N A N D I N I

"Hey." His voice's merely a whisper. Our eyes meet. "Hello." I clear my throat before smiling at him. My heart pounding so hard in my chest, I'm afraid he can hear it. I wait for him to lead the conversation.

He clears his throat, his feet tapping against the floor as his eyes roam my face before they return back to my eyes and his lips parts, "I believe you already know my name. But I'd still want to start from the beginning, Manik. Manik Raj Malhotra." He speaks, carefully. As if he's scared of saying something wrong. Guess, I'm not the only one nervous here.

I stop myself from wiping down my sweaty hands on my outfit. "Dr. Nandini Murthy." My eyes goes back to his tapping foot—if it's just him being nervous like me, it's fine. If it's an habit, I'm changing it the first thing after our marri—? What? Where did that come from? My thoughts makes blood rush to my cheeks more profusely. I feel my ears warming up.

"I don't know how much you know about me. I'll start with my work. I'm the CEO of Malhotra company and I'm also the lead singer of Fab5– a band I created with four others back in school. Music is my passion but it's not something I see myself doing 365 days with the creativity it takes to make, hence the CEO position. I'm really hardwor—" He stops speaking when I stand up from the couch. His foot stops tapping against the floor. His eyes on every move of mine. I reach for the water bottle on the coffee table and pour some in the glass. I forward it to him, he looks at me confused but when I nod at him, he takes it from my hand and takes a sip. I settle back on my seat.

"I'm not interviewing you for a job position." I smile, he looks down biting his bottom lip. A bright smile on his face. He's blushing, I look down facepalming myself. I look back at him, feeling his burning gaze on me. Our eyes meet again, this time both of us smiling the widest. The nervousness settles down a bit and a sense of calmness takes over. I exhale a soft relaxing breath.

"Of course, I'd want to know more about your work life. But today I'd just want to know you as Manik and not the CEO or lead singer this world talks about. I'd want to know you as you. Your dreams. Your goals. Your expectations from your wife to be. Your family. Friends. Past relationships. If that's alright with you?" I try to lead the conversation this time. Maybe he's meeting someone for marriage for the first time as well, hence the nervousness.

'And you said it's not an interview." He teases, I bite back on my laughter, but the smile stays both on our faces.

"Let's start than shall we?" He speaks, I nod.

"Hello. I'm Nandini." I give a little wave making him chuckle. He stares me for a second before something comes to him. He closes his eyes, I keep looking at him confused. His eyes flutters open and the shine in there, the warmth in those orbs makes my breath hitch.

"I'm going to be really, really straight forward here Nandini. We can go back and forth of hi and hellos the next time we meet after we are rokafied, but I only have these few minutes or even less to convince you to say yes to me. I really wanna make this thing work between us. I just closed my eyes and I could see myself spending my life with you. So there's a few things about me— I really love my family. Like a lot. Mukti is like my first kid even though she is elder to me by like five minutes. She is my twinny winny. My friends, we have been together since our kindergarten days. We eat, work, fight, celebrate. We do everything together. I have no other friends than those four downstairs. They all mean the world to me. Shit. Fuck. Am I ruining it? I don't mean to say my world is restricted to them. I wanna make you a part of my world too and..." He trails off, taking a breath. I hold my breath. He runs his fingers through his hairs, showing how he's a ball of emotions, nervousness and jitters. Just like me.

He continues, "I have a feeling you are gonna become like major, major part of it and probably the most beautiful one. Shit Manik. You are being so fucking forward. It's just the first meeting and you are gonna make her run to the hills. I am so nervous. And I have never been nervous. Even on my first concert. Please tell me I am not fucking up my chances here or that I need to shut this clap of mine right this moment? Please." The laugh that I have been holding on along with the breath, bubbles out of me. My shoulders shake as I laugh my heart out. I keep my palm over my lips to help myself stop but it just doesn't. He looks at me for a few seconds before he facepalms himself. His ears red. He gives me a moment and I calm myself down.

One look at each other and I chuckle shaking my head. "And I thought I was the nervous one." I shake my head, he picks up the glass of water and gulps it down. Still smiling widely.

"I have never been nervous in my life ever. I'm always in control. It's been ten minutes and you're already bringing out a completely different version of me." He says after we both settle back down from whatever that was.

"Can you please just ask me whatever you want to know? I have nothing to ask you. I'm going down there and saying yes. I'll love to answer your queries so that you can give the same answer and then we spend our lives together, knowing and living each other. If you want we can even meet a few more times before you give your final answer." He says with utmost sincerity in his eyes. I smile at him. He's already said yes, without asking me anything.

