This update is dedicated to everyone whose name starts with letter "B"
...

Malhotra Empire doesn't store knives? That's confusing me and I ran my thoughts while I was walking to my room along with Cabir.

My memory isn't strong and I agree with it. But I have to remember every single detail as possible. The issue is about my love, Manik. I have to recall everything to clear my doubts.

Manik killed my family. I saw with my own eyes, my father's throat getting slashed while I stood there helplessly. I stabbed Manik in his torso in anger that night and he kidnapped me from my territory.

But something is not matching. If he could slash and kill hundreds of people in my territory then why couldn't he defend himself from the attackers? Cabir just said that the Empire's Armoury doesn't store combat knives then what happened that night?

I scratched my head as many times as I could to connect the dots.

Wait!

I did not see Manik slashing my people. He came after everyone were dead. Those men were barbaric just as the way the people who attacked Manik. Both of them didn't carry guns but Manik and his people had guns.

Check if anyone is still alive.

Those were the first words Manik uttered as soon as he stepped inside my mansion. If he didn't kill or had the intention to kill why did he wanted to know if anyone was alive?

Unless, he wanted to save the survivors.

I gasped internally.

Why have I never thought of this reason? I was always in the belief that Manik was not satisfied with killing my people that he was looking for more to kill.

Why did I stab him that night?

Because he killed my godmother, Navya's mother. He shot her. Exactly! Manik always used gun to attack his opponent and it's as clear as a day.

Manik was not the murderer that night. He did not wipe my entire territory.

Why did he shoot Navya's mother?

I tried hard to remember and two scenarios of Manik shooting Navya's mother and me stabbing his torso surfaced my mind.

Where did I get the knife? That knife resembled ... same as the attackers knife. She was trying to stab me and Manik shot her to protect me.

Oh! Manik, what have I done?

He was always on the receiving end while protecting me. That selfless man deserves so much in the world but everyone including me is only trying to see him as a monster. At this rate, he might have lost trust in humanity.

"Are you alright?" I heard Cabir's voice and looked at him.

The realisation made me weak that I was silently crying. Cabir's voice brought me to reality and I started crying out loud gaining the guards attention near us who stood unaware instantly with Cabir's signal.

"Manik is so soft." I cried.

"What?" He questioned with his mouth turning into a bow shape.

"He never killed my family. Manik is not a monster. He always protected me." Manik is a true gentleman in all senses.

"In return, the princess tampered his gun, played with his feelings and was ready to kill him." He said with a straight face.

I cried more. "Stop saying all that, you no blood pumping organ fellow. Why are you making me more sad when I am already crying? Infact, it's all your fault that all this happened."

"My fault?"

"Yes. You could have told me earlier instead of me realising everything on my own. You could have said, dear lovely princess, Manik did not kill your family and he is so cute to harm your family." I said rubbing my nose.

"So that you can have a new topic to share with your best friend Harshad? Just like you did with the map which  lead to killing guards on the border?" He questioned without any mercy.

"White coat bullock cart is not my friend anymore. And I stole that map only to have evidence of my territory so I don't know what you are speaking. I need food and I am hungry." I said in a go still crying, by this time the female soldiers stood by my side eyeing Cabir.

"Then princess must stay princess instead of getting into the action scenes. What's the need to harm Manik every single time you got a chance, huh? Why must you trust everything your best friend says?" He was arguing with me like a child who wants to stand on his best friends side no matter what happens.

"That bullock cart is not my friend." I yelled. "My father said not to trust anyone except Malhotra before dying. That's why I trusted him and we both planned everything to get revenge on Manik instead of thinking alternatively."

"Really?" He faked a surprising face. "Manik, Niyonika, Vivek, Srikant all of them were Malhotra's. Why did you chose only your friend?"

"He is not my friend for the last time." I seethed in anger. "The last two people are dead Malhotra's, and the first two never had a friendly face Malhotra. Only this Bullock Cart stood by me and ..."

"Helped you harm Manik successfully." He completed.

I sat down on the floor and hit my fist on the marbled tiles. "You are irritating me, Cabir. I want to go to the mansion, right now and eat some food."

"You are not going to the mansion. Stay here in the headquarters." He replied and I was surprised.

Wasn't he the one ordering me to go the mansion from the first day? Then why is he asking me to stay here now?

"I don't want to stay here. The food here is so bland and I am not at all getting any vibes from it. I want the food made by the mansion chef." I demanded standing up.

"Trust me. Tasty food is the last thing you will think if you are in the mansion right now. You are safe here so stay in the headquarters." He said to me and looked at Anupama. "Arrange the food for her by the available chef here."

