~Love is a blessing, but when you understand each other, you are truly blessed~

-Affu-

In India

La Cafee

If Manik ever thought that his best friend had troubles controlling him (Manik) while he gets flared up like a balloon, in anger, then he's so wrong. For its Manik, who's having a very hard time in controlling Arijit Sinha's growing anger .

"Are they going to stop the staredown yet?" Mukti whispered, who was sitting beside Manik. He averted his gaze from his best friend, and Mrunal, to his sister, and then looked back at the person beside Mrunal, who was also busy staring at Arijit, her gaze quite intimidated.

"Not a chance, I guess." he replied, knowing very well that Nandini is not a person to forget about tiffs, and from the staredown happening, Manik knew for a fact that, Mrunal and Nandini did have a tiff with Arijit.

"Uh! Let's read the menu card." Abhimanyu exclaimed, trying to grab Arijit's attention. "Look! It's your favorite Lasagna, Arijit. Why don't we order that?" Abhimanyu patted at Arijit's arms, who jerked his head to glare at his best friend. "No Lasagna?" Abhimanyu felt pitiful towards himself. "No problem! Let's search for something else." he muttered, while digging his head back into the Menu, and then glaring at Cabir and Shravan muttering 'do something idiots'.

To which, Cabir and Shravan just shrugged.

"Uh..I think Lasagna is better, Abhi Bhai." Dhruv supported Abhi's plan, who beamed at him, which was gone the moment Arijit's gaze towards Mrunal became 10 times heated.

"Sure! Order a glass of charcoal too. Maybe, we could use your best friend as the heating substance, throughout the meal. After all, he's studying for fire-spitting dragon, right now." Nandini remarked, sarcastically, yet with a blank expression on her face.

Manik palmed his face, when he heard her. Oh sure, his best friend is gonna calm down, now!

"What.Did.You.Say?" Arijit shifted his gaze from Mrunal to Nandini, who rolled her eyes at him. "English. She said too may words in English. Why? You don't understand them? No worries. Let's join you for English classes. Cad will be more than willing to teach you, though." Mrunal said, glancing at the table outside their cabin, where Cadbury and his few men were having their mocktail drinks, but keeping an eye on the surrounding.

Cadbury wanted nothing but to be close to Nandini, when Manik was around!

"You don't say a word!" Arijit, growled out, spitting fire through his eyes, just like Nandini said. "And you don't try to boss around my best friend, dude!" Nandini exclaimed, before glaring at Manik, who looked at her clueless. Why the hell is she mad at him?

"And you!" she pointed her finger at Manik. "How could you befriend this time bomb? What similarities do you share with each other to be best buddies?!" she exclaimed, and the girls gasped at the 'endearment'.

"Uh...we are childhood friends." Manik replied. "You cannot choose friends. Friendship just...happens, like how Love happens. I mean, why are you angry, Li--Nandini?" Manik tried smiling at Nandini, hoping she would melt.

"Really Bhai? You trying to give her a lesson on friendship wouldn't change the damn heated atmosphere!" Cabir exclaimed, exasperated. Manik shot a glare towards him, to shut him up.

"Heated atmosphere? Looking at his poker face which shouts I-am-the-best-guy-in-the-world-with-the-most-longest nose-in-the-world seems heated to you?" Mrunal pointed out, which only ignited the flame.

"What did you just say?" Arijt stood up, pushing the chair down. "Buddy, listen!" Manik widened his eyes, before standing on his toes. "No damn way I'm going to listen to this attention seeker's banter." Arijit growled out, and the girls stood up, while the rest of the group, just stared on wordlessly.

"The hell did you call my best friend?!" Nandini seethed, and Manik had another water heater to cool down. "The hell she is, in reality. Attention seeker." Arijit replied, and Mrunal stalked towards him. "Oh! I would love to be anyone's girlfriend, but not yours. Because, if anyone's an attention seeker, then that's going to be your girlfriend." she screamed, before punching him in his nose. Thankfully, both the tables were in a cabin, that nobody witnessed the famous business tycoon Arijit Sinha getting punched by a girl.

"Oh God!" too many dramatic gasps were heard, while Nandini was the only one who cheered for Mrunal. "Well! I guess he has nice hair, Mruno." Nandini commented, and Manik managed to shoot a glare towards her. She's checking out his best friend's hair? Really now?

