Thankyou so much for your valuable response on the last update♥️😙

Thankyouuuu di for this beautiful cover♥️😙

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"Ahhh," Manik winced in pain as he hit the floor. He was least expecting to be pushed by Nandini, so the impact was harder.

"Nandiniiii," he hissed and then stopped himself as he saw her welled up eyes and guilty face.

Damn!!! How could he lose control over himself like this!!! He cursed himself.

Manik and Nandini got married almost 2 years before. With the intention of finally starting their family after one and a half years, they decided to go on a Mini Vacation in the chilly weather of Kashmir- their favourite holiday spot, when their car met with an accident on the way. Though both came out alive, they suffered various injuries. However, Nandini was the one to suffer the most since the car was hit on the left side - where Nandini was seated. And as fate would have it, she lost her memory in that incident. Partial Amnesia, the doctors had termed it. Her memory might come back in a week, or a month or even a year or more, they had said.

After staying in the hospital for 3 months, Nandini finally got discharged 1 month back. Since then, despite the innumerable efforts of Dadima, Mukti, Cabir, Dhruv and Navya, she stayed aloof and distant from them all. Finally, she started opening herself quite a little bit to Manik- as she was told he is her husband, although she was reluctant to share the same bed with him. However, after much convincing from Manik, she finally agreed. Nonetheless, there was this distance and awkwardness which kept lingering between them.

To help both troubled souls, Dadima and company decided to send them on a two-weeks trip to Kashmir itself with the hope that they might finally return as one. She had two reasons for choosing that place. Firstly she thought that maybe doing that same journey again, Nandini might remember that unfateful incident and secondly, she was aware how both of them had first met each other there during a one month trip organized by their respective universities and it was then itself that the love between them blossomed 6 years ago. So, spending time together there might, maybe; help Nandini regain her memory, she had thought hopefully.

"Nandini, I'm sorry," Manik quickly apologized as he rose on his feet.

Having reached Kashmir few hours earlier, they settled in their room as Manik ordered their dinner. Continental food, her favourite. Manik found it weird how despite forgetting everything, she still longed for the same cuisine. If only... He wishfully thought.

With the weather suddenly deteriorating, the cold air took over the whole house and both of them settled beside the fireplace for some warmth. However, as usual, Nandini was still feeling cold. Therefore, as he normally did, he took Nandini in his arms without any forewarning, forgetting about her current state of mind. As he soothed her back, rubbing it with his hand, he realised he missed this, he missed her, their proximity. On the other hand, Nandini, unconsciously, hugged him back, feeling his warmth. That was it for Manik. No longer able to control himself he hugged her tighter, remembering their various moments of togetherness. After a while, he broke the hug, slowly to find a dazed Nandini. Still lost in her, he tilted her face for a kiss.

Just as their lips were about to meet, Nandini came out of her trance and realised their position and what was going to come next. Unprepared for it, she pushed him with all her force. It was so mighty, that Manik hit the floor.

"No Manik, I'm sorry," she immediately said.

"Nandini, no. I..." And he was cut by her.

"Please don't embarrass me by apologizing Manik," she almost pleaded as tears rolled down her cheeks.

Unable to see her tears, his hands, unconsciously, rose to wipe them off but this didn't happen as she took 2 steps back.

"Mujhse yeh sab nahi hoga Manik," she continued as she looked down, unable to face him. "I... I can't do this. Unless I remember a thing, I can't move on," she said in between sobs. "I realise that I'm being unfair to you, but try putting yourself in my shoes, maybe you will understand my position," she said as she finally looked up, hesitatingly, expecting a positive response from her.

"I know Nandini!!! I... I... I promised to give you time but Pata nahi kaise. Nandini, I'm not able to control myself around you," he replied guiltily. "But trust me Nandini, I'll behave myself and you can take all the time you want, I'll wait for you. I'll wait for the day when you yourself will bare your soul to me," he continued before turning towards the door, wanting some time to himself. But he couldn't continue as he felt a tug on his hand. It was Nandini who held him back.

"Manik!!! Please help me," she said in low voice. "Main iss tarah ghoot ghoot Kar nahi Jee sakti. Make me remember everything Manik. I want to move on with you," she added with a whimper.

Manik was taken aback by her words. He could see how she was suffering. Her heart wanted to be with him but her mind wasn't allowing her. And both were right in their own place, he realised.

Facing her. He placed his hands on her shoulders to reassure her of his support. "Nandini, please d..." And he stood rooted to his place as she hugged him, this time, willingful, on her own.

"Please help me remember Manik," she pleaded as she cried clutching his shirt tightly.

Manik patted her head, wondering what to do to ease her pain and help her gain her memory back.

The knock on the door made them break the hug, each looking sideways, not wanting to face the other.

Finally, Manik went to the door and opened it. It was the room service who got them their dinner.

