The Next Day

Manik woke up to a sharp knock on his door, having just woken up it took him a minute to understand what was going on but soon he realized that one of his family members were at his door.

Knock! Knock!

Manik opened the door to see Nyonika standing there with a stern look. She looked behind him and saw Nandini still fast asleep on the couch. 

"Tu kal raat kaha tha?" Nyonika asked her son. Manik just stayed silent. "Kuch puch raha hoon main Manik! Bechari Nandini itni raat tak teri intezaar karti rahi...mujhe paata hai yeh shaadi sahi halat mein nahi hua hai par ab ho gaya toh usse nibhana bhi zaroori hai."

"Mom...maine yeh shaadi sirf issi liya kiya taki koi humari family pe ungli na utha sake...sirf isi liye ki taaki main uss Aiya ko kuch samjaha sakun. Meri life mein iss ladki ki koi jagah nahi hai." Manik replied. Nyonika was about to say something when she noticed Nandini had woken up, she looked bothe upset at what manik said and embarrassed that Nyonika saw her sleeping on the couch. Manik turned around to see Nandini but said nothing and instead just walked into his washroom to change.

"Nandini beta, chalo tayyar ho ke niche aa jao pehli rasoi ki rasam ke liye." Nyonika said, changing the subject. 

"Woh aunty....mere paas na zyada kapre nahi hai. I mean, ache wale.." Nandini told her.

"Haan Cabir ne bataya tha...flood mein tumhare kapre kharab ho gaya na?"

Nandini was confused at first but then realized that Cabir prob didnt tell them about her Chacha chachi so that it didnt lead to her working as a bar dancer. So she just went along with it and nodded.

"Isi liye, mein tere liye yeh leke aayi hoon." Nyonika pulled out a package from behind her and handed it to Nandini. "Yeh pehen ke niche aa jao. Main aaj hi Manik ko bolti hoon, tujhe shopping le jayega woh."

After she left, Nandini quickly changed her clothes and went downstairs.

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

A while later, the whole family sat at the breakfast table and Manik started sniffing the air.

"Wow...mom aapne mere liye gajar ka halwa banaya hai? Mera favorite!" Manik exclaimed happily. 

"Maine nahi, Nandini ne uski pehli rasoi ke liye banayi hai." Nyonika replied. Maniks smile dropped and he made a face.

"Phir nahi chahiye....pakka khaane layak hi nahi hoga." 

"Manik!" Nyonika scolded him. Unfortunately, Nandini was about to bring the gajar ka halwa over when she heard what he said and got upset so she marched right back into the kitchen and took one of the bowls of gajar ka halwa. 

"Itni mehnat se banayi maine aur bina taste ki uss akru insaan ne bol diya ke mera gajar ka halwa khaane layak hi nahi hoga....abhi baatati hoon main isko." Nandini seethed. She took 10 tablespoons of salt and mixed it in.....then she took 12 tablespoons of red chilli powder and mixed that in too. "Lo patidev...ab yeh gajar ka halwa tumhe zindagi bhar yaad rahega!"

Smiling at herself, Nandini picked up the tray and walked to the table and made sure to give the "special" gajar ka halwa to Manik before passing out the other bowls.

"Mmmm....bohot achi bani hai." Nyonika complimented Nandini. 

"Wow...so tasty yaar."Arjun smiled at her. Manik wasnt taking a bit but seeing Nyonika glare at him, he took his spoonful and put it in his mouth only to spit it out immediately coughing.

"What the hell...yeh aap sab ko acha kaise lag sakta hai!" Manik gulped a glass of water down trying to get the taste out as everyone looked confused. "Itna teekha aur salty hai...yuck!"

"Manik....kya bol rah hai tu? Yeh gajar ka halwa hai, its a sweet dish....teekha aur salty kaise ho sakta hai? Hume toh bohot achi laagi." Dev said.

"Haan hume bhi." Shruti replied.

"Manik, maine aaj subha tujhse baat ki aur tu....bohot ho gaya tera....maafi mang Nandini se." Nyonika sternly told Manik. Nandini hid a smirk seeing him getting scolded.

"But mom...yeh sach mein teekha hai! My mouth is on fire!" 

"Manik!"

"Fine! Fine!" Manik gave up and reluctantly apologized. "Im sorry..."

"Koi baat nahi...maaf kiya." Nandini sweetly replied. As everyone started talking amonst themselves, Manik looked at his bowl suspiciously.

"Bakki sab ko acha kaise lag sakta hai?" 

"Kya hua?" Nandini bent down beside Manik and whispered. "Yahi soch rah ho na, ki baaki sab ko yeh gajar ka halwa teekha aur salty kyun nahi lagi? Kyunki maine yeh bowl khaas apne patidev ke liye tayyar ki hai...."

"You..." 

"Uh uh..." Nandini took her finger and lowered the finger Manik had pointed at her. "Phirse dant khaani hai kya apni Ma se?"

Manik sighed and just looked away.

