Hey y'all! Thank you for all the enthusiasm in the previous update, especially sxjustin, man that girl's on a roll here! THANKS WOMAN <3 It's really easy to get appreciation on happy, cheesy scenes but when even the split-ups get extensive responses, that's when you know you're blessed–and I'm filled with immense gratitude for this.  

I love that so many of you are able to feel what the characters in the story must be feeling and all I want to do is make you live their lives from my point of view. So much love to everyone going through tough times–maybe because of exams or personal issues or maybe even professional. We're here for you, and will be always <3

Happy Friday! Have a great weekend and and... just for the record, this is one of my favorite chapters for reasons I'm not even sure of, yet! Don't forget to drop your opinions if there is something that caught your attention! Inline comments are a blessing <3 Thank you again, heaps of love!

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Nandini

A couple of thuds on each stack made a cloud of dust diffuse into the thick air. Even dust would fly off if you attempted to get rid of it, my mind deduced. Manik was only human, why wouldn't he? Inhaling the brown smoke, I started coughing violently, standing up and parting with the bundles of paper to gather myself.

My eyes burned as with every cough, they turned redder until involuntary tears made their trail out. Paying no heed to my surroundings, I began taking slow steps away from the dust, continuously until I softly bumped into someone. My responses were reflexive. My body was enveloped into another protectively, and for a second, I found the dire solace I gagged for. All I wanted was to be embraced like I meant the world to someone, to feel valued for the person I was and the decisions I made, even if I was wrong. That validation was more important to me than my own judgment.

I turned into the chest and tightened my arms around the trunk while flapping my heavy eyelids shut and meekly coughing. After so many hours, my heart began beating at a reasonable pace; all was good until I registered the perfume in my head. My body filled with terror a moment later. That perfume smelled nothing like Manik's. Sirens rang in my dumb brain to get the fuck out.

I forced myself out, and as my vision met his–Aryamann, the man I'd signed up for this shit with–I mentally rolled my eyes to the back of my skull. I was having a hard time enough without that jerk-head popping in my face every two seconds. Unfortunately, I was fucking trapped with an assistant in my constrained cubicle who was gaping at the two of us to take some gossip notes. I had to limit my responses to some sugarcoated bullshit. "Hey..." I brushed up a shy smile, but my incessant growls didn't elude. I covered my mouth helplessly, while he clasped both my arms carefully. I shifted to loosen his grip on me, but he didn't back out.

"Hey, are you okay?" I was imprudent, so I only nodded. He didn't stop with his fake concern. "Listen, you are allergic to dust, we'll get someone else to do this." That was an alert for me to take a step back.

I glowered at him as intensely as I could, burning him with all the agitation and desperation I had to get in touch with Manik. I wished I could bundle all those emotions up and fling them at that dumbfuck, who was consciously trying to trigger me. It hadn't even been four hours since I declared that shitty announcement, and he was already there, coating his authority over me and making decisions for me. Jolting his hands off me, I headed back to the dust I was trying to clear up.

"Jaspreet, can you shred these for me?" She nodded awkwardly, not wanting to be there at that moment, spoiling a potential outburst. Jaspreet was a Punjabi woman who wore designer patiala suits to work; Punjabi–the word only reminded me of one man.

It was so hard for me to keep up with the deadlines with him on the back of my mind, which was why I was doing one of the least priority tasks-a job that wasn't even on my plate! I went on working mechanically, shunning Aryamann's presence, until I got on his nerves. So, he grabbed my wrist violently and spun me around, causing the edges of the old paper in my hands to scrap the skin on my fingertips.

"Ahh! Manik, owwwwww! A pissed off man lifted me off the ground in a swish, striding at a speedy pace that made my frame bounce with every step he took. My heartbeats raced to the speed of light at the thought that I could be thrown over because of the distance his long legs covered every second. If I had to match his pace, I'd have to be sprinting. Thank God my feet were not on the ground.

