Natasha was still banging on the door when a staff member walked by and saw the lock on the door.
"Yeh darwaza band kyun hai? Khol deta hoon...kisiko zaoorat par sakta hai." The man used his set of keys and unlocked the door and Natasha came out furious.
"YOU BLOODY IDIOTS! ITNE DER SE MAIN ANDAR CHILLA RAHI HOON...KISI KO SUNNAI NAHI DIYA KYA?"
"What? Par...maine kuch nahi sunna." Tha man looked confused.
"Cause you are deaf!" Natasha yelled.
"Lekin...agar aap yahan hai toh bahar gaana kisne gaya?"
"What....Nandini. Uss Nandini ne yeh sab ki hogi." Natasha growled in anger. "Chodungi nahi main usse."
She marched off and then saw Nandini. "NANDINI!"
Nandini, who had just left the building stopped and saw Natasha.
"Oh no...yeh bahar kaise aa gayi?"
she then remembered what Dadi had told her.
"Nandu...agar yeh Natasha bahar aayi toh pakka tujhe blame karegi. Tu bas yehi bol ke tujhe kuch nahi paata. Tu sirf Manik ki madat karne gayi thi...bas."
"You.....tumne mujhe kamre mein lock kiya na?"
"Natasha tum kya bol rai ho? Main aisa kyun karungi?" Nandini lied.
"Gaana kisne gaaye huh? Main toh andar band thi....I remember clearly, Manik ki Dadi tumhe gaana sikhati thi na? So that means you did all this!"
"Nahi...matlab haan maine gaana gaya par woh sirf Manik ki help karne ke liye. Tum paata nahi kaha chali gayi. Isi liye...."
"I WAS LOCKED! AUR TUMNE MUJHE LOCK KIYA!" Natasha yelled. "I wont let you get away with this."
She raised her hand to smack Nandini when a hand grabbed onto her wrist. Nandini, who had closed her eyes in reflex slowly opened her eyes and Natasha turned around to see Manik.
"Manik....baby, acha hua tum aa gaye. You know what this loser did? She-"
"Enough Natasha." Manik growled in a low voice. "Tamasha mat karo yahan pe."
"But she-"
"I said enough Natasha!" Manik glared. "You were the one who vanished in the most important moment...aur ab tum Nandini pe blame dal rahi ho? She can never do what you are saying...ulta usne aaj mera career bachaya hai."
Nandini looked at Manik emotionally as this was the first time he ever took a stand for her.
"You trust her over me? She's just your replacement wife aur main.... Im telling you Manik, main gayab nahi hui thi...I was TRAPPED!" Natasha yelled.
"Chillao mat! Aur haan...mera aur Nandini ka chahe jo bhi rishta ho it doesnt change the fact ki TUM bharose ki layak hi nahi ho." Manik said. "Kya kaha tha tumne? Nandini trapped you? Well just FYI Natasha Bedi...I checked the CCTV cameras to find out where Nandini went and usme Nandini wasnt anywhere close to your greenroom."
"WHAT? Yeh kaise ho sakta hai?"
"Oh just save it..." Manik scoffed. He grabbed Nandini's hand and pulled her back towards the concert venue.
"Manik wait...aap kaha le jaa rahe hai?" Nandini asked.
"To the stage..." Manik replied.
"What...no, Main nahi jaa sakti." Nandini stopped.
"Look...tumhari awaaz, its amazing. Aur wahan baithe sabko yeh paata hona chahiye that its you...tumhe apna talent sabke samne laana chahiye."
"Aapko paata bhi tha kya....ke main gaana gaa sakti hoon?" Nandini asked. Manik got silent and Nandini just softly chuckled. "See....you didnt even know. Aapko mere baare mein kuch nahi paata and yet aap aise baat kar rahe hai jaise aap yeh mere liye kar rahe hai?"
"I...I was..." Manik felt a bit hurt.
"Yeah right...and Im just supposed to believe that? Jab ki pichle 5 saalon mein ek baar bhi mera khyal nahi aaya aapko." Nandini asked. They were now just outside the backstage area when they heard the announcer calling for Manik. "Jayiye...aapko bula rahe hai."
Manik left and Nandini sighed sadly.
"Yeh kya tha?" Dadi popped up beside her. "Tu Manik ke saath kyun nahi gayi?"
"Aap hi ne toh kaha tha....shaadi se pehle wali Nandini ko wapas laana hai." Nandini replied. "Manik ne pichle 5 saal se mujhe ignore kiya hai....itne asani se uske baat kaise maan sakti hoon? Thodi si mehnat toh karwana hoga na?"
Dadi smirked and nodded in agreement.
********************
"Seriously?" Cabir & Abhi stared at Manik in surprise. After the concert, Manik came home and told his brothers about Nandini singing. "Wow...I mean I knew she could sing. Dadi ki student thi par....its been so long, I didnt recognize her voice."
"Thats not the point guys...." Manik rolled his eyes. "Main usse stage pe laana chahta tha to show her talent to everyone and she out right refused. Kaha ki Im just pretending that Im doing this for her. How could she think that?"
"How could she not?" Abhi asked. " I mean....tune kabhi usse thik se treat hi nahi ki. I know...Natasha messed with your feelings and everything par Nandini Natasha nahi hai. She always kept you and the kids above everything par tere liye she wasnt ever important. So yeah...its not so surprising ki usse tujhpe bharosa nahi hai."
"But....she's never done this before." Manik spoke up. "Usually main usse jo bhi bolta hoon woh maan jaati hai."
"Hmm...tabhi tujhe uska kadar nahi tha. You know what Manik....ek taraf se, Im happy ki Nandini khud ko badal rhi hai. Par dusri taraf....tere rishte ke liye darr lag raha hai." Cabir said.
"What do you mean? Humara rishta shuru se ek sauda hai aur kuch nahi....woh Mayank aur Aarohi ki mom hai. Thats never gonna change." Manik shrugged.
"Really?" Abhi spoke up, "Agar woh SIRF tere bachon ki ma hai toh uska aaj manna karne par tujhe itna burra kyun laga? Jo usne tujhse kaha...usse burra kyun laga?"
Manik didnt know what to say and just looked away.
"Like I said...tujhe Nandini ki kadar nahi hai. Because she was always there...chahe tune usse jaise bhi treat kiya she was always right beside you and she never complained. Par ab....cheeze badal rahi hai.....Nandini badal rahi hai." Cabir said. "Soon you will realize her importance....bas dua karta hoon ki tab tak zyada der na ho gayi ho."
"Cabir!" Navya called from downstairs.
"Chal...baad mein baat karte hai." Cabir exused himself and Abhi also followed with just Manik standing there in thought. He thought about the past couple of days and how Nandini had changed and then about what Cabir & Abhi said.
"Yeh log kuch bhi keh rahe hai....haan Nandini thodi toh badl gayi hai par....itni bhi koi badi baat nahi hui hai jaise yeh dono bol rahe hai." Manik assured himself.
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Thoughts?
What do you think will happen now?
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Meri Duniya
FanfictionNandini has been married to Manik for 5 years, his kids call her Mumma, his parents dote on her like a daughter....but he refuses to see her as anything other a mother for his children. When his first wife and the kid's biological mother comes back...
