~When Life taught me about it...Distance~

-Affu-

In London

A beautiful morning. What exactly does it mean?

A fresh day, with bright sunlight and clear clouds? Nah. I don't think so. 

A new day, with a beautiful beginning and an even beautiful ending, between which had lots and lots of memories that could be cherished forever.

Yes, that was it. That was the meaning of a beautiful morning.

If not for you, then it was, for at least Nandini Murthy!

"Morning Mr and Mrs. Murthy!" Nandini jumped down the last stair, and rushed towards her father, who was having his morning tea. 

"Shona! Stop jumping and start to walk, Shona." Shamishti started to scold, when she saw her daughter jumping down the stairs, rather than walking. While Nandini moved to hug her father.

"Oh come on, Ma. I am not gonna fall. Badi ho chuki hoon na." she moved towards her mother to greet her with a hug too, who smiled at her. 

"Badi ho chuki hai, isiliye tho bol rahi hun na. Ab tho walk kar, bachon jaise jump math kar." Shamishti scolded Nandini again, while patting her cheeks lightly.

"Is it written on my face that I am a grown up, hence, walk and don't jump?" she made a poker face and stared at the duo.

"Bilkul nahi. Meri bachi jo chahe wo kar sakthi hain." Shekhar smiled, leading Nandini to grin like a kid.

"See! That's called support, Ma." Nandini winked at her mother.

"According to me, it's called Pampering." she said, and walked towards kitchen.

"Well! She's just jealous." both Nandini and Shekhar waved their hands in air, in displeasure.

"Suna mene." Shamishti called out, from kitchen.

"Sunne keliye tho kaha." the duo replied, only for Lady Murthy to mutter curses at them, who were laughing at her expense.

Suddenly, Nandini's mobile started to ring, and she stared at the mobile, before picking up and then staring at her father, while twisting her two fingers behind her back.

"Mruno is always behind me. Uff." Nandini muttered, before jumping up and leaving the dining hall, while Shekhar chuckled at it, and started to get busy in reading his newspaper.

"Why don't you just change the time? Ya phir, jab baath meri aathi hai tho time ke khair hi nahi hai kya? I get that, I am such a precious personality and you guys crave to hear my voice, lekin phir bhi, get a perfect time to call me na." Nandini spoke, non-stop after attending the call.

"Hogaya? Ab mein kuch bolun?" the person on the other end asked.

"So why do you think was I speaking? Khudko sunne keliye hai kya? Waise, aapko bath karne keliye mujhse poochna hai tho, phone kyu kiya. Seedhe message bhej na that can you talk to me or not." Nandini replied, while huffing and the person did the same.

"Jaan!" the person palmed his face. "Jiii, Rithvik Bhayyu!" Nandini replied.

"Why is it that I always go speechless when you speak?" he asked, and Nandini gave a thought to it.

"I had already told this, lekin phir bhi batha rahi hun ek aur baar. Mein hun hi taareef karne ki cheez ki sab speechless hojathe hai." Nandini spoke casually, and Rithvik chuckled.

"Of course. Acha chod, aur ye batha ki plan hai..." his sentence was cut by someone else.

"Princess!" it was Asad, and Nandini palmed her ears.

"Bhayyu! Kyu pareshan kar rahe ho mere ears ko? Let them live peacefully." Nandini replied, while rubbing her ears.

"What the hell is your plan? If you don't have it, we are coming there." Asad said.

"Oh? Really? I didn't know that Shekhar Murthy had no problems in his daughter meeting her brothers, whose parents and grandparents don't live with him." she spoke out, and Asad groaned.

"Choti yar! Stop irritating him na." Om kept the phone on speaker, and Nandini nodded her head. 

"I don't irritate people. I state facts, Bhayyu." Nandini replied.

"Yaar baby, don't stop. You are doing something that I never could have done in my life. Irritating Asad Murthy." Sidharth exclaimed happily.

"Yaar, sab ke sab pagal hain. Where are my most sensible Bhayyus?" Nandini whined, and her sensible brother spoke out. "Hearing you, Cutie." Rudr chimed in, and Nandini grinned.

"Bhayyyuuuu!" Nandini sang and this time, it was the brothers who palmed their ears. "Cutieeee!" both Karan and Rudr sang in the same tone.

"Guys, shut up!" the rest of the boys barked out, and this halted the three.

"Ab batha dho. Angel, plan kya hain?" Viren asked, while keeping his hands on his waist, as if Nandini could see his big brother look.

"Nothing special. Mein India aa rahi hun. Sirf Mruno ke saath." Nandini grinned, while others widened their eyes.

"Aur Appa ne maana?" Shivaay asked, shockingly.

"Nahi. Appa ko thodi patha hai, Bhayyu." she spoke casually, without any hesitation.

