Hey again! I love how so many of you are expressing your love for this story, it means a ton! <3 Many of you requested some particular sequences that you wanted to see, so I hope this chapter fills your hearts with some warmth. I bet you all will like this chapter, no need for any tissues, except maybe happy tears! :P Thanks for the spams, girls! I have a few names, but I don't wanna make this too long. You've waited enough. Please, comment and share if it's worth! Thanks!

---

Nandini

Where the hell is that man?

I'd been waiting at the reception for over five minutes, yeah five, and Manik was nowhere to be spotted. I dialed his number a couple of times but he didn't bother to respond or even revert to them. First of all, after his taunt the other day, I'd stayed up all night to fill in his 'status reports' but that man! He must've just gone on a romantic vacation with that town girl of his. My own thoughts had the ability to flip my insides and make me nauseous. I was frustrated then.

I stormed through the office doors and headed straight to the department in-charge. He was reading an article and I interrupted him with my alarming temper. "Mr. Mehta, it seems to me that this project is being carelessly handled." I stated coldly, slamming my report file on his desk. I crossed my arms and tapped my foot restlessly; it was what I generally did to prove my authority. Mr. Mehta sat up straight, seemingly concerned. I realized he probably didn't know what I meant. I leaned over his desk. "My assistant had to collect some records from me yesterday, for which he was pestering me all week, but hardly bothered to make an appearance." I spat at him, rolling my eyes and Mr. Mehta made an apologetic face.

"I'm so sorry, Ms. Murthy. Actually, Mr. Malhotra was on leave yesterday and I was at fault. I had to arrange for a substitute but somehow, it slipped out of my mind. I apologize. Let me know what you'd like me to do for you." He was exceptionally polite but somehow, he didn't seem to impress me at all. To me, it seemed highly unprofessional that Manik, out of all people, just took a holiday without caring about anything else. Romantic vacation! I rolled my eyes.

"Could you call your 'potential' graphic designer? I'd like to speak to him." Mr. Mehta nodded in dismay. My temper was something, which was out of the world, and surprisingly, Manik was the only man in the world who could handle it. For some reason, it worked to my advantage too, for the most part. I heard a phone ring and turned to find him panting.

"I'm so sorry, Sir. I know I'm late." His appearance made it look like he'd struggled to make it there. I was going to charge at him but Mr. Mehta's presence held me back. I decided to wait until we were alone to deal with our troubles. He didn't even look at me once, and that pissed me off further. Manik surely knew how to test my patience.

"Manik, how's your daughter now?" Daughter? What happened to her? I looked at Manik in astonishment. How could he hide it from me that something happened to our baby? He'd given me enough reasons to lose my head, and staying calm and composed was not being Nandini. Was that why he was on leave? My heart clenched. I judged too quickly. How was she doing now? Did she need me? Why didn't he attend my calls then? Where was the baby?

"She's better now, Mr. Mehta." He quickly avoided the topic, sensing my seething anger at the new-found information. I stood dumbfounded between the two men. "I'll get my backlogs cleared by lunch and meet you then, Sir." He smiled at Mr. Mehta and the boss shot a sympathetic smile. Probably, the situation would be different if I wasn't around and they might've gone to check on the baby together. The staff in HyLyte was highly accommodative and understanding and more towards Manik, as he played the 'single father' card. The faculty seemed to be one united group but then again, until results were observed, I didn't have anything to do with friendliness and freedom. Manik escaped from the room when I least expected it and I hurried behind him, ignoring Mr. Mehta.

"Manik! What happened to Naina?" He let out a loud grunt and walked quicker than before. I was running to catch up to him, probably even irritating him.

"Jahan bhi jaaun, tumse chutkaara toh milta hi nahi!" (No matter where I go, I cannot seem to escape from you!) I heard him mumble. I crimped my eyebrows together in anger. "Why are you pretending like you care at all?" I was taken aback. Did I not? I looked around and then looked at him, as if he was accusing me of something I never did. He rolled his eyes at me and walked into his cabin. The staff stared at us, maybe because I, the MD of Premiera, was chasing Manik Malhotra, a casual employee of a partner company!

