I Need You To Be There.... For a little more than Always!!

Part 73:

The group finished off with their dinner and decided to call it a day, as they were all tired of all the days events.

Manik freshened up in his room and then moved to Nandini's room. He opened the door slowly to see Nandini sitting on the bed looking lost.

Her eyes fixed over her phone with a small smile playing on her lips. He moved ahead and couldn't help but notice the sadness and the sense of Longing visible on her face.

Nandini who was too oblivious to his presence didn't notice him walk over to the bed as he sat by her side when his eyes fell over her phone to see what that got all her attention.

The picture on the screen made him smile immediately.

He clearly remembered the day when it was taken. The two of them were into a crappy argument over some security stuff at Dhruv and Aliya's wedding. Both of then knew that the other one was right, but it was as if they wanted to fight that day.

Finally Manik was the one who dropped off and agreed to her idea. He sat there with a grumpy face making all the others laugh when Nandini took him in a side hug and called him 'cute', Making him further irritated. And at that exact moment Cabir had clicked that picture of the duo.

Manik was lost in the memory lane, until he heard her say,

Nandini: U r too Cute... I had said!!

He looked up at her face to see her gaze still fixed over the phone. When he too replied in a flat tone.

Manik: My reply won't change about not calling me that....

His tone made Nandini snap back to reality, her head snapped towards him in a swift as she closed her phone, keeping it aside.

Nandini: When did u come??

Manik: Just a few minutes back....

Manik replied slowly, regretting his tone used earlier looking at Nandini's change in mood. All the emotions seemed drained out of her eyes, making them blank again.

Nandini turned her face away from him and asked simply,

Nandini: Why r u here??

Manik: Well... If u hvn't realised it yet... Then let me tell u, I m going to sleep here in this room... With u!!

Nandini: What?? Why??

Manik: Coz I want to....

Nandini: Manik stop being stubborn... U hv ur own room, just go and sleep there!! I m not sharing my room with u....

Manik: Come on nandini.... Stop being so difficult, as if its the first tym we r sharing the same bed!

Manik said casually as he lied down on the bed.

Nandini turned silent listening to his words as she whispered,

Nandini: How can I ever forget that ever??

Manik: Well U hv to forget it, if u really want to Move on Nandini.... Coz as u said, I m just a guest here for a few more days!!

Manik said in a straight voice and turned off the side lamp.

Manik: Come... Its late!!

Nandini looked at the dark room around her and then turned towards Manik who was looking at her expectantly. She looked away from him turning away as she got up from the bed and muttered.

Nandini: I will sleep later... I want some fresh air!

With that Nandini moved out of the room to the balcony, not forgetting to take her guitar along. Manik sighed at her retrieving figure wanting to go behind her but then stopped himself. He sat up on the bed when his eyes fell over her phone kept on the bed. He picked up the phone and opened it smiling that she still hadn't changed her passed "Manan".

Their picture which Nandini was seeing earlier came up on the screen. He swiped it to the next one to find another picture of theirs in which both of them were smile at the camera with Nandini's face on his shoulder. It was just a casual picture but it portrayed an the happiness that they shared. Just hving the presence of each other and the shine was visible in their eyes.

Manik was busy looking at the picture when he heard her playing the guitar. It was very soft, soothing tune that she was playing. He knew it was something special, coz he has heard the same tune by her the other day.

He kept her phone aside, drowning into her music.

After about an hour, Nandini walked back into the room knowing that he would be asleep and lied down on the bed. She looked at him, his face holding a grim expression, forehead filled him lines. Her hand automatically moved up as he caressed the lines off his forehead. She skimmed her hand through his hair, admiring his features under the slight light.

Moving closing to him, she rested her head over his heart, listening to her favorite form of Music, his heartbeat when she whispered into his chest.

Nandini: I m sorry Mani!!!

A lone tear flowed down her eyes falling onto him, while his touched the pillow. His wrapped his arm around her, still pretending to be asleep, controlling himself so that she doesn't know.

Somewhere inside he very well knew, that no matter how much she is hurting.... The moment she gets to know that he is listening to her, she will takes her guards up, pushing him away from her.

