Loved the response in previous one <<33

4k+ long chapter.

Trigger warning -  (mild) mention of rape ahead!

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Ps- don't hate Manik 🖤

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"Muskurahat dekh kar unki hum hosh gawa baithe,

hum hosh mein aane ko hi the, woh phir muskura baithe,"

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"I never thought I would say this, but you're acting like a coward, Manik."

Abhi barked at Manik being frustrated at him.

"Abhi Shutup. Don't say things like this. Why aren't you understanding his point of view?" Mukti hissed at Abhi and Abhi rolled his eyes at her.

"He is right Mukti. Manik is not even trying for God sake. Just, Look at him, now too he is busy doing God knows what on his mobile, as if we aren't even talking to him." Cabir spoke and everyone looked at Manik who was sitting on his bed with his mobile in his hand ignoring everyone as if he wasn't able to hear what his friends were saying.

"Cabir calm down. We have to be with him."

"We are with him Navya. From the last four days we are with him here. But till when? Is he planning to stay in his room for forever?" Abhi asked all the whole glaring at Manik who still wasn't effected which angered Cabir and Abhi more.

"Abhi. Cabir. Will you guys calm down please? What do you want him to do, hmm? When Nyo Aunty had literally gave him her swear that he won't meet Nandini. How the hell he can choose between his mother and Nandini?"

"He had already chose Mukti. He had made his choice. He had chose his mother. But my question is, what about Nandini? Wasn't this inevitable? Wasn't this obvious that his family would oppose? Didn't he knew it already? But still he chose to move forward with Nandini. Manik? You gave her hopes for what? Only to break them by yourself? I had seen it in her eyes. She had started to trust you Manik. But what you did? The usual. Do you think it won't break her more than she already is? God knows how much more she has to bear in her life."

Cabir had tears in his eyes at the end. He was crying feeling Nandini's pain. First, she had to go through the worst any girl can go through. Then her own family abandoned her for their petty reputation and name. She suffered, she suffered and she is still suffering. All alone.

Abhi too blinked away his tears. Nandini's vulnerable state of that night flashed in front of his eyes making him shut them close. He failed that day to protect her, he failed today to protect her. He was feeling miserable.

Navya and Mukti know that Cabir and Abhi aren't wrong, but for them, Manik is also not be at fault. From childhood, he had been the pampered child for his family. He loves them more than he love himself. But that doesn't mean that his love for Nandini was fake. He is in a crossroad where whomever he will choose, the person to get hurt the most would always be him.

They four looked at Manik who was still staring at his phone like the past three days. They don't know what's going on in his mind or heart. He never spoke. He is silent since that night when he came back home. He didn't left his room.

They wish at least Arijit was here, but he was out of country for some business and Mrunal was also with him. His grandparents were in Amritsar, their native village for some time. Raj would come to him but he never spoke and so does with Nyonika.

Nyonika who stood at the door was shedding tears. She knows about Nandini's traumatic past, she knows that Nandini was raped three years ago. She knows whatever Fab Four knew as Mukti and Navya told her two days ago. And she felt bad for the girl. She felt all sympathetic towards her. As a woman, she cried for the girl who had to face it at such a tender age. She felt her pain. She was ready to do anything for her and her daughter, but not at cost of her son's future and his happiness. No.

She know she was not being a woman but a mother right now. But it is what it is. If being a mother is called as selfishness, than she is okay with being called that. For her son, she is ready to be called as Villain or Wamp. Right now, she doesn't care about anyone except her son and family. Wiping the tears she left for her room shutting the door behind silently. Manik saw her closing the door from his peripheral vision and sighed.

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"Manu, where are you taking me bache, at least tell me." Nyonika asked for the nth time while sitting on the passenger seat but as usual didn't got any reply from Manik, who was driving since half an hour now.

He was still silent. It was an hour ago that he came to her room and asked her to accompany him. Nyonika felt happy as she thought that finally her son was talking to him. So she instantly agreed but he never told her that where he was taking her. At last Nyonika sat silently. Her thoughts wandered around Nandini.

