''Yes, Manik. I LOVE YOU. More than words can express and thoughts can imagine'' Nandini confessed.

A glint of passion shone in Manik's eyes once again. Nandini lifted herself on her tip-toes and tried pecking his lips but he wasn't giving in so soon. He needed his answers first. He pushed her back gently.

''Toh phir aisa kyun kiya Nandini? Why did you leave me alone? Why did you reject my proposal and walk off with Harshad?'' Manik asked, his expression softening as he cupped her face between his bandaged palms.

''I.. Manik...''

''Sir, college gates band karna hai. Kaafi late ho gaya hai.'' The security guard had opened the door and walked in on them. Manik pulled an irritated face and was about to tell him off but after glancing once at Nandini's miserable expression, he nodded. She needed to relax and calm down before speaking and this place wasn't giving off any positive vibes.

-----------

''Ab batao mujhe. Baat kya hai?'' Manik asked gently. They had left college and he had taken Nandini back home. They now sat on her terrace, looking at the calm sundown and relishing Chachi's snacks, once Nandini had changed his hand's dressing. He wrapped an arm protectively around her and nudged her to speak.

''Pehle promise karo tum gusse mein nahi aaogey'' Nandini said. She knew it was of no use, his anger was inevitable at what she had to say. But, it was important for him not to do anything impulsively or else she would be in a deeper mess.

He sighed and replied in a low voice ''I don't know ki tum aisa kya bolne waali ho, but I'll try.''

Nandini drew in a sharp breath and tried mustering courage to speak up. He sensed her discomfort and placed his forehead on hers in assurance, pressing her deeper into his chest. That was all she needed.

As Nandini recounted the hospital exchanges that took place between her and Harshad, where he showed her the disgusting clips, Manik's brows furrowed, his hold around her became painfully tight and he was breathing in short, angry pants.

By the time she finished, she was in tears and so was he, sharing her pain.

He immediately stood up and balled his fists, muttering in a sinister tone ''I am so going to KILL that jerk today. And nobody can stop me.'' He had just taken 3 steps when Nandini clung on to his arm, her eyes imploring as she sobbed ''This is why.. This is why I wasn't telling you about it. You will ruin everything with your anger, Manik. Do you have ANY idea what can happen if those clips get released and go viral?? All it will take is one click to destroy my life.''.

Manik looked back at her and shouted ''Toh kya hum haath pe haath rakh ke baithey..? That bloody Harshad has videos of you undressing, for god's sake, Nandini.''

''Manik..'' Nandini sniffed in humiliation of the situation . Manik wrapped his arms around her looking at her state, and calmed a bit.

''Nandini... Why didn't you tell me all this earlier? Maine tumse kaha tha uss kaminey ke saath band mat banao.. Par tum..'' He said in a gentler tone but stopped midway and sighed. She had already gone through so much, it was of no use reproaching her for what she did.

He made her sit back on the chair and wiping her tears, took her hands in his and made a promise ''I am going to destroy those videos..I'll never allow them to go viral.'' Nandini nodded, her gaze cast down.

''Alya!'' He said, his eyes widening as an idea struck him and he whipped out his phone. ''Manik.. why Alya?'' Nandini asked in confusion.
''Alya is Harshad's sister and they stay in the same house. She can help us'' Manik replied as Nandini jolted, registering this fact. He dialled her number and kept the phone to his ear.

''Hi Alya.. Yeah its Manik....Haan, I'm alright, I just wanted to speak with Harshad. Is he home?''

Nandini watched Manik's eyebrows lift in surprise at what he heard in response and then a look of dismay crossed his face. She anxiously tugged at his shirt and he gestured her to wait.

''Do you know the address?.. No its okay..Nothing important. Chal, I'll see you tomorrow then. Take care''

He cut the call and shook his head ''Harshad has moved out some time ago and Alya has no idea where he shifted. They have stopped talking completely.''

Nandini sighed sadly and bit her lip.

