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"Chin up Kiddo, they'd kill to see you fall."

Shivay tucked Nandini's chin up and she looked at him with many emotions floating in her eyes, fear overpowering everything. She then looked at her other two brothers who were also standing in front of her, shielding her.

"If you don't want to do it, you don't have to." Omkara whispered out while soothing her by caressing her head.

Nandini closed her eyes and Manik's gave flashed in front of her eyes and taking a deep breath she opened her eyes with a determination.

"I want to do this."

Her brothers looked at her for a few moments before smiling at her and coming beside her and now she was standing directly in front of Malhotra Mansion's gate.

This early morning when the three brothers were woke up by their sister as they were sleeping in the living area, they were tensed. The first thing they saw after waking up was their sister's tear stricken face. They were worried for her but before they could ask her anything she stunned them by saying that, she wants to meet Manik's family and Senior Goenka's.

And although they were and still are afraid of things happening there, the determination in her eyes forced them to do as she wished. And the promised to themselves that they won't let anyone hurt their sister now.

Nandini looked around the garden area while moving towards the main door. This house had those homey vibes, even from outside, or maybe she was just distracting herself so that she won't run away.

Not now at least, when she have come so far. She needs to do this. For her. For Manik.

Her heart started beating rapidly when Shivay rang the doorbell. She fumbled on her steps, knowing that on the other side of the door were some people who were once her family, but in reality couldn't understand the right meaning of that. And while her heart was literally not ready to face those, she struggled hard to not run away.

And then, the door was opened, she felt Shivay and Rudra holding her hand on either side and Omkara standing behind her, giving her the moral support.

When the door opened, she looked above to saw a girl of Anika's age dressed up in a simple black kurti with long black open hair, looking at them with shocked face.

"Shivay." She whispered out Shivay's name and Shivay sighed.

"Mrunal." Nandini recognised her as Manik's sister-in-law. She fiddled with her fingers and looked down, already losing half of her courage when she suddenly felt Mrunal hugging her, which shocked her.

Mrunal who was shocked to see Goenka brothers, frowned when she saw the timid girl standing in between them, but soon realisation dawned upon her and she looked at Rudra to confirm her suspicion who nodded his head in yes and Mrunal smiled before hugging Nandini.

"You're more beautiful then Manik described you." Nandini was still in daze and Mrunal broke the hug and took her hands in hers, smiling at her.

"Welcome Home Nandini." And with a gentle pull Nandini was inside the Malhotra Mansion. Mrunal took them to the inner corridor and Nandini halted in her steps when she saw a man of her brother's age walking towards them. And she knew it was Manik's brother.

Arijit too was shocked seeing Shivay, Om and Rudra there. But when his gaze fell on Nandini, his gaze softened and he stood infront of her.

"Hi Nandini."

He smiled when she didn't replied and just looked at him. But then his smile faded and he looked at her brothers.

"Shivay, everyone is here. Why are you here with her?"

The concern in his voice which Nandini didn't doubted was for her warmed her heart. The fading courage in her came back and she squeezed her hand which was in Mrunal's making Mrunal look at her.

"I- I want to meet them."

"Them?" Arijit asked unsure. He looked at Goenka brothers and frowned looking around to saw Manik's absence.

And when he looked back at Nandini she nodded her head. He bit his lips and raised his brows at Shivay who nodded back and he sighed.

"Okay. Let's go," he turned to go but stopped and turned around and looked at Nandini, "Just remember, you've four brothers protecting you now. You don't need to be afraid from the world." Nandini's heart swelled and she smiled at him which he returned and they moved towards the living area.

Mrunal had Nandini's hand in hers as they reached the magnificent living area. Nandini couldn't look at the surroundings or the interiors, when her heart was beating so fast as if it would come out of her mouth.

And then she went rigid when she saw Suraj Goenka's face, who was sitting on the sofa leaning his head back and eyes closed. Her whole childhood ran through her mind, the childhood where her father was always there to protect her and love her. She remembered that how in those fifteen year, there never went a day without her seeing her father.

And today, she was looking at him after almost five years. The only difference that he was not her father anymore, at least that's what he said to her. Her eyes filled up with tears and her vision blurred, the reason she didn't noticed when a lady came and gave her father the cup and sat beside him.

Her mother. It was her mother. The mother who gave birth to her with the promise that she would protect her but couldn't shield her from her husband and father-in-law. Was she really her mother, she wondered.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?" A loud booming voice made Nandini flinch and she looked in the direction to saw the man of reputation standing near the staircase glaring right at her.

