N A N D I N I

"I na, I love you! Very much!" I whispered keeping my head on his chest as I heard his heart beat and I held him tighter. But I was upset because I could hear no music in return, people were not throwing flower petals at us. Neither were there violin players around, nor were rainbows blessing us with their light. Isn't this what happens when someone confesses their love? Then why not mine?

"Aww my baby! Of course I love you too!" I heard him smile as he put his hands across my back and I suddenly felt suffocated, feeling to vomit up but the idea of having Manik's arms around me made me push those thoughts absolutely away. Breaking away from him, I heard someone stomp as Kiara dashed out in frustration.

"Oh my god princess! I didn't know you're so smart!" He said looking at Kaira's disappearing figure as he breathed in relief and I blushed looking down as I could feel the heat creep up to my cheeks. Wasn't the first compliment from your new boyfriend supposed to be very special?

"What did I do?" I asked laughing along with his laugh as the smile on his face vanished. Lifting his eyes eyes and rubbing his chin with his palm, he squeezed his eyes looking at me from head to toe and I pouted looking at myself in the mirror while he continued to study me.

"I know mein bohot hot lag rhi hu, but can you tell me what did I do?" I asked squeezing my eyes as he laughed looking away. "You... and hot?" He made a disgusted face pushing his hands in his pocket and anger crept in my nerves. How dare he tell that I'm not hot?

"Well princess, what defines hotness is her....," He said biting the corner of his lips as an unknown emotion shined in his eyes and I turned my head to look at Kiara still peeping in through the door and my eyes saddened. Was I not pretty enough? Was my cuteness a disadvantage?

Looking down, I fell to the floor not being able to keep my balance as I frowned and sniffed. "What are you doing down?" He widened his eyes looking at me and then looked away as I sniffed more. Great, he doesn't even want to see me anymore!

"Wait! Shit! Princes, how high are you?" He asked and I registered his words slowly and then his expressions when I started laughing. Aww my cutie has forgotten to speak English!

"Sir, it is not how high are you. It is hi, how are you!" I corrected laughing and his expressions turned furious as he gritted his teeth and his dark eyes looked into mine, as if spitting fire and I lowered my eyes and stopped laughing looking down. I will never ever correct him again!

Gritting his teeth, he leaned down at me as his hands held my arms tightly, pricking into them and I got shocked. "Nandini Murth-....," his words stopped midway when I coughed hard. Throw up, I had to throw up!

Pushing him away hard enough to make him stumble behind, I threw up in the basin while I saw him making some disgusted faces by the mirror. Had he never vomited before? Come on, it's natural!

"Are you okay?" He said in the most disinterested voice and I wiped my face with the tissues, nodding positively. "I feel much sobered!" I confessed, the bad taste still stuck in my throat. I pursed my lips at his disinterested face, yet not for once he took his eyes off me, no matter what kind of 'not hot' I look like.

"There's something with you and trouble, you can never keep yourself off it, isn't it?" He snapped and I lowered my head. I was never into trouble when I was alone, I somehow only got into trouble when I was with him. And then he blames it on me?

"I love trouble!" I mocked back at him rolling my eyes as we both walked out of the men's restroom and then exited the club, getting weird glares from everyone around us. Coming out of a men restroom isn't a certificate that says we just had sex. Or does it?

"Love! You love everything too much princess," He smirked but I could sense the tease behind that half lifted smile and cold but undistant voice. It was as if slowly, the distance in his voice was getting lesser with each passing conversation and as if he was breaking a small hole in his darkness to let me see through him. And I wanted to do that, I wanted to see his souls and not the mask he pretends to wear everywhere.

"I do, because there's something beautiful about love. Sometimes, falling in love with the smallest things about life is magical, it gives hope to better things just like the fist ray of light in the night sky or that small star shining in a storm," I smiled to myself, content about how I managed to love the smallest things and how even that brought me happiness. Looking up to his smug face, he mocked a laugh.

"You're a kid, princess!" He snapped back rolling his eyes and I shrugged it away. If being positive and happy meant being a kid, I wanted to remain that forever. And if being dark and cruel means growing up like what he had, I didn't want to. I could stay in my small world which has no place for monsters, which is happy and positive with magic and sunshine.

Just when I was about to answer him, I heard a small scream from the other side. "Nandini?" We both turned our faces to see a worried Zubin, who's hard eyes stopped at me, relaxing. But just when they turned to Manik, I saw something shine in his eyes, some kind of emotion that I never have. His eyes hardened as he fisted his hand, pulling me away and I hid behind his protective embrace while Manik stared at us in some kind of amusement.

No words were exchanged, nothing at all. Taking my hands into his, Zubin dragged me away, though the corner of my eyes stared at him staring back at us with amusement dancing in his eyes yet a soft smirk playing on his lips.

