As the sweet chiming of bangles and anklets echoed in the room, Manik frowned in his sleep at the disturbance before he opened his eyes slowly, rubbing them with his fist to clear his vision and looked towards Nandini.

Nandini arranged the small red bindi in the centre of her forehead, dressed in a plain yellow salwar suit with a red phulkari. As she turned around, she smiled softly, walking towards Manik as he stared at her curiously, still laying and settled down on the bed beside him.

"Uth gaya mera sohna baby," Nandini murmured, moving the hair falling on his forehead back and pressed a kiss on his forehead. She smiled, surprised, as he imitated her action by softly pressing his lips on her cheek before pulling back.

(You woke up. My baby.)

"Nanni Mumma," Manik murmured, his voice groggy with sleep and touched her bindi with his finger and the jhumkis in her ears, new additions to her look, inquisitively staring at her face, donned in minimal makeup before exclaiming, "Aap kitti noni lag rahi ho!"

(You look so gorgeous)

"Thank you, baby," Nandini said, smiling and her eyes brightening up in happiness as he complimented her innocently. She felt her cheeks turn scarlet as he continued to stare at her, appreciating her beauty before she was startled as he engulfed her in a hug and his head dug in her neck as he mumbled possessively, "Meri Nanni Mumma!"

"Teri hi hu, mere bache," Nandini assured, gently caressing his hair. A few minutes passed by before she pulled back, making him pout. She shook her head and said, "Chalo utho aur main jitni der breakfast laungi utni der main aap fresh ho jao fir breakfast karenge. Brush karte vakt koi laziness ni aur mere ko aawaz laga lena bath lene se pehle, main aapki shirt utarne main help kardungi, okay?"

(I'm just yours, baby. **Come on, now wake up. I'll prepare breakfast and you freshen up by then, okay? Don't be lazy while brushing and call me when you have to take bath. I'll help you take off your shirt, okay?)

Manik nodded and she pressed a kiss on top of his head before getting up from the bed and moved out of the room while Manik followed her instructions. As she stepped in the kitchen, she greeted Dadi and ignored Riya's presence while arranging the breakfast for both of them.

"Nandini beta, aaj sab vaapis aa rahe hain apni vacation toh apna naashta karke unke liye kuch prepare kardena," Dadi said, making Nandini freeze. Manik's family had gone to a trip to Kasoli to enjoy their holidays and their return made her fear about the toll it might take on Manik's health.

(Nandini, everyone is coming back today. So, can you prepare something for them after having your breakfast?)

"Dadi, I mean no disrespect but I can't and I won't do anything for them," Nandini said, arranging the cups and pouring tea in them, taunting, "Riya Aunty bana dengi. Paise logo ko darane aur muft ki roti todne ke liye diye ja rahe."

(Riya Aunty will make something. We don't pay her just to scare off people.)

The two women were stunned to silence, looking at her back as she quietly picked up the tray and moved upstairs towards their room. Just as she entered in, Manik called out to her in the washroom and she kept the tray on the bed before she helped him take off his shirt, her eyes tearing up like they do whenever she takes in the scars on his chest as if he has been beaten with belts. Those assholes!

Nandini forced a smile on her face, promising herself she would go to any lengths to protect him from their wrath and make them pay for what they did to her Manik.

After Manik came out a few minutes later, freshly showered, she helped him with his clothes and he sat on the bed while she toweled dry his hair and observed his reaction as she softly said, "Manik aapki Maami aur baaki sab ghar aa rahe hain."

(Manik, everyone is coming back today.)

Manik froze and Nandini's breath hitched as he raised his eyes to her, tearing up in fear and he shook his head, pleading, "Nayi, Nanni Mumma. Please. Ni rehna unke paas. Please. Woh bohot gande hain."

(No, Nanni Mumma. Please. I don't want to stay with them. Please. They're so bad!)

