| Word Count: 3885 |

Hello peps

Question for the day.
If you could keep three things with you forever, what it would be?

So here's the brand new chappy

Do inline comment and vote and tell how it was

Happy reading

Dated: 2nd November, 2022

That night felt a little happier than usual...

The Next Day,

Manik:

It was a fresh new morning—expecting my mom to nag me about my answer. Not that it was much of a mystery anymore. Both of us already knew what we were going to say. My eyes fluttered open to welcome the day. I rolled out of bed and checked the clock.

Nine AM

Early enough!

With a sigh, I headed to the bathroom and started my day. After a long, relaxing shower, I threw on my casuals and made my way downstairs. I found Mom and Dad already seated, sipping their tea. Yawning, I walked straight to Mom and plopped my head into her lap.

"She’s my wife!" Dad snapped, feigning offense.

Who cares?

"Raj!" I stuck my tongue out at him, earning a hard glare in return.

"You better tell me your decision about Nandini," Dad grumbled. "Get him a wife, then maybe he’ll finally let you stay in her lap."

"Haan Manu, bata apna decision," Mom said, tapping my cheek affectionately.

“It’s a yes, Mumma,” came Anurag’s voice from behind, his eyes still sleepy. He trudged downstairs and laid his head on the other side of Mom’s lap.

“Really?” Raj asked, clearly thrilled. I rolled my eyes before nodding.

"You move," Mom said, shooing us both off her lap and grabbing her phone. Anurag, startled, sat up with a whine.

“Maaa!” he complained.

"Shhh!" she hissed, already dialing. I nudged her shoulder to ask whom she was calling, but she just held up her palm—wait. Anurag sat grumpily on the sofa, still rubbing his eyes.

"Anu, go wash your face. Your eyes look..." I said, squinting. “I’m fine,” he replied with a wide grin. I rolled my eyes again.

Then Mom’s voice drew my attention back. “Hello? Swetha ji?” she said excitedly. I groaned, facepalming at the embarrassment that didn’t even exist.

"Really? Okay... no, no problem at all. Today? That’s fine!" she exclaimed. The three of us looked at her, dumbfounded, as she ended the call.

"What?" Dad asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Today!” she grinned. I frowned. “It’s a yes from Nandini too! So, today we’re going to the Murthy house to match horoscopes. And we’re thinking—let’s have the roka rasam today itself!”

“You decided this so fast?” Anurag asked, shocked.

“Roka is always quick, baby. The wedding will be grand,” Mom said, pinching his cheek a bit too hard. He rubbed it with a wince.

“When do we leave?” I asked.

“So desperate, bro.” Anurag smirked and dashed upstairs before I could reply. I chose dig holes into his soul before he shut his mouth.

“Evening,” Mom replied. I nodded. We had breakfast, and soon Anurag and Dad left for the office. I had to meet a client regarding the next album. Meanwhile, my extremely overexcited mom was at home making calls to caterers, decorators, and whatnot.

I was driving to the meeting—it was quite a distance. I checked the time. Nearly twelve.

Lunchtime. Perhaps she might be free now. Should I call her?
She'll not persume me to be weird, right?

"Come on Manik, she's your to be wife", chimed my inner voice.

After a moment of hesitation, I dialed her number. She picked up after a few rings. Silence followed.

“Hello?” I said.

“Ji.”

“Free?”

“Lunch break. Then appointments and a surgery,” she replied, background noises confirming her busyness.

“When are you planning to eat lunch?”

“I had Bourbon biscuits.”

I stared at the phone.

“Bourbon?” I echoed, clearly annoyed.

“Yeah! With the cream too!” she added cheerfully.

“What cream?”

“Arey, the biscuit cream! Don’t tell me you don’t scrape it out and eat it first?”

“Uh... I thought that’s just how it’s meant to be eaten?” I said awkwardly.

“Seriously?” she gasped. “I eat the cream separately. It’s tastier that way!”

I couldn’t help but chuckle.

