Mehendi Day

Nandini was getting ready in her room with Ishani for her mehendi ceremony.

"Nandu...tune kya socha hai? Kab batayegi tu Manik ko sach?" Ishani asked.

"Bata dungi Ishani....tu toh piche hi par gayi hai." Nandini grumbled.

"Kyunki har rishte ki neev bharosa hota hai. Agar Manik ko kisi aur tareeke se paata chalega to problem hoga na?" Ishani replied.

"Ab main tujhe kaise bataun ki Manik aur Mera koi rishta hi nahi hai...jab rishta nahi hai toh bharose ka toh sawal hi nahi aata na." Nandini sighed in defeat. "Lekin I guess mujhe aaj Manik ko sab sach bata dena chahiye...usse toh koi farak nahi parega but at least tu piche pari nahi rahegi."

"Hi guys." Kritika entered the room, all dressed. "Oh wow....meri choti behen toh bohot khubsoorat lag rahi hai aaj."

Ishani rolled her eyes as she could sense the fakeness but Nandini smiled genuinely happy her sister complimented her.

"Thanks Di....aap bhi bohot achi lag rahi hai."

"Obviously." Kritika flipped her hair.

"Ishu...mujhe pyas lagi hai. Tu niche paani le aayegi?" Nandini said, trying to get Ishani to leave the room.

"Haan bas abhi laayi."

After Ishani left, Nandini turned to Kritika. "Di...I dont feel right doing this. Sab ko aise dokha dena mujhe pasand nahi hai."

"Oh GOD Nandini." Kritika huffed in annoyance....making Nandini feel bad. "Ab tujhe main kitni baar samjaun ki apni moral compass pe control rakh. Everything is not just Black & White ok...abhi thoda grey zone pe hai but hum jo bhi kar rahe hai issi mein sabki bhalai hai."

Nandini slowly nodded. Eventually Ishani returned and the three girls got ready and went to Manik's house.

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Nandini was sitting in the bench, getting her mehendi done and also looking around for Manik. As this was a women's function, all of the men were inside while the mehendi ceremony was taking place in the back yard.

"Kya baat hai hone wali devrani ji?" Mukti came and nudged Nandini playfully. "Manik ko miss kar rahi ho?"

"Nahi bhabhi...main toh bas..." Nandini tried to explain.

"Rehne do rehne do...ache se samjah aa rahi hai mujhe." Mukti giggled. "Vaise...tum agar chaho toh main ek mulakat karwa sakti hoon."

Nandini's Look & Mehendi Design

"Really?" Nandini asked.

"Haan...chalo mere saath. Ishani...tum andar jao aur Manik ko pool area ke paas le aao." Mukti said. Ishani nodded.

"Ji bhabhi..."

Mukti took Nandini away while Ishani went inside the house. Everyone else was busy with the guests and applying mehendi that they didnt even notice.

Ishani was walking through the house trying to find where Manik is when she slipped on her lehenga and was about to fall backwards when someone caught her. It was Aryaman who had arrived just a few minutes ago....and this was the first time she was meeting Nandini and her family.

Ishani stood up straight and smiled greatfully at Aryaman. "Thanks..."

Aryaman just gawked at her.

"Hello?" Ishani waved her hands infront of him. "Tum thik ho?"

"You....your....Ish...Ishani....Thappar." Aryaman stated rather than asking.

"Haan....I already knew that." Ishani joked.

"Like.....Ishani travels ki Ishani Thappar?"

"Ohh." Ishani finally got it. "You read my blog?"

"Regularly...I love your writing style...aur tumne kitni saari exotic jagah pe travel kiya hai. Its so cool." Aryaman said.

"Thanks...tum?" Ishani asked who he was.

"Right sorry, Im Aryaman Khurrana. Manik ki manager hoon main." Aryaman held out his hand.

"Nice to meet you. Mera naam toh jaante ho tum...Im Nandini's cousin." Ishani shook his hand. They stood their for a few minutes, still holding hand and just staring into each others eyes. Manik, Cabir & Abhi finally came looking for Aryaman and noticed them.

"AHEM." Cabir cleared his throat loudly. Aryaman & Ishai were startled and quickly dropped each others hand. "Acha....tabhi main sochu beer laane mein itna time kaise lag sakta hai."

"Cabir..." Aryaman glared at him.

"Woh main...Manik ko laane aayi thi." Ishani explained.

"KYA!!!! Itna bada dhokha? Kya bigara bechare Aryaman ne tumhara?" Cabir gasped dramatically and went over to Aryaman.

"Cabir...seriously?" Aryaman gave him a look. Manik & Abhi stifled their laughs while Ishani was confused.

"Nahi Nahi Arya...tujhe apna dukh chupane ki zaroorat nahi hai!" Cabir pulled Aryaman's head down to his shoulder and patted his head pretending to be sad. "Jitna rona hai roh le...pehla pyar jab pura nahi hota hai tab bohot dard hota hai. Samajhta hoon main...tu roh le."

