"Nandu....tu soyi nahi?" Kajal Murthy asked her daughter.

"Nahi Amma....neend hi nahi aa rahi hai. Soch rahi hoon ki main ghum ke aa jaun." Nandini replied.

"Thik hai par bohot badi jagah hai na...toh aas paas rehna." Kajal replied.

"Kuch nahi hoga Amma....main bas green house tak hoke aati hoon." Nandini told her.

"Green House?" Kajal looked confused.

"Haan...ghar ke piche jo globe type ka green house hai, wahan."

"Acha....toh matlab Manik tujhe pehle bhi ghar laa chuka hai, lekin humare samne natak kar rahi thi ki pehli baar aayi hai na?" Kajal chuckled.

"Kya? Nahi toh...main sach mein pehli baar aayi hoon!" Nandini insisted.

"Jhoot mat bol Nandu....agar pehli baar aayi hai toh green house ke baare mein kaise paata? I mean, itne bade mansion ke piche garden ya pool hona normal hai lekin green house kitne logon ke ghar mein hoga? Sirf woh jinko plants ka shauk hoga....hai na?"

"Baat toh Amma ne sahi kahi....mujhe kaise paata ke yahan koi green house hai. Manik ne toh kabhi batayi nahi...aur na hi Uncle Aunty ne. Nahi...main shayad kuch zyada soch rahi hoon." Nandini shook her thoughts away and went on a walk around the mansion. Finally she got to the backyard and sure enough there was a huge green house in the shape of a globe.

"Yahan toh...sach mein green house hai. Aur woh bhi....bilkul vaisa jaisa main imagine ki thi. How is this possible???" Nandini was shocked. She stepped inside and looked around. Her head started to hurt and she got blurry flashes again, this time of two guys. One guy watering the plants and the other guy was teasing him.

"Oye gadhe...kabhi toh apne iss turtle shell se bahar aa. Socialize a bit."

"Bhai pls...socialize karne ke liye aap ho na? Main toh apne plants ke saath hi khush hoon."

"Parth....let him be na?" A girl's voice called out.

Nandini gasped and stumbled out of the greenhouse in confusion.

"Ma'am....aap yahan?" A servant noticed Nandini in the backyard.

"Woh...main bas green house dekh rahi thi. Kaafi purana lag rah hai..." Nandini commented, fishing for some information.

"Haan woh bade Saab ko inn sab cheezon ka shauk hai toh unke pitaji ne kahi saal pehle yeh banwaya tha unke liye." The servant replied.

"Bade Saab matlab....Garv Uncle?" Nandini asked.

"Ji."

"Yeh agar Garv uncle ki green house hai toh kahi maine jinko dekha woh- nahi nahi yeh kya soch rahi hoon main? Woh dono toh jawan lag rahe they aur Garv uncle ki jawaani ke time main paida bhi nahi hui toh unko kaise...." Nandini thought to herself.

"Vaise aap toh kaafi saal yahan kaam kar rahe hai na? Kya aap kisi Parth ko jante hai?"

"Nahi, Parth naam ka toh koi nahi hai." The servant shook his head.

"Dekha? Mujhe paata tha main zyada soch rahi hoon." Nandini sighed in relief.

"Arre haan!" The servant suddenly remembered before leaving. "Abhi yaad aaya....Bade Saab ka and ek bhai tha jinka naam Parth tha."

"K..K..Kya?" Nandini whispered.

"Main bohot baad mein yahan aaya aur kabhi unse mila nahi lekin maine ek baar Bade Saab aur Manik Baba ko baat karte hue sunna unke baare mein.....woh shayad bohot saal pehle guzar gaye they." The servant told her and then left. Nandini stood there in shock...she back up to the bench that was outside of the greenhouse and sat down slowly.

"Parth....Garv uncle ka bhai tha aur yeh baat Manik ko paata hai, PHIR bhi usne mujhse jhoot bola? Kyun? Aur....jo mere janam se pehle hi guzar gaye unke baare mein mujhe aise visions kyun aa rahe hai? Kyun ho raha hai yeh mere saath? Kyun!" Nandini sat there, holding her head in her hands. 

****************************

The Day Before The Wedding....

The wedding preparations were continuing like usual but Nandini was very suspicious of Manik after finding out he purposefully lied to her.

It was her mission to find out more about Parth but she knew none of the family members would help her and strangely none of the servants have worked at Malhotra Mansion long enough to know about Parth.

Finally, she decided to confront Manik so she marched into his room.

"Oh hey baby....ek din bhi intezaar nahi hota kya?" Manik asked her with a smile.

"Parth kaun hai Manik?" Nandini asked.

"M...Matlab? Nandini....we went through this na? Tum abhi bhi uske baare mein soch rahe ho?" Manik's smile faltered for a second.

"DO NOT TRY TO GASLIGHT ME MANIK MALHOTRA!" Nandini shouted angrily. "Mujhe already paata hai ki Parth Garv Uncle ka bhai tha jo humare janam se pehle ek hadse mein guzar gaye.....I know ki iss ghar mein unki baat nahi hoti, in fact saare purane naukar jo unke baare mein jaante they unn sab ko nikala gaya tha! I ALSO know ki TUMHE aur tumhare parents ko SAB paata hai and you all are making me seem like Im crazy! As if Parth naam ka koi hai hi nahi!"

"Nandini calm down..."

"Tumhe abhi bhi sach nahi bolna hai na?" Nandini asked in tears. "Fine..."

She took off her engagement ring & threw it at his face. "I will NOT marry a liar!"

As Nandini stormed off, Manik felt devastated but he didnt have a clue why.

"Control yourself Manik...yeh engagement vaise bhi nakli tha...so what if she breaks it off? Tu kaunsa asli mein uss khooni se shaadi karne wala tha? Tujhe uske ansoon se farak nahi parna chahiye....she doesnt deserve it. She doesnt."

"Manik..." Garv entered his son's room.

Pic of Garv Malhotra

"Im fine Dad....I can do this." Manik sighed.

"Tu mujhse jhoot bolega?" Garv chuckled. "Humara toh double rishta hai....pichle janam mein bhai they aur iss janam mein baap aur beta. Maine tab bhi tere ankhon mein uske liye pyar dekha tha....aur aaj bhi wahi pyar dekh sakta hoon main."

"I dont love her....I dont. She killed me!" Manik insisted. "Dhokebaaz hai woh!"

"Niti ne dhokha diya....Niti ne tujhe maara tha.....lekin Nandini ne kya kiya?" Garv asked. "Usse toh pichle janam ka kuch yaad bhi nahi hai. Dekh Manik....this revenge, isse kuch sahi nahi hoga. Just because Niti ne tujhe maara tha doesnt mean ki Nandini ki jaan lena sahi hai. I always supported you beta lekin.....main jaanta hoon ke tu bhi yeh nahi karna chahta. You love her. Dont repeat history."

To Be Continued...