Fearfully I clung to his neck to anchor myself, to which he passively adjusted how he carried me. It was an innate response, for him to handle me in the ways that best comforted my body. He knew precisely how to maneuver me, or maybe his love for me taught him that.

"Kabhi bhi dhyaan se koi cheez nahi karni hai tumhe!" He spat at me with extreme disapproval, looking at the traffic twice before crossing the road. To say that he was mad at me was just an understatement. Knowing how obsessively protective he was of me, I should've known better than to injure myself and add to his troubles. He walked like a crazy man through the racing cars, forcing me to jump in and shove my hand out, pleading them to spare us. We were one heck of a couple like they all said.

"Oi, I was looking only, but that dumb rock still came out of nowhere." Obviously, it wasn't my fault and Manik, listening to my defenses, shook his head in all sorts of directions to mock me.

We were at Shivaji Park, one of the most famous hangout spots for couples and families in the city of Mumbai. It is situated along the shorelines of the Dadar harbor, with tons of trees and lush greens to breathe in, along with the sparingly cold breeze that hit every now and then. Not to mention, the population there is just excessive at any time of the day, which was why we planned on meeting there in the afternoon, under the scorching sun! Our initial plan was to only have lunch outdoors together on one of those park benches, but the inspectors who were on rounds there got pissed off with the idea of us eating at a public park.

It took a lot of coaxing, some twisted Marathi and some innocent faces for him to bail us but not before a rigid warning. In a country like India, humility, concern, and respect go a long way. Manik nodded and threw in a few more slang words while I waved a thumbs up at the police, not quite sure what his conditions were. As he retreated, I smiled proudly at my man, who knew just how to wrap everyone around him. What would I do without him?

Then we were chilling for a while. He was lying on my lap, touching my hand that rested over his broad chest. A small smile played along his lips as he twisted and turned my hand around to look at it. It took me a moment to realize he was admiring his ring that laid there. Aww... Nobody in this world could ever be in awe of an engagement ring as much as him. He was beautiful like words couldn't tell.

We were living in the silence prevailing around us until Manik came up with the idea of Tag, and two rounds in, we were running to the hospital to get my injured leg treated. Tragic much?

"Oh just... stay quiet." His voice was quite threatening. As such, my fear against hospitals and their tiresome procedures for the smallest of things scared the living shit out of me.

"Ma-Manik, it's just a small wound, dekho already blood bhi sookh gaya, see..." I wiggled my toe at him, showing off my skills which made Manik stop in his tracks and give me a death stare. I gulped and then went on with my theories. "Woh apne aap thee..."

"Shut up. Ekdum awaaz nahi aani chahiye, aur hilna bhi mat!" His warning instigated me to be a little extra. Obviously, why would I listen to Mr. Manik Malhotra? I puffed my lip suspiciously while narrowing my eyes to devise a plan and reject his orders. In a second, something clicked in my fantastic brain, and I felt like Einstein.

I began flapping my legs one at a time, like a toddler learning how to swim. Trust me, such a bad move it was. The next thing I remembered was his eyes blazing, his grip tightening around me, his teeth grinding between his jaws, and a low yet sharp "NANDINI!".

My happiness died in one second because of his murderous gaze, that could even drain the blood of any warrior from the colonial period. I'd pushed the tolerance bar quite far. I didn't want him to shove me in the middle of the road and find his way out, especially with that foot of mine. So, I quietly settled in his arms, placing my head on his chest for the rest of the journey, which he much appreciated.

It's easy dealing with men; just do as they say, and once their ego is fed enough, everything falls into place. Sometimes, they can even go out of their way to do your chores and be your kaam wali bai; take Nandini Murthy's advice! Anyways, after walking a solid kilometer and a half, thanks to Manik who suggested the idea since he thought the traffic would delay us, we sat in the waiting lounge at a clinic nearby.

