Next day
Early morning

Nandini: maa, can I plz wake up manik today?

Neyonika: (smiles) of course beta, wait I will give you the keys of his room.

Nandini: thank you maa!! (hugs her)
Neyonika gives her keys and kisses on nandini's forehead. Nandini smiles and goes from there. She reaches manik's room and quietly opens the door, comes in and locks the door carefully and tip toes towards his bed. She is mesmerised as well as feels a little shy when she gets the view. Manik is sleeping topless and on his stomach. His always well-gelled hair is now all over his forehead in soft locks. Overall he is looking damn cute!!

Nandini stands there for a while just like that watching him sleep. she for the first time sees the tattoo on his back which is giving him such a sexy look. "nandini, do you realise how lucky you are!! This guy, a Greek god, heartthrob of millions of girls all over the world, loves YOU, is all yours for the rest of his life. He may not say anything nandini, but he definitely deserves your love and care" were the words uttered by nandini's heart to her.

Nandini sat on his side of bed and bent down a little to have a better look of his tattoo.

She put her finger on the tattoo and traced its pattern. Manik's eyes flew open with the touch and he uttered "nandini" without even checking if it really was her.

Nandini: (smiled) sorry I woke you up.

Manik turned around with a broad smile. "I liked the mistake though"

Nandini blushed with the view of his well sculpted chest and abs. "good morning"

Manik: (still lying down) com'on look into my eyes then say.

Nandini: (looks up) good morning manik...

Manik: good morning sweetheart. Ok so how come my morning turned out to be so beautiful.

He is holding her hand and playing with her fingers.

Nandini: wo actually..

Manik: (still focussed on kissing and playing with her fingers) yeah..actually...

Nandini: amma and chachi informed me that today , it's a ladies event all day , maybe I will not be able to see you all day, so I ...(halts as manik sat up on the bed with a jerk)

Manik: what?? What r u talking about!! What do you mean by you will not see me?

Nandini: (smiles) manik relax...there is no such restriction , it's just that men are not wanted in the rituals of today like haldi and mehendi. You will be applied haldi but not in the same hall as me. So I will be busy and may not get time to spend with you. So I came now.

Manik: oh thank god , there is no restriction!! (he huffed in relief) meeting or no meeting I will take care of that, u just relax and enjoy the rituals babes.

Nandini: (smiling) ok..and wear your t-shirt please

Manik: (smirks) why I m not looking good like this?

Nandini: (mischievously) of course u r looking like..like

Manik: (getting closer) like...

Nandini: like...

Manik: (more closer, her breath fanning his face) like...

Nandini: manik you are looking delicious'

Manik: (still in the flow) delicious...(stops) delicious????

Nandini: (laughing) yeah delicious..just like this Earl grey tea..I have brought for you

Manik: (sighs and wears his vest before taking the tea) how did you know that I drink this tea?

Nandini: I asked your butler today in the morning...he made it...I just brought it here...

Manik: (while sipping the tea) ummm yeah nandini, I have to inform you this, since marriage rituals will start at 4 a.m. itself tomorrow morning so we, I mean all the boys, have decided that we will not sleep whole night. So cabir has organised bachelor's party tonight.

Nandini: (a little worried) but manik if you drink and pass out in the party?? You will not be able to make it to the rituals , then?

Manik: (sees her worried face, so takes her in a side hug, and rubs her shoulder) nandini relax..it's just a kind of get-together, there won't be any drinks and trust me..I want to marry you desperately, so I won't be such a fool to be late for the rituals.

Nandini relaxes in his embrace and puts her head on his chest. They sit quietly enjoying the moment. After sometime nandini tilts her head and looks at manik and kisses him on his jaw line "thank you"

Manik: thank you? Interesting..but may I know for what?

Nandini: for understanding me every time, for loving me, for everything...

Manik: ok in that case, thank me properly...

He is about to kiss her, but stops and asks "do you mind if I kiss u without brushing my teeth?"

