Forever And A Day || Completed

31. Maintaining Individuality

~ He loved her like she was the reason behind his existence. She loved him like she saw her own heart existing outside her body~

"Explain me the sunset".

"Come with me to Delhi".

"What Sunset?"

"Why Delhi?"

Both Manik and Nandini were baffled at the other's words, because both of them had not seen it coming from any possible direction. Manik sat up and Nandini followed suit, as they continued to stare at each other, not following the other one's line of thoughts. Manik broke the silence first.

"What Sunset are you asking about?", he arched his eyebrow and Nandini could see the smirk on his face, the reason of which she could not comprehend.

"That one lying in your study, the one you were working on before you fell asleep", Nandini shrugged, making faces. For some reason the sunset portrait had unsettled her, and Manik could see right through her as he shook his head, trying hard not to smile.

"What is so funny about this!", Nandini hit him with a pillow and that made him laugh, as he held the pillow in her hand, trying to dodge the next attack.

"What is so worrying in a sketch of sunset?", Manik questioned her back, tilting his head to one side as Nandini stilled, fidgeting suddenly.

She took a deep breath before blurting it out because keeping things in weren't her cup of tea.

"Sunset signifies endings. I know the quote about how endings can be beautiful and blah blah", she air quoted, shaking her head simultaneously, "but I don't like the idea of endings. Especially absurd endings. Also there were so many colours in there. I know I don't know a lot about paintings but usually extra colours define mixed emotions no? Are you confused? Are you upset? Why did you draw a sunset sudden-? ", Nandini was cut off when Manik pulled her into him and she fell right onto him as he lay down on his back with her over him.

Tucking her loose hairs behind her ears, he kissed the top of her nose. He loved watching the intense effect he had on Nandini, in the way she would immediately close her eyes, in the way she had literal goosebumps wherever he touched her.

"I am definitely rubbing off on you Mrs. Malhotra. So much worry over a portrait?", Manik chuckled, making her pout.

"Anything that concerns you make me worry. I don't want to loose you", Nandini was as usual blunt, she never knew how to Suger coat or say fancy things anyway unless she was teasing him. All her feelings were straight from her heart.

Nandini didn't realise what she spoke until she saw the sudden shine in her husband's eyes. The way his lips curved up, and his eyes would fill up with unadulterated adoration, and gratitude, Nandini loved those moments. It was in them that she knew Manik didn't need big surprises to be happy, he was over the moon just with her words and ecstatic with her love.

Manik made her rest her head on his bare chest, much to her annoyance because that would mean she could not stare in his eyes anymore. Kissing the top of her head, he wrapped her arms around her, nuzzling slightly.

"The best part about a picture is that it captures just a moment Nandini, and the best part about the magic in this world is there is a moment in the dawn and in the dusk, that is absolutely similar. Of course you won't know that because you are never up early enough to watch the sun rise", he ended up teasing her and she instinctively slapped his chest before sitting up, flaring her nose.

"Did you try to taunt my sleep?", she pointed her finger at him, fluffing her cheeks, trying to sound angry but ended up being look cute.

"That's all you heard from my speech?", Manik questioned back, his eye going wide and it acted a perfect distraction because Nandini forgot her question and started going over his words in her mind to know what important did he say.