She got ready in a plain floral saree with mangalsutra and vermilion adorning her face. She thought to give Shikha maa a call only to get the same answer she was getting from past one day 'not reachable' now she was getting worried for her maa. She decided to discuss this with Nishant on the breakfast table. She was sure that he will help her and maybe visit Kerala to bring her back.

With this thought revolving around her mind he started descending the stairs but what she saw made her rooted in place, she was shocked to the core. She felt the rage building up in her body and only one word came out of her mouth

"NISHANT"

Nandini was terrified not just with the fact that her newly wedded husband was making out with his so-called best friend in the living room but also her Shikha Maa, the lady whom she loves more than anything in this world was lying unconscious on the damn floor with both hands and legs tied.

Nandini was in denial, she could not believe what is happening in front of her, she was just blinking her eyes praying that this wouldn't be true, but alas! The reality was in front of her.

She quickly descended downstairs but on the last stair, she lost her balance and almost tripped but balanced herself with the help of staircase railing.

She marched towards her Shikha maa and took her head on her lap. She patted her cheeks in the hope that her maa might wake up.

"Shikha maa! Mumma please wake up, see it's me your nandu, your pari, please wake up maa!" she requested choking her own words at last.

"Somebody please bring water!"

Listening to her terrified voice one of the butlers brought water but stopped midway for seeking permission from his boss who just sitting on the couch with his 'best friend' by his side enjoying the show going on. He waved his hand to the butler, indicating to give the water to Nandini.

"Thank you!" Nandini said gratefully to the butler, who in return just nodded his head.

Nandini sprinkled some water on Shikha's face but nothing worked, each passing moment she was getting tensed. She was about to ask something to the butlers standing there but she heard someone's mocking voice the was making her heart prick.

"Tch, tch, tch, What happened wifey?" Nishant said stressing o the last word with venom dripping from his voice.

"Nothing working, Oh! Poor you now what are you gonna do Nandini baby, how are you gonna save your momma bear!" Nishant continued is babyish tone.

"Nishant" nothing came from Nandini's mouth other than Nishant's name that too just a mere whisper, whisper of betrayal and shock. Nandini was perplexed she was unable to comprehend the things happening in her surroundings.

She just saw her mother figure aunt lying on the floor, she doesn't even know if ever her Shikha maa will open her eyes.

On the other hand, it was her so-called husband who was cheating on her with his best friend. After slowly digesting the whole truth into her nervous system only one word came from her mouth.

"Why?" which was not only directed towards the two people standing there (Nishant and Neha) but towards destiny too.

But now her priority was waking up her maa. She shifted her maa on the couch with the help of butlers and kissed her forehead lovingly.

"Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to you.

"I love you maa," but it seemed Nandini was assuring herself!

She stood up and went towards Nishant and Neha who was now stating at the center of the living room smirking at Nandini's helplessness.

"Why Nishant?" Nandini spoke and she was surprised with herself, with so much happening since morning it was difficult for her to even speak rather than speaking in a firm tone, by either way she did.

Nishant was still smirking without an ounce of guilt in his eyes, rather he was enjoying and his eyes showed some kind of satisfaction.

"Simple baby, to destroy you!" he said in a matter of fact tone.

Nandini was bewildered, "Me? What did I even do to you?"

Nishant just chuckled "Eager now are we?"

"Is this some kind of sick joke, Nishant why the hell are you smirking and enjoying this situation, you cheated on me without an ounce of guilt and here my maa was lying on the floor with her hands and legs tied, what the hell is going on?" she yelled

"shhh! Quite.... quite Nandini, make your lower your voice." he said playing with her hairs, but then suddenly pulled her hair out in a painful manner

"Otherwise the lady, lying there on my couch will have to bear consequences of your disobedience." He said coming deathly close to Nandini, while Nandini made a horrified face, thinking of her maa.

"And coming to what I did *pause* I didn't even started anything yet nandini" he continued smirking

"There is a long way to go Nandini baby" Nandini felt disgusted when he called her baby.

"What do you mean by you didn't even started?"

"Neha she is so impatient yaar! She is spoiling my whole mood to have fun."

