I NEED U TO BE THERE..... for a little more than Always!!
Part 3:
The next day Nandini knocked his door at the exact time making him smirk. Nandini entered the room to see manik standing there wearing just his lowers as she said,
Nandini: Good morning Sir..
Manik:(to himself) Sir or Monster!!(to her) Good mrng Miss moorthy!! I don't hv any practise seesion today. Arrange all the meetings according to u.
Nandini: Ohk sir!!
Manik: Downstairs in 15 minutes check on the breakfast.
Nandini: sure sir!!
Nandini moved out of her room and wondered,
Nandini: So simple... How is this Monster in such a good mood today??
Thinking about it she moved down and got to her work. As Manik sat for breakfast, Nandini prepared his schedule and then moved towards him. She gave him the glass of juice and then started,
Nandini: Sir, as we reach the office by 9, I would like some of ur time as I hv a few questions from Shubham's team about the deal with the Singhania's. I suppose i'll be finished with it in about 30 to 40 mins. So I hv scheduled the ur next meeting at 10. After that there are no more important meetings for u to attend all day. I suppose we could use this day for the paper work itself.
Manik: Hmn... Ok!!
The day started as its usual and both of them got busy in work. It was around 1 pm when Nandini knocked Manik's cabin.
Manik: Come in!!
Nandini entered the room and Manik saw her holding his lunch.
Nandini: Sir ur lunch!!
Manik: Keep it there on the table Ms. Moorthy!
Nandini: Yes sir...
Nandini kept the lunch on the table next to the sofa and then said,
Nandini: If u need anything sir.. I m right outside.
Saying so she turned and was about to leave the cabin when she heard him call her,
Manik: Ms. Moorthy... Hang on!!
Nandini turned around and saw him get up from his chair. He moved towards the sofa and sat.
Manik: Did u hv ur lunch??
Nandini: Sorry?
Nandini had clearly heard what he said but she could actually not believe her ears on what they were listening.
Manik: Ms. Moorthy I asked whether u hv had ur lunch or not.
Nandini: Um.. Yes sir... I mean no sir, I hvn't had it yet.
Manik: Hmn... Ok come sit.
As she heard him Nandini's eyes broadened in shock,
Manik: Ms. Moorthy... I think u always do understand my orders at once. I said Sit. Join me for lunch.
Nandini: Yes.. Yes sir!!
Nandini slowly walked towards him and sat on the sofa. Manik she took up a plate & started serving out the food. Manik didn't utter a word and let her do so. As she finished she kept a spoon on the plate and took it forward towards him. Manik took the plate from her hiding his surprise on seeing how well she knew how and what he ate for his meal.
Slowly nandini served some for herself and sat back with her plate in her hand.
Both of them ate quitely, while Nandini thought,
"What has happened to this Monster today, how is he being so nyc. For the first time he hasn't shouted on me even once since the morning and now lunch. Seriously, he didn't even care about my lunch ever before. But the question is why is his being nyc, making it so weird for me. This is what I had always wanted from him and now I don't know why is all this feeling so weird..... I think i m just used to his usual self, his bossy self, his unshowed loving self, his I-only-talk-when-necessary self, his do this-do that self....... Or maybe in one word, his Monster self."
Soon they finished there entirely silent lunch after which Nandini cleared up the table and moved out of his cabin. As she got out Manik thought to himself,
Manik: How can two people be so silent together. It seemed she didn't even exist in this room. But still it was much better than eating alone staring at these walls. See it was nyc. I can be better than a monster.
With this he again got back to his work, while Nandini started arranging the Fab5's event invitations.
The day ended soon and both of them returned back home. The next day was sunday, and Nandini was releaved as it was her half work day. It meant that she had to work only at home and neither she nor Manik went to office on that day. She slept till late and managed the day according to her wish, with negligible interruption from Manik.
Like every sunday Manik got up early, and went for a jog. It was his routine, which he never broke while Nandini spent her morning sleeping. It was around 9:30 when Nandini entered the house & saw Manik sitting on the dining table, having his breakfast.
Nandini: Good morning sir!!
Manik: Morning Ms. Moorthy...
Nandini walked past him straight towards her office and Manik noticed her wearing an Indian kurti like she always did on Sundays.
Five minutes later, she got out again and walked towards the last room to the corridor, his Dadi's room. Manik had never noticed her actions before but after listening to their conversation the other day about him, he wanted to know if he was mentioned there again. He noticed that there was no one around so he followed her to that room and entered to see Nandini touching dadi's feet. Dadi smiled at her and kissed her forehead,
Dadi: May God give u a long, happy and healthy life.
Nandini: Thank u Dadi... Achcha now tell me u had ur medicines or not.
Manik noticed the guilty look on his Dadi's face & so did Nandini.
