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40 minutes later...

" Done... everything is packed perfectly." Madhyam said happily after finishing Nandini's packing, while Nandini sat quietly on the single couch present in the corner of the closet the whole time.

The door was on the opposite side... Far away from her reach, therefore making it difficult for her to escape because even if she tried then also she will be easily caught by Madhyam, whom she has to cross to reach the door.

"Now let's go downstairs and do something as we still have time left for our flight."

He then came towards Nandini, who quickly stood up and then the both of them walked out of the closet. But before heading downstairs Madhyam curiously moved the curtain from the side very slightly to Peek a little. His eyes started turning wide as saucers as he took in the scene in front of him... There was a police jeep parked slightly away from the front gate and two police officers were roaming around.

He swiftly closed the curtain and turned around towards Nandini shooting glares at her, making her jump slightly and take a step back away from him.

"There is police outside the house. You called the cops?", listening to Madhyam Nandini for the first time today since all this mess had started felt a little happiness inside her and sighed inwardly in relief... Finally a sign of HOPE for her, maybe she will be saved today from this crazy person's hand.

"You've been with me the entire time." Nandini said keeping up with her act.

She can't let him know that it was her who gave the hint to her husband about him and maybe those police officers had come for her... To rescue her from him or else everything will be ruined and over before they even get the chance to help her.

"But you spoke with Him on the phone. " he comments angrily, beginning to connect the dots.

"And You heard our entire conversation," Nandini points out, wanting to throw him off. "How could I have–"

"But you did! You did or said something and he got to know!" Madhyam said a little loudly slowly loosing the grip on his calm, but not too loudly so that people outside could hear them.

Nandini will not allow herself to be backed into a corner now and tried to convince him that it was not her even though it was really her, and spoke calmly and slowly, "Madhyam , you heard each and everything I said in that phone call. I didn't ask for any help. I didn't tell him that I needed help. And there is no way he could have seen me do anything, give signals to him using my hands since we were talking on the phone."

"Then what are the police men doing here?" Madhyam asked still being skeptical about this sudden turn of events, not fully convinced with what Nandini is saying.

"Maybe they are here for some other reasons , sometimes the police patrols around the area to keep the locality safe and secure. So that can be the case, it's nothing serious ... I am not sure why they are here." Nandini said trying her best to calm him down, because an angry Madhyam means danger for her and her baby only now that he knows she is pregnant. So she has to handle the situation calmly and smartly.

Finally after that he calmed down and instantly the next moment started smiling widely as if the little argument that they had a second ago never happened only.

Nandini was getting scared seeing his sudden mood changes... One moment he is the happiest person the next moment he is angry.

She is the one who is pregnant and should be having mood swings... Not him.

" I am hungry... Aren't you hungry Angel." Madhyam asked, as they descended down the staircase.

"Sure I can order pizza or some other food that you like. " she offers sweetly , wanting to call Manik or anyone else for help instead.

Madhyam gives her his best puppy dog eyes he can muster and said, "But I want to try some of your cooking Angel! I always wanted to eat the delicious food made by your delicate beautiful hands." making Nandini feel all creepy inside, listening to those corny cheesy lines coming from his mouth.

"So how about some tasty home made food?I think that's more perfect than ordering it from outside, so let's go to the kitchen. " Madhyam said, while pulling Nandini along with him into the kitchen.

"o-okay there are some leftovers in the fridge... If you want you can eat that. " Nandini said without any interest in the conversation, all she wants to do is go outside and be free, to get her freedom back and in the loving warm arms of her Manik where she belongs for forever.

"But I want something warm and made by you !" Mad said whining like a kid... Irritating Nandini more.

"Those leftovers are made by me only " Nandini tries to reason with him, " and I can easily heat them up in the microwave for you, so they will be warm just like the way you want ."

"No I want to eat something made freshly right now by you, not leftovers." Madhyam said being all stubborn as hell.

"But it will take time to make something from the scratch."

"No problem, we have time in our hands, so Do you have noodles ?" he asked suddenly, making Nandini blink her eyes for few times at the randomness of food choice, "Noodles?"

"Yeah, Noodles ! I want some Noodles right now!"

"I don't think there are any noodles leftovers…"

"Then make some!"

When Nandini's phone kept Inside Madhyam's pocket, started ringing making both of them jump in surprise at the sudden noise.

Madhyam took out the phone to see an unknown number calling... " Wow Angel you are getting so many phone calls today. "

"Who do you want to answer it?" Nandini asks.

"No one, We should just let it go to the voicemail…" he whines, not making a move to answer the call, "I don't feel like talking to anybody, but you. Maybe I should switch it off. " he said lastly, making Nandini's heart beat crazily... She can't let that happen, that's the only thing which will help her to connect her to her loved ones at the moment.

"What if it is something important... If we don't answer it and suddenly switch it off then the person calling might get worried and then he or she might inform my family and friends that something is wrong and they might come here to look for me... You don't want that to happen now right."

"Why don't you put it on speaker phone?" Nandini suggested, "That way you can here both the sides of the conversation ."

"okay!" Madhyam said after thinking for few seconds and continued, " But I'll do the talking not you."

Ever so reluctantly, finally he answers the call and puts it on speaker.

"Hello! Nandini..." the caller said, whose voice was of a man.

"Who are you? And what do you want with her?" Madhyam asked with slight annoyance in his voice, of  continuously being disturbed and interrupted from spending time with his Angel.

"I am her colleague, I have to talk with her about some work related thing. Where is she? Is she fine and may I know who am I speaking to?" the man asked.

"I'm her-" Nandini tries to tell him, as she instantly recognised the caller's voice which Madhyam couldn't as he has never met him... It was her friend/rakhi brother Abhimanyu but was rudely cut off by Madhyam.

"Shh, don't talk!" he scolds her and then turns to speak with the caller, "Whatever things you want to talk with her, do it later because right now we are busy and you guys are interrupting some precious time I want to spend with my wife."

"Wife?" Abhi questions. "Do you mean Nandini ?"

"of course, who else will be my wife except her... Isn't she a great, lovely person. " Madhyam replies happily acting completely crazy and mad.

"Ya She is great," he agrees, "But I thought that she is married to someone else. You don't sound like her husband."

"But I'M HER HUSBAND ! WE'RE MARRIED !" Madhyam growls slightly in anger and frustration, "So go away! Stop disturbing us and Just leave Angel and me alone!" after that He hangs up the phone without waiting for any more replies and puts the phone back in the pocket.

Whereas here Nandini feels hopeful that someone will surely identify who the intruder is because Madhyam just now referred her as Angel.

No one in her family or friend circle calls her by that name , Madhyam has been the only person to call her Angel from their school time. She can only hope that Abhimanyu and the others will know how to handle the situation once they know who is holding her hostage.

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How was the chapter everyone? Few words for it... Abhimanyu is finally here, are you my readers enjoying the story...

Stay safe,

Love you all,

Ria❤️