The Rake

Epilogue

The giggles of Mrs. Nandini Manik Malhotra echoed in the vacant beach. Clad in her husband’s shirt with shorts accompanying them, she laughed like anything. She was a flower who never wanted to be plucked. She was a flower who found happiness in every other thing and blossoms like anything.

There stood a man, clad in shirt and shorts staring at his girl with a smile. He was a Rake for the devils, but an angel for his girl.

“Nandini! You will catch cold Jaan!” His smile turned into a worried one and he quickly ran to her who was drenching in the rain.

“Manik! PLEASEEE!” Manik glared at her and dragged her inside while she pouted but smiled at her caring boy.

“Uff! You are gonna get me killed, trust me!! If ever Mom comes to know that I let you dance under the rain, she will kill me!” He spoke trying to get the towel from the cupboard when she back hugged her “I am her favorite you know!”

Manik smiled, turned around and started drying her with the towel and the hairdryer, spoke “You are my favourite too, Baccha!”

“Oh Manik! I love you so damn much!” She clinged to him to which he got lost in her, leaving the towel and the hairdryer on the floor itself.

“Nandini!” He gulped his saliva as his wife traced her fingers against his perfect physique only to leave him with a laugh followed.

Manik looked here and there and quickly walked inside the washroom blushing when she giggled “Baby! It’s been eight years to our relationship and you still blush like my teenage Manik!”

“Because your love is still the same!” He shouted from inside and turned on the shower to calm himself down.She was the drug he never wanted to get off the addiction to.

After an hour or so, Nandini was leaning against the balcony which gave a clear view to the shore. She gulped the hot chocolate down her throat, listening to the sweet melodies of the sea when her husband wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer.

“I love you!” His only aim for this honeymoon to Tahiti, was to show it to her, how much he loved her.

She smiled and kept her head on his chest while both stood there for a minute when he broke the silence prevailing between them “Missing Amma and Appa?” He asked out of blue to which she widened her eyes and turned to him. He took the cup from her hand and kept it on the table beside.

“What? I am not naive Nandini. What do you think? If you won’t tell me, I wouldn’t know how much you love and miss them?” He spoke carrying his fragile baby to the swing the balcony had.

“I miss them Manik! So much!” She snuggled closer to him and hid her face in his neck to which he caressed her back “They are with us only Jaan! The stars..actually the brightest stars are them only!” Nandini nodded but didn’t got out of his hold while he kept caressing her back.

Everyone knew that Mr. And Murthy died on the same day. But how? That was only known by Nandini who was just around ten when she witnessed the most tragic moments of her life. She never shared it with any one, not even with Manik.

“I was so happy when Adira came into the world..she was so cute Manik!” Nandini spoke as tears trickled down her cheeks. Manik was flabbergasted. He never expected her to speak something like this, that too all of a sudden.

“Doctor said. Amma had only some time left since Adira was a premature baby..I knew it..I kept sitting beside her while she kept telling me to take care of Adira and Appa..I knew she would die in some time but I had to be strong for my little sister! I kept clutching Amma’s finger..while she kept weeping..!” Manik widened his eyes. He still remembers how hardly he used to manage his school excursions when Mumma wasn’t used to be there, and all this while, she has been alone. No Amma, No Appa.

“She left my hand, took a deep breath and left us! I started shouting for Appa..We were settled in the US so no relatives were there..the nurse came running to me that..that..Appa left us

..his lost control and he died in an accident..!” And she snuggled closer to Manik, not wanting to breakdown and spoil their honeymoon.

“You can cry! I am here, with you!” He spoke and in few mimutes and in no time she broke down, crying incoherently. He kept caressing her hairs and back but she just didn’t stop

The dreadful memory of her sitting inside the doctor’s cabin with her new born little sister, but no parents around broke her into zillions.

“Next day, Chacha and Chachi took me back to Mangalore!” She said and breathed not before dozing off in his arms, his warmth only.

He carried her to the bed and placed her. Afterwards, he turned to his side and kep looking at her as she took the most peaceful slumber after years and years of gloom.

“I love you!” He whispered against her ears to which she smiled in sleep and both slept, hugging each other

The solace to each other.

“Mani! Good Morning!” She whispered kissing his hairs and mole above her lips to which some water droplets fell on his face and he nudged “Baby just 5 minutes! Promiseeee!” He cried out to which she giggled “Sure love! We are in no hurry!” She said to which he twistes eyebrows in sleep. She sounded so happy! He smiled and dozed off again.

“Kehte hai Khuda ne iss jahan me sabhi ke liye..Kisi na Kisi..Kisi..Kisi” she thought of the lyrics, sitting on the dressing table when a pair of hands wrapped around her neck and his nose tried to found a way in her wet hairs “Kisi na Kisi ko hai banaya harkisi ke liye!” He finished kissing the nape of her neck and both looked in the mirror. How perfect and happy they were!

“Good Morning!” He again nuzzled in her hairs to which she turned around, stood up and hugged him “Manik! Let’s dance!”

“Why? How?” He laughed seeing such a happy Nandini and her crazy demands “You will get your favourite morning dose!” He pouted and they both swayed to the tune of their hearts.

“Manik! I am so luckyyyy to have found you..You are my everything Manik!” She said and tip-toed on her feet, and softly pressed her tender lips against his rough yet perfect ones.

Both closed their eyes and fell on the bed, kissing each other like anything.

He pecked her forehead and stood up for washroom while she kept lookin at him.

As he came back from a fresh shower and started to comb his hairs, she wrapped her hands around his chest and kept her head on his back.

“You are so happy!” He whispered, as his heart thumped with joy.

“Because I am very happy!” She giggled which made him smile.

“Reason?” He asked out applying cologne to which she pecked his back and said “You! Only you!”

And there he stood, witnessing just another side of Nandini who was openly expressing her love for him like anything.

The irony was that ‘The one who who tried to break her using her parents was also the one who healed her, using her parents and love’