#12 STRANGERS TO SOULMATES EPILOGUE 7 PG 39 UP 5 AUG NO PM'S - Page 18

A/N

To those who do not know what is baby shower or god bharayee.Its a ritual that is conducted during the mid of second trimester of a pregnant woman.Precisely in the third week of seventh month.The women of the family bless the baby and the mum .

[MEMBERSONLY

EPILOGUE 6

THE STORY OF SOULMATES...ONE LAST TIME

NANDINI:-Thankyou so much everyone.Just because you people supported me , he took me out for dinner that night.

MANIK:-Yes , but with special instructions.

NANDINI:-This past year has been such a happening one na Manik.Kuchh na kuchh hota hi raha .

MANIK[sighs] I know such a happening one.Remember what happened on the night after your baby shower .

NANDINI:-Yeah , how can I forget.Lets tell the readers.

NANDINI'S POV

The whole house had been decorated with flowers.There was lot of chaos in the house with arrival of guests.I had chosen a simple red colour floor length anarkali for the occasion.

"Manik will be here any moment" I murmured to myself as my eyes were glued to the main door.Though a few months had passed ,still every day when he came from the office , I made sure to wait for him in the hallway itself.My heart started pounding as soon as the clock struck 6 , his arrival time.

"Waiting for Manik" Ishita bhabhi dashed her shoulder against mine and spoke in a teasing tone" kya pyaar hai" she winked .

I smiled back and lowered my head shyly.All these teasing sessions were a part of my routine now and I enjoyed them thoroughly.

"Hamari bitiya ki god bharayee hai , achhi si mehandi lagana" Nani instructed the girl who was applying mehandi on my hands .

"Nani ji , aap fikr mat kijiye.Bhabhi ko aisi mehandi lagaungi ki bhaiya dekhte hi reh jayenge" She replied with a huge grin and I pursed my lips shyly.

Life had been like a fairy tale since I met Manik.Right from our first meet to each and every day of my pregnancy.Manik had left no stone unturned to pamper me .Nevertheless , since I got pregnant , everyone in the house , including little Arnav had been super caring towards me.

After my wedding , Manik and I had insisted bade papa and badi mumma to shift to Mumbai.Even Raman Bhai and Ishita bhabhi were willing so the task got even simpler.It seemed so good to stay together in such a big family.

As Navya got pregnant immediately after her wedding, so Cabir also decided to stay back in Mumbai itself.Though he had to juggle between Mumbai and London every month , in lieu of his business meetings , but he found it comfortable.He has been planning to shift his entire business to India now.

All in all we are one big happy family that lives together , eats together , laughs together and enjoys each other's company

Dhruv and Alya are supposed to get engaged on our wedding anniversary day.So that is going to be another celebration , we are looking forward to.

"Super nani" Arnav's voice pulled me out of the trance " Super nani , ye god bharayee kya hota hai?"

Little soul had been seeing all the arrangements going on in the house since morning but he was unaware of what all that meant.

Nani held his hand and made him sit on her lap.

"Beta , tumhari dono chachi pehli baar mumma banne jaa rahi hai naa , to hum sab mil kar unhe and baby ko blessings denge" Nani caressed his back " Taaki unhe bhi aapke jaisa sweet aur healthy sa baby mile"

"Achha baby mere jaisa hoga" Arnav smiled excietedly.

Badi maa , who was sitting beside Nani ,ruffled his hair and kissed his head.

"Bilkul mere ladoo ke jaisa hoga"

"Ohho dadi"He flinched and got up from Nani's lap" Dont call me ladoo.Ab main Bigg B banne wala hu.You spoiled my hairstyle , ab mujhe fir se spikes banwani padegi"he spoke and stepped backward.

Everyone started laughing seeing his tantrums.

"Achha beta idhar aao"Amma who was sitting beside me , called him towards her.

Arnav came and sat between Amma and me.

"Ye to batao ki tumhare chachi ke house me crow aayega ya sparrow" Amma asked in a little voice.

