After 8 years

"Congratulations Miss Murthy aaj apki commencement ceremony hai. You passed medical school with flying colors. Doubt toh mujhe aap par kabhi nahi tha par aap itna aacha karengi woh nahi pata hai. You completed your medical school with flying colors. Miss Murthy it's been 8 years now aab wapas aane ka plan hai bhi yaa nahi?"

(Here in the US you have to complete your bachelor's degree; pass MCAT and finally get into medical school. So, it takes 8 years min to get through schooling)

Naa aap social media pe ho, nah hi apki pictures kahi upload hoti aise bhi koi punish karta hai? I know you've been focusing hard on your career iss liye social media pe nahi ho par apne purane instagram se block kyu kiya? At least jab maan karta tha tab tumhe DM toh kar sakta tha. Sirf mujhe hi nahi yaha sabko block kiya, wapas aao aur dekhna Navya tumhara kya haal karti hai.

Aryaman se last week baat hui thi. We are not friends - friends but we are cordial to each other. Usse bhi jyada pareshan nahi kar sakta woh bhi toh doctor ban raha hai. I hate to see him that close to you but at least woh toh hai, jo waha tumhara khayal rakhta hai. I know you guys are not the same as before but I am glad you are at least friends now. We all have grown up now aab purani batein sochkar modd kyu kharab karna. Silly Aryaman didn't even send me a good picture of you jab bhi I asked for a picture he sent me pictures of your side view, or your back or when you are engrossed in your thick books. Normal pictures hi nahi bheji tumhari. You know I have been dying to you see .... Kya tum bhi mere bare mein utna hi sochti ho jitna mein sochta hu? Kya tum bhi mujhse milne k liye uti hi bechain ho jitna mein hu? I'll be lying if I say I am not scared to meet you. In these 8 years, I have built a world for us through my eyes, what if you don't see the same way. What if you have moved on? What if tumhe waha koi doctor mil gaya? No, No, I can't be thinking like this! It is and will always be Manik and Nandini (MANAN).

See you said let's focus on our careers and let's see if we are meant to be. Last 8 years have been difficult but I know it has been the worst for you. Mere pass at least hamare friends toh the, tum waha akeli thi. Aab jab wapas aaogi nah jane nahi dunga. Aaur aab tumhari baat bhi sununga. Hamesha khud ki karni hori hai.

"Oie Manik, apka ho gaya ho toh meeting ka time ho gaya hai"

Cabir knocks on Manik's closed office door

M: Aa raha hu Cabir!

Manik turn back to Nandini's frame

"Yeah tumhara bhai hamesha disturb karta hai. Chalo talk to you later bye"

Manik kisses Nandini's photo frame

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In the meeting room

Manik walks in the conference room and smiles looking at his friends and few other board members

M: Good morning team

"Good morning Manik/Sir"

M: Let's start!

After good 30 minutes

M: Thank you Navya for the budget overview for our next year. I want the department managers to go over their department budget and get back to me by the end of the week. If they want to add or make any changes this is the time.

Mukti where are we with an annual merit increase for the employees?

Mu: Manik, the merit increase was approved and has been sent to the payroll department. It will be effective March 5th and employees will see the increase on their 17th paycheck (we get paid biweekly here)

M: Great! Cabir where are we with stock bonus distribution?

C: Manik here is the list of the managers who are eligible for this benefit. It will also be effective March 5th.

M: After the 4 blockers review we only got 2 employees who were HiPo's (High Potential High Performers). What are we thinking for those two employees?

Sunil: Mr. Malhotra those 2 employees are not managers so they don't qualify to get a stock bonus option and they are getting their merit increase. What else do we need to do?

M: Mr. Sharma, those two employees are the future of Malhotra industries. They do have the potential to be you and I in the future. So, we should invest in them early on; our people are our biggest asset and like I have said before Malhotra Industries doesn't run the way it used to before. So, team, any suggestions?

