~She was like a dream, a far fetched dream that I always ended up asking for more of a glimpse of her even while asleep~

At MruNi's

"Happy birthday Fluffyyyy" Mrunal screamed loudly before taking Nandini in, for a tight hug. "Happy-happy-happy this birthday and many more to come!"

Nandini who was half asleep, patted Mrunal's cheeks and then kissed one of them, before falling back to sleep. Mrunal let out a snort.

"Right. Madam loves her sleep more than anything in the world." Nandini showed a thumbs up. "My best friend, you're khooni." Nandini murmured in her sleep and Mrunal held her best friend's right hand in hers.

"Just stay...alive, for the rest of my birthdays. Not gonna celebrate any of them without you. Okay?" Mrunal spoke softly, and planted a kiss on her forehead. She stood up to leave, when she felt a tuck in her hand.

"You know it doesn't suit you, yeah?" Nandini opened her eyes and squinted at Mrunal. "Besides, I've got a very long wedding to attend once you find your prince charming, and then get to be the first person to hold your baby. Best Gynecologist plus Godmother, you know?"

Mrunal rolled her eyes, and Nandini sat up to hug her best friend. "I'm gonna do something I've never done, uh, guess in a year. Yeah? Yeah, so..." Nandini looked up at a confused Mrunal. "I love you so much that I'm gonna stay alive for my best friend."

Mrunal let out a short laugh before looking back at Nandini. "Damn! Would it sound so bad if I say I love you back?" Nandini shrugged at Mrunal's question. "It won't hurt once in a while, I guess."

Mrunal nodded. "Valid point, stupid. But I love you too that I wanna get pregnant with my prince charming's kid and make you my gynec."

Nandini rolled her eyes before yawning. "Guessed it right." And Mrunal stood up to leave. "Night night, witch."

"You too, khooni." Nandini replied before falling on the bed to sleep.

And this time, she fell asleep with a smile on her lips.

***

"Cinnamon ice cream?" Shamishti looked at the packet of ice cream sticks in her hand. "There's also one vanilla stick. Here!" Cadbury forwarded the single vanilla stick among the cinnamon flavored ones.

"But who eats such weird flavored ice creams in this home?" Shamishti questioned, and Cadbury shrugged. "Not someone I know about."

"Hey Ma!" Shamishti smiled widely and went forward to hug her daughter. "Thank you, Ma." Nandini stated before Shamishti could even wish her, which was a usual scene.

"Happy birthday, my Shona!" Shamishti broke the hug and kissed her forehead. "I'll accept the kiss for now. But not anymore of mushy stuffs."

Shamishti tapped lightly at her daughter's cheeks, before getting hold of the leaf in which she had the sweets from the temple. "Mandir gayi thi mein aur, tch, seedhe khade raho Shona." Nandini huffed but let her mother to put 'tilak' on her forehead, and ate sweets off her hand.

"Aur patha nahi Kyu, par..." Shamishti trailed off, before pulling Nandini closer towards her. "Acha nahi lag rahi thi Shona. It's a beautiful day but I was feeling anxious and worried. Just stay...safe. Okay,?"

Nandini bobbed her head at the worry etched in her mother's face.

"I know you prefer spicy over something sweet but that doesn't mean you're free to eat tension too. Just let those feelings away and concentrate in today's menu. Aaj sab Kuch Mera favorite." Shamishti smiled st Nandini's wish, and nodded her head.

"Chole bhature ready on the table."
Nandini squealed, ready to run towards the dining area. "And this came for you. I don't know who it's from though. Tere hospital ke koi friends hai ab?"

Shamishti forwarded the ice cream box to Nandini, who frowned at it. "Cinnamon flavored." She muttered to herself and let out a snort. "Yeah, mujhe laga hi tha galthi se aaye hai." Shamishti said on observing the initial frown on her daughter's face.

"Nahi Ma. Sahi aaye hai. It's for me. Grumpy coffee's choice gotta be weird, you know!' And Nandini moved out after taking one ice cream stick from the box, while Shamishti stared at her daughter's retreating figure in astonishment.

"Grumpy coffee's choice!" She had her eyebrows raised , before nodding her head. "Something brewing or just friendship?" She turned towards Cadbury, who had his face stoic. "That kid needs to step back."

Shamishti nodded. "Phir tho sirf dosthi hi nahi ab." And she smiled to herself. "Hey Bhagwan! Please protect my child."

***

"Happy birthday, Dr." Nandini smiled and thanked the next person who wished her, before frowning. "Khooni ne poore dunya ko bathaye hai Kya?"

