Manik couldn't take what he had just seen. He felt sad and miserable. "Manik tum kab aaye ho?" Nandini's chachi asked as he saw him. "Hi Chachi, mom thought Siddharth might want me here so I came but I saw them talking so I'm leaving" Manik said as he wanted to leave. "Aise kaise jayega tu, have some laddu" she offered laddus to him. "No chachi I'm good" he said and was about to leave and Siddharth came there.

"Manik, you here!" Siddharth asked him. He was unable to see them together. He looked at Nandini who seemed to ignore him. "Yeah I thought I should be with you, you might need me but good to see you comfortable here" Manik forced a fake smile. "Yeah I'm comfortable here. Nandini, aunty and uncle are very friendly" he said to Manik and looked at Nandini.

"OK I'm leaving mujhe kuch kaam hai" Manik excused himself. "Yeah, I'm leaving too" Siddharth said. "No, I'm leaving for hospital, you go home" he said, "when you wish" and eyed at Nandini. He didn't wait for a second and left from there. "Nandini, how could you do this to me" he fumed in anger as he reached home. He didn't talked to Nyonika. "Manik, is everything alright?" she asked seeing him in such a condition.

"Kuch nahi mom" even though he lied she could see through his eyes that he isn't OK. "Manik I don't know kya hua but remember you are strong enough to handle it" her words hit him. He slept in her lap and wanted to take out his pain. "Ab tho Siddharth kush hua hoga na!" he said to her. She caressed his back. "Say it mom, who would you like to see Nandini with? Me or Siddharth?" his question startled her.

"What are you asking Manik?" she wished what she was thinking is not true. "Do you think Siddharth is better than me for Nandini?" he asked her. "Ye kaise baatein kar rahe ho?" she asked. "Why did she has to chose him over me mom, am I that bad, she said she hates me" Nyonika now knew what Manik was going through.

"No Manik, mere liye humesha tu hi best ho" she said. "But mom then you chose Siddharth for Nandini and she actually believes that he is better than me for her, how could she do that mom" he said and cried like a child. He quickly wipes off his face and stood straight. "I'm sorry mom. I don't know mujhe kya hua but I feel so low when she said she hates me. I feel sad when she chose someone else over me. But isme Nandini ki galti nahi hai, she has the right to chose her life" he said to Nyonika.

"Manik, do you like Nandini?" Nyonika asked him. "No mom, ab tho ye discuss karna acha nahi hoga, hum dono ke liye and un dono ke liye bhi" he said. "Beta, I'm sorry how could I not see my son's happiness. I thought you don't have such an opinion on Nandini. So I thought of getting her married to Siddharth but if I had known that you love her, I would be the most happiest on earth" she apologized Manik.

"Mom please don't blame yourself. Tumhari koi galti nahi hai and I don't love Nandini, it was just a phase and it will pass soon. You believed that I'm strong enough and please aage bhi believe in me mom" he tried to console her who thought she messed up his life. "Nahi Manik, you love her. I couldn't see that and if you want I will talk to Siddharth and Nandini, let me correct myself" she said taking her phone.

"Mom you will not do anything like that, promise me" he was stubborn and made her promise. "Mom, you were not wrong. I don't know when did I realized that I like her, but she doesn't love me. It's just that I liked her but aisa nahi hai ki I love her and can't live without her, it's okay and please don't ever do that and blame yourself" he said to her. "But Manik" he cut her off. "I wasn't here for a week now so let's go out" he asked her to get ready to go out.

*************************
"Hi dad, you called me?" Mukti asked Raman. "Yes Mukti, you asked for the party after your mom's recovery, so I called you here" he said. "Yes dad, party se zyada mujhe sab ko dikhana hai that I have a normal family and I'm happy now" she hugged him. "Love you beta and yes I always want you to be happy" he kissed her forehead.

"Party ki saare preparations main dekh loongi, decorations, food, music, lighting everything, mujhe sab kuch perfect chahiye and please mom ko mat batana, it'll be a surprise for her" she said to him. "I'm sorry Mukti. Ishitha is doctor by profession but akal se wo CBI hai, she will however know it, so usse chupana tho bekaar hai, you can surprise Ruhi if you want" Raman said.

"Oh c'mon dad, don't be a spoil sport and talk like a typical husband" Mukti whined. "Shaadi ke baad sab log apni biwi se kuch nahi chupate Mukti, you'll know once you are married" Raman said and smiled. "Kyu smile kar rahe ho aap?" she asked. "Tum kitni jaldi badi ho gayi Mukti, it just feels like yesterday when I held you in my arms for first time, and now it's time to get you married" he said little emotionally.

"Oh now that you have Ruhi, you are thinking of getting me married and send me off, nahi I won't agree. Mujhe nahi karni hai Shaadi I will always be with you dad" she said. "Shaadi se tum dhoor kyu ho jaogi? Along with you and Ruhi, we will also have a son" Raman said. "OK dad, mujhe Manik ka message aaya wo log camp se aaj hi aaye the. My junior doctors will report tomorrow" she said and left from there. Raman called Ishitha to let her know about the party.

