Firstly, Thank you so much for your constant love n support, and patient wait... and also, Sorry for being late; I'd lost the flow of my writing after this break and it took me time to get into the story.
Secondly, there could be typos since my laptop is broke. so, bear with it!

Happy reading!
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"Nyonika! Who is this girl? She & Manik seem close to each other?" one of the ladies finally asked it aloud.

"I forgot to introduce her, She's Nandini," Nyo said walking to Nandu's side and passing her an assuring sweet smile
"She's one of us; Malhotra... Meri beti jassi"

Nandini felt good getting motherly affection from someone after a long time. She too smiled lightly.
While others whispered among themselves about this mysterious girl who manages to hold the eyes of Malhotra and regarded as their family.

"Haan... Ye lo Behena Cold-drinks" Cabir stepped forward to ease Nandu's discomfort and passed her a glass of Coca-cola, which she gladly took. "Cheers" he clicked his glass and took a sip.

"Oh! Toh, She's like... Manik's sister"

Soha voiced out of the crowd all of a sudden making Manik and Nandini's eyes wide and
Cabir to choke at his drink spilling it over at Nandini's dress. He coughed and shook his head being sorry for spilling on her.

                                      (Not on her face, but on her dress. lol!)

Nandu flinched as her white dress got spoiled that too in front of so many guests who're already eyeing her differently. She started cleaning her dress looking down when Cabir murmured few sorries.

"Manik, take Nandini to clean her dress" Raj said dismissing them from the troublesome crowd and Manik leads Nandini to his room. The last thing she heard as they walked upstairs;

"Kyun? ...Biwi nahi ho sakti?" Mukti counter questioning Soha who made a displeased face.

In Manik's room

"Are you alright?" Manik asked as soon as they entered the room and he locked the door. This was the second time being in Manik's room, so she was just looking around when Manik's question caught her attention.

"Hun?" she said looking puzzled. Manik walked towards her, to stand in front.

"In the hall, they made you quite uncomfortable, I could see! I know... you're not used to this, I'm sorry for not being attentive about the same." he voiced.

"Ah-I'm fine" Nandini replied with a slight smile before looking down at her dress "I'll go, clean the stain"

Saying so she turned to walk inside the washroom. She looked at the bucket to find it empty, she has to turn on the tap. But the problem is there are many taps and pipes at the point, making her confused as to which one is the desired one.

Calculating the possibility, she turned the left tap... only to invite disaster...
She gets completed wet, as she just turned on the head shower!

Battling with the cold water running over her head, wetting her dress, she finally managed to turn the left tap off... but she's already drenched up, with her cotton dress sticking to her body.
She came in to wash the stain, and instead got drenched away!
What luck!!

Chalo... Jo hua so hua! Now the question is What will she wear? and how will she come out of the washroom?

"There are no clothes here nor even a towel." Nandini murmured looking around for something to dry herself "Lagta hai esse hi bahar jana padega" She sighed before straightening her sticky wet dress and peeked through the washroom door.

She sighed in relief upon not finding Manik in the room "Bach gayi!" Taking silent steps forward she approached the wardrobe for some clothes to change into.

"What are you doing?" A voice asked from her behind making her breath hitched. She knew; it is Manik!

Being self-conscious, knowing her inner must be visible through her wet white top, she crossed her arms over her chest before slowly turning to face him.

On the other hand, Manik, who's just strolling around his balcony till Nandini cleans her dress, came out upon hearing the jolt of the door. But to his surprise, he saw her completely drenched, with water dripping her hairs and her dress sticking to her curvy body outlining her inner-wears.
He can't help but take a full picture of her through his eyes!

"Um-woh... actually, I opened the wrong tap by mistake" she muttered lowly keeping her eyes down, feeling a heated gaze on herself.

Although Manik didn't want to keep his eyes away from her, but he could sense; she's being uncomfortable standing completely drenched in front of someone. She's not used to this, after all.
So, he immediately walked forward to the wardrobe to help her get a towel and clothes to change.

But watching him step towards her, she sub-consciously stepped back hurried n worried. "Ahh" she slipped from the wet marble floor in the process of stepping back.

Manik instantly ran to catch her from falling hard. She too grabbed his shoulders tightly, while he has his hands encircled around her waist protectively. Nandini was hanging on the air with the support of Manik's hands around her while Manik is bending over her to catch her properly. This happened in just a fraction of minute that Nandini forgot that she's soaked in water and now in her husband's arms!

