Nandni was talking to Aleeza sitting at dining table. Both have developed good bonding just in one day. All servants were roaming around nandni, taking her good care. Nandni was feeling happy and was surprised how they all were showering unconditional love.

Aleeza went in kitchen to do her work. Nandni stood up and started looking around. She didn't see manik since morning after kitchen incident. She turned around she saw he was there, sat at sofa doing his work at laptop.

"He looks so serious and a strict person" Nandni thought while staring at him. Manik was so engrossed, reading a file.

Nandni was lost ogling at his charming personality. She became embarrassed when abruptly manik looked up and noticed nandni is lost looking at him. He raised his brows as asking what are you looking for. Looks like manik was totally in teasing mood. Nandni embarrassingly shook her head to say nothing. And walked away in kitchen.

"why I always make myself fool at front of him" Nandni entered in kitchen cursing herself.

"Aleeza can you make one cup of coffee for me. And what nandni is doing in kitchen?" manik asked when he was passing through living room.

"Yeah sure sir just give me 5 minutes and your coffee will be ready. Sir nandni is cutting vegetables in kitchen. She wants to cook something" Aleeza told hesitantly, what if he became angry.

"I told all of you she needs rest and she don't need to do kitchen work then why you didn't stop her. Send her out here. Go fast" manik asked sternly to Aleeza.

"OK sir" Aleeza left without delay of any second.

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"Nandni please leave these things here and go out. Go go. Manik sir will not leave me if I let you cook here. Aleeza said with horrible face.

"Why I can't cook..? Please let me do, I'm feeling bored in my room" Nandni was pleading walking behind Aleeza who is preparing coffee.

"Sweeti I know you wanna do but if I didn't send you out manik sir will fire me from my job. Please try to understand his anger is the last thing any one wants to face" Aleeza informed with helpless tune.

"Nandni please can you give this coffee to manik sir. Please" Aleeza stopped nandni who was going out with grumpy face. Nandni took coffee and went straight towards manik.

"Why I can't do any thing in kitchen" nandi asked with angry tune after putting cup at front of manik.

"Because I said you will not do any work means you won't, that's it" manik replied without looking up from his laptop.

"Why..?" nandi asked annoyingly with little high voice.

"I don't need to answer you. Let me do my work peacefully. Don't disturb me" now manik replied looking straight in her eyes. She felt anger in his expressions and tone. She realised, its first time she talked in high pitched voice with someone. May be new place, new routine, new people and exhausted past few days were pissing her off. She walked away without saying anything further.

She entered her room and threw herself at chair. She squeezed her head feeling angry, annoyed, hurt and helpless. She was trying to divert the rage upon her mind.

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"Shit what I did. Why I talked to her this way" manik moved his fingers from his messy hairs after putting laptop at table. No one questioned him this way as nandni did. Her angry tone made him furious. Her explosion now making him restless.

At the other hand she closed the door and slipped into her blanket. She didn't went down for lunch also. She was avoiding manik coz of embarrassment and anger at the same time. Aleeza came many times to call her but nandni didn't come down.

Now it was evening but still she didn't come out from her room. Now manik was becoming worried. He went and knocked her door. Nandni opened tye door and saw manik with serious face. She drifted her gaze away from him.

"Change your clothes and come down. We are going out. Manik asked her with full attitude.

"Why...? I don't want to go anywhere" nandni replied letting her eyes fall sternly on his face.

"Nandni dont test my patience otherwise I will take you in same condition" manik replied furiously.

"I'm not bound to follow your all orders" Nandni replied showing no fear. She was going out from room when Manik grabbed her wrist and pulled her back.

"Leave me..!!!" she almost shouted , pulling her wrist to glare at him with tear-filled eyes. But as hard she was trying, his grip was becoming more stronger. When she felt she have no strength to struggle more, tears of helplessness seep down her cheeks.

"What you think of yourself. Every one should do what you will order. You will say sit I will sit, you will say stand and I will stand. It's your home so I can't even breath freely. From next time I will never make you angry while roaming around without your permission" Her voice was breaking and body was shaking with sudden outpouring. Nandni was letting out her all frustration while her tears were stubborn to flow. Manik felt urge to wipe her tears, to protect her from pain. He pulled her into his arms to make her relax.

