Manik has gone to Pune. Their first concert is supposed to be there. 

In the Flight

Cabir was sitting with Manik in the flight. He was continuously noticing Manik. 

"Manik..." Cabir called out his name but didn't get any response from him. He again called him but no response. So, he shook Manik a little to break his trance.

"What?" Manik gave him a look. 

"Are you okay?" Cabir asked.

Manik nodded and passed him a smile. "What will happen to me?" He tried to show himself as if nothing happened to him.

Cabir left a breath. "You don't need to pretend always, Manik. I know you are not okay." 

Manik too left a breath and gave him a sad look.

After a pause, Cabir again started. "By the way I didn't understand one thing." He had a confused look on his face.

"What?" Manik asked raising his one eye brow.

"You were so adamant for not to agree for this tour. Then what happened suddenly?" Cabir asked.

Manik's face fell remembering something but he covered that soon. "Nothing, I thought about it and I realized it's a life changing opportunity for us. We should not miss this."

Cabir wanted to say something more but Manik didn't let him. Manik stopped him saying he is feeling sleepy, he couldn't sleep well last night. So, Cabir also couldn't say anything. He was feeling bad for Manik but he couldn't do anything.

Manik leaned his back to his seat closing his eyes. He drowned into his deep thinking.

F L A S H B A C K

That night when Manik and amms were talking.

"Manik, do you think Nandini will be okay like this?" Amms asked him.

Manik looked at him being confused. "Why won't she be okay?"

"Manik, don't take me wrong. But Nandini can't be okay till the time you will be here around her." Amms said.

Manik didn't get that why she was saying like that. "Why? What's the problem, if I will be around her? If I will be there, then I can protect her from all the troubles so that she doesn't need to face all these again."

Amms nodded her head in no. "That's the problem, Manik. She will know that you are there for her then she won't be able to fight her battle. She needs to be strong and independent. She needs to get back her music. That will be possible only when you will go away from her."

Manik thought for a while about what amms said. It got him into a deep thinking.  He thought may be she is right. He is trying to help Nandini but may be he is the reason she is not able to move on. She is stuck here because of him only.

"So what do you want me to do?" Manik asked in a low tone though he had a clear idea of what she is going to say. But still he was thinking in mind that he is wrong. 

Amms looked at his face for a  while. "I think you should not be around Nandini for some days. She will try to fight back herself in your absence." 

Manik looked at her with wide eyes. But he didn't have anything to say so he just nodded.

E N D    O F     F L A S H B A C K

Manik opened his eyes when he heard the announcement that they are going to land. He left the breath which he was holding from long.

"It's just the beginning. All the best, Manik. Long way to go. It's already so difficult to stay away form Nandini. I wonder how did these days going to pass." Manik took a deep breath and got down from the flight. 

Fab5 came out from the airport where a man was already waiting for them. He was there to take them with him in the hotel. Though Shreekant asked them to stay with him the ashram but they denied. They will jam and it can trouble others. So, they decided to go with the facilities which O2 has decided for them.

They bid bye to Shreekant and moved with the manager who is going to guide them for the whole tour. They left with their manager for the hotel.

M U M B A I

Nandini was coming out of airport when chachi called her. Nandini received the call. 

She didn't let Nandini say anything and herself started talking. 

"Nandu, where are you? Where did you go so early in the morning? I was getting so worried for you." Chachi was worried. 

"Chachi, I went to the airport. Fab5 has gone today that's why." Nandini said.

"That's okay. But you should've told me before going." 

"Sorry, chachi."

Chachi talked for a little more before she finally hung up the call. Nandini left a breath and decided to go to meet Navya.

She got a cab and left for Cabir's place where Navya was staying. Nandini rang the bell and Navya opened the door at the first call only.

"Nandini? You're here at this hour?" Navya was surprised seeing Nandini there so early in the morning. 

Nandini passed a smile to her and moved inside. "I thought of meeting you. I know Cabir and everyone has left today. So, you must be alone. Actually chachi has asked me to take you as you will be alone and you may need something. On top of that it's not safe to be alone in this condition."

Navya too smiled at her. "Thank you, Nandini. Tumhare bina patah nahi mein kya karti. Par tum tension maat lo, mein Cabir ke maa ke sath rehne ja rahi hoon. Woh aa rahi hein mujhe lene."

"Yeh toh acchi baat hein. When will she come?" Nandini asked with a smile.

"Bas abhi aati hei hogi."

Nandini nodded her head and helped Navya in packing her stuffs. After sometime Cabir's mother came there and took Navya with her. Nandini too left for her home and decided to not to go to college that day.

Nandini was in her room thinking about Manik. She was remembering what Manik used to tell her. 

"Nandini, kuch toh bolo. Let it all out. I am here. I will hear everything."

"I don't like this Nandini. My Nandini is stronger than this. She always finds positivity in everything and nothing can ever erase her smile. Please come back. I love you."

"It's okay to be scared. But always remember that I am just a call away. Whenever you think, you need me, you want to talk to me, just give me a call. I will be here."

