9:00 am, Ginger Tree Hotel, Anjuna, Goa.

I opened my eyes when I felt a slight tickling sensation on my face, due to the hair strands that were falling on it. The first thing I saw was a delightful grin on Manik's face, as he observed me waking up from my slumber. He slowly tucked the loose strands of hair behind my ear and continued to watch me intently.

It took me a few seconds to realize where I was, since I was still groggy. However, when I remembered the events of the previous night, a smile made its way to my face almost involuntarily.

It had been so beautiful...

I thought that the first time was supposed to hurt, but Manik hadn't let me feel even an ounce of pain. Despite his towering form, he had been so gentle and loving in the act...

And here I was in his arms, which seemed like a haven for me...

I was brought out of my sweet reverie when Manik said. "Good Morning, sleepy head..."

"Good Morning..." I responded as I rubbed my eyes.

Wait! Did he say 'sleepy head'?! Had I really been sleeping for that long?!

"Manik, what time is it?" I asked, curiously.

"Relax. It's just 9:00 am." He said in a calm voice.

Nine 'o' clock? I had slept for nearly ten hours yet again! What the hell was wrong with me?!

Ugh! Why didn't this boy ever wake me up?! It was his fault that I was oversleeping anyway! His arms were too cozy and soporific!

"Manik, how long have you been awake? Why didn't you wake me up?" I asked in an annoyed voice.

"Relax, Nandini...it's not like you have to go to work or anything. I've been up for about an hour or so..." He said, with a slight laugh.

"An hour?! What were you doing?" I asked.

"I was just watching you sleep...you look like a cute little angel in repose..." He said with a wink.

His statement immediately made me blush and look away from his gaze. When I looked down, that's when I realized that my bare chest was in contact with his, and there wasn't a stitch of cloth between us. This made my face turn a deeper shade of scarlet.

"Besides, I wanted to make sure last night was real..." He said, in a slightly serious voice as he pulled me closer to himself, and tightened his hold around me.

His statement made me forget my bashfulness and look up at him once more.

"What do you mean, Manik?" I asked in a slightly puzzled voice.

"I was scared, Nandini...I was scared that I would wake up and not find you next to me...I was scared that maybe-it had all been a dream..." He said, grimly.

His fears broke my heart all over again! It was natural for him to be frightened of losing people after what he had gone through in the last few days...

I gradually moved closer to his face and planted a soft peck on his cheek.

"You don't have to be scared anymore, Manik...I won't ever leave you!" I said, as I stroked his face tenderly.

I then proceeded to keep my head on his chest once more.

I listened to the sound of his heart beating rhythmically in his chest.

After a few moments, I said. "Manik, I'm listening to your heartbeat and realized ki music tumhare life mein itna integral kyun hai..."

He whispered into my ears slowly, in slight amusement. "Accha...kyun?"

"You're heartbeat, it's just like a melody...I wish that you could listen to it just once...it's magical..." I said, smiling all the while.

"Well...that's good to know...waise mere paas bhi ek theory hai...last night when we were...well if we're talking about music...let's just say we were jamming...why were your notes so high? You were too loud!" He said, chuckling slightly.

I flushed in embarrassment, when I finally understood his cheeky musical metaphor.

"Shut up, Manik!" I said, as I hit his chest playfully.

"Really Nandini, I thought the receptionist would show up and kick us out, because of you..."He said, as he continued to chuckle.

"Manik..." I said sternly, warning him to drop the topic.

However, he continued to tease me despite the warning!

"So, my theory is that there are seven musical notes, right? Sa-re-ga-ma-pa-dha-ni...and your name is Nandinii...So hence it proves, you have to be loud!" He said, as he laughed thoroughly at my expense.

Although his jokes did annoy me, I was happy to see him back to his teasing and smug self! Seeing him broken and afraid, made me feel dead inside...

I continued to land tiny blows on his chest as his laughter festival continued.

Finally, he got a hold of my hands and said. "Okay baba, I'll stop..."

Satisfied by his statement, I proceeded to lie on his chest yet again.

After a few moments, he said. "Nandini, I forgot to ask you something...how did you find me?"

I smirked as I said. "It wasn't that difficult...I just figured that you would be staying somewhere near Anjuna itself, since the Singhania mansion is located here. So I just came back to the beach and tried to look for you, at a number of small hotels. This was the third hotel I scouted! When I sneaked a look at the check-in register while the receptionist wasn't looking, I saw that a 'Cabir Dhawan' had checked into the room yesterday, precisely, a few hours after you dropped me near the station. The alias you used was so obvious, Manik! Anyone could have figured out, that you were lying about your identity! I'm happy that I found you, but you should have been more careful!"

