A hand grabbed Dr Ghai & stopped him. He looked back and found a man in a 3 piece suit standing there. The ward boys were already unconscious and two other men were holding the nurses back who looked terrified.

"Who the hell are you?" Dr Ghai asked.

The man replied and then punched Dr Ghai until he was also unconscious before scooping Nandini up and leaving.

Meanwhile, the by the time Manik came back the place was full of reporters and police. Manik was shocked to Dr Ghai and his staff members being dragged to the jeep.

"What the...." Manik looked around confused.

"We are standing here live in front of a very well know and highly rated mental hospital which we just discovered is a front for an organ trafficking group. Dr Ghai, who was highly respected up until know has been revealed to be the leader of this group." One reporter said infront of the camera.

"No...No no no. What did I do?" Manik stood there horrified. "Nandini!" 

He tried to run in to find her but police held him back. 

"Sir, this place is blocked off. Aap yahan nahi aa sakte."

"Woh...Nandini...I just dropped off a patient here. Woh kaha hai?"

"Andar sirf woh Doctor aur uske staff they. No patients."

"What? Aise kaise...I...I dropped here here. She has no where else to go..." Manik said.

"Sorry sir." The police officer shrugged. Manik turned and ran to Dr Ghai who was seated in the jeep with Nurse Kirti. He grabbed him by the collar. "Where the hell is she? Kya kiya tune uske saath?"

"Sir let go!" Two police officers grabbed Manik and pulled him back. Dr Ghai was still out of it from his beating earlier so he just blinked back.

"Im gonna kill you! Bol kaha hai Nandini?" Manik shouted.

"Koi aadmi leke gaya hai!" Nurse Kirti replied. 

"What? Kaun?" Manik asked.

"Some....Harshad Saxena? Usne apna naam wahi bataya." The Nurse told him.

"Harshad?" Manik shrugged the police officers hands off and ran to his car. 

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

Harshad entered the room he had laid Nandini in and was confused to not find her on the bed. At that moment he heard soft crying sounds from below, he got down on the floor and looked under the bed to see Nandini there, sobbing as she held onto a pillow tightly.

"Hey....its okay. You're safe now. Bahar aao."  Harshad held his hand out. Nandini shook her head.

"Mujhe...Man...nu...cha.hiye...Mannu..." She whispered through her tears.

"Mannu? Woh kaun hai?" Harshad asked.

"Mannu! Mujhe.... Man...nu Chah...iye!" Nandini just kept crying.

"Ok ok...Ill call Mannu. Pehle bahar toh aao. Agar woh ayega aur tumhe dhund nahi payega toh? Pareshan ho jayega na?" Harshad explained. Nandini slowly stopped crying and nodded. Harshad held his hand out and helped Nandini crawl out from under the bed. Once she was sitting on the bed, Harshad sat beside her. "So...whats your name?"

"Nandini..." Nandini replied softly.

"Thats a pretty name." Harshad smiled. "My name is Harshad."

"Hi...." Nandini smiled. "Tumne Mannu ko call kiya? Mujhe Mannu chahiye."

"Haan Haan....call kar diya." Harshad lied. "Woh-"

"Nandini!" A voice called from downstairs.

"Mannu!" Nandini's face lit up. Harshad looked confused. She ran out and down the stairs to where Manik was standing. Nandini hugged Manik tightly. "Mannu woh uncle bohot burre they...woh mujhe kill karne wale they! Tum mujhe kyun chod ke gaye?"

"Im sorry...Im so so sorry. Tum thik ho? Kuch hua toh nahi na?" Manik checked her to see if she was hurt.

"Well Well Well Manik Malhotra. So you are the Mannu she keeps talking about?" Harshad walked down the stairs. Manik pulled Nandini behind him. "Relax....main isse kuch nahi karunga. In fact, I saved her from that mental hospital YOU left her in."

Manik looked down in guilt. "Tum waha kaise?'

"I had a business meeting in the area. Jab main wahan se drive kar raha tha toh paata nahi kyun something just told me to stop and go in.....call it 6th sense maybe?" Harshad shrugged. "Anyways...uske baad mujhe iski chillane ki awaz aayi and then...well I couldnt just leave her."

"Thanks..." Manik said reluctantly. 

"Hmm....Nandini." Harshad looked at Nandini. "Upar kamre mein, tumhari jacket reh gayi hai. Go get it okay?"

"Okay Harsh bhaiyya!" Nandini grinned. Both Manik & Harshad were shocked to hear her say bhaiyya. Nandini ran upstairs and Harshad turned to Manik. 

"Look...I dont know how you met her or what happened to her before lekin....tumne jahan usse choda tha wahan iski jaan jaane wali thi." Harshad said. Manik looked scared and worried. "Humara business rivalry apni jagah Manik but meri advice lo and just think before taking rash decisions like this. Woh ladki dimaag se ek bachi hai....would you have left a kid in that place?"

Manik shook his head. "You're right....I wasnt thinking straight. Meri vajah se Nandini ki jaan khatre mein par gayi. I never would have been able to forgive myself agar usse kuch ho gaya hota toh."

"Mannu! Im ready!" Nandini came back down with her jacket. Harshad stepped away and smiled at her. "Bye Harsh bhaiyya!"

"Bye Nandini."

Manik took Nandini and drove back home. As soon as he returned home, he was met with a slap.

SLAP!

Manik fell to the ground with the force of the slap.He looked up and found his family....furious at him. Cabir, who had slapped him looked over to Nandini and hugged her tightly in relief...almost crying.

"Ca...Cabir woh-"

"SHUT UP! JUST SHUT....THE...F*CK...UP!" Cabir shouted. "HOW DARE YOU? Nandini ko wahan chodne ki himmat kaise hua tera? Bola tha na maine ki Nandini kahi nahi jayegi? BOL THA NA?"

"Cabir I-"

"Manik tujhe koi idea hai ki kya ho sakta tha?" Nyonika looked at him in tears. "Sab kuch news pe dikha rahe hai....ki woh log wahan kya kaam karte hai. Humne jab tujhe tv pe dekha wahan aur....tu Nandini ko dhund raha tha. Jaan nikal gayi thi hum sab ki."

"Seriously Manik. Tu itni nafrat karta hai Nandini se?" Mukti asked. "Agar aaj usse kuch ho jaata toh?"

"Im gonna kill you Manik I swear....aaj tujhe mein nahi chodunga!" Cabir grabbed Manik's collar.

"Cabir...chodo." Navya and the others tried stopping him. Cabir was about to punch Manik when Nandini came in between, her eyes shut closed. Cabir quickly stopped his hand. 

"Nandini....move."

"Nahi...Cabbu Bhai pls mat maro Mannu ko!" Nandini begged. Manik stared at her emotionally seeing how pure her heart was. Cabir couldnt say no to her so her just sighed and pulled Nandini away from Manik.

"Fine...chalo. Tumne needh aa rahi hogi na?" Cabir took her upstairs.

"Cabir...Cabir sun toh! Cabir!" Manik called after him but he ignored him.

The others also left one by one, looking disappointed and angry with Manik.

"Tujhe yeh nahi karna chahiye tha." Abhi shook his head at him and left with Mukti. Soon, Manik was left alone in the room as everyone went off to sleep. Manik felt terrible but he knew he deserved it.

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Thoughts?

What punishment do you think Manik deserves?