Married To Mr. Malhotra #1 ✓ (2016)

14 : bachelor's party •

(A/N: Hey guys. Thanks for the appreciation. Sorry for the delay but please understand. This is my third attempt for this part and hopefully it's good. Vaise, happy holi! By the way, this is a 2000 word update because of the delay. Hope you like it. Love you all.)

Status: Edited

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Cabir was more than sweet to let us in without any questions. I was expecting some dejection or disapproval on his part, but he showed nothing of that sort. The club boomed with loud music that was jarring to my ears. I palmed them as I happened to notice the dance floor where Manik was dancing with his fan-girls. They were literally throwing themselves on him and he, being the opportunist he was, clicked pictures with them for his publicity. Some hugged him, some kissed him on the cheek and the others I didn't even want to know where they put their hands on.

It had hardly been five minutes since I'd walked through those doors and I already wasn't liking the vibe. Not my type of music, not my type of clothes and definitely not my type of personality. Was Manik into girls of that sort? If that was the case, he and I would never be a perfect match, not in a million years! 

"Hello girls. Here." Cabir handed out 2 glasses of whatever alcohol that was. I took a step back. Navya looked excited by the offer. "Oh come on. You're at a bar. There's no harm in having just a glass." Nope. I was not gonna sip alcohol, whatsoever. Navya smiled and took the glass from him.

"Navya, no. Don't." She smiled at me, assuring that she'll be alright. After all, she was on her own anyways, I was nobody to control her. In one shot she gulped everything and reached for another one, despite my protests. I gave up on trying to convince her.

Manik was dancing with short-clothed girls and strippers who ground into him and on poles. They tried to seduce him and he encouraged them, though he wasn't an active participant. I stormed towards the bar counter, finding myself a stool to spy on Mr. Manik Malhotra on the dance floor. Mukti was there, with a glass of vodka, doing her thing.

"Hey Nandini, how come you're here?" She propped herself on a stool next to me and I hesitantly turned towards her, glancing at Manik every now and then, whilst smiling faintly. I really had nothing to do with her. 

"Voh... I just..." I didn't know why I had come. I didn't want to miss the opportunity his 'other' fans had a privilege to attend. Perhaps my curiosity pulled me all the way. Not curiosity, Miss. Murthy. It's your jealousy. Yeah whatever. 

"Umm... Actually, I am glad you came. I wanted to apologise to you for my behaviour. We had the wrong impression of you and thought by being nasty, we could scare you off. Now it's too late... Anyways, I am sorry." She held my hands and smiled, while confessing honestly if not in the purest sense. 

"It's okay. It's fine, really." I knew they were bitchy but I couldn't hate them. After all, I didn't hate those who did worse things to me, like actually betray.

"Can we be friends?" I smiled.

"Sure."

"So, let's start our friendship with a shot. What say?" Her face lit up with a huge smile. I didn't want to drink, I never drank before, but I felt somewhat compelled. 

"I am sorry. I... don't drink." I said, looking at Manik again. He seemed to have so much fun with his 'fan-girls'.

"That's alright. We can have juice then." She seemed pretty understanding. She gave me a glass of juice and I took a sip, still looking at him. I got ready for him and he barely even noticed me there. I cursed him under my breath and felt Mukti smile. She spilled her orange juice onto my white dress. I stood up almost immediately and she managed to divert my attention from Manik.