Seeing him Nandini almost took a step back when her brothers - her four brothers stood right beside her, not giving a damn to the old man.

With Prithviraj Goenka's loud voice, Nyonika, Raj, Yash and Damini came out. Suraj and Anita stood up and looked at the direction he was looking and were shocked to see Nandini standing there surrounded by Shivay, Om, Rudra and Arijit.

Anita gasped and her eyes instantly welled up, seeing her, her daughter after five years. She looked at her and saw the changes in her. And her heart broke when she realised that the shine in her daughter's eyes is dead. Well, who is she kidding with, she had herself seeing that dying infront of her, with helpless gaze. And not able to see her, she looked down and finally let that tear slip out of her eyes.

While Suraj, was rooted at his place. He frowned when he felt something in his heart seeing Nandini after five years. He looked at her closely and saw her pale face, and the nervousness when she was looking at his father.

With Suraj and Anita's reaction and Prithviraj's anger, Elder Malhotra's knew that who was this new face. Nyonika who already knew Nandini nodded at Raj and Damini when they looked at her.

"I asked you something, what are you doing here?" Nandini's breath quickened when Prithviraj again shouted. Mrunal rubbed her back to sooth her and her brothers fisted their hand.

"Careful with your tone Mr. Goenka. You're speaking with our sister. If I were you, I would have stopped talking." Shivay's cold voice had Prithviraj glared at him which was then directed to Nandini.

Nandini averted her gaze as the past memories started tormenting her and her gaze landed on a photograph hung on the wall in front of her. It was a boy of eight to ten years, who was sitting on the floor with a diary on the table and was writing something on it with his tongue out and whole concentration in the diary.

With the innocence the photo was depicting, it didn't took her moments to know that it was Manik. And her heart was suddenly calmed down. She kept looting the photo and finally took a deep breath before looking in the direction where Elder Malhotra's were standing. From her peripheral vision, she saw the longing look of her mother and a mixed emotion on her father's face but she was not here for them. She was here for Manik.

Taking her hand out of Mrunal's who gave her a nod, she moved towards the Elder Malhotra's. There was a fear in her heart, fear that they would react the same way her own family did years ago, but she knew it not today, then she will regret it her whole life. So finally she stood at a few steps away from them.

"I-- I am-- Nandini. Nandini Murthy."

Anita closed her eyes shut when she heard her daughter. She only knows how much she have craved to hear this voice again, how many prayers she had made in front of God to keep her daughter safe wherever she is. But she was surprised too, because Murthy is her (Anita's) parents surname,

"I- I know that you- you might hate me, but- but I," Nandini tucked her hair strands, unshed tears in her eyes, but she took a deep breath and continued, "I need you to know the-- the real truth. I don't know what changes it would do but- I-"

"Oh, so you think that they would trust you? A disgrace?" Nandini closed her eyes shut hearing her grandfather's words and fisted her kurti in her sweaty hands. Her brothers were about to retaliate but stopped hearing Raj's firm and clear words.

"I do." Nandini's head snapped up and she looked into Raj's eyes who was looking at her with a gentle gaze, a look she wanted in her father's eyes years ago.

"Raj?" Prithviraj was shocked and he so was everyone else.

"Yes. I trust her. I trust my son's trust. I trust the fear and honesty in her eyes."

Shivay, Om and Rudra's gaze turned soft hearing Raj, and the respect they have for him increased thousands folds. He chose to trust their sister when even their father didn't. Arijit and Mrunal who were tensed about their family's reaction, smiled too.

While hearing his words, Nandini finally couldn't stop her tears which fell from her eyes and she felt a soft hand wiping them off. Blinking away her blurry vision, she saw it was Nyonika who was wiping them off with a small smile and shooking her head in no. Her touch had that motherly warmth which she missed years ago.

"Raj." Suraj whispered his best friend's name. He himself sounded unsure as what he wanted to say. His face had frowns of confusion while his heart was at unease.

Raj sighed and looked at Suraj and then at Nandini who was looking down. The moment he had looked at her helpless stiff figure standing in the corridor, he felt his heart tug at the sight of her. And the way she would flinch whenever her family would say something made him want to hide her. The fatherly protection he felt just with the sight of her surprised himself too. And once he looked into her eyes which were so hollow yet telling a tale of it's own, he knew that he needed to trust her, trust his son's trust in her.

Exhaling a deep breath he looked back at Suraj and at this moment he felt anger on his friend for not trusting his own blood or pity that he lost the right even to get a glance from her, he was not sure.

"I did believed whatever you told me Suraj, because I trusted you. And maybe, you also believed someone you trusted. But not always the people we trust are truthful. Right?"

