Not Edited

"Umm... What's going on?" Manik asked looking at the scene going on in front of his eyes.

Nandini was sitting with an angry yet cute face and credit for the cute face goes to her pout while scowling at the nurse.

And the nurse was standing there with a helpless look on her face and a trolley in her hand which had a tray of food and a tray beside it which contained various kinds of medicines.

Manik looked at the nurse, then at the huffing in anger with puffed cheeks Nandini and lastly at the trolley.

After repeating the same cycle of eyeing them he sighed as he deciphered what might have happened, but he thought to confirm it before coming on any conclusion. 

"What's happening?" Both of their head snapped at Manik. 

On seeing Manik there was a glint of happiness and hope in Nandini's eyes, she thought he will definitely save her. 

"Manik, see what this nurse is feeding me." She made a crying face. 

"I don't want to eat this!" she added while pointing at the tray filled with a plate of khichdi and a bowl of salad next to it.

"Ma'am this is what the doctors have suggested for you."

"Who is the doctor? Ask him to meet me, I'll ask him directly if he wants to kill me with this food!" 

"Ma'am please try to understand this is for your own good, you are really weak now and this is the food we give to all our patients,"

"You know, the hostel mess food is better than this, leave the doctor you take me to your chef!"

"Ma.."

"Or no... better yet take me to the owner of this hospital, I'll ask him after what seeing did he said yes for appointing the chef!"

Hearing this Manik's eyes were as wide as saucers

"Damn this girl! If she gets to know I'm the owner, she'll kill me." Manik muttered under his breath.

"Ahem Ahem," Manik cleared his throat to get their attention. 

Nandini's head snapped at him, she raised her eyebrow in a questioning manner. 

Manik didn't answer her instead he looked at the nurse with the neutral face and asked her to keep the tray he'll make sure that she eats the medicine and the food. The nurse did not say anything and obeyed Manik's command. 

Once she was gone he looked at frowning Nandini, 

"Mr Malhotra, I'm not eating this."  Nandini declared with emotionless face and voice which shocked Manik. 

'What happened to her suddenly, till now she was okay' thought Manik. 

He ignored her weird behaviour and took the plate in his hands, keeping it on the rolling tray table which was laid in front of Nandini.  
(Picture in the media box) 

She ignored both him and the food and looked sideways observing the bouquet Meher brought, a small smile graced her lips looking at the pretty flowers arranged systematically in the bouquet. 

"Nandini, you need to eat." 

"Mr Malhotra, as I said, I don't want to eat, Now if you'll please leave I need to take rest." 

"You can take rest as much as you want, but after having your food and medicines." 

Nandini looked at Manik or more precisely glared at him, but did open her mouth, Manik got the hint and sighed. 

"Nandini you have two options, either eat the food or I'm complaining to Mrs Murthy and then you know...." he left the sentence in the middle but it was enough for Nandini to get the hint. 

Nandini looked at him for a moment to find any traces of fun or smile on his face making her easier to know that is joking with her but she found none.

She gritted her teeth in anger knowing he is serious and would surely complain to her Mumma. Closing her eyes she finally made her mind to eat. 

Looking at the food she hesitantly moved her finger towards the spoon kept in the bowl of lousy diluted khichdi. Taking a spoonful of it, she opened her mouth to feed herself, but everything went in vain when she smelled the food. 

She instantly kept the spoon in the bowl and shook her head in denial. 

"I'm not eating this!"

Manik sighed in and shook his head in disbelieve. 

"This is harder than I thought!" He muttered under his breath. 

Sighing Manik moved towards Nandini's bed and making a sit for himself which alerted  Nandini and unknowingly she spoke loudly

"What Are You Doing?!" 

"Close your eyes without questioning anything," Manik commanded

"And why do you feel I'll obey your demand, your highness" Though Manik had the urge to laugh he didn't and turned in emotionless into angry one, which sacred Nandini a little. 

"Close your eyes, so that I can help you eating, or the option of telling your mom is still open" 

She huffed and gritted her teeth and her nose flared a little in anger, but she controls herself and complied with his demand. 

"Now take a deep breath, open your mouth and hold your breath" 

She cursed him in her mind but followed without arguing. 

"Good" 

Manik took a full spoon of Khichdi and feed Nandini, much to her surprise, she opened her eyes and glared at him. 

"Stop glaring and chew the morsel and slowly let go of your breath." 

Nandini did what Manik said though her taste buds still had the little taste of the lousy Khichdi due to this trick she was at least able to eat. 

Manik raised his eyebrow in a questioning manner as if asking how was the trick, of which Nandini got the hint, but being the Nandini Murthy she is, she just nodded her head and closed her eyes, opened her mouth taking a deep breath, indicating him to feed her. 

