Three years later

Nandini's POV

"Manik!" I gritted my teeth and he smiled sheepishly. Nandini peeked from behind him and gave me that innocent look.

"You two don't talk to me!" I fumed and walked away. Both the monsters had apparently attacked my kitchen and the result was a messed up kitchen.

"Nandini!"

"Rose!"

I heard both of them and I stopped in my tracks. Turning around slowly I saw both pouting at me and holding their ears. And then how could I stay angry at these two?

"Sorry!" They both said in unison and I sighed. Well for my little version she had grown up so much. Her Nan-nini had now turned into Nandini and for calling me an aunt I had totally refused it. So she just calls me by my first name. And for the Monshtel had become Monster she sometimes used to call him Manik uncle but he too clearly refused telling her to call him by his first name only.

"Now who will clean up the mess?" I asked faking anger and they both looked at each other.

Wow! I mean they are still thinking!

"Fine! I will do it!" I said and they both looked at me horrified.

"Noooo!" Both yelled and I kept a hand on my belly. Pouting I caressed my bump and sat on the couch grumpily.

"You both are so bad!" I complained looking away and just then I felt small fingers on my face, trying to stretch my lips in a smile.

"Smile please!" She said sweetly and I couldn't resist as I ended up giving her a smile.

"Don't worry Nandini! Monster will clean the kitchen! He promised!" She said and I looked at Manik who was glaring at her but then he gave a fake smile to me.

"Oh yes! And princess here is going to help me!" He said pulling her closer and she made a face at him. I chuckled looking at the duo and they smiled seeing me happy.

"Rose you go and rest now!" Manik ordered and I made a puppy face as I wanted to stay in the living room but he showed his eyes and I had to leave. I moved towards our room which was shifted down temporarily due to my condition.

Oh! Did I just forget to mention that I am nine months pregnant? My bad. Sorry!

Time flew so quickly. I still remember the day when I had discovered I was pregnant and that made me so happy yet so emotional. But then Manik's reaction was priceless.

It was a normal day but I wasn't normal. I had been feeling very tired lately. I used to eat alot and also Manik found it weird.

"Rose do you need a cup of coffee?" Manik asked from the kitchen and I walked to him.

"Yes!" I said and saw him warming the milk but as soon as its smell hit my nose I felt nauseous. Clamping my mouth I ran out of there and landed up in a washroom puking my guts out. Manik was beside me instantly holding my hair. Once I was done I sat there exhausted and closed my eyes.

"Rose are you okay? Should I call the doctor?" I heard Manik's panicked voice. I opened my eyes and saw his concerned face.

"I'm fine Manik! I must have eaten something bad to cause this!" I said and stood to wash my face. Manik was still there staring at my pale face.

"You don't look fine Rose!" He said worriedly and I sighed.

"Manik I'm fine! Don't worry so much! And I promise if I feel more sick I'll tell you! Okay?" I said and he nodded softly as we exited from there.

Next few days passed with the daily routine of me getting up due to the pukish feeling and throwing up till I have no energy left. Manik was damn worried and I could see the fear swimming in his eyes.

"Rose today we are going to see the doctor!" Manik declared and I looked at him.

"But Manik you have an important meeting today!" I said and he glared at me.

"Nothing is more important than you!" He said sternly and I knew I had to handle this calmly and patiently.

"Manik listen I promise I'll go to the doctor! You attend your meeting!" I said but he was too stubborn and we landed up in a hospital.

"Doctor my wife is not well from few days! Please do the check up and tell us what's wrong!" Manik said as soon as we reached inside the doctor's cabin. The doctor smiled at us and asked to have a seat.

"So what's the problem?" She asked and I opened my mouth to say.

"She's been throwing up from last few days, every morning and also she has become very pale!" Manik said not letting me speak a word.

"Okay so Mrs. --?"

"Nandini Manik Malhotra!" Again Manik spoke making me glare at him.

"Nandini! When did you last have your period?" She asked and my eyes widened. I glanced at Manik and he looked clueless.

"Manik can you please wait outside?" I asked and he looked at me as if I had gone crazy.

"But --!"

"Manik please!" I pleaded and he reluctantly left the cabin.

"Doctor I missed my periods! Does it mean I am --!" I left my words in the middle and she smiled.

"We'll have to check!" She said and after doing the necessary tests we sat on the same place. I looked at her expectantly as she suddenly smiled brightly.

"Congratulations Mrs. Malhotra! You are pregnant!" She said and my eyes shone bright. Just then Manik barged inside being impatient.

"Enough now! What is taking so long?" He asked impatiently and we both looked at him.