Bachi se shadi ho rahi hai meri.

“You can’t laugh at me!”

“I’m not,” I said, giggling anyway.

“Aap kahin ja rahe the?” she asked.

“Ji. I have a meeting.”

“So… you won’t be there this evening?” Her voice dipped slightly.

“No. I mean—I’ll be back before evening,” I quickly assured her. She didn’t say anything, but I had some idea of what she was thinking.

“Nandini,” I said softly.

“Ji ?” That ji does something to my heart.

“its our roka today, na? Of course I’ll be there.” I could imagine her pouting. I chuckled again.

“You’re still laughing?” she whined.

“Arey nahi,” I said through more laughter, picturing her flared nostrils and pouty lips.

“Aap jaiye!” she huffed.

“Okay, I’ve reached. I’ll call you later,” I said in a hushed tone. I swear I could feel her smiling through the phone.

“All the best,” she whispered before ending the call. With a wide grin plastered across my face, I entered the building and headed to the meeting room.

I just hope everything falls into place amidst these new relationships.

***

Mannat:

I’m at a complete loss for words. I never realized writer’s block could feel this suffocating. I’ve been staring at this blank page, fully aware of the plot, knowing exactly how I want the story to unfold—but my mind? It’s frozen. Blank. Uncooperative.

It’s maddening.

This book has been in the works for months. I’ve poured my heart into shaping its characters, outlining every twist, building its world brick by brick. And now, when I finally sit down to bring it all to life, the words refuse to come. It’s as if they’re mocking me, dancing just out of reach.

I glanced at the paper in front of me, then finally scribbled something—anything.

There’s no point in being so hard on yourself when you were born to stand out. Life doesn’t always go the way we plan. And if it does, maybe that’s when you should start worrying.

I stared at the line, heart pounding. It read more like a diary entry than a story. With a sigh of frustration, I crumpled the paper and tossed it across the room.

Where am I going wrong? Why does everything I write feel... hollow?

I buried my face in my palms, shutting my eyes tightly, willing the tears to retreat. Then—ping. The sound of a message snapped me out of my spiral. I wiped the corner of my eyes, exhaling slowly, and picked up my phone.

It was from him.

I laughed as I read through our messages, setting my phone aside. The next second, it rang again.

It was him.

What a confused man. I shook my head in disbelief and answered the call.

"I told you everything, right?" Before he could respond, I jumped in.

"Yes, but my dear bro thinks it's not enough." I rolled my eyes, listening to him.

"Beaches... um..." What else could I say? I paused for a moment, then added, "Jaldiiiiiii!" He shouted urgently over the phone.

"Tch, shut up," I hissed. "She's a homebody, loves simple things, just like I told you. There's nothing more to it."

"Suna, bro?" He said, referring to Jiju.

"Jiju, why don’t you ask her yourself? You’re coming here anyway, right?" I raised my eyebrows, teasing him.

"I... I can't do that," Jiju replied, his voice hesitant.

"Why?" Mr. Jerk and I asked in unison, stretching the word out dramatically.

"I’ve got work," he muttered, and I could hear Anurag calling him in the background, telling him to wait.

"Their train’s too slow," I groaned, making an exaggerated face. I could hear him sighing too, from the other side of the phone.

"Arranged marriage problems!" I laughed out loud. It’s true, though. But I was sure Nandu and Jiju would enjoy this phase. We ended the call, and I returned to my story.

For the first time in a while, I felt completely uninspired. I sighed and closed the book before heading out of the house. I needed some time to clear my mind.

I let Mom know, then left without any specific destination. It felt awful when a writer couldn’t think of anything to write.

The drive led me to the beach, a short five-minute journey. I parked the car, got out, and walked toward the sea.

"Tu bata... kya hua aankho ke... darmiyaan..." I hummed, wrapping my arms around myself as I strolled along the sand, barefoot.

The cold breeze hit my face, and I closed my eyes in bliss. It was the perfect moment—until my phone buzzed.