"She's my baby too, Manik." I whispered softly, after I'd made my way into his little cabin that seemed so ordinary in contrast to mine. That desk of his held memories of some of our intimate encounters. Not sex, but just pure romance. On that desk lay a couple of sentimental gifts, one being a fountain pen that I'd gifted him on our first month together. I thought he would've thrown it the day we broke up. The walls had tape streaks plastered on them and the room smelled of baby lotion. He led such a simple life, so different from mine. Maybe we lived in two different worlds that never seemed to meet, ever.

"Since when? Don't tell me you have forgotten that it was you who disowned her because she was a part of me!" I blinked as his words seeped through my little head. He grabbed a bottle, mixed some formula with warm water and swirled the liquid in the bottle. "You can play your games on me, but not on my baby." He snapped, adding salt over my wounds. He put a drop on his wrist and then nodded to himself as he strolled out, to attend to his baby. I didn't know what to say or do. All I knew was that I'd hurt him beyond repair, over and over again and none of my efforts to heal him were successful or even implemented.

***

Manik

I busted into her cabin, and propped myself on the rolling chair, not even slightly concerned about my surroundings. I had lost my cool after that brief encounter with Nandini. I saw Navya with my baby, of course it was her time pass, and my baby was drinking her milk. She let out a loud coo; perhaps a frustrated Daddy intrigued her.

"Ugh! That woman!" My baby was not even drinking her milk anymore. She seemed interested in her new-found discovery, Daddy's anger. "Yes baby, she wants to get to you!" I was giving the little one a piece of my mind, and she started to squeal again in excitement. Navya was annoyed at the fact that her attempts to feed my daughter were futile.

"Manik, can you calm down, please?!"

"What is her problem? Why can't she just let me be? I don't even want to look at her face anymore!" I threw my head into my hands and ran my fingers through my hair. I was really getting tired of her fake concern. Didn't I know what kind of a woman she was?

"Ek baar meri baat suno!" (Listen to me for once!) I gave her a helpless look and she pressed her lips tightly for my attention. "Tum pehle yeh project pe dhyaan do. You're doing this to prove a point, right? Show her that she cannot affect you." (You focus on this project first. You're doing this to prove a point m, right?) Somewhere, she was right. The key was to not break in front of her. When I took the project up, it was a challenge. I couldn't change priorities and forget what brought me there just because of Nandini. She could not do whatever she wanted to, especially when it concerned my daughter. She couldn't have the power to affect me. My life was so much easier without her! "Ab tum jao, varna teri beti ki aaj vrath hi hogi!" (Now go, otherwise your daughter will have to fast today!) She scowled and I smiled at her, shooting some 'thank-you's for always having my back. That's why you need best friends.

I paced to her cabin, to have a word with her for all the recent mishaps and my furious reactions to them. I waited behind the door after knocking once, but nobody seemed to answer. I made myself some way and walked through. Her laptop screen flashed, drawing me towards it, out of curiosity. I knew I shouldn't be intruding her personal space. I'd be heavily bashed if she walked in right then but then again, we had a baby together, what could possibly be more personal between us!

I approached her desk and on it, I found a little red polka-dotted girly box. Her laptop flashed a Google search, how to apologize to your boyfriend. All my anger and irritation flew out of my system. I reread the screen, to believe my eyes. A small smile played along my lips instead and I didn't know why. The gesture seemed so innocent. Maybe because she was just so bad at things like apologies and reconciliations and that she took some efforts to do it, made me happy. I peeked into the little present that was left ajar. A little grey-tinted men's' perfume bottle, shaped like a bow-tie, was placed inside the box and under it lay a note. I loved surprises. I smirked to myself, quite impressed as I picked the little piece of paper.

I'm sorry that I hurt you but I hurt me too.

:(

I ran my fingers over the impression of those handwritten letters. The torn, crumpled pieces of paper on the floor and on her desk screamed her amateur skills at impressing me. The frown she'd drawn was massive and cute! Never had she even written a note for me when we were seeing each other. I did a couple of times but I doubt she still had those stupid notes. It seemed cute that she took those efforts. What did she really want from me? I felt the door hinge creak and no sooner did I hear her shriek at a high-pitched voice, astounded by my invasion.

