*Peeks from behind the curtains*

Hi. Does anyone remember me? 😂😭

All my updates start with an apology.🙄
So I'm really really sorry. But writers block isn't helping me one bit plus my super hectic schedule. I honestly can't help. Thankyou everyone for being so patient.💛

It's 2k+followers already! Yay.😋

A super long update of 6000 words. So a warning in advance, I don't know how crappy this update is.😩

This ones for thenoynicaahuja and Gulshan_14 . Don't kill me after this update okay? 😭🙈

P.S ~ Do read the foot note. 😘

~*~*~*~

It had been a month already since Nandini came back from Bangalore and every thing was going smooth, with Manik and Nandini spending the maximum time together, with Manik some times sneaking into Nandini's house, just to get his share of peaceful sleep. Whereas on the other hand, Manik made sure to take care of Nandini as much as he could. Even thinking about being away from her even for a while made him jitter but sometimes one has to learn how to survive it. It was finally the most talked about season in Mumbai, monsoons. But Manik, urgently had to leave for Lonavala where a small hospital for the underprivileged which was being constructed under Malhotra Constructions and he had to be present there for the site visit. Manik was extremely reluctant on going away for two days, that too away from Nandini. But after a lot of explanations and pleadings, Nandini managed to convince him to go, leaving him in a bad mood which she managed to lift it, somehow. It had been two days since Manik had gone already and was supposed to return today. And about Mumbai, the rain gods were way too happy which resulted in a heavy downpour throughout the day. It was around 2 AM in the night, with the rain drops spluttering across the windows with the strong winds blowing away while Nandini was fast asleep. She was made to snap out of her slumber when suddenly the door bell rang loudly to which she strolled slowly towards the main door and peeped out of the door lens just to see a man standing in a hoodie who's face wasn't clearly visible. She hesitantly opened the door just to be welcomed with the most unexpected sight - Manik Malhotra, standing there with a wide grin and a pizza box in his hand which made her smile a little. She without replying walked back towards her room which made Manik confused as he followed her after locking the door. He entered inside her room just to see her asleep, snuggled in the warm blanket making him laugh a little. He sat beside her and softly caressed her hair. There was something extremely beautiful about her face - the way it glowed whenever she was happy and how her expressions were a tunnel to her thoughts. Manik kept staring at her face lovingly for a couple of minutes when suddenly she sat up with a bewildered face –

"Manik, tum sach mein ho yahan?" She asked in a low voice.

" Hey baby girl." He whispered as he engulfed her in a tight, squishy hug while she tried to recollect the past incidents.

" Manik..I thought I was dreaming. What if it was someone else and I'd just opened the door like that?" She said with a blank face.

" Relax baby. I've got you. All you need to know is that no stranger can come here without my permission. I will always know whoever it is. Don't worry." He said with a smile as he softly rocked her body back and forth in his arms.

" You were supposed to reach here in the morning." She said as she tilted her head up to look at him.

" Yes. I was supposed to. But then I thought ki mein tumhe surprise karun. And plus I was starving too." He explained with a cute face making her smile.

" So you got a box of pizza instead?" She said trying to control her smile to which he just nodded.

" Yahan baitho , I'll warm it up." She said with a smile and stepped out of bed just when he noticed what she was wearing. She was wearing his sweatshirt (the one he made her wear when she was ill) and a pair of purple shorts which did nothing but showed off her toned thighs and legs making him inhale a sharp breath inaudibly. Within a couple of minutes, Nandini was back with pizza to which he and his stomach excitedly smiled.

" Bohot bhukh lagi hai?" Nandini asked as she handed over him the plate to which he immediately took a huge bite making her laugh.

" Manik, aaram se khaao. Pizza yahin hai." She said while laughing to which he put down the pizza slice which he was holding in his hand.

" Aaram se khaao ab." Nandini said with a smile as she fed him a bite from her slice making him grin. And soon within a couple of minutes they were done with the pizza and sat at the seating area beside the window sill.

" So Mr. Malhotra, meri neend kharab karke aapka sone ka koi vichaar hai?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

" Nope. Mera abhi filhaal aisa koi vichaar nahi hai." He said and enveloped her in his arms from back and kissed her cheek making her giggle silently.