It was from Mrs. Murthy, my mom.

"Hanji?" I answered.

"Look at the time," she said, sounding urgent.

I frowned and checked my watch. It was nearly 4:27 PM.

"Ha toh?" I replied, confused.

"Mannat!" Her voice deepened with a warning, and my creases deepened too.

Oh shoot.

"I'm coming, I'm coming." I hurriedly ended the call and rushed back home. I had completely forgotten about the meeting planned for the evening.

It took me less than five minutes to get home. Mom was directing workers, Dad wasn’t around, and Nandini—soon-to-be Mrs. Malhotra—looked as nervous as ever.

I shook my head and went to our room, but she wasn’t there. A groan escaped my lips as I dialed her number. She picked up after a few rings.

"Manu, I’ll be there soon. Just another surgery. Please sambhal le." She hurriedly ended the call, and I could hear the rush in her voice.

Sighing, I pulled out a suit for myself and got dressed. As I headed downstairs, I heard Mom’s voice calling out to me.

"Did you talk to Nandini?" she asked.

"Ha, she said she’ll be here after her surgery." I placed a cushion on the sofa, trying to look casual.

"Aiyappa!" Mom palmed her forehead in frustration. "This girl!"

"She’ll come, Amma. It’s her roka, after all," I grinned, trying to reassure her, but I could feel her disbelief.

Just then, the doorbell rang, and Mom cursed under her breath. I jumped to my feet and hurried to open the gate.

"Namaste," Amma greeted, and the family fondly reciprocated. Jiju came forward to touch Amma and Appa’s feet. We all settled in, and I noticed Mom’s dangerous eyes fixed on me. She clearly expected me to ask Nandini where she was.

I excused myself and dialed her number, but of course, she didn’t pick up. She must’ve been in surgery.

How was I supposed to explain this to Mom?

I could feel a scowl forming on my face as I stomped my foot in frustration. Turning to leave, I bumped into none other than Mr. Jerk.

"What?" I snapped.

"Whoa, Miss Shorty. Cool it," he said, leaning against the door with his signature smirk. If only I could break that smug face, but I held back my urge to throttle him.

Ignoring him, I tried to walk past, but he popped up in front of me again.

"What do you want?" I asked, barely holding my irritation in check.

"You," he blurted, and my head snapped in his direction. "I meant, I need water. Aunty asked me to ask you."

I nodded, filling a glass and handing it to him. He drank it, and we both walked toward the living room.

End:

"Ji, Nandini kab tak aayegi?" Neyonika asked hesitantly. Shweta glanced at her nervously, while Mannat shot her mother a mildly irritated look before turning to Neyonika.

"Aunty, she’s currently caught up in a surgery that required her immediate attention," Mannat replied politely. "We sincerely apologize for the delay."

"Oh, that’s alright. There’s no rush," Neyonika responded with a gentle smile. Mannat smiled in return and turned to face her mother, who was glaring at her.

"Amma, it's her duty. We can't stop her from fulfilling her responsibilities as a doctor," she whispered, trying to reason with her. Her mother nodded in reluctant understanding, and the attention shifted toward the Malhotras. Manik still wore a constant frown.

"Then we’ll wait for Nandini," Raj offered, and Neyonika nodded in agreement.

"But we don’t really know how long she’ll take," Mannat admitted hesitantly. She had a point—no one could predict how long the surgery might last.

"I’m here." A hurried voice called out from behind, drawing everyone’s attention. There she was—Nandini—doctor’s coat in hand, panting heavily. Mannat rushed toward her as Nandini approached. She took her coat and purse and guided her to sit.

"Breathe, idiot," she scolded playfully, handing her a glass of water. Nandini gulped it down, trying to steady her breath.

"Tu bhaag kar aayi?" Neil asked, half-amused, half-concerned. Nandini shrugged sheepishly, her gaze drifting to Manik, whose eyes were filled with worry. She responded with a reassuring blink.

