The sun beamed brightly, casting a warm glow over the sky, while birds chirped merrily in the distance. It was the kind of morning that seemed to promise peace and new beginnings.

In her balcony, Nandini sat quietly, sipping her cup of coffee. The gentle breeze tousled her hair as she gazed into the distance, lost in thought.

Abhimanyu walked in and, without a word, sat beside her. But his calm demeanor faltered the moment he noticed the glistening tears in her eyes.

"Hey, Nandu, what happened?" he asked, his voice laced with concern. "Why are you crying? Look at me."

Nandini quickly wiped her eyes, trying to hide her emotions. "I'm not crying," she murmured, but the tremor in her voice betrayed her.

Abhimanyu raised an eyebrow, his gaze piercing. "Yeah, of course. Something must have gotten into your eyes. Stop hiding your tears from me, Nandini. I can see through it."

Nandini shook her head, trying to hold back. "I swear, Bhai, I'm fine."

But Abhimanyu's stern voice cut through her resistance. "NANDINI!"

That was all it took. Nandini's composure shattered, and she collapsed into his arms, the tears flowing freely.

"Bhai... Papa..." she sobbed softly.

Abhimanyu, his heart heavy, tightened his embrace. "What happened? Did Mr. Murthy do something to you?" he asked, his voice a mix of concern and confusion.

"No, Bhai," she replied, her voice muffled against his chest. "Papa would never hurt me... I'm just... I don't understand. Why can't you and Papa be happy like you used to be? Why can't things go back to how they were?"

Abhimanyu sighed deeply, his voice a little harder this time. "Nandini, we're not going down this road again."

"Why, Bhai?" Nandini pleaded, her voice shaky. "You know it was an accident. Papa's mistake wasn't intentional. His guilt eats him up every day, and you... you just shut him out. It's tearing us apart."

Abhimanyu's eyes darkened. "How can you say that? It's because of his mistakes that Dadi isn't here anymore. How can you not see that? Don't get involved, Nandini. Stay happy, and I'll handle everything."

Tears welled up in Nandini's eyes again, but she wiped them away quickly. "Bhai, every time we talk about this, you divert the conversation. You refuse to forgive Papa, and I don't understand why."

Abhimanyu's frustration finally boiled over. "Yes, I don't want to forgive him! No more talking about this." His voice was loud, sharp, almost unrecognizable.

Nandini had never seen her brother so angry. This was the first time he had ever raised his voice at her, and it cut deep. She pulled away slightly, her heart aching for both of them. Abhimanyu, realizing his outburst, quickly softened.

"I'm sorry," he muttered, his tone full of guilt. Without another word, he walked out of the room, leaving Nandini behind, her tears still fresh.

She whispered to herself, "Bhai, I can see the care in your eyes when you look at Papa. I know you love him. I'll make sure you accept it someday."

Malhotra Mansion

Meanwhile, in Kolkata, the Malhotras had returned from the meeting.

In Manik's room, Cabir entered, practically dancing.

"Ishq hua! Ishq hua! Aaj mere Bhai ko ishq hua!" he sang, clearly teasing.

Manik shot him a glare. "Shut up, Cabir."

Cabir, undeterred, continued in a dramatic tone, "Shutttt upppp, when Bhai says shut up, shut up! Shut up!"

Manik rolled his eyes. "Stop the drama. What do you want?"

Cabir smirked. "Bhai, why are you so lost after Nandini's call? Or, to be precise, after listening to her voice?"

Manik, visibly flustered, stammered, "What are you even talking about? I'm... I'm just here... lost in my thoughts."

Cabir raised an eyebrow. "Acha? Tumse toh laga, 'Dil hai ki manta nahi.' Koi baat toh hai. Jab koi ruk ruk ke baat kare, toh samajh jao, daal mein kuch toh kaala hai!"

Manik groaned, his frustration clear. "Alright, alright, enough with the drama. Seriously, I don't know... it just felt so peaceful hearing her voice. There's an innocence in it. The care she has for her father, the respect she showed to my dad, even though she's never met him—it all amazed me. How can someone be so pure in this world full of selfishness?"

