The next day after the entire Mukti debacle, Manik walked down whistling casually as if nothing had happened the night before. The others were still present in the house and were not so surprised seeing his casual approach. But none of them reacted as Nandini was present. All of them were settled at the breakfast table waiting for the Julius Caesar of the house to come. Manik walked into the dining room and moved towards the head chair. Nandini was settled onto his left. He stopped behind Nandini and bended down pressing his lips onto her hair and then sat on the head chair.

Nandini didn't even realized something happened until Dhruv who was sitting opposite to her chuckled and chocked on his tea, making everyone laugh.

She looked at Manik but he behaved as if nothing happened and he found the work of applying almond butter on bread for her, more interesting than her itself. Manik placed her bread on her plate and she got busy savoring it meanwhile observing the latest tiff between Mukti and others. She understood that something was off as the table was unusually quiet, but she didn't know whom to approach. She glanced Manik but she was sure he is not approachable right now as he will ask her to concentrate on her breakfast first.

She looked to her left where Cabir was whispering with Navya and she pulled his elbow to draw his attention. Cabir looked at her and raised his eyebrows.

Nandini bended towards his ear and whispered,

Whats up with everyone here? Itna sannaata kyun hai?

Cabir made a poker face at her futile attempt to sound like a villain. Their mini conversation was observed by Manik who cleared his throat intentionally and asked,

Whats going on?

Cabir immediately answered,

Woh Nonna has some confusion and she is afraid to ask you.

He put the entire blame on her not wanting to face an angry Manik.

Manik shifted his concentration towards Nandini demanding an answer but she ignored him. Manik let go of this matter and continued his breakfast.

Once everyone were done, Manik drew everyone's attention and stood up. He looked towards Neyonika asking the permission to proceed and she replied by blinking her eyes.

Today, I would like to announce something really important which I suppose, may change our life forever. None of us, including me will be same anymore.

He looked towards Nandini, held her right hand and kissed her knuckles,

Baby, I know I had promised to be beside you but now, I may not be able to do that. I promised that I will always love you but I may not be able to do that.

He again kissed her knuckles and let go of her hand.

Cabir, Dhruv, Abhimanyu and Harshad, I know you are not going to forgive me for what am I going to do today, but just remember one thing, I always needed to do this. And I will not change my need for anything and anyone present in this room.

He again looked towards Nandini and said,

That includes you to Nandini.

This scared the hell out of everyone. And Nandini too be specific, was is shock. The way her Manik was behaving with her was absurd.She was feeling an unnamed emotion within her and it took her the entire worlds' might to not break down into tears.

Neyonika somewhere knew where he is going but after what he did yesterday, she was expecting this. She was expecting this "talk" will be brought after by Manik soon. But she didn't knew it will be the day after itself.

Harshad and Abhimanyu were confused. They were thinking about Nandini at the moment. If Manik's this move would bring about a change in Nandini then they vow to make his life hell.

Manik faced towards them and said,

Abhimanyu and Harshad, I know you guys are probably planning to kill me if this somewhere has to do with her and I am not afraid to say Yes.

Yes, this will affect her.

And I guarantee, she will not remain the same person she is today.

He again looked at Nandini and said,

As much as I don't want you to change, I can't stop myself from doing this. I have been looking up to this day and I will not change it cause of you.

And that was it.

Nandini broke down into tears cause of the pressure he was building up and she hid her face into her palms.

Manik made no move to console her and Harshad was all ready to break his jaws.

Manik stared Nandini for a while, analyzing something and took a deep breath,

I, Manik Raj Malhotra , hereby announce that three days from this moment , I will be getting married to Nandini Murthy at Bella Montagna and all the pupils in this house hearing me are cordially invited.

Today at 7 in the evening will be the official engagement and from tomorrow we will begin with the rituals of haldi in the afternoon.

Neyonika was the first one to come and hug him as she knew he was going to announce the wedding today, followed by the others.

No doubt, he managed to push them in bombshell with the way he proceeded but at the end all of them were happy for the couple.