" You know Manik, I love rains more than any other season. They're just so beautiful. It just rejuvenates every single thing. Tumne kabhi notice kiya hai baarish ke baad plants kitne beautiful lagte hain? Monsoons are something to be happy about. Baarish ki ek apni alag hi khoobsurati hoti hai. Log humesha complain karte hain floods ke baare mein, traffic ke baare mein but you know, Mumbai monsoons are to die for. And the best part, mitti ki khushboo. It's so soothing. I can literally spend my entire life watching the rain. The pluviophile in me is never satisfied. Pata hai jab mein choti thi naa, jabbhi Bangalore mein baarish hoti thi mein sabse pehle bahar bheegne jaati thi aur uske baad mujhe appa aur bhai se bohot daant pit ti thi. Pata agar kisi din baarish ho rahi ho aur mein tumhe kahin na milun naa, you'll find me at Marine Drive. Pata hai humari life bhi aisi hi hoti hai. Agar humari life mein sab kuch accha hoga toh humein lessons kaise milenge? Which is why, if sunshine is important, so is rain." Nandini completed while Manik kept looking at her intently, absorbing every word she'd said. Manik was born in a such an belonging that he never felt the urge to experience what rain feels like. He had always roamed around in chauffeur driven cars and even if it was raining, precautions were taken in such a way that not even a single drop of rain fell on him which is the reason why he never felt what it was like to get wet in the rain and jump in the muddy puddles. Nandini was right, for him rains were always the cause of endless traffic which bugged him. But she was changing him. Changing his perspectives, for good.

" I'm always gonna remember this." He said with a smile which she returned happily.

" Sojaayein ab? It's 3.30 AM." He said as he held her up in his arms, placed her on the bed and settled beside her to which she kept her head on his chest making him smile.

" You are very important to me, baby girl. I hope you know that." He said lovingly to which she placed a soft kiss on the fabric over his heart.

~•~

The next morning was a quiet one. The moment Nandini flickered her eyes, to adjust to the bright light peeking out from between the curtains, she turned a little towards the other side just to find it empty which immediately made her sit up with a jerk. She hopped down the bed and hastily wore her slippers just to look for him, just when she spotted a pink sticky note stuck on the side table ~

Didn't want to disturb your sleep, yet again and that's why I didn't wake you up. So before you start panicking, take a deep breath. I'm at home.
See you.<3

A pink sticky note out of five colours? She thought and chuckled audibly. She kept the note safe in the drawer and moved towards the mirror to tie her hair in a sloppy bun. It was almost 8.30 AM in the morning, which was quite late than her routine waking up time. Just when she was tying her hair, her phone rang ~ Peter calling, to which she instantly answered the call. But what he told her left her aghast.

" Peter, call the doctor. Right now. I'm on my way." She said pantingly as she moved towards the main door almost breathlessly.

She immediately sat in her car and vroomed away. And within a couple of minutes, her Audi entered the majestic gates of Malhotra Mansion, she asked one of the servants to park her car and ran inside the house just to be welcomed by Peter who gave her a curt nod to which she climbed up the stairs towards Manik's room, and entered with a dash just to see him in a state which she never expected. He was covered with a warm quilt with his eyes closed. While the doctor checked him. Peter had called up to inform her that Manik was suddenly having high fever which panicked her since he was perfectly alright the previous night. Raj and Nyonica had gone to Chandigarh to attend a relative's wedding. Nandini slowly moved towards Manik and sat beside him as she softly caressed her forehead, making him call out her name as a whisper. The doctor informed that he was suffering from viral due to the weather change, prescribed him some medicines and asked to take complete bed rest for some days. Just after the doctor left, Nandini asked one of the butlers to get ice water and a cloth. Just the mere thought of him being so unwell and helpless made her shiver. She slowly put the damp cloth on his forehead and kept doing that for an hour or so while Manik kept looking at her blank yet worried face with his droopy eyes.

" Manik chalo utho, kuch khaa lo. Fir medicine bhi khaani hai." She said and made him sit up right with the support of cushions. His temperature had come down a little but not completely.

" Nandini, theek hun mein. I promise mein tumhari saari baatein maanunga, but please don't worry. I will be okay, tum ho naa mera dhyaan rakhne ke liye." He said in a low voice making tears swim in her eyes and she tenderly kissed his forehead. Nandini made him eat khichdi while he chose to make bad faces at it. She kept the utensils on the side table and handed him the medicines ~

" Nandini, yeh khaani zaruri hai kya?" He said with a crying face to which she just glared at him.

