Hello everyone! I know Holi update ke liye thoda late hai. But as they say, it's never too late. 🙈
I really hope that you guys like the update. Do tell me how it was. 3746 words. Phew. Hope the wait was worth it. 💙
Haven't proof read okay? 🙈

And also people, I have my exams starting from next month, so I'll be pretty busy all this while. But still I will try and give updates whenever I get time. Thankyou for all the love, cooperation and patience. Loads of love.💖

Happy Reading! 💜

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Nandini was all ready for the holi party. It's not that she hated holi, it was just that she missed celebrating holi with her family. Since the time they got busy with their work, they never really had time for festivals. Diwali was the only festival when the entire Murthy family would be together under the same roof. She quickly combed her hair when her phone beeped with his text,

" Waiting outside. "

She had a last look in the mirror and moved out of her house after locking it. She was dressed in a plain white suit with an orange and white dupatta along with silver earrings and a broad bracelet.

She moved out from her building while managing her long tresses, all thanks to the slow breeze not knowing what effect they were having on someone.

~~~

Manik's POV -

It was finally Holi. The most awaited festival of the year. And this time for a change, the party was held at my farmhouse. This year something was different. Nandini. We had just met but I had this strange attachment with her. It was something which could not be called attraction, it was a lot more than that. It was kinda funny and cute at the same time when she said that she doesn't like playing Holi. But I had also made up my mind to play Holi only with her this year. After a lot of convincing and blackmailing, she finally agreed. I got up and took a quick shower as I had to pick up Nandini. Fab4 were going to reach there directly. I got dressed in a plain white embroidered kurta. I wasn't much into wearing traditional, but I liked wearing it occasionally.

Mom and dad were all set to leave for the farmhouse along with their close friends and colleagues. I immediately rushed out towards my car for Nandini's place. I reached her building in ten minutes and texted her that I'm waiting outside. I stood there leaning on the bonnet of my car when I saw her coming towards me clad in a white coloured suit. This girl looked the best in everything she wore and this time, she was looking like an angel. She was continuously trying to fix her long hair which her blowing all over her face. I slowly moved towards and carefully moved her hair strands behind her ear while she looked at me with her perfectly kohled eyes. I softly whispered " Happy Holi" in her ear making her close her eyes. I loved the effect I had on her. Unaware of the fact, she had the same effect on me.

~~~

" Happy Holi, Nandini" he said again making her snap out of her trance.

" Happy Holi, Manik." She replied with a smile while tucking her hair strands behind her ear.

" Vaise Nandini, what's your favourite colour?" He asked.

" There's no specific favourite colour. I like all  colours equally." She replied with a smile unaware of the hidden meaning behind his question.

He sneakily fished out a red gulaal packet from his pocket and hid it behind his back.

" Okay then." He said as he pulled her closer by her waist and rubbed his red coloured palm on her cheek slowly down her neck making her shudder in response.

" Holi toh mein tumhare saath hi sabse pehle khelunga. Happy Holi, Miss JMD." He said huskily with a smirk as he moved away from her.

" Manik, why these colours? They aren't even going to come off now." She said in a grumpy tone.

" Colours are beautiful. They should always be present in your life. Because without colours, it's just plain black and white." He replied with a smile.

" Okay Mr. Malhotra, my turn now." She said as she put the same red colour on her palms and rubbed it on his cheeks making him close his eyes with a smile while enjoying her soft touch.

" Happy Holi, boss." She said with a wink.

" Chalein ab?" He said to which she nodded and sat in his car.

" You should wear Indian more often, acchi lagti ho." he said with a smile as they drove off.

" You mean to say ki mein vaise acchi nahi lagti hoon?" She said with a shocked expression.

" Mera kehne ka matlab tha ki Indian kapdon mein tum aur zyada acchi lagti ho." He replied with a smile while she turned towards the other side to hide her blush and muttered a low "Thankyou."

The drive to his farmhouse had been a quiet one with soft music and stealing glances, they reached his farmhouse in about 45 minutes ~ the farmhouse was huge and beautiful too. Perks of being a multi billionaire.

[ 1. Farmhouse ; 2. Sitting Area ; 3.Swimming Pool.]

They moved inside just to get attacked by a shower of color bombs by Cabir and Dhruv.

" Ohoo. Look who's here." Cabir said mischievously while rest everyone gathered around them.

" Happy Holi guys." Manik chirped while she stood there admiring their bond.

" Kya baat hai, Manik. Tumne aaj vo kardiya jo hum itne saalon se nahi kar paaye. Waah." Navya said dramatically as she stood beside a nervous Nandini.

" Matlab?" Manik asked in a confused tone.