"Beta, take your time. Change and eat something first," Neyonika said kindly. Nandini nodded and made her way to her room.

"Bhai, stop staring. You look like a creep," Anurag whispered into Manik’s ear. Manik snapped out of his daze and smacked Anurag’s head discreetly. Anurag winced, rubbing the spot while glaring back.

Brothers, I tell you.

***

Mannat carefully helped Nandini down the stairs, her figure elegantly draped in a red Banarasi saree. Her hair cascaded down her back like a silken curtain, and the soft tinkling of her bangles echoed with each graceful step. Amidst it all, a pair of eyes remained fixed on her, drinking in every delicate detail. The chime of her anklets, the subtle way she tucked her hair behind her ear, the nervous fidgeting of her fingers—each movement captivated him as the distance between them finally vanished.

Nandini couldn’t bring herself to meet his gaze, though she felt no discomfort—only the undeniable warmth that radiated from his eyes. Her cheeks flushed under his unwavering stare as she settled beside him.

A thin layer of sweat dampened Manik’s palms as the air between them grew heavier, charged with unspoken emotions. Their heartbeats seemed to beat in perfect synchrony, yet neither acknowledged it aloud. While the elders busied themselves with the pooja preparations and their siblings kept occupied, the couple stole shy glances at each other, quickly looking away.

He longed to speak, to compliment her beauty, but hesitation held him back. Finally surrendering to the moment, he leaned in slightly and whispered softly in her ear, “Aap behad khoobsurat lag rahi hain.”

Nandini's grip on her saree tightened as her breath hitched, her gaze fixed on her lap. She bit her lower lip, overwhelmed by shyness. Manik let out a quiet chuckle at her flustered reaction, touched by her innocence. Not wanting to dust off the subtle interaction, he turned his attention back to the ongoing rituals—until a gentle whisper floated to him on a passing breeze.

“Aap bhi.”

A subtle smile curved on both their lips. Neither dared to look at the other again.

Perhaps this was the beginning of finding their way into the palace of comfort in each other’s lives—where, in the future, nothing else could bring them peace but one another.

Slowly they would hold a place, a space, that belong to them.

Only them.

Soon enough, their families stood before them, "Let’s begin," Shweta said as she stood. She walked over and performed Manik’s tilak. Manik rose while Neil handed over the gifts they'd brought for the couple. Next, Neyonika stepped forward. She draped a red chunri over Nandini’s head, applied a tilak with roli and rice, kissed her forehead, and handed her the gifts.

"Welcome to the family," Neyonika whispered, embracing her. Nandini smiled warmly in return.

"Welcome to the family, jeejaji," Mannat teased, side-hugging Manik.

"Let it be, Mannat. Please," Manik muttered under his breath. Mannat chuckled and nodded.

"You remember our deal, right?" Anurag asked Nandini, who smiled brightly.

"Of course. Totally remember." They high-fived and laughed together.

As everyone settled, Manik and Nandini exchanged a hopeful glance. The first step was done. They shared a soft smile, eager for what lay ahead.

"Here are their horoscopes," Shweta said, handing the kundalis to the pandit. He examined them with his magnifying glasses, counting something on his fingers.

Anurag wrinkled his nose, watching the pandit with amusement.

"He just has to give a date. Why’s he counting fingers?" he muttered, scratching his head.

"Inhe chattis mein se chautis gun mil rahe hai," the pandit finally said, making everyone smile—except Anurag, who frowned.

"Pandit Ji, we just need a date. What’s with all these guns?" Anurag asked. Neyonika gave him a light smack on the arm. "This is done before two people decide to spend their lives with each other. These guns are little efforts and comfort to ensure us, that the couple will lead a prosperous and harmonious life ahead." She gently explained him, who nodded in understanding.

"Yes, beta. We have two dates. One is in a month, the other after six months," the pandit continued.

"I think six months sounds better!" Anurag blurted out before anyone else could speak. Nandini and Manik stood their with amused looks.