"Koi kuch nahi kahega aapko mere hote hue," Nandini tried to assure but he continued to shake his head before his shoulders shook as he started to cry loudly, making Nandini's heart wrench in pain. The way he was crying was so different than what she was used to. Every cry was filled with anguish, pain and fear.

(I'm here with you, baby. No one will say anything to you in my presence.)

She immediately wrapped her arms around his shoulder to provide him with her warmth in an act of consolation, making him wrap his arms around her waist tightly as his face dug in her stomach, crying his eyes out.

"Bas, mera bacha. Bas, bas," Nandini softly murmured, rubbing his back and continuously pressing kisses on the top of his head. As his cries decreased to hiccups, Nandini said, "Bas Nanni Mumma ko aaj ka din dedo main hamare liye kahi aur rehne ko dekhti hu, unse bohot dur, theek hain?"

(*Shh, my baby. Shh. **Just give me a day and I'll look for somewhere else to stay. Far far away from them, okay?)

"Promise?" Manik asked, pulling back slightly and looking up at her with hope. Hope to finally free himself from the darkness that had gripped him in the past five years. Nandini wiped the tears lining his eyes with the pad of her thumbs, her heart aching at his condition as she murmured, "Promise, meri jaan."

As he rested his head back on her stomach, she caressed her fingers through his hair and asked, "Manik, aap Nanni Mumma par trust karte ho ki voh aapko protect karegi?" Manik immediately nodded his head, making her sigh in relief before she continued, "Toh mere ko ek promise karoge?" Manik looked at her questioningly while nodding and she said, "Aaj raat ko un sab ne aapke saath jo kuch bhi kiya hain voh bataoge mujhe?"

(Manik, do you trust me that I'll protect you? **Then will you promise me something? **Will you tell me what have they done with you, tonight?)

Manik stared at her, swallowing as he panicked at what they might do to him if they knew he told her everything but yet he nodded, his mind and heart feeling secure within her presence.

"Mera nona bacha. Itna ni rona meko bohot dard hota hain, Manik," Nandini whispered truthfully, her throat constricting painfully with emotions as his eyes closed when she kissed them. She smiled at him, half heartedly, as he flashed his teeth to her, grinning before she slowly detached herself from him and said, "Chalo ab breakfast karte hain. Fir medicines bhi toh leni hain."

(Don't cry so much, baby. It pains me seeing you like this. **come, let's have our breakfast. Then you have to take your medicines.)

After feeding him the breakfast, Nandini herself had some of it, her appetite dying as her mind messed up with the situation and how to handle it. Manik looked at her half eaten plate and complained, "Aap bhi toh pura finish karo. Meko toh eese dant lagati ho jese main aapka ek–ek boob leke bhaag gaya." Nandini laughed as he tried to explain himself, huffing and grinned while saying, "Acha aap mat khao toh fir uske badle main lunch pura nahi karunga. Thik hain?"

"Kha rahi hu main. Zyada chalaki ni," Nandini said, making him scowl as she finished her breakfast. Manik eyed her hands distastefully she picked up his medicine and poured the liquid on a spoon before holding it in front of his mouth. But, he didn't protest as she showed him her eyes in warning and ate with his nose scrunched.

(I'm eating. Don't act smart.)

"Mujhe thode se kaam hain. Aapne kya karna hain tab tak?" Nandini queried while collecting their used utensils.

(I have some work to do. What will you do till then?)

"T.V. pe Shinchan dekhna hai," Manik replied and she nodded with a warning to not watch it for more than an hour and after he agreed, she switched it on before walking out to finish some of the household chores including ironing the clothes and preparing lunch.

(I want to watch Shinchan!)

•••••

An hour and a half later, Nandini entered the room, hissing and straightening her back to relieve herself of the back pain that she had a problem of since a few years back. She watched as Manik rubbed his eyes with a fist, his eyes droopy in tiredness as he stared at the cartoon and she realized she was late than usual for his afternoon nap.