" Matlab ye ki Nandini ne pichle 6 saalon se Holi nahi kheli. Meine aur Navya ne bohot try kiya but ye kabhi nahi maani. Manik baba ye chamaktkaar aapne kaise kiya? The nation wants to know!" Cabir said dramatically as he side hugged Nandini.

" Cabir tujhe Pata nahi hai ki iss duniya mein aisi koi cheez nahi hai jo Manik Malhotra na kar sake." Manik replied with a smirk making her eyes go wide.

" Aur vaise bhi tum dono Holi pehle khel hi lii hai toh ab humare saath bhi khel lo." Cabir said teasingly pointing at their colored faces making everyone chuckle.

" Cabiiirrr." Manik screamed and ran behind him.

" Happy Holi Nandini." The girls screamed as they put color on her face and pounced on her for a hug.

" Happy Holi to you too guys." She replied as she put some color on their faces as well.

" Chalo lets go." Mukti said as she dragged Nandini towards the lawn.

They entered the lawn just to find everyone playing Holi when a lady and a man in their late forties came towards them,

" Happy holi kids. So enjoying?" The lady said who was none other than, Nyonika Malhotra.

" Happy Holi aunty. And yes, we are enjoying, as usual!" Mukti and Cabir said when Manik came and stood behind his mom.

" Happy Holi mom!" He said as he put color on her face from behind.

" Happy Holi, baccha." She said and kissed Manik on his cheek.

" Mom Dad, this is Nandini Murthy, the new Junior Managing Director of MM Companies." He said as he introduced her to his parents.

" Hello sir. Hello ma'am. Wishing you a very happy Holi." She said with a smile while folding her hands.

" Hello beta. Happy Holi to you too. And please don't be so formal, call me uncle just like everyone else does." Raj said as he applied tilak on her forehead to which everyone smiled.

" Okay uncle. Happy Holi." She said with a wide smile and put some color on his cheeks.

Nyonika was a woman who always valued traditions, Malhotra's did belong to the modern era, but their roots were still the same. They never neglected any rituals or traditions even during this time. It was very hard to impress her in the first meet and no one could do that till now, not even Manik's friends. But now there was a person who effortlessly broke that record. Nandini. When everyone around was dressed in modern clothes, including Alya, Mukti and Navya who were wearing skirts and shorts, she was the only one who wore traditional. Not that she judged people on the basis of their clothes, but during festivities, dressing up gracefully did matter.

" Have fun, beta." Nyonika said and went away.

" Kya baat hai, Miss Murthy, mere parents ko itne mein hi impress kardiya.  Not bad." He said.

" Shut up, Manik. Let's go. Everyone is waiting." She said as she moved ahead.

" Ab aayega asli mazza." He said to himself with a smirk.

He moved towards snacks corner just to find Fab 4 , Navya and Abhimanyu dancing madly, all thanks to the bhaang they drank while Nandini stood there in a corner enjoying by watching them dance like crazy.

" Whatsup?" Manik said as he stood beside her.

" Nothing. Was just seeing them dance. They're crazy." She replied.

" If you think this is crazy, then wait for the entire movie. This is just the trailer." He chuckled.

" Accha Manik, where is the washroom?" She asked.

" Go inside, it's towards your extreme left beside the room." He said.

" I'll just be back." She said as she moved inside.

" She made my work easy. Step one complete." He said and followed her.

After a couple of minutes, she came outside the bathroom just to hear someone calling her name from the nearby room,

" Manik, is that you?" She said as she knocked on the door from where the sound was coming.

" Nandini, please come na. I need help." He shouted from inside.

She quickly opened the door just to be welcomed by a bucket full of magenta colored water all over her. SPLAAASH.

" Manik Malhotra, you are so dead now." She said while gritting her teeth and ran behind him.

" Nandini, you look so funny. I mean look at yourself. Hahaha." He said between his laughter.

" Mein funny lag rahi hoon na, you wait and watch." She said while running behind him.

" Ouch." She screamed as she sat down holding her foot making him rush towards her in concern.

" Nandini, shit. Are you okay? Is it hurting? I'm such a fool. I'm so sorry. You wait here, I'll get the medicine for you." He said in a concerned tone. Though she didn't want to do this because he was genuinely very concerned, but he had called for it. 😏

She held his hand and stood up carefully emptied the entire color tray consisting of all the colors over his head which she had sneaked cunningly while she was running behind him.

" Nandini, this is cheating yaar! You know how worried I was!" He shouted.

" Everything is fair in love and war, Mr. Manik Malhotra." She said with her hands over her waist.

" Accha and what is this?" He asked as he pulled her closer by her waist locking her in his arms making their faces almost touch with each other.

