Hey guys,

I apologize for not giving you an update, for nearly a month. I was really busy with projects, and certain other activities that I couldn't get time to write. I hope you guys haven't moved on from my writing. Lol! Anyhow, it feels good to be back! Enjoy reading! That is, if you're still interested.

~When life taught me the most important lesson- heart knows the best~

-Affu-

In India

In MruNi's Home

Nandini's Bedroom

"Grumpy coffee!" she screamed in horror, startling Manik, who looked up at Nandini and then jumped off the bed, to reach her. "Lilli--" Manik trailed off, only for Nandini to show her palms to him. "Stop! Don't. Don't you dare come towards me." she screamed, and Manik stared at her, stunned.

"Wha--Why--Oh hello! What's wrong?" he questioned, stupefied, and she stared at him angrily, before palming her eyes. "What's wrong? The heck you think by going around naked, dude?!" she yelled out, and he looked at her for a while, before looking down at him.

"Lilliput! I'm not naked. Just shirtless." He stated blankly, before going towards the bed, and pulling his shirt down his head. "Just shirtless?! You freaking are in a girl's bedroom. How the hell is it a valid excuse?" she cried out, and he walked towards her to take her palms off her eyes.

"I'm decent, now." he said, when she resisted his hold on her. "I thought you were sanskari." she glared up at him, and he let out a sigh. "Something poked at my chest, and it was hurting. I wanted to see what it was, hence, removed the shirt to check it." he reasoned, and she rubbed at her head.

She just saw him shirtless. Had it been any other guy, she would have been fine with it. She has seen multiple guys roaming around shirtless, in the beaches, back in London. But watching her Grumpy coffee shirtless, whom she just had a good sleep with, wasn't so comforting to her heart.

"I don't like shirtless guys." she stated, before moving out of his way, and his eyebrows raised. "I thought girls swoon when they see six packs!" he stated, amused, and she turned around with her eyebrows wiggled. "What? I do have six-packs!" he rolled his eyes at her.

"It's not vanilla cone to swoon over. Besides, what's there in a shirtless guy?" she stated, before mumbling under her breath "Except for the guy who just slept beside you." 

"So...you don't swoon over shirtless guys..." Manik stated to himself, and he had a smile on his lips. The thought of her not getting interested in other men's bare chests, made him quite happy; the reason unknown to him.

"I don't find men's chests appealing, but their eyes." She shrugged, and he looked in the mirror on the side. "How do I know if my eyes are appealing enough?" he mumbled to himself, while the room's door was barged open, startling both Manik and Nandini.

"Princess!" and Nandini stood rooted on seeing her brothers barging inside her bedroom. "Bhayyu?" she frowned, but was taken in a warm hug, by her brothers.

While all Manik did was to stare at them, aghast.

"Why did you scream?" "Kisine kuch kiya apke saath?" and their gazed moved towards Manik, who just realized he's in the seething brothers' sister's bedroom.

"Uh..no! I---I just saw something I shouldn't have seen." Nandini rolled her eyes, on seeing her brothers' protectiveness oozing out of their bodies. "And what was that?" Karan asked, narrowing down his gaze at her.

Nandini bit onto her lips, thinking for an excuse. She threw a look at Manik, hoping he would find an excuse, but he looked too scared to even intervene.

"It must be the chocolates." Mrunal intervened, who was a silent spectator until now. "Actually, I had left my chocolate in here, and you know Bhai, Fluffy hates chocolates." Mrunal grinned, before showing a bar of chocolate, which was actually taken out of her jean pocket.

"Chocolate?" Shivaay questioned, staring at Nandini, who grinned. "You don't like chocolates, Bhabi?" and both Manik and Nandini's head whipped towards a confused Mukti, standing at the door.

"Why is everyone in here, today?" Nandini mumbled to herself, under her breath.

***

"Bhabi! Your home looks so beautiful, you know. It has that warm apna ghar-wala feeling." Mukti admired the showpieces placed around the living room, while Nandini smiled at her. "Thanks, Choti Malhotra! Waise tho ismein meri Mother India ki kamal hai. She taught me how to keep home simple. Aur Ma ke style hamesha apna hotha hain na." Nandini winked at Mukti, who frowned at her.

"Why do you call me Choti Malhotra, Bhabi?" Mukti asked, and Nandini shrugged. "Because you are the youngest Malhotra. Aur waise bhi, everyone considers you to be a child. So hui na choti Malhotra." Nandini patted at Mukti's cheeks, who pouted.

