"I love Manik." Hear me out carefully. "I love him and I'll marry him only. Also I'm not gonna marry chosen by a murderer. A person who can kill his own wife by torturing her for his own benefits, I'm sure the boy he will choose would be like this only. Like him, a murderer and I can't let that happen to myself."

Nandini's words seemed to cut through Sanjay's body. His eyes were spitting fire and there was something deadly going on in his mind. He marched towards Nandini. "How dare you talk to me like that?" He slapped her hard.

Nandini was not ready for this. She stumbled at her place and her head hit the corner of nearby couch. That side of her forehead was cut a little. "Ahh!" She shirked a little as her head hurt.

"Di!" Avneet ran to hold Nandini. She helped Nandini to get up. Avneet glared at Sanjay. "How dare you raise your hand on di? You have no right to do so. The truth is bitter to hear always and that's why it hurt your ego. Because you're a murderer. A murderer who has killed our mother. You don't deserve to be called a father. We hate you so much."

Sanjay was burning in rage, his face had turned red with anger, but he didn't say anything more to them and walked away from there.

"Di, are you okay? It's bleeding." She got worried seeing the blood on Nandini's forehead. 

"I'm okay. Don't worry." Nandini patted her cheeks lovingly. "Whatever he did yesterday was not right. I need to go to Manik's place."

"You'll go but first let me do your first aid and then you need to have something."

Nandini nodded in no and walked out from there. Avneet called her a few times from back but she was in no mood to hear. She had no other option than following her sister.

MANIK'S   PLACE
Nandini almost ran to his place and pressed the doorbell. Neelima opened the door and she was a little surprised seeing Nandini and Avneet there at this hour.

"Nandini? Avneet?" Then she noticed the cut on Nandini's forehead. "How did you get your forehead cut like this?" She asked worriedly.

"Mumma, I'll explain it to later. But first tell me where is Manik?" Nandini was getting impatient not being able to see him. If he was home, then he must have heard her voice till now still he didn't come out.

"Manik has gone to the park for jogging. Didn't you go today?" 

Nandini didn't say anything and ran towards the park to find Manik. 

Avneet was about to leave too but Neelima stopped her. "Avneet, you tell me what happened to Nandini? She is looking so restless and her forehead was also bleeding. Has something happened at your home again?"

Avneet didn't know what to say to her. She couldn't tell Neelima about Nandini's last night's act else she would be worried. "Last night dad had said a lot of things to Manik bhai and Siddharth. That time di was not there. In the morning, when she got to know of it, she lost her cool and she had an argument again with him. That's how all this happened."

"Did he raise his hand on Nandini?"

Avneet meekly nodded her head and ran behind Nandini.

Manik and Sid were standing at one side talking to each other. 

"Mani...." He heard a voice from his back. He turned back only to find Nandini was standing a little away huffing badly. 

Manik looked at her with a frown. But he didn't say anything to her, he turned his face other side away from her. 

Sid too noticed Nandini. He looked at Manik for once and then saw a panting Nandini. "Nandini, why are panting like this? What happened?" After that he saw Avneet too standing behind her. "Avneet is here too. Avneet, what happened? Why're you both running like this? What's wrong?"

"Di came here looking for Manik bhai, so I came with her."

"Manik." Nandini went closer to him.

Manik ignored her and started walking away. But Nandini ran again and held his hand. Manik tried to free his hand from her hold but she held him with both her hands and stood in front of him.

"Mani, I'm sorry for last night whatever I did. I know you had to hear a lot of things which you don't deserve because of me. Please forgive me." 

Manik looked at Avneet. "Avneet, ask her to leave my hand. I have work."

Nandini made him look at her. "Are you still angry on me? I'm saying sorry. Please. See I'm holding my ears too." She held her ears and looked at Manik with pleading face.

"Nandini, what're you doing? Stop. Everyone is watching us. Don't create a scene here." Manik scolded her looking at their surrounding. 

"No, first say you've forgiven me. Then I'll hear you."

"There's nothing about forgiving you here. You're adult. You can do anything you want to. It doesn't matter, if the people around you will be worried for you or what will think of you. It's your life and you're free to do anything." Manik looked away and spoke in a stern tone.

"I..."

Manik cut her. "Did you see yourself last night? You were not even in a condition to stand on your own feet. You were so drunk that you had no idea of what was happening around you. Suppose someone else took you anywhere instead of us, then what would you have done? You were no at all in your senses. All this doesn't suit a girl like you."

Nandini left her ear and smiled sarcastically. "Situation takes everything away from us, also it forces us to do things which we don't want to." She let out a breath. "Now tell me first if you have forgiven me or not?"

