Manik walked inside. He saw Chachi was beaming with joy while Rishabh's eyes were twinkling. Nandini was dancing in happiness while the guy was laughing. Confused Manik placed his hand on the guy's shoulder. As soon as he turned around Manik gasped.

Manik: Abhimanyu! What a surprise!

Both of them hugged each other.

Manik: yaar btaya nahi tumne you are coming. Main aur Nandini pick karne aa jate na!

Abhimanyu: usse toh surprise kehte hai Mr. Malhotra!

Both of them laughed. Chachi came forward and hugged Abhimanyu shedding a few tears.

Chachi: ab ki baari na main tujhe jaane hi nahi dungi. Pata hai jaan sukh jaati hai meri tere bina phir bhi tujhe apna yeh business karna hai. Main Murthy ji se ladungi woh Chahe toh chale jaaye videsh business sambhal ne lekin main ab tujhe nahi jaane dungi.

Nandini too joined the hug.

Nandini: haan abhi ab main bhi nahi jaane dungi. Yaar yeh kya baat hui. Business business. Family kuch nahi hai kya.

Abhimanyu: Oho my lovely ladies! Rona bandh karo. What if iss baar main khud kahi na jao?! Toh?

Nandini: SACCHIIIIII!!!

Abhimanyu: ahan!!!

Nandini: yippeeeeeee.

Nandini started jumping around the house. Everyone laughed seeing her. Manik admired how she became a child when it came to her family.

Chachi: accha chalo tum log baat kro main kuch accha banati hoon tum sab ke liye. Aur na main jaldi jaldi dinner bhi bana lungi Taaki phir baith ke aaram se Abhi ke saath gappe maarungi.

Everyone had a horrified face listening to Chachi saying "kuch accha banati hoon"

Chachi: fikr mat karo koi experiment nahi karungi.

All sighed in relief.

Then Chachi walked off to the kitchen. Suddenly Manik and Nandini had an eye contact and the air around them turned awkward. Nandini simply ignored him and walked upstairs to her room while Manik kept looking at her. He then looked at Abhimanyu and Rishabh who were smirking seeing him.

Manik nervously smiled. Abhimanyu gestured him to go upstairs.

Manik: ni its okay.....main baad main baat kar lunga...

Abhimanyu: maine kab kaha uske paas jao......main toh keh raha tha ki we should go up in Rishabh's room and spend some boys time together....

Abhmanyu and Rishabh smirked while Manik nervously rubbed his back neck and forced a smile. Rishabh held Manik's hand and started pulling him upstairs. He pushed Manik towards Nandini's door while both the brothers walked away to the other room planning to spend some bro time together.

Manik nervously fidgeted with the door nob. Finally mustering up some courage he took a deep breathe and pushed the door ajar to witness the most heart breaking sight. Nandini was sitting near the window sobbing. He didn't know where to began from.

For him Nandini was his world. His everything revolved only and only around her. Seeing hatred and disgust, in her eyes that too for him, was something he couldn't bear. He silently walked towards Nandini and knelt down beside her. He slowly raised his hands in an attempt to wipe off the tears. His hands shivered. He was scared to touch her. What if he would hurt her again? He was the one who promised her two days back that he wouldn't let her cry and here she was sobbing because of him.

He placed his shivering hands on her cheeks and wiped the tears.

Manik: Daant lo, maar lo, chilla lo, lekin please ignore mat karo. Tumhari ignorance mujhse bardasht ni hoti. I feel all left out and thrown back to darkness just like how I was years back all alone and surrounded by darkness.

Nandini looked at him blankly.

Nandini: Tum jo mann main aaye woh karo aur main tumse naaraz bhi nahi ho sakti.

Manik frantically nodded his head.

Manik:Ni ni....Tum naaraz ho sakti ho. Bilkul ho sakti ho. Bas chup mat raho.

Nandini sighed

Nandini: toh tum kya chahte ho? Main ladna ni chahti tumse. Hum pichle do din se.....Infact talent hunt ke pehle se practically har din lad rahe hai. Ab main aur nahi lad sakti.

Manik engulfed her in a bear hug.