They ate in silent sitting by the fireplace. Since they were tired, they mutually decided to call it a day and went to bed, each lost in their respective thoughts.

********

"Manik!!! Why have you brought me here???" A consternated Nandini asked Manik wondering why he brought her by a lakeside when they were supposed to be going out for lunch.

"Woh Nandini, I know we should be heading to the restaurant I told you about but this place came on the way aur tumhi ne toh kaha tha that you want me to help you remember your past, toh issiliye..." Manik let out as they walked towards the lake.

"Matlab???" A confused Nandini asked him.

"Matlab yeh ke hamare pyaar Ki shuruwaat yehi huwi thi. We used to spend a lot of time secretly here," he replied with a smile thinking of those days but Nandini was rather laughing- wait at him???

"And what's so funny," he groaned. No one laughs at MANIK MALHOTRA ....except Nandini, he realised😅.

"Woh Manik, I can't believe ke Aap koyi kaam chup chup ke bhi karte hai," Nandini replied in between her laughs.

Manik shook his head at her. True, Manik Malhotra does everything openly. "Tumhari baat alag hai Nandini," he said lovingly. "Waise Nandini you look good while smiling but certainly not while laughing like a maniac, jaise ke abhi Kar rahe ho," he teased her.

"Ok I'm sorry. Mazaak Kar Raha tha," he apologized the moment she furrowed her eyebrows at him.

"Ab chalo, let's walk till that other side of pull," he said pointing to the place he was referring to.

"Manik!!!" Nandini called out to him as they were walking.

"Haan Nandini!!!"

"Woh... Tell me more."

"Huh???"

"I mean tell me what all we used to do here. Mujhe toh kuch bhi yaad nahi. Toh you tell me," Nandini told him.

The trip might be fruitful after all, Manik thought.

*******

"Manik!!! Yeh sab tumhe ajeeb nahi lagta?" a 20-year old Nandini asked a 21 year old Manik.

"Hmmm" Manik replied non-chalantly, playing with Nandini's open tresses with his head on her lap as they settled themselves on the grass by a lake side.

"Ahhh," Manik shrieked as Nandini pushed him off her lap. "Now what was that?" He asked as he stood up cleaning his pants which had bits of grasses.

"Main yahan itni serious hoke tumse baat Kar rahi aur tum ho ke pata nahi kahan khoye huwe ho," she replied irritatingly.

"I was lost in you," he said huskily as he bent in front of her, fully intending to make her blush.

"Hayeee Nandini!!! When you blush like this, toh Jee karta hai ke..."

"Ke..." Nandini curiously prompted him.

"Ke bas khaajaaoon😉," he added.

"Kya?"

"Tumhe aur kaun!!!" He said cheekily.

"Manikkk😳!!!" She dirtied his shirt with the bits of grasses around them in an attempt to hide her embarrassment.

"Ewww Nandini!!! Stop that warna!!!" He warned her.

"Warna kya?" Nandini dared him.

"Warna kya??? Abhi dikhaata hoon," he replied with a smirk.

Noticing the glint of mischief, Nandini realised she was in a trouble. So she quickly tried standing to make an escape but he was faster than her for in no seconds she found herself pinned under him, with his breath fanning over her face.

"Manikk!!!" His name came as a whisper from her mouth.

He didn't plan that, Manik thought as he felt himself losing his control over her. He was just teasing her and now his own senses were being teased. Being in such close proximity with her, it was taking Manik all of his might not to do something that they might regret later on.

He was lost in his thoughts when he felt her hugging him. Not wanting to back away, he reciprocated the hug. While hugging he kissed her neck,making nandini shut her eyes to absorb the pleasure. Manik lifted his head and placed his lips on her forehead!

Intervening their hands Manik looked into her eyes which were reflecting immense love and faith for him.

Without wasting a moment he placed his lips on her quivering ones and they finally shared their first kiss, a slow but passionate one! 2 weeks after they first met. Quick enough, Manik would often tease her.

Half an hour later, as they regained their composure, they went to the lake and sat there, their hands interlocked, with their feet in the water. It was a sunny day, so the water was not chilly.

"Waise Nandini," Manik began as they settled themselves there, "tum Kya pooch rahi thi," he asked as he remembered what happened before their little romantic session.

"Woh Manik, I was thinking... Errr I mean, ummm," she said not knowing how to proceed further.

"Nandini!!! You stammer???" Manik asked mockingly faking a shock.

"Huh???"

"Why did you hide this from me? Pehle bata diya hota, toh kissi aur ko phassa leta," he teased her.

"Manikkk!!!!" She hissed his name as she punched his left arm, knowing very well what he was trying to do.

"Acha I'm sorry!!!" He quickly apologized. "Now tell me."

