Guys, hey! I'm sorry for disappearing and not even updating, actually I was in Ladakh holidaying and I couldn't get any network to even drop in a message :( I'm really sorry! In fact, I reached home a couple of hours ago, and checked my Wattpad after SEVEN days 😭 Everyone who was worried, I'm so sorry <3 I'm completely fine! ;) (and thanks for worrying :P I'm glad I'm not forgotten!)

How was a Monday and Thursday without this book? :P On a serious note, I missed publishing so I'm back here early in the morning! If you like this chapter, or any part of this chapter, please shower your love? :P so much love to you all :') I'll get back to every comment by the end of the day! <3

And and, SEASON 3 IS SO FREAKING AMAZING! I binge-watched a few episodes and I really want to share my thoughts about it, what do I do? :( I'M SO FREAKING HYPER! I'M BACK TO CRAZY KYY FANGIRLING :') but I don't know how to share my views!

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Manik

As people exited the meeting room, I threw up a smile at them as a gesture of kindness, slipping my phone out to check on Naina. I was typing a text out to Nandini, when someone patted my back in appreciation. "Good job, Manik. You've made us proud." Instantly, I pressed the phone to my chest, trying my best to be grateful to him.

He gave me a suspicious look and then smirked. "Manik, there are a few clients I'd like you to meet." After I nodded almost forcibly, I was literally pulled along to one corner of the room. A couple of old men and a middle-aged woman were present in that end of the hall. Mr. Mehta stopped right before them. "He is the mastermind behind your project's ambience." Your?

One of those men gave me a cursory look. Mr. Mehta seemed proud though. The woman beside him studied me carefully and then rolled her eyes. The environment was too hostile. Why was I even there? "This is Manik Malhotra, the best employee in my department."

The lady scanned my shoes, my outfit, and then my hair and finally my face. She was a little pleased after that not-so-subtle examination, because her eyes drifted to Mr. Mehta and then me with an approving smile. I was slightly offended by the examination. She raised her hand out to me. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Malhotra. I see you've raised some standards for the others here."

"No no, I've not done anything great. It's all achievable with dedication to responsibility." There were a short awkward moment of silence then. I'd never been in a more uncomfortable situation before. She moved her eyeballs with a demeanor best suited for the rich class and then made an exit. I also needed to check on my baby. Though she was really small, she had the capability to create all the drama she possibly could.

On this planet, there were only two people I feared. One, obviously Nandini and two, a part of her, our daughter. I made a move too, excusing myself.

***

Nandini

It was a late Wednesday afternoon. I was trying to handle a crying Naina but I couldn't really figure out what was bothering her. Maybe she needed her diaper changed.

I remembered the last time I'd tried, I couldn't figure the front and the back, couldn't get the tab to stick on properly and then I burst into tears, for being such a useless mother. It wasn't like I didn't want to learn, but I didn't want to make things uncomfortable for our baby, especially when she was already cranky.

I really wished I could contact Manik for some assistance but my phone died with all the nursery rhymes we listened to, together, and I'd left my phone charger at Manik's place!

Could my life be any worse?

I headed to the next possible person who could help me. "Mr. Mehta, Manik kahan hai?" (Mr. Mehta, where is Manik?) Mr. Mehta was busy in editing some official documents but I really couldn't care less. My worries were more important. I had no time to think if I was bothering him. It was all the more better if I was, honestly.

"Manik Sonali ke saath hai, why?" (Manik is with Sonali, why?) He was obliviously talking to me, as if paying no heed to my presence, at least for what I assumed. Just the mention of her name got my temper rising, especially because it was her. There hadn't been one time that she behaved properly when she was around him. She was always trying to flaunt her body, too bad she has a perfect figure and a good height to compliment her. I was always envious of her, for more than one reason. She was attractive, undeniably. Manik didn't deserve a mess like me. What if he fell for her?

There was a limit to which I could handle. Knowing Manik and his helpless, obligatory reactions to Sonali's advances, I couldn't really stop my imagination from running wild. Enough is enough, mark your territory now, Nandini. Don't let someone steal what is yours. I cupped my baby's head to my chest, to protect her from witnessing her mother's rage.

