2:00 am, Singhania Holiday Home, Anjuna, Goa.

"Nandini! Nandini! Please wake up! Please!" I kept crying out to her, as I put pressure on her bullet wound.

"Nandini! Please...Stay with me...Why did you do it?! Why did you save me?!" I screamed in a choked voice, as I saw her eyelids closing.

She was losing consciousness at an alarmingly rapid rate, and my chest was becoming heavier and heavier as her breath became more labored.

I shook her head slightly in order to prise her awake, but she seemed completely unresponsive.

"Nandini! Please...Someone, please call an ambulance!!" I yelled, as I wiped the tears that were fogging up my eyes with my blood-stained hands.

In the next second, I saw Cabir yank his cellphone out of his pocket and dial a number.

"Yes, it's an emergency! We need an ambulance at the Singhania mansion in Anjuna immediately! A girl has just been shot..." I heard bits and pieces of Cabir's conversation.

Dhruv came towards me and put a hand on my shoulder.

"You've got to be strong, buddy!" He said in an attempt to console me, as he put pressure on her wound as well.

I wiped my eyes again, and for a split second, my eyes fell on Mukesh Singhania, as the police dragged him away, while he was still reeling in pain from the gunshot wound in his leg.

All of a sudden, I felt a vicious rage within myself. It was like something I'd never experienced before. Not even when I'd found my father's corpse in my own home...not even when I'd found out that Nyonika was behind it all. This time, I felt like my heart had been ripped out, in the most violent way possible.

Before I knew what I was doing, I found myself getting up from the floor and marching towards Mukesh Singhania.

As soon as I reached him, I landed a massive blow on his nose, breaking it in one go! Before he could even utter another word, I hit him again on his right eye, leaving a large black patch as he screamed in agony.

The policemen tried to hold me back, but I wiggled out of their grip.

"If she dies, I swear, I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! " I found myself growling repeatedly as I beat Mukesh Singhania senseless.

After a few blows, he was all but knocked out, but I wasn't thinking straight and continued my violent rampage, as the police officers tried to block me from attacking him again.

A few seconds later, I heard Cabir behind me, as he placed his hand on my shoulder and turned me around.

"Manik! Stop! Stop all this! Think about Nandini...she needs you right now!" He said, in an urgent voice.

In the next moment, I snapped out of my primal rage and looked at Nandini's limp body on the floor, now devoid of any movement whatsoever.

Fear engulfed me once more, as I dove down to the floor and took her hand in mine.

The police finally carted off Mukesh Singhania from there and shifted their attention towards attending Madhyam.

"Manik, the ambulance will be here in twenty minutes!" Cabir said.

"Twenty minutes?! Are you crazy? We can't wait that long! We have to take her to the hospital right now!" I screamed.

"Okay! Toh phir main abhi gaadi nikaalta hoon! Chal!" Cabir replied.

"But Cabir, our car is almost half a kilometer away..." Alya said quietly.

I grunted in frustration! Nandini was losing too much blood! We had to get to the hospital as quick as possible.

"Guys?" I heard the female reporter's voice in the background.

It seemed like they had finally shut their cameras off! What did she want now?!

"Yeah Jeff?" Cabir answered.

"Our van is parked right outside! We can help take her to the hospital! Zubin will drive!" She said.

As soon as the words were out of her mouth, I scooped Nandini up in my arms, and ran towards the door.

"Come on, then! Quick!" I yelled as I exited the door.

Normally, I wouldn't be trusting strangers so easily, but since Nandini's life was at stake, I had no choice!

Once I ran outside the gate, I immediately spotted a press van parked there and crossed the road to reach it as quick as I could.

I tried to open the door, but it was locked!

A few seconds later, the cameraman, ran up to the van and started searching his pocket for the keys.

"Get the fucking door open right now!" I shrieked, as I watched him fumble around for the keys.

He seemed slightly taken aback by the tenor of my voice and gulped as he said. "Calm down, man...here...it's open..."

The door finally swung open, and I immediately got into the van and made Nandini lie down on the seat with her head on my lap.

Cabir entered the van and sat down on the seat opposite mine.

"Zubin, Jeff, start the van! The others will follow in my car." He yelled.

However, before the cameraman who was supposedly named Zubin entered the van, two police officers came and blocked the door.

