It's not necessary that the food served to you will always be of your taste .. sometimes it has some ingredients which you dislikes the most...but in hunger you neglect likes and dislikes..you simply eats it ..whether it's delicious or bitter.. because sometimes taste don't matter hunger do..

Same goes with the journey of life .. sometimes it gives you immense happiness and sometimes it gives only sorrow.. but a very renowned philosopher once said.. "It can be stormy today but it can't be rainy forever..."..

"Tring! Tring! Tring!"... from past 15 minutes phone is constantly buzzing... but the owner of it seems to be lost in the view of sunrise...so finally after giving up..the phone kept mum..while the owner didn't even realized...

"Friend!".. after good 30 minutes..he heard a beautiful womanly sound..which instantly made him alive..he can never forget that one charming voice...

"Nandini!".. he took her name like a prayer and looked in his right side..there he saw little diminished figure of her and also him..

Nandini : "friend! Friend! Wake up!".. she was constantly calling him but he was fast asleep...at last she left with no other option that pouring a jug full of water on Him..and this made him woke up instantly..

Manik : "Nandini!".. he said surprisingly looking at his drenched condition..while she was giggling ...he smiled at her cute sweet laugh..

Manik : "what you did?".. he asked softly and now she stopped laughing..

Nandini : "main kabse tumhe jaga rahi thi..aur tum ho ki uth he nahi rahe the .it's called bad manners you know..".. she complained making a cute angry pout..on which he smiled inwardly..then held his ears cutely..and with his puppy face he apologized..

Manik : "abse nahi hoga..promise!".. he said with a cute baby face..which made her face light up...

Nandini : "okay maaf Kiya..".. she very sweetly answered with a big broad smile on her face...

Manik : "so when you have forgiven your friend..then tell me what made you came in my room that too at 6 in morning..".. he said after looking at the wall clock in front of him..

Nandini : "are friend..see Na my hairs ..they are not neatly tied..please help me Na..".. she said with a cute babyish tone..and he smiled..

Manik : "but princess..how can I help??..".. he asked with the patient voice..

Nandini : "you tie my hairs properly and beautifully..I like high pony tail so tie up my hairs..".. she very casually told him..which made his eyes widen in surprise..

Manik : "princess am not a hair stylist..".. he said in matter-of-fact tone..on which she gave him a glare..

Nandini : "just do as I say..it's my other Ginny..".. now she looked more stubborn..and he finally rest his case..

She sat down on the bed..in front of him..showing her back to him..and passed a comb to him..he very patiently started combing her hairs..while she was constantly blabbering..on which he was paying no attention..as he was drowning in the moment..she being so close to him is the most peaceful thing to him..

Manik : "Done princess!".. he finally tied the pony tail ..and she stood up to look at herself ..

Nandini : "wow! It's perfect!".. she jumped in excitement and started clapping..she twirled around at the same time..there was a never ending smile on her face..while he was staring at her with love filled eyes and peace engulfed inside his heart..for her happiness he can die peacefully..

Suddenly the diminished figures vanished fully ..and this made Manik came out of his thoughts.. a lone tear fell out of his eyes and he picked up the letter placed on the side table ..he traced all the words written on it..

Manik : "kya sach Mei you don't love me Nandini?.. ek baar keh kar toh dekhti..Mai sab theek kar Deta..I would have never let you go if you had talked once..wapas aa jao princess..your Ginny miss you ..your friend miss you..".. he said in his heart..while his heart was filled with only grief and enormous pain ..it actually got hurt beyond repair...

Just then again his phone started ringing..and now it drew his attention towards it...he answered the call after looking at the caller id..

Manik : "Yes Nikhil!" ..he answered in the stern tone..

(Introducing Karanvir bohra as nikhil sighania..)

Nikhil : "how are you manik?.."..he asked in friendly tone on which Manik smiled weakly..

Manik : "What you think?.."..he instead of answering asked the question and nikhil adopted silence..

Nikhil : "Manik....".. he tried to be sympathetic but Manik suddenly cut him off..

Manik : "any progress??".. he asked totally ignoring his upcoming words..on which Nikhil smiled weakly ..

Nikhil : "am trying to get all the names..but there is no record in st. Xavier's.. according to them there was no one in the college premises ....".. he told him holding seriousness in his voice..

Manik : "no Nikhil..there were some people present ..that too for a weak..but how on earth faculty is unaware from their presence.??".. he said with deep intense look ..he figured out that there is really something fishy..but what it is??.. he has to find it..

Nikhil : "how can you be so sure??.. and one more thing from last 5 months you are hell bent in finding those names..why Manik??".. he asked him finally and now this made Manik recall everything which Nandini told him..

