(A/N: Sorry for just disappearing like that. I was a little busy with watching Kaisi Yeh Yaariaan again. Right from the punch to the kiss, I'm on a marathon. So I'm sorry for the delay. I love you all so much. Thanks for always being there. Keep showering your support for me. Drop in your votes and comments because really, they mean a lot. And since I'm a bit vella now, I'll start replying to all your comments 😻 I'll come up with new ideas to entertain you all. Thank you. Loads of love.)

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"Manik, shoot!" I roared in excitement from the proscenium, hooting and cheering for my husband as he played with his friends and a few guys in our college. One of our professors was on a holiday and so, we were in the college ground. He went around kicking the ball gently, tossing it around with his feet, defending it from the opponents, who circled around him. It was probably one of the only moments in his life when he didn't pay much heed to me. Towards the goalpost, he moved faster and with one loud thump, I heard the ball hit against the net, resulting in a goal for his team. Cabir ran to give him a high-five and hug him. Alya and Mukti cheered from the other end of the arena. The scores had tied now. The teams were now 2-2.

"Manik, yaaaaay!" I squealed and jumped as I fluttered a flying kiss to my man. He spotted me and smiled faintly, yet beautifully as his sweaty hair fell on his face. He gently tugged his wet tank top , to keep it from sticking to him. For some reason, he looked hotter than ever; perhaps because he was playing a sport and was focused at it, I didn't know. Somewhere, it meant he was focused in achieving his goals and that made me happy. I sat there, silently observing Manik.

There was nothing I could possibly say about our relationship. We were so different from other couples, in whatever sense. We loved and fought, both at extremes. It would probably be more sensible to say I was a little more normal than he could be but then again, he had an upper hand in our relationship too.

"Nanduuuu.... he loves you!" Cabir shouted teasingly in front of the entire college. Manik slapped him hard, flushing and so did I. It wasn't anything new that the entire college knew about us and ever since they got to know about the love Manik has for me, the girls have backed off from me. Manik made an adorable face that made me melt. How can a guy be so cute all the time?

A few girls from our college commented on Manik's physique that he was clearly exposing and I just smiled. They could drool over him all they wanted, he'd never care to look back, because he was all mine. The next time he turned to me, I had to make it a point to shoot a glare about his clothing style but then again, why?

Manik's team had won and Cabir had not missed the chance to tease us about his victory because of my presence. A sweaty Manik approached me with a cheeky grin and a swift wave.

"Hey! How come you're here?" He spoke, taking a sip of water.

"No Physics today so..." I spoke carefully, examining the sexy man standing right before me.

"Acchha phir chalo ghumne chale?" He suggested with a happy smile. We were leaving the next day and it meant we had to starting relaxing and resting already though Manik came to college to attend the inter-house match. Navya jumped into the conversation.

"Kahan jaa rahe ho dono?" She squeaked and Manik gaped at me speechlessly. He tried to make some excuse but Navya seemed very nosey. 

"Kahi nahi. Bas. Aise hi we were just..." And that was when Cabir had to pop in, worsening the situation.

"Hum tum ek kamre main band ho, aur chaabi kho jaaye... lalalala." He casually intruded and I chuckled while Manik gave him the usual stare. Cabir must've been accustomed to it by then. Navya's jaw dropped.

"Main nahi aaungi tumhare saath!" She screeched and I closed my eyes tight in despair. Cabir gave her an indifferent look.

"Excuse me? I'm not even talking to you."

"Guys, chill. Cabir, tu baaki sabko handle karna. Hum thodi der main aa rahe hai." Manik assured as he slowly clasped my hand into his. He jerked his head to the side to ask for permission and I led the way.

"Jaa bey JKG!" I heard a shout and it was shut by a forceful nudge by Manik.

***

"Kahan jaa rahe hai?" I looked around as Manik grasped my hand tightly while looking left and right. We were in the middle of the city, with the bike left back in one of Andheri's streets and we were heading somewhere, only Manik knew.

After that match of his, I didn't know where he had the energy to run around like that. But then again, he was a foodie and he'd got three sandwiches from the canteen just before we left.

