Nandini's POV 

"Manik where are... Ohhhh goshhh what's happening?"

We came out of the shock hearing a voice and I pushed Manik making him fall on my side while we looked at the door to see...

.

.

.

Damon standing with his all time famous smirk with one eyebrow lifted up and hands crossed near his chest. 

Damon-" Did I disturbed the traveling duo or ..." He left his statement in the middle while Manik stood up helping me also to stand up. 

Manik-" Damon!!! stop running your horses haywire. We just slipped and fell on the bed nothing else, and I guess we should leave." He ran his fingers across his hair combing them back and looked at me one last time while taking Damon with him out of the room. I was still catching my breath as I looked at them leaving. What the hell was that, he.. did he just kissed my neck? That is when my eyes went over to the manuscript which was lying on the other side of the bed making me leave a sigh of relief. This awkward encounter at least stopped him from reading this. 

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Aliya was in the kitchen keeping everything when she heard someone scream in her ears "Hey" frightening her a bit. 

Aliya-" Ohh my gosh!... Aryamann... what is wrong with you?" 

Arya-" Nothing baby doll.. just thought of scaring you. And the face you made was really funny hahahaha." he laughed sitting on the counter top.

Aliya-" Stop laughing like a hyena, and why are you here by the way?" 

Arya-" Just like that, Manik and Damon were not around and I was missing you so came here." He winked at her biting an apple while Aliya just rolled her eyes at his open flirting.

Arya-" Umm... can I ask you something? Look don't mind this ok but I was just curious so asking you." Aliya looked at him with her eyebrows raised while still cleaning the kitchen. 

Arya-" Why do you pretend to dislike Nandini? And if you really dislike her then why so much concern for her safety?" His question made Aliya stop her work while her eyes looked at him with a blank expression. 

Aliya-"What are you saying ? It's all nonsense." 

Arya-" What is nonsense? The fact that you care for your cousin or that you dislike her? I saw you today how you talked with her and also had seen your worried face the other day when you had seen a vision of her in danger. And trust me when I say this both of them were completely opposite to each other. But my question is why?" He now stood right infront of her while Aliya was trying to dodge his questions. 

Aliya-" Look that day I had seen the vision and it looked very scary that's the reason I reacted that way, it had nothing to do with my care for Nandini. And my reasons for disliking is known to all. Because of her and Aunt Nidhi my entire 8 years went in waste with the time travelers and I got nothing in return but just this so called vision and me being a witch. She makes me angry and that is why I talk to her like that but that has nothing to do with you Aryamann." she walked past him while he held her wrist pulling her back  and she hit her back to his chest.

Aryamann-" You are just pretending Aliya and I can see that, I get it that you had to face a lot and still you are but atleast show your real emotions to others. Why be an evil person in front of others eyes when you a good person from within? Your sister needs you now which you know more than me, so just drop all these façade and work together." He spoke softly near her ears while holding her arms, then kissed her forehead at last and left from there leaving her in her own thoughts. 

Aliya * What was that? Am I really doing this right?*

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Manik's POV

Next day 

I was hurriedly getting ready for going to the Lodge as I was already late... can you believe it ME MANIK MALHOTRA IS LATE. I was so lost in my dream that I didn't even hear the alarm and I'm sure you would want to know about my dream... But I won't tell what is it. As I turned to the mirror to have a final look at me...

" Hello Brother." There stood Damon giving me a teasing look while I rolled my eyes and continued to make my hair. 

Damon-" Are you by any chance ignoring me? Like Me... Damon Salvatore? Great Travelie... just great, you got your lady love and you forgot me." He zoomed off in his vampire speed and plopped on my bed like a king. 

"Excuse me? What lady love are you talking about, I don't have anyone. Stop your crap Damon and buzz off, I'm already late." 

The next thing I saw him standing right in front of me with his scrutiny eyes.

Damon-" Manik Malhotra is late, that's a news buddy, so you were dreaming about your lady love * I glared at him to stop* Nandini?" He was smirking and I so wanted to wipe that smirk off his face with a punch but even I knew that I couldn't even though I had immense power but those won't work on a Vampire and second of all he was my bestfriend. 

"Damon stop your nonsense, Nandini is just my working partner and nothing else and I was NOT dreaming about her." 

Damon-" Really? Then what were you doing yesterday in her room when I came down, smelling her perfume by lying on her completely? Also you were calling her name in your sleep last night I heard that." And there he caught me making my eyes go wide in shock. 

" I... We just tripped because of fighting for a paper and that too because of Nandini and it was just an accidental kiss, I told you yesterday too right and wait a second, are you by any chance thinking of yourself to be Edward that you sneaked into my room to see me sleep? Ewww Damon I'm straight ok." I pushed him to leave from there while Damon screamed from the back

Damon- "Even I'm straight Malhotra but I also know that you are falling in love." 

