NEVER IN A FOREVER (Manan)

Part 7

N A N D I N I

I was so into my self pity that I didn't realised that my marriage is almost completed by pheras.

God I'm married now. Aiyappa you have to help me. I looked at the people around us to find a glimpse of Madhyam. I hope he doesn't come here.

Manik sat his place after filling my maang and I sat in my place clasping my hands together as they started to sweat with my anxiety.

I turned to my left to call Mukti to ask her to check for him when I found my brother missing and Mukti was fake smiling biting her nails.

A habit she has whenever she was shit nervous making me frown. She was all okay just ten minutes before but what happened again?

She looked at me and finding me looking at her she immediately broke the eye contact and walked away making me frown. I turned to Manik who was already looking at me.

"What happened?" He whispered slowly in my ear making sure no one gets to see us. What happened? My life is turning shit can you stop doing it? No right!

"I don't know Mukti looks so anxious" I whispered back trying to control my emotions. I have a weird kind of feeling in my stomach as if something is going to happen.

Manik held my hand slowly, immediately waking up all the butterflies in my stomach making me shiver slightly.

"Everything will be fine" he told slowly and I don't know what he was talking about at that moment. I slowly removed my hand from his as I saw hurt flashing through his eyes but he kept his smile intact.

I felt sorry for him but I'm not really ready for anything yet. I need time.

I looked around to find my parents looking at me while Manik's parents were talking to someone beside them I assume Manik's friends.

My mom nodded her head at me as if asking me to behave well and not to spoil.

I wish you know how much I'm suffering mom. I wish you know how much I'm dying from inside. I wish you know how this shit feels. I wish you just know who I am and how I'm.

I turned in every direction I can with the chunri on my head to spot my other friends and gladly I found Navya coming towards me. Worry was written all over her face.

The face that was glowing from the start of my marriage vanished just like that and she looked as if she'll cry any moment.

She came to me and sat beside me trying to maintain her smile. I held her right hand in my left hand and turned to her slightly maintaining a smile on my face which is taking a lot of efforts nowadays.

"Navya what's wrong?" I asked her as she tried to smile but failed miserably.

"Stop faking a smile and tell me what the fuck happened" I told her gritting my teeth as I smiled at Manik who was frowning trying to hear us but Because of those drums, he can't.

"Abhi" she panted slightly making me frown.

"What happened to Abhi?" Why is she taking my brother's name? He was all okay few minutes ago. I looked at her while she looked anywhere but me.

"Navya don't test my patience tell me what happened" I told her glaring her. God why am I so angry on her? I don't know what is happening with me.

"Abhi is fighting outside" Navya said while this time Manik heard it as he looked at her and asked

"why is Abhimanyu fighting?" She looked at me and then at him and then at me before saying "he is fighting with Madhyam. He came here and is out of this banquet hall. He wants to come inside but Abhi is not letting him and-" before she can complete, Manik already stood up and extended his hand for me.

I frowned looking at him as he blinked his eyes at me asking me to trust him. The drums and the music stopped and everyone was looking at us.

I turned my head and looked at my parents and his parents who were already looking at me. Giving a last glance to my dad, I kept my hand in Manik's as he tugged at my hand and pulled me towards  him.

Navya stood up and held my lehenga and chunri from behind as my kaleri started to irritate me.

He pulled me down the mandap and guided me outside the banquet hall. We booked the whole big hotel for this marriage not to have any interruptions as Manik's dad wanted everything to be perfect.

I just hope media is not outside Orelse everything will become a ruckus. From the time I'm engaged to Manik, the media was following me almost everywhere being on my nerves and I'm hating that.

Anything I now do will not only be my mistake but it will be a whole news for this whole country. I walked outside along with Manik to find Madhyam and some of his friends fighting with Abhimanyu, Dhruv and Cabir along with the bodyguards.

What the hell is even Madhyam trying to do? Wasn't he the one who shouted on me that I changed because I got a man who is rich unlike him and I'm being a bitch for leaving him in the middle?

I looked at Manik who almost threw me on the ground but Abhimanyu held me even before Madhyam could.

"What the hell Manik?" Abhimanyu shouted on Manik as Manik gazed at Madhyam, completely unfazed of Abhimanyu's shout.

Madhyam stopped pushing a bodyguard and even his friends stopped fighting and looked at Manik who was looking at Madhyam with such hateful eyes that I quivered away from him.

Madhyam took a step towards him so did Manik, till now everyone came out of the banquet hall and are looking at us.

"You are shouting for her right? Here she is. But now she is not Nandini Murthy. She is Nandini Manik Malhotra now. Touch her once and I promise no single bone in your 206 bones will work" Manik saod venom dripping out of his tone.