"Mathlab..what does Appa know then?" Asad voiced out, and Nandini jumped in her place, out of joy.

"That I am going to America for doing an extra course." she spoke enthusiastically, and the boys gaped at each other.

"Nanni! Jhoot bolke?" Shivaay asked, and Nandini sighed out loud.

"Jab baath Murthys ke hai tho seedhe seedhe kuch nahi honewala Bhayyu. Isiliye, Nandini Murthy ke style mein kaam karna hai ab." she stated, and her brothers gulped.

"And you know how Nandini Murthy's style is." Sidharth pointed out.

"Yup!" she grinned widely. "Ekdum teda." she added, and the boys bobbed their heads at it. "Aur ekdum khatharnaak bhi." they too added, which she ignored for the time being.

***

"Anju Ma! I am not going to wear that color. It's decided." Manik picked a Black shirt up in his hands, and kept the Yellow shirt on the bed. 

"What? Now you don't like my choices too?" Anjali glared at Manik, who rolled his eyes at her.

"Who wears Yellow shirts?" he asked, while throwing his hands in air.

"Guys who need to get noticed, do wear bright colors. Aur waise bhi, tum date pe jaa rahe ho. DATE pe. Can you imagine? Hayee, mera beta date pe jaa raha hain." Anjali exclaimed joyfully, and Manik frowned.

"What? Date pe? Oh hello Mrs. Malhotra, stop dreaming faltu dreams. I am going for a business meet." Manik retorted.

"So? You are going for a lunch, with your business partner, who happens to be a lady. So hui na date. Ab fatafat wo shirt peheno. Black color pehen ke kaun date pe jaathe hain?" Anjali snatched the black shirt from Manik's hands.

"Aur Yellow shirt pehen ke kaun business meet keliye jaathe hain?" Manik asked, sarcastically.

"For heaven's sake Anjali, the guy in front of you is good-for-nothing." Nyonika entered the room, with a cup of COFFEE, for her beloved son.

"Mom!" Manik occupied a seat on the bed, grumpily and Anjali threw the Yellow shirt on his face. "Wear it, and prove everyone that you are good-for-something." she said, and Manik stared at her helplessly.

"If I wear this, I am definitely going to get more attention than required." Manik cried out, horrifyingly.

"That's exactly what I want." Anjali beamed, before walking out of the room and Nyonika giggled watching Manik's face.

"Mom! You have to be on my side, at least for once." Manik cribbed, with a sad expression on his face.

"Awe, beta! I wanted to. You know, I love you. Par kya karun, Anju is do damn right in here." she winked at her son, who huffed in annoyance.

"How can I get rid of such tortures?" he asked, disbelievingly.

"Ladki leke aao, Malhotra saab, phir dekhthe hain." Nyonika said, and walked out of the room.

"Ladki kya market mein bhejthe hai log that I get one for them when I come back home, from work?" he asked himself, before staring at the Yellow shirt in his hands.

"Why me?" he cribbed to himself, before staring at a ring, which was around his little finger. He smiled staring at it. "Jab tum mujhe already mil chuke ho tho, why would  I bring some other girl home?" he smiled to himself while caressing the ring and then getting himself changed into his Yellow shirt.

***

"Sujata beta! Lunch lagao." Yashjeet waked down the stairs, while cleaning his walking stick with a tissue paper.

"Sab ready hai, Papa." Sujata, who was arranging the table, looked up at Yashjeet and smiled at him.

"Shukriya, beta." Yashjeet patted Sujata's head and moved towards his seat, the head-chair.

"Aur aapke juice bhi." Hema kept the glass of juice, in front of Yashjeet, who stared at it blankly.

"Mujhe patha hai! It's all my youngest bahu's doings." Yashjeet stated, and looked up at the two ladies, who nodded their heads in positive.

"Mein nahi peene wala ye bitter juice." He declared, and the ladies sighed.

"So, who was having high Cholestrol and High sugar level in blood?" Vandhana moved to stand beside Hema.

"Not me." Yashjeet replied, and Vandhana gave him a overly sweet smile.

"Of course. Shayad problem mere blood test mein tha. Kyu, Papa ji?" Vandhana asked, and Yashjeet bobbed his head.

"I don't know anything. I am not drinking that bitter liquid." he spoke stubbornly.

"Tho phir bitter gourd juice ko sweet liquid tho bula nahi sakthe na, Papa. Isiliye adjust with the name, taste and type. Ek naak bandh kar, aur full sip." Mallika pushed the glass more towards Yashjeet, who glared at the ladies.

"Mene kaha na, nahi peena." he shook his head at them.

