Hello Fam :)

Thank you for all your comments in the last chapter. It was overwhelming. 

Finally, we are getting some answers. :)

Warning: Take a break if it's getting too sad for you. Also, it's a long one. 

Happy Reading...

Nyonika was pacing in her room when Manik reached her door and Cabir was sitting on the couch. "Mom", called Manik, without going inside, halting her in her steps.

She rolled her eyes before dragging him inside the room and forced him to sit on the couch. She handed the first-aid box to Cabir, silently asking him to do the dressing. When his brother was done with wrapping a bandage around his arm, Nyonika glared at Manik. "Manik, you are a Malhotra and your whole life is under scanner from the moment you have taken over the Malhotra Industries. I have explained this to you a million times. Couldn't you wait for a few more days before getting married to the love of your life? Didn't you think Cabir or my presence was required in your grand ceremony?"

After four years of working with his mother, Manik was good at reading her serious and dramatic face. "If you're done with your ranting, can I explain, please", he told, flashing his smile to cool her down. It worked like magic and Nyonika crossed her arms, pouted.

"I am still angry", she told.

Beside him, Cabir was shaking his head, a laugh on his face. He ended up at the receiving end of Nyonika's glares. The boy raised his hand. "Don't make me a victim. It's Manik, remember."

Manik punched his brother lightly but pulled Nyonika between them and rested his head on her shoulder. He sighed when she ran her fingers through his hair. "Mom, I apologize for everything. I never thought I would have to marry someone in front of the people I hate the most."

"Bhai, you don't hate people", said Cabir.

"I can't help it, baby. I don't have any other word to describe them", he told before turning back to his mother. "Mom, I have waited for four years, I could have waited for forty more years but the Murthy's couldn't."

"What happened, Manik?", asked his mother. "What did they do even, kid?"

There was a concern in her voice and it was all Manik needed to let his frustration out. He had his strength beside him and he didn't need to have a grip on his emotions anymore. Hence, he just did that. He let his words out, in broken sentences, whatever he could have managed without caring if he was making any sense or not. "Mom, I can't even imagine what would have happened if I didn't go there at the right time. They would have spoiled her life completely."

Nyonika nodded. She had a frown on her face. "Isn't the Kapoor kid too young for her? He is what? 16 right?", she asked Cabir.

Manik snorted. "Mom, they were trying to get her married to Mr. Kapoor, not his kid."

"Manik, but he celebrated his sixtieth birthday last week", said Cabir.

"Exactly. And he was there at that house, proudly announcing himself as Nandini's to-be husband. Mom, I haven't talked to her yet but they confessed that they had her house-arrested all these years. I don't know what they had done to her but this isn't the Nandini I know. She isn't the one who had taught me to live", he said. Manik wanted to cry for Nandini, thinking about every possible scenario he had ever read. He felt the oxygen running out of his lungs and it was getting difficult to breathe.

While Nyonika rubbed his back, Cabir grabbed a glass of water for him. After making him drink the water, Nyonika pulled him in her arms and started drawing circles on his back. "Manik, kid, love has the power to heal every wound and fill colors in life. Just the way she taught you to live your life, why don't you stay strong for her and help her back to her previous self?"

"I can't do this alone", he muttered.

"You have us, baby. We are a family and you will always have us whenever you need us. Right, kid?", she asked the last question to Cabir.

"Anything to get my fighter back", said Cabir, grinning.

"Thank you", said Manik. He couldn't be more thankful for them. "I don't know what I would have done without you both."

"I haven't forgiven you yet, you nerd. Out of all the possible ways to get married, I know you chose this to save time, energy, and spend it on some stupid book. You aren't off the hook yet. I need you to take me shopping with you", she said.

"And I need loads of chocolates", exclaimed Cabir.

Manik gaped at them. Were they being serious right now? "Aren't you guys earning enough to buy whatever you want?"

His mother waved a hand at him. "Kid, you don't know the joy of a wedding shopping and harassing the life out of the groom for it."

"And Manik, you don't know the joy of getting tons of chocolates from my bhai."

