Nandini lunged to hit Aliya again when Manik grabbed her from her waist and pulled her back.

"Ooh jhansi ki rani...bohot ho gaya. Agar yeh marr varr gayi toh tumhe jail ho jayegi." Manik said.

"Haan Manik sahi bol raha hai beta. Tum apne haath gande mat karo....isse toh police handle karega." Raj threw a disgusted look towards Aliya.

"Aur police ko maine kabse bulake rakhe hai! Bechare bahar wait kar kar ke bore ho gaye honge." Cabir joked. "Inspector!"

A few police officers entered with Dhruv in handcuffs. Aliya saw this and was shocked to see that it wasnt the inspectors she knew. "Dhruv..."

"Yeh janab gun ko hide karne ke baad ek dhabhe mein coffee peene ke liye rukha tha, tabhi Inspector saab ne pakar liya tha." Cabir explained.

"YOU IDIOT! Maine bola tha seedhe safe house chali jaana....coffee peene ke liye kyun rukhe?Tum agar nahi pakre jaate toh meri madat kar sakte they! Ab kya hoga mera?" Aliya sobbed.

"Aliya....main bhi arrest ho gaya hoon, tumhari madat karne ke chakkar mein. Mujhe na toh Manik ke paison se koi matlab tha aur naa hi Nandini se....maine jo kuch bhi kiya sirf tumhare liye. And now Im suffering for it."

"Like I care!" Aliya scoffed. As these two argued, the police started taking them away. "Leave me! Nandini....this is not the end! Dad mujhe yahan se nikal ke rahega! Just you wait!"

"Aliya tumhara Dad kuch nahi kar sakta...kyunki jin inspectors ko tumne khareed liya tha, unke khilaf saare saboot maine comissioner ko diya hai. Aur iss vaqt tumhare Dad bhi police wale ko rishwat dene ke jurm mein arrest ho rahe hai." *Not sure how the law in india works or what exactly Aliya's Dad would be arrested for but just making it up.

"No...no..." Aliya & Dhruv where then taken away.

"Shukr hai bhagwan ka...sab thik ho gaya." Aarti closed her eyes and thanked god. 

"Haan sab toh thik ho gaya lekin Nandini...itna sab ho gaya, tumne bataya bhi nahi?" Nyonika glared at Nandini.

"Ma woh...main.."

"Kya main woh? Itna sab tumne akele kyun kiya? Kuch agar ho jaata toh?"

"Arre par Nandu akele kahan thi?" Cabir looked offended. "Main bhi toh tha na?"

SMACK!

"AAH!" Cabir rubbed the back of his head and looked to his wife. "Navya yaar...yeh kyun kiya?"

"Tum dono ne ko kaand kiya na uske liye. Sahi toh bol rahi hai Nyonika aunty...kuch agar ho jaata Nandu ko toh? Goli maari thi Aliya ne!" Navya said. 

"Lekin maine bullet proof vest pehne hua tha...kuch nahi hota." Nandini replied.

"Uska kya guarantee hai? By chance agar kuch ho jaata tha? Cabir toh door se video nikal raha tha...what could he have done?" Manik asked angrily. 

"Lekin Manik-"

"Shut up Cabir! Tum dono bhai behen ka na kuch nahi ho sakta!" Manik stormed up to his room.

"Nandini puttar.." Aarti smiled to her. "Jaa, apni pati ko manna le."

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

 Nandini entered their room to see Manik busy on the laptop, she held in a laugh as she saw how hard Manik was typing.

"Manik...itne zor se type karoge toh toot jayega laptop!" Nandini joked. Manik looked up and glared at her. "Manik....Im sorry na. Lekin main kya karti? I mean agar main bol deti toh kya tum vishwas karte?"

Manik's face softened as he knew she was right. 

"Maine aur bhai ne socha tha jitne kam logon ko paata hai, utna acha hai....that way Aliya ko shaq nahi hoga." Nandini explained. She then held her ears and pouted cutely. "SOWWY!"

"Ok stop." Manik smiled. "Itna cutely sorry bologi toh naraz kaise rahunga main?"

"Toh mat raho na." Nandini replied. Manik leaned froward and kissed her forehead.

"Im so sorry Nandini. Yeh sab mere vajah se hua...agar mujhe mein thoda sa bhi akal hota toh Aliya ki sachai main bohot pehle dekh chukka hota." Manik apologized. "But now...everything is over. Ab sab perfect hoga."

"Not yet Manik...sab perfect tab hoga jab tumhe pichle janam ka sab kuch yaad aa jaye. Now that Aliya is gone, next mission yahi hai. Mission Paras ki yaadien." Nandini thought to herself.

