"NANDINI!" Nandini turned around as she heard Manik yell from downstairs. He sounded afraid. Scared and worried for him, Nandini quickly ran down and then froze when she saw....her brothers and her Dad's men holding all the Malhotra Family members hostage. Manik was on his knees as Karan, Nandini's eldest brother held him by his hair and had a gun against his head.

"Tum log....how...ho..how di..did you...Kaise...."

"Oho....humari choti behen toh humme dekh ke itni khush ho gayi ki muh mein shabd hi nahi hai." Maddy taunted.

"Aah..." Aarti flinched in pain as one of the goons held her arms tightly behind her back.

"Dadi..." Nandini moved towards her in concern but Maddy grabbed her by her neck and pulled her back.

"uh uh....sochna bhi mat." 

"YOU MONSTER!" Nandini glared angrily at her so called brother. "Unki umar toh dekho! She didnt do anything...yahan kisi ne kuch nahi kiya hai! Tumhara problem mujhse hai na toh DEAL WITH ME! THEY ARENT INVOLVED!"

"Oh how sweet!" Karan laughed evilly. "Tum kitna pyar karti ho apni iss naye parivaar se....its too bad though. They ARE involved....tumne khud inko involve kiya hai. Now...they have to die."

"KARAN!" Abhi yelled out. He had two men holding him. "Tujhe main chodunga nahi! Leave our family NOW!"

"Oh yeah! And how can I forget our long lost brother...Isne bhi toh humare khandan ke naam pe daag lagaya tha by running away." Karan smirked. "Also...I never really liked you. Tu humesha Chutki Chutki karta phirta tha...paat nahi tujhe iss B*TCH se itna pyar kyun hai."

"SHUT UP!" Abhi yelled out. "How are you? Khabardar jo meri behen ke baare mein kuch kaha toh!"

"How about YOU shut up....forever." Maddy sneared. He took out a gun and and pointed it at Abhi before looking at Nandini. "Ab tere ankhon ke samne hum sabko maar dalenge Nandini....and you cant do a thing!"

"Nahi...Nahi...you cant! Pls Maddy dont do this PLEASE! Inhone kuch nahi kiya....pls chod do!"

"Say your goodbyes dear sister...." Karan said. 

"Manik..." Nandini looked at Manik who was helpless in tears. 

Manik also looked back at her. "...Nandini..."

Everyone started crying and then the next moment there was a gunshot. Abhi fell to the ground....dead. One by one...all the family members were shot in the head.....and finally, Manik too.

"NAHIIIIIIIII!" Nandini screamed out loud, closing her eyes.

"Nandini!" Nandini!" She was being shook. "Nandini ankhen kholo! Kya hua?"

Nandini opened her eyes and found herself in their bedroom. Manik sat beside her....he was sleeping on the couch when he hears her screaming in her sleep and came over to comfort her.

"Ma...M...Manik?" Nandini asked...as if check to see he was real.

"Haan...main hoon? Aur kaun hoga humare kamre mein?" Manik was confused. Nandini wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his chest sobbing.

"Ma..Manik...maar diya...sab...ko...ma...maar..." She cried. Manik held her close and rubbed her back.

"Hey hey...shant ho jao...Kuch nahi hua hai...it was just a dream....a nightmare."

"A...N..N..Night...mare?" Nandini mumbled.

"Haan...aur vaise..." Manik moved away and cupped her face. "Tum kabse itni darne lagi huh? Tum toh itne brave ho...gun chal sakti ho, fight kar sakti ho. Aisa kya dekh liya tumne?"

"Woh...Karan....aur Maddy...yahan aaye they and....and sabko...sabko maar diya." Nandini cried. "Mere samne....pehle bhai ko...and the Mukti, Dadi....ek ek karke sabko...even you! Main kuch nahi kar pai!"

"Oye...superwoman, sabko bachana tumhare akele ka farz hai bhi nahi got it?" Manik gently told her. "And...it was just a nightmare...burra sapna tha bas. Sab safe hai....everyone is ok."

"Kisiko kuch nahi hoga na Manik?" Nandini asked cutely.

"Nahi hoga."

"Aur tumhe?" 

There was a moment of silence as Manik smiled seeing Nandini's concern. "Mujhe bhi kuch nahi hoga."

"Chalo..ab soh jao. Its midnight." Manik slowly made her lay down and cover her with the blankets before turning to go back to his couch. Thats when he felt a slight tug on his shirt. Manik turned back and saw Nandini clutching the hem of his shirt.

"Yahi pe raho pls....mere paas." Nandini asked.

"Are you sure?" Manik asked. Nandini nodded. He then got into the bed beside her and lay down as Nandini hugged him tightly.

