I love him. Him- my father's best friend as he was a mirror to my hero- DAD

(Affu)

Sometimes, certain people come in your life and give a shoulder to cry on. Or maybe, give a hand to support you and you tend to love that person for whatever he's ever done to you. And that someone becomes so important to you the next day! That's what called love!

Our Nest

Abhimanyu: Hold on! That's not happening. He's my best friend.

Manvik: So? Its not a new information for us. We know, you're his best friend.

Abhimanyu: Oh come on. Try to understand. Betraying friend is the worst mistake one can do.

Karthik: Mistakes can never be be best.

Abhimanyu: Yar, samjha kar. Enemy ko betray kar, koi nahi but if you betray your best friend, pitaai ke alawa aur kuch nahi milege. Giraffe Malhotra will behead me.

Prathik: And here we were thinking that you're concerned for him.

Abhimanyu (rolled his eyes): Yeah right. Dude, if you ask me, will I prefer romancing with my wife or irritating my best friend, then I would go for the latter one.

The boys nodded their heads at him as if they were expecting it.

Manvik: Maybe, our choice is really the best.

He pointed at Abhimanyu who looked nervous.

Abhimanyu: Par outcome acha nahi hoga.

Karthik: Oh come on. He'll just beat you up and then the story is finished.

Abhimanyu: Well, that's not something new for us. We punch in each other's face whenever we're angry so it doesn't hurt. But it really hurts when he teams up with my daughter.

Prathik: Excuse me? What do you mean? Don't tell me your daughter beats you up too.

Abhimanyu: Offo! Nahi yar. I'm talking about my sweet daughter being in her Mamu's team. She'll forget her Daddy and do what her Mamu likes.

Abhimanyu sulked and the boys felt pity for him.

Prathik: Chill. If your daughter is in his team then you'll have us in your team. You have more, actually.

And at that statement, Abhimanyu jumped in joy.

Abhimanyu: Wow! Now, I'm so gonna enjoy it. Batha, karna kya hai?

And they shared a plan with Abhimanyu, who looked at them wide-eyed.

Abhimanyu: Er..ye kuch zyada tho nahi?

Manvik: Nope. This is our level.

Abhimanyu (muttered): Ye tho bilkul apne baap kelevel hi hain.

Karthik: Did you say something?

Abhimanyu: Um, no. So, when are we executing it?

Prathik: From today morning.

Abhimanyu (thought): Rest in peace, Giraffe Malhotra!

Breakfast time

Navya: Kuch ho raha hai kya?

She whispered to Abhimanyu, on seeing the eye-conversation between the boys and him.

Abhimanyu (startled): What? Mathlab kya hain?

Navya (sarcastic grin): Tumhare aur unn theenon ke beech ithne saare eye-locks kyun? Mukti kam hai kya uskeliye?

Abhimanyu: Kuch bhi, chipkali.

Navya: Aye! Chipkali kisko bola?

Abhimanyu: Of course, tumko. Duh!

Navya (gritted her teeth): Breakfast karne dho, phir bathathi hun chipkali kaun, chimpanzee Thakkar.

Abhimanyu: Hey, that's my best friend's right.

Navya just ignored him and Abhimanyu concentrated back in the boys who pointed at Manik.

Manik: Ye kya hain?

Manik muttered to himself after taking a sip from his drink while Abhimanyu, who was sitting on his left peeked in Manik's drink.

Abhimanyu: Drink hain.

Manik: Acha? Mujhe tho laga tha kuch khane keliye hain.

Mnaik smelled the drink and kept it away from his nose.

Manik: It smells so bad too. This isn't my Espresso.

Abhimanyu: Well, this is some other drink. I kept it for you.

Manik: What the f***!! You kept it for me? Where the hell is my Espresso, then?

Abhimanyu: Chill! I was actually helping you. Your sons drink it tho mene socha you would like to know their likes. You can even impress them.