Apparently , in older times it was believed that children always got to know the sex of the unborn.So elderly ladies used to ask them if it was a crow or a sparrow.If they replied crow then it meant a boy and if sparrow then it was a girl.

Arnav looked at amma for a few seconds .

"Ohho amma nani , aap bhi naa" He tapped his forehead with his palm " Main koi bachha thode naa bhi hu jisse ye nahi pata ki crow means a boy and sparrow means a girl.Aap seedhe hi pooch lete"

Amma's jaw dropped open in surprise on hearing his reply.She looked at me with wide eyes and I smiled back.

"Ye aajkal ke bachhe bhi naa" She remarked " Sabse do kadam aage hi hain"

"Sahi kaha aapne aunty ji" Ishita bhabhi smiled as she came in with a big plate in her hand.

"Ishita beta , Navya ko bhi le aao.God bharayi ki rasam shuru karte hai"Nani told Ishita bhabhi and she nodded.

But somewhere I felt a twinge in my heart.Manik had still not arrived and how could they start the rasam without him.

"Lekin nani ..."I spoke in a hesitant voice but was interrupted by a tap on my shoulder from behind.

"I am here" I heard him whisper in my ear and my heart skipped a beat.I rolled my eyes without turning behind to look at him.He came forward and sat beside me .

"Haan bolo beta...tum kuchh keh rahi thi?" Nani asked looking at me "Arrey Mannu tu aa gya"

"Kuchh nahi nani...ho gyi problem solve" He winked as he spoke the last bit looking at me.

"Manik beta , take Nandini to the stage so that we can start with the rituals " Mom instructed as she entered the hall with a lot of gifts in her hand .Everyone had got up from their seats and were heading towards the lawn where the stage had been set to conduct all the rituals.

Manik got up and bent forward " shall we" He asked as he extended his hand towards me.

"No" I shook my head and he was taken aback for a moment " Mehandi" I murmured as I raised up my mehandi clad hands to show him and he instantly sighed.

"No worries" He said and held my shoulders " We can walk this way" he smiled and I got up from my seat.

With every passing day my body weight was increasing , hence making movement difficult for me.

The hall was totally vacant by now.Just a few servant running from here to there to make the pending arrangements.We were walking straight towards the lawn but then Manik pulled me lightly behind the pillar.Careful enough not to hurt me , he pinned me to the wall lightly.

"What are you doing Manik" My eyes widened in shock but his eyes were full mischief.

"I need my evening dose...a chhotu si huggy" he made a puppy like face " I cant wait for the function to get over"He engulfed me in his arms and I smiled against his chest.He held me for a few seconds before I spoke.

"Manik , everyone must be waiting outside.Abhi chalein ..please" I looked up at him with pleading eyes without pulling apart.

" I need a kiss" He spoke casually as if asking for a glass of water .I was astonished by his sudden demand and I raised my eyebrows to confirm if he actually meant what he was saying.

"A kiss" he clarified in the same tone.

"No way..not here" I replied bluntly trying to pull apart but his grip tightened on my waist.

"Exactly here" he whispered hoarsely as he nudged up my chin with his thumb.Raw desires burning in his eyes captivated me as soon as I looked into his eyes.

I felt goosebumps inside my body as his lips inched closer to mine.My breathing fastened and I closed my eyes as I clutched the fabric of his shirt tightly, eventually smudging my mehandi on it.

Our lips were just millimetres apart when a loud voice startled us.I immediately pulled apart to see Nani standing right in front of us.she looked annoyed.

"Mujhe pata tha tu aisa hi kuchh kar raha hoga" Nani frowned and I averted my gaze to avoid looking at her " Ab to sudhar jaa , papa banne wala hai. Apne baby ko kya sikhayega"

Manik stepped forward and circled her shoulder "achha hai nani, baby ko abhi se pata chal jayega ki uske papa kitne romantic hai" He chuckled and nani shook her head in annoyance.

