~Bahot udaas hai koi tere jaane Se,
                                       Ho sake toh laut aa kisi bahane Se,
Tu lakh khafa Sahi magar ek baar toh dekh,
                                    Koi toot Gaya hai tere rooth jaane Se . ~

Five years ago

13th February 2012

"Mukti, I will be there in while, I have taken the cab and will reach the venue, you don't worry! It's okay baba, I will manage, I am not a small baby! Love ya!"

I kept my phone in the purse and looked outside the window of the car to see the world famous weather of Mumbai. I asked the driver to turn off the AC and pulled the window down to experience the winds of the city that never sleeps. The winds came blowing inside the car, caressing my cheek and spreading the message of love, of course. Those winds had love in the air, and why won't it be? It was the Valentines Week, and 1 day was left for Valentines. I, Nandini Murthy was here to attend the wedding of my best friend Mukti, here in Mumbai. After persuading my parents to let me go, though I was a psychiatrist  by profession and was an adult, my parents didn't left a chance to interfere in my lives, to be honest I was irritated and frustrated by their behaviour, but what can I do? After all they were my parents and they know the best for me. I closed my eyes and tried to breathe the air of love around me. I don't know but something inside was telling me this trip is going to change my life, but I ignored the thought concentrated on breathing.

"Nanduuu! Finally aa gayi tu! How are you? I am so happy! I was thinking you're gonna miss it! "

"Aise kaise miss karti apne best friend ki shaadi! I am so happy for you Mukti! Where is Abhi?"

Mukti pointed towards a boy wearing a black jeans and white shirt, I slowly ran towards him and patted his shoulder to which he enveloped me in a friendly hug.

"Nandini, I am so happy you made it! "

"And I am so happy you decided to tie the knot with Mukti, she was waiting for you for so many years! Finally you're making it official!"

"Yeah,I know but tum bhi toh jaanti Ho na, I wanted to settle my career? And when everything was settled, I decided to settle my love life also."

We both smiled at each other and Abhi introduced me to his friends, Cabir and Dhruv, Cabir was a funny and jolly person who was jugaadu guy of the group whereas Dhruv was a quite and serious type of guy and one more was going to arrive, and actually it was his farmhouse only where all the ceremonies will take place, I went to my girls gang, and met my old friend Navya and Alya, Navya is still the same girl with orthodox views and a strong believer of God, especially "Mata Rani" whereas Alya is the same girl who finds a new lover every week.

After some time, it was fun time, we were all handed some boards which we had to hold and click photos, one waited handed me a board and went, I didn't even looked to it when a handsome guy with a proper built physique came to me and started picking me up, I restrained him
"Excuse me, what are you doing?"
" So strange ! If we don't follow the order of the woman, they consider us as inconsiderate, and if we do it, then also they have problem! Look at your board!"

I looked at my board which said "waiting to be picked up" and I smiled guiltily to which he replied with a smile and went towards the boy gang, and joined them, he was a Manik Malhotra, a MBA graduate and a singer by passion, he knew Mukti from a long time because of Abhi and they had brother-sister bond between them. Navya didn't liked him much because of his flirtatious nature and Alya thought he was not her type.

We all were enjoying when Manik pushed Abhi and Mukti into the pool, and Navya out of fear sat near the pool, while Alya jumped into the pool herself, the only person left was me, and I was finding ways to avoid it when Manik came to me and picked me up and jumped into the pool, I closed my eyes out of fear and when I opened it, I found Manik flirting with another girl, and he winked at me while I murmured to myself "Playboy"

Later we all retired to our rooms for Mehendi and Sangeet function, and it was a dance competition between Boys and Girls and the team that loses has to strip tease! This condition made Navya scared and she refused to participate but I gathered her confidence and assured her about our win.

It was time for the evening, I wore a black crop top with golden skirt and a pair of golden danglers, and reached the spot where the ceremony was going to take place, and I started to practice my steps there, but I forgot to remove my heels and I was going to trip when a strong masculine figure holding me, I looked up to him, it was Manik , I inhaled his cologne and stood on my own, he looked at me, and whispered a wow to which I blushed a little and I also complimented him to which he rubbed the back of his next which looked cute.

"Strip tease karne ke liye taiyaar Ho na? I mean it's clear who is gonna win!"

" Sorry, but this showed your mentality towards girls,playboy! And it's clear who is gonna win, it's us, we are gonna win!"

We both looked at each other with a competitive spirit and the competition begin, both the teams had to dance on songs together, the other that gets tired first is the loser, we started off with songs, and the current one was "Thug Le" of Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl. And we all were enjoying when suddenly Manik took out his jacket and rushed towards me to cover my back, he spoiled his performance, which meant the boys team lost. And then I noticed that the strip of my br* was visible to people. And we got to a side when I thanked him and he replied
" Main utna bhi bura nahi hoon jitna tum sochti Ho"

Then he went towards the rest of the group and announced that he had planned a special song for the couple. I looked on as he went to the orchestra to explain them the tune and started....

Tu jo nazron ke saamne kal hoga nahi
Tujhko dekhe bin main
Mar na jaaun kahin (x2)

Tujhko bhool jaaun kaise
Maane na, manaaun kaise?
Tu bata...

Roke na ruke naina
Teri ore hai inhe toh rehna
Roke na ruke naina...