-------------------------------------

The next morning Manik woke up to find the bed empty, the noise of the shower told him Nandini's whereabouts.

All of them got ready and moved down for breakfast to find Nandini already sitting there along with Amms.

Abhi: Good morning Amms!!

Amms: Morning Abhi...

All the others too wished her as they settled down for breakfast.

Nandini: Amms... This is Cabir, Dhruv, Aliya and Mukti.... My friends from Mumbai.... And Manik, toh u hv already met him.

Amms: Ohh yes, but I met Mukti also the other day.

Nandini: Oh nyc!!

Cabir: How r u Amms?? I mean how is ur health now...

Amms: I got my daughter back, how can I not be fine....

Amms said smiling at all of them.

They all started the breakfast with mild conversation going on when Amms said,

Amms: Abhi... Why didn't u tell me earlier that Nandu fell down and hurt herself??

Abhi looked up at her and shifted his gaze towards Nandini knowing that she might hv lied and then replied.

Abhi: Amms u were not well na, so kiddo only asked me not to tell u.

Amms glared at Nandini for sometime and then turned towards the others.

Amms: So kids how long are u all here.... Now that u r here, stay for sometime okay, there are a lot of small cities nearby which u can visit...

Manik: No Amms.... We r not here for that long!! Just a few days more!

Amms looked at him confused by his sudden denial but he quickly covered up.

Manik: Actually Amms work and all everything is getting disturbed. We can't leave everything like this.....

Amms: Ohh yes, Rishab and Anjali were telling me that u all r very famous in India. Very good! Rishab even showed me a few of ur songs...

All of them noticed Nandini stiffen at the mention of Rishab's name, but still gave a small smile to Amms. Abhi held Nandini's hand slowly, trying to control her but she jerked his hand off.

Just then the servant walked out with Coffee for everyone and kept two different trays on the table.

Abhi: What is this??

Servant: Sir, Madam had made this coffee and asked me to prepare it for everyone else.

As soon as he said it Manik's immediately looked up at it to find three cups kept separately.

A smile crept over his face as it did over everyone else's. But he hid it soon when Nandini looked at him. Manik continued eating, without even reacting at her as he picked up a cup from the other tray and finished off the coffee at one go.

All the others saw him and then turned to look at Nandini who had her jaw dropped open. She threw her spoon over the plate and got up from the chair.

Amms: Nandu... Kya hua beta??

Nandini: Nothing!!

Nandini said glaring at Manik, who continued his breakfast innocently, making her stump her feet as she walked away from the table.

Abhi: Kiddo careful.... Ur leg!!

Abhi called out behind her as she moved towards the stairs to go up.

Nandini: GO TO HELL....

Nandini shouted back at him, all of the looked at her dumbfounded as she moved up the stairs until she banged her door closed, when the entire table bursted out in laughter except for Amms and Abhi...

Abhi: What the hell?? Why do I always end up stuck between the two of u?? Yesterday, u were taking out ur anger on me, and today, she.....

Abhi said looking at Manik, making all five of them laugh harder.

Soon they controlled themselves as all of them continued their breakfast. Cabir picked up the coffee made by Nandini and was about to drink it when Manik snatched it away from him.

Cabir: What??

Manik: Its mine....

Manik replied taking a sip while Mukti shaked her head at him.

Mukti: Chill Cabir... Take this, Nandini left hers also!! U can hv this!!

Mukti picked up another one and held it for cabir but it too was snatched away from Manik.

Manik: No ways.... No one can have this!! This is also mine!!

Cabir: Dude... U just had one when Nandini was sitting here!!

Manik: Well that was different!! This is special... She made it especially for me....

Cabir: U know what hv it... Drink as much as u want, but remember u had snatched it from an innocent soul!!

Cabir said whining at him, which resulted in a smack on his head making everyone laugh out loud.

Manik stopped laughing when he saw Amms smiling at them. He got up from his place and moved towards her. All of them looked at him including amms, as he sat down on his next to her.