"Huh?" Ishani looked at everyone back and forth.

"Cabir...shut up yaar!" Aryaman pulled away from him and turned to Ishani. "Ignore him...yeh aisa hi hai....tum Manik ko kyun dhund rahe they?"

"Woh...Nandini ko kuch baat karni hai. Toh Mukti bhabhi ne bheja Manik ko laane ke liye."

"Kya baat karni hai?" Manik asked.

"I dont know...but woh kabse tumhe dhund rahi thi." Ishani replied.

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

After leaving Nandini by the pool area, Mukti went back so nobody noticed everyone was gone and also so she could cover for Nandini. After awhile, Ishani came with Manik and then left them alone after winking at Nandini.

"Nandini what did you need to talk about? Mere bhai sab jaante hue bhi kuch aur hi samajh rahe hai...they will keep teasing me about this."

"I needed to talk to you....shaadi se pehle. Kuch batana tha." Nandini said.

"Look...if you have a boyfriend of something. I dont really care...humara shaadi kaunsa asli hai. You can do whatever you want. I dont mind."

"Manik will you listen! Look...I normally wouldnt even bother telling you kyun yeh baat sirf Ishani aur Kaki ko paata hai...noone else, aur I wanted to keep it like that....lekin Ishani ke liya humari shaadi asli hai and she is literally forcing me to tell you....so I'm just gonna tell you."

"Kya?" Manik now realized she was serious.

"Promise me...tum kisi ko kuch nahi bologe?" Nandini asked.

"Ugh, fine I promise....ab bologi?"

"I....I..."

"Nandini...tumhe agar kuch nahi bolna toh main jaun?"

"No wait!....remember when I said ke mujhe sabke saath badtameezi karni ki zaroorat nahi paregi? Sabka dil thodna nahi parega?" Nandini said.

"...yeahh?"

"I said that.....cause......Im...Im dying. I have cancer....blood cancer."

(Note: I know I Know. You guys didnt want this but thats the story...I read your comments and Im like "They will def team up and kill me when they find out."...pls dont kill me! 😭😭)

"What?" Manik was shocked....he definitely didnt expect this. "What do you mean, you are dying? Cancer...I...I dont...understand. Kritika never said-"

"Kyunki Di ko nahi paata hai...Like I said, sirf Kaki aur Ishani ko paata hai. Kaki because I can never hide anything from her aur Ishu ko khud se paata chal gayi. I didnt tell anyone else."

"You mean...your Mom. She doesnt know? Aur Kritika behen hai tumhari....why would you hide this from them?"

"Kyunki Devyani Khanna ko koi farak nahi parega Manik. Im just a possession for her...."

"That cant be right....woh Mom hai tumhari Nandini." Manik explained.

"Exactly...MERI Mom hai. So I know her better than you. Trust me....she wont care. Ulta she will just be annoyed about the money she will have to spend. You know....jab mein choti thi aur agar main koi expensive toy mangti thi jiske saath main baad mein khelti nahi thi....then she would get sooo mad for having her waste money." Nandini said, tears brimming at her eyes. Even Manik felt so bad hearing this.

"But...this is different Nandini. Tum bimaar ho....no Mom would-"

"My Mom would....kyunki yahan bhi paise waste hi honge. Doctors said....I only have 5 months left."

"Wait...so you mean. Tumne chemo...ya kuch try hi nahi ki?" Manik asked.

"You arent listening to me are you?" Nandini asked. "I DONT have alot of time. Chemo agar karungi toh paise sirf waste hi honge.."

"You dont know that..."

"I do. Manik mujhe na toh apni Mom ki paison ko waste karni hai aur na hi apni baaki ki 5 months chemo sessions pe jaate jaate barbad karni hai. I just want to live the rest of my life peacefully. Isi liye maine iss shaadi ke haan bola hai. At least marne se pehle ek baar toh meri Mom mujhse khush hogi...Di aur tumhara problem solve hoga. Sab khush honge...thats all I want."

Nandini wiped her tears away.

"You cant tell anyone Manik...promise me tum kisiko nahi bataoge? Sirf 5 mahine ki baat hai uske baad tumhe mujhe jhelna nahi parega."

"I cant....Main itni badi baat kaise chupaun?" Manik shook his head.

"Pls Manik....I only told you kyunki Ishani ne mere paas aur koi raasta nahi choda...I had no choice lekin you acnt tell anyone. Vaise bhi jab main marr jaungi tab sabko pata chal hi jayega na? Toh pehle se sabko baata ke sab ko upset kyun karna? Pls Manik dont...Im begging you pls."

"I...I...I have to....think about...it." Manik whispered. Nandini nodded.

"Ok, sochlo. I know yeh bohot badi baat hai lekin. Main iske elava aur kuch nahi mangungi tumse Manik....just pls dont tell anyone." Nandini said before going back to the mehendi ceremony.

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Note: Thoughts?

Do you think Manik will keep the secret?

Will this secret being them closer?