Abhimanyu hugged him meanwhile whispering,

Bro, I swear, you just gave a heart attack. Is this a way to announce such a thing?

Manik replied him with a grin to which Abhimanyu slapped him funnily and said,

Best of Luck for dealing with Nandini now.

Understanding his taunt Manik at once looked at Nandini to find her missing and he ran towards their room shouting,

OHHHH SHITTTTTTT !

Three days later, it was the day of Manik - Nandini's wedding. Nandini was at Harshad's house as it was his wish to dress his sister up for her wedding at his house. Unfortunately he could never come on terms with Alya and this was the only time he could celebrate his relation with Nandini.

The wedding was arranged at Bella Montagna, a premiere wedding location in San Jose suburbs. The place was famous for Christian weddings but Manik decided to held their Indian wedding there. He was all ready in his Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla shervani. A mixture of velvet in navy with a red pashmina shawl.The much forced pre-wedding photoshoot by Nandini was finally completed in their backyard. The wedding was going to commence in three hours.

Neyonika who was standing on the rim of the glass door to backyard was reminiscing her wedding with Vivaan and her eyes got moist for a moment. Manik accidentally glanced her and ask her through his eyes but she replied back with a sweet smile. He then, again got busy in his shoot.

As all the young beautiful girls, Nandini too had her own set of wishes for her wedding and Manik touched ends to fulfill them.

It was time for them to move towards the venue. Neyonika made him wear Vivaan's pearl necklace and wished him best wishes for the new beginning of his life.

Fab 5 and Manik's business acquaintances accompanied him. They were the first one to reach the venue. The mandaap was all decorated with white and pink roses as Nandini wanted. The walkway towards the mandaap was filled with white rose petals making it look like a path to heaven the lateral side of the walkway had candles and peacock feathers.

All the invitees were already there. To the right of the mandaap Manik could see Harshad and Abhimanyu dressed in similar shervani. This showed that Nandini was here already and the desperation to see her increased ten folds.

Manik was made to sit on the mandaap and the priest started with the holy chants.

The entire ambiance was a daze for him. He could see himself playing the past in front of his eyes. It felt like a dream, a dream that he was weaving and weaving since forever and now finally it was about to come true.

The priest was asking him to do some tasks and he was following him, obediently.

Perhaps, he was ready to enter a new zone, a new zone where he know that his love - Nandini was going to be always there, beside him.

The bride was called and Manik's longing eyes drew towards the walkway without blinking. He had created an image for his bride where she was clade in a beautiful dress with all the jewelry of his name. The mehendi and chuda - just for him!

Abhimanyu, Harshad, Maddy and Paul were there to accompany him. Well, Paul - Nandini's doctor was called from Germany for the wedding cause even he was like an elder brother for her.

All four of them carried the sacred red duppata over her head.

And there she was.

In a handcrafted lehenga with emerald jewels - just as he wished!

Manik stood up and came forward, the priest asked him to stop as he was supposed to do some stuff but Manik turned deaf and moved down the mandaap.

Both of them were approaching each other. Manik took one last stride and held her palm. He was about to take her with him but Harshad interrupted,

Manik, Dulhan hamesha is laal chunri ke niche hei mandaap tak pohoch ti hai.

And even before Manik could sort out a solution, Harshad and Abhimanyu took a step forward and cover both Manik and Nandini under the chunri.

Soon, they were on the mandaap, and the rituals followed one after the other.

Nandini all the way was calm and serene, unlike Manik who was still conscious. She looked at him when the priest asked Manik to fill her hairline with vermillion.

Manik pinched some in his left hand and turned his torso towards her.

Alya had already shifted her maang tikka.

Manik stopped his hand above her head and bend down, first pressing his lips on her hairline for a noticeable while , followed by filling it up.

Nandini blushed her fullest - courtesy Manik's public display of affection.

Manik saw her blushing and pressed her index finger at her cheeks and then kissed his finger.

