*Flashbacks in italics*

He shook his head and internally chuckled looking at her, as she cried in front of the police inspector, explaining him in detail as to why she had slapped a constable who was on duty that time.

"Baby!!" she yelled as she stared at him with tears in her eyes. Oh boy if he didn't knew what exactly she is that he might have believed that those tears were 100% original.

"I swear inspector sahib, maine jaan bujh kar inhe thappad nahi maara, actually I am suffering from this horrible disease." Manik placed his hand on his mouth in order to hide his grin.

"What horrible disease?" asked the Inspector. Genuinely curious.

Nandini sniffed dramatically and wiped a tear or two, then continued, "Sometimes my hands just start itching and I have this urge to slap someone, only if I slapped someone then only the itching goes. Nahi toh the itching leads to swelling at my hand then I might get an infection. Tabhi doctor ne bhi bola thha ki to avoid infection, jo mile usse thappad maar lena."

Manik bit the inside of his cheek, trying to stop himself from laughing out loud. The Inspector looked confused, "Mazak mat karo Madam! Aisi koi bimari nahi hoti."

Nandini sniffed again and replied, "Hoti hai sir, abhi nayi hai na toh kuch hi logon ko hui hai. Aap..aap mere praan-nath se pooch lijiye." She said pointing at him (Manik).

Inspector's immediate response was, "Praan-nath? Yeh kaun hai?"

With a cheeky smile on her face, Nandini folded her hands as she looked at Manik, "Mere praan-nath, mere patidev!! Woh dekhiye, woh dikh rahe hain aapko? Lambe se, ajeeb se baalon waale, jaise current laga ho?"

Manik rubbed his face with his hands and walked up-to them and introduced himself to the inspector, "She's talking about me Sir. I am her husband."

The Inspector shook his head and looked at Nandini, "Seedha seedha bolna tha na ki pati hai tumhaara, kya bole jaa rahi thi itni der se!"

Nandini pouted and looked at him with puppy eyes, while the Inspector looked completely unsatisfied with Nandini's explanation. So he took the Inspector aside and explained him the situation in a detailed way. All this while they were whisper talking while Nandini was unable to hear what was being told.

After Manik's explanation, the Inspector did looked satisfied. As the turned to face Nandini, Manik could see the curious gleam in her eyes. He smirked to himself and walked up-to her.

"Theek hai, theek hai. You can go now." He said looking at Nandini, then he pointed towards Manik and said, "Dhyaan rakhna ki aage se yeh aisa waisa kuch na karein! Ilaaj karwao inka tum!"

With that being said Manik and Nandini walked out of the police station, finally a sigh of relief!

"Aisa kya bola tumne ki woh Inspector tumhaari baat maan gaya? I tried so much but he didn't agreed to it, what did you said to him?" she questioned him as they sat in the car.

Buckling the seat bealt, Manik replied, "Wahi jo sach hai! Ki meri biwi pagal hai, and that every day she surprises me with different antics of hers."

After slapping his arm, Nandini said, "It was you who dared me to slap that constable! And you said that I am mad. You are more mad."

Laughing Manik kissed her pouted lips, "Abhi chalein? Waise hi bohot time waste ho gaya, we have to reach Lonavala before it gets dark."

Smiling, Nandini rested her head on his shoulder and replied, "Okay."

Manik and Nandini have been married for a year by now. Together they were going to Lonavala to attend their common friend's marriage.

Manik glanced at Nandini who was now sleeping, her head still on his shoulder and her hand clutching his arm. He smiled fondly as he remembered the earlier events of the day. It started with a simple truth and dare game where Nandini opted for dare and Manik dared her to slap that constable that led to the police station drama.

Such thing wasn't new to them. Not new to him, he now is experienced as what Nandini's antics will lead to. He kissed the top of her head as he remembered the day, 1 year and 3 months ago, when he met Nandini.

--------

Manik was jogging, when he noticed a child of 3-4 years walking on the road and a car was about to hit him. He leapt across the road as fast as he could and saved the child from being hit by the car. He then took the child to a safe spot and checked for injury, if any. As he was consoling the crying boy, he felt someone tap at his shoulder.

Manik turned around to face a beautiful girl with a fiery expression on her face. "Yes?" he asked.

"Kaise baap ho tum!", the girl yelled.

"What?" Manik was shocked.