One of them said."Manik Malhotra, step out this instant! We need to take you to the station in order to take your statement. You might not have killed Mr. Malhotra, but the kidnapping charges against you still hold! Aapko hamare saath thana chalna hi hoga!"

"I'm not going anywhere with you until I take Nandini to the hospital, okay?! Yeh baat apni dimaag mein daal dijiye!" I hissed at the police officer who had spoken.

"Hum ambulance arrange kar lenge, inke liye, jaise hum Madhyam aur Mukesh Singhania ke liye kar rahe hai...lekin aapko humare saath aana hi hoga!" The other officer said in an impatient voice.

"Cabir, just do something before I punch him!" I screamed in anger.

Why didn't they get it?! How could they ask me to go to the station and just leave Nandini like this?

"Sir, please... sirf ab ke liye humein jaane dijiye...hum Nandini ko hospital pahuchaane ke baad, khud aayenge, statement dene...we won't try to run! Please!" Cabir appealed to them.

As Cabir bargained with them, all I could focus on was Nandini's breath getting thinner and thinner.

Dhruv had used Alya's scarf in order to cover up Nandini's bullet wound, but the cloth was a bloodied mess and wasn't going to hold for long.

A few minutes later, the policemen had finally allowed us to go on the condition that one of them would accompany us.

As soon as all the required members were in the vehicle, Zubin, started the van and began driving at a rather high speed.

"Faster!" I shouted as I ran my hand through Nandini's hair and caressed her cheek.

I'd caressed her cheek like that so many times before, and I immediately remembered the lovely redness that would appear on it at my touch, and the angelic smile that would adorn her face at the same time. This time, however, she remained stock-still at my touch, aggravating my plight substantially.

"He's going as fast as he can, Manik..." Cabir said in a mellow voice trying to calm me down.

However, I was completely inattentive to his pleas.

"Nandini...Nandini...please open your eyes...talk to me...please..." I said in a fearful voice.

The police officer gave a strange expression as I continued to talk to her.

"You said you'd never leave me, right? You wanted me to tell you how I feel? Fine, I'll tell you! Just please open your eyes! Please!" I tried to talk to her again as I shook her head gently.

"Manik, calm down..." Cabir said.

I blocked out everything and shut my eyes.

For the first time in my life I was about to do something I'd never done before-pray.

"God, I've never believed in you, and frankly I still don't! But Nandini does! I know she prays to her Aiyappa in times of need...I've heard her mumbling prayers to you...I know I'm not in a position to ask anything of you for myself, and I don't want to either...But, you have to save Nandini! For her family's sake as well as her own. You know that she doesn't deserve this as well as I do! Don't punish her for the mistakes I've made! Prove that her faith in you is not a lie!" I sighed as I finally finished my covert dialogue with the entity everyone supposedly called the Almighty.

I opened my eyes as Cabir placed his palm on my shoulder.

"Manik, don't lose hope...she'll be fine..." He said.

"I really hope so Cabir, I really hope so..." I answered in grave tone, as I continued to caress her hair.

*******************************

2:30 am, St. Anthony's Hospital, Anjuna, Goa.

As soon as Zubin stopped the van at the entrance to the emergency wing, I jumped out with Nandini in my arms and ran inside the hospital frantically.

When I reached the reception, I ran into a nurse who seemed fairly alarmed by the amount of blood gushing out of Nandini's abdomen.

"Nurse! She needs surgery, right now! Get the doctor!" I said in a tone of extreme urgency.

She replied hesitantly. "Sir, you'll have to fill in the hospital forms first. Then we'll admit her..."

"Can't you see it's an emergency?! All that can be done later!" I said through gritted teeth.

"I'm sorry sir...but you'll have to..." She continued.

I was about to lose my cool once more, when Cabir appeared next to me and said. "Ma'am, we're filling in the form right now...please call the doctor!"

I turned around to see Jeff, Zubin and the officer who had accompanied us at the lobby counter filling in the admission form.

"Okay...alright..." She said.

In a few seconds, she returned with a man who seemed to be in his fifties. The nurse had also wheeled out a stretcher, in order to transport Nandini effectively to the operation theatre.

As soon as the doctor reached us, I pleaded. "Sir, Nandini's lost a lot of blood! She needs to be operated on immediately!"

"Hmm...please place her on the stretcher." He answered in a neutral tone.

