Hey Pearlies, thank you for your votes, comments and adding this book to your reading lists. I am so happy with your response in the previous chapter!
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You do not have any quality to be my wife!

Those words hurt me so bad. Why did I even ask for an explanation from him. Why can't I overthink an answer for myself and be satisfied with it. Now I will remember these words all my life, thanks to Manik.

My vision got blurry as tears filled my eyes and I blinked rapidly to clear them and look at Manik. I was still hoping to see a mischievous glint in his eyes and telling me he was just pulling my leg. But nothing of that sort happened and he stared at me as if he has nothing else to say.

I am so stupid!

I rubbed my eyes with the back of my palms and cried more. I don't care if he sees me crying and I don't care if I don't look like a princess. It's my pain and I will cry my eyes out. Nobody can stop me!

Your parents are ashamed to give birth to a dumb person like you, Nandini. Their soul is not at peace even after their death seeing you.

Harshad's words surfaced my thoughts. He said all these to me when I was being a coward and not getting my revenge on Manik and behaving stupid. Does Manik feels the same about me?

Ofcourse! This is the only reason why he said 'No'. I am dumb, stupid and good for nothing!

"Nandini," Manik called me gently and I looked at his face to see concern filling his eyes. "Breath, please breath."

That's when I realised, I wasn't breathing and was almost on the verge of losing my consciousness. I immediately gasped for air and swallowed air with my mouth. A few seconds later I was breathing fine making me feel more stupid.

"Am I that disgusting, Manik?" I questioned him as soon as I was stable.

"What?" His eyebrows knitted together.

My lips quivered as I lost my control and cried loud. "You said I don't have any quality to be near you, am I that low? Am I disgusting that you don't even want me to be close to you? Am I so dumb that I have no chance to even speak with people like you?"

"I never said all these things, Nandini." He yelled at me.

"You clearly said I am dirty and you didn't want to get married to me." I cried hitting him on his chest with my fists.

He held my wrists in both of his hands and pulled me to himself. "You add all the crap to a useless sentence but you couldn't remember that 'I Love You'?" He pulled me closer and I dropped the heel from my hand making it fall between our legs.

He placed his lips on mine and made no move but closed his eyes and breathed calmly. "Why don't you understand that you are the most important person in my life? I love you, I want you and I need you in my life, Nandini." Our lips brushed everytime he spoke so gently than before. "I have never let anyone this close to my heart. You are my world, Nandini. That's the truth!"

I had a sudden urge to forget everything and disappear myself into his safe arms but I decided against it. I can't get hurt by him again and again. I pushed him by his chest and created a gap between us so that he could see my face. "Despite all your words you still say I can not be your wife?"

He did not answer anything and I got my answer. I laughed sadly as tears flowed from my eyes but I didn't stop laughing even when my jaw hurt. What am I doing with my life?

Manik kicked the already fallen chair and it rolled towards the sofa. "Why are you hell bent on getting married? Wife! Wife! Wife! What's your problem? Do you even know the meaning of marriage?"

I laughed more. "Ofcourse, Manik. How would I know? I am an idiot whose parents are ashamed to give birth to me. I am an idiot that a person who claims to love me than anything is against marrying me. I am an idiot." I slapped my forehead. "Why am I like this?"

Manik pulled me into his arms and did not let me go no matter how many times I pushed him away. He tightened his arms around me the more I struggled to get out. "There's nothing wrong with you, Nandini. You are not stupid. You are so innocent to this cruel world." His voice was different. "Our definition of marriage is not the same. You think marriage is a happily ever after with your prince sweeping you off your feet. But this will never happen with us, Nandini. Our Mafia world is not a fairytale and I am not a prince." His voice broke at the end.

Is Manik crying? I slowly lifted my head from his chest to see his face drenched in sorrow. That moment I forgot all about my pain and wanted to remove all his problems. I want him to run around the house while I try to pull his hair. I want him to look at me with his mischievous glint in his eyes while he tries to pull my leg. I want him to stand strong in the hallway as all the grown men bow to him to signify his power. I want Manik to be in all those ways but not filled in sorrow.

