Naturally, it took time for things to get normal between Manik and Nandini. They learned to communicate more and spend more time with each other. Nandini didn't sign any contract for a couple of months so that she could spend time with her family and so did Manik. There were arguments and fights once in a while, but none of them lasted long enough to create a crack in their relationship.

4 years later.

They were standing in front of the Principal's office for Madiha's admission into the first grade.

"Dia, what will you say after you see Principal Ma'am?" Nandini asked her daughter one last time.

"Mumma!! I know! Good molning Ma'am, nice to meet you! My name ish Madiha Manik Malhotla."

"Manik, she still has the baby tongue! I am worried."

"Nandini, chill. She is a kid. We are putting her in a school so that she improves. What's the point if she is already perfect?" Manik asked. Nandini bit her lower lip.

Nandini was a bit of a control freak when it came to education and it was known to everyone in the family. Manik, however, was very chill. He cared more about their well being than their grades and often defended Naitik in front of Nandini whenever he scored low, which was very rare. Naitik was very much like his mother when it came to personality and intellect. On the other hand, Dia doesn't care much, all she wants is to play, eat and have fun and Manik makes sure of that, much to Nandini's annoyance.

"Manik, you need to stop indulging her with all that nonsense. She's six now but you treat her like a baby." Nandini snapped, as Dia went skipping around the corridor. Manik sighed and stood up to catch Dia. She pouted and Manik almost melted but he sighed again after feeling Nandini's glare burning his back.

"Mrs. Menon will see you now." A peon said. Nandini stood up and fixed her dress. She looked at Dia and fixed her braid and frock. Manik gave her a comforting smile and Nandini relaxed a bit.

Nandini, Manik and Madiha walked into the cabin and saw a poised and sophisticated woman behind the desk, writing something on a letterhead. She looked up and gave a soft smile, acknowledging the three of them.

"Good morning Mr and Mrs. Malhotra. And who do we have here?" She looked down with a smile.

"Good morning Ma'am, nice to meet you. My name is Madiha Manik Malhotra." Madiha answered perfectly, much to Nandini's surprise. Manik was surprised too but he had an idea that Madiha used baby language to annoy her mother for fun.

"Good morning Madiha. Please sit." She told them.

-----

"This girl....she loves to trouble me for her entertainment!" Nandini complained, as they settled in a restaurant for lunch. They had picked Naitik up too. Nandini watched Madiha eat Pasta after picking out most of the veggies. One glare from Nandini was enough for Madiha to eat everything without throwing a tantrum.

"She's just a-"

"Kid! I know she is just a kid but-" Manik and Nandini noticed Madiha whose lower lip was wobbling and tears in those wide eyes.

Manik succumbed to them.

"No buts. Look Nandini, I know you care about academics but I am not going to sit and watch Madiha being forced to do what she doesn't like. Naitik has more intellectual interests and that's great for him! He loves science and maths, good! But Madiha is clearly not much inclined to studies which we have already seen. She is kind of a wild child for the lack of better words. Let her be. Her grades are not going to define her future." Manik finished his monologue. Nandini looked stumped but she just nodded.

"I am sorry. Mumma is sorry, Dia baby." Nandini softened and patted her daughter's head. Madiha finally gave a watery smile and looked at her Dadda. She was convinced that she has the best father in the whole world.

"Mom, Dia dances so well na! She will be a good dancer." Naitik said. He was now eight and was studying in 3rd grade.

Nandini looked at Manik who was looking at the kids proudly. She decided to calm down a little.

-----

Meanwhile, in Canada, Neil and Cabir walked out of an apartment building, holding their hands.

"It was nice having dinner with the Martins." Cabir said, pulling his hoodie over his head as it snowed.

"Yeah, a nice change. The kids were really cute."

"Yes, the kids. Really chaotic but they made the dinner party more fun, huh?" Cabir said, chuckling. Neil turned to look at him with a soft look before patting his back and opening the passenger door of their car.

"They were."

As Neil started driving, a thoughtful silence loomed over them, and it felt like both of them were holding back, somehow.

"Cabir–"

"Neil–"

Both of them spoke at the same time and ended up laughing at each other's silliness.

