Disappointed.....
I am highly disappointed with the response in last chapter. Have you guys lost interest in this book? Should I end it?

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It was the day of Manan's engagement. A lot of hustle bustle going on around the Malhotra house. Everyone were busy in doing something or other thing.

Nandini and Alya were in their room.

"Nandu." Alya called her out in an extra sweet tone.

"Hmm." Nandini looked at her.

Alya made a sad face. "Will you shift to Manik's room after you will get married to him?"

Nandini smiled and held her hand. They have been staying together since the time they have been kids. So, it's difficult for both of them to separate their room all of a sudden. "Alya, this is just our engagement and you are already making me emotional. That's not fair. I am already very nervous and don't worry, we are going to stay in the same house. So, we can have a night stay any time."

Alya smiled patting her back. "Don't take much tension. Everything will be fine. Also you know all of us, specially Manik already. Now tell me how am I looking?"

"Superb." Nandini looked at her with a bright smile.

"Thank you." Suddenly she looked at Nandini with a teasing smile which Nandini noticed. "Manik didn't come to meet you today till now. What's so different today? In other days, he always sticks to you. No matter what we say, he never leaves."

That time only there was a knock on the door. Alya went and opened the door. There was Manik standing with his all time charming aura. Alya turned back and winked at Nandini.

Alya pretended to be serious. "Whom did you come to meet?"

Manik glared at her and passed a sarcastic smile to her. "Move away from here." He started walking inside the room.

Alya made a 'haw' face. "Manik, stop. Where are you going? Don't you know you can't meet Nandini now?"

Manik was in no mood to hear anything. He tried to move away. He was looking really serious. "I need to speak something important to Nandini."

No matter how important it is. You can't talk to her now. Come later." Alya muttered in a stern tone and closed and the door.

Manik banged the door few time but no one opened the door. He went back being frustrated.

E V E N I  N G
"Pari, here you go with your chocolates." Manik handed over some chocolates to her. Even though he was smiling, it didn't reach his eyes.

Pari became excited seeing the chocolates. "Thank you."

"Did you see Nandini anywhere?" Manik rubbed his nape.

Pari started munching one of the chocolates. Her whole concentration was on it only. "Yes. She is getting ready with Alya di."

"Oh. Won't you get ready?"

Pari nodded her head. "I was about to go only."

"Listen tell Nandini that I have called her in my room right now. It's urgent." Manik was restless. There was surely something bothering you.

"Okay."

"Tell this only to Nandini. No one else should hear it. Okay?"

Pari nodded her head in response.

"All the best."

Pari went to Alya's room where everyone was getting ready. She saw Nandini was doing her last touch ups wearing a beautiful saree. She looked gorgeous. Everyone were busy in getting ready when Pari went to Nandini whispered, "Di, Manik bhaiya called you in his room right now. He said it's urgent."

Nandini frowned looking around. "How will I go now? Everyone is here in this room only. Also mumma has asked me not to step out of this room."

"Di, bhaiya is waiting for you."

Nandini let out a breath. "Okay."

Manik was waiting for Nandini in his room impatiently. He was pacing here and there. He heard a knock on his door and he hurriedly went to open the door. He sighed in relied when he found Nandini standing there.

What's wrong with you, Nandini? I have been waiting for you for so long." Manik was sounding angry.

Nandini was entering his room when she suddenly tripped on something and was about to fall but Manik held her protectively in his arm.

"Careful Nandini. You still don't know how to walk, Miss..."

Nandini glared at him. "Dare you call me teddy bear."

Manik laughed. "Okay."

"If you are done laughing, then tell me why did you call so urgently?" Nandini stood in front of him properly.

Manik cupped her face looking at her with some different kind of feeling in his eyes. Something different which was never there before. "You are looking so beautiful that I am not able to take my gaze off you."

(Nandini's attire)

Nandini blushed.

"Manik, why are not you ready yet?" She controlled herself.

Manik held her hands in between his. "Relax. I won't take much time to get ready. But I need to tell you something really important. I was trying to tell you from a long time but didn't know how to tell. The matter has become so serious that I can't hide it anymore."

Nandini was looking at him being confused. Before Manik could continue, Nyonika came there.

"What is this? Everyone is here and you two are still busy in talking. Manik, why didn't you get ready till now? Nandini, you come with me." Nyonika muttered in an angry tone.

"Mom, just 5 minutes." Manik pleaded. He really had something important to tell her.

"No. First go and get ready." Nyonika muttered sternly.

Nyonika took Nandini with her leaving Manik alone again. He still couldn't say what he wanted to say. He wanted to pull his hair in frustration.

