After a long day in her college: loads of tasks, making notes, attending every lecture, and coming back with an ample number of projects and assignments... Nandini came out of the elevator and walked to the door of her new home from now onwards, the penthouse.

Here also she has to unlock the door with the keys but the only difference is; in her old house even though people are present inside they didn't care to open the door for her, while here no one is inside as Manik's at the office.

Sighing she took out the key and is about to put it in the lock when the door opened much to her surprise.

Magic?

She wondered and looked up only to see her husband welcoming her with a small smile on his face.

How come he's here so soon? She quizzed her mind while walking in.

"Here. Have some water!" A glass full of water came to her view and she got happy having someone to care when she got back home.

"Why are u home early?" Nandini asked after putting the empty glass down at the table.

"Um-My work got over soon toh socha aaj jaldi ghar chala jata hun." Manik replied casually but from inside he's very anxious thinking how to initiate the talk about his problem.

There prevailed a minute silence between them, both standing and looking around silently with their own thoughts running in minds.

Even Nandini's bit disturbed with her discovery and thinking how to behave with Manik, her husband. How to talk with him? How to react to him? What to do and what not to?

"So!" Manik broke the silence.

"So?" She asked immediately but looked down at his hands when he forwarded a smartphone box.

She looked back at him confused and he eye-gestured her to take it. Opening the cover she took the phone in hand grasping at it.

"Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus" She murmured examining it with awe.

"For you!" She heard Manik saying and snapped her head up.

"Me?" He nodded.

"Ah- I don't need it." she forwards the phone back to him knowing it's expensive; approx. 85,000.

"You need it. Keep it. I've saved some important contacts in here and you save the rest.
And no need to bother about the price. You're Millionaire now!"

"Hun?" She made a shocked O-face with this newfound information.

'When did I become Millionaire from thousandaire?' she thought.

"You're Manik Malhotra's wife now!" He added understanding her mind and she closed her wide-open mouth relaxing.

'Oh! like this. I thought...'

"I know, but you've already done so much for me. Keeping me here, letting me study, and even paying for my studies. Even I've stopped working in the cafe to focus on my college and extra classes like Raj Uncle said and he's transferred money in my account too." She listed out.

"Like I said, You're my wife now; Malhotra's daughter-in-law. So don't think much about money, just focus on ur studies." He stated calmly yet sternly.

"Okay! Go n freshen up, we are going out" He added dismissing her and she obeyed walking to her room.

'She's too innocent n naive.' He sighed thinking 'Let me make her happy first'

Driving away from the house, Nandu got curious "Where are we going?" she asked turning at him.

"Where do you want to go?" he asked instead looking briefly at her before focussing on driving.

 She felt delighted as for the first time after a long year someone is taking her out for fun. "Ummm..." She tried thinking of some place to visit at this time, at night when suddenly she spots an 'Ice-cream Parlor' at the roadside and the urge to taste it developed in her.

"Stop" She yelled causing Manik to apply a sudden brake. Thank goodness that he's driving at the far left lane and no vehicles are there at back or else there would have been an accident.

"What the hell, Nandini?" Manik shouted as soon as the car came to halt. They could have been in an accident due to her sudden yell.

"Sorry" She said meekly looking down at her feeling sorry for her mistake. She just got excited at the thought of having ice-cream after so long and didn't want the shop to pass.

Manik sighed looking at her gloomy sorry face. "It's okay! Why did you ask me to stop?"

She didn't answer but keep on looking down thinking he'll shout if she tells him her childish demand.

"You can tell me. I won't shout." He spoke trying to make her comfortable. She looked up at him listening to him.

"Ice-cream" she whispered slowly.

He doubted if he listened correctly and scrunched his brows questioningly "Hun?"

As a reply, she pointed her finger at the parlor outside and he got it. He shifted his eyes back at her face which now looks nervous n frightened as if he'll eat her. He chuckled at this shaking his head.

"Okay! You wait here. I'll go get it." He spoke between his chuckles n walk out of the car leaving a confused Nandini inside the car.

"Woh daant kyun dhika raha tha? What's so funny?
Wait! Was he laughing at me?" She scratches her head murmuring to herself.

After like 5 minutes, Nandini snapped her head at the knock of the car's window only to see Manik standing outside n gesturing her to come out.

