This may be boring! :p

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Nandini's POV

It has been two weeks we returned from the farmhouse. These two weeks has been bliss! Spending time with Nandini, Alex, Navya, Bhai, Rishabh and Manik. My small but only family!

But just few days back Bhai had decided that they'll be moving back to their own house. Manik and I tried to make him understand that he could stay with us but he denied saying that they had shifted here only because it was dangerous and now that it was all settled they were ought to go back.

"Nan-nini don't cly otay! I will tome to see you!" I chuckled when I heard Nandini saying all this to me when it should be exactly opposite.

"I promise I won't cry!" I pinched my throat and she gave me a smile.

"So see you soon guyss!" Bhai said to us as I hugged both of them. We looked at Manik who was lost in his thoughts.

"Manik!" I nudged him and he came back to his senses.

"Huh! Sorry! Buddy I still would say the same thing! Stay!" He said and Bhai sighed.

"Manik we have had a long discussion on it! So now no arguments! And besides we'll come to visit you'll right!" He said and Manik just hugged him.

"Princess will come with Alex right?" He kneeled down and asked her. She bobbed her head up and down cutely.

"Alec will miss you and Nan-nini too!" She said and I chuckled. Apparently Alex was also going with them as Nandini wanted to play with him. So now it was only Manik, me and Rishabh in the house.

"Rose I'm going to our room and please don't disturb as I have a very important project to do!" Manik said and rushed inside just after they left. I wanted to stop him and tell him to atleast eat something first but he didn't listen.

Manik was drowned in work from last few days. He said that this project was very important for them and he had to get it by hook or crook. I moved towards the kitchen to make something for him as I know he would totally forget it. Rishabh had also left for his college.

I walked towards our room with the food in my hands. Opening the door I saw him emerged in his laptop with frowns on his face.

"Manik!" I called but he didn't look up.

"Hmm!" He just hummed still busy in his laptop. I sighed and placed the dish on the bed next to him.

"Manik listen first have your food and then do your work!" I said but he didn't listen. I waited for ten minutes but still he was in his work.

"Manik -!"

"Rose please I'll have it! You keep it here I promise I'll have it!" He said and I nodded getting up and moving out.

I had nothing to do as I looked around the empty mansion. Sighing I thought of doing some cleaning so I started with one room. First I cleaned Rishabh's room which was the dirtiest. I wonder how does that boy live in this room. It was so messy! Once finished with his room I went on with the others. It was past six when I was all sweaty and done with the dusting and cleaning.

I moved towards my room to take a bath and saw Manik still in the same position typing something on the laptop. I glanced at the plate and thankfully it was empty. I then moved towards the bathroom without disturbing him.

"Manik I'm bored!" I complained once I came out of bathroom and sat on the bed.

"Rose read some books or better you can also play the piano!" He suggested and didn't even glance at me once. I shut my eyes tight to shoo away the feeling of getting neglected.

He is working for us only Nandini! I reminded myself and unknowingly slept on the bed.

The next when I woke up Manik was not on the bed but pacing in the room talking to someone on the phone. He seemed tensed from what I could decipher. Once his phone call ended I walked towards him and back hugged him.

"Why are you stressing so much? You'll get the project Manik!" I said and he sighed pulling me in front.

"I can't take chances Rose! I have to give it my best!" He said and pecking my forehead walked past me. I tried to hide my disappointment but I couldn't.

Another week passed and all Manik did was busy himself in work whereas I had nothing to do. So this time I started finding jobs to keep myself occupied. Finally when I got one job I thought of telling Manik.

"Manik I need to tell you something!" I called him but all I heard is shuffling.

"Nandini I'm very busy right now! We'll talk once I get home!" Saying so he hung up and I was hurt. Swallowing the hurt I composed myself and left for my new found job.

"Welcome Mrs. Malhotra!" I smiled at the lady who welcomed me. I looked around to see people already waiting for me.

"Here is your piano! And everyone this is Mrs. Nandini Malhotra, your piano teacher!" She said and everyone said 'hello' in unison. I smiled at all of them and sat on my seat.

"Uh so Nandini Ma'am can you please play a tune for us?" One of the guy seated there asked. They were all in their early twenties.

"Sure!" I smiled and placing my fingers on the piano closed my eyes. Next I know is my fingers playing with the piano and I was lost in my melody.

When I finished I slowly opened my eyes to see everyone staring at me which made me nervous. I looked at the lady who brought me here and she smiled at me and then clapped her hands.

"That was just a wonderful melody!" She said and the next second the room was filled with applauds and praises.

"Ma'am you were amazing! That was so beautiful!" One by one I heard appreciations and I couldn't help but feel happy.

The day passed quickly with me teaching my students the basics. It was around past ten when I reached home to see a worried Manik pacing in the living room. The click sound of the door snapped his attention towards me and he strode towards me in the next second.

"Where the hell were you Nandini? Where is your fucking phone?" He yelled and I checked my phone which was dead.

"I've been calling you a zillion times but you aren't even answering once. You know how worried I was? How can you be so careless? You could have informed me and went. I thought something happened to you and -!" He stopped and looked at me.