Manik (shocked): They drink this?

And he smelled the drink again, only to scrunch his nose. He looked ahead to see his sons sipping on their drinks.

Abhimanyu: Yup, they do. Only in every morning. Nandu bana rahi thi aaj subah unkeliye.

Manik: What the heck is this?

Abhimanyu: Cucumber coffee!

Manik nearly choked on hearing it while Abhimanyu was sipping onto his coffee.

Manik: Wh-what?

Abhimanyu: CUCUMBER COFFEE, thoda weird hain par bete tho tere hain na, so weird hona hi hain. I still wonder how come the coffee is still brown, cucumber is green na.

Manik stared at his drink in horror and then at his sons who was licking their lips after drinking from it.

Manik: I can't believe that they drink such a thing. Cucumber coffee?! Hey, is it that latte which has cucumber syrup? I've heard of it.

Manik smelt the drink again and Abhimanyu slapped his forehead.

Abhimanyu: Nope. Its purely cucumber juice mixed with coffee beans.

Manik felt like puking but on seeing his sons drinking it, he looked at Nandini who was also having her food.

Abhimanyu: Tujhe drink karne ke zaroorath nahi, bas aiveyi rakha mene.

But in the next second, he saw Manik sipping on it and Abhimanyu smiled at it.

Manik: Patha nahi kaise peethe hai yeh.

He muttered but didn't take any other drink except that. He didn't like it a bit and it could be seen on his face and this was noticed by the boys who smiled at it. They looked at each other and then at Abhimanyu who showed a thumbs up to them.

They smiled at him too.

Adyant: Let's leave, kids.

He left with Raj and Cabir post breakfast, and Manik followed them.

Abhimanyu: Nandu, tu bhi jaa. Kar kya rahe ho yaha?

Nandini: Arey, I'm just cleaning the mess my sons have created.

Abhimanyu: Wo sab keliye workers hai. Jaa tu. Aur han, Manik ke saath beith. Tera grumpy Bhai ke saath nahi.

Nandini sighed and left while Abhimanyu's gaze fell on boys' drink and he smiled seeing the leftover in it. He took it and smelt from it and chuckled.

Abhimanyu: Cucumber coffee tho bete bhi pee liya Daddy Malhotra ke saath.

He too left for his work.

In Manik's Car

Nandini: Manik? You okay?

She was noticing his every moment since the moment they got inside the car. He was driving and he was anything but concentrated in it.

Manik: Yeah. I am.

He was gulping time to time as if he could get rid of the taste of cucumber coffee.

Nandini: But you don't look fine. Hua kya hain?

Manik: Arey nahi. Actually, I'm having an upset stomach.

Nandini: What? But you were fine in the morning.

Manik: Haa, it just happened right after having breakfast.

Nandini: Aur tum ab batha rahe ho mujhe? What's wrong with you, Manik? Ithna childish kyu ho tum? You have an upset stomach and you're going for site seeing?

Manik: Offo Nandu, ithna bhi kuch nahi hua. I'm fine.

Nandini: Stop the car.

Manik (frowned): What?

Nandini: I said, stop the car, mathlab, gaadi roko.

And he had to stop his car on hearing her tone. She got out of the car and opened the door of his side.

Nandini: Push yourself to the passenger seat, Malhotra!

Chuckling at her audacity to rule over him, he moved to the passenger seat and she occupied the driving seat and ignited the engine, only to turn the car towards a hospital.

Manik: Nandini, mein batha raha hun na, I'm fine. Aaj ka khana acha nahi laga mujhe.

Nandini: Yeah. And I have two horns.

Manik: Haa, wo tho hain. Warna tum mujhpe chillane ke barein mein soch bhi nahi sakthi na. Little devil, you're.

Nandini (pissed): Malhotra!

Manik: Aye aye, captain!

Soon, they reached the hospital and Nandini dragged Manik out of the car and then inside the hospital.

