Manik & Nandini arrived home and was greeted warmly by everyone. The boys took Manik to the study while the girls pulled Nandini into MaNan's room to ask about the honeymoon separately.

Manik's Study

"So? Kaisa raha?" Rehan wagged his eyebrows up and down.

"Kya?" Manik asked.

"Airplane ka khaana...abe idiot obviously honeymoon ke baat kar rahe hai na hum?" Abhi rolled his eyes.

"What are you teenage girls?" Manik asked. "Aur tujhe kya sharam nahi aati? Nandini behen hai teri...Abhi. Are you SURE tujhe jaana hai ki humara honeymoon kaisa tha? Cause main FULLLLL detail mein bata sakta hoon."

"NOOOO!" Abhi suddenly realized what it really meant. "Nevermind."

"Good...vaise I'm surprised tum dono puch rahe ho. Mujhe laga Cabir puchega." Manik looked at Cabir who was silent this whole time. He just shrugged as he promised Nandini he wouldnt let Manik know that he was the one who called.

MaNan's room

"Soooo? Kaisa tha tum dono ki honeymoon?" Riddhima asked Nandini who was blushing like crazy. "Haaye....dekho toh meri pyari behen ko....kitni sharma rahi hai!"

"Riddhs!" Nandini was embarrassed.

"Acha yeh batao...tum dono ne ache se time spend kiya na ek dusre ke saath?" Meera asked.

"Ji bhabhi." 

"Aur...tum hum dono ko mami kab banane wali ho?" Mukti asked. Nandini's eyes widened.

"Kya...main...main woh..aap...main."

"Hahaha! Im joking! Im joking!" Mukti laughed. "Relax!"

After the Dhawans left, Nandini was unpacking her suitcase when she heard some voices from nearby. "Yeh toh Riddhs ki awaaz hai...woh abhi tak ghar nahi gayi?"

Nandini left her room and followed the voices to Rehan's room. There she found Riddhima giggling and Rehan had her pinned against the wall.

"Rehan...koi dekh lega." Riddhima whispered.

"Toh dekh lene do na? Main kisi ne nahi darta." Rehan had his face just inches away from Riddhima's ready to kiss her. 

"Ahem..." Nandini cleared her throat letting them know she was there.

"Bhabhi!" Rehan jumped to the other side of the room. "Woh...hum....main...iske ankhon mein kuch chala gaya tha!"

Riddhima gave him a 'Are you serious?' look while Nandini started laughing.

"Haan haan nice try par main sab sun liya!" Nandini said. "Ab batao...yeh, secret romance kabse chal raha hai?"

"Bas....teen mahina." Riddhima said.

"Hmm...aur kisi ko nahi paata? Manik ko bi nahi?" Nandini asked Rehan.

"Main...batana chahta tha Manik ko par...we werent sure." Rehan replied.

"Matlab?"

"Matlab...meri shaadi toh Dhruvji ke saath hone wala tha na aur ab main aur Rehan..." 

"Riddhs....Dhruv mar chuka hai...and after what he did, koi tumse kuch nahi kahega if you move on. Aur Rehan bhi toh isi family ka hissa hai...Im sure sab bohot khush honge." Nandini assured her. "In fact tum dono mere saath chalo...right now."

"Nandini..."

Nandini grabbed Rehan & Riddhima's hands and pulled them downstairs. She then called teh Dhawans over and waited fro everyone to arrive.

"Kya hua bacha?" Nyonika asked. "Kuch bolna tha tujhe?"

"Haan...tune hum sabko kyun bulaya?" Harsh asked

Nandini looked at Riddhima & Rehan who knew they should tell the families now so they nodded. Nandini then told both families about them and just as she thought, everyone was happy and accepting of them.

"Itni badi baat tum dono ne pehle kyun nahi bataya?" Nyonika asked.

"Aunty...woh...we werent sure aap log kaise react karte...kyun Dhruv-"

"Pagal hai kya tu?" Manik scolded him. "Dhruv ne kya kiya yeh hum sab jaante hai....you have always been more of a brother to me than he ever was. Hum tum logon ke dushman thodi na hai...we want your happiness."

"Haan...aur hum bohot khush hai tum dono ke liye." Raj hugged the couple. One by one everyone hugged Rehan & Riddhima.

3 Weeks Later...

It was the morning of Karwa Chauth. Nandini woke up early and went down where Vasudha, Nyonika & Sakshi was already there.

"Yeh lo Nandini...tumhari sargi." Nyonika handed a plate Nandini. Everyone sat down to eat when a hand reached out and picked fruit from Nandini's plate. Nandini turned and was surprised to see Manik eating.

"Manik? Tum yahan?" Nandini asked.

"Haan...woh kya hai na. I did my research about this karwa Chauth and all....and maine ke faisla liya hai." Manik replied.

"Kya faisla?" Sakshi asked.

"Yehi ki...vrat main bhi rakhunga." Manik said. The women all stared at Manik as tehir mouths dropped to the floor.

"Tum...vrat rakhoge? Par Manik...yeh vrat patni apni pati ki lambhi umar ke liye rakhte hai..." Nandini explained.

"I know that." Manik said. "Aur yeh pati apni LAMBHI umar ke harr ek pal apni patni ke saath spend karna chahta hai...toh uska intezam karna parega na?"