"Where is ice-cream?" Nandu asked coming out and not finding any ice-cream on Manik's hands.

Manik pointed towards the car roof and Nandu shifted her eyes only to gasp at the sight.

"Itna saara?" Her eyes are wide with amusement dancing in it. After gazing at her favourite ice-creams, that too so many, she couldn't control her hands from grabbing one of them and started cherishing it.

"Woh Mujhe tumhare favorite flavor pata nahi tha toh..." Manik said but before that only Nandini has started eating. He just stares at her; eating ice-cream with so much excitement, happiness with twinkling eyes like a child.

Finishing one, she grabbed the next one; butterscotch and opened it leaning on the car. "Humm... My favorite is butterscotch. Appa ko vanilla pasand hai. But Ammi's in my team. Butterscotch Yummm..." She muttered between her eating or rather say, licking ice-cream with her fingers with so much concentration n love.

Manik! He's totally admiring the cute, beautiful figure in salwar suit beside him ravishing the ice-cream... moaning when her tastebud loves the flavor n chillness... licking the ice-cream off her fingers, pouting her lips and pulling out her tongue in the process... and not to forget her various face making as a cherry on the top.

Again the one got finished and Nandu took another one, "Oww... Chocolate flavor!" She exclaimed and instantly take a bite and moaning in love.

"Waisse Mujhe sara flavor pasand hai. Ice-cream is love..." She added. "Thank you, Manik!" She finally acknowledges his presence and shifted her focus from her ice-cream to Manik briefly.

She saw him staring at her only with dark eyes and an unknown expression on his face.

'Oh no! He's angry that I didn't offer him, the ice-cream he bought. How stupid, Nandu!' She thought looking at him and forwarded the ice-cream cup she's holding towards him.

Manik shifted his eyes at the forwarded cup and then back at her face knowing that she's offering him to eat.

But instead of having ice-cream from the cup, Manik grabbed Nandu's right wrist and gently pulled her hand to his mouth, and licked the ice-cream on her finger... not breaking the eye-contact they are having.

A current ran down the spine of Nandu and she immediately pulled her hand out and turn her eyes to the ice-cream.

'What was that?' she wondered and dipped her fingers in ice-cream and resume eating in trance.

Just when she licked off her fingers, the same one that Manik had; she got alert.

'What? Will this be called an indirect kiss?' her mind questioned.

"Shut up, Nandu! Tu na yeh Web-series dekhna baand kar. Indirect kiss? Nonsense!" she whispered to herself almost inaudibly.

But then sensing Manik's presence beside her, and doubting if he's heard her, she turned to look at him, who's already looking at her with those dark brown mesmerizing eyes.

Before anyone could talk or think anything, "Acchooo" Nandini sneezed turning her head away.

This got Manik alert; chilling night breeze & cool ice-cream, both initiate cold. "Let's get back home. Baaki ka ice-cream kal ghar pe khaa lena!" Saying so, he shoved rest ice-cream cups inside the car, and they both drove back home.

Reaching home, putting the ice-creams in the refrigerator, washing off hands, they both walked to the hall. It's time for dinner now and Manik thought to just clear it our now, and not wait anymore.

"Nandini! Mujhe tumse kuch baat karni thi." He started catching her attention. Even she got curious about what could he be talking about? She just nodded for him to continue.

"Woh... actually, I should have told you this before marriage. You've every right to know about this. But I was just nervous and... U know...." He trailed off searching for the perfect wording.

But this made Nandini understand that he's going to talk about himself; that he likes boys. And she got anxious, nervous, her heartbeat increased and her body cells got activated to confront this.

"We both know in what situation we got married. It was all so fast that we don't even get to know each other properly... Also, we both didn't want this marriage to happen; you because you're too young for marriage and wanted to study and I didn't want to marry because I've got a problem... a serious one which can affect both my and my wife's life ahead, I'm-"

"-I know" he got cut off abruptly by a loud voice of Nandini.

"U know?" he looked confused and serious as to how did she know?

"I know, I understand. That's completely okay!
You don't have to feel low or inferior due to this. This happens. Even though the majority of people on earth are normal, but still there are many like you.
This is fine... you're fine. No need to feel ashamed due to this. You can always talk or discuss it with me. I'll be there with you." She continues to blabber whatever comes to her mouth without even knowing what she's speaking in anxiety.