" Chup chaap khaa lo. Ek toh aise bimaar padh jaao aur fir nakhre karo." She mumbled making him frown.

" Daant kyun rahi ho?" He said in his weak whiny voice making her melt.

" Manik, dawai nahi khaaoge toh theek kaise hoge? Chalo aaraam se khaalo." She said with a small smile as she caressed his hair to which he just nodded and gulped down the two tablets. She fetched a zipper jacket from his walk in closet and switched on the humidifier, since he was still feeling chilly.

" Nandini, please make me sleep. Sarr mein bohot dard ho raha hai." He whispered as he held his head to which she immediately sat on the bed beside him. She lightly pressed his forehead and placed a soft kiss on it.

" Manik, abhi pain killer khaya hai naa. Thoda time do, theek hojayega." She said as she kept pressing his head lightly to which he looked up at her and much to her shock, shifted his head and placed it on her chest making her gasp audibly. His head was firmly resting on her chest. She was goddamn sure that he could hear the wild beats of her heart.

" Abhi bhi bohot dard ho raha hai. Humesha you sleep on my chest, ab meri turn hai." He said in a low voice with his eyes still closed making her snap out of her shock, so which she ran her fingers through his hair.

" Sone ki koshish karo. Theek hojayega." She said and kept patting his head and within a couple of minutes he was fast asleep with his mouth open due to his blocked nose making her giggle. She with a little difficulty got out of his hold and made him sleep properly, careful enough not to break his slumber.

In between Nyonica called Manik on his phone and Nandini answered. After she told her about Manik being unwell, she was extremely worried but Nandini made her understand that he would be fine in no time. Nandini asked one of the servants to look over Manik as she had to go back home to freshen up and fetch her clothes since she was sure that she'd have to stay with Manik for a couple of days till the time he's not perfectly okay.

The day passed with Nandini dearly taking care of Manik, and Manik? Well, he was hell bent at showing his tantrums to her - be it food, cuddling or medicines. But as they say, we only show tantrums to the people who we care for. The next day started on a low note. Due to the medicines, Manik was in deep sleep while Nandini chose to keep a keen watch on his health all through the night. He didn't have fever anymore. It was just his cold and chest congestion which made him so lethargic. Nandini woke up early and made porridge with raisins for Manik. Even though he hated eating eating such bland food but all that mattered to him was her. She was taking care of him like a little baby. She was all his and he was extremely proud of that fact.

After Nandini was done making the porridge, she moved back to his room just to see his body snuggled into the comforter. The weather wasn't hot anymore. It had been raining continuously for hours which made the air chilly.

She settled beside him and ran her hand on her face, caressing it fondly. She ran her hand through his hair, brushing her fingers lightly on his forehead making him squirm a little in sleep.

" Hey baby." She whispered softly in his ear and kissed his stubbled cheek making him open his eyes.

" Nandini, you'll catch a cold too. Duur raho mujhse." He sniffed a little.

" You're worth catching a cold for. And it's not such a big deal." She smiled a little making him smile too.

" I never knew that I was a baby." He murmured lazily with a hint of mischievousness.

" Usse kam bhi nahi ho.. babyyyy." She teased him as she pulled his cheeks to which he made a bad face.

" Accha tum jaao, go have a long, warm bath. I've warmed up the water in the tub. Ab tumhe fever bhi nahi hai." She said as she got up from the bed and straightened the bed sheet.

" Nandini, meri tabiyat abhi bhi theek nahi hai. I think I'll need your help." He said with a fake sad face.

" Manik Malhotra, drama bandh karo and go and have your bath. You're stinking." She glared at him to hide her tinge of blush.

" Oh hello. I smell like a flower okay? Huh." He turned his face the other side puffing in fake anger.

" Yes. You do smell like a flower. A cauliflower." She said with a forced smile making Manik's face turn from happy to angry.

" Mujhe..mujhe tumse baat hi nahi karni hai." He said with a bad face, stomped his foot and walked into the bathroom. Yes guys. The Manik Malhotra just behaved like a five year old baby.

