Aliya: Guys... Why don't u all go and order, we'll just take a stroll out here and join u in a few minutes.
It was almost time for lunch when the group decided to take a break from their site seeing and chose a small diner near a local market. Aliya saw the shops and held navya's hand stopping the girls as she spoke to the boys.

Dhruv followed her eye-sight and rolled his eyes,
Dhruv: Aliya... U can go for shopping later.

Aliya: Oh relax... I m not going shopping, I just want to have a look.

Navya: Yes... We'll join u very soon!

Cabir: No No... I don't trust u girls to walk in there and get back before buying almost half the market. One of these days we'll make sure to keep time apart just for shopping but please not now.

Aliya: Oh come on guys just a few minutes! We'll be back soon...
Aliya said and quickly turned around taking hold of Navya's hand as she pulled her along.

Aliya: Mukti, Nandini... Come na! Ashita, come!
Aliya said turning around as the boys groaned.

Nandini: No Aliya... U guys carry on, I m damn hungry, I m gonna stay here...

Mukti: So am I... I just want to rest for sometime before we go along to the beach.
Mukti told them while Ashita decided to go along with Aliya and Navya.

All of them went inside and took up a corner seat making sure that they could all settle down together.
Manik: Oh yes Cabir... I forgot to ask, how was ur dinner with Navya's parents last week. What did u guys decide for the wedding?

Cabir: Don't even ask Man... Navya's mother pulled out all that kundli stuff at the last minute. She says we can't get married till the end of next year, I mean can u imagine it?

Mukti: What? Next year!!

Cabir: Yes... She says the best date is that time only! And then she just kept on taunting me of proposing this wedding so late, I mean how would I know that if I had proposed two months earlier then she would let me get married to her daughter and not now! This is freaking insane.
All of them chuckled at his frustration while Manik teased him.

Manik: Not even married yet and strict mother in law complaints have already started... Good going Man!

Cabir: Hahaha very funny!
Cabir said sarcastically as he picked up the menu and started looking for something to eat.

Nandini: Come on Manik... Don't be like that! U r lucky u don't have to handle your mother in law, I can bet a million that u would be running for the hills if that happened.

Rishab: I agree!
Rishab joined in as the others laughed.

Rishab: U r lucky u didn't meet Di before she went to London. I m telling u Mom was worse then.

Mukti: Oh come on... I don't believe it. Worse than now?
Mukti asked raising her eyes in surprise while Nandini just shook her head with a smile playing on her lips.

Rishab: Absolutely worse... Actually I would rather say it was Di who was gullible at that time...

Nandini gasped at this and hit him at the back of his head,
Nandini: Gullible!

All of them laughed as Rishab moved away from Nandini,
Rishab: What?? I m not lying okay. Come On, u know that if someone appreciates u standing up in front of Mom at every point, then that is Me. But u seriously were gullible at some point.

Nandini smiled at him shrugging casually as Rishab looked up at Manik.
Rishab: Jiju... U seriously won't believe it. This tigress who just always seems ready to pounce upon Mom, she was actually a kitten at some point. Before Di went to London, throughout her school life, the only Nandini I have seen is the one who just sat there taking in everything that Mom gave her.

Mukti: Kitten?? Haww Nandini! Seriously?
Mukti teased Nandini as the others laughed while Cabir got up from his seat moving behind Nandini as he made standing ears on top of her head making Nandini swat him away as they all laughed out loud at it.

Manik: Okay Champ!! U have really taken up my interest now... So how was this "Kitten", as u call her?

Nandini: Ohh no no no... Not happening!
Nandini said turning towards Rishab with her eyes broad.
Nandini: Not a word Rishu...

Manik: Chill Nandini... I wanna know how my wife was during her school days, come on Champ, u say!

Rishab: Well as far as her natural attitude was concerned, she was pity much the same... Always studious, serious, introvert types, topper of her school every time, she was quite boring if u ask me (a slap from Nandini followed by laughs from all the side) I never actually got to spent long durations of time with Di coz ever since my birth she was always in boarding school. I was 4 when I first got to know that I had a sister as well, that too one who was 6 years elder than me. After that we met only during all her school holidays, the maximum being the summer vacations every year, which I really looked forward to. She loved me like no other elder sister, showering me with Love much more than my own mother. But then even from Mom, I have nothing to complain about, I was loved dearly by both Mom and Dad.