"Ruko ek minute..." He examined the road twice and then with a jerk, pulled me along with. "Chalo jaldi aao." We crossed the road and we stood along with a bunch of people. Manik spotted a bus. He lifted me subtly and jumped in along with me.

"Hum yahan kya kar rahe hai?" I gaped at the unfamiliar surrounding. Of course I'd seen a bus, Mangalore has tons of them but this was a city that was just so busy, who would have thought buses even run here. Manik put me down, as he fetched for his wallet, holding me securely with his other arm. The people around gave looks but I didn't care. It wasn't like I'd never embarrassed myself in public and ever since Manik had come into my life, I'd forgotten about the word, image.

"For a day, I wanna live life like a commoner, with you. Just imagine Mom didn't run the college, we didn't have a vehicle, we didn't have cash to spend in luxury stores. Have you ever wondered how it would be?" His eyes gleamed in joy and it just reciprocated in mine. He was such a good guy. He was just perfect for me.

"Manik, I love you." I put a hand on his neck while I fluttered a little kiss to him on his cheek. The ticket collector came and Manik asked him two tickets to the Bandra market. The man gave us a look and on purpose, I jiggled those bangles of mine. He handed us tickets and Manik and I found a place for ourselves.

"Sir, dono ko alag alag baittna hai." He snapped at us and Manik gave him a ridiculous look. Excuse me, hello, she's my wife; why the hell will I sit away from her?

"Kyun? Biwi hai meri." He spat, and I gave him a hopeless look. This man could fight forever, tirelessly.

"Voh sab toh theek hai. Par saath main nahi baittne ka." He growled and Manik's fists and jaws clenched. I wrapped my hands around his bicep, pressing gently to sooth the seething fire in him.

"Manik... it's okay na? It's fine. We'll stand." I got up from my place and put my hand on his waist. He got up after passing death stares to the ticket guy. I stood beside a pole and Manik stood beside me, clinging to me yet not touching me. Every time the ticket collector passed by, Manik passed a few silent curses. I could tell his mood was not okay.

"Gussa ho?" I touched his arm and he flinched.

"Hmm..."

"Mujhse?"

"Tumne kya kiya? Tumse nahi..." He shook his head. He rolled his eyes.

"Issme gussa karne ka kya hai?"

"Did you see his mindset? A guy and a girl can't sit together. I'd consider if we were strangers but no; a girlfriend and her boyf... forget it, a married couple CAN'T sit together. I can't believe this." He spat, clearly irritated.

"It's okay na? Hum thodi na kuch kar sakte hai. Vaise bhi, we chose this na?" I tried to calm him down but nothing worked. If we were in the confines of a private place, I could console him but not in the middle of a 60 odd–people. I grabbed his hand and wrapped it around me. "Haath daalo apna." He withdrew slowly, as he huffed.

"Mood nahi hai ab."

"Teek hai." I sighed and stepped a step away. A moment later, I was pulled back by my man.

"I'm sorry." He nuzzled into my skin. We were almost least bothered that we were in a public vehicle. I knew he was upset and for me, what my man needed was more important than what those strangers thought about.

"Hmm..."

"Arre..." He cringed in annoyance. Hw never liked it when I behaved like him. "Tum bhi shuru mat ho jaana. Please." He whined as he held me close to him, yet not trying to put anymore ideas into people. I was glad Manik had developed some sense about etiquette.

About 20 minutes later, we got down and ran along the streets. I had to admit it was quite fun. It'd been long since I'd done such things and as a matter of fact, it was pretty interesting. We paced through, witnessing the street shops. Manik spotted a ice-candy shop and signaled me.

We purchased two of them and sat down to eat. I was panting with all the running and Manik was composed, munching on the ice.

"How is it?" He said with a little smile and I breathed.

"It's beautiful. This life, it's just wonderful." I looked around to see the crowded streets. This was probably the city's most crowded place. This city never sleeps.

