I was falling short of breath because I was running...running away far... far away from the darkness but it seemed to follow me every where. I didn't know where was I going but I was running in a dark tunnel like thing. I wanted to escape. I wanted to see light so badly. I had to reach the other end to find light, solace. I was sweating profusely with a constant fear crumbing on my mind. I had to be fast before I was caught and then suddenly a strong palm clasped close on my wrist. I shrieked in fear struggling to free myself but nothing helped.

"Leave me...please leave me...I beg of you..please let me free..please please", I was whimpering in a panic stricken voice.

Manik opened his eyes finally letting out an irritated grunt with the constant noises disturbing his sleep. My squeals had reached his ears though but he had ignored  them thinking that I was trying to garner sympathy. He sat up on the couch still fighting his slumber and looked at me on the bed. I was rubbing my heels on the mattress vigorously and letting out fierce grunts which turned into sobs and pleas, my actions alerted his senses. Manik quickly came to me on the bed and patted me on the cheeks. His mere touch made me yell ferociously with my eyes still closed.

"Nandini...Nandini... What happened?? Nandini.. Are you okay..Nandini..wake up...open your eyes", Manik made his efforts to get me to my senses but I was in a pretty bad state. My whole body was shivering as if I was possessed.

"Shit!!! She is so cold??", Manik murmured to himself and pulled the blanket over and unfastened my hands but that hardly helped , "She is definitely having a bad dream", Manik bit his lip nervously trying to figure out what to do as I was going out of control now.

"Nandini...wake up..wake up..please..are you okay??", Manik patted my cheek again. I was grunting like a bull grabbing the bed sheet tight and squirming my heels on the mattress.

"Leee...ave me..leaveee mee please", I screeched and tried to push him with my eyes still shut. It was almost like I had got fits and was trying to free myself but Manik held me tight.

I didn't realise when my screams turned into whimper and when I had started sobbing. I clawed on his chest trying hard to anchor my losing strength. I was drowning in the depth of darkness when his vague voice was struggling to intrude and reach me.

"Open your eyes Nandini... Its me Manik..see its me please relax...look at me", he jerked me vigorously partly to get me to my senses and partly to get rid of the excruciating pain that I was inflicting on his chest by digging my nails and I was crying now pretty badly.

Manik was getting hyper not being able to reach me. He grasped the jug from the side table and sprinkled some on my face. I gasped as the cold water droplets trickled down my sweaty face. My eyes swayed open and I panted frantically and gaped at Manik and registered it was him. He looked worried and relaxed at the same time and before I could react he pulled me into his chest.

"Are you okay?? haan...shit!! You are so cold", he mumbled burying me in the warmth his embrace. I shivered like a scared puppy. It was so frightening so nerve racking and more so because he wasn't there by my side. Yes it was strange but he was my respite since he had become a habit and it was difficult without him.

"Why did you leave me?? Why didn't you let me touch you?? Kyun gaye they mujhe chod ke...you know I need you to sleep...I kept begging you but you didn't free me, you didn't sleep by my side..you left me...bolo why did you leave me...mujhe kuch ho jata toh ", I sobbed harder clinging to his chest and mumbled incessantly without a filter over my senses and feelings.

My state had shook him too. Manik took a deep breath to compose himself and kissed me on the head. That was definitely a first and reflected just care and concern, "Shhh!!! Shh!!!..it was a dream..a bad dream...you are okay..safe in here..main yahi hun...kahin nahi gaya main...just calm down", he brushed my head to comfort me so affectionately and tenderly that it almost felt that he cared and continued caressing me to relax.

I let out a deep exhale and tried to relax with him still grabbing me tight. His grip said he had got scared too. It was a different side of him a new one and a pleasant one for me. It was definitely a dream because this was so not him and this was so not me too may be it was the night.

"Ouch!!", I winced in pain as he pressed more to his chest. He immediately separated from me to check. His thumb caressed the bruises on my wrist with feather soft touches. I was expecting a sorry but he didn't apologise though his eyes were guilt ridden. He looked into my eyes with a new found gaze. He slowly pulled the blanket around us.

"You should sleep", he lied down spreading his arm and I cuddled into him as much as I could and he wrapped us with the duvet.

****

I battled to open my eyes what if the nightmare was still on. But then i felt a protective shield around me. I felt a strange comfort, it was warm and cozy as I snuggled more. Although I had a clue why I felt like that but I had to assure.