"What? You are scaring me now!" He said and I chuckled feeling my eyes getting moist.

"Rose! Why are you crying? Doctor what happened? Sh-She is okay right? Nothing serious right? I ca-can't lose her again!" He said vulnerably staring at me and I bit my lip from crying.

"Tha-Thankyou doctor!" I choked and she blinked her eyes and the next second I took Manik out from there towards our car.

"Rose please tell me what is wrong! Your silence is kiling me!" He pleaded once we sat in the car.

"Manik please take me home! I'll tell you once we get there!" I said and he looked doubtful but nevertheless took me home. As soon as we got inside he held me close and stared at me restless.

"Rose please tell me now! I can't wait anymore! There's nothing serious right? I don't want to lose you!" He said and I cupped his face.

"You are not going to lose me Manik! Never!" I said and he relaxed a little.

"So what is it?" He asked and I smiled taking his hand and putting it on my stomach.

"What? Is it paining?" He asked and I rolled my eyes at his comment.

"Okay I'll say a poem and you have to guess it!" I said and he made an irritated face.

"What? Rose we aren't playing games here!" He said irritated and I pouted.

"Manik pleaseee!" I said and he reluctantly agreed.

"Okay so here it is!" I said.

Adventure is out there!
I know this to be true
All my greatest adventures
Have always been with you

Adventure is out there
You always make it so
Whenever inhibition finds me
You remind me to let go

Adventure is out there
And it will always be
Now that the two of us
Are soon becoming three!

"Say now!" I said excitedly while he stared at me weirdly.

"Rose are you fine? What is all this? Adventure? Two? Three? What?" He said and now I grew angry.

"Manik you idiot!" I yelled and he was taken aback. Tears welled up in my eyes and I wondered how could the hormones kick in so early.

"Rose! I'm sorry! Don't cry!" His eyes widened seeing my tears and he made me sit on the couch. He kneeled down before me and I sniffed.

"Now tell me!" He said softly and I stared at him through my moist eyes. I jerked his hands away and placed my hands on my belly.

"Don't worry your Daddy is not usually this stupid!" I talked with my baby and slowly peeked at him through my eyelashes. He sat there all blank staring at my belly unblinking.

Slowly he reached out and kept a hand on it and looked up at me.

"Is this real?" He asked in daze and I nodded with tears in my eyes yet a smile on my face. He bit his lip as his own eyes moistened but he blinked them several times to not cry infront of me.

I cupped his face lovingly and kissed his forehead and he slightly tightened his hold on my waist.

"We are pregnant Manik!" I whispered and a tear fell on my hand. I looked at him to see a few tears falling from his eyes.

"Thankyou Rose!" He said emotionally as he hugged me by my waist. He kissed on my belly several times and I couldn't be more happy.

"What are you thinking?" I smiled as he wrapped his hands around my bump from behind, resting his chin on my shoulder.

"Just how stupid you were when I broke the news of my pregnancy!" I chuckled and he pouted.

"It was my first time Rose!" He said and I looked at him in disbelief.

"Manik I haven't experienced it so many times!" I said and he chuckled.

"Done with the cleaning?" I asked and he snorted.

"I had to clean everything! Your princess was sitting on the slab and ordering!" He complained and I giggled.

"So? She is our princess! She isn't supposed to do any work!" I said and he rolled his eyes.

"Manik I don't want to sit!" I said and moved away from him. I got up with his help and took few steps ahead when I felt water gushing down from between my legs. I gasped looking down and heard Manik sigh.

"Rose if you wanted to go to washroom you could've told me!" He said and I felt like smacking his head.

"Manik you always prove you're an idiot!" I snarled and he made a face looking offended.

"Rose I am not an idiot!" He was seriously arguing me at this time.

"Manik my water broke!" I yelled and he jumped on his place.

"Oh shit! Rose calm down! Take deep breaths! We are going to the hospital! Are you feeling any pain?" He was going frantic and seeing him like that I was getting more irritated.

"Manikkkk!" I screamed and he picked me up in his arms and ran out placing me in the car.

"Manik princess!" I said holding my belly and he again ran inside getting Nandini with him. We drove to the hospital and I was staring to get the contractions.

"Doctor!" Manik yelled and immediately I was made laid on a stretcher.

"Mrs. Malhotra are you getting contractions?" The doctor asked and I nodded.

"Wait for sometime!" He said and Manik fumed.

"What do you mean wait? Why will she wait?" He asked angrily.

"Mr. Malhotra she will be ready when the contractions hit her hard! Only then she'll be ready to push!" He said and I held Manik back, holding his hand.

