"Life seems to go on without effort when I am filled with music." – George Eliot

Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything. Music can name the unnamable and communicate the unknowable. Music is the strongest form of magic. Music is your own experience, your thoughts, your wisdom. If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn. There is music in the air, music all around us; the world is full of it, and you simply take as much as you require.

Manik drove to Nandini's place. He looked at the time, it was late. When he stopped in front of Nandini's place, he pressed the horn as per his habit. He was thinking, if she must be awake or not. He didn't come out of his car, he was still inside. After some moments, he felt someone knocking the car window.

Manik looked at the window, he found Nandini standing there. She was staring at him with loving gaze. Manik rolled down the window. Before he could say anything, Nandini noticed his bleeding lips. She panicked seeing it.

"Manik, what happened to you? Your lips are bleeding. How did this happen?" She was so worried for him. Her forehead covered with those frowns making her look cuter.

Manik didn't pay any he to what she was saying. He was continuously staring at her face, how she was changing her expressions. Manik placed his finger on her lips to stop her.

"It's okay, Nandini. It's nothing, I am fine." Manik tried to assure her. His voice was low but loud enough for her to hear.

"Come out." Nandini ordered him and he couldn't deny her. So, he got down from the car and stood in front of her leaning his back to it. His hands were stuffed inside his pocket.

"Now say....." Manik said looking into her eyes.

Nandini looked back for once and held his hand. Now Manik stood straight. Then she started dragging him with her towards the door.

"Nandini, what are you doing? Have you gone mad? Someone may see us. Think of chacha-chachi." Manik was trying to stop her but she was not hear any of it.

Nandini stopped at the door step and threw a glare to him. "Manik Malhotra, stay quiet and just come with me. Also it's not the first time I am sneaking you in." She said in a matter of fact tone.

Now Manik could not say anything. He simply nodded his head and walked behind her. Nandini at first checked, if anyone was there or not, When she saw there was no one, she gestured Manik to come in. "You go up, I'm coming." She instructed.

Manik didn't get to say anything as Nandini left from there. 'Everyone says it right, after marriage only wives speak.' Manik sighed thinking it and having no option left, he went to Nandini's room upstairs. He closed the door behind and made himself comfortable on the bed. He was sitting resting his back to the pillow and surfing phone with one hand while other one was resting under his head.

A few minutes later, Nandini came there with a first aid box in her hand. Manik got up seeing her. Nandini sat beside him and took out ointment from the box. She started cleaning the wound.

"How did this happen? You were in a meeting with O2's manager. Then? How did you land up having this wound?" She asked raising her eyebrows.

Manik left a breath. "We went to Alya's place for jamming. There we met Harshad and you know about Harshad and his nonsenses."

Nandini was done applying ointment. She got up and placed the box aside. She came back washing her hands and sat beside Manik. "I know about Harshad and I know you too. What was the need of fighting with him? You are only hurting yourself like this."

"So what? He can't just speak all those rubbishes." Manik said angrily. His voice went high unwantedly.

Nandini closed his mouth not wanting anyone else to hear him. "Manik, slow." She removed her hand.

Manik mouthed a sorry. "I don't want to talk about this."

"Why don't you want to talk about it? You won't talk now and then again you will end up fighting with him." Nandini said sternly.

Manik gave her a sarcastic look. "Look who is talking? Do you tell me everything?" He asked raising his eyebrows.

"Manik? What're you saying?" Nandini whispered.

Manik gave her a stern look. "I am saying the truth. That day when I asked you what you were hiding, did you tell me anything? NO. You didn't feel it important to tell me that Harshad is here. I don't know how many things more you have hid from me." He got up and started leaving.

Nandini called him from back but he didn't stop. She could not call him loudly. He walked away from there. Nandini too ran behind him but he was too fast. Before she could reach him, Manik drove away. Nandini started at her retreating figure. A tear escaped from her eyes.

