"Tum?" Abhi & Nandini both said. They jumped away from each other and looked shocked....but more than them, the person infront of them looked shocked.

"Cabir.....tu kuch bolega?" Abhi nudged Cabir who just stood with his mouth open.

"I..you....tum... dono...you're siblings?!!?? Yeh kab hua? I mean kaise hua!"

"Bachpan mein hua aur jaise hota hai vaise hi hua." Nandini replied confused at his questions.

"No I mean...Abhi tune aaj tak kabhi nahi kaha that you have a sister aur Nandini tum bhi jab aayi you didnt look like you knew Abhi phir yeh sab...."

"Well...its kinda a long story." Abhi replied. Cabir closed the door then sat down infront of them.

"Im free today...aur sab kuch jaane bina main kahi nahi jaa raha hoon so spill." Cabir said. So, having no other way out, Abhi & Nandini told Cabir everything about their family and how Abhi ran away then Nandini told them how she ran away after her dadi's death and met Manik.

"Wait so...tum dono like gangster wale parivaar se ho?" Cabir asked. They nodded slowly worried how he would react. "Dude thats so cool!!"

"Cabir...pls kisi se kuch mat kehna." Nandini begged.

"Nandini, tumhare aur Manik ka rishta chahe jaise bhi juda ho. I really think you should tell at least him...agar tum kisi problem mein phas gaye th?" Abhi said.

"Isi liye nahi bol rahi hoon main." Nandini replied. "Manik aur bakki parivaar ko jitna kam paata hoga utna safe rahega. Cabir you found out by yourself varna main tumhe bhi kuch nahi batati."

"Ok...Main kisi ko kuch nahi bolunga." Cabir promised out loud. 

"Except Manik....sorry Nandini, par agar by chance Chachu ko paata chal gaya that you guys lied about your family toh unke gusse se sirf ek hi insaan bacha sakte hai....thats Manik. So I HAVE to tell him everything." Cabir thought to himself.

********************

"Their WHAT???" Manik's mouth dropped open as Cabir told him everything. 

"Bhai behen-"

"No...not that part. Actually that part makes so much sense, tabhi Abhi itna protective hai Nandini ko leke....but don? Like...criminal family se hai dono? Really?" Manik asked.

"Yeah...Dubai ke bohot bade don family hai. Basically Abhi Nandini ki cousin hai but she has two other brothers too." Cabir said.

"Huh...remind me never to piss her off." Manik said.

"Oh they wont do anything. Ulta woh bakki doo bhai toh Nandini ke jaan ke piche hai. They want to kill her." Cabir replied.

"What?" Manik felt an unexplainable anger hearing that. "Why the hell would they want to kill their sister?"

"Paata nahi yaar. Abhi said they dont like girls toh...thats why the whole family hates Nandini aur jis din tu mila usse. She was on the run from them."

"Matlab Nandini ki jaan khatre mein hai and she didnt say anything to anyone?" 

"Oh yeah vaise maine Nandini ko promise kiya hai ki I wont tell anyone." Cabir added.

"Lekin...you just told me." Manik said.

"Yeah...dekha mera loyalty!" 

Manik rolled his eyes. "Shut up Cabir."

"Look...Nandini ko lagta hai she's protecting everyone by not telling the truth. Par I just thought uske pati hone ke naate tujhe paata hona chahiye."  Cabir said. 

"Does Muku know about this?" Manik asked.

"Well...she does now." Cabir replied. Manik looked at him. "Woh yahan aane se pehle maine Mukti ko phone pe sab bata diya."

Smack!

"Oww!" Cabir runned the back of his head where Manik smacked him. "What was that for? Tujhe toh khush hona chahiye na ke maine bata diya. Tum dono ko yeh paata hone ka haq hai."

"Im not mad at that Cabir. Haan Im glad tune mujhe aur Muku ko bataya yeh sab par....agar batana hi tha toh Nandini ko empty promises nahi karna chahiye na. She'll be upset when she finds out."

"Aye haye...kitna chinta hai tujhe tere biwi ki feelings ki." Cabir winked and teased Manik.

"Shutup Cabir, Im serious. Tune promise kiya ki tu kisi ko nahi bolega aur bol tu sabko raha hai."

"Nooo. not everyone. Sirf tujhe aur Mukti ko." Cabir defended himself. ".....andmadhubala."