"What made you so certain about me? How can you say yes to me? This? You know nothing about me." I ask, our eyes locked.

"Because I saw the way you talked and looked at my family and friends. You looked at them the way I look at them. I see the love and kindness you have for people around you, in your eyes. The innocence. The shine. The warmth. The comfort these eyes offer." He replies making my throat dry.

"Itna sab kuch? Sirf 10 minute mein?" My voice barely a whisper. "Ye sab toh maine jab humari aankhein aaj pehli baar mili tab hi dekh lia, mehsoos kar lia." He replies referring back to the mini-second eye contact we had when he arrived.

I stand up from the couch. He looks up at me confused. "Chalein?" I forward my hands towards the door. The smiles on his face vanishes in a blink of eye. His throat bobs as he gulps down, I hold myself back from smiling.

"If you'd like we can meet once again before you give your final answer." He says standing up and coming to stand in front of me. I shake my head in negative. "I have my answer." He looks at me for a few second before tearing his eyes away. His face void of any smile and shine that was there some moments ago. He takes the first step towards the door. I follow him.

"You have nothing to ask me?" He stops once again, I shake my head. "There's nothing I can do to change your mind?" This time his voice a little softer and lower, like he's almost begging me to reconsider this. I shake my head, he gives a stiff nod before starting to walk. His footsteps not slow this time. I follow him closely. We both descend down and reach where our families are. Everyone looks up at us. My eyes meet my brothers, I give him a slight bob of positive. He smiles brightly before turning to our parents.

"She says no." I hear him mumble to his twin sister. He picks up his phone from the coffee table he left earlier. He didn't even sit. He's ready to leave. His family members turns to me. His mother clears her throat and stands up. My parents follow.

"I-I'm sure if Nandini says no toh she must have her reasons. I'm glad we me—"

"But Nandini says yes." Before I can, my brother interrupts his mother. I keep my eyes locked on his face. His head snaps at me so hard I think he sprained a muscle or two there.

"Huh?" His mother looks confused between both of us.

"I don't remember giving you an answer." I turn to him.

"But you let me believe you were saying no." He looks at and then everyone around us. I notice everyone smiling down at the two of us.

"Oh? I did. I don't remember." The smile that I was holding back on from so long finally comes out and ends up in a chuckle. His face morphs from disbelief to embarrassment, once he realises I have been teasing him.

"I love her!" Cabir, his friend, yells loudly and comes to me. He pulls me in a side hug, it takes me a moment but I return the hug. "Manik. I love her. Did I tell you I love her? Can we take her home with us? Please Mom. Pleaseee." The man pouts. He pouts at Nyonika Aunty.

"Give us a final answer now. Both of you. If it's no na Nandini, let us go so I can cry to my husband about how my stupid son couldn't charm the angel I wanted him to." Nyonika Aunty glares at her son at the end of her sentence.

"Nandini? Stop this." My mother gives me a look that's supposed to make me behave.

"Yes. My answers yes." I turn to look up at the man beside me. His eyes already on me. The frown vanishes and the smile
— I have come to like so much— returns.

"Manik?" My mother calls his name.

"He already said yes." I speak for him. Our family and friends stands up to congratulate us and celebrate. Mumma asks a house help to bring something sweet. Our eyes finds each other every once in a while.

After our family feeds us sweets and we feed them, everyone goes back to the couches. Our mother gets in touch with the priest who says to give him 15 minutes and he'll be there. I look down at the chocolate in my fist. My eyes goes to the man I'm holding this for to see him already looking at me. I see him holding a piece in his hand too. My cheeks heat. I swipe a glance around to see everyone busy talking.

I stand up from my couch and head towards the powder room beside our dining area. I stand in the corner outside the door. He comes a minute later and corners me. I blush more.

"I'm going to get back at you for that little stunt of yours." He says with just two steps between us. I don't reply. He unwraps the chocolate and forwards it to my lips.

"Thankyou for saying yes. I'm going to spend our lives cherishing you and making sure you never regret this decision of yours." He whispers gazing into my eyes. I take a small bite of the chocolate before bringing my hand to his wrist and taking his hand to his mouth that still has half chocolate piece between his thumb and index finger.

"I believe you." I whisper smiling. I remove my fingers from his hand and brush past him. Walking back to the living room, while my heart stayed behind. With him.