~•~

It was past lunch time and Manik was fast asleep with his head resting on Nandini's lap, while she kept brushing her fingers through them. Even though he still pretended to be upset and pissed with Nandini, he still lied down on her lap without giving her any explanations and slept making her laugh.

It was nearly 5 PM already, way past the lunch time and he was still sleeping. Even though Nandini's back was aching due to sitting in the same posture for hours, she sat still so that his sleep wasn't disturbed. She carefully lifted his head up and gently placed it on the pillow and placed a soft kiss on his forehead. She immediately moved towards the kitchen and made clear chicken soup with a loaf of bread for him since he had take his medicines.

" Manik, wake up." She lovingly whispered in his ear while she caressed his forehead making him move a little.

" Manik, medicines leni hai. Uth jaao." She patiently said with a smile.

" Nahi. Mujhe voh yucky medicines nahi khaani. Mein ab theek hun." He said grumpily and dug his face in the pillow.

" Accha agar tum an theek ho hi gaye ho, toh mein ghar vapas chali jaati hun." She said with her tongue in her cheek and as expected, he was wide awake.

" Nahiiii. Mein abhi bilkul bhi theek nahi hua hoon. Mujhe abhi bhi tumhaari zarurat hai apna dhyaan rakhne ke liye. See mujhe abhi bhi kitni weakness hai." He said and pretended to feel dizzy making Nandini chuckle at her man child. She gently placed a kiss on his cheek making him grin like a school boy.

" Dekho I got chicken soup for you." She said excitedly to which he made a bad face.

" Nandini, mujhe naa yeh ganda sa chicken soup nahi chahiye. Mujhe butter chicken aur fish cutlets khaane hain." He said excitedly which earned a death glare from her making him put his finger on his lips like a baby.

She forwarded the spoon towards his mouth to which he unwittingly opened and drank the soup. One spoon. Four spoons. Six spoons. And he was still drinking without even uttering a word which made Nandini smile.

" Bolo kya bolna hai." She said with a smile, while still feeding him the soup.

" Tum mujhe ye ganda sa soup pila rahi ho aur mein acche bacchon ki tarah kuch keh bhi nahi raha hoon. Toh in return I want something from you. Aur vo bhi abhi, issi waqt." He said stubbornly making Nandini's jaw drop.

" Kya chahiye?" She asked as she made me drink another spoon.

" Get well soon gift." He said with a grin.

" Manik, I'll go to the store tomorrow and get something for you. Okay?" She said patiently.

" Nahi. Mujhe abhi chahiye. Voh tum socho ki kya dena hai." He said stubbornly to which she made a helpless face. After about ten minutes, she finally came up with something as a get well soon gift for this kid.

" Toh Miss. Murthy, kya socha aapne?" He asked dramatically while she pressed her lips listening to Miss Murthy.

" So as a gift, I'm going to be your genie. And I'm giving you three wishes. Voh three wishes kuch bhi ho sakti hain. That you have to decide." She said with a smile while his eyes shined with utter happiness.

" Really? You're giving me three wishes?" He asked happily to which she just nodded her head while laughing a little as she continued feeding him the soup.

" Okay. Give me five minutes okay. Let me think." He said beamingly.

After about five to seven minutes, Nandini was done feeding him the entire, huge soup bowl. And the best part, since he was so busy in contemplating the three wishes that he didn't even realise how he ended up finishing all the soup without any tantrums.

" Okay I've chosen my three wishes." He said excitedly while rubbing his hands making Nandini laugh. He was actually behaving like a kid. Or rather, he was a kid, she thought and laughed a little.

" So the first wish. I want to spend an entire day with you. You know like a normal man, and not some famous personality who's surrounded by bodyguards and mobbed by fans everywhere. Mujhe sirf ek din chahiye aise, voh bhi tumhaare saath. Subah se leke shaam tak sirf tum aur mein. In short, a day like Nandini Murthy." He completed while Nandini listened to him intently.

" I promise. But this will be done only after your health is perfectly fine." She said with a beautiful smile to which he just mouthed a simple okay with a smile.

" The second wish. I want ki tum kisi ek din. Like subah se leke raat takk mere liye khaana banao. Not that I want you to stay in the kitchen the entire day, but what I mean is breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner made by only you. You know like, butter chicken, kadhai paneer, chicken biryaani, amritsari fish. Yummm." He slurped making her laugh heartily.

