5 weeks later,

Tonight again after 3/4 months Manik was  on the same road , standing opposite to Murthy Mansion , staring at the same ladder placed below the balcony of her room . He thought for a while and made a decision.

"Manik why are you here? ....... Didn't I told u to move on ?" Without meeting his eyes she spoke bluntly when he entered through opened door of her balcony.

"Yes u did ...... But u didn't tell me how to forget a person whom you love " he moved closer and asked sternly.

"So tell me Miss Nandini , how to forget u ?....... How to stop loving you ?....... How to remove all your memories which are stuck inside me like a second skin on my body?...... How to stop thinking about you when ur not leaving my mind even for second ? " Cupping her nape he asked vehemently and she was struggling in his hold.

"Manik I don't know ....... leave me " his questioning eyes are something which she can't stand .

"Off course you know ....... U r happy in ur life , without me ....... U don't mind loving someone else rather than me ........ U don't feel disgusted after getting kissed or fucked by him " anger flashed in her eyes but she controlled it within seconds by clenching her fist .

"Why would I? ....... I have clearly said I have moved on and we are over ....... It's not like I am cheating on you " she pushed his chest slightly to maintain distance between them . He never expected this much casual attitude of her , he tried to instigate her that at least she will react , she will punch him for questioning her but nothing like that happened, his hopes were broken.

"Then why I am feeling disgusted of myself for sleeping with other girls ? ....... Why I am dieing every moment thinking u r hurt because of me and in reality u r not even bothered ....... Why I am expecting you to react on this , do something , punish me , hate me , beat me but please don't leave me ...... I don't even know, why I am begging in front of u, though I know I don't deserve this pain which u r giving to me " he left the pretendence of being angry after her incoherent behaviour.

In this month whenever he had  remembered that scene of her birthday, on that everytime he had visited the club to forget his pain , but everytime history repeated and he left heart broken and miserable without her , he stopped seeing girls because they were not helping too . Getting girls for fun was never difficult as he was extremely handsome and he is celebrity  so there were many girls willingly available . The speciality of this industry that u can't be alone for long time and options are quickly available . Similarly he wasn't alone , all the time news were chasing him , first there were lots of news about their break up , many assumptions were made and many stories were sold by media portal , then started dating rumours about him with other girls and lastly he became playboy of the city . 

"It's not my problem that u r stupid jerk ..... But still I will suggest u, to move with one girl and try to be happy instead of fucking around the city in the club's with random chicks " .

"Tell me how to do that ?....... When I don't even remember any face other than urs even after seeing many ........ Tell me which girl is worthy enough to forget u because I don't find any ....... Ur beautiful face , ur smile, ur innocence , ur shyness , ur bold attitude , ur blush , ur glowing face after my love making , ur cuteness, ur anger , ur softness , ur care everything thing of urs haunts me in a way that I don't know how and why, but I want ur punishments and ur forgiveness for something which I have done or not I don't know , but I know that I am craving for u and only u ....... Please come back to me " he didn't cried today but he tried convincing her , she also melted in his touches when he caressed her cheeks with his warm hands .

"Manik please stop this ...... I am begging u , leave me and my house now " she jerked his hands and asked helplessly.

"Not before I will get my answer ........ Tell me how to forget u ?....... How to unlove u ?...... How to stop hoping that u will never come back to me ?" This time he asked sternly.  She was perplexed unknowingly he is again breaking walls of her dead heart and she don't want him to succeed .

"Consider I am dead " she dropped the bomb on him and he can't take this .

"I am going , but please don't ever say that again " loosing every battle inside his mind , he softly kissed her forehead to calm his heart and swiftly left from her room .

.................||

"Aunty I know I was wrong very wrong that day ...... I shouldn't have done that but it was just a reflexive action , she was looking very stunning and on top of that I thought I have right to do so ...... As she is my fiance " for the last time over the call Vihaan tried to convince Ishita , he don't want to loose the chance of taking his revenge.  But he was lacking on it because his full concentration and mind wasn't on Nandini but they were screaming for Emma.

