Hello guys,

How are y'all doin? I'm sorry for taking a short break, but I was badly in need of it. I, also happen to get hooked with a Turkish series, that I didn't want to write anything, but just keep watching it. 

Anyhow, did anyone miss me?

Let's get back to the story. Enjoy!

~Having him beside her wasn't a choice she made, but her fate that she never thought of~

-Affu-

In India

Manjeet Lifecare Hospital

Nandini's Cabin

"What?" there was an exclamation of shock, which filled the room, that Nandini had to palm her ears.

"Bhayyu! Dheere. I don't want to be deaf, any sooner." Nandini rubbed her ears, while all her brothers did was to stare at her.

"Angel! Do you even hear yourself? The heck is wrong with you?" Viren bellowed, and Nandini looked down.

"I know! I'm at fault." she replied meekly, before looking up. "And I'm sorry about that. But I really didn't find any other solution." she added, in the same tone and that melted Murthy brothers' anger.

"Choti!" Om settled beside Nandini and took her in his embrace. "Hum selfish bann sakthe hain, when we have so much of love for someone. Lekin ithna bhi nahi..ki apne zindagi khatham karne ke barein mein soch sakthe hain. Yes, on one side, it's bad to even think about blackmailing Manik to marry you, just for your Appa's happiness because..he has a life Choti. Haa ye sach hai, now, he doesn't have a girl in his life, lekin iska mathlab ye nahi that he will never have a girl in his life. You'll be doing injustice to him and his girl, by doing this marriage. Contract hai ya nahi, marriage hain, and he must have wished to do it with his life partner. Should we hurt Manik, just because Appa is hurt?" Om explained, while tucking her hair strands behind her ears, and she looked at him, guiltily.

"No!' she whispered, and Omer smiled down at her. "And on other hand.." Rithvik settled on the other side and held onto Nandini. "It's your life as well, princess. I know, you don't care about yourself when it comes to your family, lekin Jaan, ye shadi hain. Marriage is a pure bonding between two hearts, and that should never happen for a motive, unless it is to have a future together. Par yaha koi future nahi hai. Once you achieve your goal, the marriage is over, because its a contract marriage. Ye injustice sirf Manik ke saath nahi, balki tumhare saath bhi hai. Appa aur Ma ke saath bhi hain. Malhotras ke saath bhi hain. Is our Princess a stone-hearted woman to find her father's happiness in others' miseries?" Rithvik too spoke softly, and she nodded in negative again.

"So..jo apne ki hai, wo selfishness nahi baby, balki injustice hain. And we Murthys don't do injustice to anyone, right?" Sidharth knelt down, on the floor to have a look at Nandini, who held onto her ears. "I'm so sorry. Can a sorry fix my mistake?" Nandini asked, sadly and the brothers smiled down at her.

"A sorry can never fix a mistake." Asad pulled her up, to make her stand beside him. "But a heartfelt rectification will always melt down your mistakes." he added, and Nandini stared at her brother.

"You mean..I need to do something to earn Manik's forgiveness, as in he's the one I blackmailed. Just not saying a sorry to him." she said, and the brothers bobbed their heads.

 "Okay! I will." she said, and they smiled brightly at her. Asad kissed her head tenderly. "But how do I get your forgiveness? I mean, I did injustice to you as well." She asked, and Karan pulled her to his side, before looking at others. "We don't find mistakes of each others' and punish them, do we?" Shivaay looked at her, smilingly before replying. "We just accept each other for the way we are. We taught you the right way, and now it's your duty to follow it. That's the way we find each other's light in personality." he added, and Nandini kissed his cheek, as a token of thanks.

"Alright! I'll think about something else to go ahead with our mission. And..I will do something to gain Manik's forgiveness." she stated, and the brothers embraced her, happily.

***

"What about a date night?" Mrunal suggested, and Nandini looked at her best friend, blankly. "Mruno..mujhe Manik se forgiveness chahiye, romantic night nahi." Nandini scowled at her and walked ahead, with Mrunal following behind.