"Not fair, Bhabi. At least, you shouldn't take me as a child." Mukti spoke sadly, and Nandini chuckled. "Alright! I'll look for something else for you, then." Nandini said, and Mukti's face brightened with joy.

"Choti! You can call me Choti, Bhabi." Mutki jumped joyfully, and Nandini stared at her in awe. She was really a child at heart. "Teek hai, teek hai. Bulaoongi. Ithna jump karke mere ghar thodna math. I'm not so rich to get another Villa in a day." Nandini said, and Mukti giggled.

Nandini smiled, which was short lived, when she saw her portrait where she was standing in between her parents, hanging on the wall, behind Mukti.

"Hayee meri Daadi ki Rab ji!" Nandini cried out, quite loudly, which startled Mukti. "Daadi ki Rab ji? Bhabi, whaaaa--" Nandini held onto Mukti's shoulders, not letting her look behind. "Choti Malhotra...yaani, Choti...er..er..er.." she looked between the portrait and Mukti, frantically, with her big eyes widening a little more, while Mukti stared at her perplexed.

"Uh..why are you so tall?" Nandini stared back at Mukti, helplessly, on not finding a better comment. "Wh--what, Bhabi? You think I'm too tall?" Mukti asked, and Nandini could find disappointment in her voice.

"No. No. No. No. No." Nandini shook her head, patting Mukti's cheeks. "I didn't mean you're too tall. I mean, you're too tall. But that's a good tall. Not bad tall." Nandini babbled, and Mukti stared at her incredulously.

"Yaar mein kya bol rahi hun! Do people go crazy in nervousness?!" Nandini pouted sadly. "And why would you be nervous?" Mukti asked, and all Nandini did was to stare at her.

"Hey Mukti! Liked our home?" Mrunal joined the girls, and Nandini breathed a sigh of relief. "Mrunoooo!" Nandini dragged Mukti to where Mrunal was standing, and made the latter to hold the former's hands. "Mruno! I need to use washroom. Take Mukti to our kitchen, and make our finest drink for her." Nandini showed her eyes to Mrunal, who understood something was wrong.

"Cool! Waise bhi, you still have to see our horrendous kitchen. Come come." Mrunal dragged a confused Mukti along, while Nandini glared at Mrunal's back. "It's not horrendous but too clean for your taste. Now, don't come back." Nandini called out, before rushing towards the photo corner of her home.

Nandini loves to hang portraits on the wall. But she doesn't hang them everywhere. She has a photo corner, where she places all the portraits.

"Damn! I have a lot of pictures with Appa and Ma. Why did I even hang our pictures in here?! I should have known that people love me so much that they would end up at my place." she babbled before staring down at the pictures, in dilemma. "I cannot leave my photo corner empty. But they shouldn't see the pictures too. Kya karun?" she looked at the portraits, helplessly.

"Lilliput!" her head snapped around to look for the voice, and she grinned. "Grumpy coffee!" she rushed towards him, but he was lost. Lost in the pictures placed around.

"Actually, I had come up to a conclusion that God ji is not interested in me anymore, that I started to worry so much aajkal. Lekin nahi. Lagtha hai unhe bhi patha hai mujhse zyada irresistible koi nahi iss dunya mein." Nandini blabbered, grinning widely. "Acha listen! Don't let anyone, I mean, any Malhotra or your friends be here. There are a lot of pictures of Appa and Ma with me, that they wouldn't need a DNA test to know that I'm the only nishan of Shekhar Murthy and Shamishti Murthy's pyar." she added, while looking around the pictures, and then back at Manik.

She frowned.

Because, he was still lost. 

"Grumpy coffee!" she called out, but there was no response. She followed his gaze to see him staring intently at the pictures. Frowning, she looked back at him. What's so much to stare at her family pictures? It's not like he did not know her true identity.

"Oh hello!" she clicked her fingers in front of his face, breaking his gazing session. He looked back at her, with his pupils dilated, and face blank. "Kya hua?" she questioned, surprised, and he pulled her along with him, a little closer to the portraits.

"Aye! Stop pulling me, Grumpy coffee. Tch! Hua kya hai iss sanskari pole ko!" she muttered out loud, to which he paid no heeds. "Who--Who is she?" he questioned, and Nandini took her hand away from his hold, before punching quite hardly in his stomach.

