"I remember everything love...Under what circumstances we have decided to get married and which situations made you agree...everything...We'll sort this... Don't worry..." Manik said kissing on her forehead once they broke the hug.
"I'll be going to Pune tomorrow..." He said after a pause and she nodded saying "Okay"
He frowned and cupped her face and asked "Won't you ask me why..!?"
She chuckled and said "Biwi hoon apki...Not lawyer to question you..."
"Ahaaa" He said raising his eyebrows and kissed her lips hard before getting back to their works.
Next day, Manik reached Pune and opened the gate.
"Manik puttarrrr" The lady shrieked in excitement and Manik too smiled and touched her feet before going inside.
"Kaise ho Chachi...!?" He asked and she hugged him saying "Sab thik" and she called her husband.
Manik bent to take his blessings and his chachu tapped his back with a smile.
"Dadaji...!?" Manik asked in hesitation and his chachi chuckled saying "He was very angry on you...Par koi nai...jaake dekho..."
Manik opened the door of his grandfather's room and he turned to the other side seeing Manik.
"Dadaji" He said and hugged him from behind but the old man released himself and asked "Ab kyun aaya hai...!? I'm still alive...Marne ke baad aatha..."
"Dadaji...Kaisi baatein kar rahe ho aap....!!" Manik exclaimed and the old man asked "Aur nai toh kya...!? I have been asking you to visit since long... atleast once in a month toh aa jata...It's been 10 months since you came..."
Rajender Malhotra, Manik's paternal grandfather and Rajesh and Deepa Malhotra, his father's younger brother and wife.
"Sorry sorry sorry Dadaji...Ab se regularly aaunga... promise..." Manik said and his grandpa smiled at last.
"Yes sir...This will be a perfect match...jaisa aap chahthe ho...bilkul aapke standard pe..." The marriage bureau guy said about the groom to Nandini's father and he asked "And parents?"
"Parents nai hai sir...Relatives hai...If you wish to meet, I'll check and make arrangements to meet...Sir ladka diamond hai sir diamond..." He replied and Nandini's father too got convinced and said "Thik hai...Check karke batao when they can come..."
The guy smiled wide and nodded taking his leave while Nandini's father thought 'Ladka acha hai...Just to our family standard...Nandu se baat karna padega...'
"Manik beta...Do you think this works...!?" His grandpa asked and before he could say anything, his chachu too said "Haan Manik...Is it necessary to lie about all these...!? Don't we have any other way...!?"
Manik has told about his love interest and just skipped about his marriage, not wanting to hurt them. He explained the complications because of Nandini's father.
"Agar hota toh Manik puttar nai karta kya...!? Puttar...Tu tand rakh...Sab thik ho jayega...Just tell us when shall we go to meet our bahu...!?" His chachi said and he smiled seeing the caller.
"Ek minute chachi" He excused himself and answered the call and the marriage bureau guy said "Sir kaam ho gaya...Meeting kab rakhe...!?"
"Sunday?" Manik asked and the guy said he will inform Nandini's father.
"Jii Sunday thik hai...Mein Nandini se baat karunga..." Nandini's father said and went to her room to talk about the alliance.
"Chachi...Sunday it is..." Manik said with a smile and his aunt went on to convince her husband saying 'Everything is fair in love and war'
His grandpa too gave in and said "Haan Rajesh...Even I feel the same...See we are not lying about being upper middle class...We are just portraying ourselves like we were 5 years ago may be...Jab tak Manik took over the business, even we were like that only na... Moreover, bache ek dusre ko pasand karte hai...Her dad has some problem in trusting rich people and love marriages...Galat bhi nai hai...Ghar mein ek bachi aisi chali gayi toh darr hoga na...Let Manik do what he wants...Beta... Don't worry...We will manage..."
"Nandu beta..." Nandini's father called her while entering her room and she sat straight seeing him "Yeah dad"
"Beta sunday ko ladke wale aa rahe hai...To see you..." He said dropping a bomb on her and she gulped hard.
"Just a casual meet beta...daro math...We will take it forward only if you find him good...okay...!?" He said and she was not in a state to nod.
"Whatever the marriage bureau guy said, I found it as a good match...dekte hai..." He said and left her room to inform the same to Nandini's mother.
Nandini shivered at the thought of someone coming to see her and she quickly took her mobile to dial Manik who was busy stuffing his Chachi's food.
"Expected" He thought and answered the call after moving to his room.
"Ma...Manik...Aap kab aaoge...!?" She asked being tensed and he sighed before saying "First you calm down...And tell me what happened...!? Work stress...!?"
"Meri poori life hi stress mein chal rahi hai..." She said and he chuckled and asked "Kya hua cheese cake...!?"
"Manik...Dad just came and said ladke wale aa rahe hai on Sunday...to see me..." She said in a tensed tone and he just lazily licked his fingers which has traces of food and said "Ohh"
"What oh...!?" She yelled and he suppressed his smile and said "Nandu...Relax...They are coming just to see you... Don't worry kuch nai hoga..."
"Manik are you serious...!? Day after tomorrow, someone is coming to see me... I'm scared and tensed here...and aap itne cool ho...Do you even know what can happen if they like me and take it forward...!?" She asked being pissed off.
"Aisa kuch nai hoga...Tension math lo..." He said and she rolled her eyes gritting her teeth and said "Aap sach mein pagal ho gaye ho....Did you find someone in Pune or what...!?"
Manik bit his finger to control his laugh imagining his little angry bird but maintained his tone and said in fake anger "Nandini.... Don't forget that you are talking to your husband...."
She gulped at his tone but made a helpless face and tried to say "Par Manik..."
"Nandini...Listen to me...Let them come...Just meet them...I'll take care of the rest...Suna tumne...!?" He ordered in a fake strict tone and she said "Jii"
He controlled his smile and said "Good...Now relax...and finish your final thesis of your specialization..."
He cut the call and she mumbled 'Ab yehi bacha hai...Thesis at this state...!!! Seriously...!!!'
'She is going to kill me when she sees me on Sunday...God....Bacha lena please...' Manik smiled and prayed to god to let his plan work.
Ignore mistakes...
Thank you everyone for keeping a check on me...Doing good now...
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