"Suna nahi diya? I am talking to you mister! What kind of father you are? Apne bacche ko aise hi sadak pe akela chod kar kya kar rahe thhe tum?"

"Excuse me Miss? Mera baccha?"

"Tumhaara nahi toh aurr kiska? Mera?"

"Maybe"

"Aaarrggghh...agar apne bachon ka dhyaan nahi rakh sakte toh paida hi kyon karte ho?"

Now Manik was utterly confused. What was this girl saying? And what baccha, kiska baccha and all! Then it struck him, "Oh God!"

"What "Oh God!!"? Ek toh bacche ka dhyaan nahi rakhte upar se..."

Manik was about to argue and resolve the misunderstanding that the girl had but they were interrupted by a lady who came and hugged the child in question. She looked up at Manik and said, "Thank you bhai sahib, you saved my child's life. Thank you!"

As the lady walked away, Manik looked at the girl who now had a sheepish look over her face.

"Mera baccha?" he prodded.

"Sorry, I got the wrong idea and.."

"You know what! Just get away!" he yelled and the girl flinched and ran away from there as fast as she could!

Manik shook his head as he watched the girl walking away, he rubbed his temples and then his gaze fell on a card like something. When he picked it up, he noticed that the said card was a license. It belonged to the fiery lady. He read, "Nandini Murthy"

Shaking his head, he placed the license in the pocket of his trousers and jogged his way back home.

--------

"That day, you came into my life. And it never was the same." Thought Manik as he drove.

--------

Manik stood in front of a two storey house as he rang the bell. He was at Nandini's place to return her license.

"Cuhmming!", he heard her yell from inside.

After few seconds the door opened and there stood Nandini Murthy. Manik looked at her from head to toe. Her hair bound in a messy way by a hair tie. Her nose red and she looked pale. She was wearing a long red colored sweater, paired it with white warm leggings and fluffy socks. Man! She was wearing those cute bunny slippers too.

"Aacchoo.." she sneezed at him.

Manik took out his handkerchief and wiped his face. "Tum!? Wuff are you doing here?"

"Actually..."

"Come inside. I am feeling cold!" she said and invited him inside.

Manik was surprised at the invitation but he did come inside. He was more surprised as he saw the interiors of her home. It was so contrasting to her image. To him she appeared to be this crazy and weird woman but the interiors said a all different thing. It looked classy.

"The first room at left, there's the kitchen. Can you make me some ginger tea? I need it so bad or I'll die because of this cold! God knows why the maid didn't come today!"

Manik looked at Nandini as if she had grew two horns over her head, "Excuse Me!"

"Eeehh...chilao mat, sir dard ho raha hai mera." She whined, and Manik stared at her dumbfounded. What the hell!! He was here to return her license and she is making his work like a house maid!!

"Listen I..." he tried to argue.

"I like my tea sweet, so please usme 4 sugar cubes daalna.", after saying this she walked into a room and shut the door. Manik was amused and confused at the same time, followed her and opened the door of the room she had entered before.

There she was, trying to sleep with multiple comforters pulled over her body. This might be her bedroom then, he concluded. Everything was a mess, clothes on the floor, files and some documents on the other side of the bed. Pizza leftovers, tissue papers and what not.

Manik scrunched up his nose, "Aise mein bimaar nahi hogi toh aurr kya hoga!"

Without giving it another thought, Manik placed the license at the table by the side of the bed and went in the kitchen to make Nandini and himself some tea. As he was doing so, he chuckled and said to himself, "Pehli mulakaat mein mujhe ek bacche ka baap bana diya aurr ab dekho!! Kamaal hai, kabhi socha nahi thha ki yeh sab bhi karunga main kabhi."

He poured the tea in two cups and went to give Nandini one. Nandini indeed was very very sick, that's why after drinking the tea, she went to sleep once again. Shaking his head Manik placed the comforters over her nicely and started piling up the things. He placed all her clothes on one chair, still messy but together in a pile. The documents together with a paper weight over it and the pizza leftovers and tissue papers in the dustbin.

He then made Nandini some tomato soup and left it in the microwave. Before leaving he wrote her a note;

"I was here to give you back your license that you dropped that day when we met at the roadside. I made you some soup, it's in the microwave, heat it up and then drink.