He took Mukti's hand and twirled her around and then gave her hand to Abhi and they both started dancing slowly, then he did the same with Navya and Alya and gave their hands to Cabir and Dhruv and they all started dancing.

O...

Kaat'ta hoon laakhon lamhein
Kat'te nahin hain
Saaye teri yaadon ke
Hat'te nahin hain (x2)

Sookh gaye hain aansu teri judai ke
Palkon se phir bhi baadal
Chhant'te nahin hain

Khudko main hasaaun kaisi
Maane na, manaaun kaise?
Tu bata...

Roke na ruke naina
Teri ore hai inhe toh rehna
Roke na ruke naina..

I found Manik coming towards me and he asked my hand for a dance and I agreed , he slowly entwined his hands into mine and we did the steps slowly as he held my waist and we were swinging to the tunes of the song. My breathe got hitched when his breathe touched mine and I looked down when he pushed my chin up with his hands and made me face him.

Mmm.. o...

Mmm..
Haathon ki lakeerein do milti jahaan hai
Jisko pata hai bata de
Jagah woh kahaan hai (x2)

Ishq mein jaane kaisi ye bebasi hai
Dhadkano se milkar bhi dil tanha hai
Doori main mitaun kaise?
Maane na, manaaun kaise?
Tu bata...

Roke na ruke naina
Teri ore hai inhe toh rehna
Roke na ruke naina..

He twirled me around and my hand rested on his chest as he pulled me towards me and slowly we stopped dancing as the music slowly stopped . We both were in awkward position as we pulled apart and all congratulated Manik for his new song and complimented him for his voice. Then we all retired to our rooms for a sound sleep as tomorrow would be a tiring day as it was the wedding day. But sleep was miles apart as my mind was in Manik's thoughts everytime, he was not letting me sleep and finally I couldn't take it anymore and got up from the bed and started strolling in the garden of the farmhouse, there were lights everywhere sparkling, making the atmosphere of the place romantic, I found a glass of orange juice with a book which was 'The Notebook' at the table in the garden, I looked around but no one was there, slowly I went towards the platform where the wedding was going to take place and "Twitch" someone switch on the lights of the platform, and it was all looking so beautiful, when I heard someone coming towards me.

"Hasrat hain sirf tumhe paane ki,
Aur koi khawahish nahi is deewane ki,
Shikwa mujhe tumse nahi khuda se hai,
Kya zarurat thi tumhe itna khubsurat banaane ki....."

I turned to find Manik standing there, wearing a black shirt and black jeans and left the first two buttons open of his shirt which disclosed his muscular chest, he looked at me with a twinkle in his eyes, and slowly came towards me and I also walked towards him.

"Yeh sabko bolte Ho ya mere liye khaas learn kiya hai?"

He grinned and leaned close to me, cupped my face and looked deep into my eyes.

" Tum special Ho."

Before I could say anything he shushed me and looked at the time, and wished me

"Happy Valentine's Day Nandini. I don't know what got into me when I saw you today morning, and it would be weird if I say I feel something different when I am with you, I don't know what this feeling is, but I want to know, with you. I want to discover this newly discovered feeling of mine. I just want to know do you also feel something different when you're with me or am I the one who is feeling everything?

"Manik, I don't know what to say , You know why I came here? Because sleep was miles apart from me, and it was because my mind was equipped with your thoughts, those thoughts were not letting me sleep, and now after knowing you also feel something for me , I can't help but say , yes I also have this strange feeling which I don't know but want to know, with you."

He enveloped me in a tight hug as I kept my head on his shoulder and smiled, he gave me a forehead kiss, and asked me to meet him here after the wedding, and we left for our rooms to sleep.

And the wedding day arrived, we girls were with Mukti, while the boys will come with Abhi in his baraat, and we all were getting Mukti ready for the marriage, when Manik came inside,
"No boys allowed here!"

Navya screamed and we all calmed her down as Manik told he was here to wish Mukti luck as her brother. And that was when Mukti's phone beeped and it was a message from Abhi which read "you didn't told me how many kids you want? Reply fast!"
Manik read the whole message to us and we all were laughing as hell and that's when Manik said

"You both want kids? "

"What do you mean? Kids are so cute, who won't want them?"

I answered him and he looked at me with naughty expression.

"Nahi, I meant to say itni jaldi? Thodi married life bhi toh enjoy karlo!"

He said and Navya closed her ears and we all sent Manik out as he winked at me.
Soon, baraat arrived and we all danced except Mukti, and slowly the wedding ceremony began and that's when I received mom's call and she told me that they had chosen a boy for me and wanted me to meet him tomorrow, I was shocked by their decision, and tried to convince them to ask them to meet me later but they were not ready, and suddenly when I saw Manik, he was happy and he was hoping I would become his, but I felt I was betraying him, and few tears rolled down my eyes as the thought of betraying Manik passed my mind. I had to give in to my mother and decided to leave Mumbai as soon as possible after the marriage, because If I don't do this , then I have to face Manik, and now after all this, facing Manik was impossible. After the wedding was over, I hugged Mukti and told her I was leaving, and without meeting anyone, I went to my room,packed my bags and from the back door I slipped out of the farmhouse and went directly to the airport.

***********************