Doctor's cabin

Manik: What? No. You're not touching me.

Nandini sighed at his tantrums.

Nandini: Manik. Like you wished, its a male doctor.

Manik: So what? That doesn't mean I'll let him touch me.

Nandini: Manik. He needs to treat you. Stomach upset hai tho doctors ko stomach check karna padtha hain.

Manik (adamantly): I don't care, okay. Neither he's touching me nor he's gonna see me too.

Nandini (glared): Manik!

Manik looked the other side in anger while the doctor stared at him in pity.

Doctor: Listen son, I might be of your father's age. Plus, I have a wife and children. To top it, I'm not even bisexual that I would end up falling for you. So, you can trust me with it.

Nandini giggled hearing him while Manik passed a glare to her before turning to the doctor.

Manik: Did I even tell you that you would end up loving me? I just can't let you touch me. That's it.

Doctor: Well, how am I gonna treat you, then? You said your stomach isn't feeling well so I need to check it to know whether you have some pain in there or not.

Manik: I don't feel any pain. How come I get to feel some pain just with your touch? Are you gonna hammer my stomach or what?

Doctor turned to Nandini, who looked at him with a nervous smile and then glared at Manik before walking towards him.

Nandini: Manik!

Manik: Don't even dare to butter me, Nandu. I'm not gonna listen to anyone.

Nandini: Manik, mere bath suno.

She cupped his cheeks and made him look at her, who sat adamant to not even look in her eyes or else, he might get melted in her trap.

Nandini: You know, he needs to check your stomach by pressing on certain areas of it. If he doesn't do it, then he won't be able to know where is the problem. Since, we're not doctors, we won't be able to tell how can he just identify the problem just with a touch.

Manik scrunched his nose in disgust.

Manik: He's gonna press my stomach. Eww..

Nandini palmed her face in distress while Manik passed a disgusting look to the doctor who was staring at the duo.

Manik: How can you just do it? Doctors don't do that. Pressing my stomach. Yuck! I've never allowed any but only her to see or touch me, so nope, not happening at all.

Manik pointed at Nandini, who widened her eyes on seeing him admitting it.

Doctor (chuckled): Girlfriend?

He looked at Nandini and asked while pointing at Manik and herself. She bit her lips on not knowing what to say? What are they? Girlfriend-boyfriend? Husband-wife? Nope. Neither of them.

Manik: My fiance! My kids' mother. Is that enough, Doc? Or do you mind it, now?

Manik held Nandini's hand in his and spoke to the doctor while staring straight in his eyes, who smiled at the duo. Nandini stared at him without blinking her eyes and a smile formed on her face. She always fought the urge in her to scream at those who used to give looks to her for she was a single mother. Paris wasn't filled with only French people who wouldn't mind having single mothers around.

Doctor: Why would I mind? She's your fiance and your kids' mother. How come I have any role in it to oppose?!

Manik nodded while Nandini smiled at him. She had met people like him too, who admired for the woman she was. Because unlike some women, she didn't abort her babies instead she was among those who lived her life for her blood.

Doctor: Now. Coming back to your problem, son. What am I supposed to do?

Nandini turned to Manik, who looked at Doctor with a poker face.

Manik: I'll tell the symptoms and you can jot it down and gimme medicines. Or, you can check my stomach with my clothes on. I don't mind that, well not fully, but partially, I don't mind. This is what I did all my life.

Doctor chuckled and nodded in positive.

Doctor: It would be better if you didn't have you shirt on as your cloth is thick, but still, I would go with it. for your heart's content.

Manik grinned and laid on the bed and the doctor tried to know what was Manik's issue.

Doctor: You don't feel any pain, so it can't be food poisoning. Well, what did you have in the morning.

Nandini: A plain croissant, some pancakes and a glass of coffee. He doesn't eat a lot in the early morning.

Doctor: You did have these in your life before too, right?