A young, fair woman with plump red lips wore a nurse hat and approached us for our details and some information on the case they had to deal with aka me. I studied her makeup, paying utmost attention to the wings of her eyeliner. Huh! This woman is a legend; she could get them both at an equal level, uski toh life set hai! My injured leg sat on Manik's lap comfortably. I didn't know what it was with the two of us and our subtle PDA, but we couldn't ever keep our hands off each other. She waited before us with a small notepad and a click pen in her hands. Tapping her feet, she interrogated, "Naam bataiye aapka, aur kya problem hai?"

I was nervous, pleading to the Gods above to spare me from any injections. The last thing I wanted was sharp needles being pierced into my supple skin for just jamming my toe into a rock. Manik gently patted my shin. "She's Nandini Murthy. Isko chott lagi hai, please aap doctors ko bula sakti hai?" She examined the dark, dried blood oozing from my toe. Then, judging Manik and I being well dressed and properly educated, she made her own assumptions.

"Hmm... andhar aajao, main hi laga deti hoon patti." I had never been happier in a hospital. I cheerfully got up and began hopping on one leg into the cubicle she was directing us to, but not for long because Manik was immensely troubled by the lack of empathy she possessed. She sounded quite indifferent for a nurse, and that behavior didn't go well with Manik, a man whose workspace is his temple. Who could blame her though, both Manik and I were known to create a hill out of a mole!

He glared at her in disbelief, and while remaining seated, he grabbed me and ensured I was close enough for his knee to rub my thigh. "Huh? Kya matlab? Suniye, aap doctors ko bulaiye."

"Dekhiye Sir, this is a minor case and doctors ko aur zaruri patients attend karni hai." There was no doubt that she was annoyed at our immaturity. Anybody would be, but Manik was a particular case of overprotectiveness.

"What if her leg is fractured or if the bleeding gets excessive later on tab? Aap doge guarantee? Huh?"

I slipped my hand into his. "Manik..."

"She's chipped off her toenail, it's only a small scratch! Yeh aap apne ghar main bhi treat kara sakte the."

"Manik, patti laga dete hai na?" I made a few cute faces, and, in a few seconds, I managed to coax him into my no-injection policy. He huffed arrogantly. Funnily enough, what stunned me was he walked 1.5 kilometers with me in his arms for just a 'small scratch.' The things men do when they're in love...

"Nandini... Baat sun rahi ho meri?" My fingers stung slightly, as he cuffed my wrists like I was his delicious prey and shook them around to knock senses into me. I tried howling and hissing to draw his attention to those paper cuts and be a little gentle on me, but he just didn't budge. If it were Manik instead, he'd be running all over the place to find something that could ease my discomfort, but Aryamann didn't move a muscle. All he wanted was a response to satisfy his male ego and validate that he was worth listening to. The vast contrast in their characters made me crave Manik more.

Cabir popped in, clearing his throat for our attention. I didn't notice when Jaspreet had left the room. Aryamann moved his hands immediately and shook his head on the way out. I could tell he wasn't pleased with my demeanor, but neither was I. Cabir watched as the 'boyfriend' walked out, and then briskly cornered me.

"Cabir, move," I ordered feebly, not meeting his eyes. He was intimidating, in a way that he could read me off my expressions, and my expressions were not going to get me into trouble this early into the game. That statue didn't make an effort to move. He had come in with a purpose and couldn't leave with achieving it. "Cabir, I said move!" Since he wouldn't lay a finger on me, that's how the bro-code works, it was easy for me to escape that dicey situation.

"Nandini, what the hell are you trying to do?"

"I don't have to answer you. Don't forget, I am your boss." I snapped my fingers at him as we stood face to face, seething fire.

"And my friend's wife! So, you should be knowing... where's Manik? Don't tell me you killed him also, just like you killed his heart." My insides ignited with fury. I had enough voices in my heart screaming and loathing me for doing what I did. I needed no more fingers pointing at me, especially ones that were crooked themselves.

"Cabir shut the fuck up! You're taking this too far."

