Chapter- 23

"Is he like that too? Manan's daddy? You sound like you know someone like me" asked Manik suspiciously..

Nandani was shocked with this sudden question..

"Nah..... He appears to be super irritating and often does things that no one understands, but the most important thing is that whatever he does is full of justice" said Nandini proudly..

"Sounds just like me... thanks for believing me and your care all these while. I'm sorry for not being able to stay and take care of you" Manik said smilingly..

Nandini told him "he would never know how much he had done for her and Manan and that maybe it's Heaven's arrangement".

"I also didn't know why Heaven sent me to live here, meet you and Manan.. confuse my principles.. couldn't carry out the bad thing that I'm supposed to do... I should have been able to leave with no guilt but I'm filled with guilt now.. Why?" Manik said and looked deep and thoughtful into Nandini's eyes...

Their eyelock which was broken by Village Head who wanted his Black Jack back. Manik gave him back the Black Jack and then they realised that it sprouted!!!

They realised something was wrong because Nandini and Manik used the same bulb but different source of water and soil. Manik told them that "he had already suspected that Sexana Corporation's factories that surrounded Village might be polluting the water and the soil in the fields and that the corporation might be desperately trying to obtain Village's land to avoid being found out".

Nandini showed them the shredded papers to show that Manik really wanted to help them and asked them to believe Manik another time.

Even though Dhruv was reluctant, he agreed as well, not before warning Manik that he would be watching him carefully.

They stopped Sarla from drinking the underwater from village field, and she thought that Manik wanted to snatch her water, after snatching the land, but Nandini told her that Manik suspected the underwater was already polluted by the factories, which was why Village Head's Black Jacks never grew.

Then they all made a plan... Dhruv was trusted with the task of obtaining water from the factories' pipes and sending the samples for analysis. Nandini cautioned him by holding his arms about the factories' workers and to be little careful around them....

Manik saw her holding Dhruv's arms but it wasn't very clear to him whether he's just being observant, or jealous, or uncomfortable.

Manik took Village Head to Alia for a check up because his health was deteriorating day by day, and said that "If there's an angel on Earth, it would be Alia"...

Alia took a blood sample from Village Head and when Manik asked her later if their marriage would be affected, Alia told him that as long as he's doing the right thing, she would support him. She asked him why his attitude changed so fast in just a few days, and he told her smilingly that maybe it's because of the villagers, Manan or his mummy.

After that, when Alia walked Village Head to the door, she even gave Manik sweets with no artificial sweeteners to give to Manan, since she learnt from Manik that he had diabetes. Manik was so touched by her thoughtfulness that he gave her a kiss on the forehead.

Dhruv went home and Khushi gave him an amulet that she got from the temple, but she refused to listen to Dhruv when he told her that he only thought of her as a sister, and nothing more. Nandini asked Manik about Alia's reaction and he told her that she's fine with him working against her father.

Nandani said that "Alia is both pretty and kind".

Manik raised his one eyebrow and asked her "Hey how do you know Alia?? how you would know whether Alia's pretty or not"...

Nandani at once realized what she had blurted she said "Obviously she would be pretty, I just imagine".

Manik smiled on this and didn't intruded more as he had diverted Nandani's attention and then quickly put the carrots back into the fridge and hi fived Manan since the both of them hated carrots. Dhruv came and asked what else he could do, and Manik told him that he suspected Mr. Singh, a great figure in the conservation area, might have taken bribes from Sexana Corporation to change the reports on the level of the chemicals in the water expelled by the factories.

Nandini then only interfered and asked them to have dinner. Dhruv and Manik 'fought' with each other by using Manan.

Dhruv: "Manan, don't you always sit next to me?". Dhruv was glaring Manik and Manik rolled his eyes...

Manik: "Manan beta, didn't you say that you wouldn't eat if I don't sit next to you?"... Manik too replied smirkingly...

Manan hold his head with his both hands and said "ufff Aiyappaaaa"... Seeing this their lips curve into a smile...

Manan: "Can you two don't put me in a dilemma? Eat your dinner na, let's start"

Later, Manan gave Dhruv all his bitter gourd, and Dhruv happily accepted.