This time Nandini without missing a minute pinched his waist which caused him to twitch. Manik glared her to which Nandini shifted her gaze towards Neyonika in return Neyonika too glared at Manik.

Well this small look- look game was the precap of Manik's future and he very well knew it.

Then the priest asked him to tie the nuptial chain, Navya being the sister-in-law of Manik forwarded it to him and he very lovingly removed it from the box and raised it towards her, Nandini bend towards him and he tied the sacred thread around her neck. A slim chain with black and golden beads with just a diamond solitaire in the middle.

Beta, yeh mangalsutra aaj se tumhare liye nishani hai ki tumhara suhaag , tumhara pati zinda hai, ishe hamesha apne pas rakhna.

The priest explained Nandini.

Manik interrupted him and again bend towards Nandini this time removing a silver chain from her neck which he gifted her some time back. It was very special for her and she wore it on all her special days. He was very sure she would be wearing it even today.

He removed the chain and forwarded it to Nandini.

Isse mujhe pehnao.

He ordered.

Nandini had a proud smile and fulfilled his wish.

Manik looked at priest and said,

Yeh aaj se mere liye nishaani hai ki meri zindagi, meri wife Nandini zinda hai , aur ye mein hamesha apne saat rakhunga.

The priest blessed the newly married couple.

Manik and Nandini stood up.

Cabir looked towards the guests and loudly said,

For the first time Ladies and Gentleman, here I present to you Mr. Manik Malhotra and Mrs. Nandini Murthy Malhotra.

They replied him with blessing the couple.

It was 3.47 A.M., Manik was deeply in sleep, in his birth suite, after celebrating their love. Their room was decorated with candles and flowers and also with his shervani which he threw away during their passionate journey. He was sleeping on his stomach covered with the white fur comforter up to his waist. He had a sweet soothing smile probably due to the wonderland he was in. But the room was freezing cold, not cause of the failure of heater but because Nandini was standing against the patio keeping the glass door open.

She was clad in just the red raw silk cloth around her chest which was flowing over her body to the floor, swiping about four feet behind her. She had the chuda and nuptial chain on her along with the vermillion which had blended in her open tresses.

She had both of her hands resting on the railing enjoying the cool breeze and serenity of the ambience.

Today, a lot had happened, a lot had changed, and a lot had begin - for her.

Nandini Manik Malhotra.

Kabhi socha nahi tha ek din ye naam sach hoga aur itna accha lage ga.

Yeh jo ajeeb si gabhraahat thi seene mein, jese mein kuch chodd raahi hu peche, jese ke mein kissi ke saat kuch bura kar rahi hu, jese ki mein kisiko dhokaa de rahi hu, aaj lagta hai ki bujj gai.

She exhaled deeply.

Its been five years, five damn years since the green room drama.

But it seems like nothing changed.

She turned around and looked at Manik through the white transparent drape looking crisp in the candle night.

The Man For Whom I Had Ripped My Heart Open , Is The Man Who Can Fight The Entire World To Bring Me The Bud Of My Favorite Rose.

Manik.

She turned again towards the darkness in the woods.

Perhaps, I would have never known the depth of his love if I would have been successful in taking my life five years back.

Yes.

I Remember.

I remember everything.

I never lost my memory.

I remember every point, every detail, ever person, every emotion and every reality.

And I don't regret it - neither my past nor my present.

She caressed the diamond in her nuptial chain.

People will say I am mad, I am a fool that I should have hated him and punished him for his deeds. But I could have never done that.

I love him.

And I can never suppress my love with hate for him.

What ever he did with me, with my career and with my emotions was just based on a lie that I put forward for him.

When his feelings and reactions were based on a lie, how can I develop a hate for him.

Agar meri nazaro se dekho na toh pyaar ka Juth hona hi sabse se bada sach hai.

At the moment when I saw my death in front of my eyes, in deep water trapped in a car, the only thing that came into my mind was that maybe, maybe my man would spent his rest of the life hating me cause after this I may never get a chance to see him again.