"A date ain't just for lovers. Don't we go for dates with our fathers as well?" Mrunal pointed out, and Nandini nodded at her. "Right! But we shouldn't forget the fact that Manik Malhotra is a guy, who's not even a friend of mine to go out with him. That could have a different meaning." Nandini too pointed out, and Mrunal started to think about a different plan.

"What if you send flowers and chocolates to his mothers?" Mrunal suggested again, and Nandini's face got scrunched up, in confusion. "Why do I need to impress his mothers?" She stared at Mrunal in disbelief. "Because, a mother's heart is the road to her son's mind." Mrunal replied, and Nandini stopped walking.

"Do I really look like a desperate bimbo who's in dire need of being Manik Malhotra's girlfriend, to you?" Nandini questioned, and Mrunal stared on. "No..! I mean, your previous plan did sound like that..but still, I know you're not into romance." Mrunal replied, and Nandini nodded.

"Oh, thank you! At least now you know that your pathetic ideas are hinting only to that very same thing which I'm not into. And if you don't stop suggesting such things, I'll send your horrible bhoothni-like pictures to Tom Holland." said Nandini, and shrugged.

"Do you really think that Tom Holland would accept a nobody like your messages?" Mrunal asked, and Nandini grinned. "I don't need people to accept my messages. Either way, they're bound to be curious of what I send them. Mein thodi sidhi-sadhi hun." she replied, before starting to walk ahead, only to bang into someone's hard body.

"The f***" she cursed out loud, but the person did held her protectively. "I'm so sorry. Are you al---oh!" the person started,only to get zoned out, while staring at Nandini.

"Oh! I'm very much alright!" and she pushed at his chest, to get out of his hold, in which she succeeded well. Dusting her body, she looked up to give the person a lecture. "Were you blind walking, Mister?" she stared at the man, with an angry look on her face, which brought him out of his trance.

"Oh! It's you again. Miss Jalebi ghoorna!' the guy spoke, cheekily and Nandini squinted her eyes at him. "As far as I remember I don't like jalebi. So usko ghoorna na mumkin hain. Mein aur jalebi kabhi bhi ek saath ek jagah pe nahi beith sakthe. So, you're highly mistaken, Mr. Wrong Impression guy." Nandini replied, while giving him a mean look, and then tugged at Mrunal's wrist, who had her eyes widened, while staring at the guy, who was doing nothing but staring at Nandini, dreamily.

"Uh..Good morning, Dr. Aadit." Mrunal tried to smile at Aadit, before pulling Nandini closer towards her. "If you don't want to use your Chote Papa's power in your profession, and prove yourself to be a good doctor, then be in his good books." Mrunal whispered in Nandini's ears, who looked at Mrunal, questioningly. "Kyu? Ye Yashjeet Murthy ke unknown family member hai kya?' Nandini whispered back, while looking at Aadit, who seems to be lost in a daze.

"Because he's the head of Hospital administration. His position in here is right after your Chote Papa." Mrunal replied, and Nandini bit onto her lips, before looking back at Aadit, faking a smile. "Hello Dr. Aditya." she said, and Mrunal stamped onto Nandini's feet, making her to wince in pain. "Aadit naam hain unka." Mrunal gritted her teeth, while whispering and Nandini started to correct herself, when Aadit started to speak.

"Hello!" and Aadit waved his hand at her, leaving the girls to stare at him. "Didn't you say his name was Aadit?" Nandini whispered to Mrunal, who nodded at her. "Aren't you, Dr. Aadit Sharma?" Mrunal asked loudly to Aadit, who shifted his gaze from Nandini to Mrunal. "Because she just called you Aditya, and you didn't mind. So..you're Aditya or Aadit?" Mrunal looked at Aadit, confusingly.

"Well, I doubt the same." Nandini supported Mrunal's statement, and Aadit stared on. "It's Aadit Sharma." He replied, before clearing his throat. "Oh!" the girls replied.

"But you didn't mind me addressing you Dr. Aditya?" Nandini asked, and he smiled at her. "You can call me Aditya, if you want. If you're fond of that name." Aadit said, and Mrunal raised her eyebrows at it. He was not even S of Sweet, when she met him for a department meeting.

