Author's Note: Many people sometimes do not receive the notification for the update of this story due to some Wattpad glitches. I do not know what is the problem but if you wish to, you can follow me to avoid this inconvenience as I post a message every time I update. No pressure.

Song for the chapter:  

Burn it Down - Linkin Park

Saibo - Shor In the City

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His world was shattering around him.

The loud roars ripping through the air seemed like they were ringing right in his skull, hammering it from the inside, a pain so immense that he felt like he might explode. His body ached like he had been stabbed and cut a thousand times over and he knew that he was spilling blood no one could see.

Disbelief and surprise never even had a chance to register.

As he watched the boy, the living, breathing boy, climbing up the stage, his face as perfectly self assured and nonchalantly arrogant as he remembered, all he could feel was a deep, searing, blinding hate.

He was back.

His buddy was back to snatch away everything from Dhruv once again.

He couldn't fathom why the fearful astonishment that he should have felt to see him alive again never came. Perhaps because at the back of his mind, he had always known, Manik Malhotra would never go down so easily. Manik Malhotra would always win.

After all, he knew his buddy the best.

And just like always, Mukti and Alya would literally shower rose petals on their King to welcome him back. Forget that he lied, forget that he abandoned them for two months, forget about Cabir, and forget that he just snatched away their first win of Musicana.

The world could collapse into hell around Manik Malhotra without him batting an eyelid but he would still rule over the ashes with his faithful, devoted minions, it would all still revolve around him.

The gross unfairness that he had seen and experienced since childhood, the unfairness that he had grown up with, pierced him like a rusted, old knife, infesting him with the worms of resentment yet again.

He was faintly aware of the shrill, agonizing shrieks of Alya and Mukti and the horrified gasps of Aryaman and Maddy, but it all melted away in the background of the deafening cheers and the crushing reality that his moment of glory lied crushed somewhere below the boots of Manik Malhotra.

All that remained was the tattered wreck of his dreams.

And the deep, soul corrosive contempt.

The last time he had felt these emotions, the reasons were so petty that he was embarrassed about them now. Back then, he was a jealous little boy foolishly rebelling against the leader.

A lot had changed since then. He had fought on his own, he had built his dreams, his life, his identity, his career, all on his own, only for him to take it all away.

He wasn't going to let it all crumble so easily under his mighty highness, he wasn't going to let him flick it all away like a speck of dirt.

That little boy was gone.

This time, this time, it would be a man to man fight.

His hands clenched into fists as the firecrackers exploded to mark an end, painting a rainbow of vivid, electrifying colours on the canvas of the night sky but all he saw was burning red, the humiliating end of the first battle he had lost.

The curtains fell on the first night of Musicana, and Dhruv raised his eyes, encompassing all his resentment, anger and accusations in one wrathful look of hate and met those of his buddy.

What he saw caused him to stagger backwards.

The same look of wrathful hate gazed back at him.

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To see them like that, standing far apart, like opponents, like adversaries broke my heart.

I couldn't see it, I couldn't bear it and I couldn't even imagine the amount of pain all of them were going through.

It had gone down in the most horrible, cruel way possible and all that was left now was a chasm of hurt, broken trust and wrecked friendships.

"Were they really good friends?" Sara questioned, watching the drama unfurl on the stage.

How could I answer that? I knew nothing about their years of companionship, their bond from childhood but I had seen enough in one year.

"The best." I mourned, remembering the beauty of their relationship that I had witnessed. Strong. Inseparable. Uncompromising. Indestructible.

"They deserve it." She said flippantly, "They are just a bunch of opportunistic backstabbers. They can't throw him away and then come crawling back."

Her cutting words stunned me and I glared at her ferociously. She had no right to make accusations like that! She had no idea what we had gone through! What really got me was the underlying hit aimed me. I didn't miss it and I was certainly not going to let it slide.

I had definitely not "thrown him away" and I certainly hadn't come "crawling back". Who was she to decide that anyway?

"You don't know anything!" I hissed, "Stay out of it. We didn't know what we were doing! If we had the slightest idea -"

"You had that idea all along." She retaliated, "You didn't see it or didn't choose to. Someone told you he died and you didn't even bother to check facts LMAO. Shows how much you cared."