"That was for dragging me like I'm some doll. I do not tolerate such manhandling." she retorted, but Manik just let out a frustrated sigh, before looking back at her, who was massaging her wrist. "Just make sure nobody comes here. I'm going to meet Choti and see if she sees something she's not su----hey, not my wrist ag--" she trailed off, when she felt him examining her wrist, and then slowly rubbing at her skin, which had become slightly pink, due to his hold.

"I'm---sorry. I didn't meant to hurt you. I was just..." he looked back at the portraits, and then at her, who was staring at him. "Is it hurting?" he asked, and she narrowed down her gaze at him. "What's wrong with you?" she questioned, and he sighed. "I was about to clear this doubt of yours, if you had answered my question, when I took you to the wall where portraits were kept." he replied, and she nodded.

"Yeah. By pressing my hand and dragging like I'm some robot of yours, who needs to answer all your questions." she said, sarcastically, and his eyes held guilt in them. "I'm sorry na, Lilliput. Bas...hogaya tight hold. I was just dragging you, and I didn't even realize that my hold was too tight on your skin." he pleaded, guiltily, and she sighed.

"Since I don't keep grudges with people, especially with those I'm in very good need of, I forgive you." she shrugged, and his lips broke into a smile. "Finally!" he took her hand in his again, and then smiled at her. "Sure, it's not hurting, right..?" he asked, and she took her hand back, from his hold, to smack in his head. "I don't like too much of sweet in my drink, Mister. So be Grumpy coffee. Not sweet coffee. Wo tumhara taste bhi nahi hai." she said, and he chuckled.

"So...what was it about?" she raised her eyebrows, and his gaze immediately moved to the portraits. "I just.." he began, looking back at her, and then moving towards one certain portrait which had caught his eyes. "I just.." and this time, his memory lane went back to the moment he spent with Nandini.

The way he got worried for her. The way he took care of her. They way he wiped her tears away. The way he took her in his arms to make her sleep. 

And most importantly..

The way his heart started to beat rhythmically with hers, when his sleep broke once and got to see her sleeping form in his arms.

What were those feelings? Was it just friendship? He never behaved such, with any of his friends. Then why her?

Shouldn't these actions and feelings be reserved for HER? Only HER?

Then why Nandini?

Does he really want to know about this portrait now, or did his heart start to drift away from HER to...

"Grumpy coffee!" he was brought out of his thoughts, by Nandini, who had started to shake him by his shoulders. "Huh!" he stared at her, whose eyes were looking right through his soul. "I know that you like to have your own company, rather than anyone else's, but that does not mean that you will have a conversation with your heart, while you were actually talking to me. Tell your heart that you'll come at night time, when everyone else is asleep." she babbled, and he kept staring at her.

"Hua kya hai coffee wale apko?" she questioned, while touching his forehead. "You are sweating." She frowned, and he gulped down at her touch. "N-Nothing. I'm fine." He stepped back, making her lose body contact with him. "I-I'll just come." he said, and left a perplexed Nandini behind.

"Which sanskari saap bit onto him, now?" she questioned herself, frowning.

At night

Raj and Nyonika's Room

"She resembles your best friend." Nyonika muttered to herself. "How can Mukti think that two different people could resemble each other? I mean, kya rishtha hai meri Shammi aur Nandini ke beech? So what if Nandini says something similar to what Shammi used to say? People can have similar thoughts." Nyonika started to pace around the room.

"Tsk! But why doesn't it sound so convincing?" She palmed her mouth, in exasperation. "I don't know what to do, God. Please help me out." she muttered lowly.

"Nyo! Why are you running around our bedroom?" Raj questioned, on entering their bedroom, and Nyonika rushed towards him. "Raj!" she held onto his biceps and hugged him tight, taking him in surprise. "Well! This is a first time. When did my beewi sahiba start to get interested in being romantic?" he spoke while reciprocating to her hug.

In return, she just drew circles on his chest, thinking about her best friend, her daughter's words, and about Nandini.

"What's the matter, Mrs. Malhotra?" Raj pulled his wife's chin up, to see a pair of worried eyes. "Raj! I miss Shammi." Raj's eyes softened on seeing tears pooling in his wife's eyes. He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"I know!" he said, while keeping his chin on her head. "Maybe that's why I'm believing in Mukti's words." Nyonika sniffled, and Raj frowned. "Mukti's words?" he questioned, and she nodded. "She thinks Nandini's character is similar to Shammi's." she stated, only for Raj to shriek out loud.