I brought my hands and cupped his face bringing him out of his trance. He immediately freed me from his grip and shook his head. "Our stories and destinations are different, Nandini. You are an innocent Mafia princess and I am a ruthless Mafia Boss."

All the gentleness within me vanished in a second as anger rose in me. I was almost falling off the ground as my body shook with anger.

"So, I am not a perfect match for you, right!" I rubbed the back of my neck. "Then who is your soulmate?"

"Nandini, I..."

I cut his words. "Ofcourse, it's Alya! It's always Alya!" I clapped my hands together. "The mighty Boss needs another perfect Boss. Why would they need a stupid, good for nothing princess?"

"I did..."

My voice shivered as I spoke and pushed him by his chest and he did not stop or defend himself but kept moving back. "Alya is smart, rich, and runs her own Mafia. It's practical to chose her! After all, what do I have on me? I do not have any generational wealth, thank you Manik for burning my mansion. I am not smart, thank to  Navya for her contribution. I am not mature, thank you Nandini for not growing up."

"Stop overthinking dammit!" Manik yelled at me. By this time we were almost walking out of the garden and hardly few feet left for the people in the party to look at us. "I gave only a simple statement and you are twisting it around."

I frowned. "Exactly, Manik! If it was Alya she wouldn't twist around the words. She would understand you as soon as you speak, infact you both understand each other without even speaking anything. My eyes are blessed to see a perfect couple."

"Exactly, Nandini! Everyone except you understands me perfectly. You don't even try to listen to me." He said pulling his hair in frustration.

"Bravo! Now the mighty Boss agrees that Alya is perfect for him."

"I did not mention Alya, I said everyone except you."

"That's exactly you meant, Manik. Your everyone is Alya and your nobody is me. Don't think I am dumb to not understand what's happening here!"

"Do you have any weird fetish, Nandini? All I see is you want to mess with me and my life!" He shook his head.

"Look at you calling me your weird feet! I have had enough from you Manik. If I am your feet then what is Alya? Your heart? Your gall bladder? Or your mitochondria? Tell me." I yelled at him. How dare he compare me with his feet and that too weird.

Manik did not say anything. He stared at my for a long time raising my anger levels.

"I should have married Alya as soon as my mother promised to Saxena's family. Atleast then I would have escaped from you and be safe." He finally spoke and my volcano erupted.

I ran back to the sofa and picked both of my heels in my hand and ran towards him. "You shameless monster! How dare you confess your deepest desires to me?" I hit him with my heels and they fell to ground after hitting him.

"I am shameless monster? Then what are you? A walking dictionary?" He taunted me.

I made my mouth in a 'O' shape and bent down to pick up the heels once again to hit him. "You don't have any right to give me nicknames. Go give these names to your stupid crush, you two - shirt - buttons - opened - man!"

"Atleast warn properly, Nandini. I am unable to concentrate when you are being funny." He said trying to dodge getting hit.

"I don't have to learn from you, heels escaper! Mafia runs in the straws of my body."

Manik halted in his tracks to correct me only to get hit by my heels. He will never try to correct me once again.

"If it was anyone they would be dead by now, Nandini. I am trying my best not to hurt you." He said finally catching one of my heel with his hands leaving me with only one heel.

"Sorry, Boss! People like us get hurt, why don't you play with your dearest Alya? I bet you both are immortals and wouldn't get hurt. Afterall, you both will have the strongest bond than any other mouth food eaters and intestine digestors" I said pointing my heel at him.

"Why can't you just say human? Why all this effort?" He said ruffling his hair. "You are making me crazy!"

"Really? Then why are you wasting your smart time with me? Go spend your intelligent time with your intelligent Alya. Infact, why don't you marry her right now so that you could get more intelligent time together and invent wrinkle reverser for clothes." I huffed throwing the heel at him which he caught it successfully without getting hurt.

"That's iron box dammit and it's already invented!" He said throwing the heels on the ground next to him. "Yes, you are right. I can't wait to marry Alya and spend intelligent time. Let me announce it to everyone tonight."

I was about to give a sarcastic remark on his words but stopped as a third person entered between us.

"Manik, you are finally ready to get married!!!" Her voice was filled with excitement.

...

How is the update?

Who heard manan conversation?

What will happen next?

Do you have any ideas for Manan scenes you wish to read?