I bit my lip to stop myself from hurling each and every word I knew from my limited list of expletives at her. She was a lost case if she didn't even have enough sensitivity in her to understand that no one in their wildest could have imagined we would be cheated about something like this. Natural, human reaction was to grieve for godsake!

It was their cruelty in lying about his death not my mistake in mourning.

Why though was I feeling the tendrils of guilt curl in my heart?

She was manipulating me!

"Listen you," I began heatedly; ready to blast her but before I could finish, Sara froze in front of me, all colour draining from her face as her eyes widened, scared gaze remaining fixed on something right at the back of my head.

Knots of fear began taking shape in my stomach at the sight of her ghosted expression and all my senses fired up in high alert, instincts informing me that something was horribly, horribly wrong.

That's when I heard it.

The sound of faint rustling and heavy footsteps retreating hastily.

It had been too close behind me. Too damn close.

I didn't dare turn back afraid that even the slightest movement might prove to be fatal, the threat of the unknown, unconfirmed danger behind me had me still as a stone. The hair rose at the back of my neck and a dreadful chill settled like a blanket around me.

"Who's there?" Sara called out. Her face was chalk white but her voice remained steady. She advanced a step forward and whispered to me, "Stay low."

I shut my eyes, bracing myself for all the worst case scenarios; this couldn't be Raghuvir's men. Just couldn't. Please no. My family!

I cursed my foolishness to hell and back for standing here, on the highest step in front of AMA, in plain, open view for the grounds below and the towering building above.

I could hear Sara walk a few more steps ahead and mentally screamed at her, was she crazy? Of course! Why would she give a damn about me?!

"Who is there?" I heard her demand more loudly and knew that she got silence in return. After a beat, I heard the click of her heels coming to a standstill in front of me and I opened my eyes.

"Let's go." She ordered looking uneasy and unnerved.

"Who was it?" Who could it be? That was the original question but debating with Sara on the issue of mine or my family's safety was not on the table.

"Alien from mars?!" She glared back dangerously, "How the hell would I know?!"

This girl was incapable of talking straight and it was pointless telling her about the raw fear that churned inside me. All my senses were on high alert, ready to fight or flee; even one mistake would cost me a lot more than my life.

It could have been a nobody but it could have been a somebody too.

"The guards?" I asked, hating the way my voice shook and body trembled.

"They backed off." She said with a ringing finality that set off warning sirens deep inside me. How did she know?

"How-" I gasped but she cut me off.

"Are you going to stand here and wait for more people to come hunting for you or you going to move?!"

Her anger got through me and this time it was hard to argue with her logic. I stared at the impassive, cold demeanor of the striking girl in front of me and wondered what more I had in store tonight.

I knew that I didn't have it in me to deal with it.

I nodded at her mutely and followed as she led the way.

The display of fireworks on the black depths of the inky sky was the last thing that I saw and I thanked the gods for the small silver lining that I was leaving the hell of AMA once and for all.

And I would meet him again.

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MANIK!" Mukti's screech was the most violent, blood curdling sound that he had ever heard and it tugged at his heart but it did nothing to dim the fire of anger festering inside him.

"Remember me now?" He sneered at them. Harsh. Cruel. He didn't regret it a single bit. They deserved it.

"Manik..." Alya looked absolutely wrecked and her voice cracked while tears ran down her eyes. She stared at him with wide eyes, as if her senses were fooling her and he wasn't actually here.

He wanted to laugh at them all, laugh and scream and cry and just...here they were! His best friends, the family he had chosen, the people he had loved even before he knew what that meant.

Here they were, standing at the far end of the distance they themselves created.

All that was between them now was damage. It was ironic how they stood now, on the deserted stage of Musicana, lights dimmed, floor littered with discarded decor and dismantled equipment, the sound of the music that had battled tonight, the screams that had echoed and the hearts that had ached, seemed to echo in the haunting, macabre silence.

"You..." Absolute shock was giving away to unbridled joy in Mukti's eyes and she raced forward, arms held out, ready to grasp him into a hug and never let him go.

The girl halted like there was a huge stone wall between them when he took two steps back.

"Manik..." Questions swirled in her voice, a look of confusion taking over her once again along with extreme hurt and that stoked the flames of his anger.

She had no damn right to fake pain after everything they all had done!

