Hello Fam :)

Happy Reading...

Nandini was half-awake when she checked out of her hotel on Sunday. The hotel staff helped her with the luggage and Abhimanyu helped her with the checking-out formalities, all the while keeping a hand around her so that she doesn't fall asleep while walking. She did once she was in the car. Sometime later, she felt someone carrying her around but ignored it in favor of finishing her sleep. When she actually woke up, she was in her once familiar room and checked the time to be ten in the morning. There was a call from her dad that she had missed. After thinking for a minute, she put her phone on silent, before going to get ready.

After getting ready, she went to the living room, wrapping her hands around the neck of the person reading the paper. "Hello, darling."

Raman Thakkar turned around, ruffling her hair, before pulling her beside him. "How is my girl? Slept well?"

"Yeah. I heard you were sick. How did you fall sick?"

"I was missing my darling. Now that you are here, I am perfectly fine, Nandu."

"Mom, these two started their love story again", yelled Abhimanyu.

Nandini threw a cushion at him before resting her head on Raman's shoulder. "I missed you."

A moment later, a plate was dumped on her lap. She raised her head to find Ishita.

"Missed only him?", asked Ishita, raising her eyebrow.

Nandini grinned and pulled her into a hug, the plate on her lap was saved by Raman at the last moment. "Missed you too, Ishu."

XXX

After breakfast, everyone shifted to the living room with Nandini curled up beside Raman.

"You know, you are curled up beside your boss?", teased Abhimanyu.

When Nandini glared at him, Raman patted her arm. "Technically, I am her boss's boss. So, she wouldn't see me much in the office. Also, her boss is terrified of her. She doesn't need to worry about anyone else."

Abhimanyu pouted at his dad when Nandini stuck her tongue out. "Dad, you always support her."

"Yeah, because I love her more."

Nandini didn't stop smirking until lunch.

XXX

"Nandu, why don't stay here? You have a room here. Why do you want to stay in an apartment alone?", asked Raman.

It was just the two of them and they were discussing Nandini's project details. She will be working with another newbie. According to Raman, since the guy's new, she would have a good experience working with him because many people have seen her visiting the office as Abhi's friend. This guy though, would be perfect for her without having any prior inhibitions. Nandini couldn't thank Raman enough. It was what she needed. To work without anyone coddling her up. "Uncle, I could stay here. I would love to but I came here for a reason and I don't want to back down now. I want to prove to my dad that I really could live alone and work on my own. I am not a barbie doll. He doesn't let me do anything."

"But you are already working away from him. Do you even need to stay alone?"

"I don't have the patience to prove different stages of my life again and again. Who knows he would say I could only work because I am staying with family? This way, I can prove to him that I can both stay alone and work on my own. Also, I have a roommate. So, I am not technically living alone", she explained.

"Fine. You are the most stubborn person I have ever known. Do whatever you feel like but any problem, just let me know. Anyone one of us", said Raman. When she was about to protest, Raman added, "you can only prove anything to him if you are safe here. Otherwise, you know him. He would force you to go back home and not one person could stop him when it comes to your safety. He wouldn't even trust me with your safety when he is scared."

"He trusts you", she assured but she saw what Raman was trying to tell her. Her father can be a mother-hen more than any mother in the world. If she isn't wrong, he might be having one or the other idea to bring her home.

"Not enough when it comes to you, kid. Hey, I am all about you taking a stand for yourself but just stay safe and I would convince him to give you that one chance, okay?"

Nandu walked around the table to hug him and express her gratitude.

XXX

"Yeah, she is fine", said Raman when he was alone in the study room and heard Yash Murthy sighing on the other side.

"This girl has given me grey hairs and continues doing so. I would be in an early grave."

Raman rolled his eyes. "Yash, you need to let the girl breath."

"You believe her word over mine? She wrote a letter and left the city in the dead of the night after she punched a guy in the office. He wouldn't complain to me because she is my daughter but what about the police complaint? I had to apologize to him. Fortunately, he is a good person. All I said was to keep her temper down and she left."

"Yeah. The story she told me was completely different. She said you were coddling her. She told Abhi that you might send an army to fetch her. Yash, I know you love her but she wanted to prove to you that she can live alone."

"With her temper, I would just be happy if she wouldn't end up in jail by the end of the month."

"Hey, she is a good kid. How about you give her that one month. I have a project with this new guy I have hired. He is decent, comes from a good family, is really patient, and respects people. Let her work with him and after a month, I will try to convince her to get her home. How does that sound?"

"You would keep an eye on her?"

"I would keep her safe. If not, Abhimanyu would anyway be working with her. So, it's fine. With Abhimanyu, she would set her own boundaries and we can give it a try. Let her be an adult. Also, Yash, she loves you too. I don't think she could stay away from you for that long."

Yash waited for a moment. "Recently, I feel she doesn't love me that much. Couldn't wait to leave me."

"Hey, give her some time and for things to settle down. Everything would be fine, okay. How are Cabir and Navya?", he asked.

"They are fine. Cabir is keeping me sane these days. Imagine that", said Yash and chuckled.

XXX

Raman called Abhimanyu to his room at night. "Dropped her home?"

"Yeah, dad", said Abhimanyu, sitting down. "It's nearby. Walkable too. The apartment and the surroundings are nice too. I didn't meet her roommate though. She is out. Maybe stuck somewhere due to the curfew today. Hope she is nice."

"I hope too. Nandini punched someone in the office in Bangalore and when Yash asked her to keep her temper in check, she wrote a letter and left during the night."

Abhimanyu winced. "That's bad."

"Yeah. Just keep an eye on her. Her temper might put her in trouble one day."

"You think I don't know about it?"

"Yeah, you have more experience with that. I know", teased Yash.

XXX

Nandini changed into pajamas and went to bed. She needed to wake up early, hit the supermarket before work tomorrow, and figure out her food situation.

So, I have Yash Murthy from Modern Cinderella as Nandini's father because their bond was good. 

And Yash Murthy thinks he would be apart from his daughter for just a month. Who would tell him? :P

What are Navya and Cabir doing with Yash? Who are they in this story? Everything would be revealed in due time. 

I know everyone would guess about the new decent guy Nandini would be working with for her new project. First job. New experience. During pandemic. Yeah, they are building a history there. :P

Spoiler: Guess what?