Manik:"Manan, we shouldn't be fussy with what we eat. Who taught you to have this kind of bad habit? (looking at Dhruv) what if you can't grow tall?"

Manan said that "Manik uncle uh was also picky about carrots", but Manik said I am already tall na, which caused Dhruv to dump carrots on Manan's bowl, while telling him how good carrots were. Seeing that, Manik told Manan that it's compulsory to eat bitter gourd and he dumped bitter gourd too on Manan's bowl as well.

Poor Manan!

Nandini came to ask for an empty plate to put all the leftovers. Dhruv and Manik offered theirs at the same time, thus adding on to their 'rivalry'. Then they both glared each other... Nandani looked both of them and take both the plates shaking her head...

That night, Lawyer Rahul from Sexana Corporation came to tell the villagers that he would chase all of them off the land at twelve the next day if they didn't scram by then. Manan suddenly stood up and cried "Bad boy go!!!"

Nandini tried to shush him up but it was too late. Lawyer Rahul already remembered that she was the Nandini that was together with Manik [ Lawyer Rahul was the nerdy guy who defended Nandini's stepfather in the court six years ago].

Dhruv told Nandini to help Manik to get evidence that Mr. Singh faked the reports while he would stay in the village to try and buy more time from Lawyer Rahul. Later, Nandini asked Manik how she could help, and Manik said that she needed to dress up for the next day. Nandini asked where they're going, and Manik replied "Space University" [ the university they went to six years ago]

The next day, they went to the university because Mr. Singh's going to hold a talk there. Manik noticed that Nandini seemed to know her way around the school very well.

"Uh know the way very well.. It seems tum phle bhi aayi ho yha?" asked Manik suspiciously to Nandani..

Nandini lied that she had always come here to find Dhruv, that's why she knew her way. Manik said that they seemed to be on very good terms and asked why she chose Manan's dad last time, and not Dhruv, but Nandini didn't answer him and asked him to focus on the work.

So they set their plan in action: First Nandini accidentally banged into Mr. Singh, such that he would help her pick up the documents and saw the reports on Village's environment health levels that were not accepted then Manik would help to check themselves in as Aryaman [ that pervert]. Mr. Singh came forward to talk to them, and Manik baited him with the talk about Village, and acting like as if he needed Mr. Singh to help him changed the reports as well. Halfway through, someone came forward and asked Nandini if he had seen her before, so Manik excused himself from Mr. Singh and went to Nandini's side, placed an arm around her waist, and pulled her towards himself saying she's his girlfriend.

Manik told Nandini that they should continue to act like a couple, but Nandini just felt very weird and unnatural.

Manik introduced Nandini as his girlfriend to Mr. Singh, and he purposely 'insulted' Nandini by saying that "She's not only pretty, but very kind too, just that she's very cold to strangers and has a weird temper".... In return Nandani gave a glare to Manik and he smirked in return...

Aryaman actually came to the talk but Manik also managed to get him doing something somewhere before Mr. Singh could find out that Manik's not Aryaman.

Manik left Nandini to take care of the situation, and even though she was flustered at first, she managed to cover up for the both of them. Finally, they managed to bait him into saying that he was the one who changed Village's reports from not okay, to okay.

Manik and Nandini immediately excused themselves calmly, but quickly exited the place. However, Aryaman (Perverted guy) suddenly turned up, and Mr. Singh knew that he had been duped. He sent his men to chase after them, and called Mr Sexana, who said that he would settle the matter. Nandini and Manik heard the men chasing after them, and Nandini pulled Manik into Manik's father old property.

Like six years ago, they were accidentally locked in, and while being confined there, Manik kept having flashbacks and he felt like the place was very familiar. He knew that there was supposed to be a piano there, and in his flashbacks, he saw a girl [ Nandini ] playing the piano. Nandini tried to distract him by saying that Dhruv's waiting for them to hurry back with the recording of Mr. Singh's words, but Manik was deep in his thoughts. He saw a scratch on the floor, and murmured " Rollarblades". [ Manik fell down when his dad taught him rollarblading there, thus the scratch.]