"Surprised?" He spat, "It must suck right? You planned it all so well!" He exclaimed, "New band...new songs..Musicana! And you lost, to me!"

They all stared at him with wide-eyed horror but there was no stopping him.

"I'm so sorry for ruining your plan of getting rid of me once and for all. You see, it failed. Miserably."

His blazing eyes trailed over all of them. Well, all three of them. The other two could be the scum of the earth for all he cared. Those three. The last remnants of his family.

Alya was shaking in shock, Mukti was breaking and Dhruv....Dhruv won't meet his eyes.

Look at me dammit! Look at me and feel what you made me feel!

"Manik!" Alya's voice was glass, voice in a whisper as if she was afraid he might disappear into thin smoke any moment, "We...you..you're alive! You...You're okay and...How...I..."

She wasn't making any sense and he didn't want her to. The more time that he spent in their presence, the more it served as a reminder to him about how he had spend hours painstakingly cutting out pictures of them and pasting them all over his music room, using the memories to comfort himself and dreaming about the day he would meet them again.

While they...they believed the woman they knew he had hated all his life, they believed her stories, they didn't try, not even once.

How could they believe Nyonika?! How could they just give up on him?!

How was he supposed to believe that they weren't just fucking ecstatic that he was out of their way?

"Stop it." He snarled, "You can save that touching speech for someone who cares."

"Manik!" Desperate tears were running down Mukti's eyes, fingers clawing at her hair as she shook like a leaf, "You're getting it wrong. You are getting it all wrong. We just-"

"Believed Nyonika!?" He howled, the monster of his anger breaking free from the already fragile cage, "She fed you some bullshit story and you just went with it! Never for once, never did you care to find out!

It had been her the last time who had done the same and this time it was them. He couldn't decide what had hurt more.

"Not for me, but for Cabir?!"

The mention of Cabir brought a fresh round of painful gasps and violent tears but Dhruv would still not meet his eyes!

"Ca..Cabir..." Mukti stammered, "Wh..where is he?"

"You don't deserve to know." He said coldly, "Wherever he is, he is happy without such friends."

"Manik don't do this please!" Alya cried, "Please don't! We need you! Its...it's been hell without you! We-"

"Second place in Musicana? Your hell is a pretty nice place. You can rot there more." He seethed.

"Is your first place prettier than ours Manik Malhotra?" Dhruv's voice sliced through the air like a sharp, deadly sword, "Must be. After the stunt you pulled to take it from us."

Deathly silence followed his statement while the venom in it seeped out, coloring the stage a poisonous green.

"Dhruv." His voice was a whisper, "You seriously think I did this to win?"

"Since when do you do things to not win?" Dhruv fired back, "You say we didn't care, if you cared Manik, you would have come back two months ago."

He was hammering nails into a coffin, long enough, everything would be gone. Dread seemed to hang in their, watching the battle unfold.

"Yes, because I was off on a bloody vacation!"

It was taking every bit of his strength to control the urge of smashing Dhruv's face. Why was he even bothering to stop himself anymore?

"Do you know what its been like?" He hurled the words at him, daring him to challenge them.

"Must have been fun. Plotting the best way to get back at us." Dhruv wasn't going to back down. Not this time.

"You sh*****d, I wanted to get back to you dammit!" He screamed. He could feel his entire body burning, consumed by crimson rage, "I spent every freaking moment thinking about all of you! While you, you went and made a new band!"

"STOP IT" Mukti's screech slashed through the mayhem. "Both of you are misunderstanding each other! Don't do this! Please!"

"Dhruv! Manik!" Alya pleaded desperately, "Stop. Please stop! You don't have to do this!"

"Oh no," Dhruv shook his head spitting fire, "Not this time! He can't just come back anytime he wants and expect us to be waiting around for him! Who is he?! King of the World?!"

"We don't even know what he did with Cabir! He lied! He-"

He never got the chance to finish that sentence. The splintering sound of bone cracking resounded in the air as Manik's fist connected with Dhruv's jaw with a brutal blow that had the boy howling in pain.

Dhruv clutched his damaged mouth and stumbled backwards, preparing to strike back but Manik didn't give him that chance either.

In a fierce blur that Dhruv didn't see coming, Manik had him pinned to the wall, hands clutched around his throat in steel, choking grip.

