Manik came back home to see the entire clan waiting for him in the family room. He moved in and crashed on the couch catching a breathe of relax.

Nandini was present there so none of them raised the topic but Harshad indirectly asked through his eyes to calm his soul to which Manik blinked his eyes in response. This small indication gave relief to Abhimanyu as well.

Nandini who was sitting next to Manik laid down placing her head in Manik's lap and buried her face in his tummy. Manik who was conversing with Alya involuntarily placed his hand around her supporting her frame.

Something strike him and he at once turned towards Harshad and asked,

Hey how was today's appointment?

Harshad kept the glass he was holding on the corner desk and replied,

It was good. In fact, it was brilliant. They said that now we can stop her antibiotics and she can begin mild workout. They carried out the final MRI and it came out normal. They still want to do a physical though but it will be like three months later and they are quite confident that it will be positive too. I left the file in your room.

Manik was beaming with happiness. Finally, like finally after a long while of patience she was completely fine.

Harshad continued,

But the MRI was intense today. It ran around for like one hour and forty-five minutes.

Manik replied,

Whoa, that must have been intense!

That explained him why Nandini was so cranky right now.

Are you having a headache?

He still wanted to confirm. But Nandini never answered, instead she snuggled in him.

Manik at once placed his free hand on her forehead, pressing it and comforting her. He knew when ever she gets a MRI she comes home with a headache. But he was happy, that this was the last time.

Abhimanyu also took a breathe of solace.

Seeing  Abhimanyu relaxing, Mukti thought that he might change his mind and not say anything to anyone. She looked at Manik who was caressing Nandini's forehead after knowing she have mild headache and kept on saying sweet nothings. She regretted  that maybe Abhimanyu would have been the same with her if she hadn't done what she did.

Abhimanyu on the other side, was planning something different. And in order to make it work he  wanted Nandini to move away. He was rummaging his brain working on a reason to send her away but before that he heard Manik saying,

Baby, don't sleep. Lets move in the room first and get changed. You had a long day today.

Nandini nodded negatively cause she just got a comfortable spot and she didn't wish to move. But Manik ignored her and stood up carrying her in his arm.

Abhimanyu at once spoke,

Manik, come back down once she is asleep.

Manik nodded without asking further for any reasons. He moved towards their room and laid her on bed after changing themselves in nightwear.  Nandini instantly dived into deep sleep cause of the tiredness and Manik spent a while patting her. His eyes paused on the file which Harshad left at the night stand next to his side of bed. He opened it and went over her prescriptions and reports having a wide smile all this way. After getting satisfied, he placed the file in the files cabinet at one corner of the room and made his way downstairs.

In the family room, he was welcomed by the gaze of everyone, in anticipation of his wordings for the day. He took a moment and got comforted.

Neyonika without wasting any time asked,

Where is he?

Manik looked at her anguish expression. He knew that somewhere down the line she is blaming herself for the catastrophe in their lives. That she chose a wrong partner.

Manik kneed in front of her and expressed holding her palms firmly,

Don't. Don't go there Mom. You are not wrong.

Neyonika looked away failing to look into his eyes.

Manik palmed her cheek and intentionally made her face him.

He turned out to be negative. He is the one sole reason for all the false in our lives. Not you.

Okay.

So don't say that. None of us knew his real self, right?

You didn't knew when you married him that he will be so ruthless in future.

Neyonika moved away his hands and said,

But it was my fault that I failed to recognize that inhuman. Mein... Mein toh ye jhaan hi nahi par ke woh itna matlabi hoga. Ye sab kuch hota hi nahi agar meine ye sachh tum se chupaya na hota.

She commented disgustedly.

Abhimanyu thought this is the perfect time to uncover Mukti. Not in seventh hell can he let her go for any excuses.

He thought for a while and asked,

But why was he so hell bend in destroying Manik?

I mean you are his son. Why will a father want to uproot his son's life?