As soon as I followed his order, he gasped with shock and said. "Oh my God! This is a bullet wound! We need to alert the police! How was the girl shot?!"

Before I could reply, Cabir said, pointing at the officer who'd aided us "Sir, the police has already been notified. We'll explain everything later...just please don't waste any time!"

The doctor observed me curiously as he listened to Cabir. Suddenly, there was a flicker of recognition on his face.

"You! You are Manik Malhotra! Shrikant Malhotra's son! You killed your father! You kidnapped this girl! And you shot her?!" He asked as beads of sweat dripped down his forehead.

A new wave of anger and frustration washed over me as I listened to the doctor.

He had obviously missed the news that had been aired barely minutes ago!

Honestly, I wanted to smash his head in! However, I controlled myself so that he'd operate on Nandini right away.

"Doctor, Manik didn't shoot her. But all this doesn't matter! Nandini needs help right now!" Cabir said politely but firmly.

"Alright, nurse, get Dr. Das to the operation theatre immediately to assist me! We have to move quickly!" He said.

The doctor and the nurse started wheeling the stretcher towards the operation room and Cabir and I jogged behind them.

When she was taken into the room, I wanted to follow after, but the nurse blocked my path and said. "Sorry Sir! Only hospital staff allowed inside the OT."

I bumped my fists against the wall in irritation and took a few steps back.

"Manik! Where's Nandini? Are they operating on her?" I heard a familiar female voice in the background.

I turned around to see Alya, Mukti and Dhruv behind me.

"Yes, she's in surgery right now." Cabir said in a grave tone.

I just walked away and slumped down on the steel bench opposite the operation room.

I could hear snippets of Cabir's conversation with the rest of my friends, as I stared into space.

"Is she going to be okay?" Mukti asked.

"I don't know...but Manik..." Cabir continued to talk to them.

I hated being discussed like this! I instinctively got up from there and started walking so that their conversation would be out of my earshot.

A few seconds later, I could sense Cabir behind me again. Why did he follow me?! I just wanted to be left alone!

"Chal Manik. Tujhe bhi chot lagi hai. Hum patti kara lete hai?"He said, hesitantly.

His statement made something snap within me.

I immediately turned around and yanked Cabir by the collar harshly, and barked at him. "Kaise? Tu mujhse yeh sawaal kaise pooch sakta hai?! Nandini has been shot! Woh andar mar rahi hai aur tujhe meri patti ki padi hai?!"

Cabir didn't seem even a little bit taken aback. Instead he gave me a bittersweet smile and said. "Bol de jo bolna hai. Gussa nikaalna hai na, toh nikaal mujhpe! Bas koi bhi baat dabaa ke mat rakhna! Talk to me, Manik!"

A myriad of emotions swirled through me as I let go of Cabir's collar and engulfed him in a hug, as the tears started streaming down my cheeks more profusely.

Cabir just returned the hug and patted my back in a reassuring manner.

"Cabir, it's all my fault! She took the bullet to save me! I shouldn't have let her in that house in the first place! I should have protected her! First, I ruined her life anyway, by kidnapping her! And now she might die because of me!" I said through choked sobs, as I held on to Cabir for support.

Cabir let go of me slowly and said, taking a deep breath. "Manik, you can't blame yourself for everything! It was her decision to enter the house and it was her decision to save you! There was nothing that you could've done! If anyone's to be blamed, it's Mukesh Singhania!"

As soon as I heard his name, I growled in anger once more. "I should have just killed that bastard!"

"Manik, the man will pay for his crimes. We will see to it, I promise you! But you've just got to be positive, Manik. My gut tells me that Nandini, will be fine!" Cabir, tried to assure me.

"I feel so helpless, Cabir! If anything happens to her, I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive myself! Because I...I..I" I stuttered, as I struggled to finish the sentence.

"...Love her." Cabir completed for me.

I was a bit surprised at how quickly Cabir had been able to gauge my emotions.

I swallowed as I answered. "I do."

It was the first time I'd admitted it out loud, and it was a little daunting for me.

Cabir smiled and said. "I'm happy for you, Manik. And don't you worry, Nandini will be fine! She's a fighter, just like you! And I can tell...your love story will not end here...it's going to be one for the ages...so, be strong! And let's get you patched up. Because my psychic powers are telling me that it's going to be the first question Nandini asks once she wakes up."