''Wait, I've got an idea. Nandini, you have his number right? Message him and ask him for his address, I'm sure he'll give it to you. We're going to his place. Now. I'll tell you the plan on the way.'' Manik suddenly said and rubbed his palms confidently. Nandini though seemed hesitant.

''Manik, his place? Are you sure?''

''Nandini, trust me this one time atleast. Please'' Manik replied beseechingly. Nandini looked into his eyes and the hurt that flashed in them for a second, nodding, but before she could ask him what he was feeling, he had turned around to leave .

-----------

Harshad's house

The duo peeped in to the living room from the large side windows of the house. ''Dikh gaya. There he is.'' Manik whispered, finally having spotted Harshad. Nandini looked in the direction Manik gestured. Harshad sat with his laptop, peering at something on the screen.

''Hmm.. Take him to the bedroom once you go in. I'll slip in the front and destroy the clips on his laptop. Phone ko baad me dekh lengey.''

Nandini nodded and Manik led her to the front portion of the house.

''I'm scared'' Nandini said, holding tightly onto Manik like a child, and shuddering a little as they stood outside Harshad's front door. There was a security guard but Manik had bribed him and they had got in.

''Main hoon na. Relax and remember what I've told you in the car too. Everything will be alright in some time. You can call out to me if things go too far, okay?'' Manik said, brushing back her hair and patting her arm. He was scared to let his Nandini go near that creep but this had to be done, for her.

''Okay. You can hide now.'' Nandini replied, gathering courage. His 'Everything will be alright soon' gave her the required confidence. She was desperate to get out of this mess. Manik stepped back into the darkness and Nandini waited till he couldn't be seen anymore and then rang the bell.

''Nandini! Tum yahan? I never thought that you would actually come when you had asked me for my address.''

Nandini smiled at Harshad, and slid her arms around his neck, pushing him inside and closing the door with her back. ''Tumne hi toh kaha tha subeh ko ke humey woh sab karna padega jo ek couple ke beech hota hai.. So, I thought why not begin from today itself?'' Nandini said, getting seducingly close to his face, trying to maintain her composure though her feet went cold in nervousness.

Harshad shot her a suspicious look and pushed her back ''Sach batao, tum yahan kyun aayi ho?''

Uh-Oh. This isn't going right. Nandini tried recalling what tips Manik had given and remembered one 'He might get suspicious if you start outright seducing him. Work with emotion instead, show how helpless and desperate for support you are.'

She looked at the floor and tried to shed some tears.. She didn't have to wait for long. Tears seemed to always be at her beck and call these days. She then looked back at him and fake - sobbed ''Harshad, I'm very lonely. You know na, Main apne problems kisi ke saath share bhi nahi kar sakti. Everyone hates me right now. I really need someone to support me and give me a shoulder to cry on... Someone to love me''

This time Harshad looked convinced a cunning smile crept on his lips as he spoke ''Oh my poor baby. You have come to the right place.. I'll give you all the love. Come, take a seat. I'll lock the door and join you''

No. The door can't be locked.

''Woh sab chodo.. Lets go to the bedroom first.'' Nandini quickly said, blocking his way and tracing the muscles of his arm alluringly with her finger tips.

''Bedroom?'' He asked skeptically, since it was coming from the moralistic Nandini herself.

''Haan.. I need to relax and stretch out my legs.'' Nandini said, putting on an innocent expression the next moment. Harshad smiled and replied ''Oh yeah.. I almost forgot your legs were injured. Come, I'll take you in my arms.''. He scooped her up in his arms and started walking towards the bedroom.

Nandini knew Manik would be watching from the window and it would be taking all his self-restraint to not break in and just attack Harshad right away. So, she flashed an assuring thumbs up behind Harshad in the windows' direction, though she couldn't see him in the dark.

Harshad laid her on the bed and asked ''Better?'' while Nandini nodded.