My eyes opened to his massive chest. I had coiled into a ball with my hands stuffed in his tummy and my cheek rested on his chest, it moved every time he dragged a whiff of breath. I raised my head to look at his peacefully sleeping face but he had turned it to the other side. It took me a while to recall what had happened last night. Rationally I should have been mad at him at I was even...a little. He behaved like an animal last night of course I led him and he made sure that I regretted tempting him. But what stopped me to react now was his concern for me in the middle of the night. The way he handled me with tender love and care was definitely a first from him and a first for me too. I had never seen anyone that worried for me. His wrinkled forehead and weary face testified his state too. His eyes said he was apologetic. Although he didn't blurt a sorry but he was.

I looked at his face now he had turned that towards me to escape the sunlight. It was for the first time that I woke up with him. He always made it a point that he left before i woke up. No matter how much I denied I always wanted to experience the feeling of waking up with him, in each others embrace and probably today was that fateful day . I had never seen his early morning sleepy face. I must say it was amusing. It had a serene feel about it something very calm and relaxing. His forehead cringed in irritation, the sun rays were really disturbing him. I silently got off the bed, I was still clothe less so first picked up his shirt lying on the floor and covered myself. I went to the window and drew apart the curtains. He groaned as the sun rays  fell straight on his face. An unknown smile polished my lips as I saw his face take over into a frown. I closed the curtains and let him sleep and walked out.

The living room was a mess. The chairs, the carpets, the crockery everything graced the floor in the most untidy manner. I couldn't believe what I did last night. I actually went ahead and instigated the monster, no wonder he was so rough. It was so embarrassing what I did. I mean who does that...s*x with chocolate sauce ewww!! He was seriously capable of making me lose at any given point of time. I had never thought in my wildest dreams that I would do something like that and thus was also punished severely. I could still feel his finger tips slash on my skin and his mouth tasting the chocolate all over me. He was wild but passionate, ruthless but intense.  I still felt soar, his sordid touches wouldn't let me forget last night but suddenly something struck me.

Freak I had to take my pills. I had skipped them last time too. I picked my bag lying on the floor with the rest of the luggage. But to my dismay I found none. In the hurry I had forgotten to buy them. This was royal mess for sure. I gulped down the tension swirling in my senses. Now even god can't help me from getting pregnant.

"Kya dhund rahi ho?", his sudden voice startled me out of my zoned thoughts and I dropped the bag onto the floor with a thump.

Our last encounter wasn't smooth enough I mean not our usual ones. He was soft and caring and his tone now hinted that he wanted to continue like that. I turned to look into his eyes. He had a few questions in them probably he wanted to ask if I was okay or did l sleep well but his king size ego held him back.

"Ummm nothing...I was just..just", I fumbled for a second and then replied. I was hoping him to enquire more but he didn't seem to be  very affected in fact casually picked the chairs and placed them by the table and arranged the crockery on the table still avoiding his gaze on me and I was pretty unsure how to go about anything. Being civil with each other were so not US.

"Did you sleep well...after...after the nightmare?", he asked in a tone that was more sorry than curious.

"Yeah", I replied in a whisper with a meek nod while adjusting his shirt on me while he stood bare bodied looking like the early morning angel.

"What was it all about??..I had never seen you this scared before", my state last night had compelled him to think that may be it was a little more than just a nightmare.

I nibbed my foot on the floor and bit my lips restlessly. I didn't want to get into that zone again and my wary body language conveyed that to him as well and he quickly changed the topic.

"I am hungry", Manik stated with a deep sigh. He hovered around the refrigerator but didn't bother or should I say dare to open it. He had had enough of chocolates last night.

"I will make something", I proposed biting my cheeks from within. I wanted to treat him as a payback. Manik stretched his eye sockets in astonishment. He wasn't probably expecting me to be this kind with regards to him.

I ignored his teasing looks and got some eggs. Omelets and cheese toast would be perfect for a breakfast brunch. But with me the proposition seemed dicey. I was a self proclaimed pathetic cook. Orphanage provided food that could hardly be called food I mean edible food besides I never had cooking fantasies and after stepping   in my new life I never needed to peep inside the kitchen for the chores.

Manik looked at me inquisitively as I tried to brace myself with the onion and the knife in either of my hands. I tried to figure out the exact position to cut the onion and it didn't take Manik a second to understand that I was a dud in it.

Manik sighed and took the onion and the knife from my hand, "Give it to me...I will chop..you put some oil in a pan for heating"

I wanted to object but it was no point bragging and making a fool out of myself. He chopped the onion and chillies and I brought a vessel from the shelf.