She knows that it's not Nandini's fault for whatever happened with her. She knows that in being a mother she is failing miserably to be a woman. But can she be blamed if she is thinking that Nandini might not be able to give the happiness to her son that he actually deserves. And beside that, she has a daughter. How can a mother in her agree for her son to walk on such path, which is so full of thorns.

Nyonika was snapped out of her thoughts when Manik pulled the breaks. She looked at him who was sitting with a blank face. She was feeling a fear in her heart, a fear that in the process of protecting her son, she is pushing him away from her. But she would neglect the thoughts thinking that he loves her and his family much more. He won't go away.

Nyonika looked at the open door which was opened by Manik. She gave him a smile and stepped out of the car. She looked ahead to saw them at Lakshmi Sadan. It was looking like a NGO to her. She frowned but silently followed her son and she guessed right, it was a NGO, which was owned by government as she saw the affiliations certificates there. She saw her son talking to the attendee who was there at the counter and talked something softly and then nodded at Nyonika to follow him.

She had so many questions in her mind but chose to stay silent and follow Manik as he took her to the first floor. They entered in a room and Nyonika gasped, making Manik look at her. He silently hold her hand and took her inside. Nyonika clutched Manik's hand tightly as he took her to a bed, where a girl was lying with eyes closed and machines attached to her body. Nyonika looked around and saw many girls, some were just sitting silently in corners of this big room, some were sleeping on the floor while some were just doing some normal works like stitching. It was a big hall type and only girls were present there.

Nyonika's eyes then fell on the girl lying with eyes closed, as if she is there since so many years.

"She is here in this condition for two years now Maa." Nyonika gasped hearing the words from Manik and looked at the girl.

"Manu- what. What happen to- her?" Nyonika asked as she took a seat on the stool and again looked around.

"She was Gangraped Maa. Brutally. For two days. Someone took her whole life, her all dreams away from her. She had some dreams, but now, she is in coma for two years now. " Nyonika palmed her mouth in horror and looked at the girl with tears in her eyes. She then looked at Manik who was gazing at the girl with tender eyes.

"Look around Maa. Every girl here was raped or sexually assaulted by someone or other. Sometimes that someone was their closed one. And then, were abandoned by their families." Nyonika looked around the room with shock filled in her eyes.

"You feeling bad for them Maa?" Nyonika nodded her head in yes still looking everywhere. She can't even imagine the pain these girls had suffered.

"Come." Manik tugged at Nyonika's hand and took her to a girl sitting in the corner near the window. She was sitting with a blank face. Nyonika saw her crouching back to the wall feeling their presence in fear. Nyonika felt like crying seeing her. But she also saw Manik easing her out with soft words. But still she didn't spoke anything or looked at them.

"Maa," Nyonika looked at Manik and he says, "Tell her. Tell her that you are feeling bad for her. Tell her that you sympathesise her. Tell her that whatever happened with her, shouldn't have. Tell her that she is brave." Nyonika frowned in confusion looking at Manik who bobbed his head at the girl and Nyonika looked back at the girl, who was looking out.

"Am- am sorry child. It- it should - should'nt have happened wi- with you. But- but you're so brave, no?" Nyonika's voice cracked at last but she saw no reaction coming out of the girl. Her face still blank. Nyonika looked at Manik who crouched down and looked at the girl.

"Mom, now tell her that You're here, you're with her. She can entrust you with anything. Tell her that she is going to live her dreams." Manik whispered to her and although Nyonika was very confused by now, she did what Manik asked her to.

"Child. See, I'm here. You can hold onto me. I'm like your mother right?" The girl blinked her eyes in response and then looked at Nyonika, who was sitting there holding her breath as she saw the girl responding. Nyonika felt herself crying when she saw a tiny smile appeared on the girl's face. Manik looked at this and he too smiled a little.

Nyonika lovingly caressed the girl's hair and felt her leaning to her touch, which made her cry and smile at the same time.

"How much strength does it take to hurt a little girl? How much strength does it take for the girl to get over it? Which one of them do you think is stronger?" Manik asked and Nyonika got lost in thoughts.

