2 Weeks Later...

The next few weeks, Nandini took full care of Manik and he slowly got all better. Him & Nandini also had gotten close to each other and the love between then grew alot. Nandini had also moved into Manik's room.

Like every morning, Nandini woke up early and went to do her morning chores. When she came back, she heard the shower running so she knew Manik was in there.

Thats when she notice a bouquet of red roses on the bed.

"Yeh kaha se aaya?"Nandini mumbed to herself walking over. There was a small card inside that read:

𝗧𝗼: 𝗠𝗿𝘀 𝗡𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗶 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗸 𝗠𝗮𝗹𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗿𝗮

𝗞𝘆𝗮 𝘁𝘂𝗺 𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗽𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗲? 𝗔𝗮𝗷 𝗿𝗮𝗮𝘁 8 𝗯𝗮𝗮𝗷𝗲?

𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲, 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗸 ❤❤

Nandini smiled seeing the cute note and then saw that the shower had stopped meanning Manik was done his shower. So she took a pen and on the back quickly wrote Yes then she slipped it under the washroom door and turned to leave. 

Manik, who was wrapped in a towel...saw the note being slipped in and picked it up to read it. 

"Yes!" Manik smiled, he swung the door open and pulled Nandini into a hug from the back.

"Aah Manik! You're all wet!" Nandini complained but also giggled.

"Thank you." Manik kissed her on the cheek, making her eyes go all wide. Then he let go an closed the door to change. Nandini just stood there for a moment, touching her cheek and blushing before she looked at the watch.

"Date 8 baaje hai...aur abhi 11 baj rahe hai. Bilkul bhi time nahi hai mere paas....chal nandu, jaldi se saara kaam khatam kar phir Riddhima ko bulake tayyar ho sakti hai tu." Nandini thought to herself.

Later that day...

"Awww... Manik Bhai is just too cute!" Riddhima gushed. "Vaise...kaha hai Manik Bhai?"

"Kaam pe...date toh 8 baaje hai so there is some time." Nandini replied.

"Hmm...perfect. Main na tujhe nilkul pari jaise sja dungi. Meri behen itni khubsoorat lagegi ki Manik Bhai bas dekhte reh jayenge." Riddhima said.

"Haan lekin Manik mujhe bata hi nahi rahe hai ke kaha le jaane wale hai...pehnu kya?" Nandini asked.

"Dont worry about that. Maine paata laga liya hai ke woh tujhe kaha le jaane wale hai...uske hisab se tujhe tayyar karungi" Rid"Nadhima assured her.

"Kahan?"

"Agar Manik bhai nahi bol rahe hi toh main kaise bata sakti hoon? Just trust me ok....you will look amazing!"

While they were talking, they didnt realize that Dhruv had heard them from the doorway. He quickly left before they could see him.

"So...mera bada bhai date pe le jaane wale hai apne wife ko? Perfect....that means they will be alone. Aaj mein unn dono ko ek saath maar dalunga."  Dhruv smirked to himself. "Dekhte hai...iss bar kaise bachte hai dono."

Riddhima meanwhile helped Nandini get ready for her date. She curled her hair and did a half up half down hairstyle with flower clip and also did her makeup to match her look.

Hairstyle

Dress

Makeup

When Manik came home at 8, he got the driver to take him & Nandini to a restaurant.

"Tum jao...jab humara ho jayega tab bula lenge." Manik told the driver. Nodding, the driver drove off with the car while Manik led Nandini into the restaurant which was completly empty but fully decorated with candles and flowers

"Manik...sab kaha hai? Itni jaldi toh band nahi ho sakta restaurant." Nandini asked.

"Band hai...for everyone else. Maine puri restaurant ko book kar diya hai."

"What? PURI restaurant?" Nandini was surprised.

"Haan...mujhe staff ki saara attention epni wife pe chahiye."

"Par inko kitni business loss ho raha hoga na?" Nandini asked concerned.

"I paid for it Nandini....kuch loss nahi ho raha hai." Manik assured her. A waited then came and handed them a menu which Manik passed over to Nandini. "You order....jo tumhe pasand ho."

"Kuch bhi?"

"Yep...kuch bhi."

"Ok..." Nandini looked over the menu. "Um...appetizers mein stuffed mushroom, chicken kabob, fish pakora. Phir main dishes mein 3 butter naan, ek butter chicken, ek shahi paneer, ek daal tadka, ek karahi goat....aur raita, ek lassi...."