"Nandini puttar...idhar aao." Aarti called out to Nandini and handed her some money. "Yeh le, shagun....bohot tasty bani hai."

"Thank you." Nandini grinned happily. Then she noticed that Raj hadnt touched his bowl so she picked it up and walked near him. "Uncle, aapne toh khayi hi nahi....."

"Mann nahi hai." Raj replied shortly. 

"Par...woh aunty ne kaha ki aapkogur ke baane gajar ke halwa bohot pasand hai toh maine wahi banayi hai...thoda sa lijiye na." Nandini brought the bowl closer to him but the Raj angrily smacked the bowl out of her hand and on to the floor. 

"Ek baar mein baat samajh nahi aati hai kya? Mera mann nahi hai toh nahi hai!" Raj shouted, scaring Nandini. "Ek baat kaan khol ke sun lo, iss ghar mein chahe bohot se logon ne tumhe accept kyun na ki ho....lekin obviously mere bete ne nahi ki aur main bhi kabhi nahi karunga. Toh apni aukar yaad rakho aur zyada apna banne ki koshish mat karna!"

Everyone was shocked at Raj's outburst and felt bad for Nandini, even Manik felt really bad as he saw tears rolling down her face. 

"S...sorry..." Nandini mumbled before running off sobbing.

"Yeh kya tha Raj!" Nyonika stood up furious. "Yeh kya tareeka hua baat karna ka? Uss bechari ne kiya kya hai jo aap aur aapke beta uske saath aise behave kar rahe hai? You know what, aapke saath toh baat karna hi bekar hai."

Saying that, Nyonika went after Nandini  while Aarti shook her head in disappointment. "Mujhe tujhse yeh umeed nahi thi Raj...Kya mila tujhe uss bachi ko rula ke?"

"Office ke liye deri ho rahi hai Ma..." Raj ignored his mom's question and left. Manik stood for a second and stared after Nandini, worried about her but then followed Raj.

"Raj! Mannu!" Aarti tried stopping them.

"Dadi aap chinta mat kijiye...hum Dad aur Manik se baat kar lenge." Arjun assured Aarti.

"Bhabhi...Shruti, aap dono jaa ke dekhiye pls ki Nandini thik hai ki nahi. Bechari do min pehle itni khush thi aur..." Dev told Ananya & Shruti.

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

Nandini was sitting by the indoor pool sobbing when Nyonika walked upto her and gently placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Aunty....main...main gussa nahi dilana chahti thi....main toh bas.." Nandini cried, unable to finish her sentence. 

"Shhh..shhh mat roh." Nyonika sat down beside Nandini and wiped her tears. "Im sorry beta, Raj ne jaise baat ki, jo bola woh bilkul nahi bolna chahiye tha. Raj aisa nahi hai woh toh bas....iss shaadi ko accept karne ke liye thoda time le rahe hai isi liye..."

"Haan..." Ananya spoke up as she & Shruti came there. "Aur ek baar Dad ne tumhe accpet kar liya na toh phir tum bahu nahi beti ban jaogi. Dad apne beton se kam aur bahuon se zyada pyar karte hai."

"Aap dono se karte honge..." Nandini replied, in tears. "Aap dono toh unke pasand se aayi hai. Mujhe toh khud Manik biwi nahi manta toh main uncle se kya expect karun? Bhai ki baat mann ke mujhe yeh shaadi karni hi nahi chahiye thi...meri aukat hi nahi hai itne bade ghar mein shaadi karne ki..."

"Nandini...aisa kuch nahi hai. Koi aisa nahi sochta..." Shruti tried consoling her.

"Aliya ameer hai, itni pari likhi hai...aap sab toh usse expect kar rahe they na? Uncle bhi..."

"Ek baat bataun? Aliya mujhe aur Ma ko kabhi bhi pasand nahi thi...mujhe humesha laaga ki woh mere bete ki layak nahi hai. Aur usne yeh baat khud sabit kar di hai. Par jis waqt maine tujhe dekha na, mera dil tabse keh raha ki tu mere bete ke liye perfect hai. Haan, Manik aur raj ko shayad tujhe accept karne ke liye vaqt chahiye...par mujhe pura yakeen hai ki tu unn dono ke dil zaroor  jeet legi." Nyonika told Nandini. She pulled Nandini in a motherly hug, carassing her head as she she continued to cry. "Bas bas...mat roh...main hoon na? Paata hai iss ghar mein koi saas sasur nahi hota hai...sirf Ma aur Papa hote hai. Aaj se main teri Ma hoon aur Ma acha thodi na lagta hai ki uski beti itna roye...hmm?"

Nandini hugged Nyonika tighter, feeling a mothers love for the first time in her life. She felt safe in Nyonika's embrace, she felt like everything would get better and nothing could ever go wrong as long as Nyonika was with her. Smiling at each other, Ananya & Shruti also joined the group and hugged Nyonika & Nandini.

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Note: Thoughts? How are you liking Nandini's character? Also what about Nandini's new bond with her Saas/Ma? Comment below and let me know.