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

The Next Morning....

Nandini woke up before Manik and quietly got out. She got ready and then went downstairs to the kitchen where she found Mukti.

"Good Morning Mukti."

"Morning Nandini....vaise kal tumne Chachu ke saath kya kiya tha? He is in a baadd mood today." Mukti chuckled.

"Just....a little payback." Nandini winked. She started making coffee for everyone.

"Nandini.....are you ok?"

"Haan...mujhe kya hoga?"

"Actually....my room is right next to yours aur Abhi bhi shehar se bahar gaya hai kaam ke liye...so I couldnt really sleep last night. Maine tumhe cheekte hue sunna...I would have come but I figured ki Manik sambhal lega."

"Woh...I had a bad dream." Nandini replied.

"Do you wanna talk about it?"

"Its just....the Singhanias....woh log kuch bhi kar sakte hai. Mujhe darr lag raha hai tum sab ke liye...I never should have come here. Ab meri vajah se yeh parivaar danger mein hai..." 

"Aisa kyun soch rahi ho tum?" Mukti placed her hands on her shoulders. "Agar tum nahi aati toh....Abhi se bhi nahi mil paati na? You know...tumse milne ke baad Abhi itna khush hai, jitna maine aaj tak usse nahi dekha. He really loves you so much."

"I know...I love Bhai too...tabhi aur chinta ho rahi hai. He managed to escape them....and they didnt care par ab meri vajah se they will find Bhai too. Mujhe darr lag raha hai ki woh log kya karenge....I just cant shake the bad thoughts from my head."

"You know what....tumhe kisi aur cheez pe focus karna chahiye. Aaj tumhara college ka pehle din hai na?" Mukti asked.

"Haan....it is."

"Great..so put all your attention towards that! And have..LOTS of fun...meri pyari si Nabhi."

"Nabhi? Woh kya hai?" Nandini asked.

"Nanand/Bhabhi! Nabhi!" Mukti explained. "I mean...tum toh dono ho na...so thats why."

Nandini raised one eyebrow. "Let me guess...Cabir ne yeh naam diya hai? Right?"

"Its terrible isnt it?" Mukti dropped her smile. Nandini started laughing and nodded.

"A little bit..yeah."

"Maine bola tha uss gadhe ko...but he didnt listen!"

"Matlab?"

Mukti sighed and then unzipped her sweater....inside she was wearing shirt that had Nandini & Mukti's faces and in between it said Nabhi. "My dear Jiju....has made some Nabhi Merch."

"What!" Nandini stifled her laughed by placing her palm over her mouth. "Par...kisi ne dekh liya toh? They dont know ki Abhi aur main...bhai behen hai."

"Well...its not made for everyone to see. Tabhi maine sweater peheni hai....its more like one of Cabir's pranks."

"Ok well...have fun." Nandini laugh.

"Itna khush hone ki zaroorat nahi hai....here." Mukti handed Nandini a bag which was on the ground beside her. 

"Yeh kya hai?"

"College ki pehli din ke liye outfit...Cabir ne bheja hai."

"Oh thats so sw- wait...Cabir ne?" Nandini looked at Mukti as she realized what that meant. "No...he didnt....did he?"

Mukti just shrugged. Nandini opened the bag and sure enough there was another Nabhi shirt.

"Nope...no way, main yeh College mein nahi pehne wali hoon. Uska dimaag kharab hai kya?" 

"Oh yeah...pura ka pura kharab hai." Mukti nodded. "Lekin...tumhe phir bhi yeh pehena hoga."

"Kahan na No Way! Maina abhi jaa ke Cabir se baat karti hoon."

"Good luck with that." Mukti smirked. Nandini chose to ignore her and marched upstairs. A few minutes later, she returned only this time she was wearing the shirt and a sweater over it to cover. Mukti started laughing. "He started his whole emotional drama didnt he?"

"I....am going to KILL him for making me wear this to college." Nandini growled.

=======================================

Sneak Peak

"HaHaha" Some college guys were laughing at Nandini. They were standing in the cafeteria and she had food all over her head. Instead of feeling and, Nandini got angry. She picked up another plate of food and smashed it in the first guys face.

"WHAT THE HELL!" The guy yelled out. "YOU B*TCH!"

He swung his arm at Nandini but she caught it and twisted it behind his back.

"AAH!" The guy yelled in pain.

"B*tchiness abhi dekhi kaha hai meri? And trust me...tumhare bhalai ke liye keh rahi hoon...you dont want to see it. So dont mess with me....got it?"

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Thoughts on this chapter?

Thoughts on Cabir's new shirt?