Cabir's optimistic attitude was infectious. I immediately felt more hopeful about Nandini's recovery after talking to him.

I walked back towards the OT with Cabir and a few minutes later, he had a nurse come and bandage my split lip and apply medication on the bruises on my back and shoulder.

Nearly twenty minutes had passed since the surgery had begun, and there was no sign of the doctor coming out. The police officer who'd accompanied us was done with the formalities. I made it pretty clear to him that I wasn't going to the station before the surgery was over. Consequently, he was waiting along with the rest of us, slightly annoyed with my stubbornness.

I looked at Dhruv and Alya, who were holding each other's hand as they waited. Cabir was having a conversation with Jeff whereas Mukti was talking to Zubin.

As I watched Mukti and Zubin converse, I noticed a sparkle in his eye. It was obvious that he was besotted with Mukti, already. Mukti smiled brightly as she spoke to him. The same smile that she had lost ever since Harshad cheated on her years ago...

I smiled to myself as I observed them. Maybe, it was finally time for Mukti to move on...I didn't know Zubin of course, but the fact that he and his sister Jeff had agreed to help us in our time of need, showed that they were good people. They were merely members of the press. They didn't have to help us get Nandini to the hospital. However, both of them still decided to aid us. I made a mental note to thank them later on for all the help that they'd provided us.

As soon as Mukti saw me eyeing them, she seemed to grow conscious and withdrew from the conversation, immediately.

I was about to approach her when the doctor I'd spoken to earlier came out of the operation theatre along with the nurse.

I immediately got up from my seat and asked the doctor. "Doctor, what happened? Is Nandini going to be okay?"

I waited with bated breath as the doctor removed his surgeon's mask.

"Yes. The surgery was successful. The girl's lucky. The bullet nicked a blood vessel but didn't hit any organs. She'll be absolutely fine, although it may take a few hours to wake up from the anesthesia." The doctor answered with a slight smile on his face.

As soon as I heard his words, I released a breath that I didn't even realize I was holding!

Nandini was going to be okay! The heaviness in my chest began to disappear and a mixture of happiness and relief coursed through my veins.

Nandini's belief in her Aiyappa had turned out to be justified after all!

"See? I told you she would be fine!" Cabir said happily, as he pulled me into a hug.

I could see smiles on everyone's faces, and unknowingly a smile cropped up on mine as well.

However, our celebration was ephemeral to say the least.

The police officer came up to me and said. " Ab toh surgery bhi khatam ho gayi hai. Humne ladki ke family members ko bhi inform kar diya hai. Woh kuch hi ghanto mein ataein honge...Ab aap thana chaliye, statement dene ke liye."

I didn't want to leave the hospital since Nandini was still unconscious, but sooner or later I had to visit the station in order to give an official statement to the police. After all, it would be instrumental in convicting both Nyonika as well as Mukesh Singhania in court.

I sighed and replied. "Theek hai. Paanch minute dijiye..."

I walked up to the doctor who was still discussing something with the nurse.

"Doctor, is it okay if I see her? Just for a few minutes..." I asked.

The doctor smiled and said. "Just for a few minutes."

I thanked him and went up to my friends.

"Guys, give me a few minutes. I need to see her. We'll go to the station after that." I said.

"Manik, Alya and I will stay back at the hospital. We'll call you when Nandini wakes up..." Dhruv said.

"Okay, buddy...thanks!" I said as I opened the door to the operation theatre and stepped inside.

I immediately walked towards the hospital bed and took Nandini's hand in my own.

She had a slow but strong pulse and her chest heaved slightly up and down as she slept.

I wiped a teardrop from my eye and brought her hand up to my lips in order to peck it softly.

She looked extremely adorable as she slept, just like an angel in repose, as I'd said to her earlier. In fact her state had made me completely forget the fact that I was supposed to be mad at her.

I let go of her hand and said. "Listen, you can't look so cute, okay?! I'm angry with you! Kya zarurat thi mere saamne aane ki? Tumhe kuch ho jaata toh?! You can't do that again, alright?! Never again! You can't leave me! You have to promise me!"

She didn't show any signs of movement, due to the anesthesia, but I continued to talk to her as if she were awake.

I placed my hand on her forehead as I caressed her hair lightly.