"Why would I call you with something else, when your name is Aadit? Mein thodi koi name-making machine hun." Nandini shrugged, and Aadit looked taken aback, with her straightforwardness. 

"Uh! It's Dr. Aadit, then." Mrunal smiled at Nandini while clutching her hand, in a death grip. "Dr. Aadit." Nandini repeated while tightening her grip on Mrunal's hand, quite painfully. "Whatever you wish. Between, you are new here?" Aadit smiled at Nandini again, and Mrunal just knew what's cooking in his mind.

"Yeah. She's Mrunal Singhania, Psychiatry department while I'm in Gynecology Department, Nandini Murthy." Nandini gave Aadit, a professional smile, which took his breath away.

"Nandini!" he muttered to himself, and smiled sweetly at Nandini, who stared at him weirdly. "Ye thoda overly sweet tho nahi?" Nandini whispered to Mrunal, who smirked at her. "Hona hi tha." she replied, leading Nandini to stare at her best friend, and then at Aadit.

"We'll take your leave, then. Good day ahead, Doctor." and Nandini dragged Mrunal with her, leaving a dreamy Aadit behind.

"Ithna sweetly smile kar raha tha ladka ki I wanted to punch in his jaw and check if he could still smile with a broken jaw." Nandini muttered, and Mrunal giggled. 

"He seems to be whipped by your presence." Mrunal said, and Nandini rolled her eyes. "Then he gotta check with his smile. I hate such overly sweet smiles. He shouldn't be named Aadit Sharma, but Honey bee Sharma, with that sweetness he's pouring out." Nandini replied, and Mrunal's eyes twinkled.

"Wow! That name suits him well. Honey bee Sharma!" Mrunal smirked, leading Nandini to shake her head at her crazy best friend.

***

"Where do you work?" the first question Nandini heard, when she attended the call. "Jahannam mein, is an old dialogue, so I'm not gonna use it. Whoever it is, call me at night, I'll be free to give 360 degree counter-attacks, but now it'll be only 50 degree." She replied, while getting in her cabin, and the person on the other hand sighed loudly.

"Nandini! For heaven's sake, don't tell me you forgot my voice again. Like..my voice isn't so horrible that you can't even remember it." the person retorted, and Nandini halted in her steps.

"How do you know my name?" she asked and then took the mobile off her ears, to check the caller id, but it was still an unknown number. "I guess, there's something called saving a contact number in your Mobile, Miss Nandini Shekhar Murthy." the person replied, and Nandini widened her eyes.

The only person who knows about her identity in India, is Murthy family, excluding the elderly men except for Sooraj, and one certain Malhotra kid.

"Wait..Malhotra kid?" she asked, only to hear him groaning. "Manik, it is. Not any kid." he gritted his teeth, and Nandini sighed.

"Yar, I forgot to save this Malhotra kid's number. Acha wait." and she hung up on the call, to save his number, which obviously was 'Malhotra kid'.

And then she called him, on his number.

"Now, bol Malhotra kid. To what do I owe this phone call?" her phone call was answered, in the first ring itself.

"I have already asked a question, if you remember. Where do you work? You said, you're a doctor." Manik stated and Nandini looked at herself in the mirror, opposite to where she sat. 

"I know I'm beautiful, lekin ek saath dho ladke desperateness dikha rahe hai. Isn't it weird?" Nandini muttered to herself, but Manik did hear it. "What? What are you even saying?" asked Manik, and Nandini waved her hand in the air.

"Tum wattpad books read karthe ho kya? If yes, you should know that you're behaving like some obsessed guy, who cannot even think about letting the girl he's obsessed with, to breathe in some fresh air, where he doesn't exist." Nandini stated,and Manik groaned out loud.

"Nandini! I want to meet you, and for that I need to know where the hell you work." he yelled out, and she rubbed her ears. "Yar, Mr. Grumpy Insaan, stop with your yelling and let my poor ears be safe. Firstly, why do you want to meet me, when there's no contract marriage in the future?" Nandini asked, but then suddenly she remembered she needed his forgiveness. 