Nandini's eyes brimmed with tears as she looked at Manik with love.

"Awww!" Nyonika & Sakshi adored the couple.

"Haaye...nazar na lage mere bachon ko." Vasudha smiled.

"Maa...burra mat maniye par aapke beton ko na kuch sikhna chhaiye mere bete se." Nyonika complained to Vasudha. 

"Haan...itne saalon mein ek baar bhi vrat nahi rakha unn dono ne humare liye." Sakshi agreed.

"Sirf mere beton ko nahi...mere pati ko bhi kuch sikhna chahiye Manik se." Vasudha added. 

"Manik...tumhare romantic hubby banne ke chakkar mein bakki saare husbands ki band bajne wale hai." Nandini whispered to Manik.

"Acha vaise...Manik. Main bohot bohot khush hoon ki tum meri beti ke liye vrat rakh rahe ho...lekin uske plate se khaana nahi chalega." Nyonika said.

"Kyun? Aap hi toh kehte ho ki ek plate se khaane se pyar baarta hai." Manik said.

"Woh normally...lekin yeh vrat se pehle ka sargi ha. Iske baad pura din bhooka rehna parega...meri beti ka sargi uske liye kam par gaya toh? Tu rukh...main laati hoon tere liye kuch." Nyonika went to the kitchen.

"Yaar kabhi kabhi lagta hai Mom mujhse zyada tumse pyar karti hai." Manik whispered.

"Haan karti hai...any problem?" Nandini grinned. Manik looked at her and shook his head.

"Bilkul nahi...tum toh ho hi aise. Sabse zyada pyari." Manik leaned in and softly kissed her cheek.

"Ahem..beta shayad tum bhool gaye ho lekin tumhari Dadi aur Chachi abhi bhi yahi baithe hai." Sakshi teased them. Manik just smirked as Nandini got embarrassed and buried her head in Manik's shirt.

After that, everyone ate the sargi and went on with their day. That evening, the Dhawans arrived at Malhotra mansion to break their fasts together.

Mukti, Meera & Riddhima walked over to Nandini.

"Riddhs...tu bhi vrat rakh rahi hai na?" Nandini asked.

"Haan....paata nahi maine khud ko pure din kaise sambhala. Im so hungry!" Riddhima sighed. "Oh vaise...just a heads up, Cabir bhai and Abhi bhai are both angry with Manik bhai."

"Kyun?"

"Kyunki...aaj Rehan ne Cabir aur Abhi ko call karke bataya ki huamara Manik apni biwi ke liye vrat rakh raha hai." Meera told her. "Aur obviously main aur bhabhi toh naraz ho gaye apne patiyon se...matlab Manik unn dono ka hi dost hai par Cabir kabhi yeh nahi kar sakta."

Meanwhile the boys were glaring at Manik.

"Guys...aise kyun dekh rahe ho? Maine kya kiya?" Manik asked.

"Tune hum saare patiyon ki vaat laga dali hai." Cabir replied. "Ab har baat pe tera example diya jayega. Ke Manik jaisa pati bano...etc etc."

"You know about the vrat?" Manik asked. He narrowed his eyes at Rehan who looked away. "Whatever...ab tum logon ko utna pyar nahi hai apne apne patniyon se toh isme main kya karun?"

Finally it was time to break the fast as the moon was up. After doing the pooja, all the women held up the chalni and looked at the moon through it before turning to their husbands and their husbands fed them water to break the fast. Nandini held up the chalni and turned to look at Manik....suddenly she felt weak and dizzy. Everything blurred infront of her and she swayed in her spot.

"Nandini!" Manik grabbed her by her waist before Nandini could fall. "Jaan....Nandini ankhen kholo."

"Nandini!" Everyone got concerned and ran to her. 

"Manik...Paani pila isse." Raj said. Manik nodded and gently made Nandini drink the water. Slowly she woke up. "Nandini beta...tum thik ho?"

"Mm....kya hua?" Nandini asked.

"You fainted...tum pakka thik ho na Nandini?" Manik asked.

"Chinta mat kar. Pehli baar vrat rakhi hai na..shayad iss liye." Vasudha assured everyone. 

"Tum kuch khaa lo ok?" Manik stood up to get some food when Nandini stopped him.

"Khaa lungi...pehle tum toh vrat khol lo." Nandini then fed Manik the water.

After Manik left to get food, Riddhima walked over to Nandini who looked concerned.

"Kya hua Nandini?"

"Mujhe aise chakkar kyun aa gaya?"

"Dadi ne bola na...vrat ki vajah se. Tension mat lo." 

"Nahi...mujhe nahi lagta yeh vrat ke vajah se hai. I mean..main Manik ke samne kuch bola nahi kyunki mujhe usse pareshan nahi karna hai par....maine toh bohot baar bhooka rahi hoon...kabhi kisi puja ke liye toh kabhi kyunki woh Guptas mujhe khaana nahi dete they...aaj tak mujhe aisa kuch nahi hua." Nandini told her.

"Phir?"

"Paata nahi...shayad mein kuch zyada hi soch rahi hoon. Tum kisiko kuch bolna mat ok?"

"Haan baba...nahi bolungi." Riddhima nodded. Manik then came back with food and they fed each other. Everyone else also started eating.

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Thoughts?

What did you think of romantic hubby Manik Malhotra?

What do you think happened to Nandini?