Suraj frowned at this and Raj sighed. He looked at Nandini who was looking at him with many unknown emotions in her eyes. His gaze softened and he kept his hand on her head.

"You were her bridge Suraj. The bridge, which should have saved her from the storms. But you chose to be the fleeting umbrella which couldn't last a heavy gust of wind."

He paused and looked at Suraj to see him staring back at him with so much confusions and he gave a mirthless smile.

"The moment this girl walked here, I couldn't look away from the many emotions floating through her eyes. Fear. Pain. Vulnerability. She is not even my blood, and I felt her pain even after years, how couldn't you? Her father?"

Anita clutched Suraj's hand in hers as she tried stopping herself from breaking down into tears. Every fibre of her body was urging her to run and take her daughter in her arms, but she knew that she had lost that right five years ago.

While Suraj stood still, trying to process Raj's words, which were hitting him like nothing else. It's not like that it was the first time he was hearing this, his own sons were there to remind him that how bad of a father he was, but he never felt it like today. Was he really wrong, he wondered while looking at Nandini.

"You wanted Proofs right? We got you those." Everyone's head snapped into Shivay's direction as he looked at Prithviraj with his cold eyes.

"And mind us, this is not the proof of our sister's innocence, because well, we don't need to prove that. But this is something we want to show you to see that regret in your eyes. We want you to live with the guilt in your heart. Guilt, that you ruined life of the girl who was once your daughter."

Chills ran down Suraj's spine as he heard Omkara's harsh words. Suddenly he felt the fear crippling in his heart and he wanted to get away from here.

Nandini looked at Nyonika when she squeezed her cold hands with her warm ones. Nyonika cupped her left cheek and gaze her an assuring smile, while she herself was confused.

Shivay, Rudra and Om came and stood infront of Nandini with their backs facing Nandini, as if they were guarding her.

"Rocky, bring 'em in." And as soon as Shivay's sentence was completed, Rocky, the head bodyguard came followed by three other body built guards who were dragging three people with them.

From the little gaps visible, Nandini saw the people who were dragged and realised that it were two man and a boy. And when the bodyguards literally pushed them, she gasped as she saw Moksh there who was in almost unconscious state.

And she took a few steps back, releasing her hand from Nyonika's who looked at her shocked and in worry. Nandini's hand started shivering and she shook her head all the while taking back steps. The night, which snatched away almost everything from her, ran in her mind like a fresh picture and her breath turned heavy.

She closed her eyes shut and palmed her ears tightly while shooking her head in no again and again. Her knees turned week and she was about to fall but her brothers held her and kept her steady. But she didn't realised that, she was not able to hear voices which were filled with tears. She just kept standing their palming her ears and eyes shut on the verge of panic attack.

"Nandini." And in the chaos of her thoughts she heard that soothing voice, which was always there with her, even when no-one was there. Trying to bring back her breaths, she shivered when big warm hands engulfed her small cold ones which were covering her ears.

She finally opened her eyes full of tears and saw that one face which has the power to melt all the icy walls she was surrounded with.

"Take a deep breath love. Follow my lead. Right. Just like that. You're okay. We are okay. Haina?"

Nandini doesn't know whether it was his gentle voice full of love or eyes full of concern or he himself completely, was the reason, but she felt secure. At that moment, when he was holding her hands in his, looking into her eyes, she felt safe. As if she knew that he would not let a harm touch her. And he wouldn't.

"Yo- You ca- came?" Manik gave her a small gentle smile and tilted her head.

"You needed me, So, I came." And in that moment Nandini fell in love with his love. And just for him, she was even ready to fix herself, so that she can love him exactly the way he deserved to be loved. Selflessly.

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Tada!!!!!!

Midnight update (basically Saturday update as promised right?)

Sooooooo, how was the second last chapter?

Expected??

Hah, hila dala naaa!!!!!

So, what did you liked the most in this chapter?

Raj is the real father figure >>>

And oh, Moksh is here becharaaaaaa (not)

And though I haven't decided to give MaNan scene in this one but since they're leaving you jald hi, so thought why not!!!

Next chapter also have a bit of drama and somet much awaited regrets and guilts.

If you want that soon then do give aache wala response (c'mon yaar end me aakar bhi mujhe appreciation ka beekh mangna pad Raha hai)

Nect update - Monday (only if I get satisfied with the votes and your "proper" comments (which doesn't include update soon and nive update though))

(I am being bitchy? Well yes I'm because It's midnight and I was writing update for you kyuki agle do din mereko padhna hai so bear with me)

Words- 2975 words!!

~A ♡