"I want my old Nandini back."

"I am there for you. You don't need to worry, I will hold you always."

Nandini left a breath. 

N A N D I N  I

Manik has left just for me. I said I need space to get back to myself and I will do that. I will get back to myself. Don't worry Manik when you will come back, you will see your old strong Nandini. I will make sure of that. I won't let you be down.

It's Nandini Mur oops no Nandini Malhotra's promise. 

I will have to get my music back in my life. 

You wanted a break from this relationship but I won't stay away from you. I will be your perfect wife, your better half and fulfill all my duties and get back to my ownself. The one whom you have loved. The one who is your Cindrella. 

I love you, Manik.

E N D    O F    N A N D I N I' S    P O V

Nandini got up from her place and stood in front of the mirror. She moved her hair a little from her forehead and looked at the sindoor which was enchanting her beauty more. That's what Nandini thinks. According to her, it makes her look perfect. She remembered Manik's face, the very expression which he used to have whenever he made her wear it. 

"I will miss you making me wear this. I will wait for you." Nandini said to herself smiling sadly. 

Nandini went and sad in front of her harmonium. At first she caressed it softly. 

"I can see you playing veena all day."

Nandini remembered Manik saying her. 

She got out her veena which Manik had placed inside the cupboard so that she doesn't get panic attack seeing this. She shivered thinking about pandit when she was trying it. Then Nandini remembered about Manik. She took a deep breath and placed it on the bed.

"Calm down, Nandini. You can do this. Yes, you can." Nandini said to herself. She again took a deep breath.

Nandini touched the strings closing her eyes. But flashes of pandit's incident came in front of her eyes. She opened her eyes with a jerk and moved back a little. She was breathing heavily. Again all the worst memories were coming in front of her eyes.  She was about to give up but she remembered about amms how she used to teach her music when she was little. Then Manik. She connected with him through their music. 

Music is their connection. She can't let it go. She can't let her amms be down. 

Nandini again sat with her veena and tried playing it slowly. Her hands were shivering, so she was not able to play it properly. Still she was trying her best. She decided not to give up. She will over come this no matter what. She was adamant to do it. Not only for herself but also for amms and Manik. She can't let their hope down. 

P U N E

A T    M A N I K' S     H O T E L

It was night. Manik was sitting alone in his room with the guitar in his hand. He was trying to play a tune but he was unable to do so. He was lost somewhere else. He was only present there physically but his mind was somewhere else. 

"Should I call Nandini once? What she must be doing alone? I don't know if she will be okay or not." Manik thought in mind.

He took his phone and dialed Nandini's number but cut it immediately. 

"Manik, what's wrong with you? You are on a break. You can't just call her like this."

He kept his phone away and decided to concentrate on the music for now. He was trying to compose a tune when Fab4 barged inside. They settled down in his room.

"What are you guys doing here?" Manik asked them raising his eyebrows. 

Cabir had told them about Manik and Nandini so they decided not to leave him alone for time being. Then may be it will hurt him a little less.

"Now we can't even come to your room? Yeh thi teri dosti?" Mukti said dramatically.

Manik nodded his head in disbelief while others smiled.

"I didn't mean that.  I thought you guys will be tired with the journey and jamming." Manik said what he was thinking.

"We are okay, Manik. Let's discuss about the album. We have to make 5 songs." Alya said.

Cabir jumped on his place. "Finally, the make up kit has said something good apart from her make up and shopping."

Alya threw a cushion towards him which he held at the right time. 

"Buddy, did you think anything about the songs? We will make it during the tour only or we will take time after the tour?" Dhruv said for the first time all this while.

Manik rubbed his palms on his face. "I don't know. We have back to back concerts. We have to practice for that. I don't think we will be able to manage all this at a time."

Others also agreed to him.

"We can do one thing. We will work on the song too in between this. We will keep the work forward then we can give a final touch to this after ending the tour." Dhruv suggested.

He said this to keep Manik busy. Manik will concentrate on this then may be he will get less time to think of Nandini and it will be good for him at that situation. He gestured the same to others except Manik, they also agreed. Seeing all of them, Manik too decided to go with this idea.

"Then let's work on the lyrics at first. What say?" Mukti said.

"Yeah, we can write the lyrics and about the tune, we can do it after going back to Mumbai." Alya agreed to Mukti.

"That's great. We can discuss the genre and start working on it." Cabir exclaimed. 

Manik nodded. 

Then next few minutes, they discussed about the songs but they were not able to finalize the genre.

"We will write songs on whatever we will like. When we will complete writing them, we can work on it together, if we feel it needs change." Dhruv suggested them and no one had any problem with this. 

They finalized it and moved to their respective rooms finally calling it a day.

Precap: Moments

That's all for now. Manik and Nandini are missing each other. Nandini is trying hard to get back herself. How was it?

Did you like Nandini?

What about Manik?

How was Fab5's scene?

Which one is your favorite scene?

Don't forget to vote and comment.

Bye.

30.01.2023