This topic was raised earlier too but neither Manik nor Neyonika had the guts to say anything. And why not, his father was the one responsible for all the mishaps, Manik for almost months failed to even make an eye contact with anyone. He felt uncomfortable and uneasy to even look at Fab5. And when ever this topic was raised he would go mum and after a moment or two will leave the place.

He was shameful. Though, a while back he was consoling Neyonika that she should not blame herself but Manik too was following her pathway. He was cursing himself.

He was blaming himself that whatever happened to Nandini happened cause of him; her career, her self esteem, her life ~ everything was at stake one time cause of him.

But today Manik was different, he felt positivity after doing what he did with Shaurya. He was at peace, that maybe now he may not withdraw his eyes if this conversation comes up.  And Abhimanyu triggered him in the correct time frame.

Manik chuckled and replied,

He is not my father.

Everyone were beyond shock. Till now they were just thinking about all the reasons that a father could have to dismantle his son, but none of them thought for this possibility.

All this while I thought he disliked me, but the materiality was that he wanted to dethrone me.

Malhotra industry was never his, it was of my maternal uncle's which he actually gifted him when he said he wanted to marry my mother.

My mother,

He was shedding silent tears already,

She was married to a Senior Lieutenant General of Indian Navy.

Lt. General Vivaan Raj Malhotra.

And I am proud to say that I am his son.

My father actually died even before I was born. My Mom was four months pregnant then.

He... He was in the submarine INS Arihant traveling towards Germany when the submarine lo.... lost....the navigating signal from control room. At last the submarine drow....drowned and all the candidates in it went missing for twenty four days. It was on the twenty-fifth day when th..... bod.... when my father was fou..... found..... dead.

He could not even utter the word 'body'. Neyonika was choking and Manik spoke while sobbing harshly,

My mom and grandparents went to Delhi when they were informed from the Navy about the mishap. She was numb. Ho.... How ca... can one reac... react when they come to kno... know that the person.. you are waiting for...since so long comes, comes in a... cof... coffin.

I wasn't.... I wasn't even born then. I... I never knew for twenty five year.... years of my life.... that he was my fath..... father.

Manik broke down, he felt weak and vulnerable.

My ... .my father knew that this could happen at any moment of their life.

So when he came to kno.... know that my mom was car... carrying me.... he took a promise from her tha... that if som.... something happens t.. to him, she... she will ma... marry someone ..... and star.... start her fam.... family all over again.... to sec.... secure my fut... future.

He gave a sarcastic smile admist his tears.

Even then, she... she wasn't ready. She did... didn't wanted to marry again. But what... what can a four month pregnant lady do in a cruel society?

She rebelled for quite a long time. But.... but the constant social pressure was .. was taking a toll on her. She develope.... developed complications. And at last , cause of the appeals of my maternal family, she agreed.

Shaurya at that time was the executive head of my uncle's company. He was an orphan with no prior knowledge of his identity. He was the good man for the company and thus had a decent image in front of my uncle. When, mom agreed for second marriage, my uncle and grandpa started looking for a man who would not only provide homeliness to mom but also love to me. And Shaurya happened to be a perfect match. He didn't had a family so there were no issue in his part for marrying a pregnant lady. And my grandpa was secure that his daughter would not have any in-law's pressure.

And they got married.

But only on one condition put forward by Mom,

I am supposed to be addressed as MANIK RAJ MALHOTRA.

I never knew why was RAJ added to my name, it made no sense. But now I know,

I am Manik Raj Malhotra cause my father was named as VihaanRaj Malhotra.

And therefore, Shaurya adopted the last name MALHOTRA, so that I could have my real last name.

He agreed.

So, that man got married to my mother. He was a good polite man then. My uncle decided to give him 45% shares of his company which Shaurya utilized to make an investing firm which is now known as Malhotra Industry. It came up with an undeniable clause that this company would be lended over to me when I would be twenty one.

When I was born he was the most happy soul after my mother. Everyone were happy seeing his love towards me. And then, my mom decided one thing which I believe was the only wrong thing she did in her entire life.