"Right, fluffy!" Mrunal nodded, before emptying a bottle of tomato ketchup on Arijit's head. "What the f*ck!" he cried out, in horror, and Mrunal glared up at him. "Suit yourself, you good for nothing, time bomb!" and she stormed out of the cabin, followed by Nandini.

"I am not going to leave her." Arijit tried to go behind Mrunal, when Manik stopped him. "I am going to let you go, only when I get an explanation!" Manik exclaimed, while glaring at his best friend, whose eyes were red in fury.

***

"You called her an attention seeker just because the both of you collided into each other?" Mukti asked, with her eyes widened, while the others stared at Arijit, blankly. "Seriously Bhai? I mean, not every girl is interested in you." Shravan commented, and Arijit shot glares towards his little brother.

"I mean, he's got a point though. Some girls are into me." Cabir nodded, and Navya smacked in his head. "Shut up! Girls, we need to find Bhabi and her friend." and the girls fled out of the room, except for Mukti, who looked at Arijit, disappointedly, which affected him a lot. She was a little sister to him, too.

"Bhai! No girl would like to be called an attention seeker, if it's about a guy whom people refer her to be seeking attention from. That sounds so disrespecting, you know. If you call a girl an attention seeker, just because she likes attention from people, then it may be tolerable for people who take everything for fun, but not this." and she too walked out of the room, while the boys stayed silent.

"I don't like girls being so loud, and she was too loud and shouting at me when I yelled at her for not looking around and walking." Arijit muttered, defending his act, while Manik sighed.

"But Bhai th--" Shravan began only for Manik to cut him off. "Shravan!" Shravan let out a sigh, while Manik turned to his best friend. "Just because a girl is loud, we cannot conclude her to be arrogant or selfish, buddy. Besides, you yelled at her for colliding into you, when it wasn't even deliberate. You can't expect her to be civilized with you, after that." Manik explained.

"But you can't be sure that the collision wasn't deliberate." Arijit said. "And may I know what proof do you have to prove your point?" Abhimanyu asked, and Arijit kept silent.

"You don't, right? Then there's no right you hold, to yell at her. Damn dude, you should thank your stars that she didn't go to Police to file a defamation or harassment case against you." Abhimanyu exclaimed, and others nodded at him.

"Well, that explains why she's Lilliput's best friend." Manik said, and Cabir chuckled at it. "Back to Lilliput, eh?" he asked, after hearing that 'endearment' from his brother, after a long time.

"Shut up,Cabir!" Manik scowled, and soon enough, the girls were back in the cabin.

"Buddy!" Manik muttered, and Arijit sighed. "Fine! I am not gonna start over." he said, and Manik breathed a sigh of relief. "Until she decides against it." he added, and Manik prayed to his God that Mrunal forgets about everything.

***

The dinner went on smooth.

Nobody brought the topic up. Nobody asked Mrunal and Arijit to sort their issues with each other. It was like they had forgotten about everything.

"It was so nice talking to you, Bhabi!" Mukti hugged Nandini, smiling gleefully, and Manik felt happy on seeing the duo getting along well, reason unknown to him.

"Well, I am just gonna say that you don't sound like your Bhai's sister at all, minus the sanskari part. I mean, I've never seen him so jumpy about anything. He's as calm as an electric post." Nandini replied, breaking the hug, and Mukti laughed out, at her comment.

"Such a nice compliment!" Manik remarked sarcastically, and Nandini nodded. "I am glad!" she replied, and he glared daggers at her.

"It was a wonderful evening Mrunal Di." Mukti hugged Mrunal too, who smiled at her, before diverting her attention to a certain Sinha. "Yeah!" she smirked, staring at him, who frowned at the stare she's been giving him.

"We are going to meet often." Alya said, and Navya nodded excitingly. Mrunal and Nandini smiled, before bidding bye to everyone, and then getting in their car, to leave. Mrunal ignited the engine, before looking back at Arijit through the middle mirror, who was also staring at her.

"Attention seeker, huh! Let's learn the meaning of that word, Mr. Sinha." she smirked before zooming off to roads. "Oh, he will, for sure, Mruno!" Nandini smirked while typing down something in her mobile.

And the girls were up to something soooo beautiful!

Next day

In Manjeet Lifecare

"Okay! So you mean...this Xerox copy Reddy boy will have his lunch only from his mother's Restaurant?" Nandini asked, to the person on the other end of the call.