"I wasn't really in the best frame of mind yesterday...I was all messed up! Anyway, so that's how you found me! I must say though, when you showed up, your fury took me by surprise! I didn't think you could ever get that angry!" He said, in a slightly dumbfounded voice.

"That punch you landed on me was lethal...remind me never to get on your bad side again!" He said, rubbing the bruise that had developed on the left side of his jaw.

"Good! Maybe now you'll remember that you should never lie to me or desert me like that again!" I said, determinedly.

"Yes ma'am..." He remarked, playfully.

After a minute or so of silence, I finally took a deep breath and mustered up the courage to ask him an important question that had just popped up in my head.

"Manik, last night I told you that I...that I....love you...I know you said that I mean a lot to you, but I have to ask...do you...love me?" I asked in a highly meek and nervous voice.

I was almost sure that he did...so why didn't he just express it in words? I knew that I was behaving like a typical insecure damsel, who was coaxing her partner into confessing his feelings for her...but I couldn't help it! I had to hear it at least once...just for my satisfaction...especially after surrendering myself to him last night...

"I'm scared of that word Nandini...all the people I seem to love...are always taken away from me due to nature's cruel plans..." He said, in a slightly dejected voice.

He turned his head towards me and said cupping my face in his hands. "Just give me some time, Nandini...this emotion...it's all very new to me...trust me when I say this though...what I feel for you-I've never felt for anyone else! When you look at me, it makes me feel as if you stare directly into my soul! It's the most beautiful feeling I've ever experienced..."

Although his poetic words were stunning, I couldn't help but feel a little bit disappointed at his answer.

I just nodded half-heartedly in order to assure him that I understood.

My eyes then moved towards his chin to check on the damage that my punch had inflicted on him.

The area had turned a little purple, but it seemed to be healing fine. Besides, I didn't regret my actions one bit! He deserved that punch for the stunt he had pulled on me!

However, when I was examining his face, I noticed a small scar on the left side of his forehead that I hadn't ever observed before, since it had always remained hidden behind his thick head of hair.

I immediately pushed his hair back to get a better look at it, and earned a confused look from him in return.

It was an old scar, but I concluded that the cut must have been particularly nasty at the time!

"Manik, how did this happen?" I asked, softly.

I could see his expression change as I asked him about it. He seemed uncomfortable, and irritable due to my query.

"It's really nothing, Nandini..." He said, shrugging off my question.

"Manik, tell me..." I said, looking him in the eyes lovingly.

If we were going to be together, I had to know everything about him...

He looked conflicted for a few a seconds before he took a deep breath and started narrating the incident which had led him to acquire the mark.

"I was bearly seven years old when it happened...my dad had sent me a brand new bicycle for my birthday, and I was dying to learn how to ride it! I waited for several months for my dad to pay a visit to Mumbai, and teach me how to ride it, but he kept postponing his trips. And obviously, Nyonika didn't have time for me! I couldn't wait any longer, so I tried to learn it myself. I got on the bike and needless to say that I fell down within minutes and grazed my leg. But I was a stubborn child! I tried again...and the second time round, I made it for quite a distance, but a pothole on the path that I was riding the bike on, made me lose my balance and fall head first on the ground. It was all blackness after that... The next thing I remember, is waking up on my bed, with a bandage on my head. My eyes searched for her as soon as I regained consciousness...There was a small hope in my heart that she would be there to comfort me...that she would be worried for me...but there was no sign of her! It was the servants who had found me, sometime after I'd fallen...and they'd called the doctor immediately. However I guess that by that time, the damage was already done- the scar had already formed...but the irony was that, the wound hurt ten times less than Nyonika's indifference... " He said, sighing heavily.

My eyes watered slightly thinking of the entire scenario. I imagined a young Manik with lost eyes, desperately craving his mother's love and attention. A mother-who didn't deserve that title in any shape or form!

I wiped my tears and said. "Thank you for sharing this story with me...I know it's difficult for you to do so..."

I then bent forward to place a lingering kiss on the scar, in an attempt to ease the discomfort he felt at recounting such an awful story.

He smiled at my action, and the next few moments passed in silence as we gazed at each other.

Slowly, a smirk cropped up on his face when he said. "Waise...if I knew that you were going to kiss my scars, I wish I would have got hurt in a slightly different part of my body..."

My eyes widened when I realized the dirty connotations of the statement.

He pulled me on top of himself and leaned in to kiss my lips. However, I playfully kept my hand on top of his lips, and blocked him from kissing me.

"If you want to kiss me, you'll have to work harder..." I said, with a slight laugh as I quickly squiggled out of his grip.

I immediately got up from the bed, and wrapped the blanket around myself to cover my body.