Neyonika looked down.

She decided to hide my real father from me so that I reciprocate the love to Shaurya and accept him.

Things went on normally. I grew up thinking that this man was my father. But as Malhotra Industry flourished he became selfish. He didn't wanted me to succeed him and so he diverted my focus towards music. He made me grew my interest in music so that I don't go into the industry.

I never realized it. I was genuinely happy that my father was supporting me for my passion.

Until the year I got twenty one years old.

Harshad interrupted him saying,

The same year when we were seniors in SPACE, the same year as Talent Hunt.

Manik nodded.

He wanted to overthrow me from Malhotra Industry but by then I was already in as CEO. He tried various means - messing my presentations, promoting insider informations, making deals before the market opens and stuffs like that to show that I am doing ill practices to SEBI ( Security and Exchange Board of India ). But I used to always cover it up.

After his failure, he was mad. He was burning in anger. He sent me threats but I never paid attention to it. He tried to harm fab5 but even that idea didn't worked out.

And then he shifted his motive towards Nandini. He blackmailed her being anonymous. He send her threat messages saying if she didn't help him, he will harm me. But Nandini being Nandini didn't budge and tried informing me.

It was the Talent Hunt period. I was so worked up preparing for our transfer and then the entire Harshad- Nandini thing that when I saw them in cafe and I lost my mind. I was so into all of those chaos, that I ignored her.

But he came to know, and to prove Nandini about his ultimatum, he attack me that day at her house. She got scared. She got scared that what if I was actually harmed that day. She was numb and did what he said.

However, she didn't fall for his trap. She made mom aware of what he was doing. But mom didn't trusted her. Why will she? He was her loving husband.

Neyonika interrupted him.

I remember that day. I was in the university union and she walked up to me being anxious. I asked her what was the matter and she bluntly said all the happenings. I was blazing in anger. I... I ask... asked her ho.... how dare she point out m... my husb..... husband? And when she still didn't took her words back, I .... I sla.... slapped her.

She looked down at her palm and fisted it.

Manik glanced her and then continued.

After that day, she understood that Neyonika would need a solid proof to out come her daze of this masked man. She deliberately tried to reveal it to her once again so that the anonymous man can again send her a message and that happened. She showed that message to mom. And the message said that, now it will be the entire Malhotra Industry which will suffer.

He was the one who was trying to hack the system that day but Nandini suspected something wrong in the company and she herself  outstrip him so that the data doesn't go in wrong hand. However, in all these she got herself  involved in Shaurya's game. He didn't knew until then who Nandini was. But her this move exposed her and Shaurya's research helped him know who she was to me.

But still he didn't moved his focus. I was still his target.

Now Mom knew about him and she was broken. She blamed herself for making a wrong decision. But no matter what, I was her priority and she could do anything to keep me safe.

Nandini didn't let him knew about her new partner. She made sure that Shaurya focuses on her even after our breakup. But my one wrong step failed her entire strategy.

He looked at others who were listening to him with utmost attention. He somewhere down the line felt ashamed reminiscing what he did that time.

The time when I posted the pictures on Instagram and conducted that awful conference.

He looked down in guilt.

After that, we shifted here and he thought why not just kill me in one instead cause Nandini was of no use to her. He planned the entire plot of accident that was supposed to happen with me but unfortunately she was at my place and al... all tha.... that happen.... happened to her..... wha.... what was plann.... planned for me.

Something striked Cabir and he asked Manik,

Wait, if he can know all minute details of what Nandini was doing and what you were doing, how come he never came to know about Nandini's layout. If he was really so smart than how come he never came to know that it was Nandini in the car and not you?

This made everyone dive in thoughts. It was a valid question. How come he fail if he is a true player?

Manik too was wondering about it cause he never analyzed it.

Out of nowhere Mukti said,

Cause he never knew about your break up.

Manik, you are wrong.