"Go on," Manik's eyes burned, "Say something more stupid. Beat your own record."

Dhruv gasped, panting and gagging against the hold while the two girls shrieked in horror.

"Come on," Manik snarled, "Use that tongue while you still can."

Dhruv grasped at Manik blindly, viciously, seeking to harm anything, everything.

"You're a liar!" He choked, "Your...your ego is hurt...Nothing else!

The air was thinning and dark spots were appearing in his vision but even through that asphyxiated haze, he could still see the beastly fury on Manik's face.

"You can't stand it...the fact that...we did just fine without you!"

The grip around his throat tightened and Dhruv knew he was going to die. He would rather go down with a winning shot.

"MANIK LEAVE HIM!" Alya's scream knocked through his the blurry haze of his mind.

"The only thing...that hurts you...is that we don't...we don't need you to win!"

Air rushed back in his lungs in a wild torrent that made his chest sting with sharp pain and he doubled over panting, clawing at his bruising throat.

He willed his limbs to move so he could pay it all back to him with interest but strength failed him. Instead, he raised his eyes filled with a hatred so strong that he hoped it was enough to wound that boy.

He hated him for this mercy. He would have rather died.

Manik was simmering, smiling, in a black, cold way that shook him . He ignored Alya and Mukti's sobbing pleas like they were nothing more than cheers from the crowd earlier and Dhruv remembered how Manik could be heartless, brutally cruel and vengeful when he was riled.

"And you're hurt," He smirked, "Because I was enough to make you lose."

"You...got lucky." He hissed, standing straight with sheer willpower and ignoring the way his chest burned and jaw pained like it was cleaved in two.

"Won't happen again."

"I should've given up on you last time." There wasn't any spite in Manik's words. He was genuinely regretting.

"I should've given up on you a long time ago." He rued too.

"You've grown a spine!" Manik mused, "I'll enjoy breaking it. Doesn't seem too solid."

Dhruv stared at the callous boy, a living embodiment of everything wrong in his life.

"I'll like to see you try." He shot back. It required courage, lots of courage to stand up to a fuming Manik Malhotra. He had seen dozens of his victims to know that. But Dhruv won't be his victim. Never.

"Musicana has just begun."

"Then, the game is on buddy." Manik eyes darkened into dark pools of anger, words cutting viciously, "All the luck. You need it."

"Don't!" Mukti advanced towards him, grasping at straws, "Manik don't please!"

"Just listen to us once!" Alya begged, crumbling into a mess for him and that caused Dhruv's heart to twist more in rage.

He doesn't deserve it!

He gave them both one, last look, filled with disgust and contempt, turned on his heel and walked away.

Arrogant, selfish, egoistic bastard.

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Sara parked the car in the curb, pulled the key out of the ignition and in the same breath jumped out, slamming the door shut in the process.

I understood that as her unwillingness to spend even a single second more than what was required in my presence.

In spite of the harrowing, soul draining evening I had gone through, the petty action made me chuckle.

I followed after her, focusing on the sharp, metallic clink of her heels on the concrete to prevent my mind from straying into the devastating, bloodied battlefield that I had left behind in AMA.

The mere thought of it made me flinch like it was some deadly weapon I never wanted to touch again.

I kept my head low and walked through a grand set of double doors, registering very vaguely that we had entered a house that I could only compare with the magnificent, spectacular palaces that I had only believed existed in magazines and movies.

I had known that the Malhotras were rich beyond what my imagination could conjure and I had never bothered to find out exactly how far those riches exceeded.

His wealth was an insignificant detail that had never settled with me but as I walked into the grand hall, illuminated by a twinkling chandelier that I knew was worth more than my house, I glanced at Sara strutting ahead of me confidently and wondered who she could be. How did she know the Malhotras? An affluent family friend? Or a member of the family?

Manik had never talked about his family connections and she certainly did NOT act like a relative.

Who the hell was she? Was this even her house?

"Do whatever you want." Her voice cut through my thoughts and I saw her staring at me incomprehensibly.

"What?"

She shrugged, "He just told me to bring you here. What you do next is none of my concern."

Her unreasonable rudeness just confirmed my doubts about her intentions for Manik. There was no other valid reason for her to hate me.