" World War." She said in a low tone and pushed him away grabbing the chance to run away leaving him smiling like an idiot.

He came outside and found her dancing along with Mukti and Alya while the boys sat in a corner, drunk completely.

" Hello." said a well built boy dressed in a yellow kurta pajama to Nandini as she stood in a corner having gujiya.

" Hi. Do I know you?" She politely replied.

" Nope. You don't. Would you like so be my friend?" He asked.

" Yeah. Okay." She replied hesitantly.

" Hi. I'm Vivaan Khuranna." He said as he put forward his hand towards her.

" Hi. Nandini Murthy." She replied while shaking hands with him.

" Oh by the way, Happy Holi." Vivaan said as he put some color on her forehead and cheeks.

" Happy Holi to you too, Vivaan." She replied with a smile while they stood and talked to each other for a while oblivious of the fact that someone was burning both in jealousy and anger. Who else could it be other than our very own Manik Malhotra? The sight of Nandini with any other guy was something he just could not tolerate for the reasons unknown. If not practically, then he surely did kill the poor bait - Vivaan, a hundred times over in his head. He immediately picked up a glass of bhaang and moved away from them with an irritated expression.

Nandini was strolling around the lawn as she excused herself from Vivaan as her brother, Rishabh had called from Bangalore to wish her Holi when she saw something which she didn't want to. Manik with some girl who had worn an extra short and tight lemon colored dress which didn't even reach upto her mid-thighs and was throwing herself on Manik making her scrunch her nose in disgust and picked up two glasses - which seemed like Coke and drank it in a single breath. She immediately moved towards them just to find Manik least interested in what that girl was saying and doing.

" Hi Manik." She said with a forced smile as she stood infront of them.

" Oh hi. Nandini this is Kiara Khanna." He introduced her to Kiara in a disinterested tone.

[ Introducing ~ Arisha Jain as Kiara Khanna. 😈]

" Manik, please put some color on me na? Look I especially got dressed for you." Kiara nudged him for the hundredth time.

Suddenly an evil idea struck Nandini's brain and she moved towards the side table which had purple color kept in a plate. She took some color in her hands and mixed it with some water making the color fluid and sticky. She slowly moved towards Kiara from behind and rubbed off her palms on her entire face,

" Manik nahi toh kya hua? Meine laga diya. Bura na maano Holi hai." She said with a fake smile.

" OMG Manik, my skin! I had just god a facial done. OMG!" She screamed and ran away to save her face while Manik stood there laughing his ass out. Nandini moved away from there giving him a last look while he still was laughing.

" Ab ye Nandini kahan gayi?" Manik said to himself as the party was over and everyone had retired to the rooms mostly because of being drunk and Nandini couldn't be seen anywhere.

He moved towards the swimming pool just to find her walking with unsteady steps on the edge of the pool while singing.

" Chaar botal vodka, kaam mera roz ka, na mujhko koi roke, na kisi ne rokaa." She sung while hiccuping.

" Nandini. Shit." He said and moved towards her.

" Nandini, chalo. Let's rest." He said as he tried dragging her.

" Noo. Mujhe kahi nahi jaana. Mujhe uss aeroplane ki tarah udna hai pehle." She said pointing towards the sky.

" Kahan hai plane? " He asked while looking at the sky.

" Hawww Manik. Airplane mere saath hide and seek khel raha hai." She said with a shocked expression.

" Nandini, you're drunk. Chalo. Let's go." He said.

" No. I'm not drunk. Don't you know that Nandini Murthy never drinks?" She said with a smile.

" Manik, pata hai vo plane kaise udd raha tha? Aiseeeee!" She shouted and started acting like a plane with her hands spread wide towards her sides like the wings of the plane and started running again.

" Nandini, Nandini. Stop and come right here!" He shouted to which she immediately stopped and stood infront of him like an obedient child with her head bowed down.

" Let's go." He said.

" But Manik, I can't come with you because.." She said.

" Because..?"

" Because, Manik Malhotra is stuuuupiddddddd." She shouted and started running around again.

" Nandini, stop. Enough." He said as he ran behind her.

" Catch me if you can, monsterrrr." She shouted.

" Nandini, be careful." He shouted as he saw that she was about to fall in the pool. And BAM!

" Manik. Help. I don't know how to swim. Bachaooo." She shouted with her eyes closed as she fell in the pool to which without any second thoughts, he immediately jumped into the pool and held her tight by her waist making her clutch his shoulders tightly.

" Hahah. Manik. Oh my god." She said as she started laughing again.

" Why are you laughing now?" He sighed.

