one month later

N A N D I N I

The rays of the run slipped inside the room and touched my eyes, waking me up from my sweet slumber as I felt something wet and soft on my cheek. It didn't take me long to recognise that it was my monster, kissing me awake.

His kisses travelled from my forehead, my cheek, my closed eyes to my neck and I tried biting my tongue to control the desperate smile that wanted to break out.

"Good Morning princess.....", he huskily whispered as he kissed me under my ear.

"Good Morning Manik....", I barely whispered lazily opening my eyes as he caged me more in the clutches of his hand on my waist.

His face shamelessly snuggled more into my neck and my hair and I felt ticklish with everything as I held his arm with a smile.

These were my kind of mornings, to wake up in his arms, to be kissed by him, to be loved by him. Everything that relates to him.

It's been a month, a month since that dreadful accident. It's been a month since Manik Malhotra finally kept the proposal for marriage. But me being me, I kept this stupid condition that I'd get married to him only when he gets healed, completely.

It was difficult, but we looked ahead. It requires nights when I couldn't sleep, seeing the same accident over and over again in my dreams. It required nights when he was in pain and I had to stay up with him taking care of him. It required days when we skipped office and sat with the doctor. It required time, care, patience and the most importantly, our love.

We aren't over it completely, but somewhere, we held each other's hands and walked on. It was difficult, but our love managed to over come this too.

"Hey, where you lost?" He asked looking at me lost in my own thoughts as he laid on my stomach, hugging my sides and I smiled.

"I was thinking about us....", I smiled dreamily.

"What were you thinking.....?", he asked entwining my hands with his.

"I was thinking about how this monster boss of mine always kept shouting at me, and suddenly, everything changed. I'm so thankful to my accident that brought us this close.....", I smiled remembering my accident that had made us spend time, that had brought us close, so close.
{A/N: reference to His P.A.}

"Hmm....", he sighed running his head by my stomach making me giggle. "Manik, that's my stomach.....", I giggled and he kissed our entwined hands.

"The stomach that will have my baby one day....." he answered dreamily as he kissed my stomach over my top, making me red like a tomato.

"Manik.....", I whispered as I felt jitters around me. Though I've always pictured it this way, it surprises me. One day I'd be pregnant, Manik will bear my tantrums, he'd take care of me and then we'd have a baby. Our baby.

"What Nandini, won't we do 'it' someday?" He asked battling his eyes innocently as my eyes widened and I hit his chest.

I had turned as red as crimson and I just wanted to hide somewhere. "Manik...." I answered scolding shyly as I hid my face in his chest and he laughed.

Besharam Monster!

"Tumne bataya nahi Nandini, when will we do 'it'...." he nudged and I hid myself more in his chest.

"Okay fine, we won't do 'it'....", he pouted and my eyes widened ask snapped my face towards him.

"WHY?" I shouted and I bit my tongue as soon as the words slipped from my mouth. Shit, I need to keep a control on my tongue these days. It keeps saying whatever it likes.

"So, too desperate to do 'it', isn't it?" He smirked as he turned, pulling me under him. I was lying under him, while he was over me, being careful to not exert pressure on me as well as his right hand.

I was too shy to look into his eyes, so I kept concentrating on his muscles. Oh, did I tell you Manik sleeps shirtless?

He bent ahead as his lips slightly brushed my neck, teasing all the emotions and hormones inside me.

"Manik....", it escaped my mouth as I took a sharp breath.

"Bolo Nandini, do you want to do it or not?" He smiled against my lips and I wanted to hide in embarrassment.

Yes would seem too desperate and no would seem like a sadist. What the fuck should I answer?

"Manik...." I called and he looked into my eyes as I placed my hands on his bare chest.

"I....", I began, my hands encircling his neck as his body shivered with the cold air touching both our bodies together. "You....?" He repeated, our noses slightly brushing against each other.

"Am getting late for office....", I completed as I pushed him and he looked startled as he fell on the other end of the bed. I laughed as I immediately got up and ran towards the bathroom.

"Nan-Nan-Nandini....", he cried in fake anger as I showed him my tongue before finally closing he bathroom door. But I didn't miss the playful smile that spread on his lips looking at me laugh.

I had fallen in love with him, and life has changed drastically ever since. I leaned on the slab of the basin, lazily putting the paste on the brush when there were two clicks.

And before I even knew, the bathroom door slang open and my monster was inside, me sandwiched in between him and the slab.

"Manik...!" I shouted as my eyes widened in horror and he just smiled, his smile reaching his ear as his hands shamelessly roamed around me waist.

"Chodo mujhe Manik, and how in the seven hells did you enter inside....", I asked wringling in his arms. The toothbrush and the paste were long fallen.

He smirked his famous smug face and I rolled my eyes. There was a time I was so scared of this same face, and now I easily roll my eyes at the same.

He lifted his hand to showcase the great keys with which this great man had opened the door and come inside and I narrowed my eyes at him.

"And what if I was in the shower, or in any other position or condition where you shouldn't see me.....!" I asked showing him my eyes.

"Toh kya hua, I mean we are going to get married soon. Abhi nahi toh baad mein, kabhi toh dekhunga hi na.....", he kissed my hand and my eyes widened more as I slapped his bicep.