"Kya? Aur kise bola? Clearly bol." Manik narrowed his eyes at him. 

Cabir gulped. "Madhubala."

"Seriously? Ab usse kyun bola?" Manik asked.

"Well...tu Nandini ki pati hai right? Mukti Abhi ki biwi...and just like that, Navya meri biwi hai! My better half aur apne better half se kuch bhi chupana gunnah hota hai GUNNAH!"

"She overheard you talking to Muku didnt see?" Manik gave him a look. Cabir nodded with a guilty expression. "Great...just great. Have fun explaining this to Abhi & Nandini. Tu toh gaya."

Cabir looked terrified. "NAHIIIIIII!!!!!!!!"

**************************

Everyone was now sitting in in Manik's room. Abhi & Nandini on one side and infront of them stood Cabir, Navya, Mukti & Manik. Abhi was just sitting on the bed but Nandini was super pissed and was pacing the room.

Finally she stopped infront of Cabir. "Maine tumhe...kisi ko bhi na batana ke liye bola." 

Cabir nodded slowly. Nandini then looked at her watch.

"Uss baat ko hue aadha ghanta bhi nahi hua aur tune SAB ko bata diya?" Nandini asked angrily. Cabir squeaked and moved back one inch.

"Sabko nahi bas....humari spouses ko." Cabir clarified. 

"Kisi ko nahi batana hai ka mtalab KISI KO NAHI BATANA HAI! Our spouses are included in that kisi ko. Cabir maine ek vajah se yeh sab chupaya tha...ek vajah se maine bola not to tell anyone. Tumhe koi idea hi nahi hai humare family kitna khatarnak hai. Maar denge sab ko!" Nandini was now in tears. "Jab tak kisi ko kuch nahi paata tha tab tak I could have easily proven ke tum sab ke saath mera koi rishta nahi hai. I could have kept you safe par-"

"Tumse kisne kaha I would have let that happen?" Manik spoke up. "Rishta toh hai...kaise prove karte ke nahi hai. Tum sab kuch akela handle nahi kar sakti Nandini.....Manta hoon Cabir ko tumse promise nahi karna chahiye tha par humme baata ke usne kuch galat nahi kiya. At least now we are aware. Hum milke sab handle kar sakte hai."

Nandini was still upset and just sat on the bed. 

"Vaise...mujhe kahi na kahi maloom tha ke tu kuch aisa hi kand karega." Abhi said. "Itne saalon se jo tujhe jaanta hoon....par still I hoped you wouldnt. Chutki sahi bol rahi hai....The Singhanias are the worlds most dangerous criminal family. Khule aam logon ka murder karte hai and noone has ever been able to arest them...arrest karte bhi hai toh unke lawyers ke madat se woh log do din mein chut jaate hai. Agar tum sab ko humare past ke vajah se kuch bhi hua...then hum kabhi apne aap ko maaf nahi kar payenge."

"But Abhi...Im your wife." Mukti walked over to him and placed a hand on his cheek. "Acha burra...mujhe sab jaane ka haq hai. If you have to hide who you really are infront of me....toh phir main kaise biwi hui?"

"No...aisi koi baat nahi hai baby." Abhi hugged Mukti. "We just wanted to protect you. Bas isi liye sab chupaya tha."

Nandini just stood up and left. Everyone else looked concerned.

"Nandini bohot naraz hai na?" Cabir asked.

"Its not that tune sabko bataya." Abhi clarified. "Its that tune PROMISE kiya aur uske baad bhi bataya. I know and even Chukti knows ke tera irada galat nahi tha. Par uske liye kisi pe bharosa karna difficult hai. Siblings are supposed to be your first friends...lekin humare so called brothers-  they totured her and mistreated her. Mere, Daima aur Dadi ke eleva kisi aur pe bharosa nahi kar sakti thi woh....and then even I broke my promise. Main bhaag gaya...I never meant to leave her. I was young and stupid...aur nahi saha jaa raha tha mujhse and I thought woh dadi ke saath safe rahegi rather than being on the run with me. Kyunki mere piche koi nahi bhagega, they would forget about me fast par agar Nandini bhagti toh it would be a matter of their respect. Thats why...Nandini is upset you broke your promise."

-----------------------------

Thoughts?

Will Cabir get Nandini to forgive him?

Will the rest of the family find out soon?