Am so happy to see the response and trust me it feels amazing to be here again 😘🌟 for all those who were eagerly waiting....

Let's begin!!!

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• They say love makes you forget who you are, but sometimes love makes you remember what exactly you are!! •

When she is lying unconsciously there, his heart gave him biggest reality check of his life. He realized how badly his soul ache for her, she is the person who entered in his dark world and enlightened it without leaving a trace of any darkness of his ugliest past. But it's still too soon for him to admit that the feelings, emotions brewing inside him is nothing but true love.

Rihaan: "Manik! You can't lose control on yourself like this."..he tried to comfort him, whereas Manik is standing in front of ICU and looking inside at Nandini lying unconsciously. Rihaan stood beside him and side hugged him while Manik sobbed silently.

Manik: "What will I do if anything may happen......"...he stopped abruptly as he was about to utter the worst nightmare of his life..
Rihaan can easily figure out the level of attachment Manik heart has created with her, Manik doesn't only want Nandini in his life but he need her badly.

Rihaan: "Nothing will happen." ...he consoled him but from inside even he is shaken, what if something worst cross their path and they aren't prepared for this. What happened earlier, Rihaan just can't let that happen again. He has seen Manik broken once and now one stroke and Manik Malhotra will be a history.

Rihaan: "Nandini! Please fight. Not for anyone but for the one whom you love, for your relations. You have to come back safe & sound for Manik, for all of us."..he said in his heart while looking at the glass window of ICU.

• Kyu juda sei tum lagte ho, ho itne Kareeb fir bhi kyu door door se lagte ho.. •

****

Cabir: "Where is Nandini?" ..he asked impatiently to Navya but even she has no clue about her whereabouts.

Navya: "She didn't told me either, I've no clue Cabir."..she answered him nervously with extreme tension and worry comprises in her voice. Cabir looked at her with utmost concern for Nandini, he is very well aware of the fact that Nandini can be anything but irresponsible.

He is constantly trying her number but no use, it's switched off from last 2 hours. Cabir and Navya are not only worried but they are shaking in fear as well, last time when Aahana lost contact from them, the next news they heard was of Aahana's death and this thought itself is enough to break them in zillion pieces..

Navya: "Cabir! I think we should call sherif please." she said to him in her calm tone yet from inside she was shuddering in fear of losing Nandini as well. They can't bear one more loss now, Aahana's death has shaken them to the core already now even a scratch on Nandini will shattered them.

Cabir looked at her worriedly with some unknown fear and what he said next to her is something she herself is scared about.

Cabir : "I can't afford to lose Nandini". He has some lone tears in his eyes and his face depicts the level of vulnerability of his soul, Navya hugged him tightly to cajole him but even she was muffling her hiccups.

• If you plan to leave us in the middle of our life,
Can I request you to - please cut our throat as well with the same knife •

******

Inside ICU:

24 hours passed by and she still didn't regained her conscious state.

Manik is sitting near her bed, looking at her intently, his hand delicately holding hers as if even a small pressure and she'll break. He himself didn't realised that he is behaving like she is his lifeline. But then, there is something very deep and passionate which he is feeling for her. Since the moment she left him, he realised that she has became an integral part of his life which he would never be able to eradicate from his life. And today, when she is right in front of him, lying in bed subconsciously, he is feeling like someone has twisted a knife in his heart and left him hanging between life and death. Every passing moment is like a decade for me, all he want her to get up and be with him like before. He will tolerate all her mood, he will going to make her queen of his world but all he wants her to sit back and call him Mr. M again.

Manik: "I know you'll not be going anywhere, so stop playing this game and wake up Mrs. M. I want you to fight with me, accuse me for all the wrong doings, blame me for misunderstanding you. But please wake up." .. he talked to her in his soft yet so heavy manly tone. He has been in tears since the moment she closed her eyes. He didn't realised that he really pleaded to her, it's so unlike Manik Malhotra.

But isn't love does this to people? Love makes you vulnerable yet so amazing at the same moment. It brings out best in you without you even acknowledging the fact that there is something good left in you.

