Happy Birthday, GlowBrighter . Keep shining. Much love to you. God bless you baby.❤️

And yet another amazing cover by, FirefliesAndStarx . Thankyou baby.❤️

***

Time heals everything.
~~~

Everything was finally going okay. Nandini had started coming back to her old chirpy self, thanks to Manik's constant moral support. And Manik, he was extremely happy that finally things were falling in place. Manik and Nandini used to talk to each other for hours. And during this time, they had become each other's pillars of support. During this while, Nandini was allotted a personal assistant by Natasha, Manik's personal secretary who happened to be a guy. And that guy started getting too over friendly with her, and as a result, he was fired within two days. Not surprising, is it?
Seeing a man close to Nandini, Manik would be ready to break him into two pieces. That's how he was, and Nandini didn't mind it at all, she did get a little irritated in the beginning but then she knew that it's of no use. Every morning they greeted each other with a huge smile and a warm hug. And finally, their relationship was on step two.

It had been a couple of days since Manik had confronted Nandini about her fears and now, she was perfectly fine. Fab5 along with Nandini, Navya and Abhimanyu had gathered for a weekend get together at Cabir's place, where after a lot of enjoyment, leg pullings, jokes and some stolen glances, in the case of Manik and Nandini, all of them were finally at peace and chilling around. The boys were at the pool with their beer pints while, Navya and Alya were in the kitchen busy with the snacks. And Mukti and Nandini chose to embrace the peace and serenity while looking at the people who meant the most to them. They sat in the balcony which was just in front of the pool from where they could see the boys enjoying and playing around.

" So finally, my necklace reached you hm?" Mukti said as she finally broke the silence making Nandini snap her head towards her.

" Mukti..I" she tried explaining but was cut off.

" Nandini, it's okay. It was mine. It's yours now." Mukti said with a smile while Nandini clutched to the locket in her fist with a smile.

" Mukti, I know everything. And this is how this necklace reached me because a similar thing happened with me too." Nandini said in a low voice making a silent Mukti go all panicky.

" What? How? When? Why didn't you tell me this Nandini?!" She blasted off.

" Mukti.. I was honestly not in a correct frame of mind. And trust me, agar Manik nahi hota toh pata nahi what would've happened to me. I shouldn't be saying this but Manik ne mera itna dhyaan rakha jitna aaj tak mere parents be bhi nahi rakha. He understood my turmoil. I didn't need words to put forward . He just knew it all. He stood by like a pillar with me." Nandini sighed.

" I'm glad that you have Manik and Manik has you. You know Nandini, you are the only girl in Manik's life apart from me, Alya mad Navya who he considers as his sisters. And I'm happy, that you are the only one." Mukti said as she took Nandini in a sisterly hug making her smile.

" Pata hai Nandini, when we were in college, there was this girl called Soha Khurana. She was like a typical wannabe who just wants attention. And mostly, money. And Manik being the always generous kind, befriended her after she kept trying to talk to him, like a normal friend, unaware of her hidden intentions. So one day, she came to Manik all crying and wailing saying that she needed money because her father met with a horrible accident, and Manik thought that he should help her in such a situation. Raj uncle was a famous businessman so money was never a problem. But 5 lakhs at that time did mean a lot. But still Manik chose to help her out. Again after a couple of days she came saying that her brother has cancer and she doesn't have money for his treatment. She asked for money and luckily, Manik was out of town that day and was gonna come back later in the evening. When he was coming back from the airport, thankfully and sadly, he spotted Soha coming out all drunk out of the poshest nightclub in Mumbai, and that's when he got to know she was just using him all this while. And the next day, Soha was rusticated from the college. And since then, he never made any female friends for this very reason. You are the first one in six years." Mukti finished while Nandini was almost in tears thinking that how hurt and betrayed he must've felt.

" I'm happy that, Soha the bitch is finally out of Manik's life. Samajhti kya hai khudko vo? Bloody loser. This literally showed her standards. And now it's time that she needs to be taught a lesson." Nandini said angrily.

" What are you doing, Nandini?" Mukti said nervously.

" Don't worry. I've got everything planned." Nandini said as she dialled her PA's number.

" Alisha, I want all the information on Soha Khurana in another two hours, even the tiniest bits - with whom she was involved. Everything." Nandini said as she hung up the call.

" You care a lot for him, don't you?" Mukti asked with a smile.

" It's time to settle some scores." Nandini said with a smile.

" Mukti, you don't have to worry about anything. I will just show her the place she belongs to and what are the consequences of messing around with Manik Malhotra. It's show time." Nandini said with a smirk while the boys joined them after a long swim.

" Hello ladies." Manik said as he settled beside Nandini to which both of them just smiled while Cabir, Abhimanyu and Dhruv settled beside Mukti.

" Manik, stop. What is wrong with you?" Nandini said while Manik kept ruffling his hair on her face making her face all watery while rest everyone were having a good laugh.

" Okay sorry." He said as he placed a light feather kiss on her hair escaping from the sharp eyes of his friends, making her smile.

" Come on guys, lunch is ready." Came Alya's voice.

