Nandini:- ( hesitantly ) I want to confess something more…
The two ladies look at her with frowns while Nandini looks here and there, avoiding their eyes. She is dealing with the weirdest feeling ever, which is making her feel all those emotions that she doesn’t have, like hesitation. She is an outspoken girl who doesn’t care about anyone or anything, but right now, those weirdest emotions are scaring the other two girls.
Pihu:- ( with wide eyes ) My Bui, and hesitation? ( To Nandini ) Bui, did you hit your head somewhere hard, or did some random dog attack you?
Nandini:- ( smiling brightly ) Well, to be honest, there is no dog but a B*TCH who attacks me daily with her dumb questions.
Pihu looks down in embarrassment and bites her lower lip cutely, knowing who her Bui is talking about, but Navya chirped in between, making her annoyed.
Navya:- ( smirkingly ) Pihu, your Bui is talking about you.
Pihu narrowed her eyes and shot glares at her mother with frustration.
Pihu:- I know! Don’t need to remind me of that.
Navya:- ( extra sweetly ) Umm… I just wanted to help you, but no problem. ( turned to face Nandini ) What do you want to confess?
Nandini:- First, promise me that you won’t laugh at me.
Pihu:- Hahaha… before that, you promised us that you won’t say anything that will lead us to the hospital.
Nandini:- There are chances of that, don’t worry, I will pay your hospital bills on time and will also choose the best doctors for you three.
Navya:- ( tiredly ) Nandini, will you please become serious for a minute and confess whatever you want to?
Nandini:- I will try… ( take a deep breath before starting ) umm… I become… I become WET whenever he comes near me.
Navya didn’t understand her words; that’s why she uttered the naive question and took almost a minute to realize the meaning of her words.
Navya:- Who is he? ( in a shocking tone ) Wait… did you say WET?
Her trauma was broken by her cute, naughty daughter.
Pihu:- ( confusingly ) Why? Is he a SHOWER or A RAINY CLOUD? Why did he make you wet?
Navya looks at her daughter and thanks her god for a second, witnessing the fact that her daughter is still innocent in this matter, which surprises her. With happiness, she closed Pihu’s ears with both hands, making her scoff at her mother.
Pihu:- ( irritatingly ) Mumma… This is not fair!
Navya:- ( to Nandini ) Ignore her for a moment and tell me, did you mean that your p*nty becomes wet when he comes near you?
Nandini looks down while her cheeks turn crimson red, giving the aftershocks to the other ladies who are still coping with her hesitation.
Nandini:- ( dreamingly ) I mean, not every time… But I felt goosebumps whenever he touched my waist when I rode my scooter. I felt my heart skip a beat when he kissed me here… ( pointing at her forehead ). I felt my p*nty wet down there when he came closer to me, and his breath fanned my neck, but I felt worse when he left the room without doing anything. I wanted him to stay where he was. I want to feel him more. ( tiredly ) Don’t know why, but I want to snuggle in his arms and hide myself from the entire world. I feel secure around him just like I feel around Bhai.
Navya looks at her with astonishment and is shocked knowing the fact that she is madly in love with her shy boy.
Navya:- You are a totally whipped woman!...
Nandini:- ( while making an awful face ) Bhabhi, don’t change the topic. Where did this whipped cream come in between?
Navya banged her head on the wall, as did Pihu. Every time they think that their Nandini has grown up and now will act like a mature woman, but every time she turns their hopes into ashes.
Pihu:- Bui, you are impossible, leave that. ( excitedly ) Tell me first, where did he touch you? ( teasingly ) Any forbidden touches?... hmm… hmmm.
Nandini:- Shy boy and touch… that too in forbidden places! What a joke!... He quivers as soon as my skin comes in contact with his. ( turned towards Navya ) Bhabhi, please, guide me. I am clueless. I don’t know why I am feeling that way.
Navya sits on the bed and looks at her, tiredly.
Navya:- It’s simple, Nandini, YOU ARE IN LOVE WITH YOUR SHY BOY!
Pihu:- I would like to add something, not only love… BUI, YOU ARE MADLY IN LOVE WITH YOUR SHY BOY.
Nandini’s states are no less than any living corpse. Her eyes came out of their sockets, and her jaw dropped to the floor while she palmed her lips in utter shock.
Nandini:- What?... come again… Did I hear LOVE?
Pihu:- Yup, Bui. You love YOUR SHY BOY but didn’t realize it till now.