Manik's eyes grew wide at the amount of food Nandini was ordering for just two people. Then Nandini turned to him.

"Tum kya loge?"

That made manik almost fall out of his chair. "Kya? Matlab...itna sab kuch sirf tumhare liye hai?"

"Haan....kyun? Tumhi ne toh kaha ke mein kuch bhi order kar sakti hoon." Nandini replied innocently.

"Yaeh i didnt think tum ITNA- I mean, tum yeh sab kha paogi?" Manik asked.

"Oh yeah...actually maine thoda kum order kiya hai. Main dieting pe hoon na, isi liye." Nandini told him. 

The waiter dropped his note pad and his mouth dropped open. "Ma'am...yeh kum hai toh zyada kya hai?"

"Huh? Kyun....kuch zyada order kiya hai maine?" Nandini looked to Manik who just shook his head.

"Shutup." Manik glared at the waiter. "Aur jo ma'am ne kaha hai...woh sab double le ao."

"Ok sir." The waiter left and then slowly the food came out. Manik & Nandini were chatting with each other with soft music was playing in the background.

********************

Dhruv was on the phone with Harshad telling him what he planned.

H: Dhruv! I told you ke abhi ke liye kuch mat karo...Pichle attack ke baad Manik is on high alert!

D: Oh relax Harshad...Manik apni pyari biwi ko date pe le gaye hai. Aur kyunki he still trusts me so very much...mere ek baar puchne pe he told me where he is going. Manik booked the whole restaurant off, aur apne driver ko bhi wahan se bhejne wala hai to spend some alone time with Nandini. Matlab wahan sirf woh dono honge....this is the perfect time.

H: Look, he is your brother. I hope mujhe tumhe yaad nah dilana parega ki Manik dhoka dene walon ka kya haal karta hai. Agar tum unn dono ko maar paaye in one go...then that great par agar by chance manik bach jaata hai...then you better LEAVE. I dont want to be caught because of you.

D: Yeah Yeah...Ill leave. Par aisa kuch hoga nahi. Aaj Manik aur Nandini ko koi bacha nahi payenge. Ill kill them.

Dhruv then hung up the phone and turned around to see Riddhima standing there and she looked shocked to her core.

"Yeh...yeh sab....yeh aap kya keh rahe hai Dhruvji?"

Dhruv was startled but then just gave up the fake pretense and rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Great...tumhe bhi abhi aana tha."

"Dhruvji...main kuch puch rahi hoon." Riddhima asked. Dhruv didnt reply. "Dhruvji.."

"Oh will you shut the F*CK up!" Dhruv yelled. "God...Dhruvji Dhruvji Dhruvji. Kaan pak gaye hai mera yeh sunn sunn ke."

"You...." Riddhima teared up as she couldnt believe that this was the real Dhruv.

"Yes me....Maine kiya hai sab kuch. Yeh jitne bhi attacks hue hai na inn dono pe...it was always me!" Dhruv admitted with an evil look. "Aur aaj...main finally kamyab ho jaunga....Nobody can save them....Tum bhi nahi."

While talking, he opened the drawer of his bedside table and pulled out a bottle of chloroform that he had.

"Dhruvji! Main tumhe chodungi nahi! Bata dungi main tumhara sachai sabko!" Riddhima sobbed. "Ill never let you hurt Nandini & Manik bhaiyya! Kabhi nahi!"

Dhruv took his handkerchief out and doused it with the chloroform before placing in over her mouth and nose.

"MNMN!" Riddhima struggled for a bit then slowly lost consciousness.

"Oops...so sorry Riddhima." Dhruv whispered. "Lekin I cant let you ruin my plans. Aaj unn dono ko koi nahi bacha sakta....koi bhi nahi."

He tied Riddhima up and put her in a large wooden chest then closed and locked the lid.

"Happy suffocating darling." Dhruv said before leaving.

***********************

Meanwhile...

Manik & Nandini were done eating and the whole time, Nandini thought he would say something special to her but he didnt. Even Manik knew what she wanted to hear but purposefully didnt say anything.

"Tumhe....driver bhaiyya ko nahi bulana?" Nandini asked as they walked down the sidewalk. The streets were pretty much empty aside from the occasional car that drove by.

"Hmm...par abhi nahi." Manik said. Nandini was getting annoyed of waiting and just stopped and turned to him.

"Manik.... bolo na!" Nandini looked at Manik expectantly.

"Kya?"

