"You...f*cking....IDIOTS!" 

Atul & Harry looked down in fear as their Boss yelled at them. 

"HOW HARD IS IT TO KILL ONE GIRL HUH???" 

"Boss....woh ladka beech mein-"

"Oh shut up! You had the PERFECT opportunity to kill her! Woh ek lauthi witness hai...I cannot afford to keep her alive!" Boss snarled.

"Toh aap khud hi kyun nahi maar dete?" Atul blurted out. Harry looked at him in horror as Boss stared too. "I mean...woh aapke ghar mein reh rahi hai. Aapke paas roz mauka hota hai....so why-"

"Atul....shutup! Kya bol raha hai tu?" Harry whispered in his ears. "Boss will kill you!"

"You....are lucky I have more important things to worry about. Varna tu gaya tha aaj. Ek toh tum logon ne uss ladki ko maarne ki jagah mere bhanje ko goli maar di.....upar se you DARE question me??" Boss stepped out of the shadows and his face is revealed. It is none other than Niel, Manik's mama.

"Sorry Boss..." Harry & Atul apologized.

Ring! Ring!

Niel looked at his phone which was ringing and motioned for the men to keep silent before he answered.

N: Haan Di?

Anjali: Niel...kaha hai tu?

N: Di....woh main bas walk pe aaya tha. Im on my way home now.

A: Acha thik hai...jaldi aa. 

N: Ji...on my way.

He hung up my phone and looked at Harry & Atul. "Tum dono kuch din ke liye underground ho jao...main dekhta hoon iss ladki ka kya karna hai."

"Yess Boss."

Niel returned home and saw Nandini playing with his kids.

"Nandu beta...khaa lo." Nyonika tried to feed Nandini some fruits but she was too busy playing and moved her arm away. "Beta....baad mein khelna. Abhi you have to finish these fruits na? Tumhare liye acha hai.....chalo muh kholo apna...aaa"

Manik sighed and walked over. "Mom...aap choro. I'll feed her."

Nyonika turned to look at her son in shock....and so did the entire family.

"Yaay! Manu khilayega! Manu khilayega!!" Nandini clapped happily.

"Haan haan...main khilaunga! Lekin...you have to be a good girl okay? Come on...open your mouth." Manik replied. Nandini nodded and opened her mouth wide. Manik fed Nandini a grape.

"Main apple bhi kat rahi hoon....woh bhi khaana hai." Nyonika informed them. She went to the kitchen and brought a knife which she used to cut an apple. Nandini saw this and started freaking out.

"NAHI!" She stood up and threw the plate of fruits far from her. "MAT MAARO! MAT MAARO!"

"Nandini....kya hua?" Manik looked concerned.

"Cutie Pie....shant ho jao! Kuch nahi hua." Cabir ran over and tried to console her. "Shant bacha....shant!"

"NAHI! NAHI!  BHAIYYUUU!" Nandini sobbed & kept pushing everyone away from her.

"Oh god...isse sab yaad toh nahi aa gaya?" Niel thought to himself. "Agar aisa hua toh....Im screwed. Mera sach samne nahi aana chahiye."

"Nandini!" Manik grabbed her and held her tightly to his chest. With one hand, he stroked her hair. "Shhh....it's ok....sab thik hai."

"Maar denge....woh...bhaiyyu....Mumma....sab...sabko maar denge." Nandini struggled at first but soon she calmed down as Manik hugged her. 

"Kaun? Kaun maarenge?" Manik asked. Niel stood there worried about getting caught as Nandini opened her mouth but before she could say anything, Nandini became unconscious. Manik quickly caught her by her waist so she didnt fall. "Nandini!"

"Nandini....haye bhagwan...kya ho gaya bachi ko?" Nyonika asked. Cabir took Nandini from Manik and carried her to her room upstairs.

"Ill call the doctor." Abhi took out his phone. Cabir had tears in his eyes as he placed her down on the bed.

