Pavitra Bandhan

Chapter 12

Once the flight landed, Manik & Nandini gathered their stuff and went outside to catch a taxi. However it was already starting to get dark out and not a single taxi stopped/

"Arre yaar...what are gonna do?" Manik groaned. Nandini then noticed a car rental place just next to the airport.

"Manik...lets rent a car na?" Nandini pointed. Manik just stared at her.

"Nandini...we are in Prague, Goa nahi aaye hai. This is literally a different country, hum khudse hotel kaise pauchenge...we dont know the streets here." 

"Uski tension mat lo, there is this genius new invention that we can use." Nandini replied.

"What? Kaisa invention?"

Nandini motioned for Manik to come closer so he did. "GPS!"

Manik rolled his eyes. "Ok fine...I guess we will rent a car. After all, kab tak yahan khade rahenge hum. You wait here, Ill get a car."

So Manik went and rented a car, after loading the luggage into the back Nandini & Manik got into the front. Nandini put the hotel address into the GPS and they started driving. After about 15 minutes Manik got annoyed.

"I swear...yeh GPS na ghuma raha hai humme."

"Haan Haan...yeh GPS toh ek evil robot hai, jiska SAALON ka plan tha yeh. Woh intezaar kar raha tha ki kab Manik Malhotra ki shaadi hogi, kab woh honeymoon ke liye Prague aayega aur phir woh usse Prague ke galiyon mein ghuma dega!" Nandini said sarcastically.

"Are you done?" Manik huffed. Then he stopped the car suddenly. "See....woh building dekh rahe ho? We have crossed that exact same building three times now!"

"Manik, yahan ke saare buildings ek jaise hai. Upar se tum pakka koi wrong turn le rahe ho...kyunki yeh GPS galat nahi ho sakta. Aur mere saath jagrah karne ke bajai tum GPS ko dhyan se follow karo na?"

"You- AARRGHHH!" Manik yelled out in frustration. Then he started driving again. After another hour, they were near a forest when the car suddenly stopped.

"Ab gadi kyun rokh di Manik? Yeh forest bhi hum pass kar chukke hai kya?" Nandini asked.

"I didnt stop the car...yeh khud rukh gaya." Manik replied. He tried starting the car again but it wouldnt. 

"Seriously? Kaisa khatara gadi hai yeh?" Nandini complained.

"Aur karo...gadi rent! This was your idea na? Having fun yet?" Manik argued.

"Tum baat baat pe mujhe blame kyun karte ho Manik?" Nandini got upset. "Agar hum taxi ke liye wait karte na toh wahi pe rehte...there were no taxis around. At least main problems ka solution bata rahi hoon. Tumhari tarah nahi...only complaining!"

"Itna hi problem hai mujhse toh kyun aaye mere saath? Mom ne honeymoon ki baat ki toh manna kyunnahi ki...Ooooh! I forgot, tumhe toh makhan lagana hai na Mom ko? Unke good books mein rehna hai right?"

Nandini just ignored him, opened the car door and started walking down the road, by the side of the forest.

"Oh hello! Main baat kar raha hoon na tumse?" Manik started following her. As he caught up to her, he grabbed her hy her arm and spun her around to face him, pulling her close. "Manik Malhotra ko koi ignore nahi karta hai samjhi?"

"Pehle nahi karte honge...par woh kehte hai na? There is a first time for everything!" Nandini replied before pushing Manik and in the process she tripped and fell down a hil that went into the forest. "AAH!!"

"Nandini!" Manik tried to save her and fell also. "AAHH!!!"

Both of them slipped down the watery slope screaming out in fear. (Imagine the scene from the movie Kuch Naa Kaho starring Abhishek Bachan & Aishwariya Rai Bachan...if you have seen it.) Finally they fell down a waterfall and into the water below with a splash. 

Manik stood up coughing and sputtering, still trying to figure out what happened. Then he noticed that Nandini hadnt come out. "Nandini?"

He looked around in a panic and couldnt see her. "Nandini! Where are you?"

"Here!" Manik heard her voice and turned back to see her standing there with a giant leaf and some water weeds over her head. (I literally took the part from where they fell down the slope to this waterfall part from Kuch Naa Kaho...cause I liked it. Everything below this is my own.)

Manik looked at her for a second and then burst out laughing. "Oh my god! Haha! Hahaha! You look...haha...hil..haha..hilarious!"

Nandini pouted and looked away with a huff. Manik, still laughing slightly waded over to her and slowly took the leaf and weeds off her head. Nandini made an angry face at Manik which he thought was very cute. Manik held his ears and apologized. "Acha...Im sorry. Nahi hasunga ab."

"Hmm...thi-aaah!" Nandini suddenly screamed again and jumped onto Manik, wrapping both her legs around his waist and shutting her eyes.

"Arre...kya hua?" Manik asked, holding her. 

"Woh...mere pairon mein kuch...something is there!"

"Nandini its probably just fish. Relax...itni si pani mein shark toh nahi rahega na. Niche uthro." Manik said. Nandini shook her head with her eyes still closed and he sighed. He then carried Nandini out of the water. "Ab ankhen kholo. Pani se bahar aa gaye hum."

Nandini opened one eye and looked down to check before opening both eyes and finally getting down.

"Ok...ek kaam karte hai. Dosti kar lete hai." Manik suggested. "I mean hum aisa kab tak larte rahenge? Hineymoon na sahi but vacation toh hai na? Lets enjoy ourselves...larayi karke kuch nahi hua, ulta hum aur phas gaye aur humme rehne toh ek saath hi hai at least for a while...so lets be friends."

Manik held his hand out and Nandini shook it. On the inside she was very happy but decided to keep a neutral face. "Vaise...Manik..hum bahar kaise jayenge? I mean kaafi andhera ho gaya hai."

"Yeah I think we should stay the night."

"Kya! Jungle mein?" Nandini asked.

"Nahi...asmaan mein...haan Nandini jungle mein, its just for one night. Subha hote hi hum jungle se bahar ayenge...it will be easier to find the way." Manik said. Nandini looked around unsure. "Kuch nahi hoga...main hoon na?"

Nandini smiled at him and they sat down by a tree. After awhile, Nandini started shivering from being wet and Manik stood up. "Manik...kahan ja rahe ho?"

"Ill just be back." Manik left and came back after a bit with some logs and branches. Then he took two branches and rubbed them together until a fire started.

"Wow! Thats so cool! Kahan seekha tumne?" Nandini was amazed.

"Jab mein chota tha toh har saal apne doston ke saath camp pe jaata tha...wahi pe seekha." Manik replied. "I didnt think it would actually come in handy one day."

As Nandini started warming herself by the fire, Manik peeled his soaking wet shirt of and Nandini's mouth dropped open. She got distracted by the droplets of water that rolled down Manik's abs and got too close to the fire. "Aah..ouch!"

"Nandini!" Manik ran to her and started blowing on the palm of her hand. "Itni paas kaun jaata hai? Dhyan kaha tha tumhara?"

"Tum pe.." Nandini said.

"Kya?"

"I mean...uh woh...main...main bas soch rahi thi ki yeh....yeh kaafi adventurous honeymoon hai nahi?" Nandini quickly changed the subject.

"Yeah..woh toh hai." Manik agreed. He closely inspected her hands while Nandini kept staring at him dreamily. "Anyways...it doesnt look like you got burned. Aage se dhyan rakhna."

"Hmm..." Nandini cleared her thoat and looked away. "Lets sleep...raat ho gayi hai na."

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Note: Next chapter will be a club sequence as most of you voted for both jungle and Nandu getting drunk.