While Manik is like 'How can she be so innocent n understanding? Even after knowing everything, she's supporting me.'

"I'll support you and help you meet up with your boyfriend. I'm with you. I'll help you hook up with him." She added and Manik's expression changed hearing 'your boyfriend'.

He opened his mouth to correct her but she stopped him showing her palm and continued blabbering.

"You can rest assured. Even if you tell me, I won't open my mouth in front of others. I'm very trustworthy.
You don't need to feel lonely because society is not accepting you as you are. And trust me, I don't, even a bit, judge you for you liking boys. Everyone has their own choice. If you like boys more than girls than what's your mistake in this. It's god's creation."

And now Manik is like 'What the hell is she talking about? Do I look like a gay?'

He again tried to protest her but she's not ready to listen to anything but just keeps on

"It's fine. Completely okay! No need to worry"

Not seeing her stop with her nonsense, he got irritated and pulled her by her wrist and shut her mouth with his.

That was so sudden that she became frozen and numb with her eyes open not blinking even once.

Within a few seconds, blood rushed to her brain and she senses what just happening, causing her eyes widen in shock and she pushed him away and turned.

Manik too realizes what he just did and looked everywhere around not believing he, himself just did this. But soon his attention got caught by a whisper

"My First Kiss..."

Nandini's in utter shock, surprise, crazy, displeasedly pleased, and what not. She touched her lips with a scrunching forehead.

"Manik Malhotra, How could you do such a thing? That was my first kiss!" She shouted in a crying tone, throwing her hands in annoyance. She's back facing Manik who's somewhat happy listening to her 'first' word but her crying tone made him aware of her displeasure.

"My First Kissss...
I'm going crazy!" She cried but not literally.

"Do u know, since I was little I always anticipated this moment? I always thought my first kiss would be with a ridiculously cute, handsome, and kind prince. With romantic cherry blossoms, and rain, by the side of the sea, and...
It has to be like my name!" She added dreamily and stomped on her feet as her dream got crashed.

Manik find her words quite amusing and ridiculous at the same time and said "Hey! How can that situation happen? Do u know what you're saying?"

"What's this rain and sea and cherry blossoms?" he added setting such a weird combination.

This irks Nandini and she turned to face him "I don't care! I want the universe to welcome my first kiss." She stated angrily and then turned sad "And now, the reality is in a closed bricked hall..."

"You recklessly stole my first kiss" She started with her accusations "And there was no feeling... Where's all expected sweetness and dizziness?"

Manik's again really amazed by her power of speaking non-stop even after a kiss... or a mouth-lock.

"Mr. Manik Malhotra, how are you going to compensate me?" She yelled at his face and turned to leave when she felt a tug on her wrist making her force turn towards Manik, who pulled her close.

"Isn't it just a first kiss?" She narrowed her brow not understanding.

"I'll return it back to you" And she didn't even get a second to understand before Manik fused his lips with her soft one.

******

Ahem... Ahem...Ahem...

Leave the rest of kiss for the next chapter... *Wink*

Okay! So, Which part of the update you like the most?

Like how the topic from Manik telling his problem got into Nandini blabbering out her doubt of him being a gay and then leading to mouth-shutting kiss?

We've to wait ahead for the disclosure of Manik's problem to Nandini. So, stay tuned!

A/N:

As many of you have known that currently, 4 of my books are ongoing at a time:

👉Manan: Master Devil Do 'Not' Kiss Me

👉Manan: "INTERESTING MUCH"

👉Manan: Marvellous turns in my Typical life

👉Manan: Arranged Love Marriage - Exchanged Bride!

And NEET 2020 exams have been rescheduled to 13.09.2020. for which many online classes have also remade their timetables and mock-tests plans. Also, self-study is required not to forget any lesson. I've got a tight schedule due to this.

So, I've decided to update it on a weekly basis. i.e: 2 books in a week, each book 1 chapter. Which 2 books out of the above 4 will be decided on the basis of increment in votes and comments on the chapters.

But I'll try replying to notifications in between my breaks. So, do write to me, keep reading, be in touch, and please wait for the updates patiently.

Lastly, All the best to my friends who're also preparing for the NEET 2020 👍👍.

Love u!

Bye-Bye!