"Manik Ji, hum pal pal mar rhai hai, agar is sach se thodhe aur asu bheh jaenge toh humhai koe farak nhi padhta. (Manik, I'm dying every second. It doesn't matter if I cry a little more after knowing the truth.)" She said grimly and fresh tears rolled down their cheeks.

After that Manik started telling her his side story.

"Before my birth only, my parents wanted to kill me because I was their unwanted child. I don't know why they born me. They never took care of me, they never asked me how are you, my child. I had been so lonely since childhood, Nandini. I woke up because of the nightmares every night but nobody was there to engulf me in her arms and make me sleep. Since childhood, I had always longed for love which you gave me." He said, crying like a small baby and his tone is vividly showing that how broken he is from inside. She is just listening to him patiently, she can feel his pain as their hearts are connected.

Flashback

At the midnight, a five-year boy is crying holding his knees sitting beside the bed. He is Manik Malhotra.

"You're my slave from today. What are you? Slave." These words are constantly echoing in his ear.

"My caretake used to torture me when I was five years old. I was a small kid and she took the advantage of my careless parents." He closed his eyes dejectedly and fresh tears rolled down his cheeks as he recalled some dreadful memories of his childhood. She clasped his hand and squeezed it to assure him that she's with him. He opened his eyes and looked at her with sorrowful eyes.

He continued telling his story to her.

Flashback

Manik is cleaning his caretaker, Rashi's shoes. Manik's parents think that Manik is living happily and Rashi is taking proper care of him but they aren't aware that Rashi is treating their kid as her slave. They never asked Manik for once even that how is he. Poor kid is enduring so much pain and they are busy setting up their business.

"Ahaha..." Manik cried out as she kicked him.

"You're such a useless kid who doesn't know anything." She chided him, twisting his ear and the poor kid cried more in pain.

"Aunty, sorry." He apologised but got a tight slap from her.

"I asked you to call me, Mam. Don't you understand such a small thing?" She slapped him again and he cried out profusely, holding his cheek.

"Don't beat me, Mam, it hurts a lot." He begged but she didn't show mercy on the small kid.

She kept slapping him. "I don't care if it hurts you. The useless kid like you deserves this."

At last, Manik fell on the floor and she left from there after kicking him. He cried, hugging his knees on the cold floor.

"After a few days, Mukti came into my life as Dad married to other women after giving divorce to my biological mother. Mukti is my step sister but nobody knows it, not even Mukti herself as when she came, she was only two years old. Her mother was the same as my parents, careless. She also left Mukti with that bloody Rashi. She always tortured her and never took care of her. She was just only two years old, she used to cry for food and then I used to feed her and if Rashi caught me feeding Mukti, she used to beat me. I felt a strong connection with Mukti. She started growing gradually and I was taking care of her. I have always treated her like my daughter. I used to take double pain but didn't let bloody Rashi hurt her. I always tried to protect her from the cruel Rashi's torture." Manik is hiccuping and sobbing like a small kid while telling Nandini about his childhood which wasn't less than any nightmare for him. Nandini is constantly rubbing his back and squeezing his hand to assure him that now he's not alone, she is with him.

Now Nandini is understanding why Manik loves Mukti so much and her heart is crying listening to his story.

Flashback

Now Manik is seven years old and Mukti is four years old.

"Do it properly," Rashi instructed Manik, he is pressing her legs.

Mukti came with the glass of water for Rashi but by mistake from her little hand glass slipped down on the floor and Rashi hurled the glass on Mukti's face.

"Bhai... it's hurting." She cried, hugging Manik. He started at Rashi in anger.

"Why did you hurt my sister." He rebuked for the first time in front of Rashi for Mukti.

Rashi scowled at Manik and pushed Mukti away from him. Mukti is still crying.

"How dare you shout at me? Did you forget that you're my slave? If you don't follow my order and disrespect, then I'll complain to your parents and they will beat you." Rashi warned a small kid and he moved his eyes down, becoming scared.

As Rashi left, Manik rushed to Mukti and engulfed little Mukti into his warm arms after kneeling before her. He hugged her so tightly like he wants to store her in his protective arms forever.

"I was growing up and my anger and hatred for Rashi were increasing. She also started beating Mukti and I used to feel so helpless when I couldn't able to protect my little sister, my daughter as I was a small kid." Manik frowned, recalling all those dreadful memories. He picked up the vase from the table and flung it on the floor in fury. Nandini palmed her ears, shutting her eyes.

Manik looked at Nandini and uttered, "but one day in resentment I did something which I should have done long ago."