"You go first." Cabir said, leaning against the headrest and tilting sideways to look at Neil as he gathered his thoughts to speak.

"Well. I know that we talked about back when we were dating. You know, about having kids sometime in the future...?" Neil said, casting a glance at Cabir every few moments.

"Yes." Cabir replied and waited with bated breath.

"I...think that this is a good time. I mean, we've been married for a while now, well settled and relatively stable. What do you think? I mean, it's totally, a hundred percent okay if you think we aren't ready for it just yet, but like I said, I am ready and at any point if you feel ready-"

"Yes." Cabir said, cutting off Neil's rambling.

"What?"

"I said, yes. I am ready. For kids. For a family with you." Cabir said, turning in his seat as Neil kept glancing back and forth before slowing down the car and pulling up at the side of the road.

"For real?" He asked, totally awed.

"Of course, dummy. I couldn't possibly be more sure about this. I want this. With you." Cabir said, placing his palm on Neil's and holding his hand against his lips. He placed a kiss on it before looking at Neil again, who looked so smitten and in love that Cabir felt absolutely warm, tender and vulnerable. Neil chuckled, the sound coming of choked, as if he was trying to hold back his tears.He leaned forward and so did Cabir and they shared a short, tender kiss before resting their foreheads together, laughing as they shed happy tears, ever so eager to start a family together.

----

"Aur batao, kya chal raha hai aaj kal?" Navya asked, serving dinner to her nine-year-old daughter, Saachi.

"Zubin and I just came back from Paris. It was so tiring, but I love it. I never thought I would be an influencer, that too with a husband. But I am grateful." Mukti said. Navya and Mukti were on a video call, a practice they cultivated ever since Navya moved to the USA all those years ago.

"Maasi, did you get something for me?" Saachi asked eagerly, making Mukti chuckle.

"I am way ahead of you Chi Chi. It will be at your doorstep any day this week." Mukti said, making Saachi jump in joy.

"Aur kitne gifts Mukti? Bigaad dogi tum isse." Navya said, shaking her head. Just theen, Zubin came into the frame, hugging Mukti and kissing her head before waving at Navya and Saachi.

"Arre, that's our job. To spoil our nephew and all our nieces and make them love us and get on our side." Zubin said and virtually high-fived Saachi.

"Achha ji? Phir bhej deti hu main tumhe Mumbai. Raho apne Zubi doo and Mukti maasi ke saath." Navya said, playfully smacking her daughter's head and shaking her head.

"Actually, about that...Navya, time hai tumhare paas?" Mukti asked, exchanging a look with Zubin after asking Navya, who frowned.

"Hai na. Achha ek second ruko. Saachi, main thodi der main wapas aaungi. Agar plate par kuch baaki raha toh Saturday ko main tumhe Nate ke birthday party main nahi bhejungi." Navya warned, picking up the iPad before turning back to the screen.

"Yeh Nate kaun hai?" Zubin asked, settling beside Mukti.

"Mujhe toh lagta hai Saachi ko vo pasand hai. Nate ke birthday party ke bahaane se maine usse bahut kuch karwaya hai. Yeh crushes ko hum underestimate nahi kar sakte, haa." Navya said, laughing, making Mukti and Zubin chuckle along with her.

"Very clever. Achha listen, as I was saying, Zubin and I were just thinking about Space."

"Space? Kyun achanak?"

"We were talking about our college memories. Navya, what do you think about a Reunion? We never had one." Mukti said, leaning forward in interest.

"Oh, maine kabhi socha hi nahi. Life itni busy ho gayi hai." Navya said.

"Exactly. And god did I feel old when I realised we graduated like 15-16 years ago. That's a lot." Mukti said, covering her face.

"Matarani! Hum kuch zyada hi old ho gaye hai!" Navya exclaimed, counting the years on her fingers just to make sure.

"Exactly. But when did we ever go back to Space? I really think this Reunion will help us to catch up with each other and reminisce about old times yaar!" Mukti said.

"Yeh bhi sahi hai. Tumne Manik se baat kiya? Uski Bua hi trustee hai na?" Navya asked.

"We plan to. What do you think?" Zubin asked.