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Lodge

As soon as I walked into the hall I saw Mr. Malhotra sitting on his head chair along with other members of the lodge who came very rarely and beside him stood Raghav. Is there a problem that I have no knowledge about? I was about to step inside to greet them when a sentence caught my attention only to stop me from getting in. 

Raj-" We need to complete this circle any how, it's the order from the Lord and for that we will use all means even if it's killing. Lord has given his last words that give us the power to do all we can and now it's the duty of the Ruby to fulfil that." His tone seemed a lot different from what I have known all these years. My Uncle was never this rough and an extremist, but from the time he has come back from Delhi I feel he has changed a lot and his current instruction says this as well. 

*But why am I feeling uneasy about this? I always knew that for my duty I may have to go to an extreme if needed. Then why is all this bothering me now.* 

When the meeting ended I walked towards Raj Uncle and his smile brightened seeing me. 

Raj-" Manik, so good to see son after a week. I heard about what happened with your last visit. This is the reason I called for a meet." He patted my shoulder while I looked at him giving him a small smile. 

" Uncle, what were you talking about killing and fulfilling duties? We always had a backup plan right so that we never come across a stage for killing? I'm doing my best and I think we don't need to kill anyone for this even if it's Siddhant and Sanvi, after all killing is against our ethics right?" I asked him while his expression turned from soft to cold one and he turned his back towards me. 

Raj-" Rules change with time and situations Manik, and you don't need to think about all of this. We are here for thinking purpose, your duty is to follow our orders and I will suggest you to abide by that." Now I had nothing to say as this was not my Uncle Raj speaking but the guardian of the Lodge ordering. 

"Yes sure Sir. I will keep that in mind." With this I went from the hall and my doubt increased more over the thing that was happening around. 

* Was Siddhant right that I'm just being a robot in their hands whom they are using according to their own ways.* 

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

 Nandini was reading the book of prophesies when I came inside which startled her a little making me frown. This girl is acting weird from yesterday but why so?

* So what do you expect her to do after you kissed her neck yesterday Malhotra and didn't even apologized for your act.* my heart mocked at me which reminded me of the scene happened yesterday.

"Umm... hey." I waved at her while she also did the same and again got back to reading. 

This is more difficult than I had thought, how will I teach her like this, we can't let awkwardness come in between or it will be difficult to work together. I took my seat beside her and picked up the book while I could see she was noticing every action of mine from the corner of her eyes. As soon as I looked at her she averted her eyes.

"Ok fine, it can't go on like this. We need to talk Nandini." I sighed keeping the book with a thudd which made her look at me. 

Nandini-" What do you mean? Look Manik I... I don't think need to talk about anyth--" 

"No Nandini, we need to, I... I'm sorry for what happened yesterday. I know it was accidental but still I should have apologized but I couldn't because of Damon. Look we can't let awkwardness come in between us and all this happened... so please just try to forget  " I said it all as fast as I could while I could see her cheeks flushing. 

*Slow claps for you Malhotra, what a mini speech. Just wanted to ask will you be able to forget the incident that happened last night? As apparently you are making me play that scene frequently. ummhhh.* 

Can I just kick this little creature out of my life ?

*Nope you can't! As then you will be a dead man Malhotra.* Mr. Heart grinned sitting royally on his red chair. 

Nandini-" Manik... I know about that, I have forgotten about that, I mean as you said it was just an accident so it's fine. It's all cool between us." Her words made me leave a sigh but at the same time I felt a little bad, she didn't feel anything about it but why? Actually it's ok but not ok.

*Nonsense! utter nonsense she did feel something something. Her flushed cheeks says it all* Mr. heart again knocked to give his opinion. 

"Ohhkk, That's good so let's start off with today's lectures. I hope you learnt the other prophesies and the leftover history chapters which we discussed last time."

Nandini-" I did Manik, but why are we focusing on 1947 so much? As far as I have read there was nothing good happened in 1947 than just fighting and war because of Indo-Pak partition." She asked mw the question which even I didn't know what to answer. 

"I don't know Nandini, but the only thing known to me is that our next visit is in the year 1947 and for that we need to be fully prepared so that we be safe." 

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Hello my lovely readers !! How was today's chapter? I hope you enjoyed it. 

Some words for our Damon (MaNan Shipper or Romance breaker)

Aryamann and Aliya? 

What does Raj Malhotra mean by 'using all means'? Will it create problem for MaNan?

Let's see what happens in the year 1947.

Will meet you with the next chapter soon. Till then 

TOODLES!!!

your sweet writer, 

Satakshi (Neha)