D: Manik, for short term incentive we can give them one time stock bonus option but if you believe they have the potential to be "US" in the future than I think it should be more of a long term program?

Mu: You mean a mentoring program?

C: A rotational mentoring program where they'll report to each department leader for 6 months (Accounts, Finance, HR, Marketing, Production and IT) and at the end of the program they can decide which area of expertise they want to pursue. To be a leader you need to learn how every department runs.

M: 100% agreed! Navya scheduled a meeting with all the department heads next week and we can introduce the program. In the meantime, can you do a little research on the structure of the program and KPI's

Nav: On it!

M: Anything else team?

C with a smirk: Manik in between all this are you forgetting the welcome party that you need to plan?

Manik gave him a glare

Sunil: Mr. Malhotra I am not aware of any welcome party? Are we organizing an event? Is anyone important coming?

M: Nothing Mr. Sharma, my sister Jaan is coming after completing her bachelors bas ussi ki welcome party

C: Oh so it's for your SISTER!

M smiles: Yes, Cabir, it's for YOUR SISTER! Thank you everyone for your time and have a great rest of your day.

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At night in the Malhotra mansion

Mukti hit Cabir with a pillow

C: Arey maar kyu rahi hai?

Mu: Cabir meine tujhe kitni baar bola hai matt chidaya kar Manik ko. Meri baat sunta kyu nahi hai

C: Arey Nandini k naame se hi toh chida raha tha?

Mu: But what if Nandini aab Manik ke bare mein waisa feel nahi karti toh?

C: C'mon yaar Mukti its Nandini! Nandini and Manik 

Mu: But it's been bloody 8 years aur in 8 years mein she didn't tried to contact him AT ALL! Ek baar bhi nahi aur hum sab ko bhi ek baar contact nahi kiya

A: Actually Mukti is right is Cabir. So much have changed in last 8 years. We are no longer 19 anymore. Manik is not the same anymore. After Nyonika aunt went to jail he started Malhotra industries from scratch. We have seen those days and those struggles. Those were not easy for him, the time when he needed her the most she wasn't there 

 Mu: That's what I am scared of guys. What if she have moved one and here Manik is stuck on her

"Kisne kaha I am stuck"

They turn to see Manik standing their with folded arms 

Mu: Manik woh....

M: Kya yaar Mukti you are talking as if mein ek hath mein whiskey aur ek hath mein cigarette lekar ghumta hu like devdas. I am living my like just the way I want to

Mu: Toh tujhe Nandini se koi expectation nahi hai  ....

M: Nope!!!!

Mu: You have moved on?

M: We all have moved on meri mumma. Bhool gai last 8 years mein tune kitne boyfriends change kiye hai

Mu: Shut up Manik it's not about me it's about you! See, mera breakup ho gaya, Alia and Druv broke up only Navya and Cabir are still together

C: I wonder how?

M: All credit goes to Navya man! Wahi hai jo tujhe sambhal sakti hai

Mukti holds Manik's hands: Manik mein bas itna khe rahi hu ki 8 years bhaut hotey people change people grow. Meine bhi toh yahi socha tha Abhi will be my forever but chala gaya nah chodkar and trust me it hurts it hurts like bitch 

M: Kya senti senti batein le kar bhet gaye ho. Yeh sab chodo aur koi Alia se uske date ke barein mein puch kyu nahi raha

Everyone turned to Alia 

A: It went well I guess!

Nav: What you mean "I guess"

A: Navya this is the first date I went to after we broke ..... I mean it's kind of different dating when you are 19 v/s when you are 27 

D: Guys mein dinner dekh kar aata hu 

Druv left from there

A: Mein change karke aati hu

Alia left too

Mu: College mein kabhi socha nahi tha Alia and Druv will break up

Nav: But see how maturely they handled it Fab5 ko tutne nahi diya

M: If they are meant to be they will find their way back to each other