But for Di... Mom was truly terrible. And as I said, Di took everything Mom gave her without a word backward. Mom went from screaming, shouting, scolding, throwing stuff at Di, slaps right and left for things as small as waking up late... It was horrible. Of course, it never happened in front of me, but I always knew somehow. I knew it every time when Di used to hide her face from me, or just talk through her door and send me away. I just never knew the reason.

And Di could just never accept it, she came back in every few months with this belief that Mom would just change suddenly.

I still remember that last time when Di came home before going to London. It was the same time of the year, Christmas, Di was in 12th and she had 10 days or so off from school. And Cabir Bhaiya, if u think Navya Di's Mom is strict then it's good that u never saw Mom. It was just Di's second or third day back home when she got this call from one of her classmates at school, I don't know it was regarding some final project or something like that... I was sitting with Mom in the living room, and Mom was the one who received the call, believe me, the moment the guy took Di's name Mom simply banged the phone down. She was so furious as she walked towards Di's room, that I almost knew something bad was coming. I followed her immediately, to try and stop her but by the time I reached the room the door was already closed from within. I could hear Di's painful cries and I still shiver just at the thought of how loud the sound of her hits was. It just went on and on and on until finally Di's cries got over completely and Mom walked out of the room before locking it from outside. That door was never opened for the rest of the vacation until the last day when Mom told the servants to get Di ready as she had to leave. A few hours later, the servants loaded her stuff into the car as Di moved towards it slowly, hardly being able to walk from all the weakness, she had not left the room for more than a week, nothing to eat or drink, I don't even know what her condition was. She just hugged me a tight goodbye, with a soft whisper in my ears telling me to take care and also that she would never be coming back.

I wanted to ask her why, I wanted to convince her otherwise, but at the same time I was happy for her. I knew she had finally had her last blow and I just watched her walk away. 

The conversation that had started from a little joke had turned so serious that Mukti, the ever so tough one had tears flowing down her eyes. She wiped it off immediately before anyone would catch her and looked around to see Cabir too stopping his tears while Dhruv and Abhi were having somber looks as they still had their eyes fixed at Rishab who was clearly crying by now.

She saw Manik's fists clenched over the table, his face hard while his eyes were almost red of anger. But it was Nandini about whom she was worried the most. Nandini sat there completely still, her eyes staring straight at the closed menu card, a lost look on her face as if reliving that dreadful time all over again. A sniff from Rishab was what broke Nandini's attention, making her look up at all of them as Mukti immediately looked away not wanting to be caught staring.

Nandini hit Rishab again on the back of his head as she spoke up in a completely casual voice,
Nandini: Dumbo... Stop making me that dull yaar!! Telling all the horrible episodes trying to make me look lame, and who will tell them the next time I came home, almost two years after this, when I threw ur Mom's most expensive and favorite cutlery on all those guests at her party, creating a mess all around and making almost everyone run out of the house. Remember how we laughed at Mom's expressions for months.

A chuckle escaped Rishab's mouth as he wiped off his tears and spoke up,
Rishab: U didn't just break the cutlery, u ended up hitting Dad's partner with it, he got stitches on his hands. It was hilarious. Mom was so furious and she couldn't do anything about it.

Both of them laughed at this as the atmosphere lightened up ever so slightly as a waiter walked to the table, after a soft nod from Nandini that was only seen but Mukti, who knew Nandini was trying to change the topic desperately. Mukti helped her in it, as she started ordering for lunch, she nudged Abhi to join in too, as Dhruv too followed in. Nandini ordered for Manik, Cabir, and herself, taking in the almost apparent stiffness in the two of them. 

It wasn't long before the other three girls too joined them, much to Nandini's relief as Aliya and Ashita kept on gushing about how good the market was and how they had to leave an entire day just for shopping. Nandini glanced at Manik, knowing that he wasn't listening to any of them around him as she picked up his hand from the table and pulled it over her lap, entwining her fingers with his.

