Manik's pov

"Cabir please don't call dad. Trust me I will tell everything when he will be back."

"It's my duty to inform him everything."

"But he will fire you."

"Of course he can. But still I have to inform him everything."

"Cabir, I request you. Please don't do that. Dad will return by next week then I will explain him everything."

He sighed heavily. Damn seems like I really pissed him off. But what's my fault in it? Oh wait it's my fault only. I shouldn't have ran away. Poor Cabir. I am sure dad will fire him when he will get to know everything. I cursed myself badly.

"Okay, fine. But if you don't tell him anything I will do the honours. Damn who told you to ran away? See what did you do to yourself? Now that forehead wound will leave a mark."

Aww I love this caring Cabir. Otherwise he is so strict. Trust me he is more strict than my dad.

"Thanks Cabir and I promise I won't bother you more until dad comes back."

He just smiled at me and left. Now I am all alone in this huge mansion. Damn I am missing Nandini and Abhimanyu badly. They must be thinking that I am a disloyal and selfish person. I wish I could tell them the truth.

Nandini's pov

Seriously? He just wrote a letter for us thanking us for our hospitality and left. He fucking lost his memories how will he survive out there?

"Nandini your are overthinking. I am sure he got his memories back that's why he left."

"But he could inform us before leaving, right?"

"Yeah that's strange."

"He also left a visiting card on the letter and mentioned me to go there. Bhai why the hell will I go there when the interview is over? They must have haired someone for that post."

"I don't know. I think we should go there. Maybe he is there and waiting for us to meet him."

"Okay I will get ready. I have an interview to attend. Then we will go there."

I got ready sooner and after giving an interview in a textile company we both went to Malhotra Industries. Damn this office is so huge. I went to the reception and said,

"We are looking for a tall boy. Like really tall around 6'. He left this visiting card in our house and mentioned us to come here."

Damn I am feeling like a fool right now. Seriously I am searching for a person without knowing any information about him except his tower like height. I hope this receptionist didn't think that we are some mental patient, ran away from the mental asylum and call there to take us back there. She took that visiting card from me and said,

"May I know your name please?"

"Nandini, Nandini Murthy."

"It will take a few minutes. Please make yourself comfortable."

She pointed towards a couch and we sat there. I saw her calling someone and talking to the person. She was biting her nails in nervousness. But why? After sometime she called us and said,

"You applied for the Marketing officer post right?"

"Yes. But interview is over right?"

"Actually the interview was postponed for a reason yesterday and we are taking that interview today. Did you bring your certificate with you?"

"Oh yes. But where is the other candidates?"

"They left. You are the last candidate. Manager's cabin is over there. All the best."

"Thank you."

I smiled at her and told my brother to wait there as I went to the manager's cabin for interview. Aiyappa I need this job badly. Please be with me today.

After sometime

Oh my god I just can't believe it. I got this job. I am so happy. Wait a minute I totally forgot about that Ghajini boy. Okay now don't give me a lecture for calling him a Ghajini because I don't know what to address him. I went to the reception and asked her,

"Did you find the boy who gave me that visiting card?"

"Sorry Mam. I don't know whom are you talking about. It's a huge company. There are so many employees here. It's difficult to find someone without knowing his name or destination."

She seemed to be nervous but why? Now I am worried about Ghajini. God knows where he is. He seemed to be a nice boy and didn't have any knowledge about the outer world. Aiyappa please protect him from all the evils and give him a good life.

A Week Later
Manik's pov

"What is this Cabir? This much happened and you didn't bother to inform me of anything?"

"Dad it was my fault. I convinced him not to tell you anything."

"You convinced him and he agreed? Cabir you are fired. Go away and never show me your face again."

Cabir bowed his head down and went away. Oh god what have I done?

"Dad please listen to me once."

"What should I listen to? Did you listen to me? No, right? What if someone kidnapped you? Manik, I have enemies everywhere. Why can't you understand that? I can't lose you at any cost, damn it "

"I know dad. You love me so much and always try to protect me because people know me as Raj Malhotra's son. I am the only heir of Malhotra Industries. But dad, who am I? I don't have any freedom or an identity of my own."

"What do you mean to say?"

"I want to make my own identity. I don't want to live a luxurious life because my dad is rich. I don't want to sit on the CEO's chair just because I am the only heir of the great Raj Malhotra. I am not saying that I will never take over your company. I will but not because I am your son, because I deserve it. In simple words I want to live an ordinary life and I want a low designated job in your company without using my father's name and fame."

When I finished my long speech dad was literally in tears. I never saw this man crying in my whole life. Did I say something wrong?

"Manu, when did you grow up this much? I never thought my super lazy son can think something like that. I am so proud of my son."

Dad hugged me. Aww I missed this warmth as he remains busy all the time. He hardly has time for me.

"So you wish is granted or not?"

"Only on a condition."

"What condition?"

"Cabir will be with you."

"But you just fired him, right?"

"As if he is going to listen to me? He loves you more than me. Even if I fire him, he will follow you like a shadow. Sometimes I really wonder who is the father here? Me or him?"

"He is so annoying dad."

I nagged him like a baby. Come on I want to live an ordinary life. Ordinary people doesn't roam around with their bodyguards.

"He will be with you as your friend not as your bodyguard. So I don't think there will be any problem and no more arguments on it."

"Okay. I want a job in the marketing department."

"That will be done. Anything else?"

"Nope."

