Hello Fam :)

Warning: The chapter is fun and sad at the same time. Take care of yourself while reading. I am here in case you need me. 

Also, for the first time since the start of the story, it's Nandini's POV.

Happy Reading...

Nandini was mad at Manik as the clock ticked twelve in the afternoon. The boy was smiling at her and unlike all the times, it was infuriating. Why did he want to take her to her parents? Who does even care about a stupid ritual? She took several deep breaths. It was Manik. And Manik was smart, sensible, and probably the only person she trusted not to hurt her ever. She held onto it. The trust between them felt rusty after all these years when she didn't know a major part of him but it was still there. At least she doesn't want herself to crawl under the bed and it was okay.

"Can we make a stop before going to meet your family?", asked Manik, while starting the car.

She nodded at him before turning away to look out of the window. At the end of the day, she has to meet her parents. What was there to lose more even?

They reached Murthy Mansion in the city, which was two lanes away from the Malhotra house. How could she forget that? It made her realize how close they were actually to her and a sudden wave of panic rushed inside her whole body. Even before it could blow into a full state panic attack, Manik had already opened the door for her and entwined their hands, pulling her up in front of him.

"Nandini, trust me this once, please. I wouldn't ever let them hurt you again", he promised.

She believed him because if there was someone who wouldn't hurt anyone ever, it was Manik. Even if he tries, he would give his best and that's all that mattered. He would at least try for her. She glanced at their hands. His firm grip was grounding her.

How dare you step into my house?

She was startled out of her thoughts. Nandini didn't know when they made their way into the house. It was her father. He was livid as he screamed at Manik but the boy only smiled at him.

"I came to talk about that actually. Thank you for welcoming", he said before walking both of them into the living room.

It has been four years since Nandini came to this house. The last time she was here, she was having a lost argument with her parents. Each and every one of her friends, their families were at risk. All because she refused to marry Manik. He would have been safe. The last she knew, Manik was supposed to go to London and it was the place where Nyonika had protected him all those years. She would have lifted her company again from ashes but Manik didn't deserve to lose his mother for a second time. Cabir too, but that idiot was capable of killing himself one or the other way. Unable to think clearly, Nandini had signed a deal to cut off ties with her friends and that had cost her four years of her life. A small duration. She was prepared for the rest of her life or until she was alive, whichever was earlier.

Manik was tugging at their joined hands. "Have a seat, Nandini. Make yourself comfortable. This is your house."

"What?", asked Mr. Murthy.

Manik pulled Nandini beside him, so they were sitting on the couch. Her parents were confused and angry. "This house and all the properties of the late Mr. Goverdhan Murthy belongs to Nandini now. Does that explain your question, Sir?", he said and handed over the documents in his hand to Mr. Murthy.

"You are joking, right?", asked her father, scanning them in disbelief.

Manik sighed and it almost felt as if he were mourning. "I wish I were. But, you know, my humor just died the moment I stepped on your doorstep. Since all this belongs to Nandini now", he said and turned towards her, "Nandini, why don't we make it safe from disinfectants? Do you have any suggestions?"

More than the sudden attention, Manik was confusing her more. What was he on about? She knew she was gaping at him but he ignored her again and smiled at her parents, sweet and innocent.

"So, when are you moving out?", he asked with one of his sweetest tones.

Nandini always knew Manik could manipulate anyone into doing him a favor with his smile but didn't know he would be capable of using it against her parents out of all people.

"This is unfair. We are her parents. You can't do this to us", protested Mr. Murthy.

"Actually, as her husband, I can do whatever I want. She really did transfer some of her attitude to me after we got married. It's fun being a brat, don't you think?"

"Nandini, love, how can you let him do this to us?", asked her mother.

She shivered at being directly addressed and Manik had tightened his hold on her hand without a twitch in his facial muscles.

"Love, right", he asked. "Ma'am, I can't believe how much Nandini loves you and the sweet girl that she is, she has left Murthy Villa for you two. You remember, the one that's in the outskirts of the city? Yeah, the same. She doesn't want you to sit on the roads. After all, you did give her birth, right?"

Manik looked around the house casually, ignoring her fuming parents. "Nandini, I think we should repaint the entire house. Maybe something light and pleasant."