Manik turned to look at her, his anger radiating out of him making Nandini squeeze his hand a bit as she leaned in closer resting her head on his shoulder,
Nandini: It's gone!! It's all long gone now... I m absolutely fine.

Manik took in a deep breath as if trying to gain in some strength as he kissed her hair, closing his eyes a bit.
Nandini: Umn Manik??
Nandini whispered softly looking up at him.

Manik: Yeah!!

Nandini: Can you please try to control urself from breaking my fingers?
She whispered again, holding up their entwined hands to his sight. Manik saw himself almost crushing her fingers as he immediately let go of her hand altogether with a horrorstruck expression on his face.

Manik: Oh God... I m so sorry Nandini!! I didn't know... I wasn't aware. I just-

Nandini laughed softly at this, shaking her head at him as she entwined her fingers with his again.
Nandini: Relax... I know! It's fine, I m not made up of glass u know.
She said trying to tease him while all Manik did was to sigh as he brought up their hands to his mouth and dropped a soft kiss on the back of her hand before Abhi pulled his attention to some conversation. 

It was a few minutes later, that Nandini noticed Cabir still answering to Navya in monosyllables. She tried to catch his eyes for a minute but then gave up and attempted to stand up from her place only for Manik to hold her back and look at her in confusion. She smiled up at him reassuringly and nodded softly towards Cabir. Manik turned to look at him and understood the situation very soon, leaving Nandini's hand. 

Nandini got up this time, earning everyone's attention as she smiled broadly,
Nandini: I think I need a walk!! Cabir come along na, Manik is being a fuss!

Manik gave her a soft teasing glare only for her to poke out her tongue at him as Rishab chuckled while Cabir simply got up from his chair and moved after her. They walked out of the Diner, and Nandini turned in the direction opposite from the crowded Market. She waited for him to speak up for a few minutes, simply walking with him by her side before finally giving up as she spoke up,
Nandini: What can I do to stop u from thinking all of it?

Cabir: Nothing! I wasn't thinking Anything...

Nandini: Oh please Cabir!! Is Manik not enough that now I have to hands ur tantrums too... 
Nandini said teasingly trying to cheer him up while Cabir just gave her a blank look. She waited for him to speak up but then sighed again and turned to look up at him.

Nandini: Fine!! Say? What's going on in your head?

Cabir: Payback... Revenge...
Cabir said almost immediately making Nandini step back from him as she turned away.

Nandini: NO...

Cabir: Nandini, I m not letting this Go. I always knew how much Manik hated them, and I kept on thinking that he was just being overprotective of u and they couldn't have been that bad. But that was abuse, how can u not want to stand up against it, how can u just let Her walk away, how can u let-

Nandini: Cause the Her in your sentence, is My Mother...
Nandini snapped at him loudly, shutting him up.

Nandini: No matter what kind of a Monster she is, no matter how horribly she treated me, No matter how many times I hoped for her to change and hug me with Love, at the end of it all she is still the woman who gave birth to me. No matter how much I hate her, there is still that glimpse of a loving mother that I see on her face, I can't get myself to go against her Cabir. I have been trying to get that into Manik's head for more than a year. I Do Not Need Revenge. I Wanted Love and Now I Have It.

Cabir was stunned for a few seconds before he finally lightened up and Nandini sighed.
Nandini: Please Cabir... Please forget about it.

Cabir nodded at her with a simple sigh as he hugged her.
Cabir: Fine... I will let it go! I just want to see u happy, that's all...

Nandini smiled up at him heartily and turned back towards the diner,
Nandini: Then I guess it's time for us to go back...

Cabir chuckled at this and turned around with her. They walked back to the diner in silence, until Nandini spoke up,
Nandini: If I were u, the first thing I do after getting in would be to tell Navya that her new bracelet that u ignored was beautiful!

Cabir looked startled for a second before he saluted her,
Cabir: Right.. Will do Ma'am!

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

Love,
Navya!