His silence itself screamed chaos, the darkness of the night looked like danger yet beauty, and the smirk playing on his lips made my heart stir as my sub conscious mind continuously warned me- was he really so peaceful and beautiful, or was it just the silence before the storm?

Retiring back at bed and staring at the dark night full of stars that kept changing colours the entire night as the clouds stirred, I could have slept. But I chose not to, maybe for I have fallen in love with the way my mind plays on dark nights with millions of thoughts occupying my mind but each thought was just about one person- Manik Malhotra.

❤︎

"Zubin Singhaniya, you don't get up from the dining table, and I'd kill you!" I shouted on the top of my voice which even made the empty rooms of the mansion shutter but my ignorant best friend sat peacefully and unaffected, licking the waffles like a small three year old kid as if I was talking to the deaf walls. Like who even eats waffles for breakfast?

"Come on Nandini, all I'm doing is eating my waffles. Haven't you heard disturbing a person eating is a sin?" He mocked back putting another piece of his waffle in his mouth and I sighed while he casually shrugged off all my glares. "Okay, I'm leaving then. Don't scold me about going alone and all that shit! Either you're least interested in dropping me, or you want me to hear from my monster boss!" I sighed. I could already hear the monster grumbling in my ears and I didn't want to test his patience early in the morning and spoil my mood for the entire day.

"Who said you're going alone?" I heard a foreign voice as I turned behind to see Aryamman walking in with that goofy smile playing on his lips and I returned back the polite smile.

"I just came here for office work, but since someone is busy eating waffles....," Aryamman said eyeing Zubin, "....I'd drop you off! You work at Malhotra Industries right?," he asked and I nodded biting my lower lip.

"Aryamman, are you sure-... I mean....," I hesitated, anyone would. Who'd get in a car with a stranger whom I've barely known for two hours and know nothing about except his name while he smiled at me genuinely hiding the goofiness behind. "Come on Nandini! I've heard Zubin speak so much about you, the least I can do is drive you till your destination, can't I?", He asked in a hopeful voice and I couldn't help but nod positively with a small smile playing on my lips.

Looking towards Zubin, before I could even say anything, he turned his hand up in a thumbs up as he put another piece in his mouth and I nodded in disbelief, walking away with Aryamman who lead me to his car, opening the passenger seat door to me as I hopped in and so did he.

Through out the drive, we generally spoke on normal topics and it felt great to know him. Just like me, he too loved fireflies. Strange, isn't it? In a world of fakeness, masks and chaos, someone is just as stupid as me to believe in hopes and fireflies and it felt so nice to know that! And on a second hand, I couldn't help but notice his jawline. It was so sharp and smooth that it actually made me wonder what if I cut my finger if I run it through his jawline and perfect stubble.

"So, that's how we reach!" He smiled parking the car and I smiled at him gratefully. "Thank you so much Aryamman, you're a saviour!" I confessed from all my heart and his smile just increased. One of the best things to watch is someone's smile as it increases and reaches their eye after your compliment and Aryamman had one such adorable smile that you could die for.

"Your saviour!" He corrected with a wink and I couldn't help but giggle at no matter how sweet he is, he's still remain a flirt. Waving him a goodbye, I walked inside the office, walking in straight to his cabin.

I knocked once and waited for a few minutes for a reply before knocking the second time. Having no response again, I slowly walked inside his cabin, and to my surprise, there was no one. Sir never left his cabin unless it was very necessary, neither did he let anyone enter his cabin for a long time. Standing there all alone and walking in freely with a goofy smile was like dancing the monsters den and I felt proud enough to achieve it.

Walking to his table, I noticed a small frame lying at the side, it's back turned towards me. The weird part about it being, I have never seen it before- not even the innumerable times I have come here.

An unknown feeling, something as evident as a fear caught over my heart. My dad always had mine and my mom's picture on his table, Zubin still has Mukti's. Who'd it be for Manik?

My heart beat faster as I thought about him. He has no family as he always told. Was he married? Did he have a daughter? Or was he already in love? Was there a chapter of his life that has gone untold? Maybe he was married and he had a child in the few years that I was away to London who might have died leaving him in the darkness? Or maybe it is his forgiven love who rejected him which is practically impossible because he is the sinfully hot Manik Malhotra!?

My heart raced thinking about each situation as my hand slowly grabbed the frame on its back. I didn't know who was in the frame as of now, but I did know the consequences of touching it without his permission. A billion thoughts ran through my mind and I was even ready to play with fire now to know this unknown chapter of his life as I finally grabbed the frame.

Little did I know, this mere photograph was about to change my entire life.

Silence will always be peaceful yet chaotic, and dark yet beautiful until you come face to face with the harmful demons hiding underneath the mask of that harmless silence.

~•~