~Fall in Love! What does it gonna cost you, a heartbreak? Live that, too~

-Affu-

In India

Manjeet Lifecare Hospital

Nandini's Cabin

"Appa! Why are you shouting?" Nandini stared at her mobile's screen, frowning. "Shouting? Do I look like I am shouting? I am screaming here, Shona. Screaming like a banshee!" Shekhar yelled out, and Nandini palmed her ears, before pouting.

"Appa! Shouting and Screaming are kinda the same thing, you know?" Nandini leaned forward, in her seat, while smiling cutely at her father. "Nandini!" Shekhar's voice was gentle as usual, but she hates it when he calls her by her name.

"Mr. Murthy!" Nandini's gaze narrowed at Shekhar, who sighed out loud. "Shona! India. India keh rahi thi tum. How could you be so calm and say that you're in India, now?" asked Shekhar, sounding helpless.

"Because I don't know why you're getting upset with that fact. Why does it have to do anything with your Appa who doesn't care about your griefs, Appa? I know it's all because of him, and you don't want me here, because you're scared I might cross my path with him. But what's wrong in it? Do you think I'll go and tell him that I'm his granddaughter?" Nandini stared at Shekhar, looking tired, and Shekhar's eyes softened.

"No! You would not even want to be with someone who doesn't love your Appa." Shekhar said softly, and Nandini gulped down the lump in her throat. She looked guilty, but she knew she was doing right.

"But I don't want you near him. He doesn't even acknowledge the fact that his son has a child whom he never met. He'll finally have a girl child in his family, after more than a century. But he didn't even want to know that fact. He simply didn't care when I wrote him Mishti gave birth to our child. He simply didn't care." Shekhar's face held pain.

"Alright! Murthy saab, ye jo solar eclipse wala chehra nahi chahiye mujhe. Bring me the sunlight." Nandini waved her hand at the screen, and Shekhar smiled at his daughter's attempts to make him smile.

"See! That's like my bright and handsome than Sun Appa." Nandini grinned, and Shekhar laughed lightly. "Now listen, Appa. I'm here in India, as part of my course. You know, its like my internship. Indian doctors are really good at explaining certain things." Nandini explained.

"But why only India? We've got good doctors in London too. They could have sent you here." Shekhar cried out, and Nandini palmed her face. "That's because the University I joined in America has some ties with Indian hospitals." Nandini lied.

"Oh for heaven's sake! Which university was it again, Shona? Johns Hopkins right?" Shekhar asked, and Nandini nodded. "Now don't tell me you don't remember Hopkins having business ties with Indian hospitals." Nandini said. "That's right." Shekhar nodded, and Nandini bobbed her head.

"Of course, you're Mr. Know it all." Nandini threw her hands in air, and at the right moment, someone walked inside. "Pariiii!" Sooraj grinned, and Nandini's eyes widened, and so did Shekhar's. 

"Who the hell calls you with such nicknames?" Shekhar cried out, in shock, and Sooraj's eyes widened.

"Uh! Appa. It's my Dcotor? Yaani..Teacher kinda doctor. I mean, Mentor..yeah, Mentor. I'll..I'll call you back, soon-ish. Bye. And..And..Miss me, yeah..and Love me." Nandini stuttered, before switching it off, and then glaring at Sooraj.

Who stood grinning!

"I didn't know you were talking with Chote." he grinned, while walking towards her. "Also, you stutter a lot in front of him, and I love that someone makes you stutter, Miss Talker of the World." He added, before settling himself on a seat, opposite to her chair.

"And I also love the fact that Choti Ma is the only woman in your life who can shout at you, burn you, beat you up or even strangle you, and you would never mind it." Nandini too grinned, leading Sooraj to glare at her.

"That was not funny." he commented. "So you think, you barging inside my cabin like uninvited sunlight is funny?"she asked, and he frowned.

"Uninvited sunlight?" he asked, confusedly. "Sooraj means Sun." she commented, and Sooraj palmed his face.