By the way, I am no maid of yours, so next time we meet, you owe me a treat! "

-----------

Remembering those memories, Manik suddenly laughed out loud. "Kya hua?" questioned Nandini, her voice still laced with sleepiness.

"Just remembered the second time we met!" was his reply.

"Manik..?" Nandini said on a serious note.

"Hhhmmm?" he asked.

"Thank you!" she replied.

"Kis liye?" he frowned.

"For the tea and soup?" and then she laughed hard at him, who just shook his head in amusement.

After driving for half an hour Manik and Nandini stopped at a food joint to have lunch. After they ordered their food, Nandini held Manik's hand in hers and asked, "You remember our third meeting?"

"Ha! How can I forget that! You actually got me involved in kidnapping a bride from her marriage!"

--------

Manik had come to a business colleague's wedding, but it was called off because bride was missing. So to avoid being part of some unwanted drama, Manik decided to walk out. He had just started his car when he heard some noise. At first he thought that it was nothing but few minutes later he was sure he heard some jingling and all.

He then muttered to himself, "Kya ho raha hai yaar! Yeh kaisi awazein sunai de rahi hain."

And just then his gaze went up to the rear view mirror, and what he saw in that made him apply the brakes hard and fast.

"What the hell!!" he yelled.

"Hi!" came the reply.

"Tum, meri car mein? Kaise? I know I had locked the car and.."

Nandini waved a hair pin at him and replied, "There are ways to open a car door Mister! Btw, I am Nandini and this, this is.." she gestured to another girl who was hiding.

"Navya?", shrieked Manik.

"Tum, tum bhi yahan? Tumhaari toh aaj shaadi thhi na!" Here comes the bride that went missing.

"Actually na, iske Uncle Aunty iski zabardasti shaadi karva rahe thhe, but she loved somebody else, so I helped her runaway from the marriage.

"Oh God! Nandini!!"

"Tumhe mera naam kaise pata?"

"Tumhaare license pe likha thha."

"Oh! Btw, the soup was really delicious. Do mail me the recipie okay."

"Nandini!! What are we haan? Do I look like a chef to you? Aurr yeh sab..", he then turned towards Navya, "I suggest you go back to your marriage."

"But she can't marry to a guy she doesn't love!" cried Nandini.

"Toh!" Manik muttered.

"Dekho Mister.."

"Manik"

"Accha, dekho Manik, Navya kissi aurr se pyaar karti hai, and he's waiting for here at the railway station. Do pyaar karne waalon ko milana punya ka kaam hai, so it's chance for you, a perfect opportunity to earn some good points. So please help us reach the railway station!!"

Manik looked at Navya who was nodding at every word Nandini said. Shaking his head he replied, "Fine!"

"Cool!"

--------

After Navya and her lover boarded the train, Manik and Nandini went back outside and Nandini started the conversation saying;

"So let's go!"

"Where?" Manik frowned, "Ab kahin koi bank lootne ka plan toh nahi hai tumhaara?"

"Naaww..I am just gonna do what you wanted."

"What?"

"Don't you remember, the note, that day you left me a note after you made me soup and all?"

"Okay but aise...", finally after moments of utter madness Manik had a good time looking at Nandini who was decked up in a white colored ghagara choli that had beautiful design made by silver colored sequins. Her eye makeup was smoky and kissable lips painted in red. Her hair were left untied, making her look ethereal.

"Chalein?"

"Chalo!"

--------

"Kya din thha na woh bhi! It was so exciting!" Nandini chirped.

"Thha toh, but it was dangerous too. I mean agar kissi ko pata chalta ki dulhan ko main bhaga ke le gaya thha then they would have killed me." Manik snapped.

"Aaww.." Nandini giggled.

"Kabhi kabhi sochta hoon ki main tumse pyaar kaise kar baitha!"

"You too!! Mujhe bhi aisa hi lagta hai! Aryaman was a better option!" Nandini countered.

"Aryaman!!" Manik gritted his teeth and snapped a piece of reddish as if he was breaking someone's bones.

His possessive reaction made Nandini laugh, to whom Manik threw the two broken pieces of reddish at.

--------

It's been 2 months and 20 days Nandini and Manik had met. By now they have become really close, as in really really close. But none of them was ready to acknowledge their feelings. They talked with each other on daily basis and that also for long hours.

Then came a day when Manik called Nandini but she didn't answer it.