"Now listen. I have to go to the station in order to deal with the police. Don't worry! Hopefully, I should be back soon...before you wake up." I said.

"Until then, you get some rest." I said as I ran my fingers across her cheeks gently.

I took a deep breath and bent down to whisper into her ear. "And in case, you still have any doubts about my feelings for you, let me put them to rest. I love you, Nandini Murthy. Madly, deeply, and more than you can ever imagine...So, you better wake up soon, because I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you..."

It could have been my imagination, but I sensed her stirring slightly at my words. However, the influence of the drugs was too strong for her to actually regain consciousness right away.

With these last words, I placed a lingering kiss on her forehead and turned around to exit the room hoping that the next time I said those three words out loud to her, she would be able to say it back to me.

*****************************

3:20 am, Anjuna Police Station, Goa.

"So, Mr. Manik Malhotra...Why don't we start from the beginning?" The senior inspector who'd showed up at the Singhania mansion asked me, in a drained out voice.

"Okay." I said.

"Tell us everything that happened on the night your father's body was discovered. Then we'll progress from there..." He said.

I took a deep breath and started narrating the events exactly as they had occurred.

"Four days ago, I went back home after auditioning for an album deal. Things between my father and I were pretty bad because he'd asked me to give up music in order to run the family business. When I reached home and hoped to sort things out with him, I found that the lights were out in my house and he was nowhere to be found. I realised that there was something fishy going on and went into Dad's study. That's where I found his...his..." I stammered slightly as the awful image of my father's bleeding corpse came back to me.

"His body." The inspector completed my sentence in order to spare me from speaking of it.

Cabir, who was just a step away, patted my back in order to console me.

"Yes. At first, I was too shocked to react, but when Nyonika...I mean...my...mother showed up, I started to get a clearer picture of who'd conspired to kill my father. She confessed to killing him! And she had Harshad do the dirty work for her by pulling the trigger. She did all this for Dad's property. When I refused to sign the assets over to her, she threatened my friends Alya and Mukti. She's the one who had my prints put on the gun in order to make it look like I'd killed my father because I was fighting with him off late. And all this is obviously in the recording, that's been telecast on T.V, as you've heard." I said, with clenched fists.

"But, Mr. Malhotra, why did you run? You shouldn't have! Only a guilty man runs from law enforcement." He stated firmly.

"With all due respect Sir, you didn't really know what I was up against. Did you not hear the entire recording? She bribed all the police officers. There was no way I'd let myself get arrested by them." I scoffed.

"Alright, now why don't we get to the kidnapping and the Singhanias. Tell me exactly how they fit into all this, so that I can get it on record." He said.

"I ran from the authorities because I wanted to prove my innocence at any cost. I wanted Nyonika to pay for her crimes. I was thinking of ways to acquit myself, when Cabir stumbled upon a bit of information that turned everything around for me. He got to know that the Singhanias had bugged my place, in order to be a step ahead of my father in all his business decisions." I said.

"And how exactly did you gather this information?" The inspector asked Cabir with suspicious eyes.

"Sir, the Malhotra's had a servant working for them-Ram Singh. Once the investigation of Shrikant Malhotra's murder was under way, we spotted him attending a suspicious call while he was hovering around the crime scene. That's when Dhruv and I questioned Ram Singh and he revealed that he'd been bribed by the Singhanias to bug the mansion and send recordings of conversations at the mansion to them frequently." Cabir explained.

"And where exactly is Ram Singh, right now? We'll have to speak to him in order to get all the details." The inspector asked, as he noted something down.

"Sir, he's in Mumbai. Unless he's run away, which I doubt. Dhruv and I were pretty firm with him the last time we spoke to him. I'm sure that he'll corroborate this story if you track him down." Cabir said, firmly.

"Okay, moving on..." The inspector said.

"When Cabir informed me that the recording Ram Singh had sent the Singhanias could be the only evidence to prove my innocence, I knew I had to get my hands on it somehow. I'd run off to Bangalore in order to avoid the corrupt Mumbai police officers who were chasing me, and that's where I met...Nandini. At first, I had no intention whatsoever of involving her in any of this. However, when I realised that she was Madhyam Singhania's fiancée, I concluded that she may be my only chance at acquiring that recording." I said in a slightly guilty voice.