Manik took Nyonika out of that room and they stood outside of another room. They just stood at the door but didn't entered. Nyonika saw this room five babies. Some were in cribs, while some were playing on the floor. She thought that they were orphan kids, but as if Manik knew what she was thinking, so he spoke.

"They're not orphans Maa. They're the kids of many Rape Survivors." Nyonika looked at Manik with shock hearing the heart stirring truth. She looked inside and now when she noticed she saw that there were four girls and one boy child.

"Due to some or other complications, their mothers had to give them birth, but later leave them at government owned NGO's. But you know what's the surprising thing is Maa? According to a data, out of hundred maximum four are adopted and out of these four, zero are the girls." Nyonika inhaled a sharp breath hearing Manik and Manik kept looking at the kids.

Fifteen minutes later, Nyonika again found herself in the car and Manik was driving. He looked at her and saw her lost in her thoughts. He was shocked when Navya and Mukti told him that they told Nandini's truth to her, but Nyonika still didn't budged from her decision. He knew she felt bad for Nandini as a woman, but that reason gave her decision a firm support to keep him away from her, as a mother.

It was his way to make her understand that those who has gone through this, doesn't need sympathy or pity. They wants to lead a normal life. They too deserve every normal thing that others do. They too deserve to be happy, to feel loved, to feel taken care off. Sympathy and Pity is the last thing they desire. Moreover to lead a normal life.

And His Nandini, deserve the real happiness. She isn't in need of someone's pity or sympathy. She has survived alone till now alongwith her daughter. And she is very much capable of doing further too. But in all this, he just wants to give her the much needed love. The love, that she deserves but didn't got. He just doesn't want her to feel loved by him, but by his family. Alongwith his, He want to provide her with the mother's love, which maybe her mother forgot to give when she needed. He wants her to be feel pampered and protected by his father's love, which her father couldn't. He wants to provide her with every happiness, every smile, every affection that she deserves.

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A lost in her thoughts Nyonika entered in the Malhotra Mansion followed by Manik. But they both frowned hearing Yash Malhotra's loud voice. With hurried steps they entered in the hall to saw Yash, Damini, Raj and the Goenka brothers with their wives standing there.

"Now why are you three standing like statues? Answer me You three!!" Yash shouted again.

They were confused as why Yash was shouting at Shivay, Om and Rudra, who were standing as if nothing happened. Nyonika moved to Raj and hold his arms, making him look at her.

"Raj, what happened?"

"I don't know Nyo, but these boys did something very big, the reason Papa came back so suddenly." Manik too frowned as he heard Raj and looked at his Dadi who was trying to calm Yash down. His gaze fell on the television screen which was on mute but the news flash caught and immediately grabbed the remote and unmuted it and the news was heard loudly by everyone.

"Prithviraj Goenka, a man who built his empire on his own, but is this empire is built above the lives of thousands people? The man who is respected in the country for many things, one of which is providing so many employments which gave shelter to many, but the truth is he is the reason of destroying many well established village and destroying lives of so many families to set up his own factories, and so many people gave up their lives for not being able to fight for themselves. What would you like to call Mr. Prithviraj Goenka now? A respected man who gave jobs to some, or a man who is a reason of taking so many lives and destroying so many happy families?"

"I'll prefer the latter one." Rudra spoke as the anchor stopped and Yash glared at him. Manik and others were confused with everything. Raj switched off the tv and looked at Goenka brothers who were still standing unaffected, and now he had the idea that why his father was angry on them.

"Shiv, Om, Ru, You three did this?" Raj asked them and saw them standing without giving any answer.

"Ofcourse they did it. Are you mad? Do you even have an idea what this will cost the Goenka Empire?" Yash glared at them.

"Why would you do such a thing with your own company Shivay? Dimag kahi gir Gaya h kya? And you even didn't think about Your grandfather and father?" Raj shouted at them and hearing his last words Shivay looked at him.

"Sorry, but who father? Who grandfather? Oh wait, are you talking about the same father and grandfather who hid so much from us? Who destroyed their own happy family? Because if yes, then sorry, we have no father or grandfather." The tone of Shivay gave chills to everyone. They all could see the hatred and pure disguist in his eyes, in his brothers' eyes.

