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Things remain the same, believe it or believe it not!

"Nice to meet you Miss?" Mr Gadhwal, the client, stretched out his hand before Nandini.

"Miss Nandini Murthy!" She ignored and folded her hands in a namaste. On seeing this, a small smile spread across Manik's lips.

"By the way she is amazing, isn't she?" Mr Gadhwal then turned towards Manik with his hands stuffed in his pockets. Though he was talking to Manik, his eyes were fixed on Nandini, who by then, was grabbing her things to leave.

"Ain't you married, Mr Gadhwal?" Manik snapped his fingers right before his client's face startling him for a second.

"Yes but I'm a widower." He stated almost ashamed at his behaviour.

"But you've a beautiful girlfriend." He blurted out another second.

"What the fuck!" Manik cut him off, narrowing his eyes at him.

Nandini walked towards them, aware of what the duo were talking and the man's last words didn't annoy her, would be a big fat lie.

"She's just an employee. Am I clear Mr Gadhwal?" Manik said exasperatedly. "And why the hell you guys think that I'm dating her? What makes you think so man?" Manik snapped at his client, while Nandini widened her eyes feeling his temper rise.

"Mr Malhotra you're overreacting. You both look good together so that's how I guessed. Why are you so worked up man?" Mr Gadhwal sort of explained a furious Manik.

Nandini, with her previous experience, didn't want the matter to escalate further. It could have a negative impact on the deal, so she decided to step into their squabble.

"Mr Gadhwal----" Manik yelled.

"Uh Mr Gadhwal don't worry. He's just stressed about the deal. It's okay if you assumed things but that's not the reality. We just have a boss-employee relationship, that's it. Right Manik?" Nandini cut Manik short. She arched her eyebrows expecting a calm reply from Manik.

There was a brief silence for a moment until Manik nodded in a yes grabbing his black blazer from the recliner. Nandini thanked God for the storm of heated arguments got over quite soon.

"Okay! See you later on, Mr Manik." Mr Gadhwal had almost stretched out his hand before Manik but he withdrew it sensing the tensed situation. Manik showed him the way before slamming the door shut. Nandini was startled at his action but tried not to show it.

"I'm sorry!" He sighed running his fingers through his jet black hair.

"It's fine! People do assume things but we can't get angry over each one of them. If we keep on losing our temper, we would lose our peace of mind. It's better to ignore such pricks." Nandini's eyes crinkled but she stopped midway, afraid of the fact that her words might irk him up. Contrary to her belief, Manik smiled to himself.

"You are a good preacher, Miss Murthy!" He snickered. "It's quarter past nine. Shall I drop you?" He asked marching towards the main door.

"Thanks! But I'll try to go on my own." Nandini said moving out on the porch dialling Shrey's number.

"Are you sure you want to venture out alone in this weather?" He looked up at the dark clouds that lit up by a streak of lightening. She just nodded as she sighed with the phone pressed to her ears.

Nandini dialled Shrey's number for the third time but the same automatic voice 'the number you've dialled is either out of reach or switched off at the moment' could be heard from the other end. Frustrated, she dialled Riya's number that immediately got answered.

"Nandu, I'm very sorry I couldn't dine with you." Riya said from the other side before Nandini could even utter a hello.

"It's okay Riya. Can you pick me up please?" She requested knowing it was kind of difficult for Riya to come at this odd hour.

"I'm afraid that I can't come Nandu. Advik dropped me home. I'll tell him to pick you up. By the way where are you and where's Shrey? Why didn't you call him?" Riya shot one question after another without a break.

"Take a breath Riya. I'll answer your questions one by one. First, I'm at Manik's house for a meeting. It's over already. And second, Shrey's phone is unreachable and third, it looks like it will rain anytime soon." Nandini babbled waving her newly manicured hands, done at home by her personal make-up artist Riya, for emphasis.

Manik, who was leaning against the bonnet of the car probably waiting for Nandini to leave, looked up from his phone for a moment. But that was two minutes ago as of now he was staring at the girl who was busy babbling at the phone waving her hands gracefully while a few stray locks of hair caressed her face due to the increasing wind speed that hindered Manik's view who snorted in return.

"Oh network issues maybe. I'll tell Advik then." Riya exhaled.

