After taking excuse from the board members Manik came out of the hall. A dread feeling was taking over his heart. He knew something has happened. And now he just needed to see her Nandini. While walking through the premises manik notices someone sitting on his knees on the ground. Walking close, he was shocked to see it was Nandini. But what shocked her most was that she was sitting there alone, on her knees and covered in black paint.

He rushed towards her and took out his jacket and covered her.

"Nandini???!! What the hell happened???! Tumhari aisi halat kisne kii???"

Manik could easily notice nandini was crying.

"Nandini(cupping her face) tell me. Kisne kiya? Mein chodunga nahi usse"

Manik was fuming in anger. He was about to stand up when Nandini pulled him close.

"Don't go... please mat jaoo.." Nandini requested while tears made their way through Nandini's eyes.

Manik wrapped his arms around Nandini. He was joined by the dean after sometime.

"Oh My God! How did this happen?" He sound genuinely concerned.

"We need a room. Now." Manik was ordering now. He was going to lose his temper if he watches Nandini like this for a moment long.

"Yes yes... I'll take you to one of our students quarter... please follow me"

Manik picked up Nandini in his arms and Nandini rested her forehead on Manik's chest. She slowly closed her eyes. All she could hear was the rhythm of Manik's beating heart. His heart was beating fast but it was peaceful for Nandini. Sadly the incident that happened before has shooked her to the core. She remembered how happy she was when she came running to visit her friends but neither she thought such tragedy would happen.

Flashback:

When Nandini came to the same place she saw the campus was empty. But she has previously enquired that her friends have came to attend classes. She was a bit confused as to where to search for her friends.

Suddenly someone threw black paint on Nandini from the top of the building. Nandini completely drenched in black paint, looked up to find her friends standing there, with q smile on there face.

Nandini couldn't believe what just happened with her. She became desperate and tried to clean up the black paint.

"I know you guys didn't do it intentionally. I think you thought someone else would come. But please yaar majak bahot ho gaya. Now come down and help me clean up. Agar yeh mere liye that then this is a very bad  joke "

There were 4 of Nandini's best friends(Mukti, Aliya, Abhimanyu and Harshad). Two of them there boys and two were girls.

One of the girl, Mukti, exclaimed
"Yes Nandini. It is a joke. It is a joke that humare dost Yash ko marne ke baad you have the audacity to come to this place and even try to meet us."

"Yes actually. And humne toh pehle se hi plan karke rakha tha yeh grand welcome. I mean comeon ek killer ke liye yeh toh phir bhi accha welcome hai. " Said Abhimanyu

"We didn't do anything wrong. We just showed you your true colours. Your heart is black miss Nandini Murthy. Oh No no!! Or should i say , Mrs Nandini Malhotra? Humare dost ko maar kar you two are living a luxurious life. Wow how can you be so selfish???" Continued Aliya

Nandini went rigid when she heard what her friends were saying. She couldn't believe her ears. Is she hearing correctly? Is she actually talking to her friends who were there for her in every ups and downs of her life?

"You guys know that money can make anyone selfish aur Nandini koi dudh ki dhuli hui toh hai hi nahi. Isne bhi apna rasta bana liye ek aisho aram ke life kaa...isne socha hoga ki Yash ke saath rehkar mujhe kya milega? Iske paas toh paisi ki shortage hai... usse accha humare trusty se shadhi kar leti hun. Job bhi mil jayegi and paisa bhi mil jayega. Life ekdum set hai." Harshad wasn't going to stay quiet is he!!!

"Dekhna Nandini you will never be happy in your life. Humare dost ko humse chiin kar tum soch rahe ho ki tumhe koi pakad nahi payega. Sayad tumhare husband ke paas bahut paisa hoga ki ek murder ko accident saabit kar de but hume pata hai yeh kisne kiye aur kuin kiya." Added mukti

Finally Nandini gathered the strength to say something.

" I didn't kill Yash. He was the love of my life. Maine nahi maara usse. Tum logon ko kuch nahi pata. Tum log bhi wahi keh rahe ho joh tum logon ne suna. But no one knows the truth. No one even cares to know the truth . Galat ko baar baar dohrane se woh saahi nahi ban jata.. wrong is always wrong. "

Aliya clapped from above.
"Tumhe kya lagta hai hum yahan tumahari safai sunke tumhe maaf kar denge. 'Ohh Nandini..tum toh kitni acchi si pyaari si ladki ho'. We have seen your true colours. Agar tumhe Yash ki jara si bhi fikar hoti toh uske marne kaa sokh toh manati paar nahi...tumne toh usi din shadhi karke apne asli aukat pe aa gayi and know you are trying to say you weren't involved in all this? You both husband wife are killers. "

"Aur hume yeh bhi pata hai ki yeh sab pre-planned tha. You know, you guys killing Yash and then marrying off and then closing his case. We couldn't do anything because your husband is powerful but we could make you atleast feel guilty for what you did. " Said Abhimanyu

"Now leave it guys. Iss ladki se baat karke hum time waste kuin kar rahe hai , let's go and celebrate. At least humne Yash kaa thoda to badla liya. " Mukti continued

"Bye Nandini and never show me your face ever in life or else i would kill you." Harshad warned Nandini before the friends leaving.

Nandini couldn't believe what she just witnessed. She has just found her friends who have turned into complete strangers. She now wanted to scream and tell everyone how she wasn't at all responsible for what happened but not a single word came through her lips. Her mouth was dry and her eyes were watery. Whenever she tried to forget her past, it would somehow come in front of her and make her feel miserable yet again.
Nandini stooped down to her knees cause her legs were ready to collapse. She could not believe how happy she was this morning and how she is feeling right now. Her so called friends whom she was dying to meet has shown her the reality. She thought she has grown immune to accusation but this she couldn't accept. All she had in her life was the expectation of meeting her friends and keeping in contact with them forever but now that is also taken away from her.

"Why God? Why is it always me? Don't I deserve happiness? Is my relationship with Manik toxic? Do we even belong together?" Thought Nandini while sitting their alone. Covered in black paint.

*********