He was passing the time that she was sure of. He had something else to be said and was just giving her parents enough time to process his words. It was such a contrasting thing from the head boy who ranted when he got frustrated while talking to the students. The way Manik's talking now, it reminded her of Nyonika Malhotra, calm and composed. It was the boss speaking, close to the head boy when he was alone with Nandini and her friends or the meeting with their professors. He used to put his point forward, wait for the others to process it before jumping to elaborate and explain the idea.

"Oh!", exclaimed Manik, minutes later, "I forgot to inform you. Nandini's sweet on you so, I thought why can't I? All your cards are blocked, debit and credit. I didn't want to tire you guys out due to all the unnecessary trips you might take to the banks to withdraw the money only to realize you couldn't. Just don't shower any 'thank yous' at me. I get really uncomfortable with praises. Nandini, you know me, right?", he said and looked at her with a shy smile on his face.

She was looking at a Manik she didn't know he was capable of, and it was blowing her mind.

"How will we live without any money?", asked her mother.

"Ma'am, I am sure you and your husband can come with a brilliant plan with that super-smart brain of yours. Mr. Murthy, I have asked a few of my men to collect Nandini's things from this house and then they would make a trip to the Villa to collect some from there. If you want, you can ask them to drop you guys there", told Manik. "Nandini, I am done here. Let's leave. I don't know about you but I can't be sweeter than this."

He pulled her along with him. The Murthys were fuming and Manik frowned at them. "Sir, I wish you wouldn't mess with a Malhotra again. This was nothing. Imagine what would happen if Nyonika Malhotra decides to put you at your rightful places."

He didn't wait for their reply and didn't stop until they reached their car. Manik opened the door for her and once she was in, he bent down to her eye level. "Nandini, did you really think I would want to take you to them unless I have to? I would never let them harm you again, I promise."

And she believed him again. How could she not after witnessing everything that has happened in the past half an hour? He gave her another smile, a shade different than he gave to her parents before taking them out of the Murthy premises. Nandini knew she was staring at him but she couldn't help it. There were far too many questions than she was comfortable with and she was sure he had noticed that too. He stopped the car at an isolated place away from the traffic.

"You have questions", he stated.

"Where did that savage Manik come from?", she blurted out the first question she had in her mind. The way Manik's entire face turned a shade redder, Nandini's heart skipped a beat and a wave of relief washed over her. Beneath all his confidence, he was still the same. It gave her hope.

"It comes back whenever I am really angry", he told.

"Maybe a hidden Malhotra trait", she muttered. She couldn't help herself from saying it. How many times did the world see Nyonika Malhotra rile her haters, journalists who demeaned her capabilities, or her opponents without losing the smile on her face?

"I had the best teacher to start with", he said, grinning at her.

Of course, he would be the subtle idiot who would want to divert the attention to the opposite person from him. Nandini rolled her eyes. "So, is this a temporary fixture? Because you can't arrange the papers this soon." Manik didn't know what happened until last night and she didn't understand where the papers had come from in a few hours by afternoon.

Manik nodded in agreement and Nandini sighed. Good things never happened too fast. How many days until her parents realize that the papers were fake and come after her again? She was startled when Manik tugged at her hand and held it in his.

"Let me explain, please?", he asked and when she nodded, he smiled. "Your family lawyer, the one who used to work with your grandfather, contacted me last night after our conversation. He had the papers ready long back, except the name of your apparent husband. After you had taken over your company, when you haven't contacted him to be your legal advisor again, he thought you didn't want anything to do with him. When he got to know about our marriage, he called me, asking about the transfer. Later it was my family lawyer who took care of the legal stuff, the one who came to meet me in the morning. The papers aren't original but by the time your parents realize it, the original documents would be sent to them."

Nandini took a while to process his words.

"I wanted to hurt them a lot for hurting you like that but-"

"But the angel inside you didn't let you do anything", she completed for him. "Manik, I understand. It was you who was being sweet and didn't want to throw them on roads."

"I apologize. I couldn't do it. However painful it might be to accept but a part of me couldn't hate them completely even if I want to. They are the reason you exist", he explained.

"You are a good person, Manik", she said. Manik was incapable of hating a person and how could she blame him for it.

"I didn't ask you before transferring the Murthy Villa on their name. I thought you didn't have happy memories attached to it."

"No, I don't."

"Manik, why did you transfer everything on my name?"