"Well, you can't blame him when his mother arranges all his chicks, cutie." Rudr replied, only to get smacked in his head, by Rithvik. "Do you even remember who you're talking to?" Rithvik glared down at his brother, who pouted at him. Nandini chuckled hearing them.

"He was being honest, Bhai." Karan commented, and Sidharth too nodded at the statement. "I second them, Rithvik Bhayyu." Nandini said. "Okay, maybe he was honest but he cannot speak such things when you are around." Shivaay replied, and Nandini rolled her eyes at it.

"FYI, I do know for what purpose that pleasure sucking chameleon needs girls." she remarked, and they chorused 'princess'. "Yeah?" she asked, and they let out sighs.

"Its better not to talk to her about that brat." Asad said, and Nandini protested immediately. "No way, Bhayyu! I really need to meet this guy, soon. Well, not in person though." she smirked, and the brothers grew tensed.

"Choti, he's not a good guy. You can never be safe around him, even if you don't have any intention to be around him." Om let out his worries, and she smiled. "Of course, I know that Bhayyu. He's as bad as a guy, who would like to change his flavor, everyday but then never get tired of changing, just like how a person wouldn't mind to change tissues with every use." she replied, and they palmed their faces in exasperation.

"Well, go ahead with your plan, then." Viren said, and Nandini jumped in her seat, joyfully. "But take Manik with you." Asad said, and Nandini nearly fell off her chair.

"Huh? I mean, what happened to my AI?" she gasped out dramatically, and Asad rolled his eyes. "Nothing happened to your AI, Princess. It's just that your AI trusts this kid. At least, he would protect you when we are not around." 

"But Bhai, that brat knows Manik." Rudr pointed out. "And Manik has bad blood relation with this brat, which is known to everyone in this world, so yeah, he won't be a suspicion for Harshad." Rithvik replied, and Rudr nodded in understanding.

But Nandini was in her own world.

"Uh...Manik won't be free today. He has an important work." Nandini lied, and the boys freaked out. "What?" "You are not going, then." "Its final."

"Bhayyu!" she sighed. "Hadn't I met Manik, I would have still completed my Mission. You know I don't like to take help from anyone to do something for myself. Manik initiated to help me in this mission, and I couldn't say NO to him, but that doesn't mean I'll go to him for every other thing that I need to do for myself. I can look after myself." Nandini said. It was no hidden truth that Nandini had some traits of her grandfather too. She was an independent person, from childhood. If she wanted to do something, she never liked asking for help from someone, not even from her family or friends.

But with Manik, something was different. She didn't mind asking him to help her. She didn't mind to order him around, like she olds that right. Heck! She didn't even mind that lip-to-lip peck. 

These feelings! She has to get rid of them!

"Alright, Angel. As you wish. But...do take care of yourself. Will you?" Viren asked, and Nandini grinned. "Sure, Bhayyu. I still need to be safe and sound to hear 'Bua' from certain kids." she beamed, and they groaned out loud.

Her love for their non-existent wife and kids!

In Malhotra Motors

"You can leave, Varun." Manik dismissed his employee, and got back to the file on his table. He was reading through it, but his mind was playing beautiful moments that he shared with his Lilliput.

He covered his face with his hands, dropping the pen in his hand, sighing tiredly. "How am I going to get rid of these thoughts? Why don't I stop thinking about her? Damn these feelings!" Manik cursed under his breath.

He was avoiding her. In fact, he's been doing that for hours now. He did not wish her a good morning. He did not give her any phone calls to know if there's any progress in her mission or not.

But surprisingly, neither did she call.

Was she okay?

TRING TRING

He grabbed his mobile the next second, and answered the call.

"Lilliput! You okay?" Manik's words and emotions were on reflex, and so the other person's. "You were expecting her call, Manik?" the voice boomed, and Manik nearly dropped the phone.

"A-As-ad Bhai?" Manik stuttered, confusedly, and alarmed. Why the hell was Asad Murthy making a call to him?

"You forgot to answer my question." Asad said, and Manik raked his brain to remember the question Asad talking about. What was it again?

"Uh...I don't...remember the...question." Manik replied, nervously, and Asad let out a sigh of defeat. "I asked if you were expecting a call from my sister, because you took her name while answering to my call." Asad said, and Manik gulped down the lump in his throat.