Manik nodded.

Doctor: You should either overeat or something new to make your stomach upset.

Nandini: Manik. You didn't eat anything different last night, right?

Manik nodded in negative.

Doctor: Well, maybe, his stomach is too cranky. Just like him.

He got settled on his seat while laughing at his own joke making Manik to mutter something inaudible under his breath while Nandini slapped his biceps lightly and asked him to be quiet.

Doctor: I'm prescribing a medicine. Just have it if he feels nauseous. Hmm?

He looked up at them.

Nandini: Sure, doctor. Thank you.

Doctor: You'll get the medicine in the hospital pharmacy. I've already put it in the system.

They turned to leave when the doctor stopped them.

Doctor: If you don't mind, can I know how many kids do you have?

Manik/Nandini: 3.

He looked lost in deep thoughts before looking back at them.

Doctor: 3 kids, which means, 3 times is a must. How did he let you touch him then?

Nandini's cheeks turned dark red while Manik looked embarrassed but then, how can he lose his charm.

Manik: Well, we have triplets. Although, we've made love more than 3 times in our lives too.

And he walked away with Nandini's hand clutched in his while the doctor laughed out at them.

In the Site

Raj: Manik had to consult to some doctor. They might be late, Uncle. You won't mind, right?

Adyant (frowned): Kya? Doctor? Kyu, kya hua? Is he fine?

Raj (smiled): Ji, uncle. He's just having a bad stomach. He doesn't care about diet and eat whatever he wants.

Adyant (sighed): Ismein tho wo apne Daadu pe hi gaya.

Raj smiled at it. His father was also a big time foodie and so his son.

Adyant: Let's wait, then.

Raj: Um, uncle. Nandu, mathlab Nandini bhi uske saath hai.

Adyant: Patha hain. Aur kahi jaa nahi sakthi wo.

Raj frowned at the way Adyant shrugged his shoulders. He looked as if he didn't care about it. Does he trust Manik so much?

Adyant walked away and Raj got to think about it again.

Your son never lost his right, then how can you lost it..Dad?

That sentence never left Raj's brain. Why? Why does he still holds that right in her life? Maybe, she still considers him to be a father for her. But what about his son? How can he still holds that right?

How can Manik still hold that very same right in Nandini's life when she has already moved on and have a new family?

How?

Raj: Aisa kyu kag raha hai mujhe Nandu..ki tum abhi bhi Manik ko bhool nahi payi?

His mind wandered to his conversation with Prathik. Strange, it is!

Why would his brain think about Prathik, now?

Or..

Why would he always think about those three sons and he feels a sudden connection with them?

Raj: Can..Can they be my son's?!

His gasped when those words got registered in his brain.

Flashback..

"Nahi na, mere kids hain. So they obviously gotta be like me." Manik whined and I glared at him. How can he say that? Even if they'e his kids, they should be having some trait of mine too. After all, I'm their grandfather. "So what? I'm their grandfather." I said and his nostrils flared to which I just rolled my eyes. Stupid Red Giraffe, he is.

"And I'm their father." he said but then I got to hear someone gasping and I turned to see Nandu, at the door with her eyes widened. "Nandu." Manik squealed like a girl making me to frown. He was supposed to be my son not my daughter. "You freaking have a kid?" Suddenly, I got to hear Nandu shouting and I widened my eyes. Oh damn! She took him wrong. I stood up to clear the mess but then I sat again. Why should I? Its his matter.

"What? No! You're taking me wrong." I heard Manik and I chuckled silently. Good for him. He shouldn't have messed with Raj Malhotra. "Oh, wow. You think I was deaf. You. You said it, Manik. How could you?" okay, this is getting bad. I turned to look at Nandini, who' stood ready to show how good she's at Karate. I stood up and walked past him and took my daughter in a hug.