"WHY? Have you forgotten? He's here to work, and not to romance with your daughter!" I was shrill and crisp. I couldn't care to be subtle. If he could fire Navya for just helping out with Naina, and if rules were the same for all, I'd fire him for messing around with what's mine. My possession hit a whole new level.

Manik was like the ozone. I was like the sun. People appreciate the sun's light and warmth, but who ever thought about the harm the sun could cause without a protective layer like the ozone? Manik was the only person who, to mask my flaws, stood before me and selflessly ruined himself in the process. He was always an unnoticed character in my success.

I was afraid that behind those scenes, there would be another person who appreciates him for who he is, and will steal him away from me. The fear that always swirled around me came out as frustration and intolerance.

Mr. Mehta stood up instantly. "Nandini, why are you behaving like this?" My upper hand over him would always get him to crumple beneath my feet. On any other day, I'd be proudly smirking and complimenting myself but that day, emotions took over. I loathed that man. I no longer saw him as my server counterpart manager.

"Sahi hai! Matlab you think everyone is like you in this world na, jo apni bacchhi ko aise hi akele choddke bhaagte hai; or should I say, you want just that!" (Exactly! You think everyone is like you in this world, who abandons their child and runs away; or should I say you want just that!) I spat with disgust. If he thought he had the power to snatch Manik away from my baby and me, he'd have to face my rage. Manik couldn't leave us alone, and Mr. Mehta couldn't accomplish that. Behind all those 'couldn't's, there was a little part of me that denied my beliefs, as revenge for the troubles I put him through.

"You want all men to be like you! You know, jo bhi tumne mere saath kiya na, you're paying for it, dusri wali bhi choddke chali gayi!" (You know, for whatever you did to me, you're paying for it, your second wife also left you!)

"Nandini, stop okay?" He slammed one of the armrests of his seat in distress. I knew exactly how to trigger him. I wasn't feeling anything less. I had a crying baby already and that hopeless man had the nerve to agitate me with his desperate attempts to get his dumb daughter involved with my husband. "Enough!"

"Kyoon? Are you ashamed to accept yourself for abandoning me? You think women are weak na, so get one thing straight, I am one of the strongest women you've seen, and you know why? Because I've fought through evil people like you to mark my spot in the world. I didn't marry a rich woman for money." (Why?) I was never that courageous before. In fact, only I knew how hard it was for me to put up such a confident front when all I felt inside was fear.

Fear instills new emotions and power. I feared losing the family I was adjusting to; Manik and Naina were the family that was turning out to be a beautiful part of my life. I could never even face Mr. Mehta earlier and there I was, ruling over him. He was powerless, giving the younger Nandini Murthy the satisfaction of throwing him a taste of his own medicine.

The man who abandoned me, Mr. Mukesh Murthy, was the man who remarried and changed his surname, surrendering to his wife as Mr. Mukesh Mehta, my biological father. His name was as retro as his mindset was; no offense to anyone with that surname!

He made me believe that there existed a thing called 'karma' that you don't meddle with. He left my mother and I, to live his life, and his wife died, leaving him. What goes around comes around, definitely. If anyone ever asks me why I am like this, it's because of that useless man standing before me.

Yes, Sonali was my half-sister; the second reason why I don't want Manik to be around her. That sinner was repenting for his mistake and honestly, how else do you think I actually got a project in HyLyte? It was his repayment for ruining the little Nandini Murthy. Another secret was that the project HyLyte was completing for us was not in the financial records of my company.

"Listen to me very carefully. Manik kabhi apne responsibilities se nahi bhaagta and na hi tum log usko badal sakte ho. Manik ka dhyaan aur kahi nahi hai!" (Manik never runs away from his responsibilities and you guys cannot do anything to change it. His attention is nowhere else!) I said those words, as if consoling myself after the deadly outburst.

I was clinging onto my baby, who was my only support at that moment. Somehow, she knew her Mommy was beyond hurt and she managed to silence her cries to listen to Mommy's silent screams in desperation. I bet she learned how to be selfless from her Daddy. Her little hand clasped my collar just above my heart intuitively. Touched by her act, my eyes teared up, while I held her more affectionately, unable to express my real elation.