Nandini asked him if he had the key, and Manik found himself walking to the clock. He took out a key from the top of the clock and knew that somehow he must have been there before, or he would not know that the key was there.

Manik told Nandini that after the operation, he would always try and think "What makes me sad... what makes me happy... is there anyone that I care about, but I've forgotten... where is the person now... those that I've forgotten, are they living well? Do they know that I forgot them?"

He only could act like he didn't care and that he's not lonely because he didn't want those taking care of him to worry. Nandini asked him "How does it feel to forget everything?"

"It feels like... I'm leading someone else's life" said Manik plainly...

He walked to the door and after unlocking it, Nandini told him why there's a scratch on the floor, that the music professor [ Manik's dad] let go of the son's hands without telling him. Manik smiled and said that the dad must have really loved the son, and wanted the son to know, one must learn how to get up after falling down. Nandini smiled, because that was the exact same thing that she told Manik six years ago, when Manik didn't know why his father let his hands go.

Dhruv lied to Lawyer Rahul that they would leave after collecting their luggage. Lawyer Rahul allowed them to do so, not knowing that Dhruv did that to get more time so that Manik could come. After a while, Lawyer Rahul lost his patience and was about to start forcefully moving them away, when Manik arrive. Nandini covered her face and stood at some obscure corner, in case Lawyer Rahul saw her and wanted to say some more stuff.

Manik walked to Lawyer Rahul and said that he had evidence in his hands. "Do you want to talk to me, or do you want me to have a good talk with the media?"

"You can talk to me." Came a voice...

Everyone turned around to find Mr Sexana .

So, Manik went to talk to Mr Sexana, who also wondered what happened to Manik. Manik was very angry that Mr Sexana not only lied to the villagers but also to him, just to escape his responsibility.

He said " Are you intergorating me as a lawyer? I'm Alia's daddy!"

"These are two different matters! I know that Alia wouldn't want me to do things that are against my conscience" said Manik furiously...

"Conscience?" Mr Sexana said and laughed...

After few minutes he stopped laughing and asked that "he regretted saving Manik because the old Manik was also very emotional, and ended up with no achievements".

Manik said that "Isn't that good? I think it's good that I'm like the old me, because I like the Manik now"

Manik told him that "it's those villagers in Village who taught him that there's warmth between humans and not just profit relationship. Sometimes you just need to give a little, they will use their everything to repay you"

Mr Sexana asked what Manik wanted him to do and Manik replied "Give the villagers the justice that they deserve... I just don't want you to do any more wrong... Dad" ...

Thanks to Manik, no matter how reluctant Mr Sexana was, he promised to compensate the villagers, but in order to save his own butt, he sacked Lawyer Rahul on accounts of him not having taken care of the matter through legal means. When Lawyer Rahul told that he had scammed Naman, he totally approved of it. Manik got a feeling that he's in trouble for working against his father in law...

All the villagers thanked him, and even Dhruv acknowledged that Manik had done a good job.

Later, they had a party to thank Manik, and also as a farewell party, since he would be going back to Mumbai. Throughout the party, Manan was very down because he didn't want Manik to leave, Nandini was also down, and Dhruv was just very silent looking at the both of them.

In party Manik came close to Nandani and ask Nandini " why she didn't give a toast to him"... Hearing this she smiled and she stood up.

"What do you want to toast for?" Manik asked...

Nandini looked at him and said " That you are old Manik, the old Manik Malhotra" and the both of them smiled.

After the party, Nandini stayed to help Sarla in clearing up, and while Sarla was resting, Manik thoughtfully helped her massage her shoulders. While talking to Sarla, Manik learnt that Nandini actually worked at the cafeteria in Space University, and he realised she knew her way not because she often went there to find Dhruv.

Manik's Pov

Why Nandani told me a lie? Why do I have a feeling she is hiding something big from me..

Sarla also told him that even though Nandini didn't say anything, she knew that Nandini still couldn't forget Manan's daddy.

Dhruv found Manan to be very quiet and understand that he don't want Manik to go back... He goes towards Manan and asked Manan "why he liked Manik so much" and Manan getting emotionally said "Because I can find the smell of a father on him"

Dhruv told him that "Manik would have his own children next time when he would come" but Manan said then always he would smell like he is my father..

