"Usko bhi humse mohabbat ho,
Jaroori toh nahi,
Ishq hi Ishq ki keemat ho,
Jaroori toh nahi!"

__

Manik walked out of Nandini's place with a lost look on his face. He know he hasn't even heard half of her sufferings and he still felt like burning the world. How one's own family can inflict so much pain to you, was above Manik's understanding. A person can stand society's harshness to an extent as long as his family is there to support him, but whom should they fight when the people fighting against you are your own.

Manik exhaled a deep breath with the chaos of thoughts in his mind. His moving steps halted as he saw three silhouette in the dark night standing outside of Nandini's apartment. Their figure dishavealed, messy outfits, pain stricken face. Manik sighed looking at them but clenched his fist before moving again, ignoring their presence.

Dejected Shivay, Omkara and Rudra just followed him silently until he stopped on his tracks and turned around.

"What do you want?" Manik's harsh tone wasn't intentional. He know he have no rights to talk to them like this, but he couldn't stop himself knowing that even they weren't there for her when they should have been. No matter what the reason is.

"H- How is she?" Shivay's trembling voice was for sure not because of the chilly weather. And Manik for the first time have seen his Shivay Bhaiya so vulnerable. For a moment he felt pity on them but Nandini's cries didn't let him take a step.

"Alive?" He cursed himself for even using such word for his The One, but this rudeness was coming directly from his heart, and he couldn't stop himself.

"Manik. Please. We- can't..." Omkara's voice trembled the same like Shivay and Manik fisted his hand. He inhaled a breath and looked directly at them.

"Why? Why did you left her alone? If you love her so much, where were you when this love of yours was much needed by her? Why couldn't you just leave everything behind and came to her? Why?"

Shivay closed his eyes tightly letting the tears roll down his eyes, Omkara sighed helplessly and Rudra sniffed as the three brothers stood in front of Manik with no answers. Manik stood there feeling nothing for them because according to him their any reason can never be big than the pain inflicted on Nandini. He just shook his head and exhaled deeply.

"Wo- wo akeli thi bhaiya, ekdum akeli. She- she had no-one to hug her tight and share her pain. Can you imagine, all these years she was fighting every battle alone, despite having such a fucking big family! She was all alone."

Nandini's loud wails on his shoulder and the pain in those beautiful eyes will always haunt Manik. He can't imagine how she must've survived in this world where even your own blood despise you.

Giving a last glance to the Goenka Brothers Manik turned around and left from there. And the three brothers kept gazing at his retreating figure with his questions ringing in their mind.

Where were they?

Why didn't they came back leaving everything behind?

Why?

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Manik entered in his house at four am in the morning, and as he opened the door he saw his whole family sitting in the living area alongwith Prithviraj Goenka, who was joined by Suraj and Anita Goenka too. Manik balled his fist turning his knuckles in white seeing them. Suddenly he could imagine the fifteen year old, broken Nandini begging them to beleive her, but they mercilessly further broke her into pieces.

Looking straight into Suraj's eyes he started walking steadily towards him, his own eyes red. But before he could reach him he saw his grandfather coming between them, which had him halted on his tracks. Manik looked sideways when he felt s touch on his biceps and saw his grandmother with a fear in her eyes. He gave her a faint smile before pressing her hand on hers.

He looked at his friends who were also present there and nodded at them before moving towards the stairs silently, but stopped on the second stair when heard his grandfather's authoritive voice.

"This was the last time you met her Manik." And again Manik fisted his hand and closed his eyes to control himself. Turning around he faced his grandfather and stared right into his eyes.

"Am sorry Dadu, but if you never stopped them", pointed towards the Goenka's, "then you have no rights to stop me too."

"Manu!" Nyonika gasped with the tone Manik used, and everyone else too were shocked, because this was the first time ever, that Manik defied any of his grandfather's order or talked to him in such tone.

"Manik. Behave yourself, You cannot talk to my father in that tone." Raj was furious would be an understatement and Nyonika tried calming him down in order to not letting her fears come true. Manik looked down as he too felt guilty for talking in such tone with his grandfather.

"Am sorry." Yash sighed and moved towards Manik and kept his one hand on his shoulder making him look at him.

"She is not worthy of your love."

"Yeah? But I'm already in love with her Dadu." Manik's instant reply made Yash take his hand back from his shoulder.

"Then it would be better if you stop loving her." Yash's voice was rigid as stone which had everyone else flinching on their positions except Manik who just chuckled humourlessly.

"I will. But, Until the stars burn out, and all worlds end, until the planets collide, and the suns wither, until the moon's light dies, and the rivers and seas run out, until I grow so old that my memories fade away, and my tongue cannot say her name, until my heart beats for the last time, only then.. will I maybe stop, maybe."

Everyone were astonished hearing him. Everyone could see the depth of those words in his eyes. Everyone could feel the unconditional love through his voice. Each and every person standing there could feel the intensity of Manik's love, which was the reason of a fear taking birth in Malhotra's hearts, while Goenka's were shocked too.