"Woh, doesn't it look fictional to you, I mean yeh love at first sight wagera wagera, yeh sab toh kitaabon aur filmon Mein hoti thi. And now look at us, we've just met each other and lo we're already so much in love. Kabhi kabhi toh yeh sochti hoon, ke whether is it all a dream which might break anytime," she poured out her anxieties to him.

Cupping her face in his hand, he said: "Nandini, it takes less than a moment to fall in love, trust me and this is our case too and I promise I'll always love you as much as I do right now. My love for you will never lessen, I promise."

"Sach Manik," she asked for an assurance.

"Haan Nandini!!! And you're right. It does seem surreal. Two weeks back, had someone told me this, I would have laughed it off. But Nandini jabse tumse mila hoon, aisa lagta hai ke agar ek bhi din tumhara chehra Na dekhoon, toh kuch khaali khaali sa mehsoos hota hai. Yeh joh hum roz chup chup ke milte hai Nandini, isme mujhe bahut mazaa aata hai. You know Nandini, if my family knows that I escape from my class tours to meet you secretly, they will never believe me kyunki MANIK MALHOTRA kabhi bhi koyi kaam chup Kar nahi karta. Lekin tumhare saath sab kuch alag hai Nandini. Tumhare liye yeh sab karna mujhe acha lagta hai , Tumhare sath hota hun toh I am just Manik, Tumhara Manik" he confessed.

"Manik... Yeh t..."

"Shhh Nandini," he stopped her from speaking further as he placed his index finger in her lips.

"Nandini, please let me speak. You know I'm always hesitant in voicing out my feelings, something Dadima always gets angry about. But I want to be open with you Nandini. I want you to know me in an out. After the death of my parents, I changed without realizing it myself Nandini. Mujhe laga ke ghar ka bara bete hone Ki wajah se, I need to act maturely and in a responsible way to cater for the needs of my siblings and ageing Dadima. Un sab ke chakkar mein, I forgot about myself. But Nandini... You have brought out the old me. With you around, I feel ke main Woh pehle waala Manik hoon. I know we've known each other for just 2 weeks. But Nandini, mera yakeen karo, these 2 weeks have been more than enough for me to realise that I want to be with you... Forever. These 2 weeks, are in fact, the most memorable ones to me. I'll always treasure these moments we spent here. And yes Nandini, as cliche as it might sound, I feel you are my Shining star,who will always shine for me, no matter what!" he voiced his feelings first time ever in front of the girl to whom he lost his heart , the moment he laid his eyes on her.

"Manik!!!" Nandini said. To say she was overwhelmed with his confession would be an understatement. Having been an orphan all throughout her life, Nandini now felt as if she had someone to call her own- her Manik!!! "I... I love you Manik and I promise I'll always shine for you... I promise " she continued in a teary state.

"I love you too Nandini," came Manik's reply before he engulfed her in his embrace to seal the promises .

*******

"Nandini, where are you lost," Manik asked Nandini the following night as they sat in their room after their dinner.

"Woh Manik, when we passed by the reception area while coming into our room, I saw the same receptionist who handed you our room keys the day we checked it," she replied hazily.

"So???" Manik prompted not understanding her.

"Toh, usse dekh Kar I remembered that the day we came, while handling the keys to you, he had said, *Room 124 - like always*. Usne aisa kyun kaha? Do we stay in the same room every time we come here," she asked.

"Yes Nandini!!!" He replied in the most casual way.

"Aisa kyun Manik???" She again asked, wondering what could be the reason.

"Actually Nandini, during that University trip, this room was booked for you. And..."He stopped feeling embarrassed.

"And???"

"And, every night, after my friends would sleep, I used to come here through the back door, to spend time with you," he said quickly feeling the heat in his cheek already.

******

"Manik yeh sab karna tha, toh apne hi kamre mein reh lete," an annoyed Nandini said as she angrily massaged Manik's head while he was watching a football match.

"Nandini, kamre mein head massage dene waali nahi thi," he replied non-chalantly, engrossed in the match.

"Kya?????"

"Goooaaalll!!!!"

Both screamed in unison.

"Ahhh Nandini, tumhaari awaaz hai ke ambulance Ki siren," Manik said as he covered his ears.

"Acha!!! Even I can say the same thing Mr-I-Love-Football," she retorted.

"Nandini, gussa kyun karti ho yaar," he said looking at her.

"What else??? You came here toh I thought ke hum yeh karenge Woh karenge aur tum ho ke... And you know what, I hate football... In commentaries se irritate ho jaati hoon," she replied with a pout.

"Awww!!!! Baby Ke gusse ko bhagane ke liye, mujhe Kya karna hoga?" Manik asked sincerely wanting to make up to her as he switched off the TV. Yes the match was an important one, but she was more important. And he had already messed up. So time to make up.

"Theek hai, toh phir aaj poori raat mere saath bitaao," she quickly said not realizing her choice of words.