A Year Back
"Aap ko mere saath jana hai? Market? Shaadi ki shopping karne?" (You want to come with me? To the market for wedding shopping?) Nandini asked it again. She can't believe her ears
"Haan woh Mukti saw your shopping. Usse na woh ek kundan wala set baut accha laga, main ne humare family jeweller se banvaya par usse pasand nahi aaya. Mukti ke liye mujhe waisa hi kuch Lena hai. Tum mujhe shop pe le chalo gi?" (She loved the kundan set you got. I want the same for Mukti. Can you take me to the shop?) Manik asked
"Ok. Mujhe vaise bhi kal shopping par jana hai. Toh aap ek kaam kariye aap char baje tak market ke pass Wale majhid poch jaye. Main aapko waha milti hu." (I was actually going tomorrow for my shopping. Do one thing, you come there at four. I will take you to the shop) Nandini said
"Ek second" (One) Manik stopped his work and asked "Par tum toh pehle se shopping kar rahi ho toh main kyu char baje aau?" (But you are going to shopping anyways then why should I join you at four)
"Mr Malhotra kya aap pehle kabhi market gaye hai?" Nandini asked packing her stuff (Mr Malhotra, have you ever been to Market?)
"Nahi" (No) Manik said shrugging
"Waha bhid hoti hai, dhup hoti hai, aap kya karenge pehele se mere saath aa kar?" (It is crowded, there is sconching sun, what will you do coming early with me?) Nandini asked and picked her bag walking to the elevator
"Haan toh, main, main aa sakta hu" (I can... can come ok) Manik said but Nandini heard hi unsure voice.
"Aap aa sakte hai yeh pata hai mujhe. Kya aap aana chaoge? Aap ko jamega na?" (I know you can but do you really want to? Will you be comfortable?) she asked pressing the elevator button
"Nahi... Nahi main aana chata hu" (No... no, I will be there) Manik said and picked his laptop too walking out of his cabin
"Thik hai" (Ok) Nandini said and got in the elevator
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"Car yaha park karni hai? Hum car nahi ke ja sakte" (Car should be parked here, we can't drive in) Nandini huffed at this question. First of all Manik was late which she didn't mind, then he was wearing tux which she minded a lot because now she was going to get comments like 'suit vut wala boyfriend hokar aap bargain karte ho' (what are you bargaining for when you have such a rich husband) and now he was complaining, the shopping had not yet started. That's the reason why she didn't want to shop with him. She was a girl who will roam the whole market see things, know their price, bargain and then shop. But now she had Manik with her and she didn't know how this would work.
"Aap andar car leke jaoge toh takleef hogi" (If you take the car in, it will be difficult) Nandini said
"Kisse?" (For whom) Manik asked genuinely not knowing the answer
"Sab ko" (For everyone) Nandini answered getting down
They entered the market and Manik just looked around in stunned. The crowd, the workers, the carts taking products from vendor to vendor. It was the proper market area of Mumbai which stretch from Marin lines to VT in a line of markets, starting from Tamba ghat, to Bhuleshwar, then Zaveri Barazar, followed by Mangadas Market and the Crawford market, they were standing near the jama masjid
"Mr Malhotra" Manik who was awed and scared turned to Nandini. She with a smile forwarded her hand
"Haat pakd lijiye. Yaha bahut bhid hoti hai" (Hold on to my hand. It's crowded here) she smiled again. Yes she was angry but she knew he was not at fault he was just a brother who wanted to get best gift for his sister.