"Agar aap nahi peeoge tho mein Ma ji se complaint karungi. Ab ye tho sabko patha hai that Yashjeet Murthy doesn't like people complaining about him to his wife." Hema said, and Yashjeet drank the entire liquid in one sip.

"Now, can I eat something?" he asked, and they grinned at him.

"So, where are the naalayaks of my home?" he roamed his eyes around, and soon enough the chairs around the table were filled in by the people, whom he was looking for.

"Here we are, Dj." the youngsters grinned at him, and spoke gleefully.

"Hum bhi, Papa." the elder Murthys too greeted Yashjeet, who nodded at them. Yashjeet doesn't like eating alone. If at all he's home for Lunch, then he would want his entire family to join him as well. 

But the void in his heart is still not known to others!

"Um..DJ." Asad cleared his throat, and Yashjeet looked at him.

"Dho hafthe mein, apke aur Daadi ki anniversary hain." he reminded Yashjeet, who smiled fondly at the memory of his wife.

"I remember." he replied.

"So..who all should be invited?" Sidharth asked, faking a frown on his face.

"As usual..Only close friends." Yashjeet replied, while eating.

"Tho hum kya..apni ek..friend ko invite kar sakthe hain?" Rithwik asked, hesitatingly.

"Apni..friend?" Sohesh raised his eyebrows at the boys, who rolled their eyes.

"Behen hai hamari." they replied, and then bit their tongues.

"Mathlab..we consider her as our..sister." Rudr grinned at Yashjeet and the elderly men, excluding  Sooraj.

"Oh! Kyu nahi? Bulao. Mein bhi tho dekhun aise kaunsi ladki ko Murthy brothers apni behen manthe hain." Yashjeet said, and the boys grinned at him.

"Hai koi..someone who's worth it." Viren replied, and Yashjeet did see a kind of glint in his grandsons' eyes.

He wonders who this girl is! He is really looking forward to meeting her.

***

"Shona! You really think it's a good idea?" Shamishti asked, for the nth time, and Nandini stared at her, with her shoulders sank tiredly. 

"Ma! Let me ask you something. If someone comes and asks you, Mam what is the chemical formula of water, will you keep changing the formulae just because that person has asked the same question for the entire past life of his and keep doing the same in this life as well?" Nandini deadpanned, and Shamishti stared at her daughter exasperatedly.

"Shona! Not now." Shamishti waved her hands in air. "Mein bohath tension mein hun." she added.

"Haa tho kisne kaha aapse ki aapki beti jung pe jaa rahi hain? Bas Yashjeet Murthy se milne jaa rahi hun, wo bhi apni stupid best friend ke saath." Nandini retorted.

"BAS YASHJEET MURTHY? Tujhe patha hai unke power ke barein mein? And did you forget that your Appa doesn't even know about his beloved daughter's khurafati dimaag's plotting?" Shamishti exclaimed.

"Firstly, DJ ke power jithna bhi upar jaaye, Electric pole se zyada tho nahi hoga na, so its bearable. And about my dimaag, it can't be any Kurashiki, come on Ma, brain is an organ, not a place." Nandini spoke, while shrugging her shoulders.

"Budhu. Khurafati mathlab, mischievous hotha hain. Tera Kurashiki jaise ek place nahi hain." Shamishti twisted Nandini's left ear, who winced in pain.

"Oww, Ma! Lagi na." Nandini cried out.

"Aye! Why are you torturing my Princess?" Shekhar, who was gone to get a cup of coffee, for himself, rushed towards his daughter to free her from her mother's hold.

"Because, she deserves it." Shamishti stated.

"Dekho na Appa. Aapki princess bilkul bhi safe nahi hai aapki begum jaan ke saath." Nandini complained, while pointing at Shamishti, who rolled her eyes at her daughter's drama.

"Koi nahi Princess, ab tho aap jaa rahi hai na, phir iss lady bug ka tension bhi nahi." Shekhar joked, only to earn a smack from Shamishti, while Nandini could read sadness in her father's eyes.

"Aap sad ho?" she pulled at Shekhar's sleeve, who smiled before taking her in his embrace.

"Haa. Thoda tho hona hi hain. Aakhir, aap meri bachi jo hai, and you're going away for 6 months." Shekhar, sighed sadly while Nandini started to feel guilty.

She hates lying to her loved ones, especially her parents, and Shekhar being her father who's her first love, her first protector, lying to him is like a sin for her. But on remembering her father's sleepless nights, just because he was missing his family, and her mother's guilt filled face, thinking that she's the sole reason for her husband's sorrows, strengthened the determination she had in her.

Determination to get her parents' happiness!

"But I am not going to leave you forever na Appa. We are going to be together, after 6 months. We decided on a forever, right? And Nandini Murthy doesn't break her promises, does she?" she asked, while smiling at her father, who kissed her forehead.