Before Nandini's departure..actually on the next day of that night when Nandini told him everything..from that day only he was in search of all those people and specially that boy who raped her..but alas! He wasn't able to find anything..even after using all his powers he wasn't able to find anything..and this was irking him the most..

Manik : "that's none of your concern Nikhil..I just want those names by hook or by crook..".. he said in little anger as all those cries of Nandini..her mental state..her vulnerability flashed in front of his eyes and he lost control ..

Nikhil : "relax bro! I will find it asap.. don't be so angry..am sure there is something deep..and I will help you in any manner I can..".. he assured him and this made Manik smile a little..

Manik : "you are a true friend Nikhil..being the best cop of cape Town ..I can trust you only..and make sure all these things should remain confidential..".. he told him and Nikhil smiled...

Nikhil : "apart from the cop..am your best friend Manik..and anything for a person like you.. don't worry I will keep all the information upto me only..".. he answered him with a smile and this made Manik smile as well..

Manik : "thanks bro.. I'll talk later..".. he hung up the call and picked up Nandini's picture..he traced her smiling face..

Manik : "princess..I will punish that bast**d.. I promise..".. he said with determination..

****

"Mannat!".. a old womanly voice made Nandini stir in her sleeping state..she was still sitting on the swing..under the sky.. holding their pic close to her body..

She opened her eyes lazily and sun rays fell straight on her face..which made her place her hand on her face and some frowns appear on her face..

"Wake up Mannat..".. again a sweet soft voice came and now she opened her eyes fully only to find a old lady in her later 60s ..standing in front of her ..

Nandini : "Meera aunty good morning..".. she said lazily..holding the pic to her chest closely..she sat down properly but her neck started paining..she hissed in pain..

"Uffo! Nandini..who had told you to sleep here that too in this uncomfortable position..tum bhi Na..".. she scold her softly on which Nandini smiled a little as she recalled Cabir..

(Flashback)

"Mannat! You never listen to me ..now see Puri neck swelled hai..why you are so stubborn?".. he was scolding her while applying ointment on her neck ..while she was bearing his rants..

Nandini : "Bhai see..agar apko dantna hai Na..then am going..let my neck be in pain..".. she tried to stand up..but Cabir didn't let her go..

Cabir : "chup chap baith ja..humesha apni man mani karti hai..you know na ..I can't see even a scratch on you then how can I bear your pain..you are not only my sister ..but my daughter as well..samjhi...you are the reason of my existence..".. he told her in his emotional tone which made her smile to full..

Nandini : "you know Bhai..you are the world's best brother..no one on earth can match your level..".. she pounced on him and hugged him tightly and he too hugged her back..

(Flashback over)

There was a smile on her face..which made Meera confuse..Nandini was looking downwards with a smile and some tears ..

"Kya hua Nandini??".. she asked softly which drew back her attention..

Nandini : "kabhi kabhi hum khud sab Bigad dete hai..and then we used to crib.. situations are just situations..actually we label them ..and then we used to say it's a bad phase..".. she answered her which made her more confuse..

"Matlab??".. she asked confusingly ..

Nandini : "kuch nahi aunty..chaliye ..".. she stood up still holding that frame which the lady didn't saw..

"Nandini! Main balm laga deti hu..Chalo kam with me..".. she said with kindness in her voice..

Nandini : "it's okay aunty..am fine..".. she said with a weak smile..but the lady held her hand and made her look at her..

"You are in pain Nandini..you need relief..".. her eyes were holding only concern for her ..but her words made Nandini recall her past..

Nandini : "am used to it!".. she answered with a smile..but that smile was only having pain..which didn't went unnoticed by the lady..

"But...".. she tried to reason her but Nandini cut her off..

Nandini : "Meera aunty..chaliye Na ..bahut saare kaam hai Na aaj..chaliye..".. she then dragged the lady with her ..and the Lady rest her case..

****

Manik was busy in the counselling centre..today..after Nandini's exit he actually become a big workaholic..he made himself confined with work and work only..and with Nandini's memories..

He got a free hour ..so he came back to his cabin..and sat down on the couch..he brought out the letter from his pocket and started reading it..

This is what he do when he gets even a spare second..he has read that letter zillion times..but still that pain ..that grief inscribed in that letter seems fresh to him..

"I can't love you Manik..".. he read that particular line again and again..

Manik : "You really don't love me nandini?..then what was that which i always saw in your eyes?..although we never confessed..but i had always seen something different for me in your eyes.."..he said holding only pain in his tone..a lone tear fell out of his eyes and fell straight on the letter..but he wiped his tears..and picked his phone from the side table ..and dialed a number..

Manik : "hi Navi!".. he said as soon as she received his call..

Navya : "how are you Manik?.. ".. she asked in a little low tone..