"Nandini, what are you doing? Come back here, na!" He said with a cute pout on his face.

He looked like a child who'd had had their favourite toy snatched away from them! I chuckled even more looking at him.

"If you want me, you'll just have to catch me..." I said teasingly, as I moved a few feet away from the bed.

"Fine! Have it your way!" he said in a frustrated voice, as he got up from the bed and wore his pants.

He immediately came at me, but I quickly dodged him and moved away. I dodged his every attempt to grab me, and giggled as I saw the annoyed expressions on his face...

I ran to the opposite end of the room, towards the balcony, and heard him groan as I continued to evade him. He ran after me, and tried to catch me.

Both of us were panting slightly, from all the running...

Manik stopped in order to take a breath, and looked down.

However, when his eyes met mine, there was a change in his expression. There was no annoyance...only a hint of fear.

"Nandini...don't take another step backwards..." He said, cautiously.

I didn't understand the weight of his words!

I was still in a teasing mood and I replied cheekily saying. "Why? Giving up already..."

I lifted my foot to take a step backwards, but when I did so, Manik immediately leapt forward, and placed his hand under my foot before I placed it on the ground.

His expression immediately changed to that of acute discomfort as he did so.

His actions confused me a great deal! What was he trying to do?

When I looked down, all my doubts were cleared.

The corner that I was standing at was where Manik had broken the vase the previous night! The area was littered with numerous glass pieces.

I hadn't realized it earlier, and had run to this corner like an idiot!

As this realization dawned on me, I immediately bent downwards to inspect Manik's hand.

"Manik, are you okay?!" I yelled frantically as I brought his hand up.

Sure enough there was a gash on his hand, due to the glass pieces. I felt horrible for indulging in such childish behaviour!

He had hurt himself to protect me once again...

I immediately dragged him to the bed and said, angrily. "Pagal ho kya? Kya, tumne apne haath katwaane ka shauk paal rakha hai ? Why did you that?!"

I immediately examined his hand and removed the two tiny shards that were stuck to the wound. He didn't flinch even a little when I did so. His tolerance towards pain was astounding!

As I washed his wound with water from a nearby bottle, all I could feel was guilt!

How?How could I be so selfish and ask him to give me a proclamation of his love? Every single action of his, screamed that he loved me!

I didn't need any other assurances!

"I was serious when I said that I won't let a scratch come on you...besides, from now on you'll be there to tend to my hand when I need it, right?" He said, with a beautiful smile on his face.

"Of course, Manik! But don't be so careless, please..." I pleaded.

When I finally finished tending to the cut satisfactorily, I cupped his face in my hands and said. "Manik...I'm sorry..."

He looked a little confused at my apology.

"For this cut? It wasn't your fault..." He answered immediately.

"Yes, I'm sorry...not only for this...but also forcing you to confess your love for me..." I said, in a voice laced with guilt.

"Nandini..." He started to say, but I cut him off in the middle.

"Manik, let me finish...I don't ever want you to feel pressurized to confess anything to me...you can take your own time. Your actions-they make me feel more loved than three piddly words ever could! You can have me whenever you want, because I'll always be yours..." I said, as I leaned forward to place a kiss on his forehead.

He gave me a heart-warming smile in return and his expression was filled with joy.

He placed his forehead on mine and said. "Thanks for understanding..."

We remained like that for several seconds, before he moved away.

He sighed as if he were mentally preparing himself for a serious confrontation.

"Nandini, now that all things are resolved between us, I have one request to make! Please go back! I've to break into the Singhania mansion, and it's going to get very ugly! It's not safe for you! I promise that I'll meet you soon after I acquit myself of all charges! I'll keep in touch! Please, don't refuse! It's too dangerous for you to stay here..." He implored.

Go back home? Did he really think that he would get rid of me that easily? No,way!

"Manik, tumhe kya lagta hain? That you'll just beat up the guards at the mansion, like you did with the inexperienced police officers? Manik, they will be highly skilled! And if they have firearms, you'll be dead within seconds! I'm not going to let that happen! Besides, I want to teach the Singhanias a lesson myself! They disgraced my entire family by spreading lies about me! I want to watch them suffer because they've wronged both of us!" I said, determinedly.

"Nandini, I have to try to break in...it's the only way..." He started to say, but I stopped him in the middle.

"Manik, we don't need brute force to win against the Singhanias! We just need to formulate an intelligent strategy to outsmart them! That's the only way we'll win!" I declared.

I kept silent as a plan started taking shape in my mind...

After a few seconds, Manik finally asked. "Want to tell me what you're thinking?"

I took a deep breath and said. "I have a plan, but you're not going to like it..."