"Manik! Tum y-yahan kya-a kar rahe ho!?" (Manik! What are you doing here?) She stomped towards me and grabbed the note from me. I smirked at her and placed my arms on my waist slowly as I watched her reactions. Her face flushed in embarrassment. She rushed to close the browser window on her laptop, clumsily dropping a pen or two on the way. She snatched the present box and slipped it into her desk drawer stealthily, hoping I didn't see it. "This... this is... personal!" She stared into my eyes, trying to read how much into depth I'd gone through her gift. I straightened my face and cleared my throat.

"I never asked for an explanation." I snapped. I'd forgotten why I'd even come there in the first place but the new piece of information I'd found impressed me. Nandini Murthy doing things to impress Manik Malhotra? It had to be a first. "I just came to search for a file... I thought would be with you. That's it." I bluffed and turned around to exit, hoping to leave before she caught me red-handed. She seemed too engrossed in her own thoughts to have bothered about my explanation. I should've as well not given one either. She never asked! I felt like punching myself for being so considerate with her, after all she did to me.

"Umm... Manik..." I paused in my trail, with my back to her, smirking. Any more surprises for me, Ms. Murthy? "Yeh... Naina ke liye hai." She handed the present to me without making eye contact. I tried to seem casual and not give out any expression of emotion but her excuse seemed ridiculous. I gave her a confused look and tried to peer further. Naina men's perfume pehnegi? (Will Naina wear men's perfume?) As if she read my mind, she grunted. "Don't even try to question! Just keep it!" She shoved it into my hands, touching them as she gazed into my eyes. That moment I knew, none of Navya's preaches against Nandini and against my love for her made any sense.

***

"Mr. Mehta, Mr. Malhotra has done a commendable job on his part! As a token of appreciation, I'd like to treat him. Will he be free tonight?" Apparently that was what Nandini told my boss to coax me to come to the party. She never had enough of parties, did she? I was sick of those parties. Every one of them was nothing but eventful to me.

I put on the perfume she'd gifted me as a subtle gesture of my acceptance of her apology, not to impress her, like some would think. I walked into the office that seemed familiar, led by her. After all, I worked at Premiera for just a few months. The employees seemed to be happy to see their former MD walk through those doors and I gave them a warm smile. It felt nice to see them again and they made my stay worthwhile when I was there, even if it was for a short period of time. My little one lay quietly in my cradled arm, her hand at her side wrapped around my thumb while my other arm engaged in dragging her stroller along.

"This is Manik Malhotra, our server counterpart from HyLyte." I smiled as the staff clapped softly, welcoming my baby and I into the building. She turned to meet my eyes and reciprocated a smile. "Join us for dinner?" I glanced at my baby, who was then watched by a few of Nandini's employees. I was flustered, wondering if my baby would be okay, and if I could trust them. Trust once broken was hard to re-establish and who'd know that better than I did.

It could even be one of her plans to toy around with you.

I stared at her, the employees and then my child. Mukti quickly bolted next to me and I loosened up, trusting her. I kissed my baby on the forehead and held Mukti's hand low, tightly to convey my message. She knew how protective I was of Naina. Nandini gave me a look of grief at the sight of my bond with Mukti. I smiled formally at her and she led me to the dining, avoiding eye-contact with me. I knew I'd hurt her and I felt bad about it, but it was her who made me feel those sadistic emotions for her.

We entered a meeting room that buzzed with soothing music. A few of Premiera's best employees were already dining. For a moment, I began to rethink if that party was really for me, or if I was lured into it as a guest, to probably impress a few other guests and charm them with my oh-so-lovable looks. Nandini introduced me to a couple of her contacts and praised me wealthily, just as I expected. I was her trophy husband. She'd walk around, talking highly about me, just to snare me into her trap. I was the man she hated, and criticized for everything I did. If it weren't for my looks, she probably wouldn't give a shit about my existence. The crowd retreated away from me, giving me some space for myself, except for her.

