A/N : Hello Readers, this chapter basically sets the tone of the story going! It has a little bit of mature content (i.t.o. nudity), so please read at your own discretion. Otherwise, I hope to receive better response from you all from this chapter onwards!

Happy Reading :)

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Precap:

"Appreciation accepted, and no I am not reading too much into what had happened, you were low, I was lit and it happened – no further pages to turn." she smiled and looked at his confused expression, she clarified further, "Listen Manik, I get it you're not that person, and you don't want anything serious to spiral out of this – but you got to get this, that I am not looking for anything serious either – it was physical attraction and for that one night, it was compassion. Now can we never kind of talk about it – it's getting a bit awkward" she finished with a sheepish smile.

Manik breathed out relaxing, so that was that, no more discussion. He smiled in relief, Nandini Murthy, she was something.

***

"So, what now? Are we still on/off?" Manik asked with a smirk.

"Depends, what do you want?" she asked back, sharing a sharp smile.

"I think we have seen intense, but we are yet to see fun, fun deserves a chance. I say, on" he replied.

"I agree, it's on for me too, but we've got to have ground rules.

1. I don't like explanations, so we will not ask for one!" spoke Nandini.

"Totally agreed, I have one too!

2. Let's not label this – we don't need to be something, like a friend, bae, special someone, fubu etc. Just us as we are, as we like it, as long as we are into it" added Manik.

"Oh yes, and also this:

3. We don't need to tell each other everything, we should have space that way, don't like TMI anyway, don't care about it" Nandini added further.

"Hey hang on, what about other escapades, do we stick to each other or exclusively, monogamously, or it's open; as in what about relationships/ partners etc.? Do we inform each other about them?" pointed out Manik, as Alia's face suddenly flashed in his head.

Nandini thought about this for a while, not that she was ever going to be in a relationship with someone, well not unless it was ..never mind, that was not happening anyway so this rule had nothing to do with her.

"Well let's keep it grey. We will inform, if we want to, or feel like or want to end this to be monogamous to the other person; no rules here, what say?" she asked enthusiastically.

"Sounds okay by me!" smiled Manik.

"Cheers to that!" said Nandini with a smile as she got up to get some drink but with the fever running mild, she couldn't adjust to the quick movement and her head spun for a second making her lose balance, just as she was about to hit the floor, Manik spun up and grabbed her by the shoulder.

"Ouch" she yelped in pain as a confused Manik made her sit on the couch and quickly moved his hand away.

"What ?" he asked, surprised looking at her shoulder.

"Nothing, nothing, I told you nah, earlier I hit the table" she replied.

"But I didn't touch your knee Nandini, what's wrong with your shoulder?" he asked, confused, but as he asked her, his mind suddenly flashed back to the night when he remembered how iron clad his grip was on her, even in that state of mind he had realised he was hurting her; could it be? he wondered.

"Nandini, is it because of me?" he asked her quietly, and one look at her embarrassed face affirmed his belief.

"Show me" he demanded quietly, and Nandini knew no amount of pushing back would help, his tone had a finality in it. She quietly pulled the neckline of her top to the side to allow her shoulder to peep from it. Manik gasped in shock at what met his eyes. Nandini's shoulder joint had turned into a shade of ugly blue-black, his finger marks weren't visible but he knew it was his doing, he shut his eyes in remorse and for a second went numb in disbelief, whatever he was allowed to do that night, this wasn't supposed to happen, hurting her wasn't a part of the deal, it never was, it never will, not with Nandini, not with any other woman.

"I'm so sorry Nandini, I had no idea, I had inflicted this on you, I truly am sorry" he barely whispered in her ears, eyes still shut, clutching her arms gently. He slowly started to remember that night, so far he had only held onto the feeling of liberation he had gotten from it, now he tried to focus on his actions – the more he remembered, the more he felt hollow inside.

"Show me the other shoulder" he whispered close to her ears.

"Manik, you don't have to apologise, it is okay. I know you didn't do it on purpose, it was the moment, it came out that way. I let you, it was my call" Nandini tried to respond as calmly as she could, although that was getting really difficult suddenly because of the proximity between Manik and her right then. He was hunched towards her, much like the way that night, holding her arms gently, barely touching her with the tip of his finger, his face extremely close to her ear as he was speaking softly, quietly, intimately. As much as Nandini wanted to move away, she was incapacitated, she was being pulled back into the whirlwind of Manik Malhotra and she wasn't able to resist.

"Just show me where I hurt you Nandini. Please" he spoke softly this time, but his firmness was evident in his voice now. Nandini slowly turned around and motioned for Manik to unhook her top and then unzip it from behind, which he obliged most gently as she slowly slid the top off her; she heard him let out a small gasp; though Nandini couldn't see it, she could imagine the wounds on her back would be raw and fresh, had she worn less clothes and that didn't rub on these wounds, it would have started drying, but all the covers kept rubbing against them, keeping them raw and burning.

Manik just stared at the gashing red nail marks on her back, for each time he was pulling her close to him that night, the deep bite marks around her waist, where he dug his teeth in, in his own frustration and choler, he breathed out heavily as he gently touched her at the waist and turned her around to face him.

"Nandini.." he began but he stopped abruptly at the sight that greeted him when she turned to face him. Both her shoulders were blue black, although this other shoulder was not as bad as the first one, but that was not it, there were angry bite marks splashed across her body, the skin around her neck, collarbones, her cleavage, even her stomach and waist.

"God, Nandini I am so, so sorry" he whispered as he held her waist and pulled her towards him, he bent down and touched her forehead with his, his eyes were shut, he was so disappointed with himself that evening. Manik never knew he was capable of this, of being this guy. For a moment he felt mad at Nandini even for letting him do this to her; how could she, why would she? Especially when she is not even emotionally invested in him?