"Because it belongs to you", he replied, with a frown on his head. It was the expression when he thinks the other person wasn't thinking fast enough to keep up with him.

"Can you transfer everything to Murthy trust?", said Nandini and by the frown got deeper, she knew she had caught him off guard.

"Are you sure? Think about it, Nandini. It's a big decision."

"I don't want to get associated with any of these again", she told.

"Okay, I will talk to the lawyer and ask him to get the papers ready", said Manik. "What about the Murthy house? It has been your home since your childhood."

"I never considered it as my home." Nandini sighed. "Not after my grandfather. It's their presence that's dominant over the years."

Manik tightened his grip on her hands. Were they still holding hands? "We will create loads of memories at our home", he told.

'Our home' felt strange to her ears. She never had a place to call as her home. Some part of her looked forward to it.

"I forgot to tell you", said Manik, before starting the car. He had finally freed her hand.

It felt strange to hold his hand but it felt stranger to leave after this long.

"You have to keep your grandparents' place. It's especially mentioned that only you have to inherit it", told Manik.

Nandini frowned at that. "Didn't he convert it into a public library?", she asked. It was one of the reasons why she never visited that part of the city. She didn't trust a bunch of strangers at the place she loved but it was her old man's wish and she respected it.

"Yes but your rooms are left for private use."

She groaned. "Today is too much to process already and the day's yet to complete."

"Hey, whatever it is, we will process it together, Nandini."

As he drove the car on the roads, Nandini closed her eyes and tried to concentrate on breathing. For the first time in years, she didn't feel like she's carrying a weight on her shoulders.

XXX

Nandini woke up out of an uncomfortable nap when Manik halted the car again. She got down and before she could go into a panic mode, he held her hand.

"They are your family, Nandini. They are waiting for you", he muttered.

The Thakkar mansion stood in front of her, the place closest to a home and the people closest to a family. She wasn't ready to meet them, meet anyone but Manik felt otherwise. She let him lead her into the house as he rang the doorbell. The click of a door made her take a step aside and out of a direct vision of the person. It was Abhimanyu.

"Manik", he said, "did you find about Nandini already?"

Manik shook his head. "I want you to meet someone though." He tugged at her hand to pull her beside him.

The confusion on Abhimanyu's face turned into various emotions before he pulled her into a hug. The proximity to another person suffocated her. She wasn't too comfortable. Manik might have anticipated it because even if Abhimanyu had completely enveloped her, Manik's hand was still grounding her to the present.

"I missed you", muttered the Thakkar boy.

She sighed when he broke the hug to look at her but it was short-lived when Mukti appeared behind him. After the initial shock, she did the same.

"One mistake and you just disappeared on us, Nandini. It's not fair", told Mukti. Was she crying?

Nandini couldn't know. She was beside Manik in an instant after Mukti freed her.

"Mukti, Abhimanyu, there's a lot to talk about. Can we take this inside?", he said.

The elder Thakkars were the next. Ishita was a crying mess. Raman was no different. Amidst all this, Manik was getting restless beside her. She didn't realize how relieved she felt when she's with him until she finally went back to him. Instead of the soft grip on her hand like a million times since the day before, it was tight but no one could tell who was holding it tighter. She needed the same reassurance of his presence.

Once they settled down, she tuned him out as he explained briefly about Nandini and the past four years. She didn't want to relive it all along. Now that she came to think about it, except their discussion once the previous night, Manik was the one who was doing the answering the questions part, be it to Nyonika, Cabir, or now to the Thakkars and Mukti. She couldn't adore a person more than him for doing that for her.

Hours later, when it was just the youngsters in Abhimanyu's room, they had informed them about their plan of getting married to find Nandini. Nandini felt they were stupid and by the way he was gaping at them, Manik thought the same.

"Guys, you can't decide to get married to find Nandini. Marriage is something different and big and you have to be mentally ready for it", he argued.

Abhimanyu smirked. "Right, like you were mentally ready to get married to Nandini for years, yeah?"

"That's different. It's a spur of the moment decision", he said.

Nandini rolled her eyes. "Why weren't you in contact with Manik all these years?", she asked. They were Manik's first friends and when she left them, she thought the boy would at least have Abhimanyu and Mukti with him.

"I asked them not to", said Manik.

"Why?"