"Yes! It is a forever. And I'll make sure my daughter is always with me." he replied, making Nandini to smile and hug him.

"Aap bhi join kar sakthe hain, you know, we don't mind lady bugs." Nandini winked at Shamishti, who slapped her cheeks lightly, before joining their hug, and kissing Nandini's head.

"I am going to miss you." she whispered to her daughter, who smiled at her. 

"Unfortunately, I am going to miss you too, Mamma bear." Nandini replied, and the trio chuckled within themselves.

"K--Kya--m--mein---bh-i--j--join--k--kar--s--sak--thi--hun?" someone panted heavily, and they broke the hug to see a person, holding onto their knees, gasping for breath.

"Zindagi mein ek baar..bas ek baar time pe aaja yar." Nandini stared at her person, disbelievingly.

"Kya karun yaar. Try--tho karthi hun na..par maan nahi raha hain." the person replied.

"Kaun maan nahi raha hain?" both Shamishti and Shekhar asked, while Nandini rubbed her ears, as if she's tired of hearing the same word, on and on.

"My Prince charming." the person grinned, and the trio sighed.

"Mrunal Singhania! Stop daydreaming about that good-for-nothing non-existent guy." Nandini threw her hands in air, while Mrunal, her best friend just shot glares towards her.

"Oh hello! Good-for-nothing hoga my jeeju, not yours." Mrunal retorted.

"Acha fine! Ab tum log ladna bandh karo. It's time for your flight." Shamishti reminded the girls, as Nandini was about to give a fine reply to Mrunal.

"Huff! How am I going to leave my home?!" Mrunal muttered, while looking around dreamily, and Nandini did the same.

"Haa yaar! For 6 months, I am going to be away from this country." Nandini held onto Mrunal, for a moral support.

"You guys are speaking as if you've never left London. This is not the first time you're leaving London for studies, right? Aise bath kar rahe hai jaise, apne desh jaa rahe hain." Shekhar muttered, disbelievingly and the girls stared at each other, while grinning.

"Oh! You never knowwww!" the girls sang and hugged Shekhar, who chuckled at them, before pulling Shamishti too.

"We will miss you. And yeah, don't worry about Avinash and Revati (Mrunal's parents). I'd already talked with them about everything that you would need in America." Shekhar patted Mrunal's hairs, who smiled at him.

"Thank you, uncle." she muttered, and finally, they bade bye to Shekhar and Shamishti, with Nandini sticking herself to Shekhar, for a hug, after every single bye.

In the Airplane

"You are not on pms, right?"  Mrunal asked Nandini, who frowned at her.

"Nahi! Agar hai tho, you might start crying, because you just left your Appa. I still remember our last college seminar." Mrunal stated, and Nandini glared at her. 

"I don't cry. It's just the water that leaks out of my eyes. I mean, they don't come out often, so pms trigger them hard by letting them out." Nandini said, and Mrunal stared at her.

"Yeah! And what part of biology does this theory fall under?" Mrunal asked.

"PMStomy." Nandini replied, while flipping the pages of the magazine, in her hand.

"Mein bhi doctor hun, ye tujhe patha hain na?" Mrunal asked, while rolling her eyes.

"Mujhe patha tha, par tujhe nahi patha tha? Bathaya kyu nahi tune? No worries, I'll tell that to you." Nandini said, and held Mrunal's hands. "Mruno! Tujhe patha hain, tu doctor hain. Tu. World ke worst insaan, worst witch, worst best friend, worst daydreamer, doctor hain. Congratulations." Nandini faked a cry, and Mrunal snatched her hands away.

"Ghanta ka joke!" Mrunal remarked, before scrolling through her mobile before switching it off, as per the announcement made in the flight, since they are about to take off.

"Waise, plan hai tere paas?" Mrunal asked.

"Hain." Nandini replied, still engrossed in her magazine.

"Kya?" she asked, and Nandini showed the magazine to her.

"Yeh hai mera plan." Nandini said, and Mrunal read the oh-so-important stuff in the magazine, which basically is Nandini's plan.

"The Malhotras? Yaani?" Mrunal asked, and Nandini stared at her, while shrugging.

"Yaani. Honewale dosth ke dosth apna dosth." Nandini said, and Mrunal's lips twitched into a smirk.

"Oh, this is hell interesting!" Mrunal exclaimed, while Nandini stared ahead.

"And I wish to see my Appa's real smile." Nandini whispered to herself.

She knew, whatever she's doing is not right, but she couldn't care, for she's now just a daughter, who can do anything for her Appa. 

It's true that, a father will always be the most important person in a girl's life!

////////

So, this is the beginning. How was it?

I welcome criticism as well, so that I can improve. Do rate the chapter out of 10.

Love,

Affu.