"Wo sab chod. What was Chote talking about? Did he talk about me? Did he talk about coming to India? Did he talk about how Ma Loved me more than him?" Sooraj stared at Nandini, excitingly, and she stared at him blankly.

"Of course. He's taking today's flight just to kill you for taking all his Ma's love from him. Oh yeah, he's blamed you for killing his pet cat, too." said Nandini, smiling sarcastically at him. "Chote never had a pet cat." Sooraj frowned, and she could not think of anything else.

"You know, when I heard from Appa that Love is blind, I snorted and said, sure I don't wanna go blind. But now, after realizing there's no reason for Choti Ma to fall in love with you, I understand what Appa meant by that phrase." she commented, and Sooraj stared at her blankly for a second, before screaming out.

"You were fooling me." he cried out, and she bobbed her head. "But Choti Ma calls you a fool, already." she commented, and his seething gaze was narrowed at her.

"Nandini Murthy! You're asking for a pay cut." he warned, and she looked at him with a bored look on her face. "Do I look like I'm here for money, Chote Papa?" she said. "But you need money for your expenses, and you don't like asking for money from anyone else." he smirked, and she smirked right back at him.

"Unless it's my Appa who I'm asking to." she replied. "Right! But he can't send you money, because he doesn't know that you're in India." he grinned, and she too grinned.

"What if I say he knows?" she asked, and he chuckled. "Not a chance." he replied, but didn't receive any reply from her. He looked up at her to see the same grin on her face, without fading.

"You-you-you didn't mean--it." He stuttered. "Oh I don't lie to you, Papa darling. Do I?" she asked, and he looked horrified.

"Oh my Ma ki Rab Ji!" and Sooraj was back in pacing around. "I don't know why but I'm surrounded by too many people who freak out often." she muttered to herself, when she received a call in her mobile, the caller ID reading "Grumpy coffee"

"Talking about freak out." she commented, before answering the call. "Yup, Grumpy coffee slash kid." she answered, only to hear him groaning in annoyance. "Can you stop calling me with such weird names?" he barked out, and she shrugged. "You started the game by calling me Lilliput." she replied.

"Well that suits you. Besides, you started to call me Malhotra kid way before I started to call you Lilliput." he replied. "My bad! Should have called you Grumpy coffee in the beginning." she commented, and he pressed onto his forehead.

"Forget it. I'm coming to pick you up." he said, and she frowned. "I don't think we planned to meet today. Why do you keep forgetting that we're in a fake relationship." she whispered, before looking up at Sooraj, who was still into muttering something while pacing around.

"Well, Miss Lilliput Murthy. For that relationship to look happening and beautiful, in front of your family and mine, we have to act. Isiliye, ek plan hain, to impress Dharmendhr Murthy. Yaani, to compensate for your denial in meeting him." he explained, and her eyes widened.

"Not bad! Tum tho mere saath rehkar bohath intelligent hone laga. I'm proud of myself. I'm getting out of the hospital, then." and she hung up on the call, leaving a tired Manik on the other side of the call.

"How the hell did he react, Pari?" and finally Sooraj got his senses back, when Nandini stood up to leave.

"Bathathi hun bathathi hun. Lekin, filhal kahi jaana hain." she moved to kiss him on his cheeks. "Where to?" he asked, frowning.

"To Dad." she grinned before fleeing out of the room, and Sooraj stood motionless.

"Did she mean Dharam Bhai?" he questioned himself, before widening his eyes.

***

"Welcome, Mr. Malhotra!" the Receptionist smiled at Manik, who nodded at her. "I'd like to meet Mr. Dharmendhr Murthy." said Manik, and the receptionist was all smiles, again. "Sure, I'll check with his schedule, for you." she replied, and Manik nodded before looking behind, frowning.

"Kar kya rahi ho tum?(What are you doing?)" asked Manik, startling the receptionist, who looked up at Manik, confusedly, only to see him looking at something. Or precisely, someone.