Manik: I am sorry.....I am sorry.....please forgive me. Please.....I am such a bad boyfriend. Maine khud promise kiya tha that I wouldn't let you cry aur yahan main khud tumhe rula raha hoon. Please maaf kardo.

Nandini: main tumse naaraz nahi hoon.....AB.

Nandini whispered in the hug choosing her words wisely. Manik broke the hug and looked at her. He faintly smiled and wiped away her tears. Buzzing a kiss on her forehead, he picked her in his arms and carefully placed her on the bed. Again buzzing her forehead he walked towards the door and locked it.

Nandini was looking at him. She could see right through his eyes that he was breaking inside. She could also see the guilt and regret in them. As soon as Manik settled beside her she hugged him tightly. Manik hugged her back tightly.

They didn't need words to understand each other. One touch was enough to understand each other. One look at each others face was enough to tell what the other was going through. They could feel each other and knew each other better.

Manik: I regret my past actions. I don't want to say anything that would justify my acts cause maine jo kiya woh galat hai. Aur koi bhi justification deke main yeh prove nahi karna chahta ki main sahi tha. Maine galat kiya aur main sorry hoon.

Nandini didn't move away from him. She simply raised her head while Manik lowered his head and pecked her eye lids.

Nandini: kya Fab5 jaanta tha tumne jo kiya uske baare main??

Manik: Nahi.....Fab5 ko baad main pata chala. Uss din woh log bohot hurt hue the......

Nandini kept looking at him. Manik's fingers were caressing her hair. Both of them were sitting in half laying position on the bed, their backs resting with the help of the pillow. Both of them cuddled close.

Manik: woh.....jis din the principal caught us.....We were made to wait outside the Principal's cabin....uss din na Cabir Mukti Alya Dhruv and Veebha sab itne daare hue the......For the first time I saw fear in their eyes. The kind of fear that we all had overcome long back and seeing that fear in their eyes made me feel restless and helpless jiski wajah se leaving them outside I alone went inside the Cabin and took the entire blame on me.

Nandini was looking at him keenly. As Manik narrated, Nandini clearly saw the feeling of helplessness and the fear of losing his friends in his eyes. She kissed his heart.

Manik: Phir principal ne Dad ko call kiya but like always he was too busy in his business deals and then the principal called Nyonika who used this as a weakness. She threatened me, she said she would take me away from Warrior High and all my friends. I was scared. Thinking that the matter had ended with the last warning I was all cool and then along with Fab5 registered our names in the interschool competition. But that's when I got to know about Nyonika's true colours. It was the finale I was getting ready and that's when I was called in the Principal's cabin. I went thinking what have I done now! Aur wahan maine dekha ki Nyonika was standing there waiting for me. Usne bola ki if I step on that stage to sing then she would take me away. Aur agar baat sirf meri hoti na toh shayad I would have rebelled and gone on the stage that day. Lekin nahi Nyonika ne bola ki mere saath saath woh Sab ke parents ko bata degi ki sach kya hai aur Unka career bhi spoil kar degi. Aur sirf issi wajah se main uss din stage pe nahi gaya.

Nandini was stunned. Listening to the whole truth she was stupified. Manik looked at her. He chuckled seeing Nandini's shocked face. Gently, Manik tapped on Nandini's lower jaw bringing her out of trance and making her close her mouth.

Manik: uske baad Cabir and Mukti ne bohot sunaya mujhe. Aur maine gusse main sab bola. Uske baad bhi unn dono ne bohot pitaai ki meri. Literally maara. I remember I had a cut on my lip. And you know maarne ke baad dono ne milke marham-patti ki thi meri. Uss waqt bhi kameeno ne purposely wounds pe zyada pressure daala so that I always remember what a stupid person I am!

Manik giggled at the memory.

Manik: while Dhruv and Alya gave me a very long lecture. That day we promised each other that no matter what it's all for one and one for all and hence forth no hiding anything. We had realised that secrets would break us.

Nandini hugged him tightly. He too hugged her back.

Manik: aur main tumhe yeh sab isiliye nahi bata raha taaki tum mujhe maaf kardo. Bas share kar raha hoon.