"tera kuchh nahi ho sakta mannu" She tapped his head lightly.

"ho kyu nahi sakta nani" he made a grumpy face " ab to mera hi baby hone wala hai.."

Nani and I smiled. Nani came forward and held me "saari mehandi kharab kar di meri pari ki" she faked a furious glance to manik and then instructed him to change his clothes before coming out.

"Come Nandini " he said " Help me choose a shirt"

"bas bas rehne de .agar isse saath le gaya to function khatam hone ke baad hi aayega tu to." Nani teased and help me walk outside without give him another chance to speak.

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Manik came after a few minutes and stood beside me.

"My kiss is pending haan" He whispered in my ear and I pinched his hand.How could he be so careless with everyone around .

"Dont worry baby, we sleep in the same room ,on the same bed" I widened my eyes and tried to shut him but he being unstoppable Malhotra murmured again " I will take what I want" He smirked as he spoke the last bit a little louder.

"Kya chahiye tujhe" cabir who had just come back asked " Mujhe bata , main deta hu"

Manik and I were startled at hi sudden appearance .We exchanged glances and then looked at Cabir simultaneously.Did he hear our entire conversation or just the last part.

"Kya chahiye bol na manik" Cabir asked in genuine tone " Why are you troubling nandini?"

I heaved a sigh of relief and thanked Aiyappa.Had he heard what manik actually wanted , he would have got another chance to mock at us publicly.

"na..nahi...Nothing" manik stammered and walked away from there.

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Once Navya and I took our seats on the stage , Nani started with the rituals.

She , being the eldest one in the family, came near us and blessed us both.

"God bless you both with healthy babies" She said and kissed our foreheads one by one.

Badi maa came next.She gave a coconut and shagun to both of us.

"Lo ji ho gayi god bharai" She smiled and everyone congratulated us one by one.

"I want you to have a daughter just like you" Mom caressed my head as she spoke " God bless you beta"

Ishita bhabhi , amma and all the other female guests came on the stage one by one and gave us their blessings.

Finally the day ended on a good note with lots of blessings from everyone around.I felt so positive , so grateful to aiyappa for blessing me with such a family.

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"The baby is growing" Manik circled my waist from behind as I stood before the mirror in my room gaping at my protruding tummy.

"Manik I'll grow fatter in a few days" I pouted my lips " I would look bad naa. None of my clothes will fit me either"

"Who said you'll look bad" He rested his chin on my shoulder and caressed my tummy " Motherhood makes a woman look suave.Infact , you should be flaunting your baby bump"

He kissed my temple and leaned back for a few seconds to pick up something from behind " This is for you"

"Whats in this?" My eyes lit up as I turned around to face him , taking the packet from his hand but he immediately pulled back his hand.

"No ..no not like this" He smirked " First you pay your previous dues"

His mischievous eyes said it all.

I gasped as his fingers crawled on my waist , pulling me closer.He lowered his head , our eyes not wanting to leave each other.

"Nandu...Nandu" There was a knock on the door and I instantly pulled apart.

"Navya" I murmured as I walked towards the door to open it.

She was sobbing bitterly as she entered my room and clinged to me...though we could not hug properly , our protruded bellies being an obstruction!But Manik and I were completely shocked by her sudden appearance .

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"Hum nahi jayenge nahi jayenge nahi jayenge" Navya spoke between her sobs and hiccups as we sat on the couch.

"listen navya relax" I said as I offered her a glass of water and she gulped it down in one go.

"wo batman..usne kaha ki hum kharrate lete hai...hum" Navya announced in a tone as if Cabir had committed the biggest crime " jab tak wo hamse sorry nahi kahenge hum unke saath soyenge hi nahi"

Apparently Cabir and Navya had had an argument over snoring.Navya being Navya got so upset that she directly came into my room . Her last words alerted me.She wont sleep in her own room.Did she mean she will be sleeping in my room.

"Wh...what do you mean aaj ke baad?"I set forth my concerns .It was almost difficult for me to get a sound sleep without Manik around.

