Nandini:Can I open the gift?

Manik:Of course. Go ahead.

Nandini gleed happily. Like a kid she opened the gift wrapping. She kept looking at the velvet box trying to guess what it was. She looked up at manik who guestured her to open the box. Nandini opened the lid and was extremely surprised seeing the dazzling yet simple diamond hoops in them.

Nandini:Manik.....This....This is just so....so beautiful. I mean....I love it....but this.....wouldn't this be costly. Aiyappa! Manik what was the need for this.

Manik:ssssshhhhh. Like I said a token of love for my love. For being there with me. For being by my side when I needed her the most.

Nandini:I will always be by your side. And it's not something out of compulsion. It's what I do out of love. And I will keep doing things that make you happy. Always.

Manik smiled:And I will keep showering you with my love in every possible way. Always.

Nandini looked down. Her flowy open hair falling on her face blocking manik's view. Manik gently tucked the strands behind her ear.

Manik:In the past 8 months of us being together we have never really got any perfect opportunity to be together. We might have been in love but we have never got any opportunity to showcase our love. You know we men always have dreams about how we would treat out girlfriends slash wives. But I never got any opportunity to do so. Ya toh hum khud aapas main lad rhe the. Ya phir hum kisi aur se lad rhe the ya kuch aur. Hum saath ho kar bhi saath nahi the nandini.

Manik cupped her cheeks and placed a small lingering kiss on her forehead.

Manik:Hence I have decided ki aaj se, Abhi iss waqt se jo waqt humara hai na nandini usme hum koi compromise nahi krege.

Nandini smirked: aur agar hum lad rhe ho toh?

Manik smiled sheepishly:kar lege kuch jugaad. Break le lege. Waise bhi our track record says ki yeh breaks na humare relationship ke liye bohot beneficial prove hue hai.

Nandini laughed listening to him. Manik too joined her. Both were standing leaning against the car. Nandini was caressing the earrings.

Manik:accha tell me do you like them?

Nandini:manik I already told you. I love them. Actually wait......

Nandini placed the box in his hands. Manik looked at it confused. He saw nandini taking off the earrings that she was already wearing. He smiled understanding what she was upto.

Nandini took off both the earrings and placed them inside her clutch. She stepped closer to manik. Turning her face towards right she indirectly indicated manik to make her wear the earrings. More than happy to do so manik took out the earrings from the box and tucked one of them in her left ear.

Once he secured the hook, he bend down and placed a light kiss over her lobe making her close her eyes in bliss. He held her chin and turned her face and tucked the other earring in her right ear. Nandini smiled feeling his lips on her lobe. She then stepped away and flaunted her earrings.

Manik smiled widely.

Manik:They are twinkling like the stars.

Manik cupped her cheeks.

Manik:My girlfriend looks even more beautiful than those stars.

Nandini blushed. She opened her clutch and pulled a small pouch. Manik was looking at her quizzically. She handed the pouch to manik.

Nandini:Congratulations Mr.Malhotra! This your gift for winning the talent hunt competition.

Manik looked at her with wide, shinning eyes. Excited, he zipped open the pouch and was shocked to see the gift.

Manik:Nandini! Damn! How on earth do you this....always. YOU never fail to surprise me.

Nandini:Today on my way to college I saw this in a shop and couldn't stop myself from buying it for you. You like it right?

Manik:I love it nandini. I mean a constellation key chain. This is the best gift. On the other hand it's my star whose gifting me stars.

Manik ends up chuckling on his own thoughts while nandini smiles seeing his excitement.

Nandini:You know it's not only a key chain.

Manik looked at her with furrowed eyebrows.

Nandini opened her clutch and removed a key chain that was an exact replica of the one she gifted manik. She held both the pieces in front of his and joined them forming a heart. Manik was surprised.

Manik:Impressive. I mean.....no wait.....let me guess. A part of your heart remains with me. And a part of mine stays with you. Am I right?

Nandini nodded. She pulled apart the two pieces and handed back one to manik.

Nandini:waise did I mention that you can use it a guitar pick.

Now manik was shocked. He was literally speechless.

Manik:Nandini what.....I mean.....no really!

Nandini giggled seeing manik all fumbled and shocked.

Nandini:ab toh tumhe maante ho na ki my track record of surprising you has been very good.

Manik raised his hands in defense.

Manik:chale? Warna cabir phir shuru ho jayega.

Nandini nodded.

Both reached the party almost an hour and a half late.

Cabir: aaye aaye! Hume toh laga tha ki aaj aap dono ke Darshan hi nahi hote.

Manik:kabhi toh acche jokes maar le.

