Aiyoo Ayyappa- MaNan FF

Chapter 24 Tip..Tip...

"Dhruv?? So what are the plans for the party?" Mukti asked dressed up beautifully for the party. "Manik ne kuch bataaya?" 

"Mukti...Manik has called off the party" Dhruv replied with a quiet and confused look on his face. 

"Ab isko kya ho gaya? Kuch problem lag rahi hai! Wait main call karti hoon Manik ko!" saying this Mukti took her phone from her purse and started dialing up Manik's number. 

Nandini was speechless as she looked at Manik walking away. Her feet were not moving..she was unable to walk behind him...it felt as if she has become a statue stuck to the ground. 

"M..Manik...please wapas aajao..." Nandini whispered softly looking at Manik who was walking away towards the bike without turning back to look at her. Suddenly Manik's phone started ringing. 

"Hello...haan Mukti...no the party is not going to happen. Ya...U guys go home." Manik was replying over his phone. 

"Par Manik, why calling off the party? U were the one who planned it..now U are calling it off? That's not done yaar!" Mukti complained sitting on the chair next to Dhruv. 

"Haan...yes...but now no mood!" Manik said in a disinterested tone. "Don't ask me more..U guys just go home."

"Ok..Manik tu abhi kahan hai? Are U ok?" Mukti asked with a concerned look on her face. 

"Y..Ya..I'm ok...don't worry...I'll be reaching home soon! We'll meet tomorrow! Hanging up now" Manik replied cutting the phone call. Nandini managed to walk and stand right behind Manik. She gently touched Manik on his shoulder. Manik turned back to look at Nandini. Tear drops were flowing down her eyes and a pleading look was on her face. Manik felt his heart melt..melt and flow like the tears drops falling down Nandini's cheek. 

"Manik...can we go after sometime?" Nandini asked with a pleading look in her eyes. 

"Kyon? Why after sometime?" Manik asked with a fake angry look on his face. 

"Can we talk for sometime, Manik? Can U let me explain myself to U? Please..can U give me a chance?" Nandini asked in a voice that was almost like a whisper. 

"Chance?? What chance?" Manik asked with a confused look in his eyes. "Ab inn sab jhoot ke aage..kya chance chahti ho, Nandini?" Manik asked as his expression changed from confusion to anger. 

"Can U give me a chance to see the real U?" Nandini asked softly touching Manik on his wrist. Nandini took his hand in her both hands and looked with pleading eyes at Manik. Manik felt his anger seep away from him. "She really can calm me down.." Manik thought

"Ok...U need a chance? I'll give U a chance to talk to me..to explain yourself...Nandini, but not more than  2 minutes. I give U 2 minutes to convince me...to convince me in such a way as to give U a second chance. Ok??" Manik asked with a calmed down tone. 

"Haan...thanks Manik." Nandini said softly looking at Manik. "Thanks for giving me a chance..can we go back and sit on the bench and talk?" Nandini asked gazing with innocent eyes at Manik. 

"Ok.." Manik said. Nandini let go of Manik's hand and started walking towards the bench. Manik also followed behind Nandini. 

"What is she going to say to me?" Manik thought as he looked at Nandini. Manik took two quicker steps and started walking side by side with Nandini. They walked silently side by side. Nandini was not looking at him anymore. Her heart was filled with guilt. She felt as if she betrayed herself by betraying Manik by her lies. She was thinking...thinking on what to say to convince Manik to forgive her. Manik looked at the sky above him...the stars were not visible anymore. Perhaps all the stars joined together and arrived on the ground as a single star. This single star who is walking beside me is shining. Manik continued to look at Nandini. For a moment, Nandini looked at Manik as they both reached the bench. 

Nandini sat and looked at Manik and invited him "baitho na..." Nandini said with a little smile on her face. Manik loved her smile, a really beautiful smile it is. Manik couldn't take his eyes off the smile as he sat down next to Nandini continuing to look at her. "She..she is beautiful..more beautiful than I had imagined" Manik's eyes looked at her without blinking as his feeling of anger and sadness was replaced by a new feeling which was alien to him. 

"Ayyappa...his gaze is so different now...his eyes...they are so kind..straightforward..pure" Nandini thought as Manik continued to look at her. There was a light breeze blowing as Nandini felt a drop of water fall on her. Manik too felt a drop of water fall on his hand. Both Nandini and Manik looked up as they felt more and more rain drops falling on them. It was raining...

Kabir and Navya are within the beauty parlour. Kabir had given all instructions to beautify Navya and Navya is getting her makeover. "I am sure..she will be much different" Kabir thought as he looked at Navya being dolled up. 

"How much more time it will take??" Kabir asked the beautician. 

"It will take atleast a few more minutes..perhaps 20 minutes..." the beautician replied to Kabir. 

"Ok...Navya...I will be back in a few minutes" Kabir said to Navya. 

"Ji...par aap kaha jaa rahe ho? Aap jaldi wapas aaoge na?" Navya asked looking at Kabir through the mirror in front of her. 

"Ya don't worry..I'll be back soon. Just going out for a bit" Kabir said as turned around and walked towards the glass door of the beauty parlour. Navya continued to look at him in the mirror as she saw Kabir get out of the beauty parlour and walked towards the right. Now he's gone and I'm here alone in a beauty parlour in a place that I have never visited even after living in Mumbai for such a long time.

 "What a day!!" Navya thought as she remember the adventurous evening she had. "First it was Nandini and me..and now its Kabir and me. It's like a dream...the Kabir whom I always saw on television...in posters...the talented drums player of Fab 5... I'm spending the evening with him. Agar mere friends aur relatives ko pata chalenge..they are going to get the shock of their life!" Navya thought as a huge excited smile crept over her face. 

Nandini looked up at the sky as large droplets of rain started falling upon her and Manik. 

"M..Manik...its raining!" Nandini said with a startled expression on her face. 

"Come, let's find a shelter before the rain gets heavier...let's run!" Manik said as he took hold of Nandini's hand and both started running looking around for a shelter from the rain. Ahead of them...they saw a little shed with a metal sheet roofing. The rain had grown in a matter of few seconds and drenching them like anything. Nandini's clothes clung to her body and droplets were dripping down her face onto her neck. Manik had his grip tightened around Nandini's wrist eventhough the water droplets was making it slip a bit. Nandini and Manik ran into the shed and it was dark inside. There seemed to be nobody around but atleast they are sheltered away from the rain. Nandini was breathing heavily from the running and she looked Manik who was also breathing faster. Manik turned to look at Nandini..her face covered with droplets of water dripping from her hair onto her face and down her neck. Manik couldn't take his eyes off her. Even in the darkness...her earrings were shining...shining like the stars. Manik couldn't stop himself...he wanted to touch her..wanted to touch her real badly. Nandini had her arms wrapped around her from the coldness of the rain drops on her. 

"She...she is so beautiful..." Manik thought as he walked towards her. Manik raised his arm to wipe the droplets of water dripping onto Nandini's cheeks. Nandini saw the arm that was raising towards her...she looked at Manik and his hand with a startled look on her face. Suddenly there was a sudden streak of lightning as a loud thunder sounded over the sky and shaking the whole earth with its vibration. 

"Ayyappaaa" Nandini shouted as she rushed into Manik's arms hugging him tight and her eyes went tight shut. Manik felt as if the lightning has not fallen upon earth but upon him...as he felt the realization of the first hug...the first hug from the girl who hated him...or perhaps didn't?

Ayyappa didn't say anything...he was enjoying the rain..the first rain of love that was falling on his devotee and he smiled softly...