"Pick up the phone damn-it!!" yelled Manik as he tried calling Nandini again and again.; He also left her many messages but she didn't reply to any.

"Kahin usse kuch! Shit!" Just the thought of Nandini being hurt or in problem made Manik go crazy. He rushed towards Nandini's home, that day he might have broken many traffic rules but nothing could stop him from reaching at Nandini's place.

As he parked his car outside Nandini's home, he was surprised to see it decorated. He ran inside, pushing the guests throughout his way to Nandini's room. But Nandini wasn't alone there. She was sitting on her bed, dressed up in a red colored saree that had royal blue embellishments on it and small golden sequins. And she was surrounded by a couple who looked like her parents.

"Excuse Me!" Manik said.

The elderly couple looked at him with curious eyes, "Aap kaun?", the lady asked.

"Ji, main Nandini ka dost hoon. Woh actually.."

"Chalo accha hua! Aakhir iska koi toh dost aaya uski engagement pe.", the man exclaimed.

Manik looked at Nandini who had her head bowed and he could see those silent tears falling out of her eyes.

"Engagement?" Manik could feel his heart sinking.

"She didn't tell you? Yes, today is her engagement and day after tomorrow, she's gonna get married to Aryaman Khurana, heir to the Khurana empire.", the lady told him proudly.

With slow steps Manik walked away from there, he just didn't had the courage to stand there and watch Nandini getting engaged to man who is not him. That was the day he realized what Nandini means to him. She wasn't his whole world, neither she was the whole universe but she was his every breath, his every heartbeat, his life line and the person he can't live without. That night as Manik thought about Nandini and their future, he made a decision and also decided that it was high time that now Nandini had to accept what she had avoided all this time.

--------

Manik came back that night but late enough that everybody was sleeping soundly. Good thing was that, that Nandini's bedroom was on the ground floor. He went to the side of the house where the window of Nandini's room was there. The room was dark except the low light of lamp. Nandini was sitting on her bed just like he had seen her before but now she had a blank look on her face.

He knocked the window twice to get her attention.

"Manik?" her voice was laced with pain.

"Kya kar rahi ho Nandini?" he asked as she helped him get inside her room through the window.

"What are you doing here and..."

"Mere swaal ka jawaab do! Kya kar rahi ho Nandini? Tum shaadi karne waali ho aurr mujhe bataya tak nahi?!"

"Mujhe bhi kahan pata tha!" she let out a sarcastic laugh.

Manik frowned and narrowed his eyes, "Matlab?"

"Mom and Dad came just yesterday and told me that I had to do this engagement as they are facing major financial crisis and Aryaman's father had agreed to help them only if.."

"Only if you agree to marry that bloody Aryaman." Manik completed.

"Yeah!" sighed Nandini.

Suddenly Manik could feel his anger rising. He could feel his blood boiling with rage, "And you said yes!"

"Toh aurr kya..." she was interrupted by Manik who gripped her arm tight enough that it would leave marks for sure.

"Aurr mera kya haan?" he pushed her to a wall and caged her body with his.

Nandini's breathing grew heavy as Manik leaned close to her, so much close that if she moved just a bit, their lips would touch.

"Manik" she gasped.

"What about me Nandini? Tumne mere baare me ek baar bhi nahi socha!! What about the bond we share?"

"What bond haan?? Dosti ka? Bas?" she cried, trying to push Manik away. But this made him tighten his grip on her.

"Don't you know that I am in love with you? Aren't you in love with me?"

"Manik.."

Manik raised her hand and brought it to his chest where his heart was, "Just listen to my heartbeat, sunno inhe, kya tumhe nahi pata that my heart beats only and only your name?"

"Mujhe laga tha ki tum.."

"I know. But I really love you Nandini, I really do. Agar tumhe lagta hai ki main tumhaare bina jee nahi sakta toh yeh jhoot hai. Sach toh yeh hai ki main tumhaare bina jeena hi nahi chahta. Meri saanson mein tum ho, dhadkane tumhaara hi naam leti hain, aankhein tumhaari ek jhalak pane ko har pal tarasti hain. Yeh dil sirf tumhaarae ehsaas par dhadakta hai aurr meri zindagi, ab sirf tumhaara aks hai." At the end Manik and Nandini were both crying. She hugged him as tight as she could, with all her might and cried her heart out.