Manik met Nandini and she was upset that she had to meet someone though she wasn’t interested in getting married. After talking to her and figuring out that she didn’t want to marry a stranger, Manik decided to come straight to the point and ask her, that is what he was there for.

        Manik : “Will you marry me?”

        Nandini didn’t expect that from him even in her dreams, so she was taken aback.

        Nandini : “Are you alright? .. You were getting upset at the thought of marriage then .. did someone say something to you?”

        Only Navya knew that she loved him, but Nandini had asked Navya not to mention about it to anyone. Nandini wanted to make sure that Manik wasn’t saying so because of any sort of compulsion, before responding to him.

        Manik felt that Nandini was bewildered because he had popped up the question suddenly. He had been thinking only of her from the past few days, but that may not have been the case with her. He wasn’t aware that she was also in a similar situation like him.

        Manik held her hand in his hands.

        Manik : “I am perfectly fine. I used to get upset at the thought of marriage because I thought that it will suffocate me but I don’t think so anymore. Actually someone had advised me that I should give myself a chance. I should listen to both my heart and my mind, and that is what I am doing. My heart feels that it has fallen in love with you, I don’t know since when, but I realized it only now. I have always been concerned for you, I couldn’t see you sad or upset, and wanted to see you happy. But from the time I realized that I will have to distance myself from you in the future once you get married to someone else, I have lost my peace of mind.”

        Manik : “I have been thinking of all sorts of things and getting worried, and finally I realized why I was feeling so. Not even a single day goes by without talking to you and thinking of you, then how will I manage to do so for the rest of my life? I have got so attached to you that I can’t stay away from you. My mind thinks that I can’t get a life partner like you and I would be a fool if I let you go. From the time you stepped into my life, my life has changed for the better, and I am confident that I will lead my best life with you by my side.”

        Manik : “You once said that it is better to have a friend as a life partner. Do you feel that I could be that friend with who you can lead the rest of your life? .. I know I brought it up suddenly and you may need time to think over it, so you don’t have to respond to me immediately..”

        Nandini’s gloomy face lit up after hearing what Manik felt for her. His words had put an end to the turmoil she was going through from quite sometime. Her happiness knew no bounds and she readily agreed without thinking of anything else.

        Nandini : “I thought so earlier, but you are more than a friend to me. Why only rest of this life, I am ready to stay with you for eternity.”

        Now, it was Manik’s turn to be surprised because he didn’t expect her to agree immediately.

        Manik : “You agreed so easily?! .. I was thinking as to what more I have to say or do to convince you. I expected that you will give reasons like I will have to get permission from your uncle..”

        Nandini : “We will have to do so even now. .. Oh! I remembered when you mentioned about uncle that I will have to figure out who uncle wanted me to meet and inform him that I can’t meet him. It isn’t right to make someone wait.”

        Nandini got up from her chair, but Manik held her hand and pulled her towards himself, and she landed on his lap. Manik was ecstatic that she agreed to marry him, but he realized the entire meaning of what she said only later.