"Poore mohalle ko nahi bula rahe hain khane pe...its just the two of us..get that frying pan...haan wo chota wala in the second shelf", he nodded his head dejectedly at my lack of common sense.

I cursed myself for giving him every opportunity to tease me. I shouldn't have proposed to cook in first place. But now there us no point crying over spilt milk. I silently brought the pan and placed on the oven. I heaved a relieved sigh when I managed to light it in one go. Manik chuckled loudly looking at the silly victorious smile on my face. He was done chopping and extended the plate towards me to mock me more. I eyed at him helplessly.

He let out a groan and dropped his shoulders passively, "I should have known...tumhe ye bhi nahi aata...now move let me show you how is real cheese omelet made", he took the center stage to display his culinary skills.

I jumped and clasped his arm as the veggies spluttered in the hot oil and immediately left him as he looked at me. This side of mine a little petrified a little hesitant a little innocent a little naive was new to him but he liked these in me. He made me stand a little away and began his task. I parked myself on the kitchen counter while he added spices to his dish and slurred the pan to mix the ingredients like a premium chef of a five star hotel.

"Listen less of chillies and no egg yolk in mine...I hate the smell of it...yuck", I made a face at the mention of it and Manik snarled as if I proposed him. He probably wanted to stir me along with the veggies on the pan but then shackled his temper somehow. He was making efforts to behave sincerely but I was free to test his patience.

"I didn't know Synox's chief site engineer can cook as well?", I asked with a slight dash of taunt. It was too long that we were being nice to each other.

"Yup sadly when the boss can't the employee has to...pass me the eggs", he gestured me to the other side.

"I know cooking okay... Its just that I haven't done it from a while but tumne kahan se seekha?", I handed him the bowl that had the broken egg white and asked inquisitively.

He paused for a moment looking at the pan and said, "Mom.. my Mom used to make amazing cheese omelet.. In fact whatever she made was amazing... She was a fab cook"

"Was??", I asked with a lurking tinge of confusion.

He paused for a second, "I mean IS...its just that she is in coma for the last 7 years...I don't know if she will ever be normal", he spoke fighting the upsurging lump in his throat.

"What had happened to her? How did she pass into coma"

"She had suffered a brain stroke...we thought she was recovering but then due to the doctors wrong treatment and medication she slipped into coma...it was such a difficult phase...I so wanted to kill the doctor but I couldn't... We took her to different hospitals...all of dad's money was drained in her treatment but nothing happened... There was a point when the doctors wanted to throw her out of the hospital because I wasn't being able to pay her dues...I left engineering in between and started doing odd jobs to keep her treatment going...years passed but with every passing year the hope to see her better lessened..."

I listened to him intently. I could sense his pain that he was trying to hide. Seeing our loved ones in pain and being unable to do anything about it.. is probably the most paralyzing feeling ever. But I was alien to it. I had hardly ever felt that way. May be I had a slight brush of it when I saw his wounds the other night inflicted by the goons sent by me and I can say it was a tremendously restless feeling. But why on earth was I comparing Manik and his mother with me and him. They had a blood relationship and hell what we had in between us was far from being termed as a relationship.

"She will be okay...someday", I said with meek assurance.

"Yeah that is what keeps me going... Hope..."

"You are lucky at least you can see her..touch her...talk to her with the hope that she is listening but there some people who don't even get to do that", I spoke in a flow and Manik understood which some people was I talking about.

"You have never seen your parents?", he asked with empathy in his tone and I nodded in a no pursing my lips trying hard to stop the tears that had banked in the corner of my eyes.

"I wasn't important enough to them...probably unwanted or may be because I was a girl or may be I was illegitimate", my voice had choked down my throat. I was just moving my lips with words barely coming out. Manik kept quite. He didn't know if he wanted to console me.

I spoke again nibbling with his shirt and an air of indifference, "But I don't regret...I have done good for myself...better than a lot of people would have so yeah I am fine", I said with a loud  sarcastic chuckle dangling my legs. Enough of senti stuff in the morning.

"Ummm cheese omelet is ready for you Ma'm...", he eyed me with a sly smile, "Lay the table and I will get the food", he suggested while emptying the pan in a serving bowl.

I hopped down and laid the plates for us. It felt amazing as if i was doing the chores in my home for my family. Shitt!! Did that thought just cross my mind. Manik and me...a family?? Well technically we would when I will carry his baby. But that was just a dream...a far fetched one.