"You know what, Nandini? You've already pushed all the buttons. Tell me, where's Manik?" The worry struck me again. His phone was unreachable all afternoon, he wasn't at work, he wasn't home, he wasn't at the hospital, he wasn't with Navya, and I didn't know anything more about the people in his life. It narrowed down to situations like those when I realized I didn't really know a lot about him, and that pricked me like a million needles. Maybe injections would hurt a lot less than the physical pain I felt with the loss of two of the most important people in my life. I was trying to divert myself all day, but in the end, it all came down to him–and her, because of him.

He slammed the desk violently, yelling afterward, "MANIK KAHAN HAI?"

"I don't fucking know..." I screeched like a tire that drifted on a rough road on a humid day. Closing my eyes shut and palming my grievous heart, I struggled to take two deep breaths. It was so hard for me to pretend nothing happened, especially when I ensured I didn't get a moment to myself to feel my emotions as powerfully as they hit me. I was overwhelmed with mixed feelings; some relief because Manik and Naina were not targeted anymore, some happiness because they deserved better than me, and tons of grief because I would never be happy again without them.

I turned around and hunted my handbag for my tissues. A tear still rolled down, that I had to discreetly wipe off with the finger I cut. The salt water sparked my new wound uneasily, but the affliction alleviated some mental distress.

Clearing up my thoughts and pumping strength into myself, I stood bold and as unabated as ever before. "I don't know." He didn't say a word, but surprisingly, he started helping me clean my cabin too. We went through a couple of files, and I ripped the seams off like a mad bull. It was the only thing I could palm my aggression on, which made Cabir suspicious.

He crouched to pick a stack next to the one I was dealing with and scrutinized at me. I conveniently ignored, sticking to my schedules and doing unnecessary chores that a peon should be doing. "Why aren't you going home yet?"

I kept mum. What could I even say? Just the thought of entering a dead silent home made my stomach churn. The terror that came along with loneliness, I wasn't equipped enough to deal with it that soon.

"Listen, you don't have to help me. I can manage." Something about my silence triggered him; not the real silence but the fact that I was ignoring his questions and concerns.

He shook his head and stood up, extending his dusty hand to help me up in a gentlemanly manner. "Come, I'll drop you home." On any typical day, I'd be dying to go back and see my baby and her Daddy playing some cute games together while giggling. Flashes of that fictitious scene today made me tremble. I looked at his face for a second eagerly, and then away.

"I-umm... I have work." Pressing my palm against the ceramic floor, I stood up on my own, rubbing my palms together gently to get the dirt off.

"Nandini, it's late..."

There was a long moment of no words spoken, and no glances exchanged. "You can stay at my place tonight." He prompted softly as if he could read what I wanted in times like those–company.

I looked him in the eye, sighing heavily. "I'm serious. Let's go?"

***

"Isko na... oven main daldo and bake it at 350 for 5 minutes! Mani..." His head craned to me eagerly. I bit my lip for a couple of seconds and then concluded my statement with, "It turns out perfect."

Cabir put the bread slices in the oven and baked them like I said. I made my way to the couch of a huge apartment that was sparingly furnished but well maintained for bachelor standards. Except for the dishes that I offered to do for him clumsily, as payback for spending the night there, his flat was neat and tidy with a couple of clothes sprawled around.

I dried my hands off on my work clothes carelessly as I looked around. He didn't have company either, did he? He lived alone in a 2-bedroom flat. I couldn't imagine how I'd be able to live like that; at this point, I can't even go a day without Naina and Manik.

He came to me with a plate of crackers. "I know you won't tell me but purely out of concern, why are you doing this to him, and yourself?" He asked, placing them on the coffee table and hopping into the bean bag right beside it. He gestured me to have one, and I grabbed two and popped them into my mouth, munching like a cow. I hadn't eaten anything all day, and even if I denied, my body craved some food.

"I want the beanbag." I nagged, like that way the only happiness I was entitled to have, and I needed it at any cost. Poor Manik had to deal with a woman like this, acchha hi hua mujhse chutkaara mil gaya usko! He smiled slyly and then got up, instantly making me flash my teeth and hurry to the vacated spot. I jumped in and felt at ease.