"Uh...ye--yeah. Actually...she...she didn't call me today. I mean, she doesn't have to...but...you know...we are doing a...yeah, we are doing a mission...together. So yeah...I was...expecting her to...call me." he stuttered, and Asad frowned.

"You mean, you are free today? Like, no important office work?" he questioned, and Manik looked down at the pile of work on his table. "Uh...not exactly. But it's still my duty to help Lil--I mean, Nandini." Manik said, and Asad concluded that Nandini didn't ask for Manik's help. Maybe she knew about his schedule, or maybe she didn't want to take his help.

"Alright. Princess is at Mrs. Reddy's Mother Hen's Restaurant." Asad said, and Manik's eyes widened. "Why the hell is she going somewhere where that lady rules?!" Manik cried out, and Asad was surprised with the change in Manik's tone.

"Because, the brat is going to be there, and she has some plan for him." Asad replied, and Manik stood up, pushing the chair backwards, which hit the wall, quite loudly. "Damn it. She has to go alone when that hormonal guy is present." Manik growled out, before stomping out of his cabin. "How could you let her go, Bhai?" he hissed, while moving towards the elevator.

"Manik!' Asad took his name calmly, which halted Manik's outburst. "She's going to be fine." he said, and Manik took deep breaths to calm himself down. "And I want you to make sure that my statement is right." Asad added, and Manik went stiff, before nodding. "I will, Bhai. Don't worry, she'll be fine." and Manik hung up on the call, leaving a confused Asad on the other end.

"Is that kid developing something mushy for Princess?" Asad asked himself...

In Mother's Hen Restaurant

"You know...when my friends recommended this Restaurant, I didn't expect good looking lads in here." Nandini commented, while fluttering her eyelashes, at the flushed waiter standing in front of her. "I like this place." she said, smiling widely. "And the people in here." she added, making the waiter to blush profusely.

"I am glad, Madam." he blushed again, and Nandini rolled her eyes mentally, but faked a sweet smile on her lips. "I would like to have a glass of orange juice, and a plate of chocolate fudge brownies." she placed her order, and the waiter grinned at her.

"That's so much like something a beautiful girl like you would like to devour." the waitoer commented, and Nandini grinned. "Can't help it. I need to look beautiful plus I am hungry." she said. The waiter chuckled and left, leaving a relieved Nandini behind, on her seat.

"Damn! I know I was missing all the mischiefs that Mruno and I did, back in London, but flirting is still not my cup of juice. It's so mushy, dude!" she groned into her hands, before looking around for a certain Reddy boy.

"Where the hell is that pleasure sucking chameleon?!" she hissed under her breath, when she heard someone pulling the chair on her right. She turned towards the source of voice, only to widen her eyes.

"What the hell are you doing here, Grumpy coffee?" she deadpanned, and Manik glared down at her. "May I ask the same question, Miss?" he asked, and she frowned at his facial expression. What happened to him?

"Oh no need." he said, before she could open her mouth. "You are here to plot against Harshad Reddy. Am I right or I am right, Miss Murthy?" Manik faked a smile on his face, and she stared at him aghast.

"Don't tell my brothers interrogated you just to know that if I was lying or not!" she exclaimed. "What?" he questioned, frowning. "Oh damn! How did I get caught? I should have known I can never lie to Bhayyus." she muttered to herself.

"I don't know what non sense you're talking, but do tell me why I get to know about your plan from Asad Bhai, instead of you, Nandini." he said sterny, and Nandini looked back at him. "Asad Bhayyu informed you about the plan?" she asked, widening her eyes.

"Yes!" Manik replied. "Whoa! I thought Asad Bhayyu and Shivaay Bhayyu don't interact much with people." she said. "They don't. But this time, it was about their sister. Not, stop with your KBC, and tell me." he demanded, and Nandini sighed, before looking away.

"No reason. I just didn't want to trouble anyone with my problems. This is my issue. Only mine. I can take help from people only when it's necessary. It's just me, who has to complete this mission, so I didn't want to bother y---" she was cut off, and brought face to face with Manik, with only a few centimeters distance between their faces.

"Would you mind shutting that mouth?" he hissed angrily, and she glared at him. "My mouth. My wish. You don't have a say in it." she barked out, and he kept his finger on her lips, halting her rants, and her heartbeat, but just for a while.