"She was and now I hope everything is cleared...... I was blinded in my own selfish motherly love that I forgot that I am pushing my daughter ...... I should have been her strength but eventually I became the reason behind her miseries but not anymore Vihaan ....... U must be a great person but u r not the one for my Nandu ...... We are breaking this alliance" Ishita disconnected the call . And Raman smiled at her .

"I am happy that u realised this " Raman said caressing her hair. Raman was only waiting for this since that day , he did felt bad for Manik but never for once he thought about anyone else rather than his daughter, where Ishita thought about Nandini's happiness but forgot to accept her with her sorrows and try to heal her.

"I know I was so wrong ..... But I thought she won't be able forget Manik if she will continue to be in pain ...... I thought she need a push to get out of her sorrow ..... But unknowingly I was pushing her deeper ...... I forgot love is not easy and u can't forget that someone ...... I don't know what our future have stored for us but I will support my daughter like always " she was also a mother, she thought about her child's happiness and it's not wrong but she forgot where her daughter's happiness is and that's why things got messed up . Otherwise her intentions were pure.

"We will protect our child " he took her in hug .

.................. ||

At the same time,

Shrikant heard Vihaan asking for another chance from Ishita over the call , so again feeling helpless as he can't do anything in this matter he left the room silently without hearing whole conversation . Anita noticed this and felt bad like everytime. Because they three are living in one guest house in Mumbai since that day Shrikant is trying but failing miserably to prove his love for Vihaan and is getting more vulnerable that he is not helping Manik.

She thought she should do something to save everyone because of this unwanted hatred everyone is drifting apart and she felt herself responsible somewhere because it's their failure that they couldn't gave assurance of love to Vihaan. She decided to visit Nandini and she will tell everything , she can't stop Vihaan but she definitely can stop Nandini by telling her truth. 

.................||

Shrikant was walking aimlessly on the silent street of Mumbai in the middle of night . He was simply trying to escape from reality at least for some time . But then he saw one known figure at a very long distance from him and the given scenario shocked him . No not that person but the place where that person was sitting. He moved towards the direction of temple.

Manik was sitting there at the one ending corner of  temple little away from the statue of Lord Ganesha which is situated in the middle of temple, his back is sticking to the trunk of Banyan tree which is rooted there deep inside the temple , his hands were on his chest , legs were half spreaded on the floor in front of him and his eyes were closed while his neck was relaxing on the tree trunk.

He came here after returning from her house , he was roaming to find some peace then his eyes caught this temple . He didn't believed in God since childhood but he used to like visiting temples because of soothing atmosphere inside the temple which used to make him feel calm , fresh and better. So he thought of finding some peace here. He also remembered their visit where she had thanked God for giving Manik to her and also prayed for him to be her's. Today he regretted for not doing same as her because God did listened her prayers , he is still hers .

"I never knew you believes in God " Manik opened his eyes and saw Shrikant sitting beside him . He was very tired that he don't have energy to fight with his dad .

"I don't but she used to " he sighed remembering her believes.

"U really loved her don't you ?"

"I still do love her ...... But I guess I don't deserve love " he smiled sadly. And Shrikant was speechless .

"So today u r here for complaining or begging him to return her " not knowing what to say , Shrikant indirectly asked Manik's reason to visit the temple.

"No ....... I am not complaining nor begging ....... I think I don't have right to complain when I never believed in him ...... I used to believe whatever is happening in my life ,is only because of me so I can't blame him for my miserable life ....... And it will be selfishness of mine if now I would beg in front of him just because I am in need " he answered calmly. Increasing Shrikant's pride more for him .

"Then why are you here ?"

"Was trying to find some peace and escape from world ....... But  that seems difficult now " he said last line eyeing to Shrikant and was about to get up but Shrikant held him back.

"Manik I am sorry " Shrikant said looking into his eyes and Manik smiled sadly.

"For what?"