"No need to say okay. Just send a message to Shrey that I was playing cupid for the two of you and that was the reason I had to eat with Manik." Nandini said hugging her arms to herself, feeling the cool wind blowing against her body.

"I already did that." Riya chirped.

"That's why I love you. I need to hang up. It started raining. See you bye." Nandini hung up feeling a few drops on her head. Her hands moved above her head, shielding herself from the rain.

The pouring rain didn't pause Manik's unwavering gaze. His lips curved up watching Nandini trying hard to save herself from the rains. She looked cute but the rain didn't camouflage her hotness. He had never seen her wearing western outfit, let alone a bodycon dress which was then turning into her second skin with every passing second.

Squinting her eyes from the falling rains, Nandini looked for Manik. She found him standing in the rain gazing at her direction, flashing a tender, unthreatening smile.

"Manik!" She yelled breaking his gaze.

"Fuck I wasn't supposed to stare like that." He muttered under his breath striding towards her.

"Go inside the house!" He yelled.

"I need to go home. You were supposed to drop me." Nandini remarked wiping off the water from her face.

"You didn't mention that. Now go inside." But she didn't budge.

"You're wet!" Nandini arched up a brow. Manik bit his lips realizing the double meaning of his words.

"You are drenched and you need to change." He said slowly with caution. "Come on! Let's go!" He latched onto her wrist.

"I've not brought any dress." She cried as Manik dragged her inside.

"We will do the interview later on." He barked out bolting the main door.

Few minutes later, Nandini walked out of the guest room in an oversized T-shirt and baggy pants, trying to adjust as much as she could.

Manik, who was busy scrolling down his Instagram id, looked up from his phone and burst out laughing seeing Nandini standing in front of him.

"What are you laughing at?" She frowned.

Another burst of laughter followed but that wasn't Manik's.

"Nandini what are you doing here in bhaiya's outfit?" Advik who had just entered the house asked stifling his giggles making Manik cackle again.

"Both of you stop laughing okay!" Nandini narrowed her eyes at Manik.

"Okay okay. Nandini got drenched and so I gave her my clothes. But she's looking so tiny. " He giggled.

"But cute!" Advik quipped while Manik nodded.

"Nandini!" Manik cleared his throat. "Let's leave! I need to drop you before the weather worsens."

"Bhaiya you can't leave in this bad weather. There's a landslide being reported in news. I had just crossed that path. God saved me!" He sighed. "Let them get it clear by tomorrow."

"You're here! Thank God!" Manik pulled Advik into a side hug.

"Shit! I've to go home right now." Nandini's muttered under her breath.

"Okay then tomorrow you'll leave. Stay in our guest room." Manik pressed his lips in a straight line.
"Advik escort her to the guest room." He added walking up the stairs towards his room.

"Don't worry Nandini, you're safe here particularly when snow leopards are roaming in the streets."

"What?"

"I'm kidding though!" He laughed. "Let me show your room. Make yourself comfortable!"

Advik walked towards the right of the living room followed by Nandini. They crossed the kitchen to the guest room with a plaque hanging on the door. It read:

BE COMFORTABLE AND MAKE YOURSELF HOME!

"I don't think that's Manik's idea." Nandini scoffed.

"But it was him who decided on it." Advik smiled opening the door.

Nandini entered and the fragrance of fresh jasmine greeted her. Scanning the room, she found a beautiful painting hanging above the headboard of the bed. A book shelf stood on the right, with quite a number of books peeping through the shelf. On the left was a bedside table along with a wardrobe in the corner. The jasmine flowers were placed in a vase on the TV cabinet.

"I've switched on the geyser. Call me if you need something else." Advik came out of the attached washroom. Nandini while observing the room didn't even notice him disappear into the washroom.

"Uh a bottle of water will do I guess." Nandini plopped down on the sofa fishing out her phone from her handbag.

"Sure I'll be back in a minute!"

Few minutes later, Advik left the bottle at the door by just knocking softly so that Nandini would not be disturbed. Nandini came out of the bathroom and opened the door to find a bottle lying on the floor with a sticky note stuck to it. It read: Goodnight! Sweet Dreams Nandini! :⁠-⁠)

Smiling to herself, Nandini closed the door behind her and flopped down on the bed with her phone in her hand. She dialled Shrey's number and it sang the same sentence again and again. Sighing, she dialled Riya's number but it wasn't answered.