"I'm stuffing my watch in my bag. Dikhai nahi diya tumhe?(Couldn't you see it?)" said a girl, and the receptionist immediately recognized her to be the same girl who asked for Dharmendhr, the previous day.

Nandini Murthy isn't a personality to be forgotten so easily!

"Nandini! Watch pehenne keliye hai.(Watch is to wear.)" he smiled sarcastically at her, who stood beside him, still busy in closing her bag. "Patha hai. Mene kab kaha bag pehenne keliye hai balki watch nahi.(I know. When did I say that bag is for wearing but not the watch?)" she made faces at her bag, which has gotten a tough zipper for itself. "Damn! This thing needs to know the definition of time. Mere paas ithne waqt nahi that I spent on closing it." she muttered to herself, and Manik let out a chuckle.

"Thode aaram se, Nandini. It'll be getting closed, without any pressure." he commented, and she looked up to glare at him, but her hairs blocked her view. "Filhaal, I'm patient and polite." she glanced at the receptionist, who was gaping at them.

Maybe, she's a friend. The receptionist thought to herself.

"Yeah, and you can glare at me, later on." said Manik, while chuckling and then raised his hand to tuck her hair strands behind her ears. "Now, give me that thing." and he took her bag from her, to close the zipper, while Nandini was frozen for a moment, when his skin touched hers, but she was back to normal again.

But that couldn't be said for the receptionist, as she stood heartbroken. Nope. Definitely, not just a friend. She thought to herself, while staring at Nandini's and Manik's closeness.

"He's here, right?" Nandini glanced at the receptionist again, whose gaze returned to Nandini, from Manik. "May I know who you're here for, this time, Mam?" her voice was not soft, and Manik looked up at the receptionist, frowning.

"If she's with me, then she's obviously here for Dharmendhr Murthy." "If I'm with him, then we both are here for Dharmendhr Murthy." both Manik and Nandini said, respectively, at the same time, in unison.

They looked at each other, before staring at the receptionist, who stood with her mouth agape.

"Um! Sure. I'll check with that." she looked in the schedule once again, before looking up at Manik and Nandini. "He's free, for now. He'll be having a meeting in one hour, though." she said, and Manik nodded, while Nandini narrowed her eyes at the receptionist. "Thanks!" Manik thanked the receptionist, before looking at Nandini, whose eyes were still squinted at the receptionist.

"Chale?" he asked her, but she was still busy in it, which increased the girl's nervousness. Having no other option, Manik dragged Nandini along. 

"You wanna make a dinner out of her or what?" he asked, and Nandini looked at him blankly, as she was busy staring at the girl. "What?" she looked at him confusedly. "The way you looking at her for more than 10 seconds looked like you either want to strangle her or you're into her." he said, and she rolled her eyes at it.

"Just so you know, I'm straight." she said, and Manik nodded. "I still doubt that, though." he said, and she squinted her eyes at him. "And why would you do so?" she asked. "Because, you looked at the girl like that. Besides, you don't get uncomfortable with my touch, when I'm a stranger to you." he said, and Nandini shrugged.

"You're a lot trustworthy, Grumpy coffee. You won't touch me inappropriately." she said, and he halted in his tracks, while she continued to walk. "And I was staring at her because, she likes you." she said, and looked towards her left to see none. She looked behind, confusedly, only to see Manik staring at her.

"What?" she asked, breaking his trance. "I just said she likes you. Loves you nahi kaha that you have Rahul's stunned look from KKKG when he fell in love with the leading lady." she added, and Manik shook his head, before jogging up to her.

"Why do you think she likes me?" he asked, changing the topic, and she sighed. "You're such a poor observer." She said, and he glared up at her.

"She was rude to me, while she looked at you with a much gentler gaze. She obviously thought me to be your girlfriend, and that broke her heart." she said, and his eyes widened. "She was a pretty one. I would have said her the truth, if she wasn't working in here. Koi nahi, I'll tell her the truth once everything is done. Warna baad mein, you'll blame me for losing such a gorgeous chick to someone else." she said, and Manik rolled his eyes at it.