"I don't like you, Cabir." I shouted at him.

"Same here." He said and turned on his heels.

I pouted.

Why is nothing going according to my wish? Just because I wanted to go to mansion he is making sure I stay here. Argh!

I turned to look at Anupama who was already looking at me with curious eyes. All my thoughts about Cabir and my food disappeared as I got another question in my mind.

If Malhotra Empire only deals with guns as their weapons then how come  these women fought with the attackers? How did they handle the knives?

"Anupama, how did you fight against the attackers that night? As far as I know, our Empire only has shooters and not someone who uses knives." I questioned her.

She bowed before answering me. "Our Empire was strong untill the opponents began attacking our territories with their new weapons. Since, our Empire wasn't used to the combat knives, we sadly lost many of our territories." She paused. "The Boss is funding us with his personal resources to upskill us from just guns to combat knives. Only few of us were interested as everyone are comfortable only with guns."

"When did all this happened? I didn't even know how --"

She interrupted me. "It's not long ago. We started training recently as the opponents are getting stronger with their techniques. If you remember, Cabir was calling us newbies despite of our seniority in the team." She chuckled.

Ah! That makes sense now. Manik is upskilling his soldiers so that his Empire can be a strong match to the opposite side.

"Were you always underground soldiers?" I questioned.

"Underground? You mean undercover? Well, not all of us, some are soldiers, some are princess and some of us are Boss of our territories." She opened her palm with healed mark on it. "That's why we were chosen to be your help."

That explains why everyone had the mark on their palms. Only the Mafia family has it during the swearing ceremony while getting introduced into the Mafia family. I had one, Navya's mother marked it on Navya so she had one, and the soldiers also belongs to their own Mafia territories.

I can't believe these highly ranked women would go so far to obey Manik orders. Also, Manik had risked so much from the beginning to protect me.

"Princess, we shall serve your meal in some time. Please inform us what you would like to eat for your lunch?" She questioned.

Food and here? I want that chef in the mansion. I sulked at the thought of eating this food here. I don't like the chef who's cooking here.

My dull face brightened seeing Alya. Yippee!

"Alya." I called her with a smile and she walked towards me giving some orders to her subordinates. The female soldiers around my room also walked away giving us privacy for our girl talk.

"Are you okay? I was busy these days and couldn't meet you." She said with concern.

"I am okay. Cabir is not letting anyone meet Manik. He is saying we are not in his priority lists." I scoffed. "I guess only he wants to stay with Manik."

"It's okay, Nandini. I saw Manik and he is doing well. You don't worry as he will be fine. Afterall he is our strong Boss." She said trying to comfort me but it had a reverse effect on me.

"That Cabir let you meet Manik?"

"Who is he to let me see my fiance?" She raised her eyebrow at me. "I walked in by myself and walked out only after Manik's sponge bath."

Did I say I am alright with Manik not marrying me? Well, strike that, I want him to marry me as soon as he opens his eyes. I don't care if it's a Mafia style wedding or paper wedding. There would be a war if he denies me this time. I have to be his wife.

My nose flared as I spoke. "How could you give Manik a sponge bath to unconscious Manik? Did you take his consent before touching him?"

She frowned. "Why would I give him a bath? I am a Boss not his servant. I just made sure everything was good that's it." I sighed with relief with the thought of the servant doing his duty instead of Alya. "She is trained and she can handle it." Alya added and it rose my anger once again.

She? She as in a female? A woman? Manik has to be my Husband at any cost. I can't let him stay bachelor all his life and gets to have all the female attention. Everyone must know he is mine and I am making sure that he will agree to marry me. If not, I will kidnap him after all Mafia runs in the straws of my body.

"Okay. I have to go now I am already running late." She tried to walk away but I stopped her.

"I want to go to the mansion and change my clothes. These clothes are not at all matching my taste. I am thankful that the soldiers arranged something for me but still this dress feels awkward." I said with a hope that she understands.

"Well, trust me, pretty clothes are the last thing you would want if you stay at the mansion. There is enough security here than the mansion so you are safe here. Stay here, sweety." She said tapping my cheeks. She turned towards Anupama and said with a serious face. "Arrange something for her from the available wardrobe here."

Alya walked out saying some codes with her subordinates.

What is happening here? Both Cabir and Alya are speaking same. They both want me to stay in this office instead of the mansion. Why?

What exactly is happening in the mansion?

...

How is the update?

Finally, nandu got to know the truth about Manik. Yayy!!!

What's happening in the mansion?

Should Nandu go to the mansion or stay at the headquarters?

Update Target 100+ comments.