Manik: Amms.... I know u hardly know me!! And this might not be the right time for me to say this, but I don't want to hide anything from u.... None of us do!!

He looked at everyone else, who held serious expressions on their faces. No one had any idea about what he was going to say.

Manik: Amms I... We... No I....

Manik fumbled at his words looking at her, taking in a deep breath until he finally calmed himself and looked down at her feet, not confident enough to look up at her.

Manik: The only reason why I m here today Amms.... Is Nandini!!! The day we left India, I had no idea what was waiting for us over here.... No idea how was Nandini's life over here earlier.... Nothing!! All I knew was that I had to be there, where she was and that I couldn't live anywhere without her.....

He looked up at her, straight into her eyes as he continued,

Manik: I m in love with ur daughter Amms.... I love her and I know that she loves me too, I m just here to win her back.

A deep silence filled up the room, with no one doing anything while Amms kept on looking at Manik with a blank expression.

Manik: As I said, I know this may be very difficult for u to accept me, as U hardly know me.... But all I want from u, is one chance Amms, just one chance to prove that I m capable enough for her.... I m not saying that I m the best that she can get, coz I m not!! I can Never be the her best choice, coz Nandini is one in a Million, but she is my Best and my Only Choice Amms.... I know, it would hv been Nandini, who would hv informed u about us, and taken up ur permission, but then I ended up spoiling things between the two of us. I know I hv hurt her, but I m sure that I can win her back!! No matter how long it takes, but I m not giving up on her.... And whenever that happens, I want u to be happy for her, I want u to bless me as ur own son!!

Aliya wiped off a tear from her eyes listening to Manik as she entwined her fingers with Dhruv's. Cabir smiled up at Manik broadly felling proud of his friend. Mukti smiled as her eyes twinkled with unshed tears. Yes they knew that he loved her, its just that Manik had his own way of showing the depth of his love.

Amms moved up her hand as she kept it over Manik's head.

Amms: U r right Manik.... She loves u too!! She does, and it is clearly seen in her eyes.... I knew it the day she introduced u to me Manik!! And I don't care what u did Manik, I don't care how it hurt her... All I care is that U hv realised ur mistake and u r guilty for it. Her happiness is the only thing that matters for me Manik... Nothing else does!!

Manik smiled broadly at her words as he got up and hugged her immediately.

Manik: Thank u amms.... Thank u so so much!!

Amms chuckled at his happiness as he broke the hug.

Amms: No need to thank me Manik... I know my Nandu, she has always done what she feels is right, had it been taking up Music, making it a career, leaving it all, running away, getting back here... Or even falling in Love!! She lives life at her own terms Manik, and she has learned her own lessons from each one of her decisions... Now its up to u, how u prove this decision of hers, of falling in love with u as a right one!!

Manik: I will Amms... I will!!

Manik said with a determination.

-----------------------------------

Later that day, in the evening Nandini moved out of her room with Adore when she heard Manik's voice from his room.

Manik: No Aman... I don't care if its abrupt!! I want u to find a personal secretary for me ASAP...... Give advertisements in the newspapers, take interviews and find me a perfect one. He or she will take accommodation in the Malhotra Mansion's Outhouse...... So what, this is my company, and nothing is gonna change just bcoz one employee decides to resign. Ms. Moorthy resigned coz she wished to and now I need u to find a replacement for her.....

With that he disconnected the call while Nandini stood there blank.

Nandini: Is this it Manik?? How can u agree to see someone else at my place so soon?? Did it mean so less to u!!

Nandini whispered to herself, dropping off adore and she walked away to the garden, with adore right behind her.

As soon as she walked away, the door to Manik's room opened as Mukti peeped out for Nandini.

Mukti: She's gone!!

Cabir: Yes... Superb Manik... Kya acting thi!!

Manik: Shut up... Now will anyone go and check on her or do I hv to tell u this also!! I m sure, she must be very hurt...

-------------------------

Another Ball thrown over by Manik!!

How do u think it was???

Why did Nandini apologize to Manik before sleeping??

Well, that was it for the update today!! Do share ur views ppl😘😘😘

Love,

-Navya