Navya understood what I meant to say.She sniffed and wiped off her tears " Bas itni hi dosti thi naa Nandini .Tum hamare liye ek chhoti si kurbaani nahi de sakti.Kuchh din b nahi so sakti jijaji ke bina"She started sobbing again and I felt guilty.

"No..No not at all" I rubbed her back" Aisa nahi hai.you can sleep here in my room till whenever you want.And manik can comfortably sleep in Cabir's room.Dont worry , manik gaye hai naa. He will convince Cabir...I am sure."

MANIK'S POV

"Listen bro , its just her pregnancy hormones , aur kuchh nahi hai" I had been trying to pacify Cabir from past one hour" You need to be very patient with her..Just apologise"

"Kaahe ke pregnancy hormones yaar and why should I apologise due for her pregnancy hormones" Cabir frowned as he laid down on his side of the bed , covering himself with the duet from head to toe.

"Aur vaise ek baat bata " He peeped out of the duet after a few seconds " teri biwi bhi to pregnant ho.Uske hormones kyu nahi bother karte tujhe ye navya ke hormones NASA ke astronomers hain kya jo har waqt uchhalte rehte hain"He spoke hastily in a fit of rage and covered his face again.

I scratched my head in annoyance.

"Cabir" I called him halfheartedly as I knew he wont respond " cabir..sun to"

I tried again but it was pointless.They had been loggerheads right from the start, always too difficult to handle.I sighed in annoyance and got up from the bed.Sleeping witout nandini in my arms was the toughest task for me.I picked up my phone to call her but when I saw the time, it was past midnight.

"She must have slept ...she was very tired" I sighed as I thumped on the bed and rested my head on the backrest of the bed.

I laid down on the bed and witched off the lights .Cabir had already slept.

"khud bhi to snore karta hai ...saala" I murmured to myself as I tossed and turned on the bed.My eyed were sleep deprieved and on top of that loud snores of Cabir were bugging me.So I decided to go out in the lawn to take in some fresh air.

NANDINI'S POV

Sleeping was difficult when you know your soulmate is on the same floor but in different room.I sighed gloomily and looked at Navya. She was deep in slumber and snoring loudly.

"Sach kehta hai Cabir" I murmured to myself and covered my ears with a pillow.But her snores were so loud that even the pillow was of no help.I shook my head and got up from the bed.

My baby was also kicking me relentlessly.

"You too are missing your papa princess" I caressed my belly and tried to calm her down but it was of no use.Her kicks were getting stronger with every passing second.I shook my head and picked my phone to see the time.

"1 am" I sighed.My legs were aching due to day's exertion but sleep was no where around.

"manik must have slept.he was very tired due to day's events" I murmured to myself and then looked at my belly again "baby , please so jao naa aap bhi"

After another few fatal attempts to sleep, I was tired .Niether Navya nor the princess were ready to calm down.So I got up and decided to grasp some fresh air.

"Maybe it helps out"I said but as I was about to leave my eyes fell on the gift Manik had brought for me.This gulabo Batman fiasco had made me forget my gift which I was so excited to see.

I picked up the packet and opened it to find a beautiful pink shawl in it.

"Soft as feather" I said as I rubbed the shawl on my skin.

"Is your papa a magician?" I asked caressing my baby bump " How does he fulfill my needs even before I tell them to him!"

I smiled as I wrapped the shawl around myself and exhaled a deep breath as I walked out of the room , taking slow steps so as not to disturb sleeping Navya.

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It was dark outside but the chill in the air was refreshing.Thankfully I had brought my shawl.I covered myself properly and next what I saw made my breath stop.I rolled and rubbed my eyes to confirm if he was actually there or was I hallucinating.

"Manik" I sighed in shock as I saw him sleeping on the bench.My eyes lit up with a joy that was unexplainable.But why was he sleeping here.This was the first question that struck me as I walked towards him slowly.