Mukti: sahi toh bol rha hai woh.

Manik:mukti tu bhi.

Dhruv:mukti hi nahi hum sab agree karte hai cabir se. Kya buddy! Ek ghante se hum tera wait kar rhe hai.

Manik:Buddy tu bhi.

Manik looked at Alya who was simply smiling looking at crazy friends.

Manik:ab tu bhi bol de.

Alya:manik relax. Yeh sab tumhari taang kheech rhe hai.

Manik glared at cabir mukti and Dhruv who were smiling sheepishly.

Dhruv:But buddy you are late.

Manik:accha baba sorry. Agli baar se dhyaan rakhuga.

Cabir: kitna besharam hai. "Agli baar dhyaan rakhuga". Aisa nhi agli baar nahi kruga.

Manik glared at him.

Cabir: aankhe phad na bandh kar bahar aa jayega. Aur waise bhi ab tere gusse se darr nahi lagte.

Manik rolled his eyes and settled on the space beside mukti while nandini settled next to Alya.

Alya smiled at nandini who smiled back in return. It was awkward for both of them.

Mukti: waise since you are late toh ab punishment milegi tujhe.

Manik:Hadd hai main akela late thodi tha Nandini bhi late thi na usse bhi punishment do.

Navya: Haan toh milegi na usse bhi punishment milegi.

Nandini: Arrey manik ne bola na sorry.

Navya: tumne bola sorry? Ni na. Toh ab punishment.

Nandini:accha sorry na.

Navya: ni ab humara mood nahi tumhe maaf karne ka. Toh ab punishment milegi tum dono ko.

Manik made a bade face and looked at cabir.

Manik:yeh sari teri pakai hui khichdi hai na.

Cabir: haar baar main nahi hota. Iss baar inki mili bhagat hai.

Manik: rehne de mujhe mat sikha. Yeh saara tera kiya dhara hai aur ab kulti maar ke kone maine baitha hai. Tu ruk. Meri baari aane de. Chun chun ke badla lunga tujhse.

Nandini:guys yeh punishment pending phir kabhi kar lena.

Aaryaman:guys I think nandini is right. We were here to relax na. Toh wohi karte hai. Aur waise bhi ab toh yeh dono aa gye na phir let's just sit and talk.

Manik:haan exactly.

Mukti: chup kar tu. Aur aaryaman tum don't speak. Chup chap baithe raho.

Dhruv: aaryaman relax.

He then whispers.

Dhruv:roz roz aisa Mauka ni milta. Aur waise bhi yeh humara benefit main hai.

Manik:Kya khusar phusar chalu hai.

Dhruv:kuch nahi

Manik:Buddy main bol raha tu na cabir aur mukti se dur reh. Yeh dono nikambe tujhe bigad rhe hai.

Mukti: kya matlab tera. Hume koi kaam nahi hota.

Manik:haan nahi hota. Saara din ya toh awaara-gardi karte ho ya mera dimaag khate ho.

Mukti and cabir glared at him and pounced on him.

Manik:owwwwww!

Mukti kicks manik's shin.

Manik:abey lady bheem lag rhi hai.

Cabir pulls manik's blazer.

Manik:abey mera Naya blazer hai. Chhodo mujhe.

Cabir:kya farak padta hai. Tujhe kisi impress karna hai. Nandini toh already pat gyi hai.

Nandini widened her eyes. While mukti and cabir were beating manik. Manik too was fighting back. They were looking like school kids pulling hair, kicking shins and butts, twisting hands.

NavNi Aaryaman and DhruLya were laughing seeing them fight like kids.

Navya: Inko roka nahi na toh puri Shaam yahi karte rahege.

Nandini:sahi keh rhi ho.

Aaryaman walked between them with a whistle. He blowed the whistle loudly. Fab5 palmed their ears in irritation.

Aaryaman:Time Out.

Nandini walked towards them and asked all of them to settle on the couches. Obediently all 3 of them sat down while Navya and aaryaman were shocked seeing ManMukBir obey someone.

Navya: yeh kaise hua?

Nandini:perks of being their manager.

Navya settled on one of the chairs while aaryaman on the bean bag. Cabir and mukti sat beside aaryaman on the other two bean bags. The two pair of love birds settled on the couch. Manik had wrapped his hand around nandini's waist.

Nandini was squirming like a fish pulled outof water. She was trying to remove manik's hand from her waist. She glared at him, pinched his hand, kicked his leg, crushed his toes it her heels but nothing seem to affect Mr. Dheet Malhotra. Cabir rolled his eyes seeing them.

Cabir:dekho iss besharam ko. Itni maar kha ke bhi nahi sudhra.

