(A/N: Ahh. Okay. Now time to answer some questions. Many of you were disappointed with Nandini's last line in the previous chapter and some of you found it funny too. Hehe. To clear it out, it wasn't that she didn't like the marriage or she felt for Madhyam. After seeing him, she developed the fear again. The fear of losing her parents who loved her just like how she lost her friends she loved. She wanted the wedding to happen for her parents but at the same time, she was afraid to lose them. Plus she believes in true love and she thought her marriage would be a love marriage. That's what disappointed her. Hope I cleared the confusion. Now please vote and comment. We're on rank #2. Can we get it to one? Loads of love. ;)

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My eyes fell on Madhyam, who had just walked away. I shut my eyes tight as the loud music ruptured my eardrums. Lots of flowers, rice, and sacred stuff were showered on us, to bless us. Manik leaned closer to tie the thread around and I held his sherwani dupatta tight with both my hands. His hands did the job and he stepped back to look at me.

"Happy Married Life, Manik." Manik's friends and parents pounced on him and he smiled faintly.

"Congratulations Nandu." All my relatives congratulated and side-hugged me. Amma and Rishabh were crying. I smiled at everyone with teary eyes and looked at Manik, who was running his tongue along his lips nervously. He didn't know how to react either.

It was such an awkward feeling. I turned from Nandini Murthy to Nandini Manik Malhotra. I lost my identity with my family. I no longer carried their name. Officially, I didn't belong to them anymore. All those days I was called Nandkishore's daughter. Now I would be called Manik Malhotra's wife.

Everyone else dispersed from the mandap. Only Manik and I were seated again to complete a mantra, holding his hand, declaring ourselves married to the world in the name of God. We stood up and went to the Malhotras. I bent to touch their feet and seek their blessings but Nyonika Aunty stopped us and hugged me.

"Welcome to our family." She kissed me affectionately on my head and Rakesh Uncle pat my cheeks gently, advising me to keep smiling and assuring that they won't let that smile fade. Manik hugged both his parents and Nyonika Aunty got a little emotional about Manik.

"Beta, we have a surprise for you. Baad me dekh lena." He pat Manik's shoulder and Manik walked towards my parents. I hugged Amma tight. She was crying like a baby with Rishabh. I assured her I'll be okay and that I would call every day. I hugged Appa also and he kissed me on my forehead.

"You're not alone okay? Aisa mat samajna ki now that you're married, we don't exist. We are always and will always be your parents. Nothing and nobody can change that. Okay Nandu?" I smiled and nodded and Manik side-hugged Amma and hugged Appa too. We went to Manik's friends and Mukti and Dhruv were crying. Manik hugged Dhruv tight and a tear escaped his eyes. Mukti was wailing and Manik hugged her, caressing her head.

"Manik, kya yaar? Mujhe ditch karli tune? Aaj status post karunga, 'my girlfriend is now a married man'." He said dramatically and got another gentle punch from Manik. He laughed and hugged Manik. "Vaise, aaj bhi drinks milega na?"

"Kamine." Manik hit Cabir and Cabir smirked.

"Congratulations Nandini." His friends congratulated and I just faked a smile. I was becoming so good at hiding my emotions.

"Nandu! Happy Married Life. Manik, congrats." Navya came running to us and extended her hand. Cabir and Mukti walked away looking at all that exasperation. Manik just smiled and Navya felt rejected.

***

I was made to sit next to Manik for the buffet dinner after that annoying shoe stealing game. How do people find such games fascinating? Nyonika Aunty made it a point to put extra food onto my plate, after that stunt I had pulled out there, accidentally. Rishabh was next to me, picking on the food. He was so disturbed to see me leave. On the other hand, Manik was chomping the plate off his hands, with the amount of tasty food he got served with.

I scooted a little farther from him. I was just faking in front of people. In reality, I was damn pissed off with that idiot. He just thought he could ignore me and have his way in everything. Nandini Murthy ain't like that. Neither is Nandini Malhotra.

"Hmm... Khao. Mujhe kya dekh rahi ho?" He scowled and I grunted.

"Are you always this disgusting?" I asked in an utmost irked out tone. His nose cringed into a ridiculous expression and I almost chuckled.

"Excuse me?" He spat and I just shrugged it off.

"I didn't expect you to pay attention. After all, you ignore my messages also." I expected him to ask what was wrong but since he didn't care much to know, I just had to put it to him in plain, simple language.

"That's because I don't wanna talk about it. Isn't it obvious?" He waved his hand in the air and my facial muscles clenched in all different directions to put up a helpless face. 

"Oh really? Fine. Do what you want. Moron." I crossed my arms in annoyance and turned away. To my dismay, Fab 5 were stomping along.

"Yo bhai! What's up? Looking dull eh? Wife ditched you? No worries. I still love you." Cabir shot one of his cheesy lines and Manik kicked his leg angrily.

"Idiot. Chup kar, nautanki. This girl is driving me nuts." He grunted in a low tone and I looked at him with a sarcastic expression.

"Why? What happened?"

"Madam se hi puch lo." He conveniently put the problem on my head and I kicked his leg. He kicked me back. Moron.

"Mrs. Manik Malhotra, India wants to know, why Manik is angry." Cabir was getting on my nerves. He held the imaginary mike before me. His friends were only there to ruin my life.

"Oh well, you can ask him. He has a mouth too, which I think, has many other functions apart from just chomping food." I stated rolling my eyes and showing indifference, while looking at him stealthily.

"Yeah, I understand. You mean, for kiss..." He paused for a moment and Manik and I looked at each other. "-ing?" He completely and Manik blinked in annoyance.

"Shut up Cabir. It's not funny." He began eating his food, looking at me through the corner of his eyes.