But how would I find my way here? The sheer size of the place was making me feel uncomfortable. The daunting pillars, the soaring high ceiling, the massive staircase that sneaked up to god knows where, the solid balustrade across the upper floors that anyone could lurk behind, all made me feel frighteningly exposed. And alone.

I couldn't shake off the nagging voice which ceaselessly warned me that I had foolishly entered the lion's den.

Where was Manik?

"Where are you going?" I asked unable to contain my curiosity as I watched her put on her jacket once again.

"Now that's none of your concern." She informed me scathingly, "You aren't allowed to go anywhere."

I raised an eyebrow at her matter of fact tone, "I'm not a prisoner."

She laughed loudly catching me off guard, "But you are baby, you are." She said and all traces of humour disappeared from her face.

"Everyone who steps in this house is a prisoner." Her tone was bone chillingly haunting, "Don't believe me? Ask your boyfriend."

The gnawing anxiety I had felt the moment I had crossed the threshold, gripped my heart more fiercely and I worked hard to not let it show on my face. She is just messing with you. Don't let her.

"Thanks for the disclaimer." I kept my voice calm.

"Awwww, scared?" She taunted, "Don't worry. Your prince charming thinks he can protect you from everything."

The underlining mockery in her words was causing me to flame. If she wasn't going to be nice, she could just shut up.

"What makes you think he can't?" I snapped. He would fight the world for me and so would I for him. No questions, no hesitations.

"Because no one can protect anyone in this world. Its bullshit. If you can't protect yourself, die and get out of the way of those who can."

I gasped at the callously remorseless statement and stared at her in astonishment. What was wrong with this woman?

"How can you say such things?" I demanded, still unable to believe my ears. Every instinct told me to run away from her, from this house. I couldn't bear standing here anymore.

She laughed once again but it wasn't funny, "I can see the appeal now." She rolled her eyes, "You are so perfect aren't you? The innocent little girl who believes in the goodness of the world, in sunshine and rainbows and...And fireflies." She chuckled at my expense.

"So cute." It wasn't a compliment at all, "So stupid."

I narrowed my eyes, anger coursing through me. It was enough now, "If being this 'innocent little girl' means I'm not a rude, unapologetic jerk who doesn't even have the common decency to talk nicely, I'm seriously better off this way."

"Not for long." She stated, amused, "You're away from home, all alone, two powerful men are after you and you don't even know what your boyfriend is up to."

She is messing with you. She is just messing with you. I glared at her, doing my best to gloss over her words. I trusted Manik and nothing she said could change that fact.

Where was he?

"I don't know what you're trying to achieve here but it's not working." I said firmly.

She grinned, "I'm just wishing all the very best shit for you. Have fun."

With that, she gave me a faux bright smile accompanied by an exaggerated wave and strolled away, leaving me dumbfounded.

The sound of the large oak doors closing behind her seemed to spell doom. I shook my head, clearing my mind of all the negativity Sara had infused and shut my eyes to get myself together. When I opened them again, I felt marginally better and ready to face the dreadful, chilling pall that seemed to emanate from every corner of the mansion.

He had lived here. Why?

I glanced upwards at the grandiose spiral staircase that wound up to the next level. Had he been alone? Or Sara was saying the truth about living with him? How? Why?

Deciding that staying put in one place was just going to make me more paranoid and anxious, I gathered all my courage and started to ascend the staircase. I turned back on every step, but the grand doors remained shut and not a single sound reached me hyper alert ears to confirm that I wasn't alone in the mansion.

I wanted him to come back. I wanted him here with me. Soon.

A long passageway stretched ahead of me on the first landing. The light from the chandelier sneaked in at intervals, bathing some corners in yellow and dousing others in darkness. I was definitely unnerved but along with the fear of staying stationary, I couldn't deny that I was tremendously curious.

I plunged ahead, noticing that most of the doors were locked. It just fit perfectly with the mansion's cold, empty, impersonal aura. This wasn't a place people lived in frequently.

I cringed back in mild disgust when the wavering light illuminated a painting on the wall of a woman not exactly depicted in the appropriate ways possible.

I averted my eyes, what exactly was this place?

My heart constricted with a fresh round of unease as a plethora of unanswered questions paid me their unwelcome visit. It didn't help much that Sara's words still rang fresh in my mind.

I needed Manik.