It was time for engagement. Nandini was with Alya and Mukti.

"Nandu, you look so pretty today that Manik won't be able to take his eyes off you." Alya teased her.

Nandini blushed and her eyes bent close. "Shut up."

"Alya is right. Manik is already flat over you. All the time he keeps on staring you only but today he will forget everything else." Mukti too joined Alya supporting her.

Nandini couldn't stop blushing whereas others were laughing at her situation.

"Cabir, go and ask Manik to come down." Nyonika asked Cabir who was sitting there with others.

Cabir went to Manik's room and found his dress still in his bed. Untouched. That means he has not gotten ready yet. Cabir looked for him in his whole room but he was not there. As Cabir was in Manik's room for a long time and wasn't coming down, so Alya came to search for them, "What happened? Where is Manik? Everyone is asking for him. He needs to go down. It's almost time."

Cabir pointed towards Manik's clothes which was on his bed.

"Where is Manik? Nandini is waiting for him there." Alya shouted as fear crept in her heart. She felt she could hear her own heart beat.

Cabir closed his eyes as he had kind of same feeling as hers. He didn't know what to tell her. "I called him but his phone is switched off. He is not here also." He managed to utter with a great difficulty.

"What do you mean by switched off? Why is he doing this? Where did he go? He can't just disappear like this." Alya's voice shivered. She didn't want to even think of the things which were coming in her mind.

Cabir rubbed his face with his sweaty palm. "You go down and handle everyone for a while. I am looking for him."

Alya was coming down when Nyonika came in front of her.

"What happened, Alya? Where is Manik?" Nyonika looked behind her to see Manik but no one was there.

"He is coming with Cabir." Alya looked down not able to meet her gaze.

She came and sat beside Nandini. Seeing her tensed Nandini asked what happened. She denied saying it's nothing and passed a fake smile to her.

After sometime Cabir came down.

"Cabir, where is Manik?" Shreekant asked.

Cabir was quite looking down.

Nyonika looked at him seriously. "Why aren't you saying anything?"

Alya got up from beside Nandini and stood in front of her.

"Chachi, Manik isn't here. We couldn't find him anywhere."

"What!? What do you mean by you can't find him? Is this some joke going on?" Shreekant was sounding angry.

"Calm down. I am looking for him." Nyonika held his shoulder.

She went to Manik's room and found his room in the same condition. Everyone went behind her.

"Call him. He has definitely taken his phone with him."

"Chachi, I am trying to call Manik since last an hour but his phone is coming switched off. We can't reach him."

"Did you check outside, if he has gone somewhere out or not?" Shreekant also started worrying.

"Aryaman and his friends have gone out to check. If they get to know about Manik, then they will call." Cabir replied.

"Let him come today, then I am seeing him. How can he pull such stunts on this day?" Nyonika was angry but her heart was shivering.

Everyone were busy searching for Manik. They were calling here and there but there was no news of Manik. At downstairs, everyone were waiting for Manik to come.

"Pari, listen." Nandini called her seeing no one else around. She was having a feeling that they are trying to hide something from her. She had a feeling that something is not right.

"Hmm."

"What is everyone doing there in the upstairs? Why Manik isn't coming down till now? Is everything okay?"

"I don't know. When I had gone there, I saw mumma was crying. Nyonika aunty was also crying with her. Everyone is sad."

"What's wrong? Why are they crying? Is everything okay?" Nandini thought in mind.

Nandini got up from her place.

"Nandu, where are you going?" Mukti stood behind her. She didn't want her to go up and know everything right now even though she would be knowing soon.

Nandini didn't say anything. She went to Manik's room and found everyone tensed there. Nyonika was continuously crying.

Their eyes fell on Nandini who was standing at the door. They became a little nervous seeing her there. Nandini got to know immediately that something was wrong.

"What happened? Why are you all looking so worried? Is everything fine?"

Nandini went near Cabir. "Where is, Manik? Why aren't you all saying anything? Is there any problem."

Everyone were still silent.

"What has happened? Why no one is saying anything to me? Where is, Manik?" Nandini shouted.

"Nandu, we all are trying to find him only." Shreekant went beside Nandini and held her by her shoulder trying to calm her down.

C: Don't worry, Nandu. We are looking  for him. He will be here soon.

Nandini ran downstairs. They all called her from back but she didn't turn. Nandini came out and saw Manik's car coming in.

Precap: Is Manik back?

So much drama. How was it?

Where was Manik?

Is he back?

Guess what's going to happen next.

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Bye.

15.06.2021