Manik : "how's you and Cabir?".. he deliberately ignored her question which she realized but didn't said anything..

Navya : "Cabir!".. she smiled weakly .. sarcastically..pain clearly evident in her eyes..

Navya : "he is no longer the same Cabir ..Manik..24 hours he is in search of Nandini..kaha kaha nahi dhunda unhne use..but kuch pata nahi chala uska..now you think how must be him??".. she told him and now he felt their pain as well..they all are sailing in the same boat but hiding their agonies from one another..their peace resides in each other only..

Manik : "we will find her soon.."... He told her still having hope..which made her stun..

Navya : "how can you be so sure??.. it's been four months Manik..four long months..she didn't turned up..then how can....."..before she could make all his positivity turn into negative..he cut her off..

Manik : "she will come back...she Will".. there was only surety in his voice which made Navya stop uttering anything negative..

Navya : "you and Cabir..you both love her so much..I only wonder what made her leave us..".. she said with pain and this made Manik look at the letter closely..

Manik : "mai bhi Janna chahta hoon..why she left us??".. he said looking at the paper..

Navya : "Manik.. I always wanted to ask..what I didn't..when me and Cabir went to Europe..kuch hua tha kya??.. Nandini bilkul theek thi jab hum wapas aaye..there was a big change in her.. kese??".. she asked and Manik recalled that night when Nandini had told her everything about her past..

Manik : "Navya..that change was for better..we shouldn't ponder on the reason behind that change..".. he cleverly answered but she wanted to know..

Navya ; "but at least...".. she tried to ask ..but he stopped her from asking further..

Manik : "I have a meeting Navya..will talk later..".. he hung up before answering..and there Navya was in deep thoughts..

Here Manik too was thinking all that changes..and this made him more upset..as the reason behind Nandini's sudden exit Is still unclear to him..

His trance broke down by the knock on the door..

"Yes come in..".. he called the person in and one of his junior came in..

"Manik sir..there is a parcel for you.."...he hand over that to him..and walked out after Manik accepted the parcel..

He opened the box and there was a thank you note in it..with some goodies and also there was a letter..he read the letter..

"Thank you for Everything Mr. Malhotra ..you have been a great help to us..our NGO has completed 25 successful years now and it's only because of the support of Malhotra empire..on the behalf of our NGO am inviting you for a small party which we set up in our Pune branch..it will be a pleasure if you will attend it.."... He read the whole letter and kept it in side..he looked at Nandini's pic hanged on his front wall..

Manik : "I miss you star..".. he confessed with a weak smile..

*****

Manik was in the car..and anytime he can reach the same NGO..he wasn't in the mood to go but he can't deny their wish as well..and he didn't wanted to break their heart..after all he knows the pain of rejection..and disappearance..

And soon his car stopped outside a big NGO ..he looked at the gate of it and something unusual came in his heart..he suddenly started feeling uneasy.. his heart started beating at its fastest rate..

Manik : "why am feeling so weird??".. he thought for a while but then stepped outside..

(Background music)

Khushboou se Teri
Yuhe takra gaye ..

As soon as he placed his feet on the floor a pair of wind touched his face..giving him the very familiar aroma..he closed his eyes to feel that fragrance in the air..it was soothing..acting as healer to his wounded heart..

Chalte chalte dekho na..
Hum kahan aa gaye ..

He stepped outside and start walking inside totally in daze..he felt a magnetic pull..he wasn't understanding where he is moving to ..but all he know is he was going in the right direction..

Jannate dar yahin..
Tu dikhei kyu nahi..

His eyes were roaming all around..as if he was trying to find someone..but why ..he has no answer for it..he was walking slowly ..all the people were busy in work..walking here and there..but for him world matters nothing..

Chand sooraj sabhi hai yahan..
Intezaar tera .sadiyon se kar raha...
Ek jannat sa tha yeh Jahan..

Suddenly he collided with someone..he was so lost in his thoughts..in his weird feelings that he didn't realized when did he collided with that person and how..but before that person meets the floor ..he held that one tightly in his arms..and her dupatta covered her face fully..but he recognized that touch..that fragrance..even after his death..he can recognize it..

Humari adhuri Kahani..
Humari adhuri Kahani..
Humari adhuri Kahani..
Humari adhuri Kahani..

The wind slowly flows..and her dupatta removed from her face...which made his heart skipped a beat..there is she.. right there in his arms..looking at him with that same passion and intensity..tears unknowingly eloped from their respective eyes..and they both were gazing at each other..

Manik : "Nandini..".. he called her name like a prayer and she just wanted to melt in his arms..he made her stand properly..and both were still staring at each other with only love filled eyes..that yearning was clearly visible In them..

Screen freezes on their face..