~Would it be that easy to forget the face which caused the happiness in life? I don't think so; just like the face that caused the tears to remain unforgotten ~

At the park

It was never easy for Nyonika to forgive and forget. People who hurt her have to pay for what they did to her. She would make sure nobody hurt her loved ones or herself, and if someone did, she would never forgive them.

But that was Nyonika, and not Shamishti. Her best friend.

Shamishti could forgive anyone, even if they were once the reason for her sleepless teary nights. She could easily forget the bitterness people showed towards her and be a good friend to them. Punishing someone isn't even something she would think about.

Poles apart the two were, yet the best of friends. Nobody could separate these best friends.

Except for Yashjeet Murthy!

"Sha-Shammi!" Nyonika whispered to herself, while staring at her best friend, who was standing opposite to her with her hands full of rose petals.

Shamishti had tears in her eyes, yet she chose to walk towards Nyonika with a smile playing on her lips.

"Nyo" Shamishti stood so close to Nyonika, yet she couldn't believe her eyes or ears. "It's a---dream?" Nyonika asked, and Shamishti held onto the former's hands to shift some of the rose petals to her friend's hands.

"Chalein, best friend?" Shamishti asked, and Nyonika stared at their entwined palms. "Warna Jesus bhaag jayenge tho?" And Nyonika burst out into tears, before hugging her best friend, tight and hard.

"It's not a dream." Nyonika muttered to herself, and Shamishti smiled through tears. "No, it's not."

Breaking the hug, they wiped each others' tears, when Nyonika's gaze fell on Manik and Nandini who were standing there, all smiles.

"Actually, Ma would take time to come." Nyonika's eyes widened. "My parents are here." She stared at Nandini, who was now staring back at Nyonika with a guilt filled smile on her face. "She's gone to collect rose petals. She likes to keep rose petals at the feet of Jesus Christ while lighting the candles for him." And her gaze shifted back at Shamishti, who was also having the same expression as Nandini.

"Shona." Shamishti nodded at Nyonika, who stared at the mother daughter duo in disbelief.

And all Manik and Nandini did were to stare at each other

***

"I can't believe it." Anjali muttered to herself, before throwing her hands up in the air, "You're Shona. Like literally, The Shona. Bhabi's Shammi's Shona??!!"

"Anju!' Arpita glared at her, before pointing at Nyonika, who looked visibly upset. "Oh. Right." Anjali murmured, before staring at Manik and Nandini, who were busy gawking at their mothers.

"You can...yell, you know?" Shamishti cleared her throat and Nyonika threw a look at her best friend before looking at Nandini. "Should I, now? Or maybe I lost that right too. Waise bhi bathana kya hai. It's just about your daughter coming to India, disguising herself to be someone else. Right?"

"Disguised?" Nandini looked at Nyonika with her eyebrows scrunched together. "FYI Mrs walking-talking Gussa , I didn't lie a thing about my name or identity. Bas aapko pehchanne mein thodi dikkath hui."

"Shona." Shamishti let out a sigh, while Nyonika just stared on. "Mrs walking-talking Gussa?" She questioned, and Shamishti's eyes were widened. "Shona, really now? "

"She calls me the same thing???" Nyonika cried out, while staring at her best friend accusingly, who had palmed her face in exasperation.

"Whoa! So that's your nickname, Ma?" Manik let out a chuckle, and Nyonika started to glare at him. "You shut up, Malhotra. You're next in the line." And Manik zipped his mouth.

"Yeah, about that..." Shamishti cleared her throat, before looking at her best friend apologetically. "They're not in a relationship." And Arpita and Anjali stared at Shamishti aghast.

"Duh!" Nyonika threw her hands in air. "As if I didn't know." And this time it was Shamishti who looked shocked.

"Excuse me?" Anjali questioned while Arpita had her hand on head, looking literally tired.

"Wait, what? Really?" Nandini's mouth went wide open, and Manik just stared at his mother like a typical kid who's scared of his mother's wrath.

"Yes." Nyonika looked at Manik with her eyes squinted at him. "A Malhotra could starve to death but can never live without romancing his woman. Even if it's in front of his family, and I've never seen my son acting like a Malhotra in love."

