Everyone split up and looked for Nandini, calling her name. Manik wandered towards the forest and started to get worried.

"Nandini! Nandini!" Manik called out. It started getting dark out and Manik was now very stressed for her. "Shit yaar....raat ho gaya. Where is this girl???"

"Yahi pe hoon! Kitna chilaate hai aap!" Finally he heard a sniffling sound and looked up where it was coming from. There, sitting on top of a tree was Nandini.

"Nandini....what are you even doing up there?" Manik asked.

"Roh rahi hoon! Usme bhi problem hai aapko?" Nandini cried.

"Its been like 5 hours....itna kaun rohta hai? Aansun khatam nahi hota kya tumhara?" Manik asked. Nandini stared at him for a second, quivered her lower lip and then let out a wailing sound as she cried louder & hard. "Wha...Nandini wtf! Sabko lagega ki koi maar gaya! SHHH!!"

"Aap bohot burre hai! Katti!" Nandini pouted and turned away. 

"Nandini enough of this. Come down." Manik ordered her. Nandini just stuck her tongue out at him and then turned away again. "Seriously? Choti bacchi ho kya?? Sab pareshan hai tumhare liye...come down NOW!"

Nandini didnt listen.

"Ok...Ok...you tell me. Kya karun main?" Manik sighed.

"Maafi mangiye." Nandini said.

"Huh....not happening." Manik scoffed.

"Then mujhe nahi aana niche." Nandini replied.

"Nan-"

Nandini sneakily snapped her fingers.

ROAR!!!

"AAHHH! BACHAO!!!" Manik quickly climbed up the tree as he heard the growl of a tiger. "WTF? Resort ke itne paas...tiger kya kar raha hai?"

Nandini hid a smirk and Manik just looked down, scared.

"Nandini...lets go! Warna woh tiger hum dono ko khaa jayega." Manik insisted.

"Sirf aapko! Main ek genie hoon...khud ko bacha lungi." Nandini replied. Manik's mouth fell open.

"Matlab? Im your Master na? Tum mujhe nahi bachaoge?" 

"Sorry nahi bola aapne!"

"A..Are...Are you serious?" Manik asked. "THERE IS A TIGER!!!"

"Pehle sorry!" 

Manik sees the tiger come near the tree and freaks out.

"OK OK! IM SORRY!!!! AB KUCH KARO NANDINI...PLLS...I BEG YOU!" Manik yelled, closing his his eyes in fear. Nandini finally smiled and snapped her fingers, making the tiger vanish.

"Ho gaya." Nandini replied with a grin. Manik slowly opened his eyes. 

"Oh thank god!" He sighed. Then Manik turned back to Nandini and saw her cutely holding her ears. 

"Sorry Master." Nandini apologized.

"Zabardasti sorry bulwane ke liye?" Manik asked. Nandini shook her head. "Oh..."

"Woh...aapke life mein interfere karne ke liye. Main aapko hurt nahi karna chahti thi...I promise!" Nandini said. "Its just....ki aapki puri family hai aur aap apne gusse aur narazgi ki vajah se unse door reh rahe hai. Jo unke saath time hai...woh aap waste kar rahe hai. Mere paas toh Di ke elava koi aur family hai hi nahi...aur woh bhi bohot saal Di ke bina rehna para mujhe, bilkul akeli. Bas iss liye....sab thik karna chahti thi main. Im really sorry."

Manik realized Nandini meant well and he also didnt like seeing her sad which made him melt quickly. He lowered Nandini's hands from her ears and cupped her face. "Its ok...maaf kiya maine. Mujhe bhi itna nahi chillana chahiye tha...woh sab nahi bolna chahiye tha. I didnt mean it Nandini.."

"Toh...aapne sach mein maaf kiya?" Nandini asked with a wide smile.

"Haan."

"YAY!" Nandini jumped onto Manik to hug him. Unfortunately since they were ontop of a tree, Manik lost his balance and they both started to fall. With one hand, Manik grabbed onto the branch and with his other, he held Nandini by her waist. Nandini wrapped her legs around  his body and her arms around his neck.

"NANDINI!"

"Sorry Master!" Nandini said, again.

"Get us down...mera haath slip ho raha hai!" Manik said. Nandini snapped her fingers and both of them popped out and then popped back on the ground safely. Nandini was on top on Manik, giggling from the experience. Manik was about to scold her but seeing her laugh innocently, Manik couldn't help but smile a little too. He gently reached forward and moved her hair from her face.

"Master...main ek request karun pllsss?" Nandini got off Manik and sat beside him..

"Kya?" Manik asked.

"Aap apni family se ek baar baat kijiye...unko apni feelings batiye aur unki baat bhi suniye. Pls Master?"

Manik didnt say anything and stood up. "Chalo Nandini...its so late, sab dhund rahe hai tumhe."

He took out his phone and msged the group that he found Nandini. 

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

Finally Manik & Nandini returned to the resort and everyone was happy to see Nandini. Navya hugged Nandini tightly.

"Tu thik hai na?" 

"Haan Di...sab thik hai." Nandini nodded.

Cabir also ran forward and hugged Nandini. "Agli baar yeh ghadha tumhe danta na toh just come to me....ache se dant dunga main."

"Cabir...tum mere liye apne dost ko dantoge?" Nandini asked.

"Of course...yeh idiot toh hai dantne layak." Cabir nodded. The others also hugged Nandini and then they went to their rooms to sleep.

In his room, Manik couldnt sleep and kept thinking about what Nandini said. 

"Dude...uth...baat karna hai mujhe!" Manik nudged Cabir to wake him up. Cabir lifted his head and glared at Manik with sleepy eyes.

"Tu bhoot hai kya? Aadhi raat ko kaun baat karta hai? Soh jaa aur mujhe bhi sone de!" Cabir grumbled.

"Its important Cabir." Manik nudged him again. "Do you think.....kya....kya mujhe apni family se baat karna chahiye?"

Now Cabir was wide awake and sat up in bed. "Yeh idea kaha se aaya?"

"Nandini....she was saying how woh apni family ke bina akeli hai...family ki importance and all. Iss liye soch raha tha main...Im not sure though." Manik shrugged.

"Ive been telling you for YEARS to reconcile....lekin NANDINI ne bola toh tu soch raha hai? Really?" Cabir raised an eyebrow teasingly. "I see....yehi hai mera importance teri zindagi mein na? Ok then...Ok."

"Chup kar...dramebaaz!" Manik rolled his eyes. "Aisa kuch nahi hai...I was just thinking ok. Chal...soh jaa ab!"

He lay down and covered himself with the blanket.

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Thoughts on this chapter?

Im gonna make Manik forgive his family by the next two chapters because I dont want to stretch the family drama