"Well, I was--" Manik began, only for Nandini to cut his sentence in middle. "Ah! Not needed. I was thinking about meeting you. It's Manjeet Lifecare Hospital. I'll be working till 6 p.m. Bye." and she hung up on the call, leaving a dumbfounded Manik on the other side.

"She's crazy." he muttered to himself, before widening his eyes. "Did she say Manjeet Lifecare Hospital?" he asked himself.

***

"Papa ji! Where are you going?" Yashjeet turned to find Sooraj, who was staring at him with a questioning look on his face. "To our hospital. I need to meet my Cardiologist." said Yashjeet before turning to leave, and Sooraj nodded at him.

"We'll go together, then." he said, and the duo moved to Sooraj's car, to settle inside.

"You also have to sign few papers, Papa ji." Sooraj reminded Yashjeet, while driving to Manjeet.

"Aaj hi kar detha hun." Yashjeet replied, and Sooraj nodded. Soon enough, they were in front of Manjeet.

"Mein aatha hun." Sooraj said to Yashjeet, once they were out of their car. Yashjeet nodded and got inside the hospital, while Sooraj attended his phone call.

"Ha Vandana? Kya hua?" Sooraj asked, while switching off the button on his car's key. "You forgot to take Pari's payasam, Sooraj." Vandana said, and Sooraj palmed his face.

"Yar! I forgot, Beewi sahiba. Papa ji se baath karke kar---" and he widened his eyes. His widened eyes moved towards the hospital building. "Papa ji andhar hain." he muttered. "Aur pari bhi." and the next second he hung up on the call to rush inside the hospital, in horror.

***

"Dr. Nandini Murthy's cabin." Manik said to the receptionist, who smiled at him. Everyone in the hospital knew the Malhotras well, and they often come here to meet Sooraj and Vandana.

"Oh, our new Gynec specialist. Go straight, and then right. The second room you see, is Dr. Nandini's cabin." the receptionist replied, politely and Manik thanked her before following her instructions.

"Dr. Nandini S. Murthy." he read the nameplate outside her cabin, and smiled. She didn't bother to hide her father's name beside hers, even though it's just the first letter of his name.

"Ma! I really miss your Paneer masala." he turned to find Nandini walking towards where he stood, outside her cabin, while talking over her phone. "Apke cooking skills na, thoda high level ke hain. I accept it now, since I'm away from you and I don't need to see that pride filled look on your face." she giggled, and Manik stared at her face. 

Something about the way she smiles, does something to his heart!

"But seriously, I miss your food." She pouted, and then giggled at whatever her mother said. She didn't look like a mature woman to him now. She didn't look like a selfish girl who wanted to do a contract marriage to him, now. 

She looked like a delicate flower to him, now, who's in dire need of his care!

Shaking the thoughts going on in his head aside, he made his way towards her, leading her to bang in his chest.

"Ouch!" she looked up, when he stared at her, smirking. Her eyes widened a bit, on seeing it's the same Malhotra kid, but they were widening more because of the closeness that she shared with him. He was too close to her, merely inches away from her face, but unlike the previous time she banged into Aadit, she wasn't touched by this man.

He didn't hold her, but just provided the warmth of his body, preventing her from falling down and hurting herself. A Gentleman. As soon as that thought crossed her mind, she stepped back.

"Ma! Mein apko baad mein call karthi hun. Yeah, everything is fine. I'll call you back. Love you, and miss me." and she hung up on the call, while staring at him.

"I said I'll be working till 6 p.m., not 2 p.m. that you rushed to meet me." Nandini deadpanned, and Manik rolled his eyes. "Come with me. We'll talk in some coffee shops." said Manik, and she scrunched up her face. "Coffee shops?" she asked, and he nodded.

"Yeah. It's time for lunch also. We'll talk and have lunch. Come on." he insisted, but Nandini's face still was twisted. "Who eats lunch in coffee shops? Besides, aren't you behaving a little more friendly?" she asked, and he shrugged. "I'm not being friendly, but logical. You can have a cup of coffee, and a sandwich as your lunch as well, unless you have a greedy appetite." Manik said, and she rolled her eyes, this time.

