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"Welcome, hope you are enjoying your work." I said coming inside the room as the cleaner looked confused. "What happened?"

"Usually there's no one around while I am working so I am not sure how it works." he replied looking around.

"Don't worry about it, your Boss is my boyfriend. I need to look at how you work so that I can be confident on your cleaning skills." 

"But..."

"No, if's and buts, start cleaning especially the closet." I tried to sound bossy but I guess it failed miserably as he started walking out. He took a few steps and stopped as Cabir walked carrying some green bag. 

"Underboss, please help. There is a woman claiming to be the Boss's girlfriend and asking me to clean around." 

Cabir frowned for a second and relaxed immediately seeing me in the room. "Yeah, do as she says if you value your life." 

"Super, Cabir!" I yelled and he walked away. I welcomed the assigned cleaner with a smile as he continued to unzip his sack bag. He apologized as soon as he realized I am girl-- the boss right now. And thanks to Cabir this person is now following my orders. 

As soon as he completed taking all the soiled clothes from the laundry bin he began to walk out but I stopped him, once again. "There is still a lot of work, you got to do."

"Mam, I don't see any other soiled clothes. The curtains, bedsheets are also replaced as you told and now I am tired, please let me go." He pleaded.

I felt sad for him but I can't help him in my situation. "You have to clean the locker."

"I've done it, in front you!"

"Very funny, I've asked you to clean every nook and corner of this room and you did not do your task. Should I complain to the Boss?" I faked my anger and this time he fell for it. 

"No, please. I have thoroughly cleaned everything, if there is some dissatisfaction please instruct me and I will complete it in no time."

"You have missed cleaning the key chamber." I said with no care.

He took a step back in shock. "You knew about that rack? I thought you were 'just' a girlfriend. I didn't knew this was serious. Sorry, Mam. I am working on it right now." This time he looked serious and energized than earlier. 

He pressed the bottom of Manik's black suit section door and a desk measuring one feet popped out. There was a velvet cloth lying under the 'key' to my dreams. Who would have imagined that the key was hidden in this secret section. "What does this key open?"

"I seriously have no clue, Mam. Every once in a while I replace this cloth wipe down this section." He shrugged and continued his work.

"Thank you for your time. Instead of every Wednesday, I prefer the laundry to be done on daily basis, Okay?" I need to set this right, I can't bear to live like in a place with weekly once laundry time. I am Princess and my laundry was done every single day and it must continue to do from now as well. 

"Gladly, please speak with the Boss, and I am more than happy to work on daily basis." He said and I nodded my head in approval. As soon as he left the place I shut the door on his face and ran back to the key chamber. 

I pressed it with my foot and picked the key as soon as the rack opened. Holding the key with my right hand I shuffled for the locker behind his watches section. I put the key into the keyhole and slowly turned the key unlocking the locker, finally. 

Wasting no time I pulled out the only roll of paper lying inside this dark corner. After unrolling it the paper had a heading of Malhotra Empire. There were many words which I can not understand, it is in a different language. Is this even a map? I better give this to Harshad and he can help me understand the words on it. 

I closed the locker, kept the key back in it's place and tucked in my Blazer inner pocket. Perks of wearing Mafia Boss clothes is the unlimited secret pockets. I walked as fast as my legs would cooperate and finally spotted Harshad staring into nothing from the living room. 

"Mr. Malhotra, I have the map." I cheered and he immediately stood up looking upset. 

"Get to the garage." He hissed and walked out fast as I followed him. We reached there in a short time and looked if anyone followed us. Once we were sure everything was great we began speaking about our achievements. "Just speak with me in secret, Nandini. Manik would kill me if he gets to know that I am helping you."

"Sorry, Mr. Malhotra. I was so excited that I forgot about it."

"It's alright, I can understand your happiness of leaving this hell. So where is the map?" Harshad is an angel, really.

I pulled out the map from my blazer and handed it to him, "Here it is, but the language is different. I think we need to start learning this language alphabet."