"Manik will NOT leave his daughter the way you left me, that's why it's best if you stay away from him and Naina. I don't want another human like you in this world." The volcano in me erupted in the fiercest way possible. I gathered courage to say one last thing to him, along those lines. "My father died a long time ago."

It hurt me to say those things to him. No matter how angry I was or how sad I was, he was still my father. There was nothing that could change that fact, even if I didn't believe that. I didn't like myself for behaving that way with him. He might've not truly loved me, but when I didn't even know what love meant, I loved my parents like any child did. Other normal children receive that same love in return, maybe even more, I didn't. Was it my fault?

I was going to break down if I stayed any longer. I made my way out, cuddling my child like she was the only one marking my existence. I had said enough. I didn't even know if I really wanted to see Manik after that, since the baby had stopped crying. In fact, she looked a little worried, frowning as she clung onto my chest, feeling my racing heartbeat against her tiny cheek.

I flung the door open to see both Manik and Sonali standing outside. Did they hear everything? Secretly, I dabbed the inner corner of my eye that had become moist. I felt like I was going to get an attack again but somehow, I wasn't aggravated. After all, Manik stood before me. The soul reason, correction: one of the soul reasons for my existence, the other sat in my arms.

His face was devoid of emotion. Sonali's face didn't seem a lot different, but the news broke her. It was probably a huge shock to her too. Obviously, my father wouldn't have given her the slightest hint. Maybe she felt betrayal too, and I sympathized to an extent; but it served her right for stealing my father away from me. Everyone in my life wanted to steal what belonged to me, how could I think Manik didn't want to?

What I forgot to address was that Manik is not a Murthy. Manik is a Malhotra, and Malhotras have big, beautiful hearts. Naina is another living proof.

Sonali put her arms around Manik's neck and began sobbing. Manik, however, didn't even touch her. His gaze was fixed on me, as he tried to study me. His eyes moved very subtly, almost painfully. I knew he needed to be with me then. I wanted the same. It was the same broken Manik I witnessed in the store-room the other afternoon when he thought he burned our child's leg.

With a sweep, he shook Sonali off him, pulled Naina into his arms, nestling her and kissing her madly to compensate for making her a witness to the drama I'd created. He was very protective of the people she was around, and to the best extent he could, he always ensured she was surrounded by positive energy. He didn't want my aggressive behavior to impact her in any way. He walked away, meeting my eyes once to signal something. He gave me some time to follow. I didn't want to tell Sonali anything; though I did, I controlled. I needed to be with Manik first, alone.

***

Manik

I was shaken to the core when I learned that my boss was nobody else but Nandini's real father. He was the father who had left her, the father who hurt her, the father who really killed her. Somehow, all the respect I had for him, as my boss, vanished in thin air.

Earlier, I was with Sonali, preparing the meeting room for our presentation. Actually, she just stuck along after finding me there and I used her knowledge on technology to my advantage. We were heading back to Mr. Mehta's cabin when I heard Nandini's voice faintly through the soundproof doors—she was definitely screaming then. I vaguely recollected Nandini's narration from the other day, when she was seated on the chair, hypnotized and fighting her past by screaming her lungs out. My feet went cold.

As she stumbled out of those doors, I witnessed a bold Nandini and an exceptionally quiet Naina. That bold mask that she was putting on was going to do her harm. I knew she needed to express herself, but instead she hid her tears from me. Nandini, just stop acting! Sonali began crying, unexpectedly, and what was worse was that she was hugging me, restricting me. I found it highly stupid of her to do that. I was just blinded by pain, Nandini's pain. I couldn't hug Sonali, not that I even wanted to. I had a bigger concern to address. Nandini's silence.

I carried Naina and hurried away, not bothering about Mr. Mehta or Sonali. I knew that I had to express my obligation to them for dealing with me, a college dropout but I couldn't see him as my boss. He had shattered my Nandini, making her fear everything that could heal her, including me. That was why she hid her tears from me, again. She feared everything that exposed her real self.