"Tell her the truth Nishant, it will be more fun watching her face after knowing the truth."

"As you as honey, as you say!"

"So Ms. Murthy ready to hear the truth"

Nandini was so much in that daze she just nodded her head without noticing that Nishant referred her as Miss. Murthy not as Mrs. Khattar.

"Nandini"

They heard a faint murmur "Nandini, please don't do anything to her." Nandini turned her face towards her maa, only to see her gaining the conscious and murmuring something.

Nandini in a swift moment was kneeling in front of her maa.

"Maa, wakeup! See your Nandini is here, I'm here in front of you safe and sound." Nandini said cupping her maa's right cheek.

"Na...n..nan..di..ni, mera bacha!"

"Haan... Haan mumma your baccha, please open your eyes mumma please, you are worrying your me!"

Shikha slowly opened her eyes; she saw a blurry figure kneeling in front of her, she blinked her eyes several times when she saw a clear figure on Nandini in a devastated state, broke her heart more.

"Mumma app thik hona, mei bohot dar gyi thi, mujhe laga ki mene apko bhi kho diya" Nandini said crying hysterically

"Shh!! Bas mera baccha, mera strong baccha haina" to which Nandini nodded her head.

"Mumma is alright Shona, mumma ko kuch nahi hua. Dekho, mumma apke samne hai na, bash mera baccha rona band kar! You are hurting mumma with your tears."

"I'm sorry mumma, ab no more tears I promise," Nandini said while wiping her tears.

."Oh! God get over with your drama already" Nishant said while clicking his tongue in irritation. This caught both the mother's daughter's attention.

"Nishant!" Shikha said

"Hello aunty, hope you are feeling good!" Nishant asked while giving a sadist smile. Because after some time you won't be!"

"You did this everything didn't you? You kidnapped me while I was in Kerala day before yesterday" Shikha questioned in rage.

"Ki..kidnaped?" Nandini was stunned, though she had an idea about kidnapping when she saw Shikha's condition but when now when the truth is in front of her she was appalled.

"Oh yes, honey! Kidnapped," Nishant said to Nandini "and yes Mrs. Murthy I was the one who kidnapped you."

"What the hell is wrong with you Nishant?" Nandini shouted, Nishant narrowed his eyes and marched towards her. He held her jaw tightly, while Nandini was wincing in pain,

"Nishant leave her" Shikha's voice rang in the silent room but had no effect on him, Shikha tried to get up but stumbled soon due to weakness.

"What I said about shouting honey! Hmm?" he raised his eyebrow in a questioning manner.

"DO.NOT.SHOUT. and I won't repeat this again or else she (pointing towards Shikha) has to bear the consequences. Understand?" Nandini nodded her head "good for you" Nishant roughly left her jaw causing her to stumble two steps back.

"Why did you kidnapped maa?" Nandini asked in frim tone, although from inside she was shattering but she was not gonna show that on the face. As it's always said never show your vulnerable side to anyone because people always tend to take advantage of it. So she maintained her facade of 'I'm strong' and questions Nishant while maintaining eye contact.

Nishant seemed to amuse, "you really are something Murthy..." he then looked towards Neha and said "wo kehte hai na rassi jal gyi par bal nahi gya" (even though one has suffered a lot, still attitude is unchanged)

To which Neha nodded and said, "koi nahi jab pura sach samne ayega to dekhte hai bal kese rehta hai!"

"So Nandini, you wanted to know the truth right, so here it is I kidnapped your mom because she came to know the truth, my real face and she was coming here, to stop our marriage... oops!! Silly me! I mean our fake marriage."

"Fake marriage" Nandini whispered.

"Mrs. Murthy would you like to elaborate please; I'm actually very tired right now." He said yawning "and I didn't give you any choice Mrs. Murthy so you better start speaking."

"You remember when I told you week back that I'm going to Kerala for some orphanage work." Nandini nodded her head

"Well it was not orphanage work, I actually went to meet Nishant's previous pawn, I never really liked Nishant for you! There was always something creepy about him which gave me bad vibes! But I was having no proofs with me, it's not that you wouldn't have believed me without proofs, its just that I wanted to be 100 percent sure on my doubts for him.