Suddenly he felt her fingers moving, she stirred in her subconscious state. He looked at her and instantly caressed her head while his other hand still holding hers. There is a sign of peace on his face as if he just got his heartbeat back.

Manik: "Nandini!!" .. he muttered her name with utmost love and passion, which he himself didn't realised.

She opened her eyes softly in pain and finding difficulty to open her eyes at once. The moment her eyes faced light, she found him kneeling in front of her face with worry written all over his face but a peaceful smile of seeing her once again.

Nandini: "Mann..." .. she tried calling him in her painful and weak voice but he instantly shushed her by keeping his finger on her dried chapped lips.

Manik: "Nothing! Be quiet. I'll just call doctor"..he talks so softly with her that she herself was not able to comprehend what's going on around her. She's still staring at him like she has seen him for the first time.

Manik: "I'll just be back".. with that he kissed her forehead and gave a smile before walking out of the ICU.

Nandini: "He can't be him" .. she thought to herself and a tear rolled down from her eyes without she even acknowledging it.

She closed her eyes and drifted to a memory lane when she for the first time saw Manik Malhotra, the day she met him, their phone conversation, his messages to her, their nameless relationship when she told her name as khawab to him. A smile crept on her lips, while she was reminiscing all those beautiful moments she spent with him. But soon that smile faded away as a dark painful memory engulfed in her heart.

"I don't wanna die Nandini. Save me."

"He'll kill me."

"I love you all Nandini"

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh" ...

A final loud scream woken her up with a jolt and her whole body is trembling in fear and pain. She looked at her surrounding, she is being surrounded by a team of doctors and Manik sitting beside her, holding her hand all this while. She looked at him and all she recalled was a painful cold murder of her beloved sister.

Nandini: "Every-time I look at you Manik, all I could recall is You Killed My Sister" ... she said in her heart while looking at him intently.

Doctor: "Mr. Malhotra, we need to keep her under observation for some more time. But there is nothing to worry, she is all fine".. he gave him some peace by sharing this news and this brought a smile on his face.

After some hours..

"You need to take rest Mrs. M please" ..he told her softly while she was trying to move out of the bed with her injured leg, but she stopped right away as she heard his soft yet so intense tone filled with galore of concern for her.

There is something changed in him, something she never felt before, he is no longer domineering, he is no longer passing orders to her but surprisingly all he is caring about her. Her heart wants to believe on this side of his but her mind is passing contradictory statements.

"Mr. M stop behaving like you care because certainly you don't" ..maintaining her poisonous attitude she commented with a glare but to her surprise he didn't said a word to her but what he did next was something she never expected.

He took her up in his arms, holding her securely in his manly grip, and looked at her with only love in his eyes which scared her because this is not something she can take normally.

"You will end up hurting yourself and I can't afford to see you in that state all over again. So, if you like it or not I'll be taking you with me like this only wherever you would like to go." ..he told her in a matter-of-fact tone but she was lost in his eyes filled with galore of emotions today.

"He can't be him" ..she thought to herself while he started walking looking ahead and she is completely lost in his persona ..

Perhaps!! Falling for him all over again ..

.......

1 month passed by of their wedding ...

This one month with him was nothing but a roller coaster ride for her, she came to him with an agenda, with a hidden motive but as time passed by she started falling for him all over again every day, every moment. She do realised whatever she is feeling for him is not correct but then at the same time her heart is signalling to her everything is right. For a very brief moment, she found herself questioning whether whatever she heard on phone call the other day when Aahana died, was that all true? Or she misunderstood the whole scene?, or she forget to read between the lines?.

The moment these questions ran across her head, she felt chills down her spine. She knows thinking about this is a sin but what is in front of her today she just can't deny that as well. Manik being so protective and caring towards her can't be her illusion, she has seen his eyes which earlier used to be vivid of any feelings.

Life is playing with you. What will happen next, you've no clue..

........

Keep loving .. keep spreading happiness..

With love,
Your storyteller ❤️