I was learning to understand Nandini better after the counseling sessions. Maybe there wasn't much of a visible difference in our 'relationship' but I was learning things about her I was initially unaware of. The Nandini I thought was simple to read and understand was turning out to be one of the most complicated things I'd ever had to deal with, and the mystery was intriguing. I was learning to honor those little things that made her who she was. No matter how much I'd deny to anyone else, I was actually falling for her again, even her dark, flawed secrets.

When we dated, neither of us spoke too much about our pasts. We felt complete with each other in our present, and that present was cherished very beautifully. Even now, those memories hold strong emotional connections, which sometimes make me rethink my statement–moving on from her.

As I expected, Nandini followed me to my cabin. By then, I was done changing Naina's diaper. Our baby was sleepy as such and so I handed her over to Navya, so that I could look after the other needy baby–at heart. She stood like a little statue in the middle of the small room. I knew she was hurt and vulnerable.

Taking a deep breath, I walked closer to her. I didn't want to force her into anything, to put it in better words I was too scared to, so I just waited for her to make the first move. I stood at less than an arm's distance away from her when she took one step forwards, placing her hands on my waist first, and then grazing them behind to the sides of my back. Her head gently sat over my chest. I welcomed her presence with a tight hold across the back of her neck. One of my hands cupped her head while her hands pressed softly into my skin, making me almost cry.

A lump formed in my throat, making it very hard for me to control myself. "I... I can't imagine how you must be feeling." I breathed with great difficulty. I was more shocked than she was and I couldn't find any other way to console myself but to know if she was okay.

"Nahi Manik, it doesn't hurt... that much... now." She murmured. She knew it before. Maybe that was what triggered her into depression. All the pieces of the puzzle just fit into place. Her father was the sole reason for the anxiety she faced; the past, of course. How could I be so dumb! It wasn't a shock to her, but a shock to me.

I felt a clenching ache in my chest. She tried to withdraw and behave normal but I held on tight. I wasn't just ready to let go. If she needed me to heal, I needed her just as much. We always pained each other, but somehow only we could heal each other.

"Please..." I begged, in a hushed tone. She gave up, putting one of her hands on my heart, tracing little circles on it.

"Manik, is it hurting?" I closed my eyes tightly. She was such a pure soul. How could I not fall in love with her? Even if I wasn't already, she'd be the woman who'd have my heart.

She had learned to master the art of hiding her pain. It bothered me so much, but I couldn't blame her. If there was anyone to be blamed, it's her heartless parents! How could they possibly abandon a baby? After all, she belonged to both of them. Wouldn't, at least, some feelings of responsibility and possession exist? I couldn't even imagine doing that to Naina. She was my world, my sunshine.

My grip became tighter around her, expressing the grief my lips denied to comment on. She took a deep breath, making herself comfortable against my chest. She lifted herself on her toes, turning her face to the side of my face, leaving me a small, soft kiss on my left cheek. My hands clasped whatever part of her they could come in immediate contact with.

It was the first intimate physical contact we'd had in a very long time. "It'll all be okay. Okay?" She affectionately rubbed her thumb on my cheek. I could only smile at how strong that woman was. Her strength was piercing into the barriers I'd built around myself. I touched her hand that was on my face, holding it delicately. Bringing it close to my face, right in front of my nose, I couldn't help but smile.

Quoting the okays from The Fault In Our Stars, I replied, "Okay."

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Did any of you anticipate that? It was a little hard for me to write and I didn't want the weight of the effect of that revelation to be taken away. I hope it wasn't too bad? :(

Question: Anything you wish to see in specific in the upcoming chapters? :P

It's so early in the morning, I'm gonna go back to bed! :P thank you for being here. All those votes, they motivate me so much! If you really enjoyed, don't forget to leave a "pyaar ka nishaana"—no, not a hickey :P chalo ab I'm going vaapas to sleep 😴

Thank you for everything. The love, the support, the attachment, I cannot put in words how wonderful it feels. :') #126 on Romance! Yaay! *dies*