"Since the day you came back you just scolding me. Aap bohat burry ho, bohat burry ho" she was complaining like a child while sobbing in his chest.

"Shhhh...!!! I didn't mean to hurt you. I just wanted you to take rest" manik whispered near her ear. He placed his cheek at her head tightening his embrace around her shivering body. She was sobbing bitterly holding his shirt at both sides of waist.

Manik closed his eyes feeling warmth of her. This feeling was making him out of the world. He can feel her raged breaths and madly beating heart against his chest. Her sweet girlish scent was forcing him to forget his surroundings.

Proximity was giving them feels of heaven. Nandni composed herself and slowly opened her eyes still leaning into his chest. That was the moment She felt what just happened in heat of the moment. He kept holding her until her sobbing subsided. She pushed him away, took two step back. Manik silently loking at her. Without looking at him she ran away in washroom and closed the door behind her. She placed hand at her thundering heart after shutting her eyes tightly. She opened tap and splashed cold water at her face to come back in senses.

"why in his embrace I was feeling peaceful. Why I wanted to be in his arms. Why those moments were blissful...!" Nandni was thinking still standing inside washroom. These feelings were new for her. She was failed to understand what was happening with her.

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"Aleeza where is manik...?" Nandni asked coming down after getting fresh.

"Manik sir is waiting for you outside" Aleeza replied with softest smile.

Nandni wore red shalwaar kameez with dupatta which was complimenting her skin. Cool night breeze was forcing her long hairs to sway gracefully at her petite waist. Manik was standing leaning against his car, putting both hands in jeans pockets. He was wearing light blue T-shirt, white jeans with dark blue blazer. He was looking stunning. He shifted his eyes towards nandni when she approached him. Manik stood straight and came closer to her.

"Are you ok...?" manik asked politely seeing her swollen eyes. Husk and care in his voice made nandni's heartbeat quickened once again. Nandni just nodded her head with smile.

"Well then let's go.." manik exclaimed while opening door of car for her. Both sat in car and manik took driver seat. He wanted to spend alone time with nandni without guards roaming around. Whole drive both remained silent. After half an hour car stopped near beach. Manik came towards nandni and opened her door and asked her to come out. Both were walking feeling soothing sounds of waves under black clouds. Manik knew it nandni was feeling suffocating so he brought her at beach, to give her fresh atmosphere.

"Nandni you really think I'm bounding you. I'm making you suffocate" he asked not looking towards her for once. His words came as a shock for her. She embarrassingly looked down remembering her outburst at him.

" Nandni this house isn't mine it's not yours, it's ours. Don't say ever again that I'm controlling you because it's mine home" finally he stopped and turned towards nandni on smooth sandy shoreline. Nandni bites her lower lip and felt his gaze at her luscious lips. She looked down blushing when he came closer and held her hands.

"I just want to take your good care. I want my family fit and fine around me" manik exclaimed after locking his fierce eyes with hers. His words were full of care and his gaze was bounding her in spell.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't talk to you like this. Baba's upbringing doesn't allow his daughter to behave this way" Nandni said with moist eyes reflecting her guilt.

"It's ok. Don't take stress again. Come let's take a walk then we will go for dinner. Why You always release your anger at food." manik asked in teasing tone.

"No..I..I...was..just" Nandni replied meekly. She immediately looked down having no idea what to say and he chuckled enjoying her condition. After a peaceful silent walk they went for dinner. Both were coming back when manik received call from office.

"Sir we need your sign at few papers. Mr malhotra is also out of city for meeting so we need your sign" manager informed manik at phone call.

"I can't come at this time. I will come early morning and will sign tomorrow" manik completed in serious tone.

"Sorry sir it's urgent. Please sir we need an important discussion also about few documents" manager replied leaving no other option.

"Ok I'm coming. Just keep ready all documents" manik replied with hard eyes looking straight at road.

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"Nandni go inside. Take your medicines and take rest. Ask Aleeza to be around you untill I'm back. Ok" manik gave instructions after dropping nandni at home and drove away for office.

Nandni came inside and looked for Aleeza but couldn't find her anywhere. Nandni realised all other servants also left for their quarters. But Aleeza always Spends night in malhotra mansion. Now nandni became little tensed but leaving all worries she went in her room. She slipped into her blanket after closing her room door.