"Whaaattt? Usse bhi patha hai ab?" he cried out, on remembering how Rohit caught Nandini's lie. Did his wife also come to know about Nandini being his best friend's daughter? What is he gonna do, now? Oh his wife is going to enjoy killing him. But why would she hug him, if she was mad at him?

"Usse BHI patha hai mathlab?" Nyonika broke the hug, and narrowed down her gaze at her husband. "Usse kya patha hai, Raj? Aur usse bhi mathlab?" she questioned, and Raj realized his wife is clueless about this topic.

"Oh! I mean..I mean.." he looked around, finding for an excuse, when in reality he's about to burst out crying like some animated version of Hulk who's about to cry out loud. 

"Uske aage?" she folded her hands against her chest, and Raj stared at her, blankly for a second, before faking laughter. "Uh..usse bhi mathlab..usse bhi patha hai mathlab mujhe patha hai. And if I know about something, and then someone else also knows then it's usse bhi patha hai, Nyo. I cannot say usse patha hai, but usse bhi patha hai. Hai ki nahi!" He reasoned, and Nyonika's mouth fell open, but no words came out.

"Raj! Aap pee rakhi hai kya?" she questioned, and he nodded in negative, frantically.

"Of course not, Nyo. We are going to sleep. You think..you think I'm crazy to drink now? Nah. No damn way." he waved his hand in air, and then looked back at Nyonika, who stood with her face stoic.  He let out a sigh, and then nodded.

"About that. Yeah! So, I was just thinking the same. Yaani, Nandini...that child kinda talk like Shammi. As in, such gentle words and all. But that's just about it. People can have similar thoughts. But I was...just wondering about the same, and then my daughter thinks the same. Huff! My little one is just like me. Isiliye, I was shocked. Huff!" and then he took a towel, from the towel rack. "Waise, I'll shower and come. I stink a lot, nowadays." and he rushed inside the shower, leaving a doubtful Nyonika behind.

One sweet secret about Raj Malhotra. He can never lie. He speaks out what he thinks. He cannot even sugarcoat words to impress someone or to hide his real feelings. Especially if that someone is close to his heart.

One fine trait he has given to his beloved son.

"Why was he lying to me?" Nyonika questioned, and then stood determined to find out the reason behind her husband's changed personality.

Next day

"Good morning!" Nandini stood at Harshvardhan's door, who looked behind to see his future grand-daughter in law. "Nandini bete!" he smiled widely at her. "Well. I don't belong to that sanskari traditional bahu types. So I'm not gonna ask for your permission to enter your bedroom." Nandini stated, while entering inside his bedroom, and Harshvardhan stared at her, all amused.

"Well. I think I like you the way you are, bete." Harshvardhan said, and Nandini looked at the man in front of her and wondered why couldn't she get someone like him as her grandfather.

Well, the destiny was never so kind with her!

"Waise, I'm here to meet you." Nandini smiled at Harshvardhan, ignoring her thoughts about her own grandfather. "Whoa! May I know what made you leave your handsome boyfriend and pay a visit to this old man?" Harshvardhan was all smiles, and Nandini kept her finger on her chin, as if she was lost in deep thoughts.

"Actually. My boyfriend is handsome, but he's got your genes in him. So, who's the most handsome, now?" She grinned, and he nodded. "Valid point. That makes me the most handsome, even in this age." he said, and the duo laughed out.

"I wanted to gift you this." Nandini said, while forwarding a packet, which was hidden behind her back, all this while. "A gift? Bete, you cannot gift someone every time you meet them." He sighed at Nandini's love for gifts, and she shrugged.

"If I'm gonna buy you gifts for every time I meet you, then I'm gonna be bankrupt, for sure. Phir mujhe apne sasural walon pe depend karna padega paise keliye." she joked, and Harsh chuckled at it. "This is for something special." she said, and he took it from her, frowning.

"Special, you say?" he questioned, and she bobbed her head, with her eyes twinkling joyfully. Harshvardhan smiled and opened the packet, only to see a small cylinder shaped thing. "What must be this?" he muttered, looking at Nandini, who shrugged again.

"When it's your gift, you shouldn't ask about it to anyone, but just find it out yourself. That's a different joy." Nandini said, and Harsh smiled at the gentle heart of the girl in front of him. He looked back at the gift and found a button. Pressing onto it, he found the cylinder gaining more length, and before he knew, it touched the ground.

"A--walking stick!" Harshvardhan stared at it, amused. "Jiska zarurath ab thak nahi hai apko. So you still have to find the gift." Nandini completed for him, and he frowned, but looked down at it, to find another button. Pressing on that, the stick changed to something sharp.

