26.1 - Growing Closer (A)
Hello Readers...as proposed by you guys, here i am with "shorter regular updates"...Okay the updates are not very short though, this one too is around 2500 words...hope you like it..
"What needs to be noted is that the next few updates will be scenes...different scenes clubbed into one update...the scenes would cover a span of few months till Mukti-Abhi's wedding" functions
I had initially written the update below as 3 different scenes but then i realized i could play around a little and make it into one scene which hopefully you would like..
So after a previous "All Manan Day Out" , here's presenting the gang back in action..
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(Scene 1)
Fab5 along with Nandini, Navya and Abhi were sitting amidst absolute silence that had grabbed Dhruv's Flat
Mukti – Dhruv, stop testing our patience yaar...Speak up..!!
Cabir – Exactly Dhruv, Look at Nandini she flew down to Mumbai for you said it is an emergency and now it has been almost an hour that we've been treated with your silence...What is it..??
Dhruv – We are getting married...!!
All (except Dhruv and Alya) – Wait..what...!!!!!
Dhruv – Guys calm down, we are getting married...!!
Mukti – That is such great news Dhruv, but I don't get it why were you sulking...??
Dhruv – Mukti, let me finish, we are getting married tomorrow in the temple nearby...!!
Abhi – What...guys listen its great if you want to marry but why such rush....??...I mean let's have a proper wedding na..!!
Navya – Exactly, till day before yesterday, we were planning for Abhi and Mukti's wedding and I fail to understand what has happened in day that has resulted in you marrying tomorrow...!!
Cabir – Wait..!! are you guys planning to elope and get married...!!...But as far as I remember your families are okay with your relationship or If I may say more than okay with it and so are we...so why do you need to be a runaway couple..
Dhruv – What is it guys, we just said we want to get married...!!..someday or the other it has to happen right...!!...So why no tomorrow...??and Cabir are you sure you are okay with it because the questions that you all have been asking prove it otherwise
Everyone was stunned at the sudden outburst from Dhruv for he was always the calm one, a man of few words. Manik got up to sit beside Dhruv and spoke
Manik – Dhruv, Buddy..We are really happy with you decision to get married, all that's concerning or rather alarming us is the pace and timing of the events...it looks like a decision made in haste and we just wish to know the reason for the same...!!
Mukti – Alya, listen to me, you know we've got your back every time and we love you guys but let's face it this is too sudden and we are unable to gauge the reason of this sudden awakening to get married..
Cabir (chipping in) – Dude I am sorry if our questions have troubled you but we just want to know why are you taking this step for we are sure you are hiding something..!!
Navya – Hey wait...you went to meet Alya's grandparents yesterday...have they said something...??
Abhi – Guys guys...relax...lets not jump into conclusions...Dhruv, Alya please tell us what's bothering you..!!
Alya – Guys the fact is ...(Seeing Alya's hesitation, Nandini got up and sat right infront of her...she took Alya's right hand into hers and gestured her to continue...Mukti held her by shoulders while Dhruv held her left palm...She looked at him while he blinked his eyes in assurance)
Alya – Guys...I am pregnant...I got to know it yesterday morning... It wasn't my grandparents whom we met yesterday, we went to the doctor and she confirmed that I am pregnant !!
There was absolute silence in the room. Everybody took a minute to absorb the information and they pounced on Dhruv and Alya as soon as the realization hit them. They were shouting with joy , hugging one another with happiness and congratulating the couple for the blissful news.
Nandini – So this why you were getting married..??
Dhruv and Alya nodded in agreement
Nandini – HAVE YOU GONE NUTS...??...ARE YOU GUYS CRAZY...??...HAVE YOU LOST IT COMPLETELY..?? THIS...THIS...IS WHY YOU ARE GETTING MARRIED...UNBELIEVABLE..!!
Cabir – Calm down Nandini...Let them explain...Don't get so hyper..!!
Nandini – I am getting hyper...!!...Seriously Cabir...you know they are the one's who gotten hyper, taken a decision in haste...and you are asking me to calm down..!!
Dhruv – Nandini....we are not left with any other option, Our child deserves a family and we are just ensuring that..!!
Manik – By doing what...!! By getting married when you are actually not ready....No Dhruv...You are not giving your child a family...you are instead burdening the little one with a guilt of forcing a marriage of their parents..!!
Alya – Manik...we donot wish our child to face any issue in future...the society shall never accept a child brought in this world out of wedlock...!!
Nandini – Ok...so... for the sake of this society you are ready to give your child a dysfunctional family environment to grow up...Wow...what a brilliant solution right...!!
Manik – Dhruv...Alya...a few months ago you were battling the compatibility issues if I am not mistaken...your relationship is still in the recovery stage and you wish to get married...Getting married is not wrong, honestly tying the knot with someone you love is the best thing that can happen to you but the problem is are you ready for it..??
Dhruv – Of course we are Manik..!!
Cabir – Let me put it this way...keep the child out of the picture for some time...and tell us ...if Alya was not pregnant, would you still marry tomorrow....!!
Dhruv – No..I would have married her a few months later once the issues between us were completely sorted..!!
Alya – And if not completely, then at least once our relationship is stronger than what it is right now, may be then we would have gotten married...but now the equations have changed Cabir..!!
Nandini – Nothing has changed...except your thought process...Alya tell me something you and Dhruv both know that you are not ready for this marriage... there are cracks which still need time... what if in future these cracks turn into holes that can't be filled...what if that happens... What if after getting married tomorrow , a few years later you realize that the decision taken in haste has ruined your beautiful relationship.. what will happen then...!! Your child needs a home, the little one needs a mom and a dad whose heart are bounded together with love... Focus on that guys...!!
Manik – Dhruv look at me and Nandini, our relationship got sour for thinking about the so called society , I took decisions in haste and look where it got us... By god's grace we've got another chance to be friends again but what if that doesn't happen with you...It will be worse for the child...Imagine giving the little one a broken home...What is worse..??.. We understand your concerns with regards to the child and that is why we are saying getting married will not good to anyone... Your child needs a family and we all are here to give the angel that...As far as getting married is concerned, that day will come too...the day when you are actually ready...!!
Mukti – Yup the day we've have our own princess wedding...what say guys..!!
Cabir – But there's time to that...the "Right" time...and before you ask you'll know when that time comes...!!
Dhruv – Thank you guys...thank you so much...I guess we needed this reality check... Thank you...!!
Alya (getting teary) – I am so blessed to have you all in my life... So is this baby....Baby you are so lucky...you have the world's best uncles and aunts to take care of you..!!
Dhruv – and the pregnancy hormones kick in..!!
Manik – Buddy we can't help you with that though..!!
With that, the entire house which was silent a while back echoed with laughter and happy noises.
Abhi – Hold on, I have a question..??
Nandini – Again...!!!...Abhi I thought we were way past your questions..!!..
Abhi – Haha...in your dreams...!!... Acha coming back to my query, yaar none of us knew about the problems in Dhruv and Alya's relationship except Manik and Nandini...When did you came to know..??
Nandini – Your first visit to my place...It was then we realized and we spoke to them about it..!!
Manik – Actually, to be honest talking to them made me aware of our mistakes and that was the first time I took a real initiative of making things better with Nandini keeping my ego aside...Thank you Dhruv and Alya for that..!!
Nandini (munching the chocolate) – True that...Thank you for giving my friend back to me..!!
Manik – On that note, Nandini it is Alya whose expecting not you...this is your fifth chocolate for the day..Are you okay...??
Nandini – Yes I am okay...I am eating chocolates for I feel like having them...also, I guess I should sleep now I am too tired..!!
Saying this, she walked off to sleep. Soon everyone else too dispersed to take some rest.
Around 5 in the evening, Manik received a call from Dadi.
Manik (picking up the call) – Good evening Dadi..!!
Dadi – Good evening...sun mainu yeh bata ki Nandu Mumbai vich hain ki...??..
Manik – Haan Dadi..she is here..!!
Dadi – Hain...kab aayi si yeh kudi...aur abhi kidhar ho tum log...??
Manik – Dadi...Dadi..relax..she came in today morning...woh Alya and Dhruv had called her, kuch problem thi...will tell you aaram se..!!
Dadi – problem..kya hua..Manik kuch..
Manik – Dadi maine bola na problem thi..ab sab theek hain..everyone's resting..!!
Dadi – main kuch nahi jaanti...I want you guys here as soon as they wake up..!!
Manik – Ok Dadi..I'll inform them...!!
Manik informed everyone about Dadi's call and soon everyone left for her place with Manik and Nandini going together since the other couples took their respective cars. Manik's driver was driving the car while Manik and Nandini were seated on the back seat. While she was trying to keep herself busy with her chocolate, Manik saw Nandini was feeling uncomfortable and something struck his mind. He asked the driver to stop and shifted himself on the passenger seat in front taking Nandini by surprise
Nandini – Manik what is wrong...why this seat change..??
Manik – Lie down Nandini....You are not fine...Your body is aching since morning and you and I both know the reason...Lie down and take some rest...you would anyways need some energy to tackle Dadi who by the way is very angry with you...!!
Nandini – Manik I..!!
Manik – Shshh...I understand and You don't need to be worried...we still take half an hour to reach...you can rest in the meanwhile..!!
Manik realized that the driver's home would be on their way so he asked the driver to get down somewhere near his house
Driver – Saab Ji, Main aapko drop karke aa jaunga wapis..!!
Manik – Uski zarurat nahi hain kaka waise bhi aaj aapki beti ka birthday hain...toh aap jao or celebrate karo..!!
The driver agreed and Manik gave him some cash and a gift for his daughter before he left. Manik resumed with the ride to Dadi's place
Nandini – Manik how do you know...??
Manik – You aren't asleep yet...!!
Nandini – No I want to talk...how do you know that I am on my PMS..??
Manik – I guessed...and trust me with the amount of chocolates you've eaten since morning, it wasn't tough at all...you haven't changed a bit have you..??
Nandini – Nope I haven't..acha listen na..!!
Manik – and this talking...you know you are an interesting specimen...waise you don't talk much but only when you are PMSing your vocal chords go crazy with talking...you should be kept under observation...I tell you..!!
Nandini – Shut up Manik.. this is want I was going to ask before you interrupted...how can you be so vocal about it...!!
Manik – What vocal..First of all it is not a shamed subject...I have always believed that..it is a natural process...and if you look at it, it is a process that somewhere is necessary to define human existence, plus tell me something if we are not supposed to talk about it, then why do they teach us about it..??... Pick up any biology book and you'll find them explaining it...then what is the problem in talking about it...!!... You know I was reading a study recently, they said that the prime reason why the rate of diseases like diabetes etc in less in young women is primarily because of the menstrual cycle for all the impurities of blood get out their system during this time...It is definitely not a curse or to be shamed about... yes it is painful for you and I strongly that is the only thing one should be worried about...!!
Nandini – and it were my vocal chords that had gone out of control..!!
Both Manik and Nandini laughed it off. Soon they reached Dadi's place where everyone was already seated discussing the events of the day. Nandini and Dadi made up with a hug and an apology. Dadi assured Dhruv and Alya of her support and praised the youngsters for thinking logically about the whole issue. The gang had dinner and they settled in the hall for some more gossip just when Nandini got an apology mail from a cab company. She showed it to Manik and he gave her thumbs up..
Cabir – Manik Nandini what's the secret...??
Nandini – Nothing Cabir, last week I, actually not me but my cab driver got involved in a road accident...!!
Dadi – Accident..??
Nandini – Dadi before you panic, nothing happened to me...we were stuck in a heavy traffic and in the process of taking over, the cab driver accidentally hit a bike...the bike rider and driver got into an altercation in the middle of the road...I waited for some time and then walked my way home..!!
Dadi – You were alone..??
Nandini – No dadi...I called up Manik...he was on call me with me throughout...in fact he asked me to file a complaint toh I had just received a message from the same company, I was showing him that only.. !!
Cabir – Wait was it last Wednesday...!!
Nandini – Yes ...why..??
Abhi – Nothing last Wednesday we had a meeting when Manik left it the middle citing an important call as a reason, a caller I am assuming was someone called "Nandini"..!!
Cabir – Oh yes...but Abhi did you just notice that out of everyone, Nandini actually called her "Friend Manik" first...!!
Mukti – Point..!!
Nandini – What point...no point..you have gone mad..all of you..I am off to sleep...I am tired..!!
Nandini left the hall to avoid all the teasing, while Manik moved to the kitchen. He got a glass of hot chocolate milk with a hot water bottle. On the way to Nandini's room, he stopped hearing Cabir's voice
Cabir – Now where are you going with this milk and water bottle..!!
Manik – Woh Nandini is not well so thought of handing over this to her...it will make her feel better...I'll join you guys in five, she needs to drink this before she sleeps..
Saying this, he left for Nandini's room...!!
Abhi – They are moving forward...look at this guys...they are taking steps towards trusting each other..!!
Cabir – But Abhi, the problem is that they haven't realized it yet...they are still "Friend-zoning" one another..!!
Dadi – Then why don't you make them realize...!!
All looked at Dadi who carried a smirk on her face which soon got replicated on other's faces as well, they knew what they had to do and they were up for it together..!!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------End of Chapter 26.1-----
"Khadija_f", here you go...I hope you like the subtle show of Manik taking care of Nandini...more to follow
With this, we come to an end of the first scene of growing closer...hope you all like it...!!
More importantly please let me know in case you find any flaws with story..like if it is getting monotonous or boring...I think I am losing readers...so before losing interest in the story and giving up, do give me a chance to make it better...That's my request..!!
Thank You everyone for the support..!!
That's it from me for today...See you guys..Cheers..!!
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