At the other hand Manik went inside his office and directly entered in meeting room. All staff members gathered in meeting room also.

Manik started meeting and discussion was going on. Manik turned his mobile at silent mode. Manager informed that suddenly in emergency Mr raj have to go for meeting out of city and next day he will come back.

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Nandni never spend time alone at home. It was first time when in huge mansion no one was there. Nandni was trying to sleep. After tossing left and right she slipped into sleep.

" I was in dark room. Someone called my name. I turned around there was baba outside of my room. He spread both arms and signalled me to come towards him. I was so happy and wanted to reach him as soon as possible. I was trying to go out but some one caged me in strong grip. I wasn't able to move. Suddenly I felt walls of room shrinking. My surroundings becoming darker. I was screaming for baba to pull me out from that dark room. As walls were coming closer. I was feeling my lungs squeezing. I wasn't able to breath more. Suddenly door was also shutting down and I wasn't seeing baba any more. I was screaming in darkest room. Walls were around me slowly moving more closer. Now there wasn't any space to even move. I just screamed for baba. Baba...baba..."

Nandni suddenly got up at her bed. It was horrible dream. She was breathless. Her whole body was shivering and sweating. She was looking every where in room surprisingly. Trying to come back in senses that it was just a nightmare. Nandni's breath hitched when lights became off. She started to search her mobile to turn on the light. She felt same situation what she saw in dream. She was alone in room and darkness wasn't allowing her to breath. Darkness started tearing her lungs and fear plucking at her nerves.

She was looking for mobile but couldn't find. She came out from her blanket and started to walk towards door of room. She jumped at her place when her room window opened with pressure of air. She felt muscles of heart tightened with fear and darkness. Weather was horrible outside. Coz of wind windows were shutting and opening itself. She was trying to keep herself strong and steady. She was taking slow steps to reach coffee table to search her mobile. Nandni was breathing hardly. As she reached near coffee table she was moving her hands in darkness at table but couldn't find anything. She jumped up with horror when sound of lightening thunder echoed in silent dark mansion. Now darkness and lack of oxygen in her lungs were making her miserable. She had started to cry.

She was moving back trying to keep her calm. She shrieked loudly when she banged with side table and flower vase also fell down with loud thud. Nandni's hand reached to land line phone. She picked up and was searching number of manik in phone book of wireless. Her hands were shaking her whole face was sweating. She found manik's number and dialled it. Phone was ringing but he didn't pick up. She again dialled but still bell was ringing but no response. Now she was losing her forbearance.

"Manik where are you. Please pick up the phone. Please manik pick up the phone. Meri saans band ho rahi. Please phone uthao" she was mumbling still crying miserably. She was dialling his number again and again. Darkness was sucking air from her lungs. She was trying to stand steadily holding nearest wall. She took a step back when something sharp pierced through her bare foot.

"Ouch..." she cried in pain and sat at floor. It was piece of glass. She pulled out from her foot, hissing in pain. Once again her screams echoed in her room when lightening thunder made unbearable loudest sound again.

"Manik where are you. Please come back. Please. Meri saans rukk rahi hey. Please come back" she was emitting weakly sitting in dark corner. She folded her legs near her chest. She buried her face in her legs hugging her knees. She felt deep sense of loneliness. A wave of horror washing over her but still was trying to be strong.

"Please come back manik. Baba I need you. Please your doll needs you" she was murmuring with tears flowing down. She was crying and her sobs were echoing in painful silence. Stormy weather was freaking her out. She held her shirt at chest tightly when she felt herself drowning in darkness. She was losing her senses.

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Manik finished his meeting after two hours. He picked his mobile up and exited his office. Manik sat in car and saw so many miss calls from home land-line number. He became worried he started his car. Coming back home he tried many times at landline number but no one was picking up. Now manik was becoming worried. Outside weather was extremely horrible and night was dark. Thinking about all possibilities what might be happen, he was becoming crazy. He was driving so fast.

"Nandni pick up the phone" he banged his hands at steering wheel when he dialled landline once again.
He entered in malhotra mansion as fast as possible. He came out and saw whole mansion was dark.