"I have no problems with sandwiches, but coffee. I hate coffee. I even hate the smell of it. I even hate the smell of coffee shop, because it smells of coffee." she declared, and Manik's jaws dropped down. "Why do you have so much of hated for that drink? It's such an energizer, Murthy." Manik stared at her wide-eyed.

"Caffeine may be a temporary energizer, but it also destroys your health. Besides, I freaking hate it's smell." Nandini flared up, and Manik shot a glare towards her. "It smells awesome. I love coffee." he said, and Nandini stared on. "Should have guessed it, after seeing your temper. AI and AI 2.0 drink the same, after all." she muttered, and he looked at her, confusingly.

"Wha--" he began, to get cut by some other voice. "Manik bete?" and the duo looked towards the voice, only for Nandini to widen her eyes. Manik smiled at the person, which didn't last long, as he got aware of the lady beside him.

But Yashjeet wouldn't recognize her, would he?

"Shit" he cursed, silently, while all Nandini did was to stare at the man in front of her. "DJ!" she whispered to herself, while staring at a perplexed Yashjeet.

His gaze was fixed at Nandini. She looked like someone he knew, yet he doesn't. He has never seen this face, before, but something about her appearance screams familiarity to him.

Who was she?

And Nandini gulped, on feeling the rise of emotions in her. Her grandfather, whom she had only heard about, is standing in front of her, and she didn't know how to react.

"Yash Daadu!" Manik moved forward to touch Yashjeet's feet. "Kaise hai aap?" Manik hugged Yashjeet, who patted at his back, while staring at Nandini, who has started to look around.

"Teek hun, bete. Aap yaha?" Yashjeet asked, and Manik fumbled to find a reply to his question. "Aur ye..ladki?" and Yashjeet's gaze moved towards Nandini again.

She still didn't look at him, but Manik did. He started to find a good excuse, but then he decided to fall in the pit.

"Ye Nandini hain." and he moved forward to hold Nandini's hand, who looked up at him. "My girlfriend." he added, and Nandini's jaws dropped down, in shock. 

Manik turned towards a shocked Yashjeet, and smiled. 

"The girl who I wanted to introduce to all of you. To marry her." Manik said, smilingly and Nandini couldn't even blink.

"Girlfriend? Marriage?" Yashjeet asked, all shocked, and Manik bobbed his head. "Yes! She's my girlfriend, whom I'm seeing for the past 2 months, and we decided to get married. I was here to pick her up, to take her to meet Daadu and the rest." Manik lied, fumbling here and there, as he wasn't an expert in it. 

But his smile was enough to convince Yashjeet Murthy.

Although that wasn't the case with Nandini, as she was still gaping.

"Girlfriend?" and Nandini turned towards the voice, behind Yashjeet Murthy, which belonged to Sooraj. He stared at his daughter and Manik, in pure shock.

"Gaye mere dil ki haalath." Nandini deadpanned, and Manik stared on.

***

"Um..it's been only 2 months. I met her outside India, when I went for a business conference. She's a doctor..uh, Gynec-yeah, Gynecologist. And now, she's working in here." Manik completed, huffing and Sooraj just kept staring at Manik and Nandini.

"Outside India? Where?" Sooraj narrowed his eyes at Manik, and then at Nandini, who shook her head slightly at him, without letting Yashjeet see it.

"Er..where? Outside India. Out of India. Yaani, not in India." Manik replied, cheekily and Nandini rubbed her neck in distress. Sooraj's death stare didn't shift from Manik, either.

"Manik?" Yashjeet's questioning glance was shifted to Manik, who gulped all the confidence he had, down his throat.

"London!" Nandini replied, instead of Manik, and smiled at Yashjeet. "We met in London. Actually, Manik is being anxious of your response towards our relationship. Aapko relationships pasand jo nahi hai." Nandini said, widening both Manik's and Yashjeet's eyes.

Nobody has ever talked so confidently with Yashjeet Murthy!