"Shut up, Lilliput!" he shot more daggers at her, and this brought her out of her trance. She pushed his finger away, and tried to pull out of his grip. "I don't like it when you try to put yourself in danger." he said, and she looked up at him, halting her attempts to free herself from his hold.

"Harshad is no good guy, and so his mother. And you are here to collect proofs against them, which they would never appreciate. So I won't leave you alone to fight them. You may be the most intelligent and strong, but I don't trust your skills when it comes to them. I won't let them hurt you. So next time you do something like this, you will let me know." he cupped her left cheek with his right hand, and his left hand resting around her to keep her in his hold.

"Will you, Lilliput?" he asked, caressing her cheek, and she tried to shrug off the shiver running down her spine, with his touch. "I was never an obedient child. I don't think there's any difference now." she voiced out, and he smirked. "Its alright! I will remind you to be an obedient girlfriend." he said, and she squinted her eyes at him. "Oh sure, you can, boyfriend." she muttered sarcastically, making him chuckle.

They sure have forgotten that they're a fake couple!

"Huh!" someone gasped, and they looked towards the source, only for Nandini and Manik to frown at the intruder. The waiter.

The same waiter! Nandini thought. She looked at his expression, and then at the position she was in with Manik. She widened her eyes, before detaching herself from Manik.

"Hey! You are back. I thought you forgot about me." Nandini smiled cheekily at the waiter, who looked at her and then at Manik, heartbroken. "Oh by the way, meet him." she pointed at Manik. "My friend." she stressed the word friend, and the waiter sighed a relief, while Manik's head jerked towards her.

My what?

"Ah! Nice to meet you." the waiter placed the tray in his hand, on the table. "Quite close friends, I think." the waiter said, and Nandini nodded. "Yeah! Best friends since childhood." she said, and Manik frowned.

"Oh! He must have a girlfriend too. Right?" the waiter asked, expectantly, and Nandini didn't know why, but she didn't like that sentence at all, while Manik looked at the intruder, blankly.

"Uh...yeah. In fact, we are here waiting for her. It's a surprise for his...girlfriend." she said, smiling widely, and Manik's shocked gaze moved towards her. "Oh! Good that such boyfriends exist." the waiter smiled at Manik, whose hardened gaze moved towards the waiter.

"Could you get me a bottle of water too? I thought you would get me one, without asking for it." she blinked like a doll at the waiter, who stared at her dreamily, before nodding and walking away.

And that was enough for the volcano to erupt.

"What the f*ck was that?" Manik growled out, pulling Nandini closer to him, and she palmed his mouth. "Shh! Don't shout. The guy is interested in me, and I have to take advantage of it. You better not ruin my plan, by that horrendous mountain like voice." she scowled at him, and he pushed her palm away.

"That guy is interested in you?" he hissed lowly, and moved his head around to find that waiter. "Why the hell would I flirt with him, then?" she asked, and he looked back at her, angrily.

"You were flirting with him." he said, and pulled her more closer, if that was anything possible. "Grumpy coffee, stop being grumpy for a while, and switch to cold water. And listen. I'm trying to use that waiter to help me in collecting proofs against that brat. So yeah, keep distance." she finally detached herself from his hold, only for him to pull her again.

"What yaar!" she groaned, and he angled her face to meet his eyes. "He better keep his distance from you, warna, I'm going to make him pay for giving all those looks to you." he spoke lowly, yet dangerously, that for a second, even Nandini felt intimidated.

"Uh...okay. Now, be calm." she said, rubbing his arms, trying to calm him down, which did it's work.

"Uh..water, Madam." the waiter broke their moment again, and this time Manik had a sweet fake smile plastered on his face.

"Oh sure, thanks dude!" and Manik took the water bottle from the waiter's hand, while Nandini stared on wordlessly. Why the hell is he behaving weird?

And why is he still holding onto her.

"You're welcome...sir." she looked back at the waiter, who was stuttering in fear, and eyeing Manik's hold on her.

This guy is seriously trying to show off his right on her! That stupid Malhotra!

***

Hey guys!

It's been really a long time. How are you all? How was the chapter?

I'm sorry for going gayab, but I had no choice. It was my housewarming, and I had lots to do. I hope you guys can forgive me.

With love,

Affu.