Hearing Manan answer Dhruv remain stunned...

After some time, Manik and Nandini left Sarla's house and Manik asked Nandini where Manan was. Nandini told him that Manan threw a tantrum knowing that Manik would leave the next day.

Manik said that "he thought Manan was closer to Dhruv and that maybe Manan would forget him after sometime". Nandini looked at him, when it suddenly started to drizzle. Manik took out his blazer and put it on Nandini's shoulders before putting out a hand, saying " If we run faster, we won't be wet from the rain."

Nandini looked at his hands hesitantly, and he said "We are friends, aren't we?" So Nandini nodded and smiled, before taking out her heels. Manik helped her take her heels, held her hand, and ran together in the drizzle.

Then, they stopped and Nandini walked over to the benches. Manik gave Nandini her heels and while she was wearing them, Manik asked "what tree she was sitting under"..

Nandani asked him "why do he want to know"...

Manik answered that he would come earlier next year to see it blossom.

Nandini was surprised and asked " You will come back?"

"Of course.." replied Manik and continued "I find so many good friends here and I'm on such good terms with Manan... of course I will come back to find him.. and I will see if you're still having strange nature or you have changed"..

Nandini laughed, and suddenly, there was lightning. Nandini didn't shriek and jump into Manik's arms, but.... Manik get even clearer memories -- of that night that he and Nandini did it together, because it was raining that night as well.

Seeing Manik lost, Nandini asked him "what's wrong", and he told her that "he had seen her before and maybe they had known each other last time".

Nandini said that "she wouldn't have known him".

"Really?" said Manik sarcastically... He continued" So why do I have a sense of familiarity when I first saw you? And your reaction when you first saw me doesn't seem like we're strangers.. when everyone is fighting to be my secretary, only you purposely stayed away... and it's you who immediately saw what bad intentions I had at first, and you even helped me persuade the villagers... you understand me better than I do myself"

Nandini looked away and said that "he must have gone around asking everyone if he had known them before his surgery" but Manik was very sure when he cut her " No, only you... I haven't said everyone this line but don't know why I feel I have met you before surgery and you are hiding something"

Nandani looked towards him but didn't said anything... Manik told her that "ever since he beat Aryaman (Perverted guy) in the court, he had been getting fuzzy memories of a girl who seemed to be very important to him" but Nandini told him smilingly that "he's someone who's going to married in a few days who is Alia and it's not worth it to torment himself over a girl of the past".

Manik said that "maybe she could forget Manan's daddy so quickly, but he couldn't".

Nandini said "that's why they're different because she would only cherish those that were with her right now... Why one have to cry over split milk? Care for those who are with you now.."

Manik was looking towards her... Saying this she walked off, but accidentally sprained her ankle. Manik rushed up to help her and he said " Nandini, let me ask you one last time.. Do we really not know each other?"

Nandini looked at him in the eyes and said "Let me answer you one last time Manik Malhotra... we really don't know each other"

Where as in the village there came a new guest...

Guess whom?

Alia, Manik's fiance!!!!!

Even though Dhruv initially didn't want her to come into the house, thinking that she must be just like her father, but after seeing her wipe the mud off the stairs that she had stepped on, he let her in.

When Alia asked "why he let her come in"

Dhruv said it's because those who were afraid of bringing trouble to others would never do any bad things....

Manik swept Nandini into his arms but told her not to misunderstand. "You will only aggravate your injury if you walk any more. Even if you're not the girl that I was thinking of, but we're still friends."

Nandani was looking towards Manik without any expression...

Nandani's pov

I'm sorry Manik for telling you lie.. But if I would enter in your life then Your journey would be filled with thorns... And I don't want you to walk on those thorns... I wish Alia and uh would have a happy prosperous married life... And slowly these faded memories would be overlapped with the new memories in which there would be no Nandani.... Only Manik & Alia...

When they reached home they're super close and intimate, this is how it happens that Alia saw Manik carrying Nandini in his arms...

What do you think would be Alia reaction? Feel free to ask any ques if you had...

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