"Nandini, why did you let me do this to you?" he asked quietly, still touching his forehead with her. Nandini was revelling at the near touch that he was inflicting on her, she was not used to being cared for, to be fair, people may have wanted to but she had never let them, but today the force of Manik's intimacy was so deep that she couldn't refuse, and after a long time it felt okay to let someone care for her; did she trust him? she wondered.

"Manik, it was necessary. Whatever you were carrying inside you, it would do way more damage inside you than out; these are just flesh wounds Manik, don't worry about them, they heal real quick." she whispered back.

"How do you know so much about such wounds?" he coaxed her gently, now cupping her face with his hands, foreheads still touching, eyes still shut.

"I thought we had decided we won't ask for explanations, right? Those are the rules, remember?" she replied back with a soft smile as she slowly pulled back from him, pulling him out of his reverie. Nandini was truly drawn to Manik, but some wounds run so deep that no matter who asks, it breaks through all barriers and chains you back into the deep dark abyss of your soul. There were some answers she'd never be ready to provide, answering about her wounds was one of them.

Manik came out of the trance as she pulled back, but he didn't step back, he was a man of respect and ravaging someone's body just because they allowed you wasn't going down well with him.

"Fine, don't explain then; but I have caused this, and I will heal this too; there is no rule to stop me from doing that Nandini" he replied looking calmly at her face. Nandini could barely nod.

One small nod of approval and Manik swiftly picked her up in his arms and moved to her bedroom, he gently laid her down on her bed and carefully slid down next to her, he turned towards her balancing his head on the palm of his folded hand, as it rested on the pillow. He looked at her gently; she was looking back at him curiously. He let his eyes roam over her wounds for a few seconds as she quietly lay watching his eyes move; then ever so slowly, ever so softly he bent down and gently blew air near the bite mark on the nape of her neck. A slight shiver ran down her spine as the cool air touched her skin; he noticed that subtle movement and bent closer to leave a trail of soft kisses on the mark making sure his lips barely touched her skin and his stubs didn't. His touch was ticklish and Nandini smiled in reverence.

"Manik.."

"Hmm?"

"What are you doing?" she whispered.

"I'm healing you Nandini, just like you healed me." he responded before he continued to blow air and kiss on each and every wound he inflicted on her. The touch of his lips on her navel, her waist, her breasts were so light that every time he moved away, it made Nandini long for a little more. His breath was lingering all over her hot skin and ever so gently he covered each mark of his rage on her with a little bit of affection. He slowly moved down on her and when he was trailing kisses around the pelvic area, below her navel, he heard a moan escape her; he smiled, if she wanted him today he would offer himself to her, just like she had done the other night.

[Matured content ahead; kindly skip this part of the chapter, if you are uncomfortable]

Manik gently tugged at the button of her shorts with his mouth, she breathed in heavy anticipation; Manik gently unbuttoned her and shifted his focus to toying with the zip that was the only bit holding her shorts on her. Nandini purred in his intimate touch on the insides of her thighs; his kisses, his tongue were all playing havoc with her senses, she wanted him again, as badly as that night, but..

"Manik.."

"Hmm?"

"We can't, not today.." Manik was surprised; her whole body was telling otherwise, why was she holding back?

"You don't want to, are you sure?" he asked her huskily, still softly kissing the skin on the inside edge of her thigh.

"I..I want to..but.." she was grappling for a way to say this.

"But..?"

"Manik, I can't stretch as much, not today, it hurts.." she completed, looking low and disappointed. His face froze when he heard her and a fresh bout of guilt engulfed him. He slowly raised his body to be face to face with her again, then he softly kissed her on her lips, there was assurance there, something Nandini hadn't felt in a long time from anyone.

"Don't worry Nandini, you won't have to stretch. I just want you to feel good" he whispered in a soft and caring tone; Nandini relaxed, she indeed trusted him.

Manik looked at Nandini, she looked calm.Good, he wanted her to relax, to soothe...of all the people who deserved pain, Nandini wasn't one of them. He slowly kept kissing her lips, just reassuring her, never demanding, never fighting; he then slowly removed her bra and caressed her breast, he kissed them, he sucked them but he never bit them; he could feel Nandini was turned on again, her breath was uneven and she was trembling slightly; Manik gently took his hand down to her waist and carefully massaged her pelvic bones with the tip of his fingers, Nandini purred in comfort.

"Does this help ease the pain?" he asked gently.

"Hmm"

Manik smiled, her healing was his priority today and he was ready to do whatever it took. While he snuggled with her in the bed and gently massaged her waist, hip joint, inner thighs she seemed to feel better, and after sometime she could stretch just a little bit, it wasn't enough to place him between her legs, but enough to satisfy her, he thought. Slowly he went down on her and removed her shorts along with her inner wear.

"Manik.." she moaned again, sounding unsure.

"Trust me" he said gently as he slowly took his face down to her intimate core and slowly touched her walls with his tongue; he was going to heal her today the most gently possible. As Nandini's head rolled back in pleasure and satisfaction, she wasn't hurting and as strange as it may sound, Nandini felt that evening Manik had been successful in healing a part of her. Not physically maybe, but by taking away a small part of her inner darkness.

***

A/N : Any thoughts on the rules they set?

What are your thoughts on the kind of intimacy between MaNan, do you think they are trudging dangerous waters?

What are your overall thoughts?

Do let me know, and I will be back next Sunday i.e. 1st May, with the next chapter!

So long,

A.