The pitter patter of the rain dancing on the shingles could be heard. She drew a smiley face on the glass pane staring at the darkness outside. Her thoughts flew to Shrey who could be angered by her recent act. She just prayed that her act wouldn't escalate into misunderstanding between the two.

The phone's singtone broke her chain of thoughts. She picked it up pretty soon.

"Riya!" She smiled when Riya made a video call.

"Where are you?" Riya asked with quizzical eyes while staring at the different interiors behind Nandini.

"Manik's house!"

"What the hell ar---"

"It was raining cats and dogs and even if I could leave home, a report of landslide was flashing on news channels. Moreover Advik confirmed it. He was fortunate enough to leave the spot just few minutes before the landslide occured." Nandini cut Riya off in between before she jumped to conclusions. Mention of Advik brought a line of worry on her forehead.

"Is he okay?" She asked "And what about you? Are you fine? Did Manik do anything reckless?" Her voice was laced with concern.

"Yep he's fine. And no Manik didn't do anything. Actually he behaved quite contrary to what he has showcased until now. I mean I saw him laugh and smile. That's weird." Nandini laughed out loud.

"Don't get bewitched by his sweetness." Riya looked at her crossly.

"Seriously Riya? That will never happen!" Nandini said in a duh tone.

"Anyways you know Manik is undergoing some treatment. Got to know today from Advik and I was dying to share this with you." Riya said gleefully. Nandini already knew it and this thing wouldn't go good with Riya as well. So she changed the topic.

"What happened are you two back together?" Nandini wiggled her brows as Riya blushed hiding the camera to avoid any eyes on her.

"Newly patched up love birds are here after all." Nandini winked. "By the way did you two kiss?"

"Nandini I'll disconnect the call. How can you expect me to kiss him right on our first day. It's not like the past." Riya bit her lips.

"So you two have kissed and you didn't even say that to me." Nandini frowned.

"As if you've said everything about your love life. You have done it and you haven't said anything to me." Now it was Riya's turn to tease Nandini.

"No we haven't yet!" Nandini blurted out.

"So saving for marriage huh?" Riya played with her hair locks.

"Forget it!" Nandini scrunched her nose. "Tell me is Shrey's phone reachable from your location?" Nandini asked diverting the subject of discussion to something important at the moment.

"Well I haven't tried, but I did message him saying you were trying to play cupid for us. He seemed upset at that time. Wait let me check!" Riya closed the video and checked her whatsapp.

"Nandu! He's offline. Don't worry he will understand!" Riya said seeing Nandini sulking over the phone.

"Hopefully!" Nandini yawned but the video buffered. It seemed there was some connection problem and eventually the call ended with a beep sound.

In the next minute, she received a whatsapp text message from Riya. It read:

Stop worrying and have a goodnight's sleep. Keep the door and the windows close and don't let that monster disturb you. It was followed by a wink emoji.

Nandini smiled to herself before keeping the phone aside. Switching off the bedside lamp, and wrapping the duvet around her little frame she lied down on the bed while staring at the window. Raindrops trickled down the window pane making space for a blurry view of the darkness outside. An unknown fear gripped Nandini's heart for God knew what reason. Sighing, she closed her eyes trying to get some sleep in a room of someone's house belonging to someone she hated. She never thought in her life, that this day would come. But somehow she felt peace even when there was a storm brewing outside.

The darkness did intimidate her with it's sharpened claws but the rain drumming its fingers on the shingles, created a calm music, synonymous of some hope of a brighter future. A new bright future was waiting to embrace her in a similar fashion when the sun bathes the earthly beings with his warmth after a stormy, gloomy night.

~•~•~•~•~

(2566 words)

Nandini is spending the night at Manik's house, she still couldn't reach Shrey. What do you think will happen once she meets Shrey the next morning?

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And let me share one of my achievements, yesterday i.e. 23rd of April, 2024, A Heart That Bleeds ranked #1 in MaNan category. Until now my other stories haven't reached this benchmark. It was my first time. And I was more than happy to see this day come into my life. And the credit goes to all of you reading this book. It's your comments, votes and shares that had made my dream come true. Thank you so much for all your love and appreciation. It means a world to me!

Please keep loving and commenting more because it's your votes and comments that decides the ranking and maybe someday this book will trending in India 🙈 (I know that's a far fetched dream 🙈)