In the beach

Manik was sitting on a bench in between Cabir and Gagan who were actually glaring at Manik like they would eat him up raw. Manik didn't know how to start a conversation..

Manik ( sighed ): Okay, I am sorry..but, stop staring at me like vultures..

Cabir ( sarcastically ): Why don't I stare at you like a peacock then..? Is that fine with you Manik Malhotra..?

Manik ( bad face ): Cabir, it wasn't funny..

Gagan ( glared ): Wow, so you were waiting for us to joke..? Come one Cabu..let's start entertaining the great Manik Malhotra..

Manik ( annoyed ): Daadu..please, not you at least..

Gagan ( irritated ): What do you expect form me, then..? Should I ask Nandini's hand for you, again, when you were the one to reject her for the previous time..?

Manik ( puppy face ): No, I don't want you to ask again..

Cabir ( sighed ): Manik, I always told you not to be so impulsive. Just because of your anger and this impulsive nature, you lost her..you could have had a thought on that proposal before rejecting her straightaway..

Manik ( bad face ): She rejected me too..

Gagan ( sarcastically ): Yeah, you were a gentleman with her, so she decided to reject you..

Manik ( defended himself ): Haa tho, she instigated me..She should have understood my point..

Cabir ( held his head ): Like really, Manik..? You could have justified yourself before barking on her. If a woman ever expects something from a man then it's RESPECT. Even, if she doesn't want Love or Care, but she will expect to be respected..

Manik looked down in guilt..

Manik: I am sorry..I just..just lost my temper..

Gagan: Kam se kam, ye tho samaj mein aaya tujhe..

Manik made a puppy face and both Cabir and Gagan sighed at him..

Gagan: Mann, I can't ask her hand for you again..Ahaan is a gentleman, someone who doesn't speak much, someone who doesn't give a damn to what others think but follow his morals. But, that doesn't go for his daughter. Nandini is his brother-in-law's daughter. Zaara could be clsoe with Nandini but Ahaan doesn't need to. Though, it wasn't the same like people expect because for Ahaan, Nandini is his daughter. He doesn't call her PRECIOUS just for name sake. He mean it. Isiliye, mujhe nahi lagtha hai ki phirse wo tumhare liye uski beti ke rishthe ke bare mein soch sakthe hai..

Manik was feeling bad after hearing it. He knew, that he lost her, forever..

Manik: Nahi Daadu, you won't ask any such things from him. I will not tolerate it..It would be a shame for you and Malhotra family. Maybe, she is destined for someone else..Shayadh meri dream girl abi thak mere samne aane keliye taiyaar nahi hui..Let's go get some sleep..Chalo..

Manik got up and moved away with a sad face and that affected the other 2 men a lot..

Cabir: Daadu..kuch karo na..

Gagan ( sighed ): Cabu..ye sab..

Cabir ( interrupted ): I know, ye sab mushkil hai..Par, he is my little brother. Kehne keliye tho mein usse bas ek saal ke bada hoon, but for me, he will always be my little brother..Pehli baar usne kisi ladki ke bare mein socha hai..I don't want him to be sad. I just can't see it..

Cabir was just losing his calmness. Had it been in his hand, he would have got Manik and Nandini married right away. Because, for him, Manik means everything. He says, he doesn't need a child soon because according to him, Manik, his first child isn't matured yet, which is partially true..

Gagan ( sadly ): Cabu, don't make it hard for me..I don't know what to do..

Gagan and Cabir were thinking on how to get rid of Manik's sadness when suddenly an idea hit them hard..They looked at each other in a friction of second..

Gagan ( cringed his eyebrow ): Are you thinking the same what I am thinking..?

Cabir ( scratched his head ): Isn't it obvious..?

Gagan ( smirked ): Game on, then..

Cabir ( smirked ): Of course, but haan..don't let him know. I want to see his face once their marriage gets fixed..

They smiled at each other and departed to their villa..

Next Day

Nandini got ready in her traditional attire with a grumpy face and stood in front of Kailash and Janki..

Kailash ( smiled ): You look beautiful, princess..

Nandini ( smiled ): Patha hai..kuch naya tho bolo na Papa..

Both chuckled..

Janki: Tum ithni grumpy kyu lag rahi ho..?

Nandini ( bad face): Because, I don't want to meet that GUY..

Kailash ( sighed ): Princess, He is a good guy. His grandpa is one of my business partner. You would have heard about Oberois..