" Because you are a fool. See mujhe swimming aati hai. I'm a state level swimmer." She said while laughing as she left his shoulders and floated in water.

" You think this is funny haan?" He said in a low tone as he pulled her close to him by her wrist.

" No. It's not funny." She said while giggling while he carefully wiped off the color from her cheeks - to be specific, the color Vivaan had put on her cheeks.

" What were you doing with that guy hmm?" He asked while brushing her cheeks with his thumb.

" Which guy?" She asked innocently.

" The one who had put this color on you?" He said while pointing towards his thumb which was on her cheek.

" Oh Vivaaaan. You know Manik, Vivaan is so funny." She said excitedly unaware of the effect Monster Manik was having by her talks.

" So he's funny? Why don't you go and play Holi with him only?" He said and left her with her jerk, turning his face sideways.

" But I did play Holi with him." She said softly.

" Nandini Murthy, listen to me very carefully. If I see that Vivaan guy anywhere near you again, I swear even I don't know what will I do with him. So just stay away from him alright?" He said in a low dangerous tone moving towards her making her back collide with the wall of the pool.

" Okay. I will. Aur tum uss chipkali ke saath kyun chipak rahe the haan? Mujhe bol rahe ho, khud kya kar rahe the haan?" She said angrily.

" Oh Kiara." He said.

" Kiara. Tiara. Fiara. Diara. I don't care whatever her name was. Holi pe koi makeup karke aata hai kya? Huh." She said.

" Ab sab log tumhari tarah beautiful nahi hote na. Toh make up se kaam chalana padhta hai." He said with a smile to which she blushed profusely.

" Manik, I'm feeling cold. Andar chalein please?" She said cutely trying to change the topic and ofcourse ~ amidst the color on her cheeks, hide her blush.

" Oh finally! Come, let's go." He said as he helped her come out of the pool.

She walked a couple of steps just to fumble again making him sigh. He immediately scooped her in her giant arms and carried her inside bridal style.

" Manik, I feel like I'm flying. Wooow." She said excitedly.

" Yes Nandini, you're flying." He said as they reached his room as all the other rooms were occupied by either is friends or other guests.

[Manik's room ~ Farmhouse ]

" Wooww Manik, your room is sooooo big. But my room in my house is so chotu sa." She said sadly with a pout.

" Toh kya hua? Only one thing matters about a room and that is comfort okay? The size doesn't matter. Don't be sad." He said with a small smile.

" Manik tum na bohot acche ho. Tum puri duniya se jhooth bol sakte ho but your eyes na, they can never lie. Your eyes so so beautiful. Tumhe pata hai?" She said with a dreamy expression to which he gave her his best smile and handed over her hand bag to her which had her clothes.

" Go change." He said with a smile and showed her the bathroom.

She came after a while changed into a red tank top with white printed pyjamas, all drowsy while walking.

" Manik, I'm so sleepyy." She said in a babyish tone.

" Come, you sleep here. I'll sleep on the couch." He said and tucked her in the bed and covered her properly with duvet after adjusting the temperature of the air conditioner.

" Noo. Tum idhar hi raho mere paas. You are not going anywhere." She said as she held his held.

" Okay. Sleep. I'm here only." He said with a smile.

" Manik, make me sleep na. Ghar pe toh I sleep with Love toh mujhe neend aa jaati hai. But yahan vo nahi hai." She said slowly making his senses alert when he heart "Love".

" Pehley Darling ab ye Love. Chakkar kya hai? No no. Nandini can't do this. She is not that type of girl who would do such a thing. Pata laga na padega." He thought.

" Manik, kahan kho gaye?" She asked.

" Haan. Vaise Nandini, ye Love kon hai?" He asked curiously.

" You know, mein na Love se bohot saara pyaar karti hoon. He's my only constant since so many years." She said while stretching out her arms wide.

" But who is Love?" He said trying to control his anger.

" Wait, I will show you." She said as she picked up her phone from the side table.

" This is Love." She said with a wide smile.

" This is Love? Seriously?" He asked with a 'seriously' expression.

" Yes Manik. This is Love. My Love." She said happily.

[ Yeah okay, you can kill me later. 😂🙈]

" Yeah fine. Sleep now. You need rest." He said with a bad face after listening to all the praises for her teddy bear and her so called Love. ( A/N ~ Teddy bear se jealousy. Isn't my Manik cute? 😂)

" Okay." She said as she closed her eyes while he patted her hair slowly and within seconds she was fast asleep.

" She's so cute. Goodnight, Miss. JMD." He whispered as he placed a butterfly kiss over her hair as he adjusted pillows in between them and settled himself on the other side and shut the lights off.

~*~*~*~