"Nahi. That's your sister-in-law's doing. Mein ithni sweet nahi hun." Mrunal poppoed out from nowhere, and joined Nandini to walk towards the meeting room. "Being your best friend, I was asked by the entire hospital staffs about you from the moment I walked inside this building. Apparently Miss Malhotra is very dear to Manjeet Lifecare."

Nandini smiled before shrugging. "Logon ko sweet log Kuch zyada hi Pasand Jo hain." Nandini said, and Mrunal nodded. "Yeah, patha nahi Mr. Malhotra ko tu Kyu Pasand aaya." And Nandini rolled her eyes at her best friend's remark. "Kyunki usse aajkal cinnamon Pasand hain."

And she walked forward leaving a confused Mrunal behind. "Huh?" She caught up with her best friend and the duo were about to enter the meeting room.

"A very happy birthday, Miss Nandini Murthy." They looked at each other sighing, before looking behind, at the person.

Their eyes widened!

"Boyfriend machine?" Nandini muttered, and Mrunal stomped at Nandini's feet. "Shagun, lady. We're outside." Nandini nodded in understanding.

"Well, I guess not a very good thanks to you, Mrs. Shukla." Nandini said, and Mrunal snorted. "Jaisa Socha hai waisi hai aap." Shagun smirked at Nandini.

Nandini folded her arms against her chest, tilting her head upwards. "Arrogant, selfish, and cunning." Shagun said, and Nandini squinted her eyes. "Beautiful, honest and confident. That was what expected."

Shagun smirked again. "Jaisi Ma waisi beti. Ab agar aisa hai tho how could I lie on your face." Nandini stepped ahead on hearing Shagun. "Exactly! Jaisi Ma waisi beti. Isiliye tho apne aukaath mein raho. Ithni bhi Bure din nahi aaye Meri ma ki that she would need an opportunist or a lier's validation."

Shagun's face hardened on hearing the taunt in Nandini's voice. "How.Dare.You?" Shagun took one step ahead only to get blocked by a hand. "Step back. It's a damn hospital, woman!"

Shagun's attention went towards Mrunal whose hand was still blocking her from moving towards Nandini. "Not that you understand manners, but I gotta keep mine. Par Jo Karne wale hai aap, wo dekhar I might forget about my manners."

Shagun stared hard, before looking towards Nandini. "You're going to pay for what you did to me, girl. You will. Mark my words!" Nandini smirked staring right through her opponent's eyes. "Just like you're paying for whatever you did 25 years ago? Sorry I won't be, Mrs. Shukla. I'm way better than you."

And Shagun left the place not before glaring at the girls who paid no heeds to her and entered the meeting room.

***

Nandini's cabin

"Yeah, I'm on my way. Bas lunch hi tho Karni hai, grumpy coffee? Stay calm na." Nandini spoke over the phone while entering her cabin. "Ghar pe Kyu? Tum..." And she stopped talking further when she spotted an unusual face in the room.

"I'll call you back in five, Grumpy coffee. It's UG UG." And she hung up on the call, before walking ahead and stared at the person. "So it means Mr. Yashjeet Murthy is really sitting on a chair which is present in Nandini Murthy's cabin?"

Yashjeet looked at himself and then at her.

"If you want, I can get up from the seat." Nandini let out a sigh before moving towards her seat. "No, it's fine. I don't have baseless rules like you can't sit on that chair without my permission and so on. Although you're in my cabin without any prior appointment. But tch, Kya faida. It's your hospital, and if you want you can even take that same chair to Murthy's home. So yeah, please be seated."

Yashjeet stared at Nandini for a while, before looking down. His hold on the walking stick, which was held firm in his hands, tightened.

"You can just let it out and leave, you know?" Yashjeet looked up, frowned. "Mathlab aapko Jo gaali Dena hai, ya jo shikhaayat hai, sab Keh deejiye. You don't have to bear my presence for a long time by not starting to talk. Waise bhi I need to make a call in five minutes."

Yashjeet sighed, while Nandini started to rearrange her table, because she's done for the day.

"Wapas chale Jao." Nandini got halted, and she looked up at Yashjeet. "Jahan se aaye ho Apne pariwar ke Saath, waha Chali Jao. Mujhe nahi chahiye Tum mein se Kisi ke bhi presence mere aas paas."