The breakfast was indeed amazing. We discussed about the projects. A slight reference to Aryaman stiffened his face muscles. I politely diverted the topic not wanting to get into a warzone with him all over again. Manik's phone buzzed suddenly, we were blessed to find some network. It was Mr. Malhotra. Manik's expression said that the first question that the old hag asked if we did IT or not. 

Sometimes I cursed the oldie to rot in hell for making me do this. First he tricked me into the deal and got married. It was only later I got to know that I was supposed to give him an heir as well, according to him it was an implied clause and now that I was already in the mess I couldn't back out. But I had to ensure my claims before I got entangled further. I didn't want to be played along once again. That was partly why I didn't want to get pregnant just now. However Manik was definitely the other half of the reason.

He finished talking but I wasn't done gaping at him. He was indeed a charming face.

"Your husband is one pain in the a**", he snarled roughly. Well his choice of words didn't surprise me though...I knew all his respect for him was on the face. I ignored his comment and filled my tummy with the yummy breakfast.

****

I went for a shower, I really needed it especially because I was still smelling of chocolates all over. The hot water bath was completely rejuvenating and relaxed me a lot in the cold weather. I stepped out of the bathroom and changed into a pretty off shoulder flowery gown and brushed my wet hair. 

"Where is my shirt?", Manik bolted in without a knock.

"Can't you knock before coming in?...what if...if I was changing?"

Manik snorted loudly, "I have already seen a lot more than your clothes can cover...you remember that right...and now tell me where is my shirt?...That's the only one I have for the time being", he looked around the room to locate it.

I rolled my eyes and pointed to the bathroom and he marched in. 

"Manikkk!!!!!", he heard me yell his name striking a falsetto cord followed by a few noises of things dropping on the floor. Manik quickly put on his shirt and hurried out to find me hopping on the bed. One of my hands held my dress in a raring to go mode while the other clasped a pillow aiming at the cupboard in front of the bed.

"What the hell are you doing?", Manik was back in his panic mode to see me like that. Off late my actions and reactions were really driving him crazy.

"Don't move..don't move Manik", I warned him sticking my palm out.

"Kar kya rahi ho tum?", the ridiculous expression on his face intensified. He was about to move.

"Stop...stop...stop...aage mat Jana...there is a rat..RAT..RAT...", I yelled in a petrified tone as if terrorists had grounded us.

"What???", Manik couldn't believe that it was actually a rat for which I was behaving like a Ninja.

I had no qualms in admitting if there was one thing that Nandini M. Malhotra was scared of it was rats. Those messy wriggly creatures beat the shit out of me every time they came in my sight. Manik burst out laughing at my state. I would have taken a moment and admired his childish laughter but right now more important things were calling for my attention. I jumped on the bed as I heard a noise below the cupboard. Manik couldn't believe his eyes that I was actually capable of behaving this girly and how was it possible he wouldn't make the most of it.

"Nandini I have heard somewhere...ye pahadi choohe are really dangerous...they belong to the big fat and ferocious clan", Manik stated with articulate gestures enough to scare the hell out of me. I clasped the pillow with both my hands and looked at him in horror.

"Manik please get it out of here", I didn't mind begging him in this and that jerk was having the fun of his life seeing me like that.

"Shit!!! Its there behind you...no on your dress", he screamed like the high society girls putting up his hands in surrender. I let out a massive scream jerking my dress and threw myself on him to get saved.

"Manik please get it off me", I begged clinging to his neck and stuffing my face onto his chest. I dangled my legs in air pretty much hanging on him locking my hands around his neck.

"Awww...you are scared of rats", he teased more.

"Veryyy", I squirmed as I felt something wriggle on my waist. I shut my eyes and hid my face and he giggled looking at me.

"Do you plan to stay like this the entire day?", he pulled his head a little backwards to be able to see my face.

I slowly lifted my face and looked into his eyes that bore a naughty smile. He had already got me out of the room but I was still clinging to him as if I was glued but quickly left him to stand on my feet.

"I still can't believe... The MD of Synox is scared of rats", Manik burst out laughing. 

"I am not scared okay...I just hate them...because they are dirty, they carry germs and spread diseases", I made a pathetic attempt to sound logical and he laughed more.

"Yeah right!!! Now if you are done enlightening me about rats...can you just get ready... We will head back to Shimla now...it wouldn't be safe to drive through the highway in the evening so we will leave now so that we reach before the dusk falls", Manik informed me and I nodded meekly.