"Dadi hum kya kar rahe hai?" Nandini whispered as she followed Natasha in her car. Dadi said she had a plan and forced Nandini to make an excuse and come along. 

"Iss Dayan ka temporary illaaj."

"Temporary?" Nandini asked.

"Haan....kahani ka vamp itni jadli chali jayegi toh maaza kaise ayega?" Dadi grinned (Looking to you readers. 😜😜 )

"Dadi...aap bhi na, kya bolte hai kuch samajh nahi aata." 

"Tu chinta mat kar, main jo karungi tere bhale ke liye hi hoga." Dadi replied. "Iska agar humesha ke liye tata bye bye karwana hai toh bohot planning karni hogi jiske liye abhi time nahi hai so abhi ke liye kuch aur karenge."

"Par kya? Achank se aapne mujhe Natasha ka piche karne ke liye bola....kya hone wala hai?" Nandini asked.

"Woh dekh!" Dadi pointed to Natasha, who had parked her car infront of a beauty supply store and got out.

"Makeup karidne aayi hai Dadi...isme kuch interesting nahi hai!" Nandini said.

"Tu bas dekhti jaa...aur haan thodi door park kar." Dadi instructed. Nandini sighed but listened to her. After waiting for awhile, they suddenly hear police sirens and the screeching of tires. Some police officers entered the store and came back out with Natasha, whose hands were handcuffed behind her back.

Nandin just watched in shock as reporters crowded Natasha, taking pictures and asking her questions.

"Dadi....kya kiya aapne?" 

"Drugs." Dadi replied. Nandini's eyes widened. "Matlab... MAINE drugs nahi kiya...vaise bhi main toh bhoot hoon, kaise karungi.....ek baar jab mein zinda thi toh maine woh.....kya kehte hai? Haan...Pot brownies khaya tha....does that count?"

"Dadi!"

"ANyways....Natasha ke bag mein maine chori ke drugs dal diya! Bohot saara...aur phir jab maine Natasha ko bolte hue sunna ke woh yahan aa rahi hai toh maine ek aurat ke body mein ghus ke police aur media ko bulaya." Dadi looked so proud of herself.

"Par...aapko drugs mila kaha se?"

"Humare paros wale Agarwal Saab hai na?"

"Haan....?"

"Unke bete ke kamre se." Dadi grinned.

"Mtlab...aapne chori ki?" Nandini asked.

"Nahi...maine kaha ki? Kunal ne ki."

"Woh kaun hai?"

"Agarwal ka beta!"

"Dadi...uska naam Karan hai." Nandini corrected her.

"Haan Haan Kunal Karan...ek hi baat hai." Dadi shrugged. "Woh ek number ka bigra hua ladka hai...drugs chori karke apne hi college mein students ko bechta hai. Toh maine bas woh drugs Natasha ke bag mein dal diya!"

"Isse hi chori kehte hai Dadi." Nandini said.

"Nahi...isse jaan bachana kehte hai." 

"Kya?"

"Dekho...woh khota students ko drugs bechega, agar pakra gaya toh jail jayega, agar nahi gaya toh woh students drug addicts ban jayenge aur phir unke tabiyat kharab ho jayenge phir woh bache itni si umar mein marr jayenge....aur yahan pe agar mujhe  Natasha ko ek aur din jhelna para na....mere haathon se uska murder ho jayega. So basically, dono taraf se dekhun toh maine jaan bachaya hai!"

"Par Dadi aap-"

"Uff ho....tu kitni tension leti hai! Bas kuch dino ke baat hai usse jail mein aaram karne de, vaise bhi yeh ghar pe rahegi toh mere tere uss gadhe ko badlenge kaise?" Dadi asked.

"Gadha?"

"Haan...Manik." 

Nandini couldnt help but laugh. Dadi looked happy seeing her smile.

"Yeh hui na baat! Chal...ab ghar chalte hai." 

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

"Yeh sab kitni shocking hai." Navya mumbled. "I mean....Natasha aur drugs? Dekh ke paata nahi chalta ke kaun kaisa hai."

"Bhabhi, rehne dijiye. Iss baare mein baat nahi karte na?" Nandini asked.