And another round of bickering between the two friends began.

Later that evening.

Nandini:but guys we don't have even have a proper instruments except guitar, tabla and drums.

Manik:I have.

Nandini:kaise.

Manik:woh talent hunt ke liye we were preparing some tunes and one of them was pretty awesome. I had recorded that in my phone.

Cabir:Tere paas saare tunes hai phone main.

Manik:ni saare ni specifically woh wala. Mujhe woh bohot pasand aaya tha. Maine uspe lyrics bhi likhe hai.

Navya:toh phir neki aur puch puch.

Manik:Buddy gaadi main se guitar la de, please.

Dhruv nodded and immediately grabbed manik's car keys and left to get his guitar. Manik took out the key chain that nandini gifted him today.

Mukti:wow! Is that a pick?

Manik nodded proudly showing it to mukti.

Mukti:yeh main Rakh rahi hoon.

Mukti was about to put it in her pocket when manik when rudely snatched it from her hand.

Manik:NAHI. Tu koi aur pick le le. Yeh wala nahi.

Mukti:kyu iss wale main heere jade hai.

Manik:usse bhi kahi zyada kimti hai yeh. Yaar tu mere collection main se koi aur le le but yeh wala main nahi de raha tujhe.

Mukti:but mujhe yeh pasand hai. Aur mujhe yahi chahiye.

Manik:toh theek hai kal main tujhe aisa same laake dunga lekin yeh wala nahi.

Mukti:haan toh woh tu Rakh le abhi yeh mujhe de de.

Manik:maine kaha na Nahi. Behaas mat kar.

Mukti made a bad face and angrily walked away from manik.

Cabir:kya manik! Bekaar main ek pick pe kyu zidd kar rha hai.

Manik:toh woh bhi toh zidd kar rhi hai na. Usse bol na. Mujhe kyu bol rha hai.

Cabir:tum dono kabhi nahi sudhroge na. Har baar ka ho gya hai tum dono ka.

Manik/Mukti: Usse bolna. Mujhe kya b rha hai.

Both again made a bade face.

Alya:guys why do you both have to always fight over a pick. Like everytime. Bacche lag rhe ho dono.

Navya:koi hume batayega ki kya ho raha hai.

Alya:Manik and Mukti always right from college days have this weird obsession for picks and then they always end up fighting with each other for that simple pick.

Cabir was glaring at Manik and Mukti who had scowls on their face.

Cabir:Mujhe dono ka samjh nahi aata. Jab pick lene jaate ho toh do le lo na. Phir jhagda hi nahi hota. Ek toh jhagad te hO. Khud ka aur Baaki sab ka mood bhi kharaab karte ho.

Manik: yaar usne bhi last time mujhe apni pick nahi di thi yeh bolke ki uska favourite hai. Toh main kyu apni pick doon usko.

Cabir:haan ab bas yahi reh gya tha. Baith ke pura na records nikalo aur phir barter system karo.

Cabir was literally all ready to kill both of them.

Cabir:main tum dono ko paanch minute de raha hoon ya toh sula karo ya party se dafa ho jao.

In the meantime Dhruv too came back and seeing cabir angry he asked Alya who just mouthed the word pick.

Dhruv:not again guys!

Dhruv exclaimed in exasperation.

Nandini moved towards manik.

Nandini:manik de do na. Tum mera wala Rakh lo.

Manik (irritated): Main yeh nahi de rha. Yeh tumne diya hai na mujhe toh main kyu doon. Bol raha hoon usse ki kal aisa laake dunga toh sun nahi rahi meri. Tum usse bolo mujhe mat bolo.

Nandini sighed and turned around. Each and everyone present in the room was gawking at them like aliens. Muti got up and punched manik on his stomach.

Manik:owwwwww! Kya hai.

Mukti:pehle bol nahi sakta tha ki yeh nandini ne diya hai. Idiot!

Manik smiled sheepishly.

Cabir:ho gya tum dono ka? Toh ab please party continue kare.

Manik/Mukti:Jo hukum mere akka.

Everyone laughed while cabir made an irritated face. Fab4 laughed seeing cabir's irritated face. It was always the others who got irritated with the joker. But seeing the joker get irritated was definitely a treat to eyes. NavNi and aaryaman's too smiled.

Cabir took manik's phone and connected it to the speakers. He took his own phone and placed it right beside the speaker in a position where the entire living room was captured perfectly.

Manik looked at nandini.

Manik:just look into my eyes and follow your heart.

Nandini nodded smilingly. Manik strummed his guitar strings as the gang settled comfortably, all set and excited, to listen to their favourite duo sing.

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I hope you guys liked the update.
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