Exhaustion and fatigue coupled with the crippling anxiety and constant fear was causing my head to swim. This night was cruel and it was out for my blood.

I wanted his arms around me, comforting me, telling me that it was going to be okay.

The last door at the far end of the passage was surprisingly unlocked and the discovery shook me out of my thoughts.

The surprise lasted only for a small second before my instincts took up arms in high alert. Was there someone else with me in the house?

The thought was chilling and it overrode every other emotion and froze my heart. This couldn't be happening.

Manik would have told me.

Before the courage granted by self preservation could desert me, I placed a firm hand on the knob and pushed inside.

Absolute darkness engulfed me before my vision adjusted to the surroundings, shapes and outlines suddenly materializing in the abyss.

A faint glow from the far end of the room caught my eye and I hesitantly made my way forward.

There, nestled between pitch black sheets on the king sized bed, was the star lamp.

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He needed her. He needed her right now like he needed air to breathe.

He harshly tossed his bag into the backseat of his car and climbed in himself, banging the door shut.

White, hot fury was a thundering through his veins, making his mind numb so that all rational thought fled him. He gripped at the steering wheel, breathing heavily, willing his blood to stop roaring with anger but nothing worked.

His fist slammed against the wheel with a force that did nothing to quench his burning rage but the sharp pain that shot through his battered knuckles provided a sick sort of satisfaction that would be enough for him to survive till he actually got the chance to beat that little shit...

The events that had unfolded on the stage of Musicana looped around his mind like a torturous CCTV footage and his fist came slamming down on the steering wheel again. This time he detected a stain of blood on the gleaming leather.

He needed her.

He grabbed his phone laying on the dashboard with every intention to ask Sara to bring her back to him right now. He didn't care where they went, he was just sure he didn't have it in him to make the long drive back to the mansion without committing a few homicides on the way.

Sara's message flashed in his inbox.

"Your chick is at the mansion. I am not."

"Dammit!" He cursed, his hand itching to punch something again but one single, thought halted him from inflicting further violence on himself.

The thought of her. Waiting for him, alone...

Without wasting a single breath, he revved up the engine, recklessly pulling out of the driveway with tremendous speed.

It was going to be a long road but he was going to make it.

He hit the highway and pressed the accelerator, going way above the speeding limit, the road flashing by in a swift blur. Cars honked at him and headlights flashed red and yellow but he didn't have it in him to care. His girl was waiting for him.

His phone was ringing insistently while he accelerated the car further, recklessly breaking the next traffic signal and almost colliding up front with a truck coming the other way. He swerved at the last minute, his phone falling off the dashboard on the leather seat and that damn thing was still ringing.

He growled under his breath, giving the finger to the truck driver from his window because why not and in the next move cut the call in a a forceful swipe.

He was exhausted and angry. A terrible combination. Now wasn't the time to fuck with him.

His phone started ringing again, more loudly and persistently than before, as if the universe itself was having fun at his expense.

"What the..." Snapping furiously he swiped left, making a silent oath of murdering whoever it was on the other end.

"Congratulations." The last voice that he wanted to hear seeped through the speaker.

Dad. Perfect.

If he had checked the caller ID, he would have just chucked his phone at the truck guy. If he aimed well, he could have cracked a skull. Exactly what he needed to do right now.

"I hope you are enjoying your victory." He continued, in his nasty, nasal voice that he hated so much.

"Your self respect doesn't get enough blows from me that it keeps coming back for more?" He seriously enquired.

"Control that tongue boy," His father's voice increased in volume, "You're talking to your father!"

"I'm talking to a ruined man." He shot back, "Seriously, on a scale of 1 to 10, how screwed are you?"

"Shut up!" Malhotra yelled from the other end and he noted with mild interest that this is where he had inherited his temper from.

"You!" Malhotra was breathing heavily, "You're going to pay for this!"

"Cash, kind, credit?" He mocked, bored. His father's one liners were too predictable, "Whatever you prefer."

"You think it's funny don't you?" He seethed, "I'll make it really funny for you. Just watch."

"Sure, if I'm really bored, I'll give your comedy a try." He dismissed before dipping his voice in a warning growl, "Right now, leave. Me. Alone."

"No no no," His father sounded sick, "Not after what you did. Do you know what they're saying about me in the press?"