"He didn't mean it, baby." I said and she looked up at me while puffing her cheeks which was red due to anger. I smiled. She's such a cute kitten. I never thought I would be able to love someone else apart from my Navu and Muku but I did. Nandini. She looked so fragile and innocent when I met her for the first time through Cabir and I knew she was deprived of love. I was more than ready to be that father of her's when her own father didn't care about his kids but ended up becoming a drunkard. "Manik and I was just having a future plan. You know, who will love his kid more. Me or him? Also, will he have my traits in his kid or not. Par ye maan nahi raha tha. Keh raha tha sirf iske traits milenge." I added and got to see her eyes widening. She looked at me and then at Manik, who was shooting glares at her.

"Manik." I warned him. "What? She should have trusted me, okay." He cribbed and I sighed. "Haa tho koi aur nahi tumne hi kaha tha. How can I just sit quiet when you were confessing that you had a kid. And I'm their father." she mimicked him at the end making me to laugh. She turned to me and punched in my arms lightly and I faked a wince. "You gave me a heart attack. I had even planned to kill your son." she said and I laughed. "Ye tho sabko patha hai ki tum dhono ek dusre ko romance ke alawa aur kuch nahi karthe." I said and got to see red hues on both their cheeks. "Blushing, Malhotra?" I smirked at my son, who took hold of his girlfriend and sped away.

"Yup, just like how you blush because of Mom." he said and I sighed at them. But I knew I was smiling. Its just because of Nandini, my son is happy. He's all smiles whenever she's around and I'm so thankful to her for it. May God bless them with only happiness.

Flashback ends..

Our Nest

Boys' Room

Manvik: Okay, what's next?

"What's what, Bhai?" Alishka barged inside the room with Naila and settled on the bed.

Prathik: That's our bed.

He looked at Naila, who gave him a shrug in return.

Naila: Did I say it was my bed? Duh! I have my own bed.

Prathik: Forget it! Why am I even talking with her?!

Naila: Because everyone is interested in talking with Naila Thakkar.

She flipped her hairs back but just like her mother, even she couldn't let go off those innocent eyes.

Prathik: Really? Who are you? Angelina Jolie?

Naila: She's too old to compete with Naila Thakkar. So, buzz off!

Prathik stood up in rage but Karthik and Manvik made him sit in between them on the couch.

Karthik: Okay, relax. We don't need to fight. We were here to discuss over something. So, Miss Thakkar and Miss Dhawan, kindly leave.

Alishka: What's cooking, Bros?

Manvik: Our workers might be cooking in kitchen since Mamma and Maami are out with their job. Even Mrs. Thakkar is out. Wanna have something from there?

Alishka: Your humor level is too low, so please, don't even try to crack a joke. It goes pathetic, Bhai.

Karthik (groaned): Ashu!

Alishka: Out with it!

She rested her back on the headboard of the bed. But the boys stared at Naila and then at each other in a dilemma. They never shared anything with each other apart from Alishka. But..

Naila is family.

They have accepted Abhimanyu wholeheartedly.

Naila: Um, seems like Mamma has come back. Ashu, I'll come soon.

She got up to leave on seeing the changes of expressions in the boys. She din't want to intrude in between these siblings.

Prathik: Its fine, Miss Thakkar. You're family.

She snapped her head at him in surprise, who was looking everywhere but at her.

Alishka: Huh?

She leaned forward with her jaws dropped down in shock. Soon, she pulled Naila on the bed getting all excited.

Alishka: You accepting her in our family is like a good shock for me. What happened to you guys?

Naila too looked at them curiously who gave a bad look to the girls.

Karthik: Well, she's our father's best friend's daughter. So, she's supposed to be family.

And Alishka Dhawan sat speechless while Naila sat clueless. How come her father is their father's best friend?!

She still wasn't aware of her Mamu being their father!

Alishka: Ex..cuse me?

In return, the boys just grew nervous. Hiding something from Alishka Dhawan is a sin which they'd committed!

To be continued..