I leaned into her and whispered close to her face, however not close enough for me to be affected by her.

"What was that?" She made me feel so low of myself that whenever I faced her, I found what she found in me. Flaws. That is what love does to you. The person you love defines you and I was in love with a woman, who hated me, so how could I love myself? I was never good enough for her and I never could be.

"What?"

"You know I know the real you. You don't have to flatter me so much, it's not that I can't figure it's fake." I spat, plopping some chicken curry onto my plate. She followed me like a hawk, though she didn't pick a plate for herself. From the corner of my eye, I gave her a cursory look. "I believe we don't share any longer." I faked a smile at her, returning what she gave to me, with interest. Pain. She left at once, and I was glad she did. She'd become so sensitive only after we split. Before that, nothing I said ever hurt her, I believe, not that I ever said hurtful things to her when we were together. How could I? I was madly in love with her.

I distracted myself from her thoughts as I was called upon by several guests at dinner. Yet, my attention just wasn't there. I scanned the hall for Mukti or my baby but could find neither. I tensed up but tried to engage in their conversations and keep myself busy. Mukti will take care.

"This is my daughter, Sonali." Mr. Mehta introduced a young woman to me. She was slender and caked with makeup that complimented her sequin studded dress. The resemblance with Mr. Mehta was so obvious and she looked like someone I knew earlier. She shook hands with me, but in a rather uncomfortable way. If my eyes were open to all women the way they were, she would be a woman I'd generally find attractive. She was just about a couple of inches shorter than me and damn, was she hot; but my eyes were blinded to all romantic relationships. I nodded, smiling at her and pretending to act normal while actually scrutinizing for my baby. I took a few bites of my food, feeling relieved of parental responsibility but not quite enough. I called them over to a table, for I knew escaping them that evening was going to be hard. As we sat down, I felt a hand graze mine, from under the table.

***

Nandini

I sat myself outside the meeting hall that had been arranged for dinner. I didn't want to go back and face him. I was just not ready yet, to have my ego crushed. Every time Manik threw one of those comments in, it hurt me. Perhaps he didn't hurt me as much as I'd hurt him, or maybe I couldn't feel as much, because I never was loved before but even then, I didn't like when he was cold to me. I was never a sensitive woman but that man made me feel things I'd never felt before. I wanted to go back in there, kiss the hell out of him and claim him mine in front of the world, but I didn't and couldn't.

Ever since I'd given birth, or rather ever since he left, to compliment my exhaustion, my mood swings kicked in. I wanted to be held, kissed, and reassured that I was beautiful and still worthy of love and happiness but I'd deprived myself of the opportunity. I missed him so much as I realized his importance after he left. With that deprivation frustration and temper that I couldn't control kicked in, as I felt like I was being pulled back into a world I was in, 19 years ago. My eating habits changed and I tried hard to be who I initially was, by occupying myself completely in work, all in vain.

It's better to hold on, than to let go and regret for the rest of your life. I had already given up once, and the regret and pain was already killing me. I had to take that as a lesson and hold on. Manik and I... I didn't know what we were for each other, but I knew, at least I was his boss and he was my subordinate. There was some hope. I couldn't kill it.

Over the days, I'd been feeling the need to be around Manik as much as possible. I didn't know why, maybe it was just because I knew that when I was around him, I'd be cared for, or whatever. His presence made me feel at peace. Having him constantly under my watch just meant that we were each other's responsibilities at all times, because I was always his.

I stepped back into the dining room and caught Manik talking to Mr. Mehta and another old, rich guest of mine. His smile was everlasting, for everybody to witness and experience except me. I was the one who snatched the right myself, so I couldn't question that. I saw a brunette sitting beside him. Damn, her burgundy hair streaks! I scrunched my eyebrows, spying on her. The boss' daughter? I saw Manik shift uncomfortably at the proximity and I was ready to bomb that woman down! How dare she touch him? If it was the other way around, I'd have snapped Manik's neck but for once, he was spared, only because I knew he didn't enjoy it either. Just then, I spotted Mukti with my, I mean our baby, showing her off to all the employees in Premiera. Several sections of the house knew about my relationship with Manik; some assumed why it ended too and they did judge me, but who cares about their judgments? I watched my baby closely and I knew if it weren't for that situation, Manik would never let me touch the baby. Manik can handle himself; if he doesn't, he'll get it in the morning! I reminded myself why I'd invited him in the first place. I clumsily walked to Mukti and took my baby from her, to which she didn't protest either.