"Wait a second...Isn't Madhyam engaged to Soha Khurana?" The inspector asked in bewilderment.

"He is now. But originally, he was engaged to Nandini. Nandini's grandmother and Madhyam's grandmother were childhood friends, so it was an alliance planned by the two families. " I answered.

"So, let me get this straight. You kidnapped Nandini Murthy in order to use her as leverage to get the recording? What on earth were you thinking? Taking someone hostage is a serious crime!" He said, angrily.

"Inspector, we're aware of this. But sir, you have to understand, Manik acted under duress because he thought it was his only option. The Singhania homes are heavily guarded and it is suicide to break in alone. Nevertheless, I'm sure Manik regrets his rash actions, don't you?" Cabir asked me in a plea to defend me.

"Yes sir, I do regret it. Deeply. I should never have involved her in this mess. She's suffered a lot because of me and I'm very sorry for it." I said in a tone of genuine sincerity.

"Alright. You may continue..." The inspector said.

"I tried to make it to Goa as soon as possible, but the cops Nyonika had hired kept getting in my way. However, the plan I had in place ultimately failed because the Singhanias themselves broke off all ties to Nandini as they wanted to avoid bad press and keep the recording in their possession." I said through gritted teeth.

"They spoiled Nandini's image in the eyes of the public, and that's when I realised that she should be sent home and away from this entire debacle..." I continued with a sigh. "But...she was stubborn...once I'd come clean with her about what my intentions were, Nandini refused to leave...She's the one who came up with the plan of entering the Singhania mansion herself in order to steal the recording. At first, I absolutely wasn't on board with the plan, but she convinced me..."

"And then?" The inspector asked with raised eyebrows.

"Things went south when Nandini got caught. We were blindsided by Nyonika once more and didn't realise that she had been colluding with Mukesh Singhania. They held Nandini hostage, and asked me to sign my property over to her in exchange for Nandini's life. I went inside and managed to save Nandini by duping them...and that's when the fight broke out..." I rubbed my face in frustration as I reached the tail end of the story.

"So, the injuries that Madhyam Singhania and Harshad Saxena sustained were inflicted by you in the brawl?" The inspector asked, yawning.

An involuntary smile crept up on my face as I answered. "Nope. That was all Nandini. She acted in self-defense of course, but it was all her...I was too busy dealing with the bulky guards and the policemen who were in Nyonika's pocket."

"Alright, so I'm guessing that's when the rest of your friends showed up. Cabir, Alya, Mukti, and Dhruv. Am I right?" He asked as he flipped the pages in his booklet.

"Yes Sir." Cabir answered.

"Okay. So, I have a report from Mumbai that says that you lot dodged the police detail assigned to you and escaped by drugging an officer?" He asked, shaking his head.

"Sir, that was the only way we could escape and help Manik." Cabir answered, in an instant.

"Yes Sir. If they hadn't shown up, Nandini and I would be dead, as you already know. You were there at the mansion." I said, defending Cabir.

"Sir, we called the press and asked them to inform the police station as well once we knew what we were up against." Cabir said in order to sway his opinion in our favour.

" I need to speak to the other three-Mukti, Alya and Dhruv." The inspector said in a bored voice.

"Mukti's right outside. I'll get her..."Cabir said as he left the desk and went to the waiting room in order to summon her.

He returned in a few seconds and the officer interviewing us asked a junior constable to take her statement. The constable asked her specific details of the attack that Nyonika had planned against her and Alya.

Once she was done, Cabir asked. "So, are we done here? Can we leave?"

The inspector sighed and said. "Mr. Malhotra, Mr Dhawan, I do sympathize with your predicament. I do. But you have to understand that the lot of you have committed a slew of crimes which I won't be able to ignore..."

"What do you mean inspector? Are you going to arrest us?" I asked, in surprise.

"Unfortunately, yes. The kidnapping charges filed by Nandini's family still hold against you, and until they drop them, we can't do anything. The rest of your friends may be bailed out easily, but I'm afraid that you'll have no such luck, until the girl convinces her family that it's all a mistake. We've called her aunt and uncle, and they should be here in a few hours...until then I'll have to put all of you in lock-up until the lawyers arrive tomorrow. Call your friends Dhruv and Alya to the station, as well." The inspector said getting up from his seat.