Nandini: So bad Dadi... U never listen to me. Come sit here.
Dadi: But Na-
Nandini: I said sit.
Nandini ordered her with all her right, potraing the relationship that they shared.
Nandini: Dadi... U never hv ur medicines until I give them to u. I give them to u daily on time, its only Sunday that I come late and still every sunday u miss them. Thats not fair.
She gave her the medicines which Dadi takes without a word. As Nandini keeps the glass away Dadi holds her hand & says,
Dadi: Aa beth idhar....
Nandini sat by her side and then Dadi continued.
Dadi: Tu rozz mujhe ye dawai dene aati h... Kyu?? Sirf isliye kyuki tu yahan kaam karti h. Nahi na!! Ye toh tera kaam h bhi nhi. Phir bhi tu aati h, isse ye pata chalta h ki tu meri kitni care karti h mujhse kitna pyar karti h. Jese manik mere pass beth kar apna pyar dikhata h, tu mera dhyan rakh kar dikhati h. And what can be better than seeing two people loving u so much everyday. These small gestures tell me that there are two people who love me a lot, one is my son, ur Monster, and the other is my Nandu. Right??
Nandini smiled at her and wiped the lone tear from her eyes.
Nandini: Baatein banana toh koi aapse seekhe. Rehne do dadi... I know I can't win from u in talks.
Dadi smiled at her and then asked,
Dadi: Now u tell.. U had ur breakfast or not.
Nandini: No.. I m just going to hv it. Then I hv to make cake also today.
Dadi: Cake... Why??
Nandini: Its Badri Kaka's birthday today.
Dadi: Badri??
Nandini: The gardener.... Its his birthday today. I thought to make a cake for him.
Dadi: Ohh good!! I m sure he'll love it.
Nandini: Chalo now u take rest I hv to go.
Nandini got up from the bed while Manik rushed back to the table and sat before Nandini came out.
Nandini walked towards the kitchen while Manik thought to himself,
Manik: She knows the gardener's birthday. And she is making a cake for him. How come i never knew that Nandini knew the staff so well? Why will she not know them, they all live in the same house. But then why don't i know any one of them. Leave them, why don't I know anything about Nandini. She is with me for the entire day, right next to me & still I know so little about her. NANDU..... I hv got to know u now...
But how??
He thought about something and then smiled boardly, as he knew only one person could tell him about Nandini. He got up from his chair & moved to his dadi's room.
He knocked the door and entered the room to see her reading some spiritual book.
Dadi: Manik... Come son!!
Manik: How r u dadi??
Dadi: I m absolutely fine.... U tell how come u r here at this time.
Manik: Nothing... Just had a lot of free time so thought to spend sometime with u.
Dadi: Wow... Thats nyc!
Manik: I just saw Ms. Moorthy getting out of ur room so I wondered if u were all right or not.
Dadi: Ohh yes yes I m totally fine. Nandini just came to give me my medicines.
Manik: Medicines.... I never knew she that as well.
Dadi: Thats becoz she never lets anyone know what all she does. But if we really notice, then she the only person who is handling this entire house and the people living in this house.
Manik: No thats not the truth.
Dadi: Really!! Ohk.... U tell me, who hires the staff?
Manik: Ms. moorthy.
Dadi: Right... Who pays them. I know u do. But all u do is to give the entire amount to Nandini and she pays them. She takes care of the entire staff's needs. Apart from that she handles ur entire schedule & all that other things that u make her do u only know that. Don't u think its a lot to do.
Manik: I don't know..maybe!!
Dadi: It is...
Manik: ok fine.. Maybe it is, maybe its not. But why r we discussing this, u tell me what are u reading.
Dadi smiled at it while Manik successfully changed the topic. While his mind was left thinking only about Nandini.
Later that day, Manik was sitting in his room trying to work over a new tone on his guitar but he was not able to concentrate.
Manik: How come I never realised what kind of an important part Ms. Moorthy has become of my life. She actually does handles me as well as my schedule. How come i never realised the position she has in my life.
He was frustated, he was baffled. Not only bcoz he was realising it now, but also bcoz he never wanted to be so much dependent on anyone ever. He had had a past in which he had been dependent on others and that time had given him teachings.
He kept his guitar away and moved out towards his balcony. But as looked downwards to his garden he saw Nandini presenting the cake she made to the old gardener, who hugged her at this. The old man blessed her while the other staff joined up to cut the cake. As the cake was cut Nandini picked up a peice to make the gardener have the cake and then spilled the rest on his face. As everyone laughed out their hearts, Manik's eyes were only fixed at a single person, and just seeing her carefree laugh his frustation fled away as his lips currved up in a smile.
Yes, that was Manik Malhotra's real self, and her laughter had given him a smile.