"For everything ....... From coming into ur life to loving you " he was being honest today , there was no pretendence of any fake anger or hatred.

"I think u should be sorry for giving me a life " he said with same smile but tears trickled in Shrikant's eyes , no father can hear these words.

"Manik please...... Don't say something like this it kills me ...... I know u r hurt but this is life u just can't give up on it for one failure..... It's just a phase it will pass soon ".

"It's not just a one failure my whole life is wasted ....... I am suffering all my life ...... And whenever I was happy in past it was all delusion nd facade of reality , both the times ....... U know I don't hate u or Nandini for doing this with me ....... Because I feel I am born for this and u both are just two unforgettable lessons in book of my life ...... And I am hating myself for loving you two because I am not able to hate you even after everything u did to me " he was being honest today , not angry nor sad just tired of his life . First time after 8 years he left his guards and he was naked in front of his father . No harshness , rudeness nothing he was just showing his broken side.

"And I think U r my karma ...... U r born to punish me " Shrikant was always scared to see hatred in Manik eyes for him , but Manik's unconditional love killed him thousand times , tonight. Manik still loves him it's hurting.

"I don't know" Manik again relaxed on tree trunk.

"I don't know u will believe on me or not ..... But I have always loved u more than myself ....... Whatever u felt in 18 years wasn't a illusion , yes I accept u were surrounded by lies but every other emotion was real ...... Except that lie , everything I shared with you was true and pure ...... I really loved you " Manik also saw truth in Shrikant's eyes . But it's too late.

" See the irony u loved me , still u r the reason behind my grief " Manik chuckled sadly.

"That's why I said u r my Karma....... And trust me it's hitting me really hard ......  I wish I wouldn't have loved you " Shrikant also chuckled hiding his side of sorrow . Manik didn't understand everything but he was too tired to dig into matter .

"I wish the same" he shrugged his shoulders .

"Why r u here ? " Manik asked.

"Umm ...... Because of u ...... I saw you sitting here" Shrikant told him real reason. Manik nodded.

"I also don't believe in him " after few minutes Shrikant spoke and sheepishly .

"I knew it already because u never visited temple in my childhood" Manik smirked and Shrikant smiled .

Today they really found their peace though they knew it's temporary but still it was more than enough for them . They were true without any layer of fakeness.

"But if he is real na then I do have one wish " Shrikant said mildly.

"What is it?"

"Ur happiness" .

"Even he can't give me that ....... Because she is not coming back " Manik chuckled sadly and it broke Shrikant's heart and he stood up from there.

"Where ?" Manik questioned.

"For making the way towards ur happiness " Shrikant's words made him confused and before he knows anything Shrikant was gone . Not knowing anything Manik just smiled at his retreating figure . Everyone is a temporary.

......................||

"Vihaan please I am begging u stop chasing Nandini ....... He is in so much pain ....... Don't do this please ...... He is ur little brother ...... I am responsible for ur miseries........ He is innocent ....... Please let him live" for the first time in his life Vihaan saw Shrikant bending on his knees, crying and begging in front of him . This hurted him again that he is begging for Manik , The Shrikant Malhotra is begging but no son can see his father like this.

"U proved it again ....... U loves him more ...... In last few days I had started believing in ur love for me but I was blinded by my hate to see you have always loved him  " Vihaan to bend down and started crying silently with him. Shrikant knew he is being biased and selfish , but love is selfish.

"It's not like tha......"

"U don't need to explain ....... I can't see you like this in pain at least not because of me ....... And I have realised my love for Emma is more than this revenge game ...... I promise , I will stop everything ....... I am going back to London " after saying everything Vihaan left from there, without looking back at his beloved father who loves Manik more , because it hurts to accept that.

................||

Next day,

Manik came on sets today in the morning directly from that temple . He don't know why but he is getting some strange, weird feelings since the time he has left that temple.

Everything and everyone was behaving normally with him they are avoiding his presence like usual . Yeah it's been his normal because after that night everything changed for him so the everyone around him got changed . Though they have their own reasons, reputation and career to handle but still nothing can change the fact that he is alone everywhere. That was the reason he never wanted to make friends.