Over the days, even she witnessed my struggles and the least she could do was let me be with my daughter. I carried my baby with trembling hands and cuddled her on my chest with my hand under her head. It was the first time in a long while that I was holding her. She was so much smaller back then, but again, that was a long time ago. A memory of the time she was pulled out of me and laid over my chest flashed through my head. No matter what mothers say about the pain, I believe labor is one of the most beautiful pains in life, just like how love is to some. Our daughter was wide awake, staring at my dress up close with her bright brown eyes. She stayed calm, clinging onto me as I rocked her slowly. I caught the attention of several guests, some adored while some loathed; but I knew my intention. I wanted to give Manik some time off his responsibilities and let him enjoy life the way he used to, but NOT flirt with other girls.

I paced outside, quickly enough for him to not catch me. I went to another meeting room on the same floor, followed by Mukti. I held our baby in my arms, admiring her charming face. The last time I'd been that close to her, she was way pinker and smaller, of course. A lot had changed. I held her along the length of my arms, with her head in the cups of my hands and her feet touching my elbow joints. I kissed her cheeks as she raised her arms to touch me and feel me.

"Do you know who this is, Baby? Has Daddy ever told you about me?" I spoke as softly as I did the day she was born. She cooed in response and my heart fluttered. It seemed like she responded to my question. Trust me, for the first time in a long while, I experienced a baby's love. It was such a beautiful feeling. How could a mother abandon her child, I wondered and reality kicked in. How different was I from those mothers? I placed her on my lap, ensuring she was well supported and safe and waved my fingers in front of her, which she immediately clasped in both of her fists. Shit! How could I ever leave her?! "Do you trouble Daddy a lot, baby?" She cooed again and smiled at me. It was as though the mother and the baby were certified to do just that. "Don't trouble Daddy, Baby. Mommy's already giving him a hard time, isn't she?" My daughter just stared at me. Then, her fingers loosened around me and she began rubbing her eyes, as she looked at me dreamily. I pat her gently to sleep on my chest, as I held her in a rather secured embrace. I wasn't that intimate with her earlier. I could feel her heartbeat on mine while I was talking to her.

"If Daddy ever tells you that I don't care about you, don't listen to him. He's lying. I care about you. I love you so much. Your Daddy doesn't understand. He's just very angry with Mommy and Mommy always makes him angry." I complained to my baby about her father and me, in a very soft tone. She was always a mute spectator of our fights and taunts and I knew my secrets were safe with her, until she could understand what I said and reframe those complaints into words at least. I touched her head, to find her asleep already. She was the most beautiful creature alive, and even when she slept, she slept with a serene, satisfied smile on her face, resembling her Daddy dearest. "With Daddy, you're safer than if you are with me." I whispered as a tear rolled down my cheek. I kissed her head and held her against me, carefully. On the other side of the door, he stood, awestruck at the sight. He was going to barge in and scream at me for walking away like that with the baby without telling him but watching the two women in his life bond beautifully over tears, breaths and coos only made his heart feel lighter. He couldn't deny that I was affected too, so he let us be; just Naina and I.

---

That was a little insight to her side of the story. All said and done, Nandini in this story is from the upper class of the society, whose weaknesses are twisted into plotholes and I think one's childhood plays an important role in the decisions they make in future :P my two cents?

Question: If you were Manik, would you still love Nandini?

Go ahead and share your views, please! Maybe it can inspire me to think in a different perspective? Silent readers also, please share some opinions. It would be nice to see new ideas brewing. Thank you so much again! Vote, comment and share yo, only if you really like it. Thank you already! See you on Thursday! ;)