Harshad saw the same image and immediately turned it upside down. Seriously? Was I that stupid? I could have turned it upside down before telling him all this dumb things. I peeked to see the map and finally spotted Murthy written in bold letters. 

A lump formed in my throat as this region came to my view. My home, my family which is now gone. It is now just a name with all the stories destroyed by this Monster Manik. "That's my house, Mr. Malhotra." I pointed towards my house but he was looking somewhere else on the map with a smile on his face. "Mr. Malhotra." I called him again gaining his attention. 

"Yes, you are smart, Nandini. You found your house within a few seconds." He appreciated making me blush. 

He is the first person to call me smart. And that calls for celebration. 

"Shall we go to my house and inspect it's condition?" I asked him eagerly.

"No, I can go alone." He said but continued seeing me waiting for an explanation. "It takes at least half a day to reach from this mansion. I would not trouble you."

"There is no trouble, Mr. Malhotra. Trust me, I am more than happy to escape from this hell. Please, let me come with you." I said desperately hoping that he would agree. 

"Alright! Let's go now." He said I clapped in joy. 

"Let me change my clothes and come back." I stood up to go but he stopped me.

"No need, we must hurry. And you look beautiful anytime." He said and I almost gagged with cringe. 

"No dude, stop there. I don't repeat my outfits for different events. I seriously need a makeover for our event." I said folding my hands above my chest. 

"Nandini, you seriously call this an event? We are going to find your house and this is something you need to worry, not celebrate." His voice getting harsher as he spoke.

He is right. I should have thought in that way instead of living in my world. "In that case please give me your white coat Mr. Malhotra. Since I am not changing my clothes I must at least update my outfit."

After a bit of argument he finally gave up and I hung the white coat over Manik's black blazer. That's a savage transformation. I am Black and I am white. 

We both sat in Harshad's car as he began driving. When we reached the gates Dhruv stopped us from leaving the mansion. What now?

"Mam, where are you going?" He questioned me.

"To my house, duh!" I said in a low voice and he asked me to repeat it to understand my words.

Harshad stepped in to rescue the situation. "Well, as you can see how this lady is walking in disheveled state with borrowed clothes, I am planning to buy her some outfits. That is the least we can do for a homeless, orphan, right?"

What the fudge was that? Did he seriously insult my fashion? Me disheveled? Huh, I am having a savage persona right now, with black fitting me and white covering my frame. These dumb people would never understand my talent. My thoughts came to halt with Dhruv's words.

"Sorry to trouble you, Mr. Malhotra. The boss instructed us to not to let her out of the mansion. She is on our close watch, but you are free to go, Mr. Malhotra." 

Damn you, Manik. I looked at Harshad and having no choice I got down the vehicle letting him go. It's alright, as long as some one is looking for the truth. 

I walked back into the mansion and laid on the bed. I felt something crumple from Harshad's coat and pulled it out. It was some money, five notes of 10 bucks to be exact. What can we even do with such amount. To buy even an ice cream tub we need at least 5,000 bucks in Mafia area. What is Harshad doing with this tiny amount? Is he broke? Poor angel.

Speak of an angel, the devil entered the room. 

"Where did you get that money?" Manik questioned shutting the door behind him. 

I stood up from the bed and tucked the notes in Harshad's coat again. "That's not mine."

Manik pulled me closer and kept his hand in the pocket and pulled out the notes. After careful examination he had a smirk on his face. He removed the white coat from my body and kept the money back inside it. "Black suits you best."

Manik went opened the door and called out to a servant passing by, "Leave this in Harshad's room."

How did he know that this coat belongs to Harshad? It could be the white color as everyone in this house wears black except the angel. But what about the notes? Am I missing something happening here?

Anyway, I don't care about it. I need to wait till Harshad can get the proof of the house being burnt and not destroyed in earthquake. 

...

Did you find anything fishy in this chapter?

Will Manik find out about Nandini stealing the map? 

What will happen if Manik finds out about Harshad and Nandini's plan?