"Look around, nobody here is rich but it doesn't matter. See the happiness, the energy here. Tomorrow we'll be seeing a different world altogether. A world filled with luxury. That's why I wanted to come here; to analyze the little things that can make such strong memories in our minds." I thought about it keenly and actually, what he said was true. I looked around to find tons of shops and customers. Manik seemed to have his focus on something. "Yahi ruko, don't go anywhere. Main abhi aaya." He jumped up to go somewhere.

I enjoyed the surrounding, munching on my candy. I found a few kids near the balloon stall. I could hear the screams and excitement. This was India. A balloon would hardly cost five bucks but the amount of happiness it'd give to a person, that's priceless. It's not about money in our country. It's about emotions.

"Here!" He popped out of nowhere with a wrapped present. "Abhi mat kholna. You won't be able to handle it." I smiled at the little present.

"You're the best husband anyone could have, Manik. You have no idea how much I love you." I placed a swift kiss onto his lips and then admired the present.

"I love you, Nandini. So so much!" He pulled me into his warm embrace and my heart fluttered in joy.

Part-2:
I wiped my hands off with Manik's handkerchief. "Vapas train se jaaye?" He suggested with a smile. I brushed my lips gently, removing any traces of food.

"Ah-choo." I sneezed violently and Manik huffed irritably.

"Caught a cold? Bola na maine, zyada mat khaana. But tum kahan meri baat maanti ho!" He growled, disheartened by the fact that I never listened to him. I sniffed and hugged him from behind.

"Sorry na?" I meekly spoke and he wrapped an arm around me. He pecked me softly beside my lip and led me to the train station. "You'll fall sick." I cringed at how careless he was about himself.

"It's okay. It doesn't matter." He stood beside me, texting on his phone when I heard a bunch of girls squeal their throats off.

"Oh my God! Are you Manik Malhotra? Lead singer?" He clasped my hand tightly and nodded slowly. The girls mobbed him, even upon Manik's advice to keep away. After all, he didn't want me to be involved in his job, more so because he knew I wasn't used to that sort of attention and uncomfortably dismissed them. The train arrived in 2 minutes.

"Chalo." He waited behind me, blocking me from the bunch of people who were barging through the door to get inside. "Araamse." He clasped his arms around my body to cage me and then hopped into the train. We headed back and found two empty seats.

"Mera present do tum. Main hi rakh leti hu." I grabbed the gift from him and clutched it to my chest.

We sat on the seats, with me wrapped in Manik's sports sweatshirt. It was oversized for me but I felt comfortable, especially with the familiar scent of him. He cuddled with me, attempting to put me to sleep. Just then, an elderly woman came and I stood up to give her my seat. Manik stood along with me and we let her choose her seat.

She warmly welcomed me to join her but I was better off with being with Manik. Just his presence, his proximity could help me feel much better.

"Baith jao." He nudged my arm and I clung onto his.

"Nahi, main yahi teek hu."

"If you stand, your cold will get worse and we'll have to postpone our vacation. Sit down." He ordered in a rather firm tone. I broke into hysterics upon Manik's lame tricks to get me to listen to him.

"Tum pagal ho gaye ho? Kuch bhi haan... Have you forgotten? Main ek science student hu; bacchha nahi. Standing doesn't aggravate cold." I shrugged and he shot a deep frown. He took a seat next to the woman and opened his hands for me.  

"Aao yahan." I walked towards him and he pulled me into him, putting me on his lap. He raised my feet so that I was like a little ball in his lap, seated sideways, such that my ear was against his chest. My foot touched the woman and Manik withdrew instantly, apologizing. "Sorry, excuse me. She's not feeling well." He explained, placing his entire arm over my shoulder and onto the base of my thigh, securely holding me.

"Girao mat. Bahut important hai yeh mere liye." I gasped and he smiled adorably. I held the present tightly while he dropped a couple of kisses on my forehead, in affection.

"Shaadi kab hui aap dono ki?" Probably she noticed the rings on our hands, or my bangles because clearly, there was no way anyone could think we were married otherwise.

