I am lazy to the point where I can no longer convince myself to edit and post the chapter even if I have the draft ready. But okay, I am trying.

And so are my babies, so please be kind to them.. 🥹♥️✨

Inline comments or comments in general are very much welcomed and appreciated. ✨

Also, if anyone is interested in getting their short story or poetry (both Hindi and English) published in an anthology, please let me know.

Enjoy Reading!

Expensive lights hung around the place with white and pink flowers gracing the wedding hall. There were chit chatters of people, all busy in conversations. Some included business, in hopes of forming new connections, some held compliments of the expensive decorations while few had their own complaints over the arrangements.

Manik let out a tired sigh as he buttoned his blazer, walking inside the hall and trying to look for some known faces in the crowd.

He had his phone pressed against his ear and if his mother intended to eat his ear off from the other end, he certainly did not care, or atleast pretended not to.

"Maa. Please," He muttered, cutting her in mid as she told him about another good proposal,"I am not interested in marriage. I do not wish to marry anyone."

Niyonika fell silent for a moment, trying to come up with the right words to say," Your engagement is broken, Manik." She reminded him, with little to no remorse in her voice. Manik wondered if his mother even cared of the feelings he held in his heart," For how long are you going to stay like this? Nandini is not there anymore, bacha. You should move on too."

His face hardened at the mention, and he let out an another sigh, irritated now,"Please, Maa. I am busy. It is Arya and Aliya's wedding, atleast let me enjoy today."

Manik knew he was being rude but he was done being considerate. He did not wait for her to reply as he put his phone back in his pocket. He wanted to pull out his own hair, scream and storm out of there but only if he could do so.

"Manik!" He stopped abruptly, looking up and eyes falling on Abhimanyu who was standing by the food stall. Manik rolled his eyes at his foodie friend as he walked to him.

"Hey!" He exclaimed, trying his best to pull a wide smile even if he failed miserably and Abhimanyu looked at him as if he was a lost case. Not that it was a lie.

"Manik," He complained,"you are late."

Manik chuckled,"Why? Did you miss me?"

"No shit, it is your bestfriend's wedding! How can you be late?"

"Yeah Yeah, I apologise." He definitely did not sound sorry."Where is Aryaman?"

"Upstairs, in his room."

"And why are you here and not with him?"

"Because he is nervous, and very much hungry so I am getting him food."

Manik nodded. The conversation now boring him, and he looked around to stare at some of the other familiar faces. He remained silent all the time while Abhimanyu asked one of the server to take the food to the groom's room.

"Manik -"

He stopped, seeing Manik's gaze roaming around the hall. Abhimanyu waited as he asked,"Where are the girls?"

For a moment, Abhimanyu said nothing. He did however, when Manik turned to face him at his silence,"She is here."

Manik stilled for a moment, unable to breath. He glared at Abhimanyu even when it was the only answer he wanted to hear, he needed to hear. Nothing less, nothing more.

Nandini was here. Manik did not expect her to be. But again, Murty's and Khurana's were business partners. Manik remembered the surprise on Aryaman's face four months back when he had signed his first deal with them after his takeover on the business.

Getting invited to parties or important occasions was a common occurrence for Murty's. Mr.Mahesh Murty was indeed a respectable businessman. That was the reason Manik had expected to see her last month, during Aryaman and Aliya's sudden engagement party only to be left disappointed for Nandini hadn't came. Mr.Murty and Ananya did. Manik avoided them both like he would catch a disease if he even came across them.

He shouldn't have, he was aware. Manik had been ignoring them ever since that night. He couldn't face her father, let alone her sister. Either it was the shame of how his family has taken thecontroversy or the anger that the elder man had let Nandini leave to London that stopped Manik from talking to him again.

Whatever it was, Manik was so angry.

"Manik. You can't possibly be thinking of her. Are you?"

"Yes." Manik sounded unapologetic."I think of her all the time, Abhi. That's all I have been allowed to do in the past six months."

Abhimanyu shook his head in dismay, disagreing with his bestfriend,"You know that's not true buddy. Uncle and Aunty only want your happiness and if Nandini herself wants to back out, why are you running behind her?"

"I am not." Manik let out a sigh, eyeing his left hand, and his ring finger where his engagement ring still sat, shining and pretty. Manik said the next words even when he didn't believe them himself,"I won't run behind her, not this time."

He sounded determined, but Abhimanyu knew him better, enough to know something was going in his mind. He only hoped whatever it was, it would bring his friend happiness, nothing else.

Nandini regretted coming here. She should have never said yes when her father asked her if she wanted to go. Only if Aliya had not called her personally, asking her to come, Nandini would not have.

It was the only thought in her mind as she entered the hall and walked in Aliya's room where a number of people were present; Aliya's mother, Mukti and some of her other cousins along with the makeup team.

Nandini did not expect a warm welcome on reaching there. However, Aliya and Mukti beamed at her in happiness. They asked her how she was doing, nothing including Manik. Aliya's mother, Mrs.Saxena was all awe on how beautiful she looked. The old woman who herself was so pretty but put a teeka behind her and Ruhi's ear stating no evil eye shall follow them both.