Manik shook his head. "I am not giving you tons of chocolates, kid. I can't see my baby brother as some round fat balloon after eating all that sugar."

"Bhai, chocolates go to the heart", he protested.

When Nyonika burst out laughing, Manik joined her. This was his family. This was his strength.

XXX

Ramu Kaka was waiting for Manik outside his room. He hadn't realized the time but it was already in the evening. While leaving Nyonika's room, he asked them privacy to have a conversation with Nandini and his mother had assured him of only checking on them if they wouldn't be present at the breakfast the next morning.

As of now, Ramu kaka handed him a packet. "Did it arrive already?", he said, while taking the packet. "Thank you. If you don't mind, can you get me a glass of juice? Citrus possibly?"

He nodded and until the time he returned, Manik paced in front of his room. He was trying to form various ways he could start the topic. There was a possibility that Nandini might not tell him. It has been four years, double the time they have known each other. He was more of a stranger than a friend at the moment. She might be angry for not checking up on her earlier. How could the whole world ignore one precious girl and let her drown in a house full of hatred? It scared him. More than Nandini or her parents, Manik felt they have failed her.

His chain of thoughts was broken by his butler when he brought the juice. Manik thanked him, took a deep breath, and knocked on his door before entering in.

Nandini was lost in her thoughts, still in her bridal attire, probably haven't heard him coming inside. He cleared his throat, so as not to startle the girl and handed the packet in his hand to her when she turned her head towards him. "These are a few pajamas for you. You can take a shower if you want."

She nodded and as she took a step towards the washroom, Manik called her.

"I will be waiting for you here", he said. Manik noticed the surprise on her face but since she didn't say anything, he left to the guestroom to take a shower himself.

Half an hour later, when Manik returned to his room after his shortest shower, Nandini wasn't there. The tap was still running in the washroom and he waited for her on the couch. How did one be strong for the girl who had taught him to stay strong? How would one talk to a girl who didn't want him in her life in the first place?

Manik was terrified once the whole incident from the morning started sinking inside his head. From not having any idea about her whereabouts, Nandini had become his wife in a span of a day. Forty-eight hours prior, he was calling all of his men to search for the girl who had disappeared from their lives, and now when he had her in his house, in his room. Manik didn't know what to think about all this. Life has really surprised him big time.

The click of the door alerted him of Nandini's presence in the room. He gave her the juice and waited for her to at least take a sip. All his flowcharts of the plans went into the drain when speaking them aloud felt complicated. He sighed. "We need to talk, Nandini", he said, simply. "There are so many things I don't understand and my head is just a mess. But first of all, I need to apologize to you. I had let my emotions take control over me and tied you into this relationship. I didn't mean to force you and you are free to walk out whenever you want, Nandini. No one would force you here. No one would say anything to you and you are safe. I have talked to mom too and she is okay. She is here for you too."

Between his rant, Manik noticed, Nandini bouncing her leg and tapping her fingers continuously. He wasn't sure if she had heard him at all and realized his apologies wouldn't be of any value if it weren't reaching the person he wanted to apologize to. Instead, he thought of getting his answers. It would help him clear out many things and he could have a more effective action to be taken further. "Can I ask you a few questions about the past few years? Are you comfortable?", he asked her.

Nandini nodded. She was sitting at the far end of the couch and Manik turned to face her properly.

"What happened after that night, Nandini?", he asked. It would be more sensible to start with the facts than to ask the girl to explain about her parents. If he wasn't wrong, it might have started after their farewell. When Nandini didn't answer him at once, Manik gave her a smile. "Do you still trust me? It's okay if you don't and we could move to lighter topics."

She snapped her head towards him at the question. There was a frown on her head. "I took over Murthy Industries after a few days from the farewell. I have been handling the company since then. I haven't joined into MBA."

"It's okay. You were always good at business. It isn't a requirement for you but they said they had put you under house arrest", he asked.

"After our farewell, on way from college, I was met with an accident. A few passersby have admitted me to the hospital and they might have contacted my parents. I was unconscious for a few days but when I woke up, I was in some strange place. It wasn't my room. There wasn't a single human except two butlers and sometimes my parents used to drop by. I have been there since then."