Yashjeet stood up, while Nandini was sat still. "Ha maana ki Shagun..." He took a deep breath before starting to talk further. " Ki Shagun galath thi. Achi choice nahi thi wo mere pariwaar keliye. Lekin tumhari Ma bhi koi achi choice nahi thi aur Aage bhi nahi hogi. Wo ek orphan hai aur mein abhi bhi maantha Hun ki orphans mein Kuch tho kammi hoga, maybe it can also be a psychological disorder because of what they don't have unlike someone who has a family. Aise log ache pariwar mein adjust nahi kar payenge. Ek ache nayi family nahi bann payenge. Ab Aapke family ko hi Dekho. You're here to prove your mother's good character to me, khudko badnaam Karke. You're not giving any good character vibes either. Bado se kaise baath Karna hai ye Tumhe aathi nahi. Isiliye I was against this relationship. And now I've had enough."

Yashjeet stared at Nandini, right through her eyes. "Chali jaa wapas. You can not be right always."

And he turned around, moving forward to leave the room.

"Ek minute." Nandini stood up, halting Yashjeet's movements. "Conversation dho taraf se hona chahiye, na ki bas ek taraf se." She stood opposite to Yashjeet, who tilted his head downwards to have a look of her face. "Nahi tho yeh ek command bann jaayega."

"Kya kaha tha Aapne? Wapas jaane ko? Hothe Kaun aap? Yaha ke president?" She questioned, sounding angry. Yashjeet looked at her, with his eyes widened and angry. "Mein samaj nahi paa Rahi Hun ki aap Kya chahthe hain. Ladki ke ache family hona hai, ladki educated hona hain, traditional hona hain, marriage material hona hai, dikhne mein sharmeeli aur silently sabke baathe sunke wahi Karna hai Jo husband aur unke pariwar ko ache lagthe. Shadi Karni hai ya mufth mein ek khubsurath walking talking slave?"

"Nandini!" Yashjeet sounded firm and she showed her palm to him, making his eyes go wide. "Aapko baath Karne ka time ho Chuka hai. Ab aur nahi." And he stood silent. She moved towards the photo frame kept on her table and picked it up.

"Can you see this happiness?" She showed the picture where she stood in between her parents smiling gleefully. "Ye aap khareedh nahi sakthe. You earn it through a beautiful family. Having a family, or parents, is the best thing a person can have. Sahi hai aap usmein. But that doesn't mean people who don't have parents are useless. Unke bhi sapne hothe hain. Qualities hothe hain. And that makes them a better person. Jaise ki my mom who is so despised by you, only asked me one thing in her whole life. And that was to reunite her husband with you."

Yashjeet looked up at her, in surprise.

"Unke wajah se hua na sab Kuch, tho teek hai. Wo khud hi Kuch karthe hai to make you guys meet. Shayad aapko bete ko dekhar Purana pariwaar yaad aaya tho? Maybe he'll forgive and accept his son. It's okay if he hates her. Tho Kya hua wo aapko Apne father ke jagah di aur Aapne ek stranger ki bhi value nahi diya unhe. She'll accept it. Tho Kya hua if you don't accept their daughter. Her daughter has managed to live all her life without a big family. She and your son would be enough to love their daughter. Kyunki unke Liye Aapke bete ki Khushi sabse kheemthi thi. Kyunki Aapke bete ek wo pehla insaan hai Jo unke liye ithna Kuch Kiya, ithna pyar diya, ek pariwaar diya, jab ke har kisiko bas unke orphan hone ke wajah se judge Karna hai unhe."

Yashjeet stood still, and stared at the vulnerable look on Nandini's face.

"Aaj thak bas Pyar Kiya aur Pyar Karne ko sikhaaya, aur aap Meri usee Ma ko Bure Keh rahe ho?" And this time Nandini had tears in her eyes. "Aapko Bhagwan bhi maaf kare Lekin mein kabhi nahi karungi."

Yashjeet felt a pang in his chest. Her words, her tears and her pain was affecting him.

"Arey mein tho hamesha se kehthi thi ki Aapke jagah agar Meri Daadi hothi tho aaj ye sab Kuch nahi hotha." Nandini lashed out and Yashjeet's lips went dry. His feet went numb hearing those words.

"Aap Meri Ma jaisi beti ke layak hi nahi ho." And she started to cough. Too badly that Yashjeet started to worry.

"Nandini! Nan-Nandini? Nandini!" Yashjeet went forward to hold her but she started to push him away while coughing.

Her hands went up to her thumping heart and she started to breathe hard. But the coughing didn't stop. Soon enough she was lying on the floor.

"Nandini!" Yashjeet screamed and sat beside her who was about to lose her consciousness. "Nandini. Utho. Kya hua hai? Hey Bhagwan!" He tried tapping her face, which now started to flame hot.

"Mru-Mruno. Mruno!" Nandini murmured which Yashjeet failed to understand. "Nandini? Bete?" And she closed her eyes, which only increased Yashjeet's worry.

"Bete!"

***

Hey guys!

How was the chapter? Good or bad?

With love,
Affu.