Nandini ( sighed ): Papa, I know about Oberois. They are one of the renowned business family but then, you know me right..I hate this meeting guys frequently. Some would be clingy and some would be so annoying..

Janki: Tujhe tumhara Papa pe bharosa hai na, princess..

Nandini ( smiled ): Of course hai, Nana..

Kailash ( smiled ): Then, just go for it..

Nandini smiled and took their blessings..She went to all of her family members and took blessings from them. Kailash didn't tell about the proposal to her brothers as they will also go with her and then they would end up in threatening the guy before he could even meet Nandini..

Kailash led her to the beach and pointed a table where she saw a guy reading magazine..

Kailash: That's him..Isn't he perfect for our daughter, janki..

Nandini ( studied him ): He looks like a gentleman..Handsome too..

Kailash smiled and asked her to move. She hugged him and moved ahead while Kailash and Jnaki sat a little bit away from the guy and Nandini..

Nandini walked to the table and cleared her throat..

Nandini: Excuse me..?

The guy turned to her..

Nandini: Um..Nandini Chopra..

The guy smiled shyly..

Guy: Jithendhra Navodhya Harsh Oberoi..

Nandini ( thought ): What the..ye konsa naam hai..Jithendhra Navodhya Harsh tho iseeka hi naam hona chahiye..

Guy ( shyly ): Beithiye na Nandini Ji..

Nandini raised her eyebrow in surprise but then managed to fake a smile and sat in front of him..

Something wasn't noticed by her was there was someone else who was watching and hearing this event with furious eyes..

Manik decided to take a walk around the beach as it's something gives him peace. He was disturbed with the previous night conversation and so couldn't sleep properly. That's a Manik Malhotra's thing. If he's upset, he wouldn't sleep and next day, he would want someone to pamper him to change his mood..But to his dismay, he can't discuss the matter with his mothers so he decided to get some peace. But how can his over protective brother and grand father could let it happen. They too joined him for the walk and after covering nearly 20 minutes of walk, they decided to have something and got seated in the beach's restaurant..

Cabir: Chal, let's order something. I am damn hungry..

But Manik's attention turned somewhere else and he got lost in it..

Manik: Beautiful..

Hearing it both Gagan and Cabir got shocked and followed his gaze..

Cabir ( surprised ): Nandini..

Soon, they saw moving to a guy and clearing her throat..

Nandini: Excuse me..?

The guy looked at her..

Nandini: um..Nandini Chopra..

Guy smiled shyly and that was the moment when Manik felt it weird.

Guy: Jithendhra Navodhya Harsh Oberoi..

Cabir made a horrible face..

Cabir: Ye iska naam hai ya apne khaandhan ke bhi hai..?

Manik and Gagan chuckled at it..

Guy: Beithiye na Nandini ji..

Nandini sat in front of him..

Manik ( pissed ): Ye ladka ithna sharma kyu rahe hai, jaise ki she is going to be his would-be..

Gagan and Cabir chuckled silently..

Jithendhra ( shyly ): Aap kuch khaoge..

Nandini: Um yeah..a cup of coffee..

Jithendhra ( palmed his mouth ): Haww..coffee..ye aap kya keh rahe hai..

Nandini got startled with the sudden shout..

Nandini: Kyu..koi problem hai..

Jithendhra: Arey aap nahi janthe..Caffeine isn't that good for health..Yathi aap chahthe hai ye sab peekar aapke sundharth badegi tho aap bilkul galath hai..

Nandini ( annoyed ): Ek sec..What is yathi..?

Jithendhra: Arey iska arth hai " If "..

Nandini ( frowned ): Agar is the word for it, right..

Jithendhra: ye shudh hindi hai..

Nandini ( thought ): Isse tho kacha chaba bana chahiye..shudh hindi mein baath karne keliye mein kya iske Hindi teacher hoon..

Jithendhra: Aap kaha khogaye hai..

Nandini ( fake smiled ): Kahi nahi..jo aapko acha lagtha hai wahi order keejiye..

Jithendhra smiled shyly again much to Mnaik and Nandini's annoyance..

Jithendhra ( to waiter ): Get me two cups of milk..

Nandini stared at him with wide opened mouth while Cabir whose elbow was resting on the table got slipped..

Gagan ( shocked ): Ye konse era se hai..?

Cabir: Kahi hum koi 1980s mein tho nahi..

Jithendhra: Nandini Ji..aap dhoodh pee sakthe na..

