't she the one to convince Manik to pursue you, no matter what? Maybe she is a bit possessive for the well being of the friend she has seen crumpling too many times & nursed him? She's allowed to be that much possessive right, we all are; like you are allowed to reject a hundred Soha's for me. I would accept it, of course begrudgingly & maybe I'd flirt with you more in front of Manik just to make you guys fight as revenge, but I'd let you take that decision for me, because I know if you did such a thing, it'd be only because you're looking out for me, like always!" whispered Arya gently.

"Also she has the right to be concerned because, the same said friend in some odds of fate, also happens to be the father of her biological child" I added further & stopped in surprise. Was I justifying Soha?

"Aryamann Khurana, you should be a shrink!" I said, suddenly after turning back towards him.

"Nandini Murthy, you should go and complete the frame of that family picture now" he replied back jovially, "..and without inhibitions" he added later. I turned to see Manik, Appa, Rooh, Soha, Cabir & Priyank were getting up & trying to pose in a certain order to click a picture & sure enough Manik was not paying attention towards the order and was craning his neck towards me, looking for me, probably wishing for me to go over to him now & be by his side & complete the family. He wanted it, but he didn't voice it, he was giving me my time with Arya. Again, just like that, Manik won my heart, without even trying.

"I will run now! Thank you for fixing my head, bestie!" I called out to Arya and made a dash for Manik, with a glee on my face.

"..and here we thought, you had come here tonight to fix my head!" he chuckled and called out after me. "I will send Soha over, as a thanks!" I called back & winked at him as he laughed heartily and sipped his drink as saw me run to Manik.

***

A/N : Any thoughts, how was it? I didn't want any loggerhead for one chapter ;)

Do you like the Nandini- Arya easy breezy bond? Anyone shipping them?

What are your thoughts on Abhi -Nandini conversation?

Lastly, how's Manik's reaction to Nandini searching for a mum in Mrs. N? You think he's right? Also today I'd like to know what are your thoughts on Mrs. N, please do share! All eager to hear your takes on these!

Until next time, and hope you have a great week of love, romance & mostly importantly friendship!

Next update : Sunday 20th Feb

Much love,
Aafrah