Nandini simply smiled. There was a knock on the door. Manik opened the door and smiled Abhimanyu and ruffled Rishabh's hair. They both walked inside and sat on the bed. Abhi and Manik sat near the foot board while Rishabh lied down in Nandini's lap.

Abhimanyu and Rishabh looked at Manik and Nandini and sighed seeing them smiling. Manik looked at Nandini who smiled in return. He secretly blew a kiss and winked at her seeing her pink cheeks. Nandini glared at him which obviously had no effect on Mr. Dheet Malhotra!

Their random conversations were interrupted when Chachi came to call them.

Chachi: arrey baccho aa jao maine na aloo aur gobi ka parantha banaya  hai.

Listening to parantha all four of them rushed to the door and then started fighting as to who would go first. Amidst the fight Nandini sneaked and ran down. The three boys were quick to follow her league. All came running down while Chachi was setting the dishes.

Chachi: arrey Manik! Beta um yahan baitho main tumhari liya na specially punjabi style main paaranthe banaya hai. Aaja!

Nandini Abhimanyu and Rishabh were gaping at Chachi. Manik smirked and sat down on the chair while Chachi herself served Manik and then started feeding him too with so much love.

Manik was looking at Chachi with so much love. Chachi kept feeding him with so much love. Sometimes she ruffled his hair making Manik giggle while sometimes she scolded Manik for eating messily and dropping food bits on his shirt. Other times she herself cleaned Manik's face with her stole.

Two paranthas down Manik eyes for a fraction of second cane in contact with Nandini who was looking at the duo with so much love and happiness. Manik smiled at her. When Manik looked at Abhi and Rishabh he smirked. Both the brothers were glaring at Manik.

Abhimanyu hit Nandini on her head.

Abhimanyu: usko ghoorna bandh kar......mann toh karta hai gala dabba doon uska.....Yaar yahan USA se aaya main....woh bhi itne time baad aur saara pyaar isko mil raha hai.

Rishabh too banged his hands on the table. Nandini giggled seeing her two brothers jealous of Manik. Manik too was giggling inwardly. Abhi was about to take a parantha from the plate when Manik beat him to it.

Manik: Yeh saare mere liye hai! Dare you touch them.

Abhimanyu: tu koun hai mujhe rokne wala.....

Before Abhimanyu could blast more Manik interrupted him, intentionally troubling him more.

Manik: tera hone wala saala hoon main. Haq banta hai mera!

There was a momentary silence on the table. Nandini and Chachi were looking at each other wide eyed while Rishabh's eyes kept oscillating from Manik to Abhimanyu who were smirking at each other.

Abhimanyu grabbed Nandini's hand and pulled her in a side hug.

Abhimanyu: hone wala hai na.....toh hone wala hi banke reh jayega tu.....zyada hoshiyaari dikhayi na toh meri behen ka haath dunga nahi tujhe. Samjha!

Manik: main toh samajh gaya lekin tu bhi samajh le ki tu agar izzat se iska haath ni dega toh bhaga ke leke jaoge main usse lekin leke toh main ho jaoga phir chahe uss paar ya iss paar!

Abhimanyu gritted his teeth. Manik's smirk widened. Both were looking at each others face like arch enemies. Rishabh who was still looking from Manik to Abhimanyu and back to Manik. Shrugging his shoulder he simply pulled the plate from between the two amd started eating the parantha.

Chachi and Nandini burst out laughing. While Manik and Abhimanyu were looking at Rishabh with their mouth open ajar. Acting totally ignorant to the glares he was getting from Manik and Abhimanyu, Rishabh kept eating the parantha. He finished the entire aloo parantha.

Sighing in defeat, ManBhi looked at the their empty plates and then at the one single gobi parantha in the plate in between them. Rishabh was looking at them and Sneekily extended his hands to snatch it again. This time Manik was fast enough to grab and run away. The other two hot on their heels chased Manik all around the house.

Chachi and Nandini guffawed  heartily and then Sighing walked into the kitchen to make more paranthas. The three boys were still arguing with each other chasing each other. Finally a bad day had ended on a good note with everyone smiling.

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I hope you guys liked the update.
Do vote and comment.❤

Special Thanks to adarart for the new cover. I so love it.💙😻