*unedited*

M A N I K

Fuck.

Her finger traced down my side face, caressing my lips. I shut my eyes tighter, still pretending to be asleep.
Her hand caressed my chin and my jawline. I shivered under her touch, her cold hands rubbing my face.
"Nandini....!" The moan finally escaped my mouth. I was done with pretending to be asleep.
"Yes Manik!" I heard a manly voice that was very familiar and I am sure I had heard before. Wait! Is that Ary- Aryamman- Gay?'
My eyes jerked open, as I sat on the bed with wide, open eyes just to see Gay sitting on the bed besides me, shirtless, his hands tracing my body.
"A-aa-ryamman...", I stammered coveting my body with the blanket. "Yes Manik!" He replied in a feminine voice throwing himself on me.
"Nan-dini!" I shouted for her to save me but Aryamman's finger on my lips made me go numb.
Fuck! My self respect is in danger, someone please help me!
"Aryamman- Tum, tum kya kar rahe ho...." I said like a small mouse, scared of him.
" sssshhh, it's not Aryamman, it's Gay!" He said huskily in my ears.
"Nan-... dini, Cabir.... Mukti.... koi hai ki nahi? Bachao mujhe?" I shouted trying to cover my bare arms with my palms but I was failing badly.
"Koi ghar pe nahi hai baby, it's just you and me! And ab jab tumhe pata hi hai that I am a Gay, toh why not we have some fun....", he said huskily as he winked at me and my heart sank. Aaj toh mujhe koi nahi bacha sakta!
"Aryamman- I- I am straight, please get off me!" I pleaded as I tried pushing him away but all the power seemed to have been lost.
"No Manik....", he whispered almost sitting on me and I closed my eyes tightly.

*splash*

"NO!" I shouted and the next moment, the lights went on and a calming hand over me.

"Manik!" Nandini said rubbing my back. I was on my bed, sweating and panting, Nandini besides me, trying to calm me down.

It was a dream, a fucking nightmare.

"Nandini!" I whispered in disbelief as I put my hand over her shoulders pulling her close to me. Her head banged against my chest and her arms wrapped around me as I breathed in relief taking in that it was Nandini, not Aryamman.

I am never calling Aryamman as Gay, from today Aryamman is Aryamman. Plain, simple, straight Aryamman.

"Manik, are you okay?" She said handing me a glass of water. The worry was clearly written all over her face as she rubbed my back with her hand.

"Haa, yes!" I whispered as I weakly smiled at her. The time was nearly dawn, and she smiled her angelic smile, making all my fears disappear. I don't want her, I need her. She isn't a demand, she is my necessity.

"I am so sorry for waking you up so early!", I said, actually guilty. The storm increased last night and we were compelled to stay here alone at the mansion instead of getting back to the hotel, and so, here I was, sleeping with her in my arms. This was the most peaceful sleep I have had since the last two years, with only the nightmare spoiling it all.

"Shut up Manik, you never need to say sorry. I can be besides you all night, whenever you need me, all my life. You are the most important for me, and I don't mind skipping sleep for you, all my life!" She said purely confessing looking into my eyes.

For me, an 'I-love-you' hasn't ever been necessary in a relation. It's the little things we do for one another and that small actions that make the other one happy is what is important, nothing else.

"Oh, so you can be with me, all my life?" I teased leaning towards her and she gripped my collar for support. Her face turned red as she but her lower lip and I had the playful smirk on my face.

"Yes Manik Malhotra, all my life!" She replied looking into my eyes, making me shocked as she laid down gripping her collars, with me over her.

The playful smirk turned into a general smile, as she smiled. She was the truest person I have ever seen, her love for me was so selfless. She loved me selflessly, and I loved her selfishly. I call my love selfish because I love her and only I love her. I want to be her everything, her world, her only family and her whole universe. But there isn't any want, because I know I already am that, her whole life and I can see it right in her eyes.

Unbearable of our intensity, she shut her eyes and I leaned forward, kissing her forehead. Her lips carved into the beautiful and contagious smile of hers as I entwined my hand with hers.

"Ma...nik....", she moaned and I pressed her hand against mine. Her hand reached the buttons of shirt as she unhooked them, and my lips travelled all over her face, kissing her eyes, cheeks and even sucking the ear bone. I wanted to claim her lips too, but not so soon.

She removed my shirt as I leaned forward, slightly raising her top, faintly kissing her stomach and her navel, possessively biting her there.

"Ma..nik...", she hissed and I immediately kissed her there, sucking the pain away. We had almost removed her top as I kissed her collar bone, and her ethereal body lied in front of me in her inner wears but I knew I had to stop, I had to draw the line.

I wanted to drown into her and allow her to drown into me, I wanted to mark her mine completely, but somewhere, I knew this was wrong. I had vowed to myself to take things slow with her, and I didn't want to lose that.