"How are you handling your company?", asked Manik. "No one has seen you."

"Skype calls. They didn't want me to have any contact with the outside world. I have been conducting all the work from home."

Manik nodded. "Okay, they have been successful to keep you hidden from the world all these years. Points to them but what happened now? Why are you exposed to the world after all these years now?"

"I turned 25 last month", told Nandini.

Manik felt the realization dawned upon him. The will written by Nandini's grandfather could be twisted and he had known this since the time he had heard about it. The major part of the will revolved around Nandini turning 25.

When Manik didn't say anything, Nandini spoke again. "All the Murthy properties are under my name and if I marry someone now, half of it would go to my husband's name. Technically, it's you now. They wanted to get me married and if it's someone of their choice, like Kapoor, they had expected him to transfer it to them. I just don't understand how did they choose you out of all people yesterday."

Manik shrugged. "It was mom. She somehow got to know about you and had been trying to track you down for a month now. It was a huge surprise for me", he muttered.

Nandini gave him a nod.

Manik noticed the discomfort in her voice and the untouched glass of her juice. "Are you not feeling good about talking? Why don't you take a sip some juice?", he told, subtly, without forcing his opinion on her. He smiled when she took a few sips of it.

"I am sorry. Not used to talk this long", she muttered.

The smile on his face dropped. Of course, they wouldn't talk to her or let her talk to anyone else. He controlled his emotions in favor of staying calm for her. "We can stop this and continue the conversation tomorrow."

Nandini shook her head. "You said, your head is messed up. Let's finish it now."

He felt happiness bubbling inside his heart when she had pointed out. Manik wasn't good at staying calm when he didn't understand what's going on. The little fact she had remembered meant a lot to the person who thought she didn't want him in her life. The memories of the farewell night brought another question to him. "Nandini, I understand your reason for cutting all your ties with me but what about Mukti and Abhimanyu? Because the reason that you gave them, breaking your friendship since they knew about my feelings, is ridiculous. That's not you."

"Are your observation skills still good?", she asked.

Her first remark to their dull conversation. It felt more like an interrogation but Manik saw the slightest roll of her eyes and a faint smile. It was all he needed as an assurance that whatever he was doing, he was taking the right steps because he was as much in dark about everything right now.

"I never even wanted to leave you, Manik", she said and snorted. "You are the best person I have ever met and the best thing that has happened to me. Human emotions, feelings are temporary. Why would I leave someone so precious just because you have developed some feelings for me?"

Manik couldn't believe his own ears but he held his hope. There was a but. There was always a but.

"Remember the day when you came to lunch at my house?", she asked.

Manik nodded.

"They must be planning for an alliance and hence they have invited you for the lunch. After that, they wanted me to get married to you. They felt you were innocent enough for them to manipulate. I warned them, I had squashed their plans, until they had backed down but I should have known, they wouldn't stop", she said.

Manik felt her getting restless with every word of hers but he was torn between stopping her and letting her painful memories out. She didn't give him a chance as she continued speaking.

"A day before the farewell night, they came to me with another deal. To throw Thakkar and Vardhan Industries to bankruptcy. Your company had a really good turn over with your mom looking after the things, and hence even if they had caused you any harm financially, she was capable of lifting it, doesn't mean she deserved it to that a second time.

"During our final year, I thought we were making memories, we went on trips, we were careless, Manik. I have never imagined they would stoop as low as killing people. There were people behind Cabir, Mukti, and Abhimanyu. I didn't notice it then. They told me they had people behind you too but you were safer. Your mom always had additional security when it comes to you. Cabir was a rebel. He was at more risk.

"The deal was to listen to whatever they tell me to do so that everyone is safe. I would have died before giving the Murthy Industries to them. They know that. Instead, they asked me to leave you all. I didn't know what to tell you. Abhimanyu and Mukti had known me all my life and they could tell me when I am lying. The reason should be good enough for them to believe. And you came as a blessing in disguise, confessing your feelings. According to everyone, I hated the feeling of love. It was perfect."

Nandini took several breaths. Manik could see she was getting tired but she was on her own right now. It was too much for him to listen to her life and he couldn't imagine the pain she had to suffer to be recollecting everything but he trusted her to stop when she wanted to.

"I don't know what had happened to the rest of the Murthy properties. I haven't consciously signed anything but during the past few years, I tried my best to save the company. I don't know what would happen to it now", she said.

"I can look into that", said Manik. He had a plan. He just needed to be sure, how far he could go with that. "Did they harm you in any way?"

"Physically? No", said Nandini. "It was just their words or starving me or isolation. They need me alive to achieve whatever they wanted to. They just went to a few degrees more than I was used to but it was fine. I had survived, didn't I?"

She might have meant it as a joke but it was still painful. Personally, Manik felt mere staying alive was a low bar to set. It bothered him.

"What's your question?", she noticed, again.

"Why didn't you ever protest, Nandini? They were abusing you and you were letting them do it. Why?"

"Because I deserved it", she told.

Manik frowned. "Did they tell you that? Listen, Nandini-"

Nandini shook her head cutting his speech in the middle. "They didn't. I feel I deserved it", she told and smiled looking at Manik. "I have always thought you were too good for this world. In the process of protecting you from this world, I couldn't protect you from myself, from all the heartbreak I have caused to you. And yet, here you have saved me from them."

Manik stood up from his place and pulled her into a hug. "You didn't break my heart, Nandini. You didn't hurt me. You are the reason I am who I am today and you deserve all the happiness. You don't deserve to be treated the way they did." He saw, she didn't believe a word he said and promised to himself to repeat it until she believed him.

When Nandini tried to control a yawn, Manik glanced at his watch. They hadn't realized the time since they were talking. "Why don't you go to sleep? We can talk tomorrow, see what's to be done."

She gave him another nod. A part of him wanted to ask her another question, just one. It was more out of fear than curiosity.

"Ask away, Manik", she told.

It amazed him the way she could still read him after all these years. "Did you ever wanted to...to-"

"Die?", asked Nandini, finishing his sentence. When Manik nodded, she shrugged. "Maybe. I don't know. I couldn't have left Murthy Industries unattended and fall into their hands. But it was getting difficult to survive and we could go only as much without any hope."

Manik nodded in understanding. They had cut her contacts and no one knew about her to stop them. Ideally, according to their plan, it would be a lifetime before anyone could save Nandini from them. He cursed himself for not checking up on her sooner. He didn't want to think about the scenarios if he were later than he was.

"Are you still afraid of death?", asked Nandini.

"I couldn't afford to lose the only people I am left with in my life", he replied. Death was still as difficult for him as it was when he was ten. "Goodnight, Nandini."

"Are you leaving? This is your room. How could I-", she protested.

"It's fine. Let's rest for the day. I don't want to crowd you right now. No one could reach you here and you are safe but if you need anything, I will be there right in the next room. I will get you a mobile tomorrow so that it would be easy for you to call me", he told.

After assuring her another time that she was safe enough to sleep peacefully, Manik switched the lights off on his way out of the room.

A/N - If there are any other questions left, just mention it in the comments. I tried including everything I could think of but it's possible that I have missed a few. Write it in the comments and I will either answer them or try to include them in the next chapter unless they are a part of later chapters. 

- Why did Nandini open up so early about every question? Irrespective of her parents, she is still the boss and it's Manik. Two reasons. This wouldn't be the typical Nandini getting abused and being the damsel in distress while Manik helps her. Manik has done his part of saving her from them. He would be rock solid behind her while she takes her life back to control. People who didn't like Nandini being weak, just hold on. You have me on your side too. :)

- In the initial drafts that I had with me, I have written about Nandini getting physically abused after she had turned 25. It was only for a month but I thought it was too much here. It might not go well with the chapters ahead because physically harming her would take even more time to recover. It wouldn't make sense if I will show her getting hurt and then bouncing back as if nothing has happened. Do let me know your views on this. Or you can tell me anytime later in the story. 

- Is the story missing logic anywhere? Let me know. :)