"I'm not into hunting for any girlfriend." he said, and she looked at him. "That's weird. Yaani sanskari ho, par falling in love is not a crime for a sanskari too, right?" she asked, and he sighed. "I have a long story to tell you, if you want to know the reason." he replied.

"Uh-oh!" she said, and he chuckled. "It's not a breakup story. I've not been in any relationship, till date." he answered her unasked question, and she frowned. "So what about this long story if it's not a sorrow filled story?" she asked, and he pointed at the door in front of them.

"We'll save that for later. For now, girlfriend mode on." and he forwarded his hand to her, who stared at it, before looking up at him. "That doesn't suit you. I mean, you didn't ask for my permission, before throwing me on your shoulder or just like now..dragging me along." she commented, and he rolled his eyes.

"That's not to romance with you. Like how we should be doing now." he replied, and she gave her hand to him, who held it in his grip. And they felt it. A connection. And they just decided to let go off that feeling.

"Let's greet Main AI, then." she grinned, and he frowned. Now, what is Main AI?

***

"Nandini Murthy." Dharmendhr stared at Nandini for a while, and she took her own time to stare at her Dad, as well. Manik stood beside Nandini, clueless about what his next gesture should be, towards Dharmendhr.

Family or not, seeking blessing is the foremost desire for you. Always! Those were her mother's words, and she wanted to follow them.

She bent and touched Dharmendhr's feet, surprising both him and Manik. Nevertheless, Dharmendhr kept his hand over Nandini's head, and patted lightly at it, before removing his hand. 

"Khush raho! (Be happy!)" Dharmendhr stared at Nandini, who stood straight and smiled at him. His gaze moved towards Manik, who smiled at Nandini, before looking up at him, and his smile faded, as if he was meeting with a ghost.

Manik is not scared of his father, but Dharmendhr for he's the most strict personality in the former's life.

"Not that I'm surprised, but kehna zaroori hai." said Dharmendhr, confusing Manik and Nandini. "Achi jodi hai aap dhono ki." he added.

Manik and Nandini stood, staring at Dharmendhr blankly, before giving him a faint smile.

"Yaani, Malhotra boys always chose the best girls for themselves. I know about Alya and Navya well, but I know nothing about your girlfriend. Isiliye kaha mujhe usse milna hai. Tumhare saath.(That's why I said, I wanted to meet her. With you.)" Dharmendhr got settled on his chair, and motioned Manik and Nandini with his hand, to take their seats, opposite to his.

"But I though you already got to know me." Nandini said, and Dharmendhr's gaze was narrowed at her. "I mean, you told me that my mother was right about me being a talker. You got the right character trait of mine, and that just makes you an acquaintance for me." she added.

Manik held onto her hand, and squeezed it.

"Um! She likes to talk..so much. Nandini!" Manik turned to Nandini, to glare at her secretly. "Dharam Chachu doesn't like to talk much." he added, and she nodded, by patting at his hand which was squeezing hers, quite hardly.

"I know, Manik. He's probably into those who fears that India might take tax from him if he talks until and unless he's asked to. You men are kanjoos, sometimes." she said, and Manik's eyes widened, before glancing at Dharmendhr, who stared at the duo wordlessly.

"Ahem! Bohath bath karthi ho tum.(You talk a lot.)" Manik choked, and faked a laugh, before smiling nervously at Dharmendhr. "Chachu! Usse bath karke bagair kahi chup beitna pasand nahi hain.(She doesn't like to sit idle and be quiet, without talking.)" Manik passed another fake smile to Dharmendhr, whose gaze was fixed at Nandini.

"Its a fact, Maan. Your woman can talk so much that even if she goes to a party and nobody talks, she wouldn't get bored." Dharmendhr said, but Manik and Nandini stared at each other, mouthing 'Your woman' in surprise, before looking at Dharmendhr.

Seems like, Dharmendhr Murthy is just like how her father described him to be. Strict and traditional. A lot similar to Yashjeet Murthy.