Moreover, he knew no matter how much you admire someone, you will do what you want. You won't let someone influence your decision.

Also, he was never dependent on Nandini, he involved Harshad deliberately so that you get worked up and perform bad in market.

His motive was to kick you out of the company and not kill you. He didn't knew the car would fall of the bridge - that was truly an accident.

With that Mukti dug her own grave, as what was desired by Abhimanyu.

Everyone shot a looked at her. And Mukti realized her mistake. She gulped and glanced at Abhimanyu who was smirking and then at Manik who showed no emotion. She was terrified.

Neyonika walked up to her and held her with her shoulders.

How do you know all these?

She jerked him and Mukti had no answer other than shedding tears of remorse.

How do you know all these Mukti, answer me? It would have be possible only if.......

Only if you were to be involved with him.

Manik completed her and again left everyone in strauma except Abhimanyu who was enjoying the show.

Mukti was left dumbfound.

Manik faced Mukti and cupped her face,

IF I COULD MANAGE TO ARTICULATE TWO POLES OF THE WORLD TO SAVE NANDINI , WHY DO YOU THINK I WOULD FAIL TO IDENTIFY THE FOX IN THE FAMILY.

His eyes were blazing fire.

It took Manik all his might to not choke her.

The others had no choice other than simplifying what was going on.

Abhimanyu decided to bury the loop holes and shower some mercy on her.

Why do you think I will wait so long to inform Manik about your talents?

Mukti shouted with face drenched in tears,

You promised that you won't say him a word when you forgave me, when you married me.

Dhruv who still could not digest Mukti's involvement asked,

How could you Mukti? I know all of us wanted to let Nandini suffer at that time when we thought she cheated Manik with Harshad, but how could you plan to murder her?

Mukti lost the battle then and there.

I didn't plan to murder her Dhruv.

She screamed. But no one budged. No one including her childhood buddies believed her. No one for once, argued that she could not do this.

She literally fell on Manik's feet.

Please, please forgive me Manik, I never intended to kill her. I .... I was jus... just frustrated wit... with all the attention..... attention that you gav.... gave her. All.... all the time.....

It was always her ab.... above everyone.... including Fab..... Fab5.

Tumhe ushke alava kuch aur dikhta hi nahi tha.

Nandini. Nandini. Nandini.

Ushne tumhe mujhse dur kar diya tha. My best friend was not mine anymore.

She still spoke with loathe.

Manik looked down and replied emotionlessly,

Problem sirf tumko hui kisi aur ko nahi.

He pointed at others and continued,

I am equally important to Dhruv, Alya and Cabir but none of them did something wrong with her. In fact, they were the one who stepped ahead and said on to my face that I am wrong after the finals , remember?

Mukti had no answer except crying and saying,

Please forgive me Manik, please!

She looked at Abhimanyu and frowned. She said numbly,

Why would you do that?

You promised me when you married me that you will forgive me, hell, that's why I revealed the entire truth to you.

Abhimanyu moved his tongue in his cheek and replied,

Too bad, I married you because Manik asked me to. Why do you think, knowing that you contributed in making my sister's life miserable, I would marry you?

Manik sat on his knees as Mukti and wiped her tears innocently. However , he suddenly smirked and said evilly,

What could be a better punishment than being rejected yet being bound to the person you love?

He stood up and took a round around her saying,

Tumne mujhe Nandini se dur karna chaha kyuki tumhe laga ke mein ushke kaaran tumse dur gaya. Guess what, Abhimanyu tumse dur kabhi nahi jayega.....

He again bend down at her level and continued,

Lekin kabhi tumhare karibb bhi nahi aayega.

Woh tumhare saath is relationship mein baandhkar rahega lekin kabhi tumhe iss relationship se nikalne nahi dega.

Woh tumhara saath zindagi ke har kadam par dega lekin tumhe fursat se zindagi jeene nahi dega.

He moved away climbing the stairs and saying,

Have a Happy Married Life Mukti.

I N F Y S T A R