Manik chuckled knowing she wasn't gonna appreciate his trick not wanting to boost is ego more! 

Like this Manik fed her the lunch and also the medicine. Making sure that she is okay and now resting he moved out of her room and went near Shikha's room. 

He spotted Cabir sitting on the bench exactly opposite to Shikha's room. Manik moved towards Cabir gaining his attention they had a conversation with each other with their eye language. 

"How is aunty?"Manik spoke after their brief eye conversation. 

"She is fine." 

"Good" 

"But we need to go home now, its past lunchtime." 

Manik agreed and commanded the guard in charge to keep a keen watch on everything. 

"Manik your remember about icecream right!?" Cabir snickered and Manik groaned knowing another drama will be up in a few minutes. 

"You are gone Meher!" Manik murmured and moved his car towards the ice cream parlour. 

⋇⋆✦⋆⋇　

"Humph," A flying pillow received as soon as Manik entered the living room.

"Ouch" he muttered rubbing is the forehead.

"What the hell?" Manik asked with his hand still on the head.

"Who is Nandini?" Mukti asked sading in akimbo position.

As soon as Mukti muttered this Manik's eyes snapped at Meher who was grinning like a Cheshire cat. 

 "You did not!" 

"Meher off you go, I'll see you when I come home." She mimicked his sentence earlier from the hospital. 

"Now, how did you like the surprise Bade Bahiya" she mocked innocence, making Manik more enraged. 

He pinched the bridge of his nose to control his anger which was ready to burst anytime. 

"You are in major trouble little sister!" Manik warned, raising his voice with every word. 

"After you little brother." Ansh came in between both the Malhotra siblings. 

"Now, Who is Nandini?" Karan questioned. 

Manik looked at everyone who has the questioning look on their faces except Vihan, Cabir, and Meher, who was leisurely sitting on the couch sipping her lemonade with straw. 

With this Manik explained everything, leaving the part of their first meet of course. 

Listening to this very one had gloomy faces. 

"No one deserves to go through this!" Mukti spoke

"Still she stood so strong," Sharanya commented after her.

"True, not every once has the capability to face such things and survive with hope," Aliya said

"As a lady, I'm actually proud of her. and thanks to Navya Bhabhi, that she asked Manik to search for Nandini." Aparna mumbled

"She is right bhabhi, thank you for approaching me to find Nandini, if not..." He didn't complete his sentence but they all knew what he meant.

" No need to thank me Manik and everyone, I just need what my heart said me to do so and if anyone we should thank Mishti, as she was the lne who was adamant to meet Nandini.

Everyone smiled and looked at their little bundle of joy, Manik picked Mishti in his arms and silently thanked her for everything she has done to him untill now by kissing on her forehead.

"So?" Deven asked looking at his nephew.

"So?" Manik questioned back.

Everyone rolled their eyes at his not so good acting as obviously, he knew what Deven was asking. 

"I'm asking about Nandini, young man" 

"What about Nandini?" 

"tch... Do you love her, you idiot!" Sharanya asked tired of his beating around the bush thing and of course, her hormones kicked in. 

Manik's POV 

Do I love her? 

Of course, she has the ability to make me feel the things I never felt. My heart warms at her every smile and laugh, making me pledge to keep it intact, like a cliche novel lover. She makes me lovesick puppy behind her making me insane with her cuteness, her anger, her feistiness, and above all her will power, and I know I need this in my life. I want her in my life. 

But love... 

I don't know!

All I know is I'm there, I know I have started to fall in love with her. 

End of the POV 

"I don't know about being in love with her Shar, all I know is I'm falling for her," Manik spoke slowly still looking at the floor, probably imaging Nandini's cute antics and smiling face. 

"She knows about you. I mean about your profession, buddy?" Dhruv asked 

Manik nodded his head in affirmation, "She knows about my profession, though nothing much other than me being in Mafia."

"So now how are you planning to woe her?" Rehan asked which made Vihan, Cabir, and Meher snicker gaining everyone's attention. 

Everyone looked at them with questioning gazes, seeing this Meher spoke. 

"That will be really hard Rehan Bhai,  she is not that easy to woe and it's double hard for Bhai to gain her trust, so I don't think you'll be seeing her as your 'Ghar ki bahu' any time soon. It will probably take next ten years!" she said giving a fake dejected look. 

"Don't you think you are speaking too much for your own good!" Manik asserted

"Oh! Am I? I don't think so big bear I'm just stating the facts, and you know a pill of truth is always bitter." Meher said feigning innocence radiating through her earning a warning look from Manik. 