"Well, technically speaking, I wouldn't go and sit with a group of people who don't talk. So party tho dhoor ki baath hai." she said, shrugging and Dharmendhr's gaze moved towards her palms, which were attached to each other while she shrugged her hands, with her thumbs and forefingers sticking out, and the rest closed into a fist.

His gaze softened at the sight.

"Where exactly are you from?" He asked, and Nandini frowned. "You said you were new to my neighborhood." he added. "Oh! Actually, I'm new to this country, as well. I come from London. I was born and brought up in there." she said, and his frown increased.

"Apko dekhke aise nahi lagthe.(I don't feel the same while looking at you.) I mean, you behave a lot like how a girl who's brought up in India, behaves like." he said, and she squinted her eyes at him. "It's not always the country that forms a child's personality. It's always the parents' upbringing." she stated, and his eyes were widened in surprise.

"As in..if your children are behaving good, then it's because of your upbringing, no matter where you bring them up. Chaahe India ho ya koi International country. They'll always learn what you teach them. If you're good, you can always mould your kids to good. Par haan, ache se parvarish bhi dena chahiye." she explained, and Manik smiled at it. She might not look it, but she's a lot good at explaining certain topics which her age doesn't ask for.

"Tho phir apke parvarish..bohath ache hue hai. Yahi kehna chahthe hai aap?" Dharmendhr asked, and Nandini smiled. "Ye bath apko mere Appa aur Ma se poochna chahiye. If they're proud of me, then their upbringing was good." she replied, and he nodded.

"So who are your parents?" he asked, and she stared at him blankly. While Manik sat tensed. Can they lie about her parents' names too, now? That sounds terrible!

"Because the way you explained me..reminds me of someone I..knew." Dharmendhr said, and Nandini's face held joy. "I hope that person is not my..father." she said, and his heartbeat stopped for a second. "Kyunki log lehthe hai ki mein apne Appa pe gayi hun.(Because people say that I'm a lot like my father.)" she added.

Dharmendhr's fists were clenched. Could it be possible? For her to be his little brother's daughter? Do they finally have a daughter in their family? A girl child, who's a blessing for their family but not the same for herself?!

"Oh yeah! Nandini is a lot like Uncle. Her father. The way she talks, walks and even her looks are from her father." said Manik,encouraging Nandini's point, who grinned at Manik.

"No! Your..father cannot be the one I was talking about." Dharmendhr said, for if she was his brother's daughter, then she might have not lived till this age.

"Then maybe you can meet him one day. That way you can know her parents. They're coming to India. Hain na Nandini?" asked Manik, and Nandini nodded. "Of course. Appa is just wrapping up his work, so that he and Ma can come to India, to meet Manik's family." she replied.

"Good to hear." he said, and smiled faintly at it. "Why don't you come to meet my family, as well?" asked Dharmendhr, and Manik bit onto his lips, looking for an excuse.

"Sure! I just don't know when I'll be free, though." Nandini replied instantly, taking Manik's attention. She blinked at him, before smiling at Dharmendhr. "We'll be free, always. Just come home, when you get free time. We do know how tough a doctor's schedule could be." Dharmendhr said, and they nodded.

"Phir hum chalthe hai, Chachu." said Manik and they stood up. Dharmendhr remained seat, but his gaze never left Nandini's. "It was good meeting you, Main AI." She smiled, but Dharmendhr was too lost in his reverie to notice her comment.

Manik faked a smile, and grabbed her along instantly, to get themselves out of Dharmendhr's cabin, leaving a distressed latter one behind.

"Why does she sound a lot like..Chote?!" Dharmendhr muttered to himself, before his gaze moved towards the small photo frame, which was kept on the table. A picture of him and his four brothers.

And a tear slipped off his eyes, when he caressed one certain face in the picture.

***

"I nearly lost my heart, brain and even the cells in my body to air, in fear." Manik muttered while keeping his head on his car's steering wheel.