" Okay Manik. Next." She said while laughing. Even though she didn't know how to cook non vegetarian dishes at all. She still said yes, because of the kind of glow and the way his eyes sparkled when he was talking about his favourite food. And anything doing for him was worth it, she believed. Because there comes a time when someone walks into your life and all you want to do is make them smile for all your life.

" And the third one. It's a blank promise." He said with a smile.

" A blank promise? " she asked.

" Yes. A promise which you have to fulfil whenever I ask you, but at the right time." He explained to which she just simply nodded.

" Okay. All your three wishes are granted." She said with a grin making him pull her towards him, right in his arms ~ fitting in perfectly; like two puzzle pieces.

" I'm so blessed to have you in my life, baby girl. I know I've said this before but mein bohot galtiyan karta hun humesha, but please, never ever let me go." He whispered staring right through her hazel brown orbs.

" You're stuck with me forever, Manik Malhotra. And I have no intentions of letting you go. Not today, not ever." She whispered and kissed his temple lightly making him sigh in content. They stayed there, in the same position for a couple of minutes, she turned her head up a little just to see him resting his head on her head with a smile resting on his lips.

" Manik, what do you want to do now?" She asked.

" I don't know. But I don't want to sleep. I'm tired of sleeping." He whined.

" Okay. So you wanna play scrabble or puzzle? " she asked as she got out of his grip.

" Scrabble." He said in a moment to which she just smiled and got up from the bed and moved towards the cabinet to fetch it.

They started playing the game on a sober note, and by the time they reached the fourth game, they were all bonkers. Manik was creating all sorts of funny and non existing words which made her laugh and irritated at the same time. There were two games where Nandini purposely made Manik win, which made him behave like he had just won an oscar. They were on the last game and Manik wasn't even to find an appropriate word, taking it as a cue he flipped over the entire scrabble board making all the letters scatter on the floor to which Nandini made a super bad face.

[ Imagine Nandini in place of the actress here. Thanks! 🤓 Credits to ~ foureverxo ❤️ ]

" You are a cheater! Cheater, Cheater, cheater!" She yelled with an annoyed face making Manik laugh.

" Mujhe tumse baat nahi karni, akele khel lo scrabble." She said and turned her face away in annoyance, because well she was winning the game.😂

" Accha okay sorry. So let's take it this way. How about one game of puzzle? You have to make one half, I'll make the other. Whoever completes first, wins." He finished which finally caught her attention and she nodded in agreement.

Manik picked up the puzzle box from the bedside table and emptied all the pieces. He placed the picture in front and both of them started building up the puzzle. After about thirty minutes, Manik was almost done whereas Nandini had a lot to build up, which made Manik snicker. In between, both of them fought like some toddlers over the tiniest possible things. Just when the time was about to get up, Nandini swiftly kicked the puzzle board with her toe making it fly over them which resulted in Nandini rolling on the floor, laughing. Literally. While Manik say there with a poker face while a couple of pieces rested on top of his hair which made her laugh even harder.

" I cheat huh?" Manik said as he swiftly moved towards her side making her gulp.

" Manik, haven't you heard that everything is fair in love and war. Aur yeh toh game tha. Toh it's okay n.." before she could even complete, she was attacked with her fingers tickling the life out of her making her stomach ache with the laughter. After a couple of minutes he stopped, while Nandini fell on the bed straight trying to catch her breath while Manik fell beside, facing her.

" I hate you." She whispered, still breathing heavily.

" I know." He said with a grin and kissed her cheek lightly making shift a little and rest her head on his chest, listening to his melodious heartbeats. After a couple of moments of silence~

" Manik, ab kya karein? See, we can't go out since you're unwell. So tell me, what else?" She asked him while he thought a little.

" PS4" he screamed in excitement.

" Manik, voh tum kheloge. Mein kya karungi?" She asked with a frown.

" Tum mere saath khelogi. Simple." He shrugged.

" Do you realise that I don't know how to play this Fifa game of yours?" She said with a bad face.

" Ohhoo. Mein sikhaaunga naa. Tum tension matt lo." Manik said making her nod.