"What will you get by doing all this Shivay? This is your company." Raj hissed at them trying to put some brains in their head, which he think they've lost.

"Answering your second question first Uncle, No this is not our company, now, we don't want anything from it." Rudra spoke nonchalantly.

"And about your first question, that what will we get? Satisfaction." Omkara said and everyone looked at them in disbelief. Destroying their own family's name, they will get satisfaction.

Manik was looking beyond their words. In their eyes, Manik could see something akin to revenge. They're taking a revenge on their own family. For what, he wondered.

"Stop it Shivay. Stop it you three. Whatever you have done is very wrong. Stop this drama now, and fix everything back. Do not forget that You three are also Goenka. Whatever you are today is because of your grandfather. So whatever it is, talk it out." Yash ordered in an authoritative tone.

"The way you never asked us the reason behind this tell us that you know why are we doing this. Well, ofcourse your best friend must have told you. Right?" Shivay asked from Yash looking in his eyes with dark look.

"Bhaiya. Please calm down. I know, I shouldn't interfere in between, but talk with Prithvi dadu once. This will give him stress which isn't good for him, no? Please forgive him for whatever mistake he did." Shivay's gaze softened when Manik approached him. He sighed and gave him a painful smile and nodded in no. Nandini's face flashed in his mind and he blinked away his tears.

"I wish it was a mistake Mann. But, It wasn't. It wasn't a mistake. It was one of his biggest sin. He- he is the reason we- we lost our sister. It wasn't a mistake. It wasn't." By the end Shivay's green eyes got dark as he glared at the floor. Nyonika and Damini gasped hearing him.

Manik was shocked. Their sister? He remembered that some months ago he had came across this article about their sister, and his father told him that she is dead. So, she died because of Prithviraj Goenka? But why? These questions were roaming in his mind when he heard Shivay's voice.

"Give a message to your best friend, that this, is the beginning. As I promised him, he will hate for being a Goenka. Wait and Watch."

The three brothers walked out of their followed by their wives, leaving confused and shocked Malhotra's behind.

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Nandini slumped down on couch as the headlines flashed on the tv screen. She was staring at the tv with a blank face as the anchor's voice reached to her ears.

"As if the curses of people are working now, because one by one the Goenka Empire is watching it's doom. Firstly the Goenka's lost an important mine tender as they filled the tender for very amount which was not expected by them. And now, one more shock for them as their shipments were ceased as traces of drugs were found. Although it's still not proved but the chances of Goenka's involvement in this is high. From sources we came to know that this all had affected Senior Goenka's health as a doctor has visited him. Is it karma playing it's game or this all is someone's conspiracy against them? For more news..."

Nandini switched off the tv and threw the remote on the floor. She was taking harsh breaths. She has the idea that who is behind all this, but she wasn't sure.

Nandini gulped the lump in her throat as her vision got blurry. She doesn't know why was she crying. Was she feeling bad for them? No, she scoffed internally. Why would she feel bad? Who are they to her? She chided herself to get even effected with all this.

She sniffed from trying to stop herself from crying. Sitting on the couch Nandini hugged her knees as she stared at the blank tv screen. Flashes again appeared in her mind and she closed her eyes tightly.

The horrible night, her helplessness, her cries and pleadings to her family to trust her, her being alone on the empty road at night, her sleeping on footpath with her torn clothes, her getting panic attacks and not being able to calm herself down and then getting unconscious for hours. All the memories ran in her mind making it hard for her to breathe.

Nandini jerked her eyes open as she heard the doorbell. She took heavy breath to calm her down. Wiping her tears harshly she stood up and opened the door. Seeing the person standing in front of her, Nandini was shocked.

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"What? You mean, this all, it's all is being done by Shivay Bhaiya, Om Bhaiya and Rudra Bhaiya?"

Cabir asked being stunned and Manik nodded his head as he stared the the headlines in the news, of one of the Goenka's factory being burnt out by people in agitation.