Their faces are close.
Manik's eyes started wandering all over her face; her eyebrows, her captivating eyes, her cute nose, her pink lips with a few drops of water over her and her dripping hair curls... he found himself lost capturing her mesmerizing face- close and detailed.
Nandu's condition is no less... Being close to any man is something new for her, but here the man is her husband, whom she's started being comfortable with. But now, as his face is this close her; she started observing his brown captivating deep eyes that are wandering around, and his sharp nose, his jawline so masculine and his lips are...

"Achoo"  She sneezed breaking their lost-moment.

Manik hurriedly helps her stand on her feet and turned opening the wardrobe. "Here, first change into my track n t-shirt and dry yourself, then I'll arrange some dress for you. Go fast!" He forwarded a pair of his dress and a towel that Nandini took and ran inside the washroom.

Locking the washroom door, she palmed her cheeks standing in front of the mirror.

"Nandu! What was that!" she murmured to herself. She cheeks are warm out of the heated sweet moment she shared before.
"You're ogling at your hubby!" she thought and again the close-up image of his face crossed her mind.

"He's handsome-faced!" she muttered under her breath lowering her eyes as a blush crept her cheeks.

"Achoo" She again sneezed making her shook her head ou of the thoughts of her handsome hubby and she got changed.

Here outside, in the room, Manik switched on the heater to warm the room along with switching off the A.C and closing the window. He was thinking about how to arrange clothes for Nandini since she has no clothes here as they took it all to their penthouse; when the washroom door opened and Nandu stepped out wearing Manik's big-sized track pant and an over-sized tee with the towel wrapped around her wet hairs.

"She'll be my death" Manik muttered under his breath as he found himself getting attracted to her cuteness even in his baggy dress.

She unwrapped the towel and started to dry her hairs walking to stand in front of the mirror. Manik doesn't know when he had slowly walked towards her, only to stand closely behind her, admiring her as few water droplets sprinkle on him when she'd flip her hair.

Nandu, oblivious of this, has her full concentration on drying her hair. But no sooner she felt someone close and her eyes fell on the reflection. She stopped moving her hands when she found Manik standing behind her... so close and looking at her intensely. Her cheeks again warmed up under his gaze and she lowered her eyes shyly.

Manik smiled watching her blush through the mirror and bend forward more closer to her... almost brushing her. She looked up sensing him lean forward and locked her eyes with him through the mirror.

As slowly as he's leaning closer, Nandu's heartbeats started getting erratic and she was feeling something new. He leaned more closer touching her side... ...
and move to the side to grab the hair-dryer kept on the dressing table.

Nandu looked at him wide-eyed when he picked up the hair-dryer and turned it on making the hot air blow on her.

"What?" Manik asked her seeing her wide shocked eyes. She blinked a few times before shaking her head and turning away causing Manik to smirk upon getting the idea.

"I leaned to pick this hair-dryer" He said showing it. "Did you thought something else?" he added with his famous teasing smile making her turn red in embarrassment.

'Did I really expect him to do something? Oh god!' she thought in her mind.

"No?... Then why is your face so flushed?" he added while drying her hair. He's enjoying to his fullest watching her all cute n red!

"Nahi toh!...  it- it is just... from the hot air from the dryer." she reasoned blinking her eyes cutely and looking everywhere but at the mirror to hide her flushed embarrassed face.

Manik couldn't hold anymore and let out a deep chuckle watching her cuteness. "Oh god! You're damn cute mann!" he voiced pinching her cheeks slightly.

"Okay! okay! You dry your hair fully, till then, I'll borrow a dress for you from Navya." He handed her the dryer and walked out of the room leaving her.

Keeping her hair-dryer aside, she looked at herself in the mirror recalling what just happened. She is smiling and blushing brightly that she could feel the heat on her cheeks and redness on it. She cupped her face and blinked cutely.

"I'm cuteee!" she muttered smiling to herself.

The door jolted causing her to retreat her hands and straighten herself thinking Manik's back...
But the door opened to reveal it's Soha, much to Nandu's dislike.

"Woww... What are you doing inside Manik's room?" she asked as soon as she walked inside. She eyed her from toe to head, noticing her dress and her hair.

"Did you just use Manik's bathroom instead of guest room's and..." she paused looking down at the dress she's wearing "... you wore Manik Malhotra's dress, don't you?"

Just when Nandini was about to reply, Soha let out a sarcastic laugh "Seems like you're forgetting who you're, just because Malhotras are showing a bit of importance to you, you middle-class behenji!"

Nandini looked at her stunned and in disbelief.

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How is the update? Which was your favorite part?

Do you like Nyonika's reply?

Now what new drama will Soha create?!