I started collecting proofs against him, I used to observe him when he was around when he used to come to the home, and he was behaving all goody two shoes, but I always doubted his behavior, as you know that something too good is very harmful than from something bad.

Slowly slowly my doubts were confirmed when I heard him talking to someone on the phone that 'everything is going as per planned and Nandini has no doubt on me' hearing this I was adamant to bring his truth out.

So I contacted my husband's, means your uncle's friend who used work for an intelligence agency, I contacted him and asked him to help me which he gladly did, we got his call history, and frequent calls were made to a particular number after further investigation we got to know it was Neha. We spied on him and Neha.

He used to visit her daily which got me suspicious as to why he would daily visit his best friend when we searched more about Neha's background we got to know that he is already married to Neha. They are married since three years.

Next day I thought to tell you all this but I got a call from Dhiraj (Shikha's husband's friend) saying he has got something more about Nishant, I thought I will visit him first then come to you, I went to him and he said that he had got information that Nishant runs some sex racket and also human trafficking (Nandini gasped) and also that they saw some women crying and begging in front of Nishnat's house who was Nishant's previous pawn and he used her to satisfy his clients. I wanted to bring that lady here as proof to you and also to the court so that he can rot in jail for the rest of his life." Shikha said glaring at Nishat and Neha simultaneously.

"When I..."

"Stop... Stop Mrs.Murthy, now I will continue, you know I'm getting bored right now, and you have zero story telling skill, bikul maza nahi aya, now you watch how to tell a story."

"Your Maa thinks she is smart Nandini but she didn't know I'm smarter. I always believe to be two steps ahead of my enemy" He snickered

"I knew she was spying on me and my wife," he said pointing towards Neha

"You thought you were winning over me Mrs. Murthy but you were wrong because I was the one who was letting you win over me. I made a full proof plan to entrap your daughter. The girl which your boys saw was a fake actress to trap you I wanted you to come to Kerala far away from Mumbai because if not, you would have ruined my plan of marrying Nandini by telling her the truth, I could have asked my boys to kill you but Naah.... I wanted you to see your daughter's destruction and moreover yon can be a great help to me, Mrs. Murthy"

Shikha scoffed "over my dead body, I will never help you anything"

"Oh! You will surely see Mrs. Murthy" he said with a sly smile on his face.

"Now coming back to the story, in greed for more proofs Mrs. Murthy reached that girl who she saw in front of my house, she made her dukh bahri dastan (sad story) of how I trapped her but unfortunately for Mrs. Murthy and fortunately for me my boys kidnapped her while she was talking to Sheena (girl working for Nishant) and kept her there till I told them to bring her here. And then rest is history."

"So people how was my story?" he asked winking at Nandini

"See Mrs.Murthy this is how you narrate a story."

Nandini was enraged, how could a person be so cruel she went towards him and

THUD THUD

Slapped him twice.

Nandini grabbed his collar "How dare you? How dare you kidnap my Maa, how dare you cheat on me? I loved you with everything in me and you.... you fucking played bloody games with me.

Nishant was fuming in anger, he removed Nandini's hand from the lapel of his coat and slapped Nandini with the back of his hand so hard that her neck might have got twisted due to the slap.

"Nandini" Shikha's voice echoed in the room, Nishant signalled his men to hold Shikha from coming near Nandini. Shikha was wriggling under their hold and begging Nishant to leave Nandini

Nishant caught Nandini's jaw tightly "Again what I said about shouting Nandini, hmm?" he asked raising his eyebrow "Answer me" Nishant yelled

Nandini had cut on her lip and blood was oozing from the side of her lips, but she still was strongly standing in front of Nishant, looking at him with rage-filled eyes. But she didn't answer "You will pay for this!"

Instead of answering his questio,n Nandini questioned back

"WHAT.DO.YOU.WANT" Nandini flared up

Hearing Nandini's question Nishant gave a full-blown smile.

Till then,
Stay blessed!
Stay happy!!