Cabir & Manik were working at their desks when their friends, Abhimanyu & Dhruv walked over.

"Hey guys.....Cabir? Why the long face?" Dhruv asked with a chuckle.

"He was banned from flirting." Manik informed them.

"Shit yaar...kisne tere saath itni badi na insaafi ki hai?" Dhruv gasped dramatically. 

"Woh ladki hai na." Manik vaguely motioned. Dhruv & Abhi exchanged amused looks.

"Manik...office mein bohot saari ladkiyan hai....that doesnt narrow it down." Abhi said.

"He is talking about Nandini." Cabir replied.

"WHAT?" Dhruv looked shocked. "Tune PHIRSE Nandini pe line maari? Pichle baar ki punch ke baad akal nahi aayi tujhe?"

"Punch?" Manik looked confused. "She PUNCHED him? Kab??"

"Arre yaar...it was before you joined. I think uss time pe tu kisi aur company mein internship kar raha tha. Humara Cabir The Great ne office ke pehle din Nandini ke saath flirt ki and he used the worlds most stupid pick up line." Abhi explained.

"Kya?" Manik asked. 

"Will you do the honors?" Abhi nudged Cabir who sighed, rolling his eyes.

"I said....asidefrombeingsexywhatdoyoudoforaliving?" Cabir mumbled, looking down.

"Dude! Zor se bol." Dhruv laughed.

"Ok Ok! I said....Aside from being sexy, what do you do for a living?" Cabir replied. Manik squinted at him like her grew 5 heads.

"Seriously? THATS what you came up with? Cabir....yeh humara office hai! Everyone is an architect here!"

"I know I know! Hence why Abhi called it the worlds most stupid pickup line. That wasnt my best one...lets move on pls!" Cabir said, embarrassed.

"Ok yeah that was very stupid lekin...why would she punch you for that? Is she bipolar or something." Manik asked.

"No.....she didnt exactly punch me after that." Cabir replied.

"Wait....dont tell me...." Manik realized what might have happened.

"Usne mujhe bola tha that she isnt interested....but-"

"BUT....Cabir being Cabir cant help himself and kept flirting...and after repeated rejections, she finally got irritated and punched him 2 days later." Dhruv finished.

"Good." Manik rolled his eyes. "Maine bola tha na tu peetega ek din? Lekin....you two seem like frriends now...woh kaise hua?"

"Well after she punched me....I apologized and explained ki flirting was my manufacturing defect." Cabir replied. "And then she apologized for punching me.....uske baad se Nandini is like my moral compass. She stops me when I go too far with my flirting."

"Aur uss sab ke baad you went and flirted with her again??" Abhi asked. "How did she not murder you?"

"Nahi Nahi...not Nandini! I was about to flirt with her sister...she just joined the office." Cabir explained.

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

That Evening

"Nandu bacha....tune profiles dekh li?" Neelam asked Nandini as soon as the two girls came back home.

"Neelam...bachiyon ko sans toh lene do. Abhi abhi office se vapas aayi hai." Rakesh said. 

"Its ok Papa." Nandini laughed. "Actually Mumma...maine profiles toh dekh li lekin kuch smajh nahi aaya. I mean....ek toh the pictures were not flattering at all! Upar se ek profile se kaise paata chalega ki ladka actually kaisa hai? I mean they can write anything there na? Aur office mein itna kaam hai na aaj kal ki time nahi mil raha hai toh look through the profiles fully....isse acha hai ki aap log koi ladka choose kar lo apne hisab se and then Ill meet him! Vaise bhi...main aapki beti hoon, aapko paata hai na ki mujhe kaisa ladka pasand hai?"

"Hmm...agar aisi baat hai toh, mere dimaag mein ek ladka hai." Rakesh replied. 

"Kaun?" Neelam, Navya & Nandini asked.

"Yaad hai pichle saal mujhe jab ek minor heart attack aaya tha? Tab mera doctor Dr Malhotra tha right? Well I became good friends with him and infact I am still in touch...and unka ek beta hai, I even met him back then. Tum sab uss time ghar pe they but I remember being very much impressed with this young man. Very polite, well mannered, respectful and so caring as well. Uske Dad pure din hospital mein busy tha and he had a day off from work so he came to the hospital to hang out with his Dad and also made sure he ate on time."