"Ghar baithe baithe sirf besharam hote jaa rahe ho......", I snapped pushing him away and he jerked me closer.

I bit my inner cheek to control the desperate smile that wanted to break out any moment.

His lips brushed my side face and I held the collar of his shirt even tightly. There was something with this man and mornings, he always got these weird romantic ideas in the mornings.

"Manik.....", I called pulling myself away as I stepped outside the bathroom and he followed me with a grumpy face.

"Hmm!" He said there on the bed grumpily with both his hands supporting his face and he looked so cute that I could eat him up.

"Mujhe office ke liye late ho raha hai.....", I scolded, removing my clothes from my wardrobe as I could hear him walk till he reached me.

He kept his hands on my stomach, drawing doodles as I comfortably let my back head touch his chest, taking in a deep breath.

"Manik....", I let out, lost in the magic his lips could do on my skin.

"Toh mujhe bhi office aane do na!" He cried in my ears as he took a breath near my ear, his warm breath touching my neck, causing the dead butterflies to be alive again.

"Hmm.....", I answered, still lost in him.

"WHAT? I can come to office? Is that a yes! YES! So no more Jerkshad around you....", he laughed like a devil and I sighed. How can his mood change from romantic to being a cribby kid to being a devil?

"Okay! But we will come back in the evening. You will sit in a place and no exerting yourself. Okay?" I asked showing my index finger, as if I was scolding him. He smiled as he leapt forward and missed my cheek.

"Okay mamma!" He giggled and I smiled. Back to the kid mode again!

"Ab mein ready hone jau?" I asked for his permission taking the dress in my hand and he nodded negatively with a playful smile as he grabbed the dress from my hand and threw it on the bed.

I looked at him confused, but before I knew, he grabbed my hand, twirling me around.

He grabbed my waist, picking me up and delicately keeping me on his toes. He held me tightly as he walked, and I walked over him and we brushed this way.

He took us down with me walking on his toes and his hands gripping me tightly, and then the entire house filled with my giggles and his talkings as he lifted me in his arms and kept me on the kitchen slab as he put chocolate on the waffles.

"Subeh-Subeh, chocolate waffles?" I asked in shock.

"Don't we all wish for someone with whom there are no rules. With whom we can have waffles for breakfast, toasts and chaats for lunch, and deserts and ice cream for dinners? Don't we wish to have that someone with whom we can do what we love, we don't have to follow rules made by someone else?" He asked smiling and I nodded, my smile reaching my eyes. I was so in love with him, I was so happy to have him in my life.

"For me, that someone will always be you...", he smiled kissing my forehead. I opened my mouth to whisper a quick 'I love you' to him, but before I could, the waffle was stuffed in my mouth.

I ate the waffle from one side while he nibbled it from the other side until we both had it completely from it respective sides, and smiled against each other's mouths.

"Tum ready ho, I'd prepare the rest breakfast?" He asked and I smiled. Every girl should have a Manik Malhotra~ a guy who loves her, respects her, understands her, and the most important, values her importance in his life.

Hundreds of servants in the house, yet every breakfast was prepared either by me or by him, with all the love for each other. And also, Manik Malhotra was the best chef in the world.

I got down after a shower and wearing my office clothes, to see him already dressed up, setting his hair in the mirror near the dining table.

He looked as excited as a kid for a candy. And I don't know what made him happier, the fact that he was returning to office after a month or the fact that Harshad wouldn't be with me alone ever again.

"Come-Come, lets have breakfast....." he pulled me near him. And he himself made me have breakfast while eating his in such a rush.

We quickly grabbed our juices and took leave from his house. The driver drove while we both sat in the backseat. I was busy admiring him as he excitedly looked at the roads with a content smile on his face.

He was out after a month after all.

"Ma-......", I was going to call him, but before that the car jerked ahead and we both came ahead, our heads almost banging the front seats.

My eyes closed and within a fraction of seconds, I could see everything in front of my eyes. The way his car banged into other, his body with the glass pieces, the blood covered face, the doctors words. Everything came back in a minute.

"Nandini...!" Manik calked as his hand grabbed mine immediately. He didn't miss the horror stricken face as the sweat droplets appeared.

My eyes snapped open as I looked at him with an open mouth. He was fine, he was with me.

He pulled me into a hug as he squeezed me in his arms and I clutched his coat tighter than ever, trying to tell myself that he is with me as I relaxed in his arms.

"I'm okay, we're okay..." he whispered breaking away, as he kissed my forehead and I kept my head on his chest, as he side hugged me, rubbing my arms.

He was too precious for me to lose, ever.

"I love you, okay? And nothing is taking us away...", he smiled against my forehead and I nodded, as the small smile appeared back as I kissed his cheek and he made a shocked face, making me giggle.

He was the only home my heart has ever known. And the only Home it will ever have, no matter what.

~I'm a strong person, but once in awhile, it feels nice to have someone hold your hand and tell you that everything's going to be alright~

~•~

•she was strong from outside, but from within, she was breaking. And when she thought no one could see, he read her broken heart like an open book•

~•~