He have grown more intensive and expressive in acting , the only best thing happened with him that he turned out to be brilliant actor , for which he worked really hard. But when he achieved that he wasn't happy because she was right , this glamorous industry runs on the darkness  inside the soul of a person . This industry is fascinated with destruction , because no matter how brilliant u r in ur work but u will get whole attention of media when something miserable is happened.  They makes profits from ur broken image.

"Manik " he turned back and saw Lakshmi calling him , she looks nervous and scared may be , but why .

"Haa"

"I want to tell you something which is very important for u to know " she hesitated.

"What is it?" He grew attentive because she have always avoided talking with him from the time they came back from Switzerland. And before that she was annoyingly clingy and noisy .

"I know I don't deserve ur forgiveness but still if possible please forgive me ...... I am not like this but my growing jealousy and ego made me do this ....... I am not justifying myself but I need to tell you this , otherwise I will die in guilt " she also started feeling bad for Manik whenever she used to see him lost or drunk or sad or crying on sets alone . She didn't had guts to confess it in front of Manik but today she have no other option because Vihaan have asked her to do so , otherwise he will broke her relationship with Vikky by telling him how she was trying to woo Manik.

"Say it clearly , what u did ?" Manik was getting reckless.

"I have had hide the fact from you that Nandini was pregnant and she ........... " She confessed everything in front of him and also explained why she did that. But nothing made him calm , anger started rushing through his veins and it took everything inside him not to beat her till she dies . But he controlled somehow because she's a girl and his mother have tought him good things.

"I am leaving the show ...... Ask them to find replacement " dropping bomb on her , he left from there furiously and she regretted her deeds of that day.

................||

"Nandini Murthy come out ....... Nandiniii " he screamed her name loudly, standing in the living room of Murthy Mansion , hearing earth shattering voice of him , Raman and Ishita came into living room . Nandini was shocked why he is in living room shouting her name .

"Manik why are you h ...." She said after coming downstairs.

"I want to know the truth Nandini ...... And dare you say no to me ....... I swear I won't hesitate to be a monster " he was angry and determined like never before.

"What u want to know?" She asked without any fear . Raman and Ishita were silent spectators of the situation.

"Were you pregnant ?" She frawned.

"As if you don't know ....... Stop pretending Manik, u already knew it  " .

"No , I don't know because u never told me ........ Don't test my patience....... Answer me Nandini " she feared seeing intensity in his voice and eyes . But she was confused , something is missing.

"Yes ....... I was pregnant with ur child" today her voice shivered remembering those days of her life. This answer stirred something inside him , he never thought he will hear such news in such situation.

"Why didn't you tell me before?" Father inside him demanded answer.

"I tried but I couldn't ....... U were so adamant about not marrying to me, that you didn't even tried to listen reason behind my proposal ....... I wanted to marry you to save my child from the judgements of society , I wanted to secure his/her future ...... So no one could say that child is illegitimate ...... U were too aggressive that I feared to see ur regret or hate or anger for my child " today after months her eyes were reflecting pain and agony.

"Okay I agree with everything ....... I was wrong , I was aggressive and impulsive like always ....... But tell me didn't u thought for a moment that child is mine too ...... Didn't u believed on me that I can protect my child from everyone ....... Didn't u had faith in me , that no matter what Manik will never leave me ..... Bolo Nandini " she was extremely silent and he was hurt and angry.

"The truth is u never trusted me ........ U loved me but u forgot to keep faith in that love ........ That time u didn't believe me and after loosing our baby , that time also u don't trusted me " she instantly looked up and she was confused .

