A beat that matched mine ! A MaNan FF- Completed

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"Dad, mom jaldhi chaliye na we are getting late" I said, calling them from downstairs. Don't know what's taking them so long.

"Aa raha hoon baba. Iskii excitement toh dhekho mother ji" I heard dad complaining to mom as they started getting downstairs.

"Beta kiskaa hain? You had the same excitement when you wre going to meet girls back then" haha, my mom is very funny.

We drove to Nandini's place, with lots of chattering on our way.

Her mom opened the door for us, looking extremely beautiful in a red kanjeevaram saree.

"Anjali! You look stunning" my mom said looking at her.

"And you look no less Neonika" Mumma replied, with a hug.

"Please come in" Mumma welcomed us in.

"So where is our to-be daughter-in-law?" mom asked mumma.

"This is not the first time she kept you waiting. Mumma, aaj mom aur dad officially mujhe dhekhne aa rahe hain toh I have to look the best, that's what she says whenever I go to call her, and then there;s her dad, beta yeh waale bangles beta wohh beta yeh, I can never understand them" mumma complained.

"Nandini, beta jaldhi aao, mom dad aa gaye" mumma called her.

"Aa rahi hoon mumma! Manik nai aaya?" she asked.

"Princess I am here, enough of getting ready, ab neeche aa jao, this is not the first time we are seeing you" I said. God this girl!

"On a count of ten" she said and stared counting numbers.

At 8, she was seen getting down the stairs, wearing a kanjeevaram saree as well, a dark blue saree, her hair let loose, looking like ethereal.

"Beautiful" the first word that escaped my mouth. She came down and sat next to mom.

What's with the kanjeevaram sarees? You look beautiful though" mom said.

"Mom, as it is going to be a mixed style wedding, I decided I will wear a saree for a couple occasions, toh use ke liye practice" she replied. My baby! We are officially going to get married in the presence of our parents, our friends, performing all the rituals, this is going to be the best day of my life.

"Manik, tum bhi lungi aur mundu mein chalnaa practice karo, it's just that you'll be given nice ones for the wedding, par abhi ke liye manage with what you get" she said to me.

"What's lungi and mundu?" I asked her as I never heard about it.

"This" pappa showed the one from his wedding.

"Pappa? Do you think I am going to wear this for the wedding? Punjabi hoon madam, tumhe kya laga" I asked her.

"Tum cute lagoge" she said.

"Cute? Mujhe nai lagnaa cute. Tum bas wait karna to watch me in the wedding suit, fida ho jaogi" I said.

"Too much self-praise, Nandinni, agar tumhe yeh wedding suit mein achha laga toh thank me because it was me who chose the outfits for him, so that they coordinate with yours" Mom interrupted him.

"Thank you mom" she replied.

"Beta Manik, tum toh isee bohot acche se jaante ho, Nautanki hain badmaash hain, pagal hain par pyaari bohot hain. She's been my lifeline, so I hope you take really good care of her" pappa was the first one to become emotional, as expected.

"Pappa! I understand your feelings. Par trust me, jaise who aap ki lifeline hain, waise meri bhi hain. Uss ke binaa mein kuch nai, aur yeh baat aap bhi jaante ho, toh bilkul fikr mat karo aap, bas isse chod dho ab mere haal pe" I promised him.

"Aur haan beta ek aur baat, hum aap logon ko bohot tank karne waale hain, tumhaare ghar aake" mumma said.

"Mumma ab tumhaara mera kuch nai hain, sab kuch hamaara hain. Meon toh kehta hoon, sab ek house mein shift ho jaate hain, tab koi kisi ko miss nai karega, Kyun princess?" I asked Nandini, knowing that I would get a hug from her for being so thoughtful. And she did the same.

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"Nandiniiiiii" Manik wakes up with a jerk, nandini also wakes up immediately and sees him sweating, all nervous.

"Manik! Manik kya hua? I am righ here" she says moving closer.

"Nandini, wohh flight...mat jao nandini...don't go please" he continues to speak in panic.

"Mein kahi nai jaa rahi hoon baba, I am here. yahi hoon. Chaaho toh touch kar ke dhekho" she says hugging him.

"Sleep" she says kissing him on his forehead.

He closes his eyes and then again the same scene repeats, and he tightens the hug.

"Manik, kya hua? Koi bura sapnaa dhekha kya tum ne?" she asks him.

"Hmm" he replies, tightening the hug with every second. It was a little painful for her as he was literally crushing her in between his arms.

"You want to talk about it?" she asks him, and he starts crying.

"Manik? Manik hua kya hain. Shhhh calm down please" she says trying to calm him down.

"it was such a beautiful dream, mom dad, mumma pappa, tum aur mein, sab saath mein the, we were planning for our wedding, sab bohot jhush hain nandini. Bohot zyaada khush, especially mom and mumma. Aur pappaa, pappa toh mujh se promise le rahe the to keep you safe, to protect you sab bohoth accha tha, par..." he stops after that.

"Par? Par kya hua?" she asks, and he hugs her back.

"Nandini tum mujhe chod ke toh nai jaaogi na? Promise me, you will always love me, promise me, you will always be by my side, chaahe kuch bhi ho jaaye" he asks with utmost sincerity in his eyes.

"I promise you, but what else did you see in the dream? Did I leave you?" she asks.

"I don't know...but you were in the same flight as us, and I....I lost you in the crash along with mom and dad. We were travelling for our wedding and then this happened" he says.

"Calm down my baby boy, mujhe kuch nai hoga. I will never leave you. Nandini promise" she says, confident enough for him to trust.

"I love you very much, I cant live if something happens to you" he says sadly.

"For something to happen with me, it should happen to you first. Kyun ki jab tak tum mere saath ho mujhe kuch nai hoga, aur mujhe pata hain ki tum hamesha mere saath rahoge. Haina?" she asks him, trying to cheer him up, and he nods his head in a yes.

"Acha, now lay donw, today for a change I will sing you to sleep, this is my recent most favrites, and I will try to make it as soothing as a lullaby, so that you can sleep, she says and starts sining patting his hair. He closes his eyes, just enjoying her voice and her touch.

She lifts his head, and adjusts so that his head is right above her heart.

Tu aata hain seene mein...jab jab saansein bharthi hoon...

Placing her hand on his heat, she continues,

Teri dil ki galiyon se...mein har roz guzarthi hoon..

Hawaa ke jaise chaltha hain tu...mein reeth jaise udthi hoon...

Kaun tujhe yoon pyaar karega...jaise mein karthi hoon....

Lost in her voice, he closes his eyes, and holds her hand tightly in his.

Meri nazar ka safar...Tujh pe hi aake rukein...

Kehne ko baaki hain kya...Kehna tha jo keh chuke...

Meri nigaahein hain...teri nigaahon pe...

She stops singing seeing him fall asleep.

Kissing his forehead, like how he normally does to take her tensions away, she adjusts him back on the pillow, holds his hand, singing him a lullaby.

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