Yayyyyyyyyyy Nandini Murthy here I come.

Next day
At Malhotra Industries

"I will kill you. How dare you leave our house without informing us? Do you have any idea how worried we were for you?"

Ouch. This girl is dangerous. She is literally hitting me with a file. Can you believe it?

"I am sorry. Suddenly I remembered everything and I had to attend this interview too. So I left."

Liar liar pants on fire. I mentally scolded myself for lying to her. God knows what will happen when she will get to know everything. But I don't have any other options. I can't trust anyone here. So I have to lie to her.

"So what's your name?"

"Manik, Manik Mehra."

I was shaking my hand with her when Cabir came there with a file and said,

"Hey Manik, I don't understand what should I do with this file?"

Here comes my dad's favorite flunkey. He pointed towards Nandini and said,

"Who is she?"

Like seriously? He is asking me who she is when he collected all the information about her and her brother for me personally. This man is a great actor. Trust me, even I couldn't act so well.

"She is Nandini Murthy, our colleague. Nandini, meet Cabir. My best friend and also my colleague."

"Hey Cabir, nice to meet you."

"Same here."

They shook hands together and started talking about random things. I never saw Cabir talking this much. He was trying to be friendly with Nandini. Okay I get it. But why am I feeling so jealous of him? Come on, it should be me. After all, I gave her this job and I should be on the top of her priority list. This Cabir is such an attention seeker. Enough is enough. I won't let him get her attention anymore.

"By the way Nandini can you find a place for us to live? Actually we are new in this city so we don't have any place to live."

"Well there is an empty apartment in our building but rent is a little higher than any other apartments. Can you afford it?"

She is right. I am doing a low designated job now and I can't afford expensive things just like my previous life. But before I could say no Cabir said,

"You don't need to worry about that as we both will share the rent. Can you give me the owners number?"

I gave him a confused look and he signaled me to stay quiet. That flunkey of my dad won't leave me alone for a while. I just hate him. Nandini gave him the phone number and went back to her work.

"What was that? Why did you signal me to stay quiet? You know that I can't afford that apartment."

"I can't let you live in any small dirty apartment and when I am staying with you then I should pay the half rent, right?"

"You are a controlled freak, do you know that?"

"Whatever, get back to your work now if you don't want to lose your dream job on your very first day."

He rolled his eyes and went back to his desk giving me a warning. Seriously who the hell will dare to fire me from this job when I am the future owner of this company? Whatever it is, the middle class is not that easy as I thought. Huff I am so tired already.

Few days later

We shifted into our new apartment. Not new though. I mean it was dirty and we had to clean it. Cabir suggested that I should hire a maid but I denied him as I have to manage my expenses within my salary. Thanks to dad who gave me one month's salary to settle down and I still have to buy groceries and other things. Nandini and her brother are so kind and humble. First day they brought food for us and it was yummy. I loved it. Nandini promised me that she will teach me how to cook. We became good friends within a few days.

"Manik are you sure you can wash those clothes? I mean you can give them to the laundry, right?"

"Cabir, why can't you understand that I have to manage everything within my salary and washing clothes is not so difficult. I have watched videos on YouTube."

"Okay then. Do whatever you want."

Well my very first attempt to wash my clothes wasn't that bad according to me. Though I lost a few buttons on my shirts, Nandini fixed it. She also taught me how to wash them properly. Then I didn't take any risk by doing any experiment on them as I can't afford to buy new shirts for me now and helped me to press and fold them. First she had doubts about me but when I told her that my dad loves me so much and never let me do anything then she understood my problem. Only if she knew that I never needed to do anything as I had servants to do everything for me.

Three months later
At Office

Huff my boss is so cruel. He makes me work so much. I just hate him. Not only him also those employees too who spared the rumors that the company owner's son is a drug addict and gambler that's why his father never bring him at any business party. Well all rich boys are not spilled brats only if they knew that the owner's son is sitting between them and leading a normal life just like them. I was stretching my arms as they were paining like hell when I saw dad entering. I stood up and greet him like others. He just smiled at me and went to his cabin. I went to the mansion sometimes to spend my weekends with dad. He missed me a lot and told me to come back many times. I know he loves me. But I want to be here a little more. Whenever I thought about going back to my regular life I sadness engulfed me thinking about leaving Nandini. Okay finally I have realized that I love her but I can't tell her anything until I tell her about my true identity but I don't have any courage to tell her everything. I am scared of her reaction. What if she gets angry for lieing to her? But I have to tell her before she gets to know everything from someone else. Dad is not feeling well nowadays so I have to go back soon. I don't want to break her heart but I don't want to lose her too. I was lose in my thoughts when dad came out of his cabin with a file in his hand. He going towards the lift when he held his chest and slowly collapsed on the floor. I immediately ran towards him and put his head on my lap.

"Dad, dad what happened to you? Dad open your eyes talk to me."

I was trying to wake him up when all were looking at me as if I am an alien. I ignored them and called security for help. They helped me lift him and when I entered the lift I saw Nandini standing with other employees. Her eyes were clearly saying that she was hurt. No no no. Please Nandini, don't get me wrong. Please give me a last chance to explain everything. I swear, I will never lie to you again. Please forgive me for one last time.

*****************★*****************
So here it is. Only one chapter is remain. What do you think? Nandini will forgive Manik or not?
Please let me know your opinions by your comments and of course don't forget to vote.
Take care
Bye
Nahar....😘😘😘