Ruhi soon stole the limelight from her owning to her cuteness so now Nandini just simply sat there talking occasionally while keeping an eye on her daughter who wouldn't sit at one place. Ruhi liked every shining thing and she wanted to touch each of them. She clicked pictures with all the girls who tried to and gave them a sweet smile.

"Awe, Ruhi has grown up." Mukti walked to them and sat beside Aliya, assigning the makeup girl to lighten the foundation shade.

"Nandini, I can't believe you skipped my engagement!" Aliya complained all of the sudden with a pout."I was really looking forward to meet you and Ruhi."

"I - I was busy." An excuse. A pathetic one. Nandini knew Aliya was aware of it too, and so was Mukti. She waited for them to point it out, reprimand her for leaving their friend but it never came. Infact, Mukti gladly changed the topic, talking about how difficult it was to find the right decorators or how hectic this wedding was, lowkey adding how she and Abhimanyu were going to settle for a court one.

Aliya joked stating how Abhimanyu would never agree making them laugh.

"Why?" Nandini ended up asking before she could hold herself back,"Is court marriage that bad?"

"It is not," Mukti replied,"But Abhi had always wanted a big fat Punjabi wedding. So we agreed on the same, with arrangements being of my choice."

"Oh."

"Yes, the way me and Arya did." Aliya intervened and she didn't not realise for a moment as she spoke further,"these three bestfriends planned it from the very start."

"Oh please! Manik is the worst! He wanted to invite the whole batch back in college, Abhi told me -"

Mukti stopped abruptly when Aliya nudged her and gestured to Nandini who had fallen silent. Awkward silence took place and Nandini cursed herself in her mind for it. No matter how much she tried to run away, every door opened up to Manik. Everything eventually came back to him as if it was how it was meant to be.

Everytime in the past six months when her fears chased her, nightmares haunted her, Manik was the only place she ever wanted to run to.

Maybe it was an another pathetic reason why Nandini was here today, despite knowing she shouldn't be. To see him, even if from far. To catch his smile, or just a glimpse of his face. Anything, anything that would keep her sane even if only for a little long.

"Nandini, I am sorry."

Nandini shook her head,"How's he- Manik?" She stuttered, hesitant. Did she even have the right to ask anymore?

"He is sad." Mukti said and Nandini failed to notice how Aliya nudged Mukti as she continued,"But he is trying to move on."

Fuck.

It was supposed to make her happy. Nandini should be happy. Right? Manik was moving on, he was trying to move on from her. She should be happy.

Yet, the engagement ring locked in a chain around her neck said otherwise.

Nandini could not sit and pretend she did not care. Pretend, that she was okay with him moving on. As if it was not her who left him behind first.

"I- I will just come."

Another hour later and Nandini found herself meeting people. Ruhi was tired of walking so Nandini had no other option but to leave her with her dear Nanu. She could not walk ten steps without being called or smiled at. Nandini really wanted to leave, or atleast find a corner to spend the night in.

It proved to be difficult owning to her name and position, thus Nandini was really prepared for it when Mr.Chatterjee from London called her from five steps away.

However, what she was not prepared for was - Manik standing there looking equally shocked.

Mr.Chatterjee was an old man, probably in his mid seventies. The man was suffering from dementia and Nandini did not need to be told he had no rememberance of her and Manik's alliance. His son, Rohit Chatterjee tried to stop him but the old man shushed him with a glare.

"Nandini here is one of the talented woman I have met." His voice quivered a little owning to the old age. Nandini tried to smile and stole a glance of Manik to whom the statment was directed.

He still looked taken aback, but smiled politely,"Ofcourse, she is."

"You two are of same age, young people these days don't work hard. It is nice to see you both working hard and making your parents proud." He chuckled,"oh and Nandini, this is Manik. I am sure you have met him though."

"They have papa, why don't we sit somewhere?" His son tried to intervene seeing the awkward glances between the couple.

The old man tried to refuse but it did not work. At the end, he bid bye to them reluctantly.

As the father and son duo walked away with the son looking both apologetic and embarrassed, Nandini turned to Manik.

She opened her mouth to speak but before that, Manik turned to her with a big fake smile on his face,"Well - Nice to meet you, Miss.Murty."

Two seconds. It was all it took, two seconds before Nandini's heart sank down to her stomach and she was staring at Manik with her mouth left open, and eyes blown wide. Nandini couldn't afford a word more. Manik's own eyes flickered for a moment seeing her reaction.

"Miss.Murty?" She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.

"Yes? Or, you are a Mrs now?" Manik eyed her hand, the absence of his ring and bitterness crossed his face for a moment before he shrugged it off.

Play cool. He told himself.

"Excuse me."

With that, Manik walked away while Nandini stood there, heart thumping in her chest and eyes brimming with hot tears. She had expected everything from Manik - accusations, arguments and what not but this?

Nandini did not expect him to treat her like a stranger. She did not expect him to walk away from her like she did not matter anymore.

Or perhaps, she really did not matter to him anymore.

And she deserved every bit of it.