"Mujhe relationships pasand nahi hain. How do you know that, Miss.." Yashjeet trailed off, while glancing at a worried Manik. "Murthy." Nandini replied, leading Yashjeet to shift his attention towards her. "Miss Murthy, it is. Nandini Murthy." she replied, with determination filled in her tone, and for a second, Yashjeet felt tongue-tied.

"Aur rahi baath apke question ke tho..Manik told me everything about his family, which includes you as well. How Yash Daadu doesn't like romantic relationships, but just the marriages, and how deeply Manik wants to follow that wish of yours." Nandini turned towards Manik, while faking a sweet smile, that he started to gape at her, in disbelief.

Sooraj was not even in his senses, anymore!

"Hain na Manik?" Nandini held Manik's hand, pressing onto it, to bring him out of his trance. "Huh? Haan. Haan. Exascltly. Wahi." Manik too faked a smile and turned towards Yashjeet. "I thought of following your path." Manik added, and Yashjeet's lips quirked upwards into a smile.

"Raja bete ho tum mere!" Yashjeet smiled proudly, and Nandini stared at Yashjeet with a knowing glint in her eyes. She might have missed a grandfather's place in her life, but she can never accept what he did to her mother. On seeing him accepting her for Manik, just because he was willing to follow Yashjeet's traditions, her mind blazed in fury.

She looked away, and clenched her fists hard. "For Ma, Nandini. For Appa, Nandini. For them, just them." She muttered to herself, quietly and exhaled lightly.

"Waise, aapke family, beta?" She turned towards Yashjeet, who was smiling at her. Faking yet another smile, she answered rather politely. "London mein hain. Mein yaha sirf Manik ke family se milne keliye aayi hun." Nandini turned towards Manik, who nodded, in supportive of her reply.

"Yeah, Daadu. She just came to meet my family. Aur uske baad wapas jaane ka plan hain." said Manik, and Nandini threw him a glare. She isn't planning to go back to Londen, any sooner.

"Wapas jayegi mathlab? Isn't she working here? Aur shadi bhi thi karna hain." Yashjeet said, worryingly and Manik bit onto his lips, in nervousness. 

"Shadi?!" Sooraj stared at Nandini, who faked a smile at him. "Er..shadi mere Appa aur Ma se bath karne ke baad karungi mein. Appa and Ma just know Manik, but not his family. No worries. I'll go back only after 6 months. Actually, Appa has a lot of work left to complete in London. He'll come to visit Manik's family, once he's done with all. Aur mene socha, yaha kaam dundun, and that's how I got a job in Manjeet." Nandini completed her lie, and Yashjeet smiled at it.

"Phir teek! Let's meet your family first, and then decide about your marriage." Yashjeet stood up and then walked towards Nandini. "Pehle families ko ek dusre ko pasand karna jo hain." he, hesitantly, cupped Nandini's left cheek, taking her in surprise. "Aap tho already pasand aa chuke hai mujhe, ab bas Harsh aur hamare bachon ko bhi pasand karne dho. I'm sure, they'll love you." said Yashjeet, softly, that he didn't even know why he was being so close to this stranger girl.

"Thank you!" Nandini muttered, while looking at Yashjeet, and then at Sooraj, who was blinking his tears away. He had a beautiful smile playing on his lips, on watching the scene happening in front of his eyes.

He's been craving to watch the same, since forever!

"Chaltha hun!" said Yashjeet, and left the room followed by Sooraj.

"Huff! Bach gaye." Manik rubbed at his chest, and Nandini threw him a glance. "Asli heart attack tho tumhe ab milega." Nandini broke his self-consoling moment, making him to raise his eyebrows at her.

"Hayee! Governor tho sipaahiyon thak pahuncha diya hoga sab kuch." Nandini deadpanned, which just increased Manik's confused state of mind.

He had no idea that he's fallen into a pit!

***

How was the chapter?

Please do note that in this book, there's no face resemblance between Nandini and her late grandmother.

So what must be the pit that Manik has fallen into, named as?

Love,

Affu.