"Yaar, bol toh de, hua kya hai?" Cabir was fed up of our indirect taunts. Mukti just stood there with Cabir and yawned.

"I hate him." "I hate her." We gritted our teeth together and stated in a low tone. Mukti chuckled and Cabir smirked. Manik and I looked at each other and turned to opposite directions.

***

"Nandini, call us after you reach home safe." My parents and close relatives advised and I wiped my tears and nodded. I got into his BMW and my family waved goodbye to me. I didn't have a proper departure because we didn't have enough time. It was already 11:30 in the night. The car drove away and I felt drowsy. It was such a tiring day.

I leaned on the car door and tried to sleep. The constant bumping on the road made it difficult for my head to stay steady. I looked at Manik, who was busy with his phone. I leaned on his shoulder and rested my head there, closing my eyes. He looked at me for a while and then continued with his texting.

I had so many feelings going on, altogether. I knew I didn't feel for Madhyam anymore. But his words affected me. Just before we left, he asked to meet me in private.

"Umm... Yeah? Tell." I went over to another room to meet Madhyam. I had to end things.

"Look Nandini, you might be thinking it's all over between you and I. But I don't know whether you know that I will never be able to love anyone the way I loved you. You are married, but I know you feel for me." He put up his defenseless words, trying to instigate me to charge back.

"Madhyam, don't get ideas. I didn't look at you intentionally. I don't feel for you anymore. The only person I might feel for is Manik. And I think he deserves my love, if I ever fall for him." I shrugged. He had to know he didn't affect me anymore because I didn't feel for him. Then why the hell would I care about him? Well, he was my best friend. That's why.

"Nandini, Navya and I might be together, but I can't feel for her. I won't be able to. And I know you in and out. I know you can never get me out of your head." I sighed in despair. He was really one confused soul. I hated him now.

"That was Nandini Murthy. That girl is dead. I am Nandini Manik Malhotra and I am not the best friend you knew. I have to go. I don't care about what you think but I will never feel for you. Never again." I snapped and walked away with a proud smile.

I was in tears. There was just too much going on and I couldn't help deal with all those feelings together. Firstly, leaving my family. It was such a hard thing for me to do. Even when I was getting married, I was scared only to leave my family. Apart from that, I had no second thoughts to the marriage. I was afraid to leave the ones who love me and go into some dungeon where I might be love deprived. I had never been this emotional in my life. To top it all up, there was Madhyam. If he was so confused, why did he even accept Navya? And there's Navya, who doesn't even know whether she loves Madhyam and is hitting on Cabir. And should I mention his friends? Like seriously, when I wasn't related to them, I got bullied. Now that I was married to him, I couldn't even expect anything. The only person I hoped to support me was Manik. He did from day one, and hopefully he will continue doing so. I sobbed on his shoulder and didn't know when I had fallen asleep.

When I woke up, I found myself still in the car. I got out. Alya and Mukti came out of the house with the aarti. They put a mark on my head with the water and I was made to stand outside the house. Nyonika Aunty and Rakesh Uncle welcomed me with a warm smile and asked me to kick a pot of rice with my foot. She put a plate of red water in front of me. I stepped into it and walked till the puja room, leaving footprint traces behind. Manik joined me and I lit the decorated lamp. We prayed to God and were guided to the living room.

"Dekho beta, iss ghar ko apna ghar samjho. Okay?" She held my cheeks in her hands and I hugged her.

"Thanks Aunty."

"Ab Aunty nahi hun. Think of me like your mother. Call me what Manik calls me." I smiled and nodded, calling her 'Mom'.

"Acchha chalo. Play the games and then we have a surprise." Dad said and I sat on the floor. Manik sat opposite to me. Fab 5 were sitting around us.

"So this is like a ritual okay? This is a plate and this plate has a ring in it. The one who finds the ring first is assumed to have an upper hand in the family." Alya put forth the challenge and Manik began to rub his hands. She looked at me for an answer. I nodded along.

"Three... Two... One... Go!" They all shouted and I put my hand into the plate. Manik tried hard to find the ring in that plate of milk. He made all kinds of faces and finally, a frown, seeing the ring in my hand.

"Bhai, kya baat hai? She will surely twist you around her fingers." Mukti nudged me and elbowed Manik.

"No way. It's not easy to change Manik Malhotra." He said with a smirk and I just rolled my eyes.

"Anyways, the next game is going to be a little interesting. Both of you, stretch your hands out." Mom said and we obeyed. she tied both our hands at our wrists with a thick thread and knotted it. Manik and I looked at each other cluelessly.

We were asked to untie the knots using only our tied hands. That also meant we had to support each other and help. I just sighed. Manik and I, helping each other? No ways. After a lot of arguments, nudging, shouting and showing attitude, we finally ended up untying the knots after a good 10 minutes.

"Ooo. That means you both will keep supporting and helping each other at every phase of your lives." Alya nudged us and Cabir and Dhruv yawned.

"Yaar, can we let them go now? I am sleepy." Ugh. I was dreading this moment. Dad came and handed us a little box. Manik and I opened it to find three keys.

"What are these for?" Manik looked confused and I could assume I looked almost the same.

"It's your surprise. We got you a new place." Mom gleed cheerfully and Manik looked at those keys again. "One is for you and the other for our daughter-in-law. The third is for your new bike." Manik's eyes widened. I just stood with no expression.

"Tonight, you can stay there. It's all furnished. Tomorrow morning, we'll join you both and stay for a couple of days to help you guys, if that's okay with you both?" Mom put up a modest suggestion. How were they so sweet? And how was their son so dumb?

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(Phew... Long update again. Thanks for all your love and support. You have no idea how grateful I am to every one of you. Please vote and comment haan? I would love to see this book at #1. And yeah, for those who think the fun's over, their game has just begun. *evil smile* Okaythanksbye.)