"Wow. Now, that's a good observation." Shamishti smiled thankfully, which was short lived due to Nyonika. "Yaar Nyo. Sorry na. I really didn't have a choice." She cribbed, only for Nyonika to move further, towards where Shamishti stood.

"Hurt karne ke baad sorry bolna tere liye shayad ek achi aadat hogi. Lekin har sorry ko it's okay bolna mere bas mein nahi hai." And Nyonika walked away, moving towards the exit.

"Oh damn. Ma is really hurt. " And Nandini stared at the hurt visible on her mother's face after listening to Manik's words.

"Hurt mene kiya." Nandini called out to Nyonika, who turned around to face her. "Because I wanted my Appa to reunite with his family. "

Walking towards where Nyonika stood, Nandini let out a sigh. "Okay. I know there shouldn't be lies in friendship. Ma shouldn't have hidden about me, from you. But it was my idea. I asked her to keep it a secret from you, because I wanted it to be my mission. In fact Manik ko bhi isiliye sab patha hai because I wanted to get close to Murthys, which is only possible if I'm close to Malhotras. Kisi aur ke mistake ke saza apno ko dene keliye aap hain Kaun? The muh pe hatred dikhana Yashjeet Murthy?"

Nyonika stared at Nandini looking speechless, while Shamishti turned to look at Manik. "Handle her, please?" She requested, and Manik obliged to it almost immediately. "Why not, Lilliput's Mother India!" And Shamishti smiled at the way Manik talked to her.

"Lilliput. Let them talk it out." Manik moved towards Nandini, cautiously due to his mother's presence. "So what am I not doing? Isse talking kehthe hain Manik. When words come out of one's mouth with expressions visible on face, one is talking." Nandini explained and Manik let out a sigh before grabbing onto her shoulders and pulling her towards him.

"You like it if I speak in between you and Mrunal?" Manik asked and Nandini nodded. "You're right about that, but if it's not Mruno's fault in what I'm accusing her with, then you're supposed to intervene to save her from me. You see, I'm not a very calm person." Nandini replied, and Manik started to drag her away.

"Yes. But Mruno would want to talk for herself?" And Nandini let out a sigh before looking back at Nyonika. "Okay, but don't hurt her." Nandini said, and Shamishti smiled at her daughter. Manik too had a smile on his face. "Sure thing, Murthy." Said Manik and took her away.

"Right. They're not in a relationship." Anjali muttered and Nyonika also kept staring at the way her son held onto Nandini and talking to her while calming her down.

Just like how Raj takes care of her.

***

"Shona just came home one day and told me that she wants her real Appa." Shamishti looked through the trees, finding the peace that she used to get from this place.

While Nyonika and the ladies, who were opposite to her, listened to what Shamishti has to say.

"Mein samjhi nahi thi. What did she mean by her real Appa?!" Shamishti chuckled to herself. "And then she started to show the pictures that she got from Shekhar's phone. They were sent to him by Raj Bhai."

"Keh rahi thi madam ki Appa looked more handsome, more lively, and the happiest in those pictures. Mujhe wo wala Appa chahiye, na ki koi actor Murthy. So I'm going to India when the right time comes, and that's final Appa's Mishti. Aur phir chali gayi." Shamishti looked back at Nyonika. "Mana kar nahi payi tab. Kyunki mein bhi wahi chahthi thi. Aur tab bhi mana nahi kar paayi when she asked me to hide from you because I wanted Shekhar to get his family back and I have full trust in my daughter's plans. Hamari dosthi se zyada mujhe apne aapko guilt free hona tha, Nyo. And I'm...really sorry to be that selfish, but it's been years since I've slept peacefully, Nyo. Mujhe bhi pehle jaise banna hain."

And the tears in Shamishti's eyes, the sincerity in her words were enough for Nyonika to pull her best friend in, for a hug.

"I'm sorry too, Shammi." Nyonika whispered, and Shamishti let out her tears openly, for the first time in so many years, for she knew nobody is going to freak out or judge her tears.

***

"You know what?" Manik got settled beside Nandini and held onto her hands. "Ma is really hurt. Your Ma is her best friend and it would have been a gift for her if Shammi Aunty had called her up to take care of you, rather than hide the truth. Oopar se we were also hurting her with so many lies. So it's an expected reaction from her. Lekin they'll sort it out." Manik smiled at the worry on Nandini's face. "And trust me when I say it, they'll be having their own ways of mending their mistakes and forgiving each other."