Nandini:- You guys must be mistaken. How can I love someone?
The two ladies take back and share a suspicious look while Pihu looks at her mother, who says, “I already told you… Some dog has bitten her.” And in return, Navya murmurs, “I am thinking the same.”
Navya:- And why can’t you love someone?
Nandini:- Because I am weird! I do weird kinds of stuff. I talked a lot and wasn’t shy, as girls do. I am not beautiful enough.
Pihu:- ( sarcastically ) Not beautiful enough, huh! My classmates’ fathers are head over heels for you. They waited almost an hour to get a glimpse whenever you came to pick me up from school. And here you are saying, “I am not beautiful.”
Nandini:- Yaa, that’s the problem, Bhabhi. Men show interest in me, not boys… at least not boys like my shy boy.
Pihu:- Why? Your shy boy has a catalog for choosing a girlfriend, in which you won’t fit. You are talking like my math teacher.
Nandini:- ( frowns ) What?
Pihu:- Rubbish! Just like my math teacher talks.
Nandini rolls her eyes and shoots daggers at her little crime partner, but is disturbed by her Bhabhi.
Navya:- What happened to you, Nandini? I know you, you are not a girl who will point out mistakes in herself. You are the fiercest girl that I have ever met. So, what happened to you suddenly?
Nandini:- I am not good for the shy boy.
Navya:- Why are you deciding that? Let your shy boy determine if you are his choice or not.
Nandini:- Bhabhi, you don’t know, he is innocent like a kid. Can’t you hear how mad I become when a mere girl touches him? So, how can he handle me with all my flaws?
Navya understood Nandini's problem and tried to clear her mind of all those silly thoughts.
Navya:- Nandini, everyone has flaws in them. No one is perfect in this world, but that doesn’t mean we stop falling in love because of that.
Pihu:- Yaa, let your Shy boy decide.
Nandini:- ( innocently ) If Shy boy has no interest in me, then?
Pihu:- ( angrily ) Then, that day would be his last day, as no one has any right to reject my Bui. I will chop his bones and feed them to the crows.
Nandini:- ( innocently ) Ok, but Pihu, make sure that he won’t get hurt when you chop his bones because I can’t see him in pain.
Navya cries silently and complains to god for sending these two brainless heads to the same house, which is unfortunately hers.
Navya:- Nandini, it’s simple! If your Shy boy didn't reciprocate your feelings, then find someone else who will love you the way you are, strong and fierce.
Nandini:- How can I love someone else? I never felt like that with any other guy except Shy Boy.
Navya:- ( smilingly ) You answered your question, Nandini. If you have feelings for your Shy boy, then the almighty did plan something beautiful for you. Just wait for his magic.
Nandini nods in understanding and runs out, drowning in a pool of questions. As soon as she left the room, Navya looked at her daughter, who also turned her gaze to face her.
Navya:- We have to make sure that the boy is good for her…….
Pihu:- ( cutting her mother in mid ) Ya… I can’t let any random guy just break Bui's heart.
Navya:- Did you know the boy’s name, except for the fact that your Bui calls him Shy boy?
Pihu:- No… I just talked with him on a call once, and he sounds good.
Navya:- Pihu, I am not asking about his vocals.
Pihu:- I mean, he looks innocent as Bui mentions.
Navya:- Hmm… but still, we need to know his real self before Nandini falls more deeply for him.
Pihu:- I have a plan!...
Navya:- What?
Pihu:- A day after tomorrow is Dad’s birthday. So, why don’t we throw a party for him and call all his employees, including Bui’s Shy boy?
Navya:- Nice idea! Through this, we will get a chance to know that boy closely. And we will invite everyone with their families.
Pihu:- Nice! Let’s meet with Shy Boy and his family.
On the other side, Nandini reached her room with a thumping heart.
Nandini:- Am I in love, really?
Without a word, she opens her cupboard and takes out an old picture album that consists of her childhood pics with her parents. She caressed her parents’ picture and murmured.
Nandini:- Show me the right path dad.
Suddenly, the cloud thunders, indicating that it is raining heavily. Leaving everything on the bed, she walks towards her gallery and stands in the rain getting drenched. She closed her eyes, and a single laughing face appeared, which brought a smile to her face, too, and her lips automatically murmured.
I LOVE YOU, MANIK!
I LOVE YOU, MY SHY BOY…
To be continued…