"Haan....lets celebrate yaar!" Cabir turned on the music.

https://youtu.be/x4UjdNUjwoQ

He then started dancing. (Imagine Cabir dancing like Salman Khan)

Everyone was enjoying and even the kids joined Cabir as he danced. Taking this opportunity, Manik grabbed Nandini's arm and pulled her into their room.

"Manik...kya kar rahe hai aap?" Nandini asked.

"I want to talk." Manik said.

"Mera abhi mood nahi hai." Nandini replied. She turned to leave the room but Manik quickly close the door and pinned her against it.

"This...is exactly what I want to talk about. Achanak se itna attitude kaha se aa gaya?" 

"Huh...attitude aaya nahi hai...Aap keh sakte ho ki attitude VAPAS aayi hai. Main toh humesha se aisi hi thi...shaadi ke baad badal gayi thi thodi. Aur agar aapne do second ke liye bhi mujhe jaane ki koshish kiya hota toh aapko yeh paata hota." Nandini replied. She shoved Manik out of the way and walked out, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

"What the hell? Jisne 5 saalon mein kabhi mujhse unchi awaaz mein bhi baat nahi ki...usne aaj mujhe push kiya? Yeh ho kya raha hai?" Manik mumbled to himself. He left the room and saw Nandini smiling and dancing with the rest of the family. "Bakki sab ke saath toh normal hai....toh mere saath aise behave kyun kar rahi hai?"

"Burra lag raha hai?" A voice asked him. Nope...it wasnt his conscience....it was Dadi using her powers to talk in Manik's head.

"Haan, wait.....kaun bola?" Manik turned his head side to side so fast he almost got whiplash.

"Idhar udhar kya dekh raha hai, mein tere dimaag main hoon bewakoof!" Dadi replied.

"Dimaag mein? Lekin....tum ho kaun?" Manik whispered. As everyone was busy, nobody really noticed Manik talking to himself.

"Main...Main tumhara antar aatma hoon!" Dadi lied.

"Antar aatma?"

"Haan...conscience!"

"Really? Toh tumhara awaaz aurat jaisi kyun hai.....woh bhi meri Dadi ki awaaz jaisi?" Manik asked.

"Wooohh....iss liye kyunki tum- mera matlab HUM apne Dadi se BOHOT pyar karte they...hai na?" Dadi said. Manik was just thinking and Dadi got a bit insulted that he took this long to answer, "HAI NA?"

"Huh...haan I mean yeah of course."

"Haan toh iss liye meri-matlab tumhari antar aatma ki awaaz Dadi jaisi hai."

"Eh? Does it even work that way?" Manik thought to himself. "I mean...shayad hota hoga? Noone else is talking."

"Ab bol...teri biwi tujhse ache se baat nahi kar rahi hai, tujhe ignore kar rahi hai...burra laga na?" Dadi asked.

"Haan par...samajh nahi aa raha ke mujhe aisa kyun lag raha hai?"

"Burra toh lagega hi na. Nandini biwi hai teri...."

"But...I dont see her as my wife. Humare beech yeh decide hua tha that she will just be my kids mom...Bas."

Dadi sighed in frustration and thought to herself. "Sach kehti hoon agar yeh mera pota nahi hota toh sir phod deti main iska...koi ITNA bewakoof kaise ho sakta hai?"

"Haan par...kya paata shayad tumhare dil ne usse biwi mann liya aur tumhare dimaag ko hi nahi paata." Dadi said.

"Aisa thodi na hota hai."

"Hota hai bachu hota hai....jiske paas dimaag zyada nahi hai uske saath hi hota hai." Dadi taunted.

"Kya?" Manik asked.

"Abe, Manik...tu khud se baatein kyun kar raha hai?" 

Manik turned to see Abhi & Cabir staring at him weirdly.

"Nahi main khud se nahi...mere antar aatma se baat kar raha tha." Manik replied without thinking.

"Kiski aatma?" Cabir asked. Finally Manik realized how crazy he prob sounded.

"Nahi woh....kuch nahi! Main sone jaata hoon." Manik excused himself.

"Sone? Itni jadli?"

"Haan mera dimaag nahi hai I mean kharab hai, I mean....dard kar raha hai." Manik replied. His brothers just stared at him.