''I can make you feel even more at peace, baby.'' He then leaned in and began pecking her on the cheek and then sliding down to her neck. Tears escaped the corner of her eyes but she held on. Everything will be alright soon. Manik had asked her to call out to him if things went too far, but she knew better. She had anticipated something like this would happen, but she had agreed just so the plan gets executed as soon as possible and Manik and her become one again. If Manik knew about this, he would never have allowed her. She kept her mind-preoccupied with Manik's thoughts as Harshad now began dropping cringe-worthy sloppy kisses on her shoulder.

SMASH!! Both Harshad and Nandini froze for a moment at the shattering sound. Harshad regained conciousness faster and he ran to the living room, from where the sound came with Nandini following at his heels.

------------

Manik had entered the house from the front door as soon as Harshad took Nandini inside. He knew he didn't have much time to waste and he definitely didn't want Nandini to spend too much time with that creep, doing who knows what. He was already seething from the sight of her in his arms but had considerably been pacified by the thumbs-up Nandini had flashed in his direction. The laptop was still open, and Manik began searching for the clips. He  found it in a folder sleazily named 'My Love'.

Blind rage ran through his veins as soon as he opened and saw clips of his Nandini, in such a bare and unclad state. He couldn't control the mad fury that clouded in his head, and picking up the laptop he smashed it against the nearest wall, letting out a a low growl. Harshad came running out followed by a disconcerted Nandini.

''Manik.. Tu..''

Before Harshad could express his anger and bewilderement on finding Manik in his house, that too having smashed his valuable laptop, an infuriated Manik jumped on to him, and smacked him right across his face. Nandini gasped and held out her fingers infront of her face, horrified at the sudden violence.

''Yeh tu kya kar raha hai? Chodd mujhe..'' Harshad screamed and pushed Manik back, holding his bloody jaw in pain. Manik darted forward again, and held him the collars of his shirt ''Kyun? Dard huwa? Ab aur hoga. You should have thought about this before recording Nandini in that state!!''

Harshad tried fighting back but Manik's fury made him twice as fast and unstoppable. He pinned Harshad onto the floor and threw powerful punches onto him.

''Manik, bas kar.. please'' Harshad pleaded, his jaw bleeding badly now and his eyes starting to swell up. ''Pehle yeh bata ki aur konse device pe tu ne woh clips daalein hai'' Manik asked, in a menacing tone.

''Bas uss shelf pe jo phone hai, usme hai, I swear'' Harshad replied, agonised and panic-striken, pointing towards a shelf mounted on a wall. He just wanted to get out of Manik's tight grip and run far away - his love/obsession for Nandini was definitely not more than his love for himself. Manik was about to move and get it, when Nandini stopped him ''Let me do this myself.'' .

She grabbed the phone off the shelf, searched for the clips and after deleting them, threw the device on to the floor with full force, pouring out all her heart-ache that she had been suffering from in the past few days due to those clips.

Manik observed this, realising the acute intensity of the pain she had been carrying around and began hitting Harshad once again. Nandini noticed Harshad was getting close to becoming unconsious when she screamed ''Manik, Enough!! Please..''. She hated Harshad from the core of her heart, but found the violence disturbing. Manik hesitantly moved away, noticing the alarmed and troubled look in her eyes.

He moved towards Nandini and embraced her, trying to comfort her while Harshad limped off from the scene, trying to propel his injured self away as fast as he could.

''T-Thank you Manik...Tum nahi hote, toh pata nahi yeh sab kab tak chalta..'' Nandini wept in relief in his arms.

''Sshhh... Stop crying now. Sab khatam hogaya ab..'' Manik said, pulling her away and wiping her tears gently.

''We're finally together.'' Nandini stated, sniffing and looking contendedly at his face.

''No, Nandini. I'm sorry. Humare beech jo kuch tha woh bhi khatam ho gaya hai. We cannot be together.'' Manik replied plainly and walked out.

Nandini looked at his retreating back, but did not break down. Ever since she had seen the hurt flash through his eyes when they were on her terrace, she knew something like this was going to come. She knew Manik would be hurt and angry at her for hiding the truth from him. But, she was ready to make it up to him and go to any heights to save their relationship, just like he had done.

''Its not over till its over, Manik'' Nandini whispered into the air and smiled.

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