"A Cane Sword!" Harshvardhan smiled down at it. "I always had a thing for it. Yaani, although you look old and helpless, when someone comes to attack you, you suddenly smirk and then bring this thing out, scaring the attackers away." Nandini babbled with a dreamy look on her face, and he huffed at it.

"Old and helpless? Excuse me? I look fine." Harshvardhan defended himself, and Nandini rolled her eyes. "Yeah! Every Malhotra is too self-obsessed." she said, and Harsh's eyes widened. "My grandson surely falls under that list, but I do not." he said, and Nandini nodded.

"Yeah. Yeah." she dismissed the topic, only for the Old man to huff at it. She smiled at him, and prayed that he lives forever. "Aaj grandparents day hai." she said, and he looked up at her, to see her smiling. "It's a day Appa and I used to celebrate it in London. Aa mein yahan unke bagair hun, aur socha, why don't I gift something to you. You told me that I'm like your grandchild, so that makes you my grandfather." she added, and Harsh smiled down at her. He patted on her head, lovingly.

"Of course, bete. You are a part of this family, now. So whoever is in this family belong to you, as well." Nandini blinked the guilt building up in her, and smiled at him. Is she really doing right by fooling this entire family? Don't they deserve to know her true identity and she's not any girlfriend of their son?

She did not know!

"Waise, what did you gift your grandparents? That is..if they're still alive..." Harshvardhan said, softly, and she stared at him, blakly. "Uh...my Appa's appa is the only one alive, and he---he doesn't like gifts and all. Isiliye, gift nahi kiya mene. That's why I gifted you. You won't deny my gifts." she lied, and he smiled at her, again.

"Thank you, bete." he said, and she shrugged. "Apno se thanks ya sorry mangna mathlab jannath se bhi khush nahi hai aap. So, rakhiye aap apne thanks. Waise, I'll go and meet Grandpa." and she left the room, so that Harsh doesn't ask anymore questions, regarding her grandfather.

But she did not know that she left a clue behind!

***

"Grandpa?" Nandini wandered around the corridor, after meeting the ladies of the house, in search of Raj Malhotra. "Nyonika Auntie said this was their room, right?" Nandini asked herself, while knocking at the door. 

"Grandpa?" and then she pushed it open, without entering inside. She looked at the room, to see none. Entering inside, with the door opened, she looked around to see a couple of portraits hung on the wall. She smiled at them.

"Seems like Appa was right about his best friend being too mushy." she commented, on seeing the portrait where Raj was kissing Nyonika's cheeks, affectionately. "I wonder if such true love can be seen, nowadays." she muttered to herself reminiscing how her father never leaves her mother's side.

She was about to look on her left where she could find some small photo frames kept on the side-table, when she heard a 'click' and before she knew, she was banged into something hard.

"Ouch! The hell is that?!" she cried out, and fell on the bed, with that 'hard substance' on top of her. "Damn!" she looked up, hissing in pain, when she heard her grumpy coffee's voice.

And their eyes widened.

"Lilliput?" he questioned, on staring at her shockingly. "What are you doing here?" he added, and she pushed at his chest. "I'm here to meet Grandpa, but wh----wait, why the hell are you naked?" she cried out, and then palmed her mouth, on realizing he was just in two TOWELS. One hanging around his neck and one wrapped around his waist, and now lying on top of her.

"Shit! I--I'm sorry!" he widened his eyes, while she looked away, and pushed at his neck, as his chest was not a good option. "Get up, Grumpy coffee." She swatted her hands, and he nodded. "I'm trying." and he fell on her again. Why the hell does his father have so many duvets on one single bed?!

But this time, he fell on her with such a force, that his lips touched hers. Their eyes widened, at the lip contact they shared. Their breathing halted for a second, at the proximity they shared. Their protests stopped at the pleasure they felt, with that single peck

An accident peck, though!

"Manik!" their gazing session got halted, with one familiar voice. Turning their heads towards the door, they came face to face with an equally shocked and embarrassed Raj Malhotra!

"Hell!" they muttered together, unknown to the fact that Manik's hands went around Nandini to cover her with his body, though she was properly dressed, yet he felt the need to do so. While her head dipped in his chest, in embarrassment.

The heck just happened!!

***

So how was the chapter?

I'm trynna be regular with the updates, since I'm done with all my projects, now. Just hoping I can keep up with my word.

With love,

Affu.