"Yes that time whatever u heard was a misunderstanding created by Lakshmi ....... And she is the one who told me everything , she is the most disgusting woman I ever met ....... But u know what , you failed to trust me and that's why today we are here , drifted apart ........ Why Nandini ? ....... Why didn't u trust me , how could you believe that I can say something like that ...... And that too after loosing my baby ....... More than 'I love you's I have told you that no one and nothing is important for me, other than you, then how could you think that I can chose silly career or shoot over you ?" Hurt would be understatement for his feelings . Nothing was different with her, she too was breaking again . Tears gathered in her eyes reminding her that her heart is still alive but it's broken badly.

"Manik listen to me " she started coming near him but he stopped her .

"No Nandini u listen to me ........ Even after whatever mistakes you did or whatever mistakes I did , I still had hope for us ...... I never gave upon us completely because something was holding me back ........ But today I lost all hopes on us ...... And now ,  we are over " he broke the last strings of hope and left from there . She scattered on the floor with the pool of tears in her eyes . She is crying , after that day it's a first time she is crying.

"Nandu ........ What he was saying ?...... What misunderstanding?"  her parents asked , they knew about baby but she never told them why they broke up .

Flashback ,

That night in the party when she fumbled and rolled down through stairs , she directly fell on her stomach , her forehead , hands and legs were injured , she blacked out .

Her other team members and friends came running to her , Shivansh sprinkled water on her face, she stirred little bit and tried opening her eyes but she was in daze to gain complete consciousness . He picked her up and took her to the hospital with the help of other two friends of them .

"My baby " she whispered in daze and Shivansh got confused then he looked at her hand , she was clutching her stomach tightly.

"Are you pregnant?" He asked.

"Haan ....... Aaah ...... Please call Manik ..... Aaa it's paining " she completed her sentence with the lots of difficulty . She forgot about everything , their fight , their break and every other thing . She just wanted his presence .

Shivansh started calling Manik but in the starting his phone was busy and then it was switched off. He didn't wanted to break her heart that's why he didn't told her anything and keep pretending as if he is calling.

Here inside the Mumbai airport , Manik and his friends were waiting for flight . But Manik was restless because of some uneasy feelings that's why before entering inside the plane he wanted to talk to Nandini . He also forgot about their fight and break , he just want to make sure that she is fine and even he is ready to make a peace with her . He started calling her inspite of his friends objection , first she wasn't answering his calls and then , when Shivansh also started calling from her ph, Manik heard the line is busy , so he kept trying but suddenly his ph fell off due to the sudden push.  He was so engrossed in calling that he didn't noticed Lakshmi tumbled in her steps and fell on him making him loose his balance and  phone scattered in the pieces on the floor.

She did it intentionally so that Manik won't talk with Nandini and things will not be sorted between them and she can try her hands on Manik in Switzerland.

"Shivansh ....... Where is Manik ? ....... I need him ....... Our baby needs him ....... Our baby will be safe , haina? " a fear was visible in her eyes , she was in daze but her subconscious mind was scared for baby . He knew it already that the possibilities are less but he chose silence. Doctors took her inside the operation theatre. 

"Please save my baby ...... His / her parents loves him/her so much ....... Please save my baby ...... Manik please come back ...... U have promised me that u will protect our baby " she kept saying any of this sentences till the time she was totally unconscious due to the dose of anesthesia.

"Sorry we couldn't save her baby ...... Please call Manik ...... She was continuously asking for him ...... Otherwise she is fine only few bruises and cuts are there on her forehead ,hands and legs " doctor informed about Nandini's state to Shivansh after operating her nearly for hour. She is unconscious.

Manik's ph was still switched off , Shivansh thought for a while then he thought about calling Manik's friends. He remembered Lakshmi as they have met once in last month . He called her and she frawned seeing Nandini's call at this hour. She picked up.

"Hello listen  it's Shivansh, Nandini have lost her baby ..... Please send Manik here in hospital ...... It's urgent " without giving her time to speak Shivansh said fastly , she felt bad for baby and before she could give ph to Manik , an cunning idea came to her mind which can break them and it will help Vihaan.