But I think I was not loved by God and henceforth he never called me up to him.

I was conscious all the time when I was in hospital. Though I didn't open my eyes, I could still feel everything happening around me, and I could listen everything people around me were saying though it wasn't clear, but I could decipher it.

Harshad, Shraddha, Neyonika Maa, Abhimanyu and Cabir plotted the entire revenge thing for him. I knew it. I always heard Shru around me saying what all she want to do to Manik for destroying me and provoking me to kill myself.

I so wanted to say that don't. Please don't do anything with him. He is not at fault. His reaction was impulsive but I know he never meant taking my life. It was my decision out of frustration. He never forced me to do that. In fact, he was the one who had managed to keep me alive today. It was his eternal love which made me stay conscious even when my body gave up.

I heard Harshad begging Paul to save me when he said that my body had given up. I had felt people around me getting frustrated, crying and then giving up.

I had felt Paul telling me to come back to provide justice to the people who were trying their best to bring me back to life.

And I felt terrible.

Then one day, I felt a sudden pain. A pain which I felt had the capacity to take my life away. And after that it was blank.

I could no more feel anything around me.

Just pain that generated in my heart and slowly spread all over my body.

I could not feel or sense anything just coldness.

Sheer coldness of death.

Until that fraction of the moment when I heard him calling me,

NANDINI.

And that was the moment I felt gathering all the left out energy from the corners of my body and getting up to greet him.

If he can come all the way to meet me even after not knowing the complete truth, I can at least get up to greet him with love.

After that things were slowly falling into place.

And one day, I finally opened my eyes - after a sleep of one and half years.

To see him.

I had expected him sitting beside me and hugging me at the moment I open my eyes, but he wasn't there.

I opened my eyes to see Stella and Paul who informed me that Manik had been out to fetch my medicines.

That was the first time I saw Paul Rogers. And to be truthful he was just the way I had imagined him.

He was the one who told me all what had happened till this day in my absence.

How Cabir came to know, how they all together executed the revenge for Manik, how Manik came to know about me being here through Harshad and also how he announced his exit from Fab5 and Music.

And that was the time when I realized that I need to know what he feels now. No matter what, I can never come on terms with the fact that it was almost two years since our split. Two years since we came together.

What if he had moved on?

What if he had came here just to show pity towards me?

What if he is here just cause Cabir and Neyonika Maa had feelings for me?

I was waiting for him since then but what if he had left me back two years ago and journeyed on his own.

I needed answers.

I wanted him to show me and make me believe that he still loves me and he is here for me.

And that's when I decided to draft this entire story.

I wanted to know how he reacts after knowing that I am blank. Will he fill me up with our cruel past or will he write our future?

I ordered Paul to go out and say to the world that I have lost my memory.

I wanted him to come back to me to love me as who I am and not out of sympathy.

And my wish came true.

He laid the universe for me to choose my entertainment.

He helped me recover both physically and emotionally. He held me at all the steps when I tripped. He patted me to sleep every night to shoo away my nightmares. He tasted even a glass of water before giving me. He made sure that I was okay after every MRI scan. He was there to support my back when I complained him to not take a step forward cause of pain.

He was there at every second for me.

I can truthfully say that I fell in love with Manik all over again.

Then came the day, when he proposed me.

I so wanted to confess him that he is wrong, he is not responsible for me forgetting everyone around me, I remember everything.

I wanted to shout out loud to bring him out of the guilt he was drowning every day.

But I never gathered the courage.

I could never come up to him and say the truth.

Cause I could never forgive him for one thing,

The only thing I hold against him.

She saw the darkness fading and moved inside the room.

She came on the bed next to him and caressed his nape hairs.

Perhaps, this could be his punishment from me.

The punishment to spend his rest of the life in guilt.

The punishment for taking me for granted.

She bent forward moving his hair away from his forehead and kissed the newly formed space.

Because,

For Her To Live He Had To Die; And She Cannot Afford To Pay For Her Life On The Cost Of His.

THE END

I N F Y S T A R