"Wahi...jo main sunna chahti hoon. Jo tum feel karte ho...pls Manik bol do."

"Hmmmm...pehle tum." Manik teased.

"Kya? Main kyun? Pehle tum!"

"Nope...pehle tum."

"Tum ladka ho na? Toh pehle tumhe bolna chahiye!" Nandini replied.

"Lekin main kaafi feminist ladka hoon....so pehle tum!" Manik was loving it seeing Nandini get irritated. "Bolne ke liye hi toh le aaya hoon...aaj mein sab kuch bol dunga Nandini. Mere dil mein jo tumhare liye hai...jo main feel karta hoon...everything. Lekin let me have a little bit fun first."

"Ugh tum na bohot gandhe ho Manik! Itna romantic date plan karke, mujhe yahan le aake tum mujhe teen lafz nahi bol sakte? Jao! Nahi sunni mujhe." Nandini got up and started walking away.

"Acha listen!"

Nandini stopped with a smile thinking Manik would say it. He came towards her and looked in her eyes. "I...."

"I...?" Nandini repeated smiling.

"I...........wont say it! Pehle tum."

"MANIK MALHOTRA YOU ARE SO DEAD NOW!" Nandini yelled in anger. She started chasing Manik as he ran away laughing. While chasing him they came onto the road and didnt even realize.

After running for a bit, Nandini then noticed a black car with black tinted windows driving straight towards them...

"MANIK!!!!!!!!!!!" Nandini pushed Manik making him fall and roll over to the side of the road. He sat up in time to see the car just about to hit Nandini.

"NANDINI!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"AAAHHHHHHH!" Nandini screamed closing her eyes.

CRASSSHHHHHHH!!!!!!

The next thing he knew, Nandini was thrown up into the air because of the car hitting her and then she fell to the ground with a sickening thud.

Dhruv, who was the driver saw that he had hit Nandini but Manik survived.

"Dammit...." Then he remembered what Harshad told him. "Nahi Harshad is right, I cant afford to get caught by Manik...nikal leta hoon. At least Nandini is gone for good."

He then drove off as fast as he could. 

Manik meanwhile , ran over to Nandini. Her light pink dress was now soaked in her red blood....there was a pool of blood all around her and she was unconscious.

"No no no no no no no.....Na...Nandini....Nandini.." Manik cradled her head in his arms. "Nandini...ankhen kholo. Ku...kuch...kuch...kuch nahi hua hai...your fine, you're ok....pls open your eyes. Pls...Pls Nandini..."

"Ho..hospi..tal...hospital...gaadi..." Manik looked around and realized he had sent his driver off. So he pulled out his phone and saw that it was broken from when Nandini had pushed him. "SHIT...no no calm down Manik. Calm down..."

He looked at Nandini and slowly rmoved one hand from her head to see taht it was now covered in blood. Manik gasped and was crying. "Ki..Kit...na...kh..khoo..khoon...No No...Nandini...ankhen kholo pls...pls mere liye apni ankhen ek baar khol do."

Manik then looked around to see if anyone was around to help. "HELP! KOI HAI! SOMEBODY HELP!!!!"

But nobody was around....they had walked very far from the restaurant and were now just in an empty street. Sobbing, Manik held Nandini close to his chest.

"Pls Pls...somebody help!" Manik mumbled as he rocked Nandini.

=============================================

Teaser

"HELP! HELP!!!"

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Riddhima kept banging on the trunk, crying and screaming....just trying to get out. Slowly it was getting harder to breathe as she was running out of oxygen. 

"Somebody HELP!" Riddhima yelled again. "God pls...pls let me out. Dhruvji maar denge Nandini aur Manik bhai ko...I need to get out! Pls kisi ko meri madat ke liye bhej do!"

***************************

Manik saw a thela with some heavy looking bags on top of it. He ran over and threw the bags off. before running back to Nandini.

Manik lay Nandini down on the thela and looked at her. "Im taking you to the hospital. Kuch nahi hoga tumhe...main hone nahi dunga. Just hold on...pls...bas thodi der."

He then started pushing the heavy thela down the road....towards the hospital.

**************************

Dhruv...in a full black outfit and a mask covering his face came to Nandini's hospital room. Nandini was laying there, needles in her arm, she was intubated with a pipe going into hr mouth and she was connected to a machine that showed zig zag lined indicating her heart rate.

He took out a scissors and.....

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Thoughts on this chapter?

Will Nandini survive?

Will Riddhima be saved? 

Will Dhruv be caught?