After sometime I was screaming in pain due to the contractions and I was taken inside the room. Manik being the stubborn head was going to come inside but he couldn't leave Nandini alone, so had to stay outside.

"You have to push Mrs. Malhotra! Come on push!" The doctor said and I screamed applying all my pressure. I felt like I was getting ripped down there. The pain was unbearable.

After sometime when I felt all my energy drained and my eyes grew heavy, I felt Manik holding my hand and whispering in my ears.

"Rose you can do this! For our little princess! For us! Come on Rose! Please push!" He said and I squeezed his hand tightly, screaming on top of my lungs and giving a push.

I fell back exhausted when I heard a cry followed my Manik's I love you in my ears before everything went black.

The next when I opened my eyes I saw my baby beside me in Manik's arms. He looked so happy and contended.

"Thankyou!" He whispered and kissed my forehead making me sigh in bliss.

Five years later

"Ria! Where is my baby? Okay, so now I'll give all these chocolates to Nandini!" I said and before I could leave she ran with her tiny legs to me and clung to my legs.

"No!" She pouted and I chuckled picking her up in my arms. She threw her tiny hands around my neck and hid her face in my hair. I could feel her pouting angrily.

"What happened to my baby?" I asked playing with her hands.

"No tiving my chotalate to Nan-nini!" She said and I awed at my baby. She used to say my name the exact way Nandini said. Nan-nini!

"Okay! Mumma won't! Promise!" I said and she smiled at me, kissing my cheeks as I kissed her nose making her giggle.

"Nandini!" Manik called and Ria flapped in my arms.

"Daddyyy!" She squealed and I put her down as she ran to Manik who was coming from the opposite side. He picked her up and twirled her in the air making her laugh in delight.

"Did Ria trouble Mumma?" He asked and she nodded a no cutely.

"My good girl!" He said and kissed her cheeks.

"Nandini let's go down Cabir and Navya are here!" He said and we moved down to see Cabir bhai and Navya talking and Nandini playing with Alex.

"Nandiniii!" My little version ran to me and hugged me tightly making Ria frown. Alex too jumped excitedly and I ruffled his hair.

"How is everything?" Navya asked as she hugged me followed by Bhai.

"Everything is good!" I smiled and just then Rishabh entered the mansion. He had become a doctor so mostly he would stay out, at the hospital. I was so proud of my brother!

My full family was here and I wanted nothing else! It all felt so surreal.

"Nandini will you come to my school tomorrow? There is a piano playing contest! And I'm going to take part in it so I want you to come! You will come right?" She asked and how could I deny.

Ever since she had seen me playing the piano she had become adamant to learn it. And so she was taking classes from me to play piano.

"Ofcourse I will!" I said and she hugged me tightly. Ria saw this and leaving her dearest Daddy marched at us.

"She ish my Mumma!" She said angrily and others just looked at the drama.

"No she is my Nandini!" Nandini said teasing her and hugging me more tight.

"Nan-nini leave my Mumma!" Ria demanded and she pursed her lips to stop herself from laughing.

"I will take her with me!" Nandini teased her further and she looked at me with her innocent eyes.

"Mumma tou will leave me?" She asked on the verge of crying and before she could cry the possessive Daddy was there by her side.

"Nandini stop teasing her!" He warned and she stuck out her tongue at him before running off to play with Alex.

"Aww my baby! Come here!" I said and she immediately came to me as I settled her on my lap.

"Ria knows Mumma loves her?" I asked and she bobbed her head.

"So how can Mumma leave Ria? She won't right?" I asked and she nodded a no. Others just chuckled at her and she suddenly hugged me hiding her face.

She is obsessed with my hair, just like her father!

"What about Daddy?" Manik frowned and she peeked at him from the corner. She stretched her left hand as if asking him to join the hug. He laughed loudly but nevertheless joined the hug.

"I lobe you both!" She whispered and we both stared at each other smiling from ear-to-ear.

"We love you too!" We said in unison but never breaking the eyelock.

"And we all love you threeeeee!" Cabir bhai, Navya, Rishabh and Nandini yelled from behind and Alex woofed.

We laughed after that and I simply stared at my family which meant everything to me. I just want them to be happy!

"I love you Rose!" Manik whispered in my ear making me smile.

"I love you too Monster!" I turned around and hugged him tightly.

~~~

And thus this marks the end of Monster and Rose's journey!

Thankyou each one of you for being a part of this journey! I truly didn't expect such a good response on this book but you'll proved me wrong!

I so want to thank each one of you but i know this isn't possible! Heartfelt thanks to everyone and also for bearing with my writings!

Until next time ...