"I will never accept such girl in my house Manik."

"What girl Dadu? What do you even know about her? You just know their side of story. You doesn't even know her. You never met her, how can you know what kind of a girl she is?"

"I don't need to know because I know enough. I know that--"

"No You Don't Know! No-fucking-ome know her here. Neither you, not them. She is a proof that you can walk through hell and still be an angel. She is a proof that broken things can still be beautiful. She is a proof that not every story you hear is true. You don't know her Dadu. No-one here knows her. No-one knows that how much pain she hides within herself. No-one knows that she just craved for love, a love that doesn't remind her of pain. No-one knows that she was a fucking child who was forced to grown up. You don't know her Dadu, you don't!"

Manik's breaths were harsh as he spoke, his eyes had unshed tears, tears of agony, tears of pain, all for her. He couldn't believe that he was talking with his family, and how they are acting so heartlessly.

"You want to say that you know her more than us?", Manik's gaze hardened when Prithviraj spoke, "Actually you are right. We never knew her enough. We thought, we raised good. I don't know where our upbringing went wrong but she is not what she shows she is. We were also kept in dark by her until the curtains were raised off. But trust me Manik, whatever story she has been telling you is not true. Your grandfather is right, she is not worthy of your love."

As soon as Prithviraj stopped talking, the silent suddenly erupted with Manik's humourless laugh. He clapped as he laughed and moved towards Prithvi and Suraj. Everyone were frowning seeing him like this, but deep down they knew that what was coming next.

"Can you please repeat that Mr. Prithviraj Goenka? That was quite funny, you see."

"Talk to my with my father with respect Manik." Suraj's words had Manik tilt his head and look at him and dangerously stared into his eyes.

"Then ask your father to talk with respect about My Nandini. Or better, don't talk about her." Suraj inhaled a sharp breath at his sharp voice. He was about to take a step towards him but Anita's hand stopped him. He looked at her who was still looking at Manik without any expression. He looked back at Manik who was now staring at his father with determined eyes. Something in his eyes made Suraj kept standing there without uttering any other word.

"By the way, what were you saying? She is not what she shows she is, and whatever story she has been telling is not true. So what's true then? The truth you know? Sorry, lemme correct myself, the lie you know, that you think is the real truth? Hmm?"

"That's not a lie. I had proofs. I had proof that she was never innocent. I have proofs that she was destroying lives of innocent boys by blackmailing them. I am not someone to beleive mere words, that's not how I end up setting my empire." Prithviraj gritted his teeth as he spoke those words veneomously.

Anita's hold on Suraj was loosened as she closed her eyes and let the tears flow down. Suraj fisted his hand and looked away. Fab Four, Arijit and Mrunal gasped in horror listening such harsh words. Others just stayed silent on their places. Manik just looked at Suraj and Anita before running his hand through his hairs in frustration and threw his head back clutching them. He looked at Suraj and Anita again and sighed.

"You know, once I read a line which threw me off guard and I thought why would someone write such a quote, but now I know why. Now I know why they say, that every child deserves parents, but not every parents deserves a child. You", he pointed at Suraj and Anita one by one ending up pointing towards Prithviraj, "You doesn't deserve her. You should actually learn from her that how to be a parent. Anyway, you were talking about proofs right? We will talk with proofs not. And I'll now prove that My Nandini is and was always Innocent, I'll prove you that You were always wrong. Because now I swear on my love, I so want to see regret in these eyes."

Manik's voice had such an effect that now the surroundings had became cold just like his eyes.

"So, you are trusting her over your family Manu?"

Manik looked at his Dadu disbelievingly and shook his head.

"You're trusting your friend over your grandson Dadu."

"Enough Manik. You know, now I do not like that girl for many more reasons, one being, she is already taking you away from your own family. And I don't need proofs even." Manik chuckled and blew out air.

"And I don't need proofs to know that people do love to blame women for everything and anything. Cute, isn't it?"

"Manik nahi bache please." Nyonika whispered out when she saw her husband and father-in-law getting furious. Manik looked at his mother and saw fear floating in those eyes.

"You are choosing her?" Yash words were followed by gasps and Damini moved towards him but he showed her his palm all the while staring at his grandson.

"You are choosing your best friend and his family?" Mrunal held Nyonika's hand tightly when she saw her shivering.

"So your two days old love became more important than your family?"

"Nahi Dadu. My family is my love too. But today, I'm drawing a line between sacrifice and self slaughter."

And giving a faintest smile to him, Manik ran upstairs. For quite some time No-one was able to understand his words unless they comprehended the depth of them.

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Yay!!!!

Did anyone understood Manik's last words? Would love to know what you got from it?

Quite difficult chapter, and we are arriving close to the end.

I know many of you would be upset with Malhotra's reaction, but from their pov, they're not doing wrong (not defending them)

Next update - Goenka Siblings' most awaited reunion and some planning and plottings.

Do drop your honest reviews:)

Thank You

2100 words!

~A ♡