"Manik, forgive her. Look, Nandini has come all the way running to you in this morning and she is also saying sorry. Let it go for now." Sid supported Nandini.

Avneet too joined him. "Yes, Manik bhai, in the morning, she had also an argument with that person about last night whatever he did. Look at her face, you'll understand."

Now Manik looked at Nandini after hearing Avneet and saw the cut on her forehead. He felt his heart skipped a beat seeing blood coming out from her cut. "Nandini!" He held her. "How did this happen?" 

"Yeah! We didn't notice it till now. Where did you get hurt, Nandini." Sid frowned looking at the cut.

"That's what I just said. Di had an argument with dad this morning and then this happened."

"Uff! Avneet, let it be. It's just a small cut. I'm fine. It's nothing in front of what he did to Manik and Sid last night."

"Shut up!" Manik scolded her. "You won't utter a word more. You don't take care of yourself at all." Then he held Nandini's hand and took her with him. 

Avneet and Siddharth were looking at the way they had gone.

"They love each other a lot." Sid smiled.

Avneet nodded. "I just hope they remain the same always. Di has suffered a lot all her life. I think she deserves this happiness at least."

Manik had directly Nandini to his room and made her sit on his bed. Then he went to get the first aid box. Even though Nandini was asking him not to worry much but he didn't pay any heed to her.

He stood in front of her and started cleaning her wound softly making sure it didn't hurt her much. "I can't believe this! How can you do this? You're not at all sincere about yourself. Sometimes I feel even Avneet is more sincere." He looked at her disbelief.

Nandini giggled. "Why should I be sincere? I don't need it." She shrugged her shoulders.

Manik put a bandage on her forehead. "And why that?" He raised his eyebrow. He kept the box away and stood leaning towards her placing his hands either side of her.

"I've a very serious physiatrist husband who is very sincere with everything. So, I can escape that part. He will take care of if that." Saying so, Nandini pecked on his nose as his face was on her height. 

Manik too laughed out loud hearing her. He settled beside her and took her palms in between his. He was caressing her knuckles softly with his thumb. "Nandini, don't do this to yourself."

"I'm not doing anything."

"You're ruining yourself for someone who doesn't deserve a bit of you. You're hurting yourself like this which clearly says he is important to you. He is affecting you. We all are here with you. Speak to us, share with us everything. You'll feel good. You don't need those drinks. They're not helping you at all. But we can." He calmly tried to understand.

Nandini put her head on his chest. Manik too engulfed her in his embrace. She closed her eyes snuggling in his embrace.

"I know, Mani. I know it's not good for me. But whenever I've them I feel I'm forgetting him. Those drinks don't remind me of him at all. I want to forget him. I want to forget this pain. It seems unbearable."  

Manik broke the hug and cupped her face. "Don't let him ruin yourself. Just don't say anything to him. You don't need to keep any relation with someone who can raise hands on you for something which you never did. You're very precious, Nandini."

Nandini nodded her head. "I'll try. It's just I can't bear anyone saying anything to you. You don't deserve that too. I love you a lot."

"I love you more." Manik took her in his embrace again.

That time they heard Neelima calling them for breakfast. Nandini was about to leave when Manik called her from behind. She stopped near the door. Manik walked to her and pinned her with the nearby wall.

Nandini looked at Manik with her big doe eyes and he slowly placed his lips on hers. Her lips parted and they were sucking each other's lips slowly. Nandini felt her legs were turning into jelly. Her hands went around his neck holding him tightly. Manik's hands were securely holding her by her waist.

There was no hurry, no emergency, no lust in that kiss. It was filled with love, passion and teh craving they had for each other. They kept kissing each other slowly yet smoothly.

Feeling out of breath, they broke the kiss and Manik joined his forehead with hers. "It feels perfect." He whispered.

That time only they heard their name being called once again. Nandini hurriedly came out of his hold. "You made me forgot that mumma was calling us."

She was about to leave but Manik again puller her back holding her hand and her back collided with his front. He bent a little and traced her earlobe with his nose. "I hope you know what you have to do next time when you want to forget anything. You need me. Only me."

Nandini blushed hard at his words and she exactly knew what he meant. She didn't reply anything. She just freed herself from his grip and ran away from there.

Manik kept looking at her leaving. He smiled biting his lower lip. He rubbed his nape and touched his lips as if trying to feel her touch.

It was evening when Nandini and Avneet was returning to their place. The shining light of the sun was reflecting on the face Nandini like a sweet smile making her look ethereal like always. Today the blush was also added to the beauty of her face. 

That's all for the time being. I hope you all liked the chapter with Manan moments. Don't forget to vote and comment.

26.08.2023