"Ek mahine hua hai ab." He said, adjusting me so I wouldn't fall off. He tilted his head to see my ear pressed against his chest, head digging in. He ran his fingers along my face. It was almost like I was his baby.

"Bahut khayal rakhte ho uski." She complimented, adoring him and why not, he'd given every reason to.

"Thoda zyada hi karta hai, aunty." I complained as I wrapped one of my arms around his neck and wiggled to adjust. He giggled.

"Biwi hai na? Karna padhta hai." He spoke and she gave him a considerate smile. "Nandu, enough of turning. Sleep." I closed my eyes tight, silently praying for his wellbeing. I love you so much, Manik. I whispered and softly kissed the spot on his chest where his heart resided.

***

"Sun, aaj party, please?" Cabir whined. As such, they weren't spending much time together, ever since I'd come into their lives.
"Kis khushi main?"
"Tu jaa raha hai kal. Phir ek mahine ke liye nahi rahega humare saath. Toh party toh banti hai." It was Mukti's turn and not to mention how they'd party for no darn reason.
"Teek hai, Nandini ko..."
"No Manik, just the five of us. She'll have you for the next two-three weeks so please, spend time with us?" Alya intruded and Manik huffed a huge sigh.
"But she's not feeling well. Cold hai bahut."
"Navya hogi na? I'll pass... matlab we'll pass the message."
"Are you sure?"
"Cent percent. Okay now get ready. My place at 6." Cabir yelled and slammed the phone.

"Genome is nothing but the blueprint of a gene. It contains..." Manik came walking towards me. I was sitting on the bed with his newly gifted present, my textbook and a pencil between my teeth.

Manik had actually found me a cute little baby panda soft toy that I absolutely adored. It was little, cuddly and damn damn adorable. I dropped a zillion kisses and thank-you comments and how I loved him so much.

He inspected me to see if I was doing any mischief. To his happiness, I was sitting cross-legged, in his hoodie that could probably function as a dress, socks and pajamas.

"Main Cabir ke ghar jaa raha hu." I shot my eyes up to him, to see whether HE was properly dressed; obviously it had to be my turn. I didn't want him to show off, especially when he was around Alya.

"Haan teek hai. Mujhe bhi parlor jaana hai. Mujhe drop kardo." I placed the pencil as a bookmark and closed the book with a thud.

"Parlor kyun?" He cringed. If only he knew average women usually visit the parlor once a month and it was high-time I looked decent, at least in another country.

"Kyun matlab? Kal jaana hai na? Aise jaaungi Melbourne? Look at my eyebrows, and my arms. I look scary, I look like a wild bear." I rubbed my nose with his hoodie and sniffed.

"You look fine. You're not going." Of course, for Manik I would always look the same. I needed a second opinion or rather, self opinion.

"But why? I won't eat junk, I won't speak unnecessarily and I won't talk." I mimed a zipper running through my lips, sealing them in place.

"No, no and no. That's final." He crossed his arms as he stood against the door-hinge.

"WHY?" I growled and cleared my uncomfortably sore throat. He jumped on the bed.

"Tum yahan letogi aur rest karogi. Aur kuch nahi." He pulled my feet and pushed my body back, to force me to sleep.

"I just have a cold, Manik. You're behaving unreasonable!" I cried, not literally but yeah.

"You'll never be fine if you exert yourself so much. Don't you want to go tomorrow? Guess what, let's call off this trip. Until you're well." He huffed as he sprung on the bed, in irritation.

"Fine. Then I won't eat, I won't wear this stupid thing. I'll..."

"Okay okay... fine. Relax, huh? But I'll come along."

"You need to go to Cabir's house na? Vaise bhi ladies' parlor hai. Tumhe allow nahi karenge."

"I need to be there by 6. Hum abhi parlor jaa rahe hai. I don't care if it's a ladies' parlor." I sighed helplessly. This man could do anything.

"Fine. Ab chale?" He shook his head in agreement and lifted me. He placed me in the car. Standing against my door, he examined.

"Sweater pehna hai, socks hai, shoes hai, beanie?" He frowned and I pulled it out of his hoodie pocket.