Nandini ( thought ): Haa haa..mein abhi abhi paidha hui hoon jo dhoodh ke alawa aur kuch peetha hi nahi..

Nandini ( fake smiled ): Kyu nahi..

Manik ( pissed ): Ye ladki sab keliye haa kyu keh rahi hai..

The waiter with a shocked face went away while Jithendhra turned to Nnaidni again with a shy smile..

Nandini ( murmured ): Na jaane ye ladki hai ya mein..

Jithendhra ( shyly ): Aap mujhse kuch poochna chahthe hai..?

Nandini ( fake smiled ): Ji nahi, I have heard about you from my grand father..

Jithndhra: Oh..tho mein kehdetha hoon..mein ek businessman hoon aur aap tho meri honewali pathni hai tho aapko mere baare mein sab kuch jaana hai..

Nandini ( thought ): What the heck..He just decided I will be his wife..Ughhh Papa...

Manik kept the glass of water with a thud on the table after hearing it..

Manik ( shocked ): Honewali pathni..

Gagan and Cabir too got shocked..

Cabir: This was a proposal meeting..??

Jithendhra: Mein ek sanskaari family se hoon. Meri beewi mein kuch gun hona chahiye..Mein chahtha hoon meri pathni ek kudumb sthri hona chahiye..

Nandini: Wait what..?

Jithendhra: Arey, family woman ( Nandini nodded with a bad face ) aur mein keh raha tha..meri pathni meri maa ki har baath maanna chahiye..Jo meri Ma kahegi wahi karna chahiye..Meri ma zyada strict nahi hai Nandini ji..unka kehna hai, sthri raath ke 11 baje se pehle sona nahi chahiye aur subah 5 baje uthna hai aur ghar ke khaana subah 7 baje se pehle ready hona hai..aur ghar mein khana purush arthath "men" khane se pehle nahi khana chahiye aur apne pathi ka vasthr, arthath "clothes" wash karna hai..bas ithna hi..

Nandini's jaw has dropped down in shock while Malhotra's conditions were no less..

Manik ( freaked out ): What the f***..He wants a wife or a servant..?

Nandini ( shocked ): Wo zyada strict nahi hai..?

Jithendhra ( smiled proudly ): Bilkul bhi nahi..aur ab meri baari..mein tho kuzh zyada nahi chahoonga..meri pathni bohath sundhar hona hai, aur aap tho badi sundhar hai..

He smiled shyly for which Nandini just rolled her eyes and Manik fist his hand in anger..

Jithendhra: Aur, meri pathni tho bohath educated hona chahiye wo bhi hai aap..aur Nandini Ji..aapko good news hai..

Nandini ( sighed ): Ab kya hai..

Jithendhra: Jaise aaj kal ki ladkiyan chahthe waise mein bhi nahi chahtha ki aap jaldhi ma banna hai..

Nandini's eyes got widened again while Malhotras made a " Are you serious dude " look..

Jithendhra ( smiled shyly ): Arey mein jantha hoon, aap bhi figure conscious hai..Pregnancy aur delivery ke wajah se aapke figure ko problem hogi..isilye hume kids kam se kam 5 saal ke baad..

Nandini made a pissed off face while Manik was about to erupt his volcano..

Jithendhar: Bas ek kammi hai, aap mein..

Nandini ( confused ): Kya mein jaan sakthi hoon wo kya hai..

Jithendhra ( smiled ): Ji bilkul..mein chahtha hoon ki shadi ke baad aap kaam math keejiye..

Nandini ( shocked ): What..?

Jithendhra ( nodded ): Aapke kaam bohath bhayanak hai..aur meri pathni tho ghar ki rani hona chahiye..

Nandini had enough..She stood up in anger..

Nandini: Seriously..? Konse era se ho tum..? Ab thak mein apne Papa keliye chup thi but not anymore..You actually wanted a servant not a wife. Like really..? Waking up at 5 and making breakfast ready and shouldn't eat before the men..God..are you even for real..? Ye sab purane aurathe follow karthe the jo apne dil ke baath duniya se kehne keliye darthe the..And I am not among them..I am a modern woman so I would never wish to marry a guy who knows only to let his wife live under his feet..

She stormed away form them while Jithendhra slightly sobbed..

Jithendhra: Mien tho bas mere dil ki baath keh rahe the..Is it wrong to describe my future wife..

