The sun has set in the city sky and the night has blossomed.

KAPOOR   MANSION
Sanjay was sitting in the hall going through his files. Suddenly his phone started ringing. 

"Hello, Mr. Khanna. What a pleasant surprise?"

"What?"

"You've returned to India? That's a great news."

"Yeah. I know. I hope this time you're gonna make the investment which you had promise last time."

"What! Sure, no problem. I was waiting to meet you only."

"What about tomorrow? At my place. For dinner."

"I'll do the arrangements. See you tomorrow."

"Bye."

Then he hung up the call. That time only Nandini and Avneet were coming down. Sanjay saw them and called Nandini but she didn't respond.

"Nandini, come here. I have something important to say to you."

"Avneet, come with me. Why're you standing there?" Nandini ignored Sanjay and was about to leave with her.

Sanjay called her again. "Nandini, wait. Hear me out first."

"I have no interest in hearing you." Nandini folded her hands on her chest looking directly into his eyes.

Sanjay ignored the look of her and continued. "Tomorrow Mr. Khanna will come to our place. We'll have a meeting here. So, tomorrow you both won't go out anywhere. Nandini, he has a son, his name is Vicky. He is a nice guy. He is looking after his father's business now. You can see him."

Nandini was controlling herself gritting her teeth. She was ready to burst out any moment.

"Tomorrow he would suggest some condition to invest in our company. So, I want you to try to behave tomorrow. Talk to Vicky and to be honest I want you to marry him. Don't waste your time on that...."

"Impossible." Nandini snapped out not letting him finish his line. "I love Manik only and I'll keep loving him all my life. Don't ever dare to say this again in front of me. Keep this straight in your mind."

Then Nandini walked out of house even though she didn't have the plan to. Avneet also ran out behind her. Nandini and Avneet were walking through the streets of their lane.

"I can't still believe what that person just said! How can he even think something like this. We know he is stone hearted but that doesn't mean everyone else would be the same too." Avneet was still not over the drama of their home.

"He is like this only. Leave him. I don't want to talk about him. He's not worth it." Nandini was angry but she was trying to control that.

"Nandini! Avneet! Stop."

Suddenly they heard someone's voice from their back. They turned back only to find Sid running towards them. 

"I've been calling you both since so long. Didn't you hear?" He was panting which clearly indicated that he was running for a while following them. "Oh! My legs are paining because of you two. By the way where are you both going at this hour?" He stood straight in front of them.

"Sorry, we were talking, maybe that's why didn't hear your voice. We were going to Manik's place." Nandini replied.

Sid nodded. "I was also going there only. Let's go."

They all started walking together towards Manik's place.

Neelima was alone at home. "Uff! What will I do with Manik? Thank God that Nandini is here else I don't know how would I have handled him."

She smiled with Nandini's thought. She has been seeing Nandini since she was kid and her fondness for Manik never went unnoticed by her. At the beginning, she was a little worried thinking about Nandini's father, also they were kids. But as time passed, she realized that his son is lucky to get a girl like Nandini in her life and he won't get anyone better than her. 

"When will this boy return? He is never serious about anything apart from his job. Thankfully he is seeing Nandini too nowadays."

Neelima has always admired Nandini because a girl like her is very hard to find in recent times. She was well aware of her feelings for Nandini as she was growing up but her son never acknowledged it. She tried to make him understand a few times but he was too dumb according to her. Then she left the matter knowing Nandini. She is enough to make him realize his feeling. 

She was busy in her thoughts when she heard the doorbell ringing. She thought it must be Manik. So, she went to open the door but she found others there. 

Nandini hugged Neelima. 

"You all!" She was surprised. "Come in."

The trio walked inside. Neelima closed the door. "See it's past 7 already but Manik isn't home yet." She complained. 

Nandini gulped. "Didn't you call him?" She couldn't take out her father's thought from her mind. She was scared thinking he might do something to Manik.

Neelima nodded. "But you know him. He never picks up the call when he is in chamber." 

Now Nandini got more scared.

Avneet who was sitting beside Nandini could feel her hesitation. She placed her palm on her. "Don't worry, aunty. Maybe Manik bhai is busy with some patient. Sometime it happens. He'll be back soon."