"Tera dimaag....dard kar raha hai?" Abhi asked.

"Haan matlab nahi! Matlab mera sir....Sir dard kar raha hai!" Manik said. "Soo...yeah, bye!"

He quickly ran into his room while his brothers stood there in confusion.

"Yaar aaj subha ghar se nikalne se pehle Natasha ne iske khaane mein kuch drugs milaya tha kya?" Cabir asked. "Why is he acting so weird?"

Abhi just shrugged.

Next Day....

"Bachon!" Raj called out.

"Haan Dad."

"Ji Papa." 

"Tum sab ko humare ek dost ke yahan jaana hai. Unka 30th marriage anniversary hai aur unhone mujhe aur Nyo ko bulaya tha...lekin Nyo ko hospital ke kaam se subha subha Pune jaana para aur mera bhi kuch important meetings aa gaya achank se. So...maine apne dost ko call kiya aur bola ke mere teen bete apne biwi aur bachon ke saath aa raha hai." Raj explained. "Thik hai?"

"Ok Dad....kab pauchna hai?" Manik asked.

"Shaam ko....8 baaje." Raj replied.

"Thik hai Dad." Abhi nodded.

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

Nandini was in her room taking out a saree to wear when suddenly the saree disappeared from her hand.

"Dadi....aap yahan hai kya?" Nandini whispered. Manik was just in the washroom taking a shower so she didnt want him hearing her. Dadi appeared infront of Nandini holding a gorgeous long red evening gown. "Yeh kya hai?"

"Woh...jo tu aaj pehene wali hai." Dadi grinned. She gave her the dress and popped out again.

"Vaise....hai toh yeh bohot khubsoorat. And I'll look so sexy....Manik toh mujhe dekte hi reh jayenge." Nandini admired the dress. 

She quickly put on the dress and started on her makeup and hair. Finally Manik came out of the washroom, fully dressed and brushing his hair. As soon as he saw Nandini, his jaw fell to the ground along with his brush. Nandini saw him looking at her but went on with her business as if she didnt notice. Manik took a glass of water to distract himself.

Manik's Look

Nandini's dress

Nandini's Hairstyle

Nandini's Makeup

"Aap tayaar ho gaye? Chaliye, sab intezaar kar rahe honge." Nandini said. As she turned, Manik saw her bare back and started choking on the water. "Manik! Kya hua aapko? Aap thik hai?"

She couldnt help but show her concern and ran to Manik, rubbing his back. 

"I uh...." Manik looked into her big brown eyes and completely forgot how to even talk.

"Aap thik hai?"

Manik nodded. Nandini realized that she dropped her guard and quickly moved away from him.

"Toh...chaliye." She turned.

"You look beautiful." Manik managed to blurt out just as she stepped out of the room. 

"Aap kya mujhe pehli baar dekh rahe hai? I always look beautiful." Nandini replied, stunning Manik. As soon as she was far enough away from the room, she squealed in happiness.

"Kya baat hai? Bohot khushi ho rahi hai tujhe?" Dadi appeared infront of her.

"Dadi! Manik ne mujhe compliment di! He called me beautiful!" Nandini replied.

"Hmm...sunna maine. Matlab tumhara ignore karna kaam kar raha hai." 

"Yes!" Nandini cheered. Then she heard Manik's footsteps and she quickly went downstairs where  Cabir, Navya, Abhi & Mukti were waiting with the 4 kids.

"Oye hoye...humari Nandu toh puri pataka lag rahi hai!" Cabir whistled as he saw Nandini.

"Cabir bhai...bache!" Nandini motioned to the kids in embarrassment.

"Right....sorry." Cabir grinned as he gave Nandini a side hug. At that moment, Manik came down and they left for the party.

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Teaser:

PUNCH!

"How dare you touch her!?" Manik growled.

"Yeh punch bohot bhaari parega tere liye Manik Malhotra!

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

"Manik! Bache kaha hai?!"

"Matlab?"

"Matlab...Mayu...Aru....kaha hai mere bache? Abhi do min pehle toh yahi they!" Nandini sobbed.

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Thoughts on this chapter?

Did you like what Dadi did to Natasha?

Does Manik have feelings for Nandini that even he may not realize?