While, after hearing Nandini the Malhotra men busted out in laughter and Manik stood up and followed Nandini..

Nandini moved to her grand parents' table and sat with an angry face..

Janki ( excitedly ): Princes..uss ladka pasandh aaya tujhe..

Nnadini ( smiled sarcastically ): Of course..aap shadi fix keejiye..aur sath mein ek ladki bhi doondo uss old school bag ko..

Kailash ( confused ): Kya..mathlab kya hai..

She narrated the whole incident and Janki stared at Kailash in anger after hearing it..

Janki: What the hell Kailash..Aap aise ladke ko laaya hai hamari bachi keliye..Isse sanskari nahi bikhari kehthe hai, one who begs for a servant from a reputed family..

Nandini ( giggled ): Well, bikhaari suits him more..Old school bag isn't that cool..

Kailash ( puppy face ): Mujhe nahi patha tha, sanskaari ke mathlab aisa hoga..Sorry janki..Princess..

Nandini kept her head on his shoulder and patted his cheek..

Nandini: Hotha hai kabhi kabhi, Mr. Chopra..koi nahi, mein aapko maaf kiya..

The duo giggled and Janki smiled at them..Manik was watching them with a smile..

Mnaik ( whispered ): She could change her mood for her family..Why didn't I see the real you, Nandini Chopra..

Voice: Sometimes, we fail to notice the real person..

Manik tuirend to the vocie

Manik: Daadu..cabir..tum log yaha kya kar rahe hai..

Cabir: We were just following you so that you don't end up in kissing Nandini after knowing that she said No to that olden era guy..

Manik hid his blush and glared at him..

Gagan: Kiss..ithni jaldhi..?

Manik ( whined ): Daadu..

The duo laughed at him..Manik saw Nandini, Kailash and Janki moving out of the place..

Manik: Chalo, hum bhi chalthe hai..

Cabir: Haa, tumhari Laila jo chali gayi..

Manik ignored his comment and moved further while Gagan chuckled and followed him and so Cabir..

In the Evening

In Chopra's Villa

The ladies were in the kitchen while men were in the garden playing golf..

" Ding Dong "

Ishika: Iss waqt, yaha kon aaya hoga..

Eva ( smiled ): Mein dekhthi hoon, choti Ma..

Ishika smiled and nodded at her..

Eva walked to the door and opened it to get surprised..

Eva: Abha Di..Sachan Bhai..

Abha and Sachan were smiling at them and along with them, their whole family was also present..

Abha: Eva..kaisi ho..

Abha hugged Eva who hugged her back with equal favor. She side hugged Sachan too..

Eva: Aap sab andhar aaiye..

Malhotras entered inside and Eva asked them to settle down..While Takshivi came out to check who it was..

Takshvi: Eva, kon aaya hai..

Eva turned to Takshvi..

Eva: Badi Ma...Abha Di aur unke family aaya hai..

Takshvi walked towards them and smiled warmly. Abha and Sachan got up and took blessings from her..

Takshvi: Abha..kithne din hogaye..hum sabko bhool gaye kya..

Abha: Nahi Aunty..mein kaam mein busy thi..sorry..

Takshvi ( smiled ): Its okay..we all missed you and Sachan..Nandu batha rahi thi ki tum apne family ke sath yaha vacation mana rahi hai..waise..ye sab..

She pointed to the family and Abha introduced everyone..Every couple took blessing from her..

Abha: Aur ye hai Manik..Manik, ye hai Takshvi Saaransh Chopra..You might have met Gaurish, right..His mother..

Manik smiled in understanding..He bent and took blessing from her while Takshvi got an instant liking towards Manik..

Takshvi ( smiled ): Khush raho beta..

Manik smiled at her..

Takshvi: Aap sab beithiye..mein Daada ji aur Dad ko bulathi hoon..

Meanwhile other ladies too came outside and met Malhotras..While somene was staring at Manik with a glare..

Cabir: Manik, wo ladki tumhe ghoor kyu rahi hai..

Manik turned to the girl..

Manik ( frowned ): She is Eva Ishaan Mukherjee, right..wo mujhe aise kyu ghooregi..

Cabir ( scratched his head ): She is Nandini's friend, I think..We heard her telling that she and her husband are together since childhood, so its obvious they would be friends..

they thought for sometime and it hit them..

Manik/Cabir: She knew about the proposal..

They turned to see Eva smirking at them..They gulped thinking she would be an obstacle to reach Nandini..

To be continued..