He was sleeping peacefully with his one leg crossed on the other and his head dangling carelessly on the backrest of the bench.

"ma..manik" I smiled and sat beside him. His arms were open as if he knew I would be coming.I adjusted my head on his shoulder and he immediately wrapped his arm around me .

MANIK'S POV

The moment she rested her head on my shoulder , I got to know she was here.My arms were craving to hold her.They automatically wrapped around her.

"You didn't sleep?" I asked slowly tightening my hold further .

"Tum bhi to nahi soye" She replied in the same tone as mine .

" Cabir was snoring"

"Navya was snoring"

Both of us looked at each other and spoke simultaneously.As soon as we heard what the other had said we burst out in laughter.

"Ye gulabo aur batman bhi naa, mom dad banne wale hai but God knows when will they grow up"

Manik spoke after a a few seconds.

"Manik , your princess also didn't let me sleep" I replied dismally as I adjusted myself into a more comfortable position on his chest.

"really" His eyes bulged out as he touched my belly " Princess , you were also missing papa"He caressed my belly with utmost affection " Now that papa is here with you , sleep in solace my love"

Manic patted my tummy lightly for a few minutes.

And as usual , princess very well recognised her father's voice and responded to his instructions.she stopped moving after a few minutes and fell asleep.

"Are you a magician ?" I asked looking up into his eyes " How do you always know what both of us want?"

"Magician" He chuckled " Or whatever.Now shhh and sleep else she will get up.Bahut mushkil se sulaya hai"

I smiled lightly and buried myself into his chest.He adjusted the shawl around me and after a few minutes , we fell asleep.My peace and my solace was in his and only his arms.

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"The chirping of birds and the sunlight shone against my closed eyelids woke me up .I slowly opened my eyes to find Manik still sleeping . He looked as innocent as a little baby while sleeping.

"and this baby is going to be a papa soon" I pinched his nose lightly and murmured to myself.

"Kya hua...kya hua?" Manik woke up admonished " Did I snore?" He looked at me with his eyes wide open.

"No you didn't" I smiled " lets go inside before everyone wakes up" I said.

"ya,lets go" he said and helped me stand up " I'll drop you to our room and then will go and sleep in Cabir's room.

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"Navya is not here also"I spoke in a concerned tone as I checked the washroom also " where did she go Manik?"

" relax..we'll go and check in her room" Manik said and we walked towards their room.

Manik opened the door and slowly and what we saw was enough to make us loose our senses.Manik and I looked at each other with our mouths wide open and then back at the bed where Cabir and navya were lying in each other's arms , cuddled up like love birds...looking into each other's eyes and talking as if nothing had happened between them

"What the f**k!" Manik blurted as he entered the room.

Cabir and navya were alerted and they sat up , straightening themselves.

"Wo..wo I apologised bro..tu tune hi to kaha tha" Cabir stammered .

Manik and I crossed our arms on our chest and looked towards navya who seemed to be equally guilt ridden.

"Hamein bhi hamare batman ke bina neend nahi aayi raat bhar" She set forth her clarification and looked at Cabir with her lips pouted like a toddler.

"Hayye sach me meri Gulabo" Cabir's entire concentration was on Navya now.

"mata rani ki kasam" Navya pinched her throat as she sweared.

"I love you Gulabo" Cabir stretched his arms and navya buried herself into him.

"I love you too batman"

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MANIK:-After all that happened through the night , Cabir and navya were behaving like 2 shameless creatures .{frowns}

NANDINI:-Dont say like that Manik. You know our readers love to read Batman and Gulabo's love story.Its so unique.

MANIK:-Unique ..seriously because they love and fight for equal number of hours during the day {chuckles}

NANDINI:-{to the readers}Anyhow , aap log pls jarur batana ki aapko ye epilogue kaisa laga

MANIK:-Yes please do leave a feedback.Its the second last epilogue.

NANDINI:finally its time to leave , till we meet again.Bbye..love ya all

MANIK:Bbye

A/N

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