"Main Soha aur Aryaman se baat karti hu. Soha ki shaadi ki tayyari bhi toh hai."

"Oh yeah. Soha did say about going to Thailand for her bachelorette. India aakar jaa sakte hai na hum." Mukti suggested.

"Sahi hai. Thik hai, vo dono thodi der mein wapas aa jaayenge. Tab baat karti hu. But I am all in! Bohot maza aayega!" Navya said, sounding as excited as Mukti and Zubin expected her to.

"Amazing. Main Alya, Manik aur Cabir se bhi puchti hu. Then all of us can do a group call and make arrangements." Mukti said, clapping her hands in excitement. Zubin laughed at her energy at 6 in the morning and hugged her.

"Chalo phir. Main jaati hu. Kaafi late bhi ho gaya hai. Aryaman aur Soha aate hi honge. Bye Mukti, bye Zubin!" Navya waved them goodbye before hanging up.

"Achha, so I think this is not as far-fetched as we thought." Zubin said, ruffling Mukti's hair before getting up to make coffee.

"True. I'll talk to Manik today. Phir hum baaki sab ko bhi bata sakte hai. Alya toh ab Italy main hai Dhruv, Adah aur Aunty ke saath." Mukti said.

Alya occasionally made a trip to Italy for work, and this time around, the whole family accompanied her.

"Manik se baat karke group pe daal do na." Zubin suggested.

"Thik hai, will do that. Chalo Zubi doo, time to hit the gym." Mukti said, slapping his butt before scurrying away from him before he took revenge. 

-----

Nandini returned home from work and saw Manik serving instant noodles to Madiha, Naitik and Adah.

"Hi Mom!" Naitik greeted as he was the first to notice his mother.

"Hey kids!" Nandini ruffled their hair and stood beside Manik. He kissed her temple and took her handbag off her shoulder.

"Chachi, you look tired!" Adah pointed out. Nandini smiled at the 11-year-old and sat next to her daughter who was slurping up her noodles and whining because it was too hot.

"I am! I need a desk job! So tired of going to the studio, standing all day and recording songs." Nandini said, pulling Madiha's bowl closer and picking up the noodles and blowing on it before feeding it to Madiha, who grinned at her sheepishly.

"Nandini, have some." Manik said, and passed her a bowl as well before sitting down next to her.

"Thanks love." Nandini muttered and dug in. It was a peaceful dinner with the kids chatting nonstop.

"How was your day off?" Nandini asked, as they cuddled on their comfortable couch after sending the kids off to do their homework.

"It was great. I needed a break from work, though. I even went to Space today before picking the kids up." Manik answered, running his fingers through her hair and massaging her scalp, making Nandini relax more and loosen up.

"Hmm, anything new?" Nandini asked.

"Actually yes. There is something new. A couple of things. Dad was there too, along with Bua."

"Really? I didn't know she was back in town!" Nandini turned towards him.

"Same here. Apparently she wants to resign from being a trustee. She would like to go back to the US." Manik said.

"Oh...I will miss her." Nandini said, pouting before hugging him again, nuzzling his chest before resting her head on it.

"Yeah. She actually gave a great idea...I want to know what you think of it." Manik said.

"Go ahead."

"You know how you have been talking about desk jobs?"

Realization hit Nandini and she narrowed her eyes.

"Tell me you didn't nod along! Manik tum...!"

"Nandini, yeh idea kafi acha hai. Space is like another home!" Manik insisted.

"Lekin Manik...I don't know...kids and all..."

"Nandini tum bas socho iss baare main. It is comfortable and not too demanding. You are perfect for this. You can still continue your career, it won't make much of a difference." Manik said.

"Yeah but-"

"Don't stress about it. Take your time." Manik patted her head.

Nandini smiled at his gesture and leaned forward to kiss him.

"EWW GROSS!!!" Three shouts came together, making them laugh instead.

-----

Author's note - 

Super late update today but I had only written the story till yesterday's chapter back in 2019. So, obviously, there may be delayed updates from now on, till I wrap up. I have the story in mind, and I had the ending ready in my head even back then but churning out 2K-3K words every day is a bit demanding so I hope y'all understand. Thank you for being great!