Cabir's eyes widened, grinning widely. "Bhai, prem rog ho gaya hai. Bas, uski awaaz se itna kuch samajh gaya, tumhe toh daastaan bhi likhni chahiye thi!"

Manik stared at him, conflicted. "What did you just say? Love? No, no, no, how can I fall for her just by hearing her voice? Cabir's talking nonsense. It's just... not possible."

He threw himself onto the bed, trying to shake the thoughts away. But no matter how much he tried, as soon as he closed his eyes, Nandini's image flashed in front of him. He couldn't get her out of his mind.

Manik sighed deeply. "No, no. I'm just... confused."

The next day, an important meeting awaited Manik. He was scheduled to meet with the owner of a worldwide hotel chain, to discuss the interior design of his properties. The owner's name? Nandini Murthy.

At first, Manik brushed it off, thinking it might be a coincidence. But when he arrived at the office, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was strangely familiar about the name.

At Malhotra Enterprises, Kiara's voice interrupted his thoughts. "Sir, Nandini Ma'am is on her way and will be here in a few minutes. Please head to the conference hall."

Manik nodded without saying a word and walked toward the hall, trying to focus on the meeting at hand.

As Nandini entered the room, her smile lit up the entire space. She greeted the team with grace, but when her eyes met Manik's, he couldn't look away. He was lost in her once more, staring as if he had seen her a thousand times before. Her voice, soft and melodious, pierced the air.

"Hello, Mr. Malhotra," she greeted him, and the world seemed to stand still.

Manik was certain now—this was Nandini. His Nandini. But he couldn't acknowledge it. He decided to play it cool, pretending not to recognize her.

"Hello, Ms. Murthy," he replied, extending his hand.

The moment their hands touched, a spark of electricity surged through their bodies. Nandini felt it too—something unspoken, something undeniable.

As the meeting proceeded, Nandini impressed him with her professionalism and poise. Manik couldn't help but admire her—how could someone so beautiful and graceful also possess such intelligence and confidence?

As the meeting wrapped up, Manik signed the contract. The room began to empty, but Nandini was busy organizing the papers in her bag. As she turned, she lost her balance, but before she could fall, a strong pair of arms caught her—Manik's.

The papers scattered across the floor, but neither of them noticed. They were caught in a deep, unspoken connection, their eyes locked in an intense gaze. Neither wanted to look away.

Nandini finally broke the silence, her voice soft and grateful. "Thank you so much, Mr. Malhotra."

Manik, just as sincere, replied, "It's alright, Ms. Murthy."

Nandini smiled, her eyes sparkling. "You can call me Nandini. I don't like being addressed so formally."

"Only if you call me Manik," he said, his lips curling into a small smile.

Nandini chuckled, the sound like music to his ears. "Of course, Manik. Thank you again."

Manik offered, "Do you need help with the papers?"

Nandini hesitated, then shook her head. "No, I'll manage."

Manik raised an eyebrow. "Why should you manage it? We have workers for this. Let them help."

Nandini smiled awkwardly. "It's okay, really."

But Manik wouldn't take no for an answer. "Come on, Nandini. Don't be so formal. It's getting late, and you need to catch your flight."

Nandini, a little taken aback but too tired to argue, finally agreed. "Alright."

As the peon arranged the papers, Manik surprised everyone by offering to drop her off at the airport. The entire office was shocked. Manik Malhotra offering help? It was unheard of.

Nandini hesitated but eventually agreed, too tired to protest, and perhaps a little relieved not to have to deal with the stress alone. She was still grappling with her emotions over the argument with Abhimanyu, and she didn't want to miss her flight.

As they left for the airport, Manik couldn't help but notice the instability in Nandini's demeanor. She was hiding something, but he couldn't yet figure out what. She was unaware of his connection to her, but that might change soon.

Back in Mumbai

After a brief and uneventful flight, Nandini arrived home, her mind still swirling with the conversation she had with Abhimanyu. She walked in, ignoring him completely, and hugged Ishita tightly.

After freshening up, she began removing her jewelry, but when she went to take off her earrings, she realized one was missing. She searched everywhere, but it was gone. Frustrated, she decided to order a new pair, yet a strange feeling lingered. Where had it gone?

The mystery of the missing earring nagged at her, but for now, she let it go, her mind still occupied with more pressing matters.