"Hai yahan!"

"Okay let's go." He slammed the door and jumped into the driver's seat. I showed him the way and within 30 minutes, we were there. The parlor I usually visited.

"Yahi ruko. Main jaake aati hu."

"NO. Maine kaha na, main bhi aa raha hu?" He stomped out of the car and pulled me to him. The beautician came out and I waved gently.

"Wow! Manik Malhotra! Nandini, yeh kab hua?" She gaped and I shot a faint smile, while clasping his arm. He focused his gaze on me. I had flushed.

"Bas hua." I grinned as I pulled him in but she stopped us.

"Tumhe pata hai na, gents not allowed." That was it for Manik.

"What kind of a nonsense city is this? So sexist." He grit and I placed my hand over his mouth, to shut him up.

"Aap yahan wait kar sakte hai." She smiled and Manik faked a smile.

"She's not feeling well, okay? I need to be there. Can't you understand?" He rolled his eyes, as he chucked his hands into his pockets and fisted them.

"Manik, scene mat create karo, please?"

"NO. I'll go to the police. Yeh kya zabardasti hai! Humesha women ke liye empowerment. Humara kya? Listen Nandini, if you need to go, main bhi aa raha hu varna hum kahin aur jaayenge." He dragged me and that lady stopped us.

"Come inside." Manik grinned at me evilly.

"Waxing, eyebrows aur hair cut." I informed as she handed over a loose dress and a towel.

"Change karke aao." Just then, Manik popped his head in the space between my face and shoulder.

"What? Nandini, you are not cutting your hair, okay? It's so pretty. Don't." He murmured. I gave him a pathetic look. Of course only my HAIR looked pretty.

"FINE."

I headed to change. I was back a moment later, chucking my man's hoodie on his face. I propped myself on the salon chair. She turned the wax machine on, and waited.

"Aap India ke hero ho!" She complimented Manik and he faked a smile. I could tell he was irritated.

"Nahi nahi, bas thoda sa gaa leta hu kabhi kabhi. Itne bhi fans nahi hai mere." She smiled as she scooped a glob of wax. She blew on it and then spread it on a small patch of my skin.

"Ssss..." That was his immediate reaction to the wax being spread. I smirked at him. The lady placed a wax strip and rubbed it. I could see Manik's fists clenching. Even before she could rip the strip, I heard a shriek. "Noo... shit! Ahh..."

He had covered his face in that hoodie, peeking to see what was actually happening. Trust me, you'd never want to bring your husband with you to a salon. He'll either roll his eyes at the improvisations we demand, or he'll overact, like my man.

"Manik, kya kar rahe ho? Shut up!" I scolded and he frowned. He jumped quickly to approach me. He held my arm and scrutinized that patch of skin, which was now a slight shade of pink.

"Eeks! It's completely red now." He gasped worriedly. I pressed my lips. His phone began to ring.

"Manik, Cabir ka phone hoga. Tum jao na?"

"NO."

"Then drama mat karo. Chup chap baitto vahan." I pointed behind him, to a couch. He turned back.

"Okay." He obediently sat, one leg on the other, shaking them restlessly as he saw my hair being pulled out of my skin and he let out a deep breath every single time.

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(Heyy! So I am back, with a chapter worth 4000 words so I really hope you like it. Please drop some votes and comments for me to read. Special shoutout to @sneha_glam for spamming my comment box every single chapter. Hope you continue to do so. 😘 and @harshihyperangelic, bro, where are you? ☹️ @mrsmalikxbieber, girl you slay! I just got to read all those comments today! ILYSM guys! ❤️ As a reward, I'll PM you an extract 🙈 Here you go now. Guys, keep voting and commenting. Thanks a ton for the support.
Question of the chapter: Quote one of Navya's trademark dialogues. Everyone should comment a different dialogue. Same ones will be rejected. 🙈
Trust me, there are many! 😂 Let me know in the comments below. Follow me on Twitter for interacting with me.
Twitter: @torridtides
Tons of love. 😘)