~Phir le aaya dil majboor kya keeje
                      Raas na aaya rehna door kya keeje
Dil keh raha use maqammal kar bhi aao
                      Wo jo adhoori si baat baaki hai
Wo jo adhoori si yaad baaki hai
                     Wo jo adhoori si yaad baaki hai ~

I was still lost in those memories when Raima peeped inside the cabin and I asked her to come inside, she handed me an invitation letter which was from Manik and Alya to invite me and Neil for dinner at their house, tonight. I was scared, because I knew Neil won't come with me, and if Manik came to know that Neil and I had problems , then it won't be good. But if I also don't go then they will definitely have a doubt, I had to go there. I called the number given in the card and Manik picked up.

"Hello, Manik, Nandini here. Thanks for the invitation. We would be there by 8pm. But I am not sure if Neil would be free tonight. This is all so sudden na, he won't get time to finish his work."

"It's okay Nandini, let him be but you come for sure!" I will talk to you later, bye."

He hanged up and I was already nervous for the night. How will I face him and Alya together? It was difficult for me to handle him alone and that too for a short period of time and now, dinner with them at their house? Seems to me a task which is impossible! But you can do it Nandini! Come on!

I finished my work and met the remaining patients and saw the time. It was 6pm, I decided to buy some gift for them and bought a hamper of cookies, chocolate cookies to be precise because I knew Alya loved chocolate cookies, and Manik loved chocolate, so this was the best option.

I reached home, and found a note by Neil which said " I have to go to Dubai, for a business tour, will come back in a week, till then, Bye. ~Neil"
I wished if he could call and tell me, and if he had asked me to take care of myself, then it would have been better. But if he would have done all these things then maybe our relationship would have been much improved than now.

I wore a simple red dress which came till my knees, and bold red lipstick,with some Kajal and mascara, wore diamond earrings, red stilettos and let my hair open. I told the address to my driver and we got going.

I reached, and it was a huge mansion, of course, it Manik Malhotra's mansion. I found some fans lingering around the gate pestering the guard to let them inside but the guard was asking them to leave, and then my driver talked with the guard and he let our car in as we caught the jealous eyes of the fans.
I slowly walked inside the mansion and was greeted by Alya who hugged me as she saw me.
"Where were you huh? Shaadi pe toh bula liya hota? We won't eat you up! Where is your husband? I so wanted to meet him! "

"He couldn't come, Alya. He had to go for business tour to Dubai, I also got to know when I reached home."

"Her husband is too busy Alya, you know he is a successful man, if he will come and meet us, then his time and money will be wasted , nahi Nandini?"

Manik made a sarcastic remark on Neil and I couldn't help but glare at him and decided to change the topic. But Alya helped me.

"Nandini, it's okay! Acha I will see the dinner arrangements! You and Manik talk, okay?"

I nodded and she left for the kitchen, Manik gestured me to sit on the sofa, he also sat opposite me, an awkward silence took place amidst us and I didn't knew what to say.

"So, how's life? Pretty well, I guess , you're loving your life isn't it?"

He asked and I gulped my nervousness and nodded.

"Very well, everything is in place, Neil's business is going smooth, my career is also doing well! Everything is perfect. What about you? I don't think I should ask this question actually! Everyone knows about you nowadays! "

" Yeah, it is good also, but it is bad also, private life getting exposed is not a thing anyone likes, and it's risky too! You never know who will link you with whom! It's dangerous! But you're lucky! You don't have to face all this, by the way, I have heard about Neil, he travels too much, kabhi Australia,kabhi America,and now Dubai! You never feel insecure of him?"

What should I say now? That there is nothing left to be insecure of, he was never mine, and cannot be. You were mine from the very beginning .

" Nah,you know Manik , har relationship mein ek stage aata hai when you trust your partner more than anything else, and I guess we both have crossed this stage and are now living a happy married life."

" I don't know, maybe you're right or maybe not. "

And I couldn't take it anymore, I couldn't lie more, and excused myself and went to help Alya. She was giving instructions to the servant, and I was seeing her.

"You have changed so much, Alya! All because of Manik, isn't it?"

"Yeah,I guess, I have! But Nandini, the truth is Manik has changed because of you, after what you did, it was impossible to bring Manik back, I mean he felt so betrayed and cheated, that......I am sorry, I should had spoke about it, it's meant to be a fun dinner, not a serious one!"