"Okay now, cut it both of you, Manik you also know Meher is right, it won't be so easy to woe Nandini," Alia said 

"I know Al, and all I can do is try now. I know I won't be backing out from this no matter what. Also, I'm planning to bring Nandini and her mom here in the mansion, with Nishant still being out it will be idiotic of me to leave them alone. Is that okay with you" 

Cabir whistled "Agar tum mil jao, zamana chod denge hum." which gave Manik all the answers. 

"Tumhe pakar zamne bhar se Rishta tod denge hum." Meher got up from her seat with a couch cushion in her hands and started swaying while singing looking at the pillow. 

"Agar tum mil jao, zamana Chod denge hum." All the members except Manik started reciting the hook line of the song, even the little  Mishti was trying to sing in co-ordination with the elder ones. 

Here, for the first time in his whole existence, Manik was blushing like the bright red cherry on the cake. 

"God guys you are unbelievable!" saying her rushed to his office with the little munchkin aka Mishti with him. 

⋇⋆✦⋆⋇

It's being five days since the fiasco happened and Manik made sure to visit Nandini and her mother daily without fail.

He always used to look forward clock to strike 12 noon so that he can visit the hospital, though Nandini was fine now Manik still insisted to keep her under observation and luckily Shikha agreed with him. 

As for Shikha, she is little stable now but still in the recovering stage, after a few more days of being under observation she'll be discharged if everything goes smooth and the test reports come negative. 

For one more thing Manik used to be always excited, that is feeding Nandini. Though Nandini wouldn't agree on it on his face his this trick of feeding her was like by her very much, but she knew that she has to stay away from him as much as possible. 

Nandini made her mind that she won't be contacting Manik after being discharged from here, she needs to stay from the sensations he gives her, she needs to stay away from him to save her walls from breaking down which will eventually lead to heartbreak. 

One more thing which was eating her as bill payment of the hospital and also the contract which Manik gave her. Being angry on him she didn't read the whole contract, which obviously was very dumb move according to her, so when Manik came again she decided to open up about it. 

"Umm... Manik?" She called him out in order to gain his attention, "yes." He gestured her to continue with his ever so charming smile on his lips. 

"What about the hospital bills, and also the contract. What is actually written in that contract?" 

"About the hospital bills, don't worry Nandini I got it covered." Nandini was about to interrupt but before she could manik continued.

"I know you don't like taking favours from anyone, so you can return the money to me once you start earning again, about the contract it stated that you are free from Nishnat's claws now, this property of yours was on Neha's name which she now transferred to Malhotras, but for now you need to stay underground because as per them you are my slave and seeing your work will add more to their suspicion." 

"So I won't be working? Then how in the hell will I look after my mom and myself, what about our house, where we will be staying." Nandini started panicking. 

"You and Mrs Murthy will be staying with me Nandini, in the Malhotra Mansion and as for the job, that'll discuss with you later," Manik answered calmly.

"No. We aren't staying with you at any cost Mr Malhotra"

Tadaaaa!

I know, I know many of you are hella irritated with me, might have cursed me so much for my irregular updates.

And I think you'll be doing that more after this.

So,

Jack and Johnny
(Yes, I support LGBTQ, proudly! If any of you Gay please tell me, I need a gay best friend!)

Went up the hill
To fetch a pail of water;

Jack fell down and broke his crown,
and Johnny came tumbling after.

Up Jack got, and home did trot,
As fast as he could caper,
To old Dame Dob, who patched his nob
With vinegar and brown paper.

Wondering why rhymes suddenly?!

I'll explain,

So my Jack and Johnny aka my heart and brain has gone somewhere and currently ain't with me, and I'm waiting for both of them to come to me, though I know they'll be coming broken, so I'm just waiting for them to come so that I can heal them with my Vinegar and brown paper.

I don't know how many of your understanding, but in simple language, I won't be updating my stories anymore.

Don't worry I'm not leaving my stories incomplete or leaving Wattpad, I'll complete them but it will take a while.

I need both my heart and brain with me because I'm not at all satisfied with the shit I'm writing.

Writing for me is something very close to my heart and when I do I like to give my hundred percent in it.

I'll also be taking my stories down for a while, I'll edit them and then publish it again.

I know many of them will be unhappy with my decision but a hell lot of things are going on around me and I'm not able to keep up with it or you can even say I'm unable to bear it.

Hence I took this decision so that I can give you a readable and enjoyable content, I can also be satisfied with my writing.

Last but not least, I'm highly thankful to you people for bearing me and my irregular updates, but still liking it and never complaining about it.

I will miss you guys but will be back soon and hopefully stronger and better than before.

Love,
Amaya.K