Sid too supported her. "Yes, he was saying me that his pressure has increased in the chamber. There's a lot of patients and you know he would return only after seeing everyone." 

Another hour passed but Manik was not back yet neither he was picking up their calls. Everyone was talking quite calmly but Nandini's mind was restless. She couldn't stop worrying about Manik. 

'When will Manik return? He is never this late. I hope he is not in any problem or dad didn't do anything to him. I have no believe in that man. He can do anything for his benefit. I denied to talk to the boy of his choice, maybe that's why he would try to harm Manik.'

Nandini was thinking all this in mind. She came back to her senses hearing Neelima's voice. 

"Nandini, what happened to you? What're you thinking so deeply since then?" She asked with a frown. 

Nandini nodded her head. "Nothing much, mumma."

That time the doorbell rang again. Nandini got up. "I'll check who's it." Then she left.

As soon as Nandini opened the door, she saw Manik standing there with a smile on his face which was enough to make her forget all her worries. She sighed in relief seeing him fine and smiling.

Manik walked in after pecking on Nandini's cheek. He went to the hall where others were sitting. 

Sid got up seeing Manik. "Finally you're here! What took you so long today?"

"There were so many patients today so it took time." He sat on one of the couches. "When did you all come?"

Nandini had also come there and she stood beside Manik's couch.

"It's been more than hour." Avneet replied looking at her watch.

Manik nodded his head. "Great. You all stay here. I'll come after freshen up." He got up and was about to walk away when he turned back. "Mom, get my coffee in my room only. Please."

"You go. I'll get it."

Manik smiled and left.

"Nandini, go and make coffee for Manik." Neelima smiled. She knew his son preferred coffee of Nandini's hand than her.

She simply nodded her head and went to kitchen. She made coffee for him along with others. She served the coffee to Neelima, Sid and Avneet first, then she went to Manik's room. She found the door was closed, it made her frown as Manik never does this.

Nandini slowly pushed the door and it got opened. She found Manik sitting in a corner of the bed with his hand on his head. He was pressing his head lightly.

"Mani..." 

Hearing her voice, Manik came out of his trance. He removed his hand from his head and looked back to Nandini. "You! Why did you come? Mom could have come."

"Why? Can't I come here?" Nandini went closer to Manik and stood in front of him. 

Manik passed a warm smile to her. "I didn't mean that."

Nandini kept the coffee mug on the side table and looked back at Manik. "Why don't you lay down and I'll give you a head massage?" 

"How do you know?" Manik was not surprised that she got to know what's going on in his mind even before he told anything to her.

"I understood as soon as I entered the room that you're having a headache. You had a busy day in the chamber." 

Nandini sat on the bed folding her legs. She placed a pillow on her lap. Manik laid down on her lap.

"You never told me how do you understand me so well." Manik asked looking into her eyes as she leaned a little towards him.

Nandini smiled. "I understand everything about you. I understand all your joys and sorrows because I love you a lot." She bent down a little and pecked on his forehead. She continued pressing his head and giving him massage. 

"I love you a lot too." Saying this, Manik raised his one hand and took Nandini's one hand. He brought her palm near his lips and pecked there. 

They passed some more time like this.

Manik was staring at Nandini's face keenly. She found something different in her eyes today as if something was bothering her. "Nandini, you're looking different today. Is there anything wrong?"

Nandini had a pale smile on her face. She didn't stop massaging his head. "Everything is wrong in my life. There's nothing positive in my life."

Manik got up and sat facing her. He cupped her face lovingly. "Why are you saying like this? Don't you say I am the happiness of your life?"

This time Nandini smile brightly. "That's true. You're everything in my life. I can't imagine my life without you and I want you in every step of my life."

"Yes, I also want you in every step of my life. You've always supported in every step of my life even when I was too stupid to value you. Now when I know what you mean to me, I can't imagine even a second of my life without you." He pecked her lips.

Nandini blushed. 

"Your coffee must have gone cold till now and you didn't even have it." She tried to suppress the red hue on her face.

"I'll have it now." He took her in a side hug and sipped his coffee. Nandini snuggled in his embrace trying to forget everything else.