"Ohh no it's So bad ...... wait a minute , I am giving it to Manik"

She smirked and put hand on her mobile for few seconds and moved little more closer
to Manik , held her ears and mouthed 'Sorry ' for the thousandth times . She was saying sorry continuously for breaking his phone and now she is irritating him , he is already tensed for Nandini and he don't want to tolerate Lakshmi's nonsense more.

"It's okay ..... Waise bhi jo hona tha ho gaya , we can't do anything , let's forget it and move on" Manik said clearly and loudly in irritated tone that she backed off from him instantly but smiled from inside when she saw Shivansh disconnected the call. Manik's words shocked Shivansh , because he never knew Manik can be so heartless but he is more worried for Nandini.

He tried his best to keep her away from Manik's thoughts when she gained her consciousness. She got to know about miscarriage and she broke down in front of him . She went crazy , she blamed herself for that , she even tried to kill herself with knifes and blades in the hospital due to the guilt but he struggled hard and stopped her.

"Nandini ...... It's not ur fault ...... You wouldn't  have drink alcohol if you would have known about side effects ....... It was just a bad timing , worse situation and cruel fate ... Life is like this ...... Please don't blame urself , try to be strong " he caressed her hair and she nodded. At that time doctor came inside .

"Who ....... He or she ?" With lots of courage Nandini asked this question .

"She ...... It was girl" this crushed her heart. She was a mother of two months old baby girl, his mini minion . This must be hardest thing for any woman to hear that she has lost her child.

(During her first pregnancy test , doctor had taken few more tests and one of them was foetus determining test but it's not ethically allowed to tell gender of baby that's why doctor didn't tell her before )

"There is something more , I don't know how it will affect you but " doctor hesitated.

"What is it ? ....... Say it clearly doctor " Nandini asked with the tears in her eyes and fears in her heart.

"U can't be pregnant again, naturally ...... Ur system is not well " mother inside her died the moment doctor said those words.

"May be I want mini minion "

"Why not boy ?"

"Yeah I want boy too ...... But first I want girl "

"But boy should be first ...... So that he can protect her "

"She don't need to worry when she have her papa "

"But Manik what if......."

"We will be having girl first"

His words ranged inside her mind and she cried caressing her stomach . She remembered Manik is still not here . She looked up for Shivansh who was looking at her with sympathetic eyes.

"Where is Manik?"

"He is not coming ...... He is in flight " he said the truth but his eyes were screaming that he is hiding something from her as he stammered many times even he tried controlling his tears while gulping down the saliva.

"Please don't hide anything from me ....... I am tired already please ....... I beg u "

"U will be more hurt"

"It doesn't matter , I am already hurt "

"Waise bhi jo hona tha ho gaya , we can't do anything , let's forget it and move on" she heard call recording from her phone and from that time this line never left her mind . This is unforgettable and unforgivable , no matter what but she can't forgive Manik for being such a heartless father , in her whole life.

She thought nothing can break her more than the news of miscarriage. Then mother inside her died even before becoming the one . But still she was living , her heart was bleeding but still it was alive but his words killed her , broke the last thread of her hopes for life . Her heart died so the Nandini whom world knows . Her innocence and real essence got killed brutally , her soul left her body.  And whatever remained was just a living human body. 

In the morning Shivansh dropped her at her house. Her parents were scared seeing her devastated state . With lots of courage they heard about her miscarriage from Shivansh , it was so unexpected that they didn't even got the time to accept that she was pregnant . But still keeping their feelings aside they thought about her . They forgot to ask about Manik because they thought he is in Switzerland and after that day she never talked about Manik and her to her parents.

She destroyed everything in the house which were keeping innocent Nandini alive , she broke her plates , mugs , other cartoon products and many such things . Her innocence was also killed and now she became strong cold hearted woman , who never cares for anyone and waiting for the death to come .

Flashback ended...

Not everytime u need third person to destroy ur relationship , sometimes timings, situations and impulsive actions as a reflex of first action is enough to make u suffer for something which u don't deserve.

................End............||

Let me know if you found any mistake.

How was the chap?

........... Aish ❣️..........