"That you are a lying, disgusting asshole?" He asked, "If yes, they have 100% authentic info. I cosign."

"Nyonika." His father spat, his words barely coherent, "She...I don't...I won't let her get away with this!"

Manik frowned wondering if his father was drunk and subconsciously sped up the car even further. A gut feeling screamed at him to reach her as soon as possible.

"I don't deserve this!" Was he crying? "I was setting everything right... damn you!

"You need to set yourself right." He said acidly, "And find someone else to annoy. I'm sure you can afford it."

"You think you are smart don't you?" Malhotra said seeming suddenly sober, "But everyone has a weakness boy. Mine is my reputation, yours is that girl."

His blood ran cold in his veins as he heard those words, the grip on the steering wheel tightening till his knuckles turned white.

"Nyonika played with mine, I'll play with yours!" This wasn't his father. This was a mad man. A dangerous one.

The initial panic that had surfaced in him was doused now with a fresh wave of anger and he growled, a warning, a threat,

"Forget harming her, if you ever dare to even think about her again, you'll be six feet below the ground, giving company to your reputation. Get. That. Straight."

A blood-curdling, severe silence followed his ultimatum for a few heartbeats and then with a single click, the line went dead.

He was sure that the temperature in his car had dropped a few degrees, while his rage howled for retribution.

He really needed her now.

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I cradled that precious lamp in my hands. It glowed and with it, so did I.

It was nothing in front of that stars that shone down on me as I walked across the poolside, but it was enough to make my heart ache with joy.

He had it with him all along.

The thought comforted me, soothed my soul that was burning with worry at the knowledge of him living alone in that dreadful, cold mansion.

Instead, He had treasured a piece of me with him.

I hoped that this lamp had shone for him in his darkest times, in the times in which he was subjected to whatever it was about that house that chilled my bones.

I twirled it around, enjoying the way the light danced across my face and let myself breathe in a fresh air of peace for the first time tonight.

I looked at the electric blue pool stretched out in front of me. I didn't know how I had gotten here, just that the moment I had found the lamp; I knew I couldn't bear to spend another minute in that room, in that house.

The lamp didn't belong there. Neither did I.

This place though, this place seemed beautiful. It reminded me of home. My home in his arms.

The poolside was lit with soft lights that cast a golden hue around me, gentle and warm, bathing me in its comfort and I just wished I could melt into the beauty around me, let it engulf me in its calmness.

The blue water stilled, lapping tenderly.

Where was Manik?

My phone buzzed in my lap, distracting me and I saw that it was a message from Chachi. I had texted her on the way here, too scared to make a phone call. I knew that a text was risky too but I also knew I couldn't live with myself without making sure that they were all okay.

Her message informed me that they were all doing well and fine and missing me terribly. I couldn't detect a whiff of anything wrong from her words and the relief that surged through me, almost paralyzed me in place.

I took a deep breath, letting it sink in, and texted back a simple good night, immediately deleting all our conversation history. I wasn't going to take any chances before I told him.

Him. Was I going to tell him?

Even if I did, what exactly would I say? Where would I begin? 

The past two months? My story from Musicana? Or the latest incident with Sara on the grounds of AMA? The memory of it still shook me and I fought hard to bury it, clutching my phone tightly to assure myself that everything was okay.

But what do I tell him? What if it all goes wrong?

The fear that I had tried to dispel was back with a vengeance, firmly lodging a heavy stone in my stomach. Restlessness crept over me and I wasn't sure if I wanted time to speed up or slow down until I saw him again.

Either ways, the night wasn't over yet. I thought with dismay.

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His heart was pounding, thudding against his chest violently with every step that he took and he felt weak enough to collapse any second.

Where was she?

He wanted to run but his feet seemed like there were boulders tied around them. Numb and cold with fear, he tore through the lawns of the Mansion. If he didn't have her in front of his eyes in the next one second...

He ignored the valiant attempts of his mind to reason with his heart, that she was fine, that if anything was really wrong, he would instinctively known before...

Just when he was about to scream up to the night in despair, he skidded to a halt across the poolside and life was breathed back in him again.

There she was.

She leaned against the lounge chair, one hand curled around the armrest, supporting her head as she slept soundly while the other clutched his...his star lamp to her chest.

Overwhelmed by a burