Part 13
Alya's grandfather, arranges the seon between alya and manik, to his satisfaction. (A seon is more than a blind date; it's a formal step toward finding a potential spouse, often arranged by parents or elders.) Despite her light mood, alya observes manik's reaction closely as she explains that she had been opposed to date initially, until she found out it was him.
She supposes he doesn't like the idea of being pimped out to save his father's company (since alya's grandfather is a crucial investor. Manik explains that he was relieved that it was her, but he only went on the date because he needs her grandfather in order to launch the company's next game.
Alya doesn't intend to force things with manik, but suggests that they give dating a try: "Let's just take the opportunity with each other." To her surprise (and glee), he agrees.
When he gets home, he's a little defensive as Nandini hesitantly asks about the date, and whether he's going to marry alya. Manik answers with a casual "Sure"
Crushed, nandini takes manik's words to heart. The next day at school (where she has gone instead of working at the office), her mood is glum as she tries to come to grips with this.
alya sends a girlfriend-y text, and tellingly, manik picks up the phone to send a text of his own - to nandini.
Of course, he can't ever do a nice thing without undercutting it (that boy has spikes of steel guarding his heart, or maybe it's his pride) so the text tells nandini that he's deducting her pay for her absence.
Harshad calls nandini over to try a new dish he's concocted, since he always wants her to be the first to try his creations. In light of her heartbreak, nandini seems to appreciate his unflagging devotion even more than usual and thanks him, saying, "Hearing you talk like that makes me feel like a valuable person."
Harshad hems and haws as he nervously tries to ask her out on a date. And while Nandini feels no romantic spark, she has been seeing harshad through new eyes lately - at least she's not taking his devotion for granted anymore! - and agrees to go out with him.
The date takes them through the standard activities (lunch, a movie, street shopping, etc.), and despite nandini's subdued mood, she enjoys herself.
At one point, she smiles up at harshad happily, thanking him earnestly: "You're a really good person. I already knew that, but these days I'm feeling it again."
Manik hears from his mother that nandini went on a date today, and while he doesn't react (much) to the news, nyonika sends him a curious look.
Manik heads out on a date of his own, but little details trigger memories involving nandini - a fact that doesn't escape the notice of alya. Of course, coincidence dictates that the two couples run into each other - nandini and harshad arrive at a cafe on the river just as Team Genius Robots are leaving.
Manik subscribes to "the best defense is a good offense" school of thought, and lashes out at nandini by telling her that she and harshad don't fit in at a place like this - they're better suited for the kiddie arcade. The problem with this (well, other than the obvious part where HE'S AN ASS) is that nandini is so defeated that she doesn't fight back, and concedes the point to him, turning to leave with harshad.
Manik's just trying to get a rise out of her, and because he's about as emotionally developed as an eight-year-old boy, he calls her back just so he can say with derision, "You sure look good together." (Again, this doesn't have the intended effect, since harshad's pleased with the comment.)
Alya's pretty sharp, and at the end of the evening she notices how manik holds the car door open for her when he would've tossed a rude comment if it were nandini. She asks why he's so mean to nandini, and comments that it's strange that she almost wants him to be mean to her as well.
As nandini and harshad walk along the river (he must've missed the memo that No good news ever happens at the river), he screws up his courage to make his big move... and asks nandini to marry him.
harshad says earnestly that he can wait for her - but even so, manik has someone now, and it's time for nandini to stop staring at his back. "If you just turn around, I'm here."
Nyonika intercepts manik when he arrives home that night, telling him he doesn't have to date alya for the company's sake. He laughs at that, albeit humorlessly, saying that that's not why he's doing this. Casting a glance upstairs, as though he wants the words to sting Nandini, he says, "It's because I like [alya]."
Upstairs, manik tosses out the comment, spoken with an edge to his voice, that she sure looked like she was having fun on her date. Nandini answers in kind, telling him that it was fun and her date was nice - he didn't make fun of her, unlike somebody else.
Too bad she can't make her heart follow her mind: nandini understands that harshad is the nicer, more thoughtful guy for her, but he just doesn't make her feel those butterflies. Her friends prod her to think seriously about harshad's proposal, because he's better for her than manik. Faced with reality, Nandini starts to consider that maybe that romantic excitement isn't necessary, and concedes that harshad's very comfortable, "like family."
As she walks along considering the proposal, she runs into alya and manik on a shopping date together. Alya greets her cheerily, but manik surprises them all by inviting nandini along to dinner with them.
Thus the trio end up at a restaurant. Where harshad serves them with tips for how to eat the dish correctly, manik can't resist shooting a barb at nandini at how great it must be that her boyfriend knows so much.
When ashlok is released from the hospital, alya drops by to pay her respects. Mom, being firmly in nandini's camp, is delightfully aloof to her, greeting her with an indifferent "Oh, have we met? Perhaps you seem familiar. You must not have made an impression."
Alya isn't intimidated, and nothing Mom says ruffles her good mood, not even when Mom lays out all manik's faults, calling him selfish and haughty. She adds, "manik looks smart, doesn't he? But he's really stupid. He doesn't know his own feelings."
Mom's strategy is about as smooth and subtle as a tap-dancer on crack, but funny enough, this is the one thing that seems to make an impact on alya- she recognizes the truth as Mom states that manik treats a person colder and meaner the more he likes them. Feelings aren't easily solved like math problems, and he's afraid of his being found out.
Afterward, manik faces off with his mother, calling her tactics childish. Although Mom takes him to task for lacking basic decency in bringing alya home when he knows how nandini feels, manik insists that she stop interfering in his life now.
Despite her earlier conviction, Mom starts to feel doubt - she'd truly believed manik liked nandini, but perhaps she was wrong. If that's true, she fears she has wronged both manik and nandini by forcing them together, and wrings her hands in guilt.
Ashlok - who has been observing all this with a sharp eye - finally speaks up in order to get his wife to stop crying and announces, "He does like her." He refuses to give any further explanation, but he asks manik if he really means to marry alya. manik replies that alya suits him and that he'll probably grow to like her, but he doesn't sound convinced so much as he's trying to convince himself.
Father is smarter than that, and doesn't buy that at all - especially in light of the scene he witnessed in a previous episode. Now we see the scene from the woods, where manik had come upon a sleeping nandini and kissed her. ashlok decides that his son definitely does like nandini, no matter what he says.
Thinking more about the proposal, nandini asks her mother how she'd feel if she dated harshad. Sanjana answers essentially as her friends did - that harshad is devoted to her and wouldn't be a bad match.
Understanding that alya is the girl manik is thinking of marrying, ashlok sighs that they shouldn't have moved back to this house. Things will only continue to grow more awkward if they keep living here, and this is a good chance for them to think it over.
Manik puts in a rare appearance at tennis club - looking around for nandini, of course, only to be told that she's been busy dating her boyfriend lately.
As he leaves, shahid and navya run into him and talk extra-loudly-on-purpose to make sure he hears that harshad proposed to nandini, and that she is supposed to give him her answer today. Manik doesn't give them the satisfaction of reacting, but this news does NOT make him happy.
harshad treats nandini to more new dishes, and hesitantly brings up his proposal from the other night, wondering if she's thought it over. In spite of his willingness to be patient, he's frustrated by her request for more time and reminds her that he'll always be here for her, like a home - but a house that stands empty too long is no good, either. Better an empty house than one that caves in around you, I say.
A clap of thunder sends her recoiling in fright, and harshad grabs her to make sure she's safe - and that closeness prompts him to attempt a kiss. Nandini resists, but he's caught up in his emotions and tries to move in anyway, and in the almost-struggle they both fall to the ground. nandini shoves him away.
Harshad asks sadly if that means she's saying no to him. Feeling guilty and upset, nandini blurts out that she's sorry and rushes out into the rain.
Nandini beats herself up about it on the way home, feeling guilty for raising harshad's expectations and then hurting him.
She finds manik waiting for her at the bus stop, and he gruffly offers her the cover of his umbrella (with a sharp look and the backhanded comment that he knew she'd be foolish enough to be without an umbrella).
As mean as ever, manik brings up harshad's proposal and prods her to explain. Losing patience, he snaps, "So what did you tell him?!"
Nandini retorts that her answer has nothing to do with him, and adds - to his shock - that she's going to move out. She doesn't want to be a hindrance to manik's relationship, and now she'll turn her attention to helping her family and harshad. It all works out, since mom likes harshad.
manik looks at nandini sharply and asks, "Do you like him?" Irritated at her yes, he asks if she is just going to like whoever likes her back.
But nandini is tired of this one-sided love, and wants to be with someone who likes her back. She states, "I like harshad."
Manik fires back, "You like me." It's both a statement and a command, and he follows that with the declaration that she can't like anyone other than him. Frustrated, Nandini admits angrily that he's right - she does still like him - "But what good is that?" After all, he won't have anything to do with her, and he treats her like-
Dropping the umbrella, he grabs her in a kiss the kiss starts slow at first but then becomes wold and passionate. Manik was more dominating and nandini was letting him do what he wants after all its a dream come true for her. He was bitting and sucking her lower lip and was tasting every corner of her mouth but nandini was just sucking his upper lip with there tongues dancing around.
Pulling back, he instructs nandini not to say that she likes anybody but him. Mollified, nandini nods in agreement, then notes that this is their second kiss.
Smiling, he gathers her to his chest and corrects her: "It's the third." And then he adds, "It's okay, you don't have to count anymore."