M A L H O T R A    M A N S I O N
Manik came back to Malhotra Mansion after his fight with Nandini. He was really in a bad mood. He walked back to his room directly without looking at anything. He threw his jacket and car keys at one corner. He went to washroom and turned on ice cold shower hoping it will help to calm down his nerves. He was standing under the shower for a long time. He was shivering but he was not ready to come out.

It was above an hour when he heard his phone ringing continuously. At first he ignored it but it was not stopping at all, so he closed the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist. He came out and found his phone lying on one corner.

He took the phone and found lots of calls and texts from Nandini. There were few from Fab4 too. He decided to talk to Nandini later because he knew, if he would talk to her then it would only lead to bigger argument and he didn't want that.

Manik decided to talk to Fab4. He did a conference to them.

"Hi, buddy!" Dhruv was the first one to answer the call.

"Buddy, others are also in conference." Manik said.

"Hey, guys." Mukti joined.

Cabir and Alya too greeted.

"Guys, I was in shower when you called. You called so many times. Is everything okay?" Manik asked when everyone was there.

"We are fine. Are you okay?" Cabir asked.

Manik frowned. "Of course, I'm. What'll happen to me?" He asked being confused.

"Manik, you were literally bleeding when you left from here and you are asking what happened to you." Mukti replied to him.

Then he remembered how Nandini applied ointment on his wound. She was so worried for him. The concern of her face flashed in front of his eyes. He cursed himself for walking out of her place like that. She did so much for him and in return, he hurt her. He mentally slapped himself for this. He noted to at least send her a message, she must be still worried for him.

Manik was lost in his thought that he forgot that he was in a call with Fab4. "Manik, are you there?" Cabir's voice got him out of his trance.

"Yeah, I'm here. Don't worry, the wound is fine." He replied.

"That's great, buddy. Take rest." It was Dhruv.

Alya supported him. "Yeah, Manik. Let's meet tomorrow in college."

Everyone agreed. They hung up the call bidding bye to each other. But Cabir didn't forget to pull their legs at the end.

As soon as Manik hung up the call, he decided to text Nandini. He knew she must be awake thinking about him.

"I need sometime. Will talk to you tomorrow. Don't worry about me. Sleep now. Good night."

Manik simply sent the text to Nandini and kept his phone away.

Other side Nandini was awake. She was trying to call Manik but he was not picking up the call. She was so worried about him. She was continuously praying in mind that he should not hurt himself more in his anger. Because Manik Malhotra is very much infamous for his anger. She was walking to and fro. But nor Manik was picking up her nor replying to her texts.

Finally she got his text. She opened it immediately and sighed in relief. She knew there is no use calling him anymore. He won't pick them. So, keeping her phone aside, she tried to sleep.

Close your eyes. Listen. Nothing's missing. Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent.

In Manik's room, he was not sleepy at all. As Nandini says, it's not his sleeping time. Manik chuckled remembering that. He was sitting on the floor leaning his back to the bed. He had his guitar with him. He suddenly felt the urge to sing. He started singing but while singing only Nandini was there in his mind. May be that's why the smile never left his lips.

When Manik was done, he heard someone clapping. Manik looked up and found his dad standing on the doorstep. He passed a smile to Manik and walked in. "You were amazing, Manik." He sat on the bed just beside him.

"Thank you." Manik kept his guitar aside and got up. "You didn't sleep? It's late."

"I can ask you the same." Shreekant said.

Manik rubbed his palms together. "Maybe music didn't let me."

Shreekant nodded his head. "I could never understand one thing. No one from mine or Nyonika's family were ever interested in music. How come you are so into it."

"Maybe because people weren't there for me all the time but music was." Manik replied.

Shreekant got up hearing Manik. There was something in his tone that touched him. Manik is right, they were never there when he needed them. Not even he himself, he has just loved Manik from distance. "Good night, Manik. Sleep."

"Good night." Manik wished him back and Shreekant walked away from his room passing a smile to him.

Precap: Don't know

Huff!!! Done for the time being. A quite early update. How was it? Was it up to the mark?

Did you like Manan moments?

What about Fab5?

How was the little moment between Manik and Mr Malhotra? Wasn't it touchy?

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Bye

13.07.2023