"Cutie pie...pls wake up." 

"Relax Cabir...Im sure she will be fine. Abhi ne doctor ko bulaya hai na?" Manik consoled him.

"She was fine....phir aisa react kyun kiya?" Cabir asked.

"Paata nahi...shayad doctor kuch bata sake." 

About 10 minutes later, the doctor arrived & checked Nandini.

"Dr Mehta...kya hua isse?" Manik asked.

"Hmm...from what you have told me, this looks like a trauma response. Shayad chakku dekh ke usse kuch yaad aaya about what happened to her family." Dr Mehta replied.

"Matlab usse sab yaad aa gaya" Niel asked, trying to hide how much he was stressed.

"Not exactly....it's more like she got a panic attack...triggered by the knife. Jab usse hosh aayega toh she will be fine. Bas usse rest ki zaroorat hai." 

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

"Cabir...chinta mat karo. Doctor ne bola na....Nandini bilkul thik hai." Navya walked over to her husband who was sitting on their bed worried. Cabir wrapped his arms around her waist and hugged her.

"I cant bear to see Nandini like this. Woh kitna darr gayi thi...." Cabir mumbled.

"I know....tum usse apni behen jaise pyar karte ho na?" Navya asked. "Vaise...I think humme usse kisi specialist ke paas leke jaana chahiye. Usse thik karne ka koi tarika dhundna chahiye."

"Haan....even I was thinking the same. Main kal dekhta hoon."

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

Next Morning....

Nandini was playing with a ball in the hallway while everyone else was getting ready to go to office and the kids were eating breakfast.

"Nandu...niche aa jao! Nashta karna hai!" Mukti called her from downstairs. Nandini turned and looked over the railing to reply but suddenly she was pushed over the railing. Behind her, stood Niel who quickly left and went downstairs from the back stairs so nobody would see him.

"AAHHH!!!! MANU!!!!" Nandini cried, holding onto the railing with her hands.

"CUTIE PIE!" Cabir yelled out. Everyone was horrified to see her like that as they ran to the front hall.

"Nandini! Wait! Ok...tumhe kuch nahi hoga! Hold on!" Navya yelled.

"Cabir! Abhi! Jaldi upar jaake usse bacha lo!" Barkha said. "QUICKLY! Uska haath slip ho raha hai shayad!"

"HELP! MANUUU!" Nandini sobbed. Cabir & Abhi ran towards the stairs to go upstairs. At that moment Nandini lost her grip and fell.

"NANDINI!!!"

"AAAHHHHH!"

Niel smirked to himself thinking she would die for sure but that quickly turned into a scowl as he saw Manik had caught her. 

Nandini had her eyes squeezed tightly, holding onto Manik's collar.

"Manik...thank god tune pakad liya!" Abhi sighed. Manik didnt reply....he could barely take his eyes off Nandini who was hugging Manik, shivering out of fear.

"Shh...sab thik hai. You're okay. Main hoon na? Sab thik hai Nandini. Kuch nahi hone dunga main tumhe." Manik whispered. He gently put her down on the couch but Nandini wouldnt let go of Manik.

"Nandini...tum giri kaise?" Navya asked her softly.

"Did you slip?" Abhi asked.

"Lagi toh nahi na?" Mukti asked.

As everyone asked her questions, Nandini just tightened her grip on Manik...crying.

"Guys ab bas bhi karo!" Manik yelled out. He didn't understand why but every time he saw her cry it felt like he was in pain. "Cant you see she is terrified?"

His family was surprised to see him get so protective of Nandini as generally Cabir was the one who was like that.

Meanwhile, Niel was getting angry that his plan didnt work.

"Dammit....maari toh nahi yeh ladki....upar se Manik bhi attach hone lagi hai isse. Kya kismat leke aayi hai yeh!" Niel thought to himself.

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Thoughts on this chapter?

Thoughts on Niel? How many of you guessed it was him?