After having a lavish dinner all of them walked back to their own houses. However, Harshad came with Manik to his mansion.

Manik made Nandini change into night wear and made her sleep. All this while, Harshad was waiting downstairs near the kitchen island.

Manik walked upto him and said patting his back,

Bol kya baat karni thi? Mein kabse dekh raha hu, Tujhe kuch kehna tha.

Harshad shifted in his chair uncomfortably. Manik understood that it is something related to Nandini, for he could get nervous only when it comes to her. Manik asked,

Nandini ke liye pareshan hai?

Harshad gulped a sip from his whiskey and said

Manik, doh saal ho gaye hai, Nandini ke behaviour mein koi change nahi aaya. Na toh woh kisi se ghul mil rahi hai na kahi bahar jati hai tere bina. Ek week se ushne mujhse thik se baat tak nahi ki. Even today, the entire time she was so silent - not talking to anyone.

Manik listened to him carefully and chuckled sarcastically when he finished.

If you ask me, I have observed some changes in her.

Nandini is totally fine now. She is just too tired to do anything. After all she had been on bed for such a long time. Her left hand still pains sometimes that's why she always stay indoors. She feels weak if she misses a meal that's why she chooses to be at home all the times.

And its not like she doesn't like to talk with you or others. She is not comfortable with people around her. She likes to be surrounded with less humans.

And she does talk with Shraddha, Alya and Cabir.

Ushe sirf tumse darr lagta hai isiliye woh tumse kabhi baat nahi karti.

Harshad looked at him amusingly.

Ushhe mujhse daar lagta hai?

He repeated pointing a finger to himself.

Manik nodded positively with a smile.

Jaroor tumne ushke kaan bhare honge.

Manik laughed out loud and asked,

Arre tumhe asa kyu lagta hai ke meine ushe tumhare khilaf bhadkaya hoga? Ushne mujhe khud bataya tha.

Harshad looked at him indicating to elaborate further.

Nandini is scared from you cause you never behave friendly around her. She feels you to be too serious to chat with.

Harshad was confused.

Manik continued,

Arre tum, tum thud hi dekho. Jab bhi aate ho ushe puchte ho, How are you feeling? How do you do?

Like seriously? Who are you to her, a professor?

ushe "hang out" karne kaha le jate ho - Hospital? Ushke regular check ups ke liye.

Kabhi time nikalke ke use Milne aye ho?

Forgetting everything, her health, her reports and tests ; for once did you ever came to meet her as a friend or a brother?

Harshad got lost in his thoughts and nodded negatively.

If you want her to be normal towards you, first you need to be normal toward her.

This morning when you came she got scared , you know what she said to me,

Manik, do I need to go to the hospital today?

She got so frightened only with the thought of going to the hospital that she got numb.

She never saw you except those days when she needed to go hospital.

Harshad got upset and said,

but mein toh ye sab kuch ushke bhalai ke liye hei toh karta hu.

Manik stepped down from the bar chair and said,

Just forget about all this tensions for a while and spend sometime with her.  She will be the sweet sister you are looking for.

Manik hugged him and bade him bye.

It was past midnight now. He stepped into their room to see Nandini sound asleep.

He changed into nightwear and slept beside her not before muttering a soft I Love You in her ear.

Next morning, Nandini woke up to find herself wrapped in Manik's arms. She sighed and tried to move but Manik tightened the hold and said,

Baby its too early to wake up. Sleep again.

Nandini tried to sleep again shifting her head on his chest. Manik still being in his sleep involuntarily caressed her hair and patted her head to sleep.

After sometime, someone entered the room quietly and peeked on the bed only to see Nandini trying to move again and Manik forcefully trying to make her sleep by patting her head.

Nandini saw someone entering and turned towards her back to see Neyonika laughing silently.

Nandini made a crying face and pleaded Neyonika to help.

Neyonika nodded and cleared her throat and said out loud

Manik! Uth Nandini kahi dikh nahi rahi hai?

And that was it. Manik jumped up and panicked saying,

Arre kaha gai, Abhi toh soh rahi thi yaha,

He looked towards his right to see Nandini making all sorts of annoying faces.

Nandini looked at him and said,

Ab agar aapki krupa ho toh mein uthu?

Manik made a bad face and took his hand off her.

Nandini at once ran towards Neyonika and ordered,

I want double chocolate raspberry  flavored pancakes for breakfast and that too , four.

She ran towards the restroom and locked it up from inside before Manik could reach her.

Manik banged the door hard and screamed,

Oii! I need to brush too.

But Nandini didn't responded.

Manik walked back towards Neyonika and said,

Aur aap, don't you dare make that diabetic pancakes for her.

In trance of the situation, he didn't changed his tone.

Neyonika widened her eyes and said,

Oh hello! You would be shouted  as such on your employees at your office but I am your mother. Dare you used that tone with me or anyone else in this house.

Manik winced and retorted back pointing at the restroom,

And she can walk away ordering you to make her breakfast. This is unfair.

Neyonika shrugged her shoulders and replied,

She is my daughter and she can talk any way she wants with me.

Manik shouted getting frightened,

NO WAYS! SHE IS NOT YOUR DAUGHTER. UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.

SHE IS , SHE IS,

He took a moment to think and continued,

She is your daughter- in -law. Yes, she is your daughter-in -law.

Neyonika nodded her head negatively,

Mein bahu beti mein bhed bhau nahi karti.

Saying so she started to move towards the door.

Manik stopped her by stepping in her front, and winced,

Mummy, Bethi bithai setting kyu kharab kar rahe ho, ek toh kitni mushqil se ushke saath reh raha hu pata hai, ushke woh do-do bhai kya kum the jo aap bhi Ush team mein shamil ho gaye.

Ya toh ushko apni beti mano ya mujhe disown kar do.

Yeh dono relation ek saath mat nibhao.

Neyonika nodded in understanding and Manik exhaled hard getting relaxed and kept both of his hands on his waist.

Neyonika turned back when she reached the threshold of the room and commented,

Nandini is my daughter,

And she left.

Manik shouted loudly ,

- In- Law.

In the kitchen, Neyonika was making the breakfast and Nandini was murdering the pieces of apple with fork sitting on the high chair across the kitchen island.

Nandini asked Neyonika while gulping a piece,

Vese mumma,

Neyonika hmmed.

Shraddha is almost eight month pregnant right?

Neyonika responded positively.

Toh hum ushka baby shower hamare ghar mein rakhhe?

Neyonika looked at her and smiled.

Ofcourse! If you say so.

Nandini smiled.

Manik came and settled down next to Nandini.

Nandini at once passed her plate of apple towards him. Manik glared her but didn't forced her to eat more and himself ate her leftover fruits.

Manik asked Nandini,

So what were you discussing about?

Nandini rolled her chair towards Manik and said,

Woh Manik, Shraddha is in her eighth month so I was planning to conduct her baby shower in our house.

Manik at once looked at her with some hope.

After all she is like your sister, right ?

Nandini said.

For once Manik thought that Nandini was doing this for her friend- Shru!

But all of his hopes went into trash.

I N F Y S T A R