Manik held Nandini and pulled her back. "Nandini, relax. I'm talking, right? Wait here." He then faced Sanjay once again. "Mr. Kapoor, see I used to respect you but I don't think you deserve it. Another thing I love Nandini. So, I can't give her to anyone in return of anything. Not even to you." He looked directly into Sanjay's eyes and it was seen how serious he was.

Sanjay was ready to say something but Manik stopped him. "Let me complete first. Look, it's clear to me that I can't give Nandini to anyone in exchange for anything. She is not some product and I'm not here to use her for any deal. She's too precious. She should be folded with love and cherished. See Mr. Kapoor, you're elder to us. So, we don't want to disrespect you. You don't understand what love is. You never did. So, please don't think no one else does as well. Love is not something which can be sold or bought like this. It's a pure feeling."

"If he was capable of understanding this little thing, then you both didn't have to stand in this position ever or Nandini and Avneet had to face so much." Sid glared at Sanjay. "Mr. Kapoor, I want to ask you something, actually I wanted to ask this to you since a long time but never got the chance. But today you're here, so let me ask this. Why Manik is not worthy of Nandini? Where is he lacking? He is a famous physiatrist that too at this early age, he is good looking too. The most important thing is he loves Nandini a lot. Then what's the problem? What do you want more?" 

"Manik is not a murderer and that's the problem." Nandini spoke up in her venom filled voice. "Yes, a murderer like him would want someone like him only. He would see if he has enough black money like him or not. After all these things matter to him more. He can't see anyone has a heart or not."

"Shut your mouth, Nandini." Sanjay yelled too. "I've all the rights to take decisions of your life because I'm your father and you've to accept it."

"Father!" Nandini chuckled sarcastically. "Do you even know the meaning of father that you're calling yourself my father?" If looks could burn, then Sanjay would have turned into ashes till now. "Someone who wants to use her daughter for his business deals don't deserve to be called a father. A person who is selling his daughter for more benefits in business won't understand this."

Manik again tried to take Nandini away as it would hurt her only at the end. "Nandini, you keep quiet. Don't say a word. He is here to talk to me so let me speak."

"But Manik, Nandini is not wrong. She is speaking what's right only." Sid supported Nandini. He too didn't like the way Sanjay behaved with Manik and Nandini.

"She is completely wrong." Sanjay started. "Look Manik Malhotra, I know it's a little difficult for you to win over a rich girl from this background." He looked around. "But what to say about Nandini? She is soft hearted that's why she has melted in your sweet words. Else a boy like you doesn't even have the ability to look at my daughter. Do you have any idea of her status? Can you buy her a new dress everyday? Have you seen her room and look at your home?"

"When we love someone, it doesn't depend on all this things. If you love a person, you can stay with her in a small house too. More than all this, you need happiness in your life to live properly. Happiness is enough to be live with each other and sorry to say you failed to give this to your daughters. Have you ever thought of their happiness? Think of it." Manik replied straightly.

Now Sanjay's rage was crossing his boundaries. He couldn't take Manik replying his every word like this. He was feeling humiliated. "How dare you speak to me like this? You have dared to insult me. You've dared to insult Sanjay Kapoor! I won't leave you so easily for this. Keep it in mind. I will take revenge for your behavior for sure, Manik Malhotra. I'll see you soon." Then he left from there angrily.

As soon as he left, everyone sighed in relief. Till the time he was here, they were feeling suffocated. It felt now they could breath freely.

It was 11 at night. There was a calm feeling all around. Manik and Nandini were walking through the road beside the park. Both of them were having a different kind of soothing feeling in them. Their walking in silence holding each other's hands. Their fingers were entangled with each other. 

NEXT  MORNING
The morning sun has risen with its full color, this city of love has been transformed again. But the morning of everyone's life may not be happy. A news has caused a stir in the whole country today. 

"On-duty officer Abhay Malhotra is no more. Probably a criminal ended up killing him mercilessly in order to take revenge on him."

As soon as the news broke, everyone rushed to Malhotra House. It came like a sudden storm to everyone. Whole Malhotra was broken today by the crowd of people crying or weeping. Abhay Malhotra was surely one of the most honest officers and humble human being you would ever come across. The news was shocked everyone around. 

Neelima was completely broken by the news of her husband's death. Few years back, when he returned after so many years, she never thought that he would go away like this all of a sudden making her alone completely. Last time she had a hope that one day he would return but this time she was left with none.

Manik had never showed his tears to anyone. But today this grief had made him like a stone. Tears were continuously falling from his eyes. When his father was gone, Nandini had managed to console him saying they all are with him and they would help him to find his father. But what would she say this time?

Neelima fell on her husband's corpse and was wailing loudly. Avneet was holding her from side trying her best to console her. She herself was vulnerable, she didn't know what to say to Neelima so that she would feel better or stop crying. Avneet was lost. Sid was with Manik. He was sitting beside Manik holding him from his shoulder.

Nandini? She couldn't be seen anywhere around.

"You can't leave all of us like this. Open your eyes." Neelima was crying hysterically. "Manik, ask your dad to open his eyes. I know he is making me fool like always but this time it's too much. If he doesn't open his eyes now, then I'm not talk to him ever again." She was shaking his body as if he would get up. "You still have a lot to do. You can't run away from your responsibilities like this. You have so much to see too. Abhay, open your eyes."

"Aunty, relax! Calm down." Avneet was rubbing her back. "Look, if you will behave like this, then you would fall sick." Avneet wiped her tears. "Aunty, look at Manik bhai. If you will break down like this, then who would console Manik bhai? Just look at him. He has been sitting there like a stone since then. You need to be strong for him."

Other side, Sid was also trying to make Manik speak and get him back to normal but he had no heed to whatever was happening around him. 

"Manik, why're you behaving like this? Please say something. What happened to you? Manik." Sid shook Manik a few times but didn't see any response from him. He was also in lose of words. He was blank that how to console Manik. His eyes were looking for Nandini. Only she could this but she was nowhere.

KAPOOR   MANSION
Sanjay was going through the newspaper sipping his morning tea and he looked unusually happy this morning for some unknown reason. 

Suddenly Nandini came downstairs from her room. Her eyes were red with the kohl was shattered. Her hair was messed up. She was wearing a white dress. Her condition was clearly saying that she must have cried a lot. Her face was swollen. 

She stood in front of Sanjay and threw the newspaper away from his hands. 

"What're you doing, Nandini?" Sanjay shouted. "Why is your condition like this? Have you forgotten all your manners or what? It's my mistake that I was expecting a good manner from you. You've forgotten how to behave mixing with those lower class people." He spitted his anger.

"I'm not here to hear these craps from you. How can you do this? You killed Manik's father! How? Answer me." Nandini held his collar.

"Have you lost your mind? What are you saying?" Sanjay freed himself from Nandini. "You've gone crazy due to shock. Go to your room and calm down. You're only uttering nonsense." 

"I'm in my senses only. I know you very well that it's you behind baba's murder. It can't be anyone else except you. You're not worth calling a human. You're an animal." 

"Watch your words, Nandini." He held Nandini's shoulder tightly which surely pained her but it was nothing in front of what was going on in her heart. "I'm your father. Never dare to raise your voice in front of me."

"Father? My foot! I hate to call you father. I wish I could change this." She removed Sanjay's hand from her body, it was making her feel disgusted. "Just because baba was collecting proofs against you, you killed him! Didn't you think twice before doing so?"

~~•°•~~

That's all for now. Let me know how was it and next part will be uploaded after 50+ votes.

Bye.

14.11.2024