"But Sir, Alya and Dhruv are in the hospital. They are waiting there just in case Nandini wakes up before her aunt and uncle show up..." Mukti reasoned with the inspector.

"I'm afraid that they'll have to come here. We can send a few constables to the hospital in their place..."He said shiftily.

An acute sadness coursed through me as I realised that I wouldn't be able to go back to the hospital and be there when Nandini'd wake up. However, I knew what I had to do. No one else was going to get hurt because of me...

"No Inspector. There's no need to arrest my friends. It's because of me that they've committed any crimes whatsoever. I'm the one who pressurized them to aid me...they did it against their will because I said I'd quit the band otherwise." I spun an unconvincing but passable lie.

"Manik, what the hell are you saying?!" Cabir and Mukti screamed at me in unison.

"I'm telling the truth, Inspector."I said with a straight face.

"You sure you're willing to go on record with this?" The officer asked, because he realised my intentions.

"If it lets my friends off the hook, then yes, I'm sure..." I said, firmly.

"Manik, just shut up! Why are you doing this?" Cabir yelled.

Mukti gave me a nasty look as well.

"Don't you get it, Cabir? I'm going to be arrested irrespective of what happens. You guys have to be at the hospital when Nandini wakes up! I won't be able to visit her any time soon. I'd rather she wakes up to familiar faces than some constables who are strangers to her. Besides, there's no way I'm dragging you guys down with me." I said stubbornly.

Cabir sighed in frustration. "Manik, man kar raha hai ki tujhe zor se mukka maroon, but I guess woh police station mein allowed nahi hai. Toh pehle...gale mil..."

He extended his arms and I hugged him. Mukti joined in as well after a few seconds.

"Aur haan...tu lock-up mein zyaada comfortable mat ho jaana. Hum subah hote hi lawyer ko bulaake teri bail karwa lenge...And don't worry about Nandini, we'll take good care of her until you come back..." Cabir said as he let go of me.

Mukti chuckled in response.

I then completed all the formalities in order to save Dhruv, Mukti , Alya and Cabir from coming under the scanner of the police.

The police searched my pockets and and a constable finally escorted me to a private jail cell, so that they could detain me.

As soon as I was put in the cell, Cabir said. "Alright, Manik. See you later, today...it'll just be a few hours..."

Mukti smiled and was about to follow Cabir when I stopped her.

"Mukti!" I called.

She came closer to the grills of the jail cell and said. "Don't worry Manik, Nandini will be fine."

I smiled and said. "It's not Nandini I wanted to talk to you about. I saw you talking to Zubin earlier tonight..."

"So?" She asked, immediately on the offense.

"So...he likes you. And I think you like him too..." I smirked.

"It's nothing like that, okay?" She said.

"It's been years since Harshad broke your trust, Mukti. It's time to move on...time for you to give love another chance...I was just as scared as you. But believe me, once I let Nandini in, there was no turning back. It's a wonderful feeling! Zubin seems like a decent guy...maybe you should give him a chance?" I asked.

She gave me a half smile and said. "I'll think over it, Manik."

"Good. And if you do decide to call him, thank him and his sister, on my behalf, for all their help. "I said with a wink.

Mukti simply shook her head and waved as she left the station.

As I sat down on the bench in the cell, I noticed a small T.V screen outside. It was set to a news channel and Jeff was on camera.

I couldn't hear what she was saying, but I could see the headlines clearly.

"Nyonika Malhotra arrested for husband Shrikant Malhotra's murder."

"I did it Dad, I did it. Nyonika's going to jail and trust me she'll be in there for a long time if I have anything to say about it. I promise you that I'll protect your legacy from her and anyone who tries to harm it, at any cost. I didn't get a chance to say goodbye, but I want you to know that I'm sorry and I love you. Please forgive me for all the mistakes I've made and I hope that you're in a better place..." I said, speaking out loud as if my father were before me.

I wiped the single teardrop streaming down my cheek and rested my head against the wall of the cell.

I felt light and relieved. My father's killer was being brought to justice and Nandini was going to recover very soon. The Singhanias would also be put in prison soon after they received medical attention.

And ironically, at that very moment, behind the rough and rusted metallic rods of the cell, I finally felt free. I felt loved.

I closed my eyes and shut out all the noise, and for the first time in many days, fell into a deep slumber because my mind was finally at peace.

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