"Abhi party ki kya zarurat thi Raman! You should have stopped Mukti instead you are with her" she said to him. "Ishitha, listen this party is just not for our reunion but I want to announce something important for Mukti" he said. "And what's that?" Ishitha asked. "Mukti's marriage" Raman said. "Humari Mukti ki Shaadi?" Ishitha said excitedly.

"But did you ask her anything? Tumne kya socha?" she asked him. "Mukti ke liye kaun sahi aur nahi ye tho hum jaante hai na" he said smiling. "Ha, kya tum bhi wahi soch rahe ho jo mere Mann mein hai?" she asked him. "Of course, Mukti ke liye Abhimanyu correct choice hai and I know ye baat un dono ko bhi pata hai" Raman said, "and I'm gonna announce it in the party"

"Raman, ek baar Mukti aur Abhimanyu se poochna before announcing, just to get things better" Ishitha adviced. "Phir tho ye surprise kaise hoga, I know they will agree, they are perfect for each other" he said.

***********************
Manik and Nyonika came home back. "Siddharth tum kab wapas aaye ho?" Nyonika asked him. "Just half an hour aunty" he said. "Sorry, main mom ko baahar le gaya" Manik said to him. "Manik, you go and freshen up I will get coffee for both of you" she said to avoid any conversation of Manik and Siddharth.

"Aur bolo, how are you feeling now? Who proposed first amongst both of you, is it Nandini or you? I'm sure tumne hi kiya hoga" Manik asked Siddharth and Nyonika stopped there. She doesn't want Manik to talk about it. "Nahi Manik, maine kiya hi nahi, she called me so I thought I should let her say" Manik felt low. "But then, she surprised me, she said that she doesn't want to get married. She can never be mine" Siddharth said. "But you were happy when I saw you there" Manik asked in confusion.

"Oh that, she was teasing me, I received a few proposals from some wedding site, which my friends had updated recently. One of the girls turned out to be Nandini's school friend and she called her too" Manik found Siddharth strange. "What? You went to talk about your marriage with Nandini and she chose you another girl! And you find that strange! Weird" Manik thought how on earth Nandini could do that.

"Ha it's okay if she doesn't want to marry me, she lost her chance but aisa nahi hai ki koi aur bhi yahi karegi, Nandini's friend is also beautiful" Nyonika and Manik looked at each other and laughed. "Thank God, aap has rahe ho warna I thought I have let down aunty as Nandini said no to marriage" he said to Nyonika.

"But aunty aapko kuch idea hai what Nandini was talking about! She said about some secret admirer who gifted her a saree" he asked her and Manik choked as he sipped coffee. "Ha uske birthday pe usse saree mila tha but she thought someone was pranking her" Nyonika said remembering it. She doubted Manik as she now knew that he liked her.

"She had mistaken me for that secret admirer it seems and uski shakal dekhne laayak tha when I said I don't know about all this" Manik knew that his mom would have now guessed it. Siddharth went to get freshened up. "Manik, kya wo saree aur letters tumne bheja Nandini ko?" she asked him.

"No mom, why would I do that?" he said but he can't escape from her. "I know it can only be you, hum iske baare mein baad mein baat karenge, after dinner" she said and left to prepare dinner. Manik thought how foolishly he doubted on her. "Manik ab tum jaake Nandini ko bata dena that you love her" Nyonika said to Manik after having dinner.

"Mom, no I'm not in love with her, I was angry at her, and moreover she'll not talk to me now" he said. "Why would she not talk to you? You are my son" she said. "But mom, I behaved so harshly with her in the morning, pata nahi mujhe kya hua but maine usse daanta and then she said she hates me now. So how would she talk normally now?" he said realizing his mistake.

"Acha! She isn't your mom Manik, wo chupchap sab kuch kyu sunegi? Tumhe jo karna hai karlo but mujhe Nandini chahiye. She is my bahu and I've decided" she said. "Mom, ye kya bahu, no I'm not doing that and I can't force her to marry me. If she is ready then I will think of it and yeah I'm not gonna propose her too" he said. "Dekhlena Manik, agar tu aisa hi hai tho wo kisi aur se uski Shaadi bhi hoga. Tum idhar rote rahoge and don't blame me if I get someone for her again, don't cry in front of me" Nyonika said.

"Mom please! Why are you so stubborn in getting her married? That's her choice mom. Let her take her own decisions and don't get any rishta for her" he said. "Obviously not, tum ho na uske liye, wo meri bahu hai" Nyonika said.

Next day, Nandini, Cabir and Navya reported to Mukti in the hospital. Alya and Aryaman also were present. "Good morning ma'am" Nandini wished her. "Good morning, here take the chart and I have assigned your shifts and wards go through it and get back to work" she instructed. They thought that Mukti won't change and were about to leave. "Guys stop!" she said and they turned back. "I think tum log sab ek doosre ko miss kar rahe ho na" she asked.

"Yes ma'am, we really missed these three people" Alya said. "So my guess was correct, I shouldn't see any one of you hanging out today only duty and no hangouts." she ordered. They looked at each other. "Go on what are you waiting for!" Mukti said.

"Abhi nahi jaoge tho evening party mein jaldi kaise aaoge" Mukti smiled seeing their confused faces.