"We need to stop princess....", I said slowly, kissing her earbone and she opened her eyes, entwining her hands with mine.

"I trust you Manik!" She said looking into my eyes and the only thought running in my mind was that I didn't know what good work I had done in my previous lives to be deserved to be loved by her.

"But I don't trust myself princess when it comes to you!" I said smiling weakly as I made her wear my white shirt, and she too got up. I have craved for her for the past two years and the passion that I hold in my eyes for her can be too much for her to handle, and I don't want to hurt her in any way. I know she trusts me, but I don't trust myself when I am with her, and I don't want to do anything wrong that makes her doubtful of us.

Making her wear my shirt, I kissed the crown of her forehead, leaving her still confused as I walked out into her terrace, sitting there, disturbed with my own thoughts, guilty of how I could lose control when she walked in and sat besides me. Her hair were messy, and she wore only my white shirt, with the denim shorts that she had worn getting covered with my shirt, that reached her mid thighs.

She looked like an angel, the one descending right from heaven and with each passing second, I start loving her more deeply.

"Manik!" She said softly as she sat besides me, entwining my hand with hers. I didn't look at her, because the guilt didn't let me look into her eyes.

"Please look at me Manik!" She said as she cupped my face in her hand, making me look at her.

"I am sorry Nandini, I don't know how I lost control, I didn't mean to....", I said but I was shushed by her finger on my lips. I wanted to show her that I loved her truly and here I messed up everything, just like everytime. This was the most beautiful moment for me, and I didn't want her to regret it ever.

"I can never regret it Manik!" She spoke looking into my eyes, as if reading my eyes. I sighed in relief as I pulled her and she ended on my lap, sitting side ways, keeping her head on my chest. She entwined my one hand with both her hands, with my other hand on her back, supporting her.

"Your heartbeat is my favourite music...", she smiled drawing doodles on my hand as she giggled and I kissed her temple. Her giggle was my favourite music.

"Nandini?" I called. "Hmm...", she answered as she yawned. She looked so cute that I could eat her up.

"Tum mujhe phirse chod ke toh nahi jaogi na?" I asked like a little child, finally surfacing my insecurity. I was not scared of anything in this fucking world except the fact that she will leave me, and I will be alone once again, surrounded by my darkness.

"Manik!" She said cupping my face, still in my lap, "I can never leave you! Agar tumhe chodke jaungi toh how will I live? I have made He mistake of leaving you twice, I will never even think of it again...", she said smiling as she kissed my jawline and I pulled her closer.

"Tumhe stars bohot pasand hai na?" She said as we both looked at the dark sky filled with stars and she snuggled into me more. I was so glad that she was comfortable sitting in my lap and didn't mind the proximity we were sharing. Unknowingly, we were coming close again, this time not just physically, but with love and trust too.

"Toh I will be your star, I will shine for you, hamesha!" She said looking into my eyes like a little kid as her eyes twinkled like stars and I started falling in love with her all over again.

Just then, it started drizzling again and I kissed her nose, making her wriggle under me. I laughed at it and she gently kissed my chin under my lips while my mouth opened wide open and she giggled.

"Manik, baarish!" She said pouting as she ran outside getting drenched in the rain and I laughed. She was still a kid, so naïve, so pure, so innocent and it seemed like we were destined. She was too innocent for the world and she was meant to be with a devil like me, a monster who could protect her from everything.

I never believed in fairy tales, but ever since I met her, I wanted to gift her, her own happily ever after. There wasn't the most beautiful set up there, but we found heaven.

The blanket of sky under which we were both there, stars shining over us, fireflies glowing in a corner, light drizzle drenching both of us as my girl wore my clothes and laughed carelessly.

This was no fairy tale, this was our love story.

"Nandini Murthy!" I called her and her eyes flipped at me. I never knew when I was ready, I never knew when she was ready, I never knew when this happened, but in that moment, right there, I knew she was all I wanted, and all I will ever want.

She snapped at me, looking angelic in semi drenched hair flying across her face, and the beautiful smile attracting me like a moth is attracted to fire.

I walked towards her and she waited for me till I reached her.

Tucking her hair behind her ears, I kissed her crown. I entwined our hands as I pulled her closer and looked into her eyes that showed love for me, only for me.

I slowly bent on my knees and she moved a few steps behind in shock, face palming her mouth.

"Nandini Murthy!" I called our again, louder this time.

"Manik!" She whispered in disbelief, nodding negatively, as if trying to stop me, but I nodded my head holding her hand, and her words stopped as her voice faded and the red glow crept over her face.

"I love you!" I screamed as a few tears fell off her face, mingling with the rain drops and her smile just grew, her eyes locked with mine.

"Hamesha!"

~loving you is like breathing; the day I stop loving you will be the day I will stop breathing, the day I will die~

~•~

And also, this story is #3 in FanFiction today because of all of us. Congrats to all of you ❤

Thank you!