"Because I didn't want to put you into an awkward situation where I am talking to them and you can't stand my presence", he told. "I have Cabir and I will always have him but they are your best friends forever and you shouldn't have to choose them for a person you have met a year or two ago."

"You are an idiot", muttered Nandini, shaking her head in disbelief.

"I was wrong, I agree, and I have changed my sim cards so they couldn't have contacted me. I wanted to ask you if you ever did. I have been thinking about it", he asked.

Abhimanyu and Mukti were there, quietly agreeing with Manik's words and perking up at his question.

Nandini shook her head. "Every time I had to make a call or in a meeting, one of them was always present in the room and I didn't want to lead them to anyone of you."

"If you did and if I had missed it like theirs, I would have missed the chance to save you earlier and I couldn't have ever forgiven myself", he muttered.

"You couldn't have known. Don't blame yourself", she told.

When it started getting dark, Manik told about going home and it was followed by another round of hugs from the Thakkar family. Finally, they left after Ishita asked Manik not to act stupid and come and meet them from time to time. She told Nandini not to disappear again.

XXX

Dinner was silent. Manik kept up with the talking part and Nandini had escaped to the room after she had done with her food. Cabir gave her a sweet smile and so did Nyonika. It was totally new and unsettling.

She went to the balcony of Manik's room. The cool breeze was calming some of her nerves. It was a long day and she was tired because of all the human interaction she had during the day. The information she came to know throughout the day wasn't helping her head. The sky was cloudy and it was reflecting her mood perfectly.

She briefly wondered if she could see her house from the terrace. The thought terrified her. Instead of looking at the sky, Nandini glanced at the ground. There was a guard, trees in the dark, and a quiet street. She searched for humans, anyone, but it was night and even though she knew she was being irrational, the lack of a bustling world was throwing her into the forbidden corners of her mind.

It wasn't until she felt a hand tugging hers that she realized Manik's presence beside her. He had a huge frown on his face.

"You are sweating, Nandini. Are you okay?", he asked.

She nodded before taking a few deep breaths. He waited, patiently, without saying a word. "Probably, the day's getting to me."

He opened his mouth to say something but then shook his head. "Why don't you go to sleep?"

"Not feeling sleepy. I will stay for a while."

Manik nodded. He didn't leave her hand and neither did he speak a word. It was silent but it wasn't uncomfortable. The dark trees, the quiet roads, and the absence of humans at ten in the night didn't feel odd anymore. Nandini thought it had something to do with Manik's presence. That made her realize another thing. "Thank you for everything you are doing for me", she told him.

Manik shrugged beside her. "I would do anything to put that smile on your face, Nandini", he said.

Nandini didn't realize she was smiling even.

"Hey, actually, Cabir would kill me if I sneak into his room today or even the guest room. Can I sleep here? I have asked Ramu kaka to put a recliner in the room."

"It's your room, Manik. Take the bed. I don't need it", she told.

He shook his head. "Yes, you need it. You are catching up with all the sleep and food you have missed during these years." The seriousness on his face was ruined when he yawned in between.

Nandini stayed on the balcony. With Manik in the room, she tried wrapping around whatever had happened. She had a lot to catch up on and loads to do. Her office was a good point to start with but to do that, she needed to make a few decisions too. It was almost sunrise time when she went to sleep.       

Manik was fun. 

The friendship of Nandini with Abhimanyu or Mukti won't be the same. Their friendship was the deepest and they knew each other well enough. It would take a while to come to that level of trust and comfort. It might happen over time and there might be scars but at least she has them now. 

Also, why is Nandini okay with Manik hugging her, or the proximity but not the Thakkars? Even if she was with the Thakkars and Mukti the whole of her life, she chose Manik to trust. That might answer the question. Manik was always different for her. 

If you have any other question, just drop in. :)

Spoiler Alert - The drama isn't over yet. This story doesn't focus about Manan getting married. Whatever has happened, that would be the closest you will get to their marriage. Of course, legal issues will be taken care of, one by one. 

The story is more about regaining the trust, freedom and falling in love without someone breathing down your neck. Remember Nandini never had the freedom to think about love or loving someone openly. Right now, Manik is trying to give her that freedom. It's about Nandini reclaiming her life and rising after the world breaks her. 

Next chapter might take some time. Haven't written yet. :)