As she entered, his eyes moved to her and as he said, "Nanni Mumma–" Nandini cut him off by saying, "Aagi, mere guddu. Bas washroom jaake aayi." Hurrying to the washroom, Nandini peed and washed her hands before she walked out and switched off the television.

(Coming, sweetheart. Just let me go to washroom first.)

As she walked towards the door, Manik whined in impatience, thinking she was going out again, making her assure him by saying, "Aagayi. Bas gate band kardu."

(Coming. Let me close the door.)

After locking the door, she laid beside him on the bed and tugged up her kameez along with the bra and faced him, wincing as her back pained, uncomfortable with the position while Manik immediately latched his lips on her nipple. A minute later, he pulled back and fisted her phulkari, complaining, "Yeh chubh rahi hain."

(This is irritating.)

"Ek minute," she mumbled and sitting up, she took it off and kept it aside on the bed. She laid down on her back, getting comfortable against the headboard and made him lay his head on her arm, pulling the comforter over his head, her breath uneven as he grabbed the soft flesh gently in his palm, unintentionally squeezing it as he suckled on her breast.

(Just a minute.)

Some time later, when his breath deepened and he fell asleep, Nandini slowly detached herself from him and clasped her bra before arranging her clothes. Placing the pillow in her place, she got up from the bed and looked over herself in the mirror before tiptoeing out of the room.

She peeped in through Dadi's door and as she called her in, Nandini went in and took a seat on the couch while the old woman sat on the bed, knitting. Fidgeting with her fingers, Nandini breathed out, "Dadi, we want to live separately." As she looked at her, shocked, Nandini explained, "Manik, he–he can't get well as long as he will stay with these people. They have traumatised him with their actions. He is always so scared. He needs to let the fear go and that will be possible only if he is strong enough to handle himself without breaking down at the thought of facing them. Only, when he is confident, will he be able to look them in the eye and maybe then even the pain that had been suppressing him to heal himself would not deter his well being anymore."

Dadi's eyes filled with tears even though she smiled at her and nodded, mumbling, "I understand, beta. But, how will you find a house at such a short notice?"

"Who said we're leaving? This house belongs to Manik, doesn't it? So, it will be them who will be leaving, not Manik nor you," Nandini said, her tone laced with finality as she got up, leaving the old woman speechless once again.

•••••

"Who the hell are you to tell us to leave this house?" Mami roared in anger and fear at the prospect of leaving this house to live in that small jhuggi again.

"The wife of the owner of this house," Nandini replied calmly before threatening, "Everyone of you, out of this house, right this second! If you won't, it wouldn't take me long to file a complaint against all of you for what you did to Manik. So, the choice is yours about whether you want to live the rest of your lives in jail or whichever hole you came from."

Mami and the family started protesting loudly but when Nandini continued to stay on her decision, undeterred, the accepted defeated. As they gathered their bags, Nandini pointed to the simple diamond pendand in Mami's neck and ordered, "Take that off. It was Manik's mother's."

Mami fisted the pendant and shook her head as she asked for the only source of earning money, making Nandini sigh in irritation as she warned, "You know what. Let me just call the–"

Mami immediately took off the chain, crying as she realized they were truly reduced to streets and as everyone started to leave, she warned Nandini, "I will not leave you! Remember my words."

"Well, think about what you will do with your own life before threatening me," Nandini scoffed, throwing the woman out of the house and closing the door behind them, relieved at the absence of these toxic people, knowing that they got what they deserved.

They didn't deserve to be locked up in a jail without an ounce of regret but when they will  beg like the beggars they are, they will regret every pain they inflicted on Manik.

Moving upstairs towards their room, she opened the door and entered, where Manik was still asleep. She laid beside him, making him unconsciously shift closer to her and wrap his arm around her waist. Pecking his head, Nandini closed her eyes, finally realizing what peace in life felt like.

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