"You cannot lose those until you have a disease. Also, you do not lose your cells in your body. It just dies and get replaced with new ones." he heard Nandini's comment, and he looked up at her, with his head still laying on the steering wheel.

"Do I look like I care about anything related to your science, now, Lilliput?" he asked out tiredly, and then banged his head on the wheel. "I don't get scared of my Dad, like how I do, when I'm with Dharam Chachu. Heck! I know well why Asad Bhai and Shivaay Bhai have that scary aura." Manik muttered, and Nandini nodded.

"That's why I call them AI." she said, and he frowned, before looking at her. "What the hell is AI? You used some Main AI for Dharam Chachu, as well." he commented, and she shrugged.

"AI stands for what their character is. Akdu Insaan." she stated, and his eyes were widened, and body straightened up to sit properly, in his seat.

"And they don't mind you calling that?" he cried out, and she nodded in negative. "They never did. You're acting like they can take your life if you tell them the truth about their personality. Chill. Mere Bhayyus na, scary dikhthe hai, par bohath hi sweet hain." she said, and Manik nodded.

"For you, they could be the sweetest in the world, because you're their sister and for a brother, sisters are always the most important and fragile. Lekin, baaki logon keliye apke Bhayyus ithna sweet nahi hai, except for Rithvik Bhai." Manik commented, and she sighed out loud.

"That's because they don't let people in, too easily. Once they do, you'll find their real character." she said, and he shook his head. "Forget it! I'm talking to a possessive and protective sister, right now." he said, and she gave him a thumbs up. "Right there, Grumpy coffee!" she said, and he glared at her, before igniting the engine.

"Waise, how was the meeting?" asked Manik, and she leaned back into her seat. "Just like how I met Asad Bhayyu and Shivaay Bhayyu for the first time." and she had a reminiscent smile on her lips.

"How was that like, then?" asked Manik smilingly, on seeing her smiling face.

"I was blabbering that I can't believe some random strangers' stories. I said I cannot believe that I had brothers. I was just 8 years old, then. Appa never talked about his family, when I was a kid, so that he doesn't have to explain me why they're not with us. So when they told me that they were my brothers, I was like, yeah and I believe it. Tab hi, Asad Bhayyu mere haath pakda aur kaha, if I think they're not my brothers, then I wouldn't feel any connection between us. But if I do feel, then ask my Appa. Those were his words." she explained, before looking at Manik.

"And I did feel a connection. Ma always said that when you meet those your heart feels connected to, you would feel that connection running through your veins. And that's when I went and asked Appa about his family, and he started to narrate about them. He didn't say why they weren't with us, because I was still a kid. Bas kaha, hum dhoor rehna chahthe hai ek doosre se." she glanced back at the scenery outside, while Manik listened to her.

"That's when I understood that Asad Bhayyu and Shivaay Bhayyu talk less, but once they talk, then it must be about something life changing. Par dheere dheere wo sab badal gaya. They started to talk more, and they say, it's because of my presence." Nandini smiled, throughout the conversation.

"Now, I would like to see the similar change in Dad too." she said, and Manik stared at her smiling face, before forwarding his hand to her. She looked at his hand, which was near to her hand.

Not asking a question, she placed her hand in his, who gripped it tight.

"Ma always said that Love heals everything. Love changes people. Love changes the entire personality of a person. That's a kind of power Love possess, and I think you just have to love your Dad to bring changes in him, just like how you brought the same in your brothers, by loving them." said Manik, and she kept staring at him, and the hold on her hand.

"Just know that, I'm with you. Hamesha." he said, while stopping the car, and then looking at her. 

And she had a beautiful smile on her lips.

"Hamesha." she repeated, and the duo smiled at each other, unaware of the blooming feelings in their heart, for each other. This wasn't just friendship, from now. So..

What must those feelings be?

***

How was the chapter?

Since my college has begun, I don't get time to write. That's why, expect a new chapter, mostly on Saturdays. I apologize in advance if I get late to update.

With love,

Affu.