"Yeah, so how come you and Manik came together?"

"Manik and me together? What are you talking about Nandini? We both are not together! I mean we're like best friends! Not girlfriend boyfriend! I was having a crush on him earlier, but Manik clarified his feelings to me, he has only felt that kind of attraction with you, not with someone else! Who told you this?"

What the hell! Manik lied to me about his relationship status with Alya, but why? What will he get from all this? Was he trying to make me jealous? But why? He knows I am married to Neil, and ......my chain of thoughts was broken by Alya who was staring me, she asked me to come to the dining table, I went to the dining table, where Manik was already seated, and Alya took a chair beside me , and we started eating, when I remembered the chocolate cookies, that were in the car. I called my driver to bring the chocolate cookies inside, he came and I handed them over to Alya, saying a token of love from my side. She took it happily and Manik stared. The rest of the dinner took place peacefully and silently.
Alya asked Manik to show me the garden as she knew I loved gardens, Manik asked Alya to come along, but she refused saying she had some work, and will join later.

We both slowly walked in the garden when Manik spoke

"Why are you lying? And till when will you lie?"

"Excuse me? What are you talking about? What have I lied about?"

"Oh come on! You are  lying about everything related to your married life, the truth is you're not happy! Do you think I am a fool? I don't understand anything! "

"Shut up! I am not lying! Neil and I are happy together!"

"Yeah, Neil is happy with the sluts he meets in every trip of his, but you're not happy! I know everything about Neil, his tours, the girls he slept with, just everything! And I also know that you know about it, but you're ignoring the fact just to save that 'happy marriage' of yours! There is no compatibility of you and Neil,he doesn't care about you, I think he doesn't remembers also, that he has a wife!"

I was hell shocked, how can he know the things which even my parents or Neil's parents didn't knew, he knew the sufferings I was going through?

" How do you know about it?"

"Erm, it doesn't concerns you! But I know it!"

"It concerns me Mr. Manik Malhotra, he is my husband!"

" Bhaad mein jaaye tumhaara so called husband! When I got the news of you both's marriage, I found out everything about Neil, and then the girl who gave you the evidences of him cheating on you, she was sent by me to make you aware of how shameless your husband is. But still, you didn't leave him! Why Nandini! Why were you lying to us? "

OMG! The girl that showed me the evidences was sent by Manik, he helped to expose the scandal of Neil and his sluts, he cared so much about me.

"Just like you were lying to me? About your relationship with Alya? You both are not in a relationship! You both are just best friends, god damn it! You did all this to make me jealous, right?"

He was shocked at this statement, he wasn't expecting this from me, he didn't knew I got to about it, but I had to get the answers to these questions !

"Yes, I wanted to make you jealous,happy? Because, God damn it, I care for you ! I love you! Ab bataogi, why you left me that day, and were lying to me about him?"

I couldn't believe my ears, Manik confessed his love for me, the love he wanted to confess for 5 years, I can't understand Manik's grief, I know he had suffered a lot, after I was gone, and I still felt guilty of all that. And the only reason of all the problems were my parents , their over protectiveness for their daughter which didn't allowed me to live a life of my own.

" Manik, because of my parents, since childhood, I have listened to them, I can't betray them Manik, I love them, and I can't let them down! If they get to know about my marital life with Neil,they will be hurt , they won't be able to take it, and I know it!"

"And you can let yourself down, your self respect? What about it, Nandini? I am not instigating you against your parents , Nandini. But the thing is you should let your parents know about status of your life with Neil. I am sure they will understand! "

I don't know why but I felt like confessing him the feelings I felt for him,that were buried in my heart for 5 years, those feelings were the only relief from the worthless life I lived with Neil.

" Okay, fine! I will talk to them tomorrow! And Manik, I wanted to let you know something, I love you!"

He looked at me blankly, not able to believe what I just said,after a couple of seconds thinking, he said

"I know that idiot! There is one more thing which you need to know, I am leaving tomorrow, I have a flight to catch to Mumbai, this was Alya's house, my recording and concert is done.  I reside in Mumbai, and I have one extra ticket to Mumbai, anyone interested to come along?"

I nodded and ran to him and hugged him as he picked me up and we both smiled. Finally I was complete, my life was complete. Finally, the only Fariyaad I had with my life was fulfilled.

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