"I agree. I’m sure Manik and Nandini won’t mind," Mannat chimed in. Manik and Nandini facepalmed. Manik shook his head in dismay, shooting daggers at Anurag, whose eyes widened at the silent threat.

"Manik, Nandini, what do you think?" Raj finally asked. The couple looked around, clearly uncertain how to voice their preference. None of them knew what the other person wanted.

"What if she wants to wait?" Thoughts echoed in his mind.

"What if he isn't ready yet?" She couldn't help but let these thoughts in. Nandini glanced at Mannat for help. Mannat understood—but why miss the chance to tease?

She smirked at Nandini’s pleading expression. Nandini glared, clearly threatening her to speak up—or else.

Mannat’s eyes widened at the unspoken threat and turned toward the elders.

"Amma, I think the date after a month is more suitable. Six months later, it’ll be the rainy season—traveling won’t be ideal," Mannat reasoned.

"Exactly! Rain makes everything difficult," Anurag supported.

Manik and Nandini, unintentionally, looked hopefully at their parents, who seemed to consider it.

"But beta, there’s no rainy season after six months," the pandit interjected. Four pairs of eyes turned on him with deadly glares.

"This pandit is asking for it," Manik muttered internally.

"Alright, we’ll go with the date after a month," Neil announced. "Is that okay, Malhotra sahab?"

"Yes, absolutely," Raj agreed after exchanging a quick glance with Neyonika. The younger clan breathed a collective sigh of relief.

Manik caught his soon-to-be-wife's glance who sat there listening to the conversation with no intervention, "Aapko chalega?" Nandini still couldn't muster up the courage to look up into his eyes, and thus simply nodded.

"So where should we have the wedding?" Shweta asked.

"Goa!" Anurag suggested excitedly.

"Beta, we’ll get your wedding done there," Neyonika said, patting his cheek.

"Maa!" he whined, rolling his eyes.

"Manik, Nandini, why don’t you both decide? Where would you like the wedding?" Neil asked. Nandini looked at Manik, seeking his opinion, but Anurag interrupted.

"No, bhabhi, you decide. I don’t trust bhai’s taste," he declared dramatically. Nandini laughed, while Manik glared in vain.

"Nandini beta, ignore these two. You tell me," Neyonika said kindly.

"Umm…" Nandini hesitated and glanced at her parents, who gave her a supportive nod. "Udaipur?" she asked shyly.

The elders shared a thoughtful look, making Nandini nervous.

"Wow! Udaipur wedding!" Mannat squealed excitedly, easing Nandini’s tension. The elders agreed, and soon discussions about the wedding arrangements were in full swing. The younger ones were forgotten, sitting in silence. Nandini, Manik, Mannat, and Anurag exchanged looks and sighed.

What can you do when the adults are busy discussing things that don’t interest you?

Absolutely nothing.

Mannat, craving some mischief, stomped on Anurag’s foot and sat up straight. "Ouch!" he yelped, drawing everyone’s attention.

"What happened?" Neyonika asked.

"Nothing, Maa. Just a blood-sucking witch," he muttered under his breath—loud enough for Mannat to hear. She shot him a glare and pinched his arm. He winced, then pinched her back with interest. She yanked his hair. He tickled her. She twisted his finger. He tried to trap her hand.

Manik and Nandini stared at them in disbelief.

"What’s gotten into them?" Nandini murmured, shaking her head.

Completely ignoring the world, Mannat and Anurag sat with their faces turned away from each other, fuming.

Manik facepalmed. Nandini sighed.

May God help them with their chaotic twins.

_________________

"Kabhi kabhi mere dil mein...khayal aata hai..." I sang, in an (un)melodious voice.

"Shut up." Came from aiyappa. I frowned and pouted.

"Kattiiiiiiiii."

Precap: Journey starts

So Hello

*nervous smiles*

How was it?

The story is moving as I told, slowly but peacefully

I hope you liked it

Next part will be updated soon enough

Stay tuned

Lots of love

~
Mahak