"why it's so dark. Why lights are off" manik asked one guard almost came running towards him.

"Sir there is some problem in power room. Keys of power room are with other guard who was for day shift. Sir I went in servant quarters to find duplicate keys. Coz of darkness I wasn't able to search keys. So it took some time. I just came back now I'm going to fix it.

"What..!! are you out of your mind. How you can be so careless" manik was shouting at guard.

"Sir actually Aleeza was trying to contact you but she couldn't. Her mother wasn't well so she have to go back her home. So no one was at home that's why I was just going to fix" guard was telling manik totally unaware about nandni who was inside. This guard was at holidays and just tonight started his night shift. He wasn't aware about nandni's shifting at Malhotra mansion.

"What..Aleeza also not in home. Shit...Nandni is alone inside" manik ran towards main entrance. As he entered living room whole mansion was dark. He called nandni's name but got no reply. As soon as he reached her room he looked around with mobile light. He saw a brocken vase shattered at floor. Finally he saw her curled up in one corner. He ran towards her and kneeled down at front of her. He slowly raised his hand to touch her. He was so afraid after seeing condition of room and her silence.

"Nandni...!!!" he took her name like prayer while touching her shoulders. He became perturbed when she fell in his arms unconscious. Now manik panicked when he saw her lifeless in his arms. With trembling hands he touched her pale face. He felt dry tears at her cheeks showing from which situation she went through. He patted her cheeks to bring her back in her senses. His heart clenched after seeing her in this condition. Lights also came back as soon as manik picked her up in his arms. He placed her stiff cold figure at her bed. He saw her foot bleeding. He was cursing himself why he left her at mercy of others.

"Nandni wake up. Please open your eyes" manik was saying rubbing her hands. He sprinkled water at her face. She little bit trembled when water droplets touched her face. Next moment she saw towards him with half opened eyes. Abruptly she got up in sitting position.

"Manik...!! She called his name with weakest voice with tears flowing down her cheeks. Without saying anything he pulled her into tight hug.

"Manik...I..was..calling..you. It was..so..dark. I..was scared. I..was..alone. I..saw..a..bad..dream. I..was scared I..I..called..you many...times. I..can't..live..in darkness. Why..you..didn't..pick my..calls" she was crying badly clutching his blazer. Still She wasn't in her senses. She was holding him so tightly, thinking what if he left her again.

"Im sorry. I wil never leave you alone again. I'm here. It's not dark now. Relax I'm here with you" He was consoling moving his fingers in her soft hairs so lovingly. He squeezed her more in his chest rubbing her back. She was curled up in his arms like little scared kitten.

"Im sorry, I will never leave you alone. I'm sorry" he was continiously uttering burying her in his chest.
He kept hugging her to him for long time while his hands were moving at her back. His cologne was ensuring her that he was there with her. she was in his safe and protective arms.Seems like for manik she was the only in the world mattered at that moment.

After a while he tried to little move away but nandni immediately held him tighter and snuggled more in his chest.

"Nandni let me see your foot. It's bleeding" he whispered politely in her ear. But she wasn't ready to leave him. She was still scared And manik can feel her heaving chest with fearful deep breaths. Manik took out his mobile and called at intercom at main gate to call the guard.

"I need first aid box in nandni's room asap" manik asked guard sternly. Next moment guard knocked the door and came inside to give first aid box. Himaish was scared about what blunder he did.

"Put it near me and leave I will talk to all of you tomorrow. Leave" manik shouted at guard. Manik calmed himself down when he felt her raising heart beat listening his shouts. Manik moved away and made her sit straight.

"let me do dressing of your foot" manik grabbed her foot and placed at his thigh.

"ouch..." She clutched bed sheet tightly when she felt burning touch of antiseptic medicine.

"sorry.." Manik Looked up and blowed at her burning wound.

"Feeling better....??" After dressing her wound manik asked her. She nodded her head slowly.

"I want to sleep" Nandni whispered looking in his eyes.

"Ok sleep, take rest" manik said before getting up from bed to leave.

"Please can you stay here" Nandni whispered holding his hand. Manik looked back at their entwined hands and then at her fearful eyes. At one side that night was stormy and at other hand two souls feeling difficult to handle storm taking place in their innocent hearts.

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