"Okay. I get it." Nandini let out a sigh, before taking her hands away from Manik's hold, which made him frown. "You're a sanskari. You're innocent bandha. Likes to think rather than over think, Lekin iska mathlab yeh nahi that I'm going to accept the same thing. I'm human unlike you. I like to think about every scenario that could happen and that includes both positive and negative. Unlike you who thinks only positive." And Manik began to speak again when she bobbed her head. "Nope. Not happening. I've got my own views."

Manik let out a sigh knowing very well that she's not going to listen to him.

"It's not like I'm doubting your Ma." Nandini started, and Manik turned to look at her. "My Ma is too good to be my mom, Grumpy coffee. She's too innocent. She gets upset as soon as you say you didn't like what she did. Even if it wasn't meant to hurt her. I mean, I know ithna sensitive aur achi nahi banna kisiko. Iss dunya bhi tho kithni weird hain, oopar se weird log, so we gotta be weird par madam ko aathi nahi yeh sab. And that's why I don't like Appa's old man. He'd hurt someone so fragile ki mann karthi hain jaake samjhaun unko that he doesn't even deserve my Appa's love." Nandini's eyebrows were twitched in anger, when she looked at Manik, who was all smiles.

"Mein ithni khubsurath hogayi ki tum aiveyi muskurana laga or shall I call Mruno?" Nandini smiled sarcastically, and Manik let out a chuckle. "Grumpy coffee is back." And Nandini realized what he meant by that sentence.

"Not so important." She waved her hand in air, which was caught by him. "It is. For me." He stated, and she took her hand away from his hold.

"Manik..." She began only for him to pass a file to her. "And this is?" She raised her eyebrows at him, in questioned who just pointed at the file.

Sighing out loud, she opened the file to read...

Lifetime contract to be Mrs. Nandini Manik Malhotra

Nandini's mouth went dry. Her eyes didn't look fine, then. She rubbed at them. But the words didn't change. They were the same.

"Huh?" She looked at Manik, for an explanation when she saw him on his knees. He wasn't on one knee like the cliche movies her mom used to watch, but on both.

"It took me so many moments. So many precious moments that she we shared to realize that I've fallen out of love with her. The girl I was in love with since childhood." He began, and she felt her heartbeat going crazy which wasn't a good sign for her health. "I'd even thought once that I never loved her, because it was so hard for me to think that I'm going to lose you. Kisi ko pyar karo aur Kisi aur ko khone ka dar... that's not possible. Kisiko khone ka dar tab hotha hain when we cannot live without them. And I can't. I can never live even a moment without you, Lilliput. Because I love you."

And Nandini started to breathe so hard, which Manik believed to be a reaction to his confession.

"I do, Lilliput. I don't love anyone else, but just you. Aadat bann chuki ho tum ki ab Zindagi mein Kuch aur aadath ki zaroorath hi nahi. I promise this isn't a mistake. I promise I'm over with whatever feelings I had for her. Because I'm not able to feel anything for anyone apart from you. I really am in love with you, Lilliput." Manik had vulnerability in his eyes, and he held onto her hands. " Please don't leave me."

And that's when he noticed the coldness of her skin in his hold. He frowned while looking at her skin, before he looked up at her, who was breathing heavily that she fell into his arms.

"Lill...Nandini... Lilliput?" Manik's mouth went stiff and words didn't come out, while cupping her cold cheeks in his palms.

"Hos...pit. Hospital..al" Nandini managed to speak, and he nodded at her though he himself was in a state of shock. "Ye..yeah. Yes. Hos..pital. Everyone. Move. Move the hell out of my way."

Manik screamed at everyone in his way, before making his way out of the cafe they were in.

"I'm so sorry, Lilliput. I... I'm..." Manik mumbled to himself while running towards his car, and Nandini held tight onto his shirt's collar and murmured "And I...love you too. "

***

Hey guys!

So how was the chapter? Good? Cliche? Satisfying?

Sorry for the short and late post, but hope you understand...

With love,
Affu.