He attached the PS4 gaming console to the TV and plugged in the drive for Fifa'17, while Nandini sat patiently and observed his actions. He set up the controls and everything and taught Nandini the basics about the controls as to how the movement of a player is done and the funny part, she didn't understand. He started the game with Nandini's team being Brazil and Manik's team as Germany. While Manik was playing with full concentration, Nandini was absolutely clueless as to what to do. Manik wrapped his arm around her shoulder, while handling the remote control while Nandini chose to randomly fiddle with some buttons.

After a while of failed attempts, she hugged and kept the controller aside just to see him extremely busy as he was playing with the computer assigned opponent, with his geeky specs resting on his nose. She couldn't help but think how adorable he looked with those specs on. Those were his reading glasses which he wore only when he was at home. She giggled a little silently and softly poked his cheek with her finger, earning a no reply from him. Wow, she thought. She kept doing the same for a couple of times but the reaction was the same. She had to devise another way to get his attention from the idiot box. She sneakily moved close to him, while his arm was still resting around her. She softly placed her lips on his ear, making his body go stiff immediately. She kept placing soft, little, tiny kisses while his body was still in a statue posture. She could hear the beats of his heart, how erratically they pumped up and how his breaths got shallower with his eyes shut tight, taking away every ounce of his self control. He knew that he couldn't go fast with her. He respected her a lot. More than anyone could ever think. The last nail in the coffin was hammered, she slightly nipped his ear with her teeth and within a fraction of seconds, she was resting under his muscular frame, with his eyes darkened with passion making her gulp inaudibly.

" Two can play the game, sunshine." He whisper growled in her ear and placed a gentle kiss on her neck making her body shudder almost immediately. He kept dropping feather like kisses at the very same spot making her whisper moan his name in ecstasy in the form of a whisper with her eyes shut in the blooming pleasure and emotions.

" I wouldn't ever do anything without your permission. Ever. I hope you know that." He said while looking into her eyes to which she just mouthed I know with a smile and soothingly placed a light peck on his cheek.

" Manik, get up. The doctor is gonna come." She said.

" Doctor? Kyun?" He asked with a confused face.

" Blood sample lena hai tumhara just to check if everything is perfectly alright or not." As soon as she muttered these words, Manik jumped away from her and looked at her as if he'd just seen some ghost.

" Blood test? No fucking way. No. No. No. Ask that doctor to go away. Right now!" He almost screamed startling her for a second.

" Manik. Relax. It's just a blood test. Aur kuch nahi hai. Calm down." Nandini tried pacifying him.

" No way! Just..just send that doctor away." He frantically said making Nandini extremely worried.

" Manik, baitho yahan." She made him sit and handed him a glass of water.

" You're afraid of needles, aren't you?" She said while caressing his hair making him snap his head at her.

" Huh? No way. Scared and that too of needles. Not possible." He said not looking at her.

" Having a fear is not wrong. Har kisi ko kisi na kisi cheez se darr lagta hai and it's normal. There's nothing to be ashamed of." Nandini explained patiently to which he made a bad and almost scared face.

" I promise I'm with you. Blood test important hai naa." Nandini said and soon there was a knock on the door. His family doctor was here, which made him gulp audibly in fright.

After the doctor exchanged pleasantries and took out the equipment for the blood test, tying the rubber string tightly on his arm – Manik immediately started panicking which made Nandini scared too because of his behaviour .

" Manik. Shush. See, I'm here." Nandini said to which he slowly opened his eyes and looked at her. She softly placed a kissed on his forehead which was creased, both his eyes, his rough, stubbled cheeks, his long, pointy nose and lastly, his cute little chin to which Manik opened his eyes, expecting a kiss where he wanted, making Nandini suppress her laugh. He looked towards the other side, just to see the doctor packing his equipment back. He looked at his arm, and saw a tiny, round bandaid resting there, making his jaw drop in amusement. He didn't even feel the needle on his skin. How could it be possible? While Nandini just chose to giggle silently at his expense looking at his bewildered expressions. He knew she knew some magician, but today she proved it.