"Aww...thats so sweet!" Nandini smiled.

"Haan and I know meri gudiya ke liye family bohot important hai so....what do you say? Baat karun Viren se?" Rakesh asked.

"Papa...aapne jitna bataya, usse toh lagta hai he is exactly what I always hoped for....I think ek mulakat toh kar hi sakte hai." Nandini agreed.

"Perfect....main aaj hi Viren ko call karke uske bete ka photo mangwata hoon so you can at least see him." Rakesh replied.

"Arre nahi nahi...main seedha face to face milungi. Infact, aap bhi mera koi tasveer mat dena." Nandini insisted.

"Aisa thodi na hota hai beta?" Neelam objected. "Tujhe tasveer nahi dekhni par agar unko dekhna hai toh?"

"Toh kya? Im also meeting him without seeing him first na? Life mein thodi toh mystery honi chahiye!"

"Haye bhagwan....yeh kaisi zid hai teri?"

"Koi baat nahi Neelam....Ill talk to Viren, Im sure he wont mind." Rakesh chuckled.

"Aap bhi na...iski harr zid puri karna zaroori hai?"

"Ek baap apni beti ki zid hi puri karega na....padosi ke thodi na karenge." Rakesh defended himself.

"Vaise bhi Mumma...aap hi humesha bolti ho na, ke aap aur Papa seedha shaadi ke mandap pe mile?" Navya added. 

"Thik hai...karlo apni mann ki, mera kya hai. Jab dono betiyan apne baap se mil jaate hai tab thodi na Ma ki koi chance hoti hai jeetne ki." Neelam sighed.

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

Malhotra Mansion

"Manik." 

Hearing his name being called, Manik came down and saw his parents, Viren & Radhika Malhotra sitting along with his Dadu, Amarjit Malhotra.

"Kya baat hai? Am I in trouble or something?" Manik joked.

"Nahi champ....idhar baith." Amarjit pat the couch beside him. Manik went and sat down.

"Kya hua Dadu?" Manik asked.

"Manik...tujhe yaad hai tu pichle saal hospital aaya tha toh mera ek patient se mulakat hua tha? Rakesh Gupta."

"Haan....the name sound familiar....yeh wahi hai na jinke saath aapki achi dosti ho gaya? Heart patient....right?" 

"Bilkul wahi hai...and yes, kaafi achi dosti ho gaya hai hum dono ka. WE meet up every Friday night for a game of poker." Viren replied.

"Cool....uhm....what about him?"

"Tere liye unke badi beti ka rishta aaya hai." Radhika spoke up, excited. 

"What? Shaadi? Mom...aise achank?" Manik said.

"Champ relax. Hum yeh nahi keh rahe hai ki abhi ki abhi shaadi karna hai. Lekin tu ek baar mil toh le.....mera baat mann, this is the perfect age to start a family." Amarjit explained.

"But...Dadu, arranged marriage? Ive always wanted a love marriage you know." 

"Kya burrai hai arranged marriage mein? Tere Dadu Dadi ki arranged marriage thi....maine aur tere Dad ne bhi ki thi." Radhika replied. "Aur phir hum kaunsa tere marzi ke khilaf zabardasti karenge? Pehle mil le...aur uske baad tu faisla lena."

"Yeah Ok...I guess you have a point." Manik nodded. "So....kaha hai?"

"Woh ladki? Beta...raat ke 10 baj rahe hai...iss time pe woh apne ghar pe hogi na?" Viren replied.

"No Dad." Manik laughed. "Not the girl...uski bio data ya koi tasveer? I mean...thats how it works right?"

"Uhm well....dono mein se kuch nahi hai." Viren told him with a chuckle. "Actually she wants to meet you for the first time face to face and so she didnt want to see you and she also didnt want to give her picture. Usne kaha ki koi toh mystery honi chahiye na life mein?"

"Huh....well, she sounds interesting." 

"Im sure you will like her....kal weekend hai so we are going to their house." Viren said.

"Ok." Manik nodded.

To Be Continued...

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