"Where were you?" He asked sternly holding me by my shoulders. I quietly shoved his hands from there and moved past him towards our room. Changing my clothes I was going to lay down on the bed when Manik spun me around.

"I asked you something dammit!" He gritted pulling me more closer. I just closed my eyes to bear the pain which he was now giving me.

I opened my eyes and looked in his which were now burning in rage. I struggled to get out of his hold but he was way too strong. I slumped my shoulders as I was too tired and suddenly he let go of me. I ignored him and layed down on my side of the bed switching off the lights.

"Fine if you want to be like this! I won't bother you!" He said angrily and went on his side of bed. A tear slipped from my eyes but I quickly wiped it. I couldn't sleep the whole night as I kept tossing everytime. Manik was fast asleep maybe because he was very tired.

Having enough I sat up and decided to go on the terrace. I sat on the terrace while looking at the sky which had surprisingly no stars today.

"Now whom do I talk to?" I sighed looking down and feeling suddenly empty. The whole night I kept sitting there doing nothing and before I knew it was morning. I got up and moved down to freshen up.

Manik was already up and working on his laptop. He ignored me totally and I too did the same. I prepared breakfast and kept it on the bed and moved out. The next I know I was reading a book sitting on the couch of the living room. I didn't realise when I feel asleep in that uncomfortable position but when I woke up I hissed due to the pain in my neck and back.

With great difficulty I prepared lunch as I still had to leave for my job. I had to leave at 5pm and it was still 3:30pm so I still had time. I wrote on a paper about my job and kept it alongwith the plate which I would give Manik.

When I stepped in the room Manik was going through some documents. He didn't glance at me but I avoided that and went to the bed. But when I bent down I bit my lip to stop myself from hissing in pain. It was becoming unbearable and I had to do something.

"Hello!" I looked up and saw Manik on the phone. For a moment I thought he was calling me but how could he do that! It would damage his ego. I sighed and was going to leave the room when I remembered something and jerked my head to turn forgetting about the pain.

"Shit!" I hissed loudly catching my neck and cursing myself.

"Nandini!" Manik said worriedly keeping the phone and walking towards me. Just when he was about to touch me I moved back and hurt flashed across his face.

My eyes teared up as I looked at him pleading me through his eyes. I was still holding my neck but that pain didn't matter when the pain he had given me resurfaced.

"Please let me see it!" He pleaded and I bit my lip to prevent the sob which would escape my lip. I was going to leave the room when he held me and pulled me towards him making my back collide his front. He removed my hand and caressed that area with his thumb.

"Manik I'm fine!" I said, my voice shaky. I tried to get free but he gripped me tight.

"No you're not!" He whispered huskily and then scooped me in his arms. I looked away the entire time he walked us to other room. Placing me on the bed he moved to the other side and before I could get down he pulled me again hugging me from behind.

He peppered kisses on my neck making me weak as he slid his hand on my stomach and pulled me more into him. I clutched his hand on my stomach as he continued to give feather like kisses there.

"I'm sorry!" He whispered and a tear fell from my eye. He nuzzled his nose in my hair and before I knew I was sobbing.

"I'm sorry Rose! I'm really sorry!" He said guilty but I continued to cry. He turned me around and wiped my tears which knew no end.

"Please stop crying Rose! I know I've been neglecting you from past few weeks but I didn't had time Rose! I was so busy in that project that I forgot the one for whom I am doing all this! I'm sorry that I couldn't be there with you on the first day of your work! I'm sorry I didn't listen to you when you had called me! I'm sorry for ignoring you when you were sleeping on the couch in pain! I'm sorry for everything Rose! I'm sorry!" He repeated it again and again hiding his face in my neck and holding me close.

I was still snifling in his embrace when he moved away and stared at me with his guilty eyes.

"I'm sorry!" He whispered again and pecked my eyes one by one followed by my lips. I kissed him back as if accepting his apology.

"You will ignore me once again, once you give your attention to that project again!" I complained and he tucked my hair behind my ear.

"I won't I promise! Infact that project is been complete now and so I have all my time for you!" He pulled me closer and I stared in his eyes.

"But now I don't have time for you! I have to go to work!" I teased and he smirked.

"Really?" He asked and I nodded. All of a sudden he hovered over me taking me by surprise.

"Mrs. Malhotra don't instigate me to do something right now!" He started leaning in and I stopped him.

"Manik! I have to go to work!" I fake glared at him but he cared less.

"Oh but I suppose you still have an hour to go for that! So you know we can ..." He smirked and I nodded a no.

"What no? We can sleep! I haven't had a good sleep in days!" He said and rolled so that now I was above him. I smiled and kept my head on his chest.

"One sec! One sec! What did you think? That we can ...?" He asked and I looked away embarassed.

"You thought that we could ..you know? Ew Nandini! I mean such dirty thoughts! Tch tch tch!" He teased me and I smacked his arm.

"Shutup Manik! Let me sleep!" I whined and he laughed before enclosing me in his arms.

"I love you!"

"I love you more!"

~Life is a roller-coaster. It has its ups and downs. Stand together. Fight together. Stay together~