~•~

After a lot of bickering as to how Nandini fooled him to get the blood test done by distracting him cunningly and then how she forced him to eat the vegetable khichdi which he absolutely detested. Just to lighten his mood, Nandini unwillingly agreed to watch his favourite movie in the theatre room  ~ The Iron Man. Although she had watched the movie already with her brother, but it somehow didn't appeal to her. She was more of a romantic fan, action movies and stuff never connected with her well. And right now, just for Manik's sake because he had insisted her to. The first hour and a half was somehow tolerable for Nandini's case, while Manik chose to watch it keenly even after watching the same movie so many times. Only about 45 minutes of the movie were left and Nandini was thinking how to get through them, somehow. She looked towards her side just to see Manik still watching the movie with full concentration which made her sigh. But soon, her mischief bug popped up. She looked down at her lap, where the popcorn bucket rested - making her smirk inwardly. Time for some madness! She grabbed a handful of popcorn and immediately threw it on Manik, making him shocked, after seeing him unresponsive for a couple of seconds, she again threw popcorn on him making burst out in laughter after seeing his expressions while he stood up and moved towards her, making her quiet after which she started running around the room while still throwing some of the left over popcorn at him -

" Nandini, stop. Nahi toh.." he said as he kept running behind her.

" Nahi toh kya haan..Mr. Malhotra?" She giggled and kept dodging him. In between Manik somehow ended up snatching the bucket from her and emptied the left over contents on her head and kept the bucket on her head itself to which she made an annoyed face. She threw away the bucket and ran behind him. While running, after some time, Manik collapsed on the couch, panting heavily as he coughed a little making Nandini worried.

" Manik, shit. Are you alright? Yeh sab meri galti hai. Tumhari tabiyat vaise bhi theek nahi hai and I made you so tired. I'm sorry..I'm sorry." She kept blabbering making Manik roll his eyes.

" Nandini. Stop it! I'm perfectly alright. Kuch nahi hua hai mujhe. Calm down." He tried to make her understand but obviously, no avail.

" No Manik. It's not alright. Let's go to your room. You need rest." She said worriedly and held his hand. They walked out of the theatre room while Manik pretended to be weak, as he kept falling on Nandini time and again, while she held onto him firmly, taking proper precautions.

Just when Nandini turned around after closing the door, she was rewarded with something soft hitting her face. A PILLOW!! Manik Malhotra had just begun a pillow fight and there was no going back now.

" You idiot, tumhe pata hai mein kitna darr gayi thi. Aise koi karta hai kya? You moron!" She shouted and kept hitting him with the pillow she'd grabbed while Manik kept laughing.

" Accha baba relax. I had no intentions of worrying you." He said while laughing to which she stopped and breathed heavily.

" But you surely deserve this." And within a moment she was grabbed by her stomach and threw her backwards while Manik kept tickling the hell out of her while she kept attempting to hit him with the pillow kept beside, but failed.

The only thing that echoed in the room was their laughter and the thing that reflected on his face was the smile she had. And after a couple of minutes, then panted and fell flat on the bed, with Nandini's head resting on his chest and his arm around her, heaving up and down.

" Nandini Murthy, hear me loud and clear. You're forbidden to leave me. No matter what happens. You have to stick by me. Humesha." He said in an authoritative tone to which she just nodded with a glad smile adorning her face.

" Agar mein chahun, tabbhi yeh possible nahi hai. Always remember, this is forever, humesha." She replied with a smile and softly kissed both her cheeks making him grin wide.

~*~*~*~

But then I turned around and found you staring at me –
and darling I felt like walking in a field of billions of people – and for once I was never worried
about you, not noticing me.

______

Important : Okay so a lot of people asked me for a proposal/confession so all I'd say is that this is the "boyfriend-girlfriend" period for both Manik and Nandini, they're almost in love. So the proposal, which you're asking for is pretty far of. And all I can tell is that, the proposal is directly gonna be The Marriage Proposal and it's gonna be very hatke! 😉😌
Also, I'm not one of those writers who get some sorta sadistic pleasure in separating MaNan. Yes, their journey won't be all roses and ups, but thorns and downs too. But rest assured, I won't separate MaNan. At any cost.

Also, writing romance is my forte. I can't change that. I've said this before too, I'm not forcing you to read my story if you don't like my story.

So the next update is the 25th update! Yay! And the next update will be the first wish which Manik asked for ~ A day out like a normal person.

Enough of my nonsense.🙈

Thanks for reading! Do drop in your reviews.😘
~Vx.