"So this is what it feels like to have a girlfriend, huh? Thank God, I have none." He smirked, while I made faces at him and mocked him. Even though I was trying hard to be myself, the professional barrier kept popping in between, restraining me. Maybe I could only be like that around Manik, I formulated.

He strolled back into the kitchen, to check on the toast. Shoving his head into the refrigerator, he came up with a few options to elaborate our first platonic dinner together. "Something to drink?"

I gave it a thought, and it was obvious what I wanted. "Can I have a glass of the strongest liquor in your stash?"

"I have only bourbons, Jack Daniel's, Jim Bean or Four Roses?"

"JD is trash!" I exclaimed, throwing my hands in the air. There was this one time back in the earliest days of our relationship when Manik suggested I try Jack and Coke and that was the worst decision I'd ever made! I could barely taste the alcohol, and I couldn't even get tipsy, forget getting drunk.

"Acchha. Then try Four Roses." He pulled the bottle out, after shutting the door with his leg. That was something Manik did too. Ah, I really need the bourbon! Cabir filled in two trapezium shaped glasses three quarters with the brown liquid and cubes of ice, and then pulled out the toast too.

My mind wandered off to Cabir's role in our lives. He knew things about Manik and I that only remained between the two of us. I remember the times he would chip in for Manik's meetings as a substitute while Manik would be driving me around to the hospital and everything for my therapy sessions. He'd sometimes tend to Naina's needs and be a good uncle for her, an uncle her Daddy could trust her with. He was quite supportive during my hard times too, which made him a good confidant in my eyes.

"Thank you..." I mumbled out of nowhere, as he approached with a tray full of food and booze. He laid everything on the table, while my nose twitched at the delicious aroma. My insides began a parade of their own to welcome the food I was going to consume.

"Thanks for what? Come on! Chalta hai yeh sab!" He licked his lips and settled on the floor beside me. He dropped a slice of tangerine in both the glasses, and then slipped a toast slice into his hands. He took one big bite and moaned in a haze. I giggled.

"It's yummy na? See, Nandini Murthy's signature egg toast. Egg-soaked bread topped with finely diced spring onions tomatoes and olives, a layer of salted mozzarella, drizzled with a dash of mint and chilli flakes and toasted until golden brown." I iterated, like a contestant on MasterChef, gleaming at the sight of the delicious bread slices. It was supposed to be a breakfast meal, but I didn't know a lot of cooking, and I settled for something that needed the least effort.

"To Nandini Murthy's expert cooking skills." A sarcastic whiff emanated from his lips as he raised one of the glasses. I rolled my eyes, smirking at his sense of humor, and then picked my glass too. I clonked mine with his, and then consumed a bite of my toast after which I took one sip of the bourbon.

Even before I consumed the liquid, my taste buds churned just with the aroma. The subtle spices from all over the world left behind a fragrance in the bourbon, like an addiction in itself every time I inhaled it. The liquid was cold, slightly bubbly and sweet to taste, with a dash of the floating citrus kicking in. The aftertaste of the malt felt divine. It left my palate feeling fresh, breezy and yet mildly spicy, like that of cinnamon. I instantly formed a bias toward it and smiled before taking another sip.

"How's it?"

Raising the glass to eye level using the tips of my fingers, I turned it around. "This is the best whiskey I've ever had."

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Even if nobody agrees with me, this is one of my favorite chapters! I think there's always something about Cabir's and Nandini's friendship–even on the show–that's intriguing and beautiful in its own way. He can always read her mind, and his sense of humor blows me :P I also think this is the first instance where we get to see Nandini playing the role of a friend, and I thought that was really cute :3

I also added in a flashback, just to make it bittersweet <3 Let me know what your favorite part was! I bet it was the flashback, aye? I CAN'T WAIT TO HEAR.

I have something super interesting coming up after this, I just need to get it to string along with the current plot. That will need some planning, but I'll be back soon. Thank you for always being there and supporting me, even if it is from behind your phone screens! I can't thank you enough. 

Did anyone miss Manik and our baby this update? :(