"But why are they doing it?" Abhi asked as he too stared at the screen.

"For their sister." Cabir and Abhi's head snapped in Manik's direction as they heard her.

"Si-sister?" Manik nodded and told them about whatever happened.

He sighed and held his head in his palms. He had got a headache now. Why was everything so messing up around him. He was feeling worn out from all this. He needed some peace, sanity.

Cabir and Abhi looked at each other with shock and then at the tv screen. Abhi nodded at Cabir who licked his dry lips and sat beside Manik.

"Manik."

"Hmm?"

"Do you- do you know who is their sister?" Cabir asked and Manik opened his eyes frowning but then shook his head and Abhi glared at him for asking silly question

"No Cabir. But, I guess she is no more. That's what Papa told me." Cabir and Abhi frowned and sat straight.

"What? Who told you?"

"Just now I said Abhi, Papa told me."

"That's not true. She is not." Cabir replied and Manik looked at him with confusion.

"And how are you so sure?" Manik raised his brows and Cabir inhaled a deep breath.

"Manik, we know who is their sister." Manik looked at Cabir with all his attention.

"Is she alive Cabir?" Cabir nodded and Manik kept looking at him for further information.

"It's - it's Nandini." Manik stared at him for few minutes and Cabir and Abhi frowned seeing him. He then chuckled mirthlessly and stood up.

"Nandini?" He asked looking at them and they nodded.

"You mean, Meri Nandini? She- she is ShivOmRu Bhaiya's sister?" Cabir and Abhi again nodded their head in yes and Manik was stunned. His face was blank. Abhi and Cabir know that it would be difficult for him to beleive it. They told him everything, about their visit to Delhi and knowing about Nandini being Goenka.

Manik ran his hand through his hairs and palmed his face. He wasn't able to believe that it was the Goenka family, with whom he was so close, they were equally responsible for the pain of his Nandini. They threw her out of their house just because she was raped? Manik inhaled a sharp breath and dashed out of Cabir's home and this time Abhi and Cabir didn't stopped him, just preyed for him.

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Standing in front of her was Manik, with tear strained face. Nandini was shocked seeing him here in this condition. He was looking so worn out. Before Nandini could say anything she heard him and her breath hitched.

"Can I hug you Nandini? Please!"

He whispered and Nandini blinked. At that moment he looked like a lost kid to her who was seeking for some assurance. Her own heart was bearing at abnormal pace. Looking at her she didn't had in her to deny him. Seeing him after four days she suddenly felt better, light. She felt like she was breathing again.

Nandini was ready to swear on anything that she didn't nodded by her brain, her head itself bobbed in yes and she was pulled in his embrace.

Both closed their eyes as soon as they were in each other's arms. It was a kind of hug where none of them was sure that who was healing whom.

Nandini had her hands fisted so close to his back. But her eyes were closed and her heart was beating loudly. It wasn't an intense hug, it was more of a comforting hug.

Sometimes all it needs to fix everything is a hug. To calm all the storms raging inside your mind, to lessen the pain in your chest and to hold the broken pieces together. All it needs is just a hug. A hug that has comfort in it, gives you peace and makes you feel safe.

Sometimes that's all we need, a hug.

"I'm sorry Nandini. I'm sorry. I couldn't save you." Nandini opened her eyes hearing his words. She gasped feeling his tears on her shoulder. Her hands un-fisted as she clutched the side of Manik's shirt.

"You did Manik. You did. Unknowingly everytime, It was You. You did." She whispered not sure that if he heard or not. But his hold on her tightened a little telling her that he heard it.

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Yolo!!!!

Long one, uff!!!!

The story is progressing, yeah?

What do you think will Nyonika's pov change?

Cabir and Abhi are sweeto right?

And Goenka's doom has started yeeeee!!!

Finally your wait is over, now Manik knows about Nandini, now what?

And oh, the first "proper" hug <3

Warning - Till now the story has more of a sweet essence, it may decrease now.

Any guesses what would happen now?

I so want to finish this book soon as I've other stories planned, but time hi ni milta 🥺

Next- Friday!!

4300 words!!

~A ♡