Later that night when everyone was asleep, Manik got up and went downstairs. He waited for a few minutes until his parents & Dadi came.

"Manik...kya hua? Itni raat ko tune hume msg karke kyun bulaya?" Raj asked.

'Mom...Dad...Dadi. Mujhe bohot zaroori baat kari hai aapse" Manik said.

"Haan bol puttar." Aarti said.

"Mom...aap Nandini ko apni beti manti hai na?"

"Of course...woh hai meri beti. Jaise Ananya aur Shruti hai, vaise hi mere liye Nandini hai." Nyonika answered.

"Aur mere liye bhi." Raj added. Nyonika looked at her husband with a proud smile. "How can I not make her my daughter? Usne jo bhi kiya....woh sab toh sirf ek beti hi kar sakti hai. Main hi bohot bada wala bewakoof tha jo pehle nahi dekh paya uski achai."

Manik smiled happily. "Perfect then...mujhe aap dono se ek permission chahiye. Cabir ne bataya Nandini ki family ke baare mein and I dont want them to come back in her life toh isi liye main aap dono se puch raha hoon."

"Kya? Raj asked.

"Woh......"

*NOT TELLING YOU GUYS!!! You'll find out soon.😜😜😜*

Next Morning

Nandini woke up the next morning and for a change didnt see Manik sprawled across the bed. Confused, she was about to get out of bed when Manik entered the room with a tray of food.

"Good morning Gorgeous." Manik placed the tray infront of Nandini while she stared at him with her mouth wide open. She reached for Manik's face and placed the back of her hand on his forehead. "Kya kar rahe ho Nandini."

"Nahi woh...itna pyaar aa raha hai na tumhe, toh check kar rahi hoon...tabiyat toh thik hai na?"

"Very funny...apni biwi ko pamper karna kya bohot koi bohot badi baat hai?" Manik asked.

"Jab pati tumhare jaisa ho toh haan." Nandini replied immediately. 

Manik looked offended and placed a hand on his heart. "Ouch..."

"Im joking...par seriously. Tum itne jaldi kaise uth gaye?" Nandini laughed.

"Aise hi...woh aaj main pura din busy hone wala hoon, toh socha ki jaane se pehle kuch romantic sa karke jaun." Manik said.

"Pura din? Aisa kya karne wale ho?"

"Bohot kaam hai Nandini.." Manik looked at his watch."Actually, I should get going. Tum ek kaam karo...pura din tumhe jo karna hai woh karo, lekin raat ko ache se tayyar rehna...hum dono date pe jayenge."

"Date pe?" Nandini asked happily.

"Haan date, jab ek ladka aur ek ladk ek dusre ke saath time spend-"

"Manik...I know what a date is! Kahan jaa rahe hai?"

"Surprise hai..." Manik winked and then left her.

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

"Wow...date and all huh?" Cabir teased his sister. 

"Bhai!" Nandini blushed. "Vaise...Navya, main kya pehen ke jaaun?"

Navya stood up excited. "Main abhi dekhti hoon!"

"She looks for excited than you." Cabir laughed as Navya ran over to Nandini's closet and started looking through.

"On a serious note bhai...main soch rahi thi ki Manik ki purani yaadien vapas kaise laya jaaye." Nandini said. "I mean pehle usse flashes aate they...ab toh kuch vaqt se woh bhi nahi aa rahe hai."

"Tujhe na...usse kisi bahane se Pragpur leke jaana chahiye. Humara purana gaon...haveli, sab dekhega toh shayad uski yaadasht vapas aa jaye. After all tum dono ki pyaar ki kahani toh wahi shuru hua tha na." Cabir suggested.

"Haan bhai..lekin koi humme pehchanega toh nahi na? What about Veerji...I mean Rudra and Saabji?"

"Honestly, main toh chahta hoon ke Rudra aur Saabji wahan ho." Cabir looked angry. "Unn dono ko apne kiye ki sazza milna chahiye but.... last I heard, humari haveli aur Saabji ki haveli dono hotels bann chukke hai, so Rudra shayad chala gaya hoga aur rahi baat Saabji ki toh woh uss vaqt koi bohot jawan nahi tha. Who knows if he is even still alive?"

"Then I guess...Manik ko sab yaad dilane ke liye hume Pragpur hi jaana chahiye. Sochna parega kaise le jaungi Manik ko wahan." Nandini replied.

-----------------------------------------

Note: So now that Aliya is gone, Manik's memory will be back soon & I will def bring back Saabji & Rudra. What do you think of this chapter? What do you think Manik said to his parents?