Nandini answers , not in words, she directly places her lips on his and starts kissing him. Manik falls back on the bed with nandini on top of him without breaking the kiss. Kiss turns out to be wild. In a swift move manik switches his position and comes on top of her. Manik moves from her lips to her neck coming down slowly, while his hand goes under her top.

Nandini snaps out of her trance and holds his hand to stop him. Manik looks at her and then takes his hand off her and also gets off her. Manik realises he went overboard, he looks at nandini if she is upset, but he saw her blushing and a little nervous. He holds her hand.

Manik: I am sorry, I should have controlled myself...

Nandini: plz don't be sorry, I just got conscious, physical intimacy is very new to me...

Manik: relax we will just go with the flow...

Nandini: manik I think I should go now, they must be waiting , I have to get ready.

Manik: ok ok..give me 2 mins I will brush and freshen up..then come with you...

Nandini: no manik you should freshen up , take shower then come for breakfast, I will wait for u, but now I will go by myself...

Manik: (mock salutes her) ok ma'm as you say!!

Nandini smiles and walks to the door followed by manik. She leaves and he goes to freshen up. When manik came down in the dining hall, he saw everyone sitting on their places and having breakfast. Maan along with his P.A. was sending invites through e-mail and also making calls to personally invite important guests for the reception.
Cabir: manik!

Manik: yeah I m coming (he quickly scanned the hall, nandini is not there, he went towards fab4)

Dhruv: buddy , come sit here.

Manik sits.

Alya: wow it feels like quite a while , since fab 5 has sat together and relaxed.

Manik: yeah quite a while, I agree. So all your plans are done? Since you are sitting idly after a long time, I guess.

Cabir grinned.

Cabir: oh I see manik is angry on fab 4 and that too when fab4 did something in his favour.( he winked to others)

Manik: yeah yeah of course!! (rolling his eyes) but I m not angry. It was just first time that you all were doing something leaving me out, I felt left out..(cute face)

Alya: ok ok I guess we need a group hug!!

Rest: yeah absolutely!!

And they got up and had a group hug.
Everyone present in the hall admired them. Just then nandini walked in. She smiled watching fab 5 sharing a hug.

Manan's outfit

Manik also looked in her direction and found her staring and smiling. As their eyes met , nandini through sign language said "all of you look good together" and blew a kiss to him. Manik smiled and acted as if he fainted.

Nandini just laughed lightly and went towards navya, who was on the juice counter.

Fab 5 broke the hug and again sat down .

Mukti: bhai I will order food for u.

Manik: mukti wait..actually nandini is waiting for me. We decided we will eat together.

Cabir: oo manik , av se joru ka gulam!!
Fab 3 broke into laughter at his tone.

Manik: ruk abhi navya ko bulata hun.

Cabir: ha bula bula...darta hun mai kya usse!!

Mukti : waah mere sher!! Wait I will call them, nandini is with her itself.

As mukti got up, they saw Abhi walking up to navya and nandini.

Manik: call Abhi too, if he is free, ok mukti?

Mukti: (normally) ok (but dil me to laddoo fut rahe the)

At the same time

Nandini goes to navya.

Nan: hey navya kya kar rahi hai!!

Nav: good morning..madam..bahut khush lag rahi ho, kya baat hai?? Batao batao..

Nan: (blushing remembering morning encounter with manik) asa kuch nahi hai..wo bas av fab 5 ko group hug karte dekha to acha laga. You know manik was little upset sometime back that fab 4 are not giving him time.

Nav: oh hmm..I think everything is fine now

Nan: yeah..

Abhi joins them

Abhi: ok pretty ladies, gossip kar liya toh ye bta do, did you have your breakfast?
Nav: yeah I had mine...

Nandini just shook her head feeling shy as to how will she say that she is waiting for manik.

Abhi: but why? Nandini you know na it's already 10 and from 11;30 your haldi ceremony will start, atleast have the first meal of the day properly behna...

Mukti cleared her throat to grab their attention.

Mukti: wo actually bhai is waiting for nandini, he wants to eat with her, do you mind abhimanyu?

Abhi: no its ok (looking at nandini) you should have told buddhu...I am your friend , more than your brother, did you forget that?

Nandini giving him a side hug: of course not bhai...

Abhi: its ok...go now and eat properly...

Mukti: umm abhimanyu..bhai wants you to join too...

Abhi: me? (mann me laddoo futa)

Mukti : yeah all three of you..(heart beat racing because of the way he is looking at her)

Navya ab chalo v tum logo ne..kya main main laga rakha hai...

All of them laugh and move towards fab 4. Fab 4 get up and welcome them.

Alya: hey navya..you know what..cabir said..(eyeing cabir) that he is not afraid of you...

Cabir is petrified. He tries to act innocent.

Navya: oh wow he said that?? (amused) I guess he knows better...

Cabir looked like a bomb fell on him as he got the undertone of warning in navya's voice . he didn't say anything , just scooted to her side.

Cabir: well I am sitting with her.

Manik asked nandini to take cabir's place as it was next to him, dhrulya were already sitting next to each other, mukti and Abhi looked around.

Mukti : I guess abhimanyu we would have to company each other.

Cabir: yeah that would be better, you know two singles should act as couples in a crowd of couples..(he winked at mukti, suggesting that he knows)

Mukti looked here and there.

Abhi: umm I will just bring the food for you manik and nandini..

Manik: hey Abhi..wait I will just order the staff over here, you relax..by the way did you have your breakfast?

Abhi: ok yeah I have had my breakfast.

Manik: guys did you all have your breakfast?

Dhruv: buddy relax everyone has had their breakfast, first feed nandini, she will faint out of hunger otherwise.

Everyone chuckled. Manik looked at nandini. She was blushing. He smiled and ordered the servant to bring two plates of food. The food arrived and both were eating.

Cabir: arey did you guys get the news, the media people have put their tents outside this resort from 24 hours!!

Alya: really?? Don't they have some other news to cover?

Manik: alya..relax..yaar..it's their job..and it's because of them that we reach our fans...

Alya: yeah I understand manik...

Dhruv: I think they are camping to get a byte..some pics ..anything...

Cabir: yeah but what can we do...

As they finished their breakfast, a servant came up with two glasses of juice. They drank the juice. Everyone was silent, thinking.

Nandini who was silent till now , spoke
Nan: I don't know if I should say this or not..(she paused and looked at each of their faces)

Cabir: oh com'on nandini , you are part of the family, don't be so formal...

Alya and mukti together: yeah nandini
Then they chuckled realising they spoke together.

Alya: ok u go ahead, mukti

Mukti smiled: I was just saying , u have the full right to voice your thoughts nandini

Alya: I second that (giggling)

Dhruv: I m the second one to second that(he blew a kiss to alya, she blushed and rolled her eyes)

Manik: ok guys now let us hear what my beloved would be wife has to say..

Nandini looked at him and he grinned: ok I was saying that give the media something to talk about.

Everyone looked at each other.

Navya: but what?

Abhi : yeah behna..what?

Nan: a performance on the terrace of this resort which is viewable to them??

Mukti: wow nandini!! (she goes and hugs her) you have super brain I must say!! What say guys??

Cabir: yeah the idea is good..let's get going guys I have a plan

Manik: wow our plan maker got another assignment!!

Rest of them laughed. Just then parents walked up to manik and nandini.

Sheetal: nandini, beta get up, go get ready..it's almost time..

Neyonika: manik you too...move fast..

M&n: ok amma ma..

Manik: (bent down to whisper) bye beautiful, I will see you around..

Manik ran away from there waving a bye to rest of them while nandini also went away blushing.

Cabir: ok guys so the dulha dulhan are gone, we will have to execute the plan...listen carefully the plan is...

Everyone huddled together to hear the plan...
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Credits to the writer- Manini Mehra