~~~

" Good morning, Manik." Nandini chirped as she entered his cabin in a cream colored shirt and white trousers.

" Good morning, Nandini." He said in a low voice without looking at her and focusing on the papers in his hand.

" What's wrong, Manik?" She said in a concerned tone as she brushed her hand over his forehead.

" I don't know. Our clients have made some last moment changes after the presentation is already made." He said as he continued reading.

" Mujhe do yeh." She said as she snatched the papers from his hand.

" Nandini, what?" He said with an irritated expression.

" I'll read it to you. And you just sit back. And as far as the presentation is concerned, voh mein karlungi. You don't have to worry." She said to which he just warmly smiled.

" Thankyou." He said with a smile and kissed her palms lightly.

" Ab tum mujhe thanks bologe? Wow." She said with a grumpy face.

" Okay meri maa . Nahi bolunga. Ab toh padhlo." He said dramatically to which she started reading out the rest of the part.

" Huff. Finally done. I'll make the presentation by tonight. Don't worry okay? " she said and look up, just to find him sleeping, which made a small smile appear on her lips. She moved ahead and gently kissed his forehead to which he slowly opened his eyes.

" Before you start apologising, it's alright. You are tired and this was bound to happen. So keep your apologies to yourself and relax." She said as she settled comfortably on the chair infront of him to which he just smiled, thinking how well she knew him.

" Someone is coming to meet me abhi, you just sit here, relax and listen to some good music." She said as she took out his headphones from the drawer.

" Who?" He asked with a hint of jealousy.

" Don't worry. She's of no danger to you till the time I'm here, thanks to the evidences." She said to which he immediately sighed in relief hearing 'she'.

" But evidences?" He asked in a confused tone.

" Manik, whatever I'm doing. I know you might find it wrong. But please, trust me. Don't get affected a bit. I'll fix everything. She will be coming here only, in your cabin. Because I don't want to do something without you knowing it." She said in a low tone.

" I trust you." He said and these three words meant the world to her. She knew that he trusted her always. But everytime he said it, she felt out of the world.

" Yes Natasha, send her inside." She said as she made Manik wear his headphones and turned the music on while he just blinked his eyes in assurance and sat back with his eyes closed.

~~~

A tall and slim girl wearing a blue skimpy dress with white stilletoes entered the cabin with yet another seductive grin.

" Oh Manikkkk." She squealed and sped towards him making Manik open his eyes in shock to which he looked at Nandini and she blinked her eyes in assurance.

" Soha Khurrana." Nandini said as she stood between Manik and her.

" Excuse me? I don't talk to personal assistants. Back off." She puffed.

" Oh, I never knew that personal assistants could be bosses too. Interesting." Nandini said with a -not bad- look making Soha mouth drop open.

" So what would you like to have? Nothing or nothing?" Nandini said with a forced smile which she ignored.

" Manik, are you even listening?" She made a bad face while Manik was all busy enjoying the catchy beats of Cheap Thrills with his eyes closed and head moving rhythmically.

" Current financial status, bankrupt and looking for rich men to sponsor her expenses. Daughter of a fraud businessman, Ashish Khurrana. Not bad huh." Nandini said as she read out from a sheet of paper, draining the colour off Soha's face.

" What are you talking about? " Soha said while fumbling.

" Oh, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Let me come straight to the point. Don't ever try and cross Manik's path ever again. Or else you have no idea what all I can do." Nandini said in a stern tone.

" You really think I'll do that? Babe, Manik was just my credit card and nothing else. And you think I'll believe you. Huh. In your dreams." Soha remarked making Nandini flinch in disgust.

" Come, I'll show you what I can do. It's time to burst your bubble." Nandini said as she opened her laptop and played a video.

After a couple of minutes, Soha's face looked as if she'd seen some ghost.

" So. How does it feel? Don't ever show me your face nahi toh tera yeh Kamasutra viral kardungi. Don't you know what YouTube is? You want that? " Nandini said with a smirk while munching her apple.

" And delete. You think I'm a fool? Nobody messes with Soha Khurrana." She boasted as she pressed the delete button on the keyboard making the video vanish from the screen.

" You think I'm dumb? Come, I'll show you some magic." Nandini said with a smile.

" Tadaaaa. How does it feel? Defeated? Awwwh. Doesn't matter. This video is present in every computer of this company, one click and BOOM!" Nandini exclaimed as she showed her the same video in some other folder.

" No. Nooo. I'll do whatever you'll ask me to. Please don't do this." She pleaded.

" One call, and you will be on the roads. I mean it. You are living in a mortgaged house right now, you mess up, you won't be even left with the furniture of the house. Choice is yours." Nandini said with her eyes piercing through.

" Listen, tumhe jo chahiye tum lelo. But please, don't do this, my father will kill me." She begged.

" Apologise. Right now, on your knees!" Nandini shouted to  which she immediately did.

" I'm sorry Manik. I'm sorry Manik. I'm sorry Manik." She ranted.

" THWAAACKKK." Came a sound and before she knew, Nandini's fingers were imprinted on her cheek.

" This is for using Manik. Step a foot in my office, and I will be your worst nightmare, Soha Khurrana. And trust me, you have no idea what I can do to you, and I'm sure you don't want that, do you?"   Nandini said in a warning tone.

" Sign this." Nandini said as she handed her over the copy of restraining order which said that if she tries to inflict any harm to Manik or any of his friends or relatives, she would be given life imprisonment, which she signed without reading.

" Leave." Nandini shouted to which Soha just ran away in fear, but not before sparing a glance at Manik, while he waved his hand with a smirk.

" Natasha, I do not want this bitch anywhere near my office ever. Am I clear?" Nandini said while cooling down her anger to which the poor girl nodded in fear.

As soon as she entered the cabin, she was pinned hardly to the wall making her close her eyes in fear.

" Why did you do this?" Manik breathed on her face.

" Mukti told me everything yesterday. I'm sorry I didn't tell you. But just the way you can't see me in pain, the same way I can see you in pain too. I don't want you to dwell in the past. I know what I did was wrong, but I had to do this." She said in a low voice with her eyes lowered.

" I trust you with my life." He said as he nudged her chin, making her look into his brown eyes to which she immediately hugged him with a wide smile on her face.

" I can't believe you ever knew this chipkali bimbo. I mean, make up utaaregi toh weight bhi 2-3 kgs kam hojayega." She said with a poker face as she broke the hug.

" And my wild cat is back." He said making her laugh.

~~~

" Umm. Nandini voh.." Manik said for the twentieth time while he sat with Nandini in his cabin.

" Oh stop it, Manik! You're saying this for the twentieth time? Tum kisi ke bacche ki maa nahi banne waale ho. Jaldi bolo na." Nandini said in an irritated tone.

" Okay. So her it is. Willyoucomewithmetonewyork?" He said in a single breath with his eyes closed.

" Manik, mujhe alien language nahi aati." Nandini said while chuckling.

" Will you come with me to New York?" He finally said with his eyes closed and her hands clutched in his.

He slowly opened his one eye just to find her sitting with her mouth open.

" Are you serious?" She said after five minutes while Manik kept looking at her nervously.

" I mean, it's not necessary. If you don't want to it's okay. There's no compulsion as such, please. Every year there's this Business Summit in New York and me and Cabir represent MM Companies from India but this time, Cabir has to urgently stay back due to some issues at his radio station which is why I asked you." He said hesitantly.

" Oh my god, Manik. Tumne mujhe pehle kyun nahi bataya? I always wanted to go to New York, you know? It's so beautiful." Nandini said with a dreamy sigh.

" So, does that mean a yes?" He asked in a low voice with an unsure expression.

" Ofcourse! But first let me talk to mom and tell her." She said excitedly and immediately dialled her mothers number. And finally after a long call of motherly guidelines to be safe and sound. She finally agreed, making Nandini jump with excitement making Manik chuckle lightly.

" Yaaay." Nandini squealed and hopped on Manik.

" We're going to New York. Yipeee. I'm so excited. I need to shop too. Goodness!" She said making Manik sigh in disbelief.

" What is with women and shopping, I never understand." He said as he rolled his eyes.

" Stop, Manik. So when are we leaving?" Nandini asked.

" Day after tomorrow and we'll be.." Manik said and was obviously cut by Nandini.

" Day after tomorrow?! Oh shit. That means only one day for preparation." She screamed making Manik palm his ears.

" Nandini, aaram se. I'll become deaf, please." Manik said while rubbing his ear.

" So, how long is the trip?" She asked.

" See, the seminar is for two days and then we have five days in hand." He said casually.

" Are you serious? Okay then we'll go to Manhattan, Times Square, Statue of Liberty, Central Park, Empire State Building, Madame Tussaud's. So many places to visit. It's gonna be so amazing. And you'll be my tourist guide. Wohoo!" She said as she clapped her hands in excitement as she sat back on the chair making Manik smile on her cute behaviour.

" Seven days in New York. Wow." She said as she looked at the lighted ceiling of his cabin.

" Seven days with you, in New York." He said with a smile as he lightly pecked her hair making her smile to her fullest.

He looked at her like she held the universe in her eyes and all she had was a reflection of him.

~*~*~*~*~

Thanks for reading! 🌸

[ NOTE : Okay so,honestly the response on this story is getting worse with every update, and I really don't know the reason why. Each chapter I write is of 3k+ words and all I get in return after two thousand views is just 300 votes. I'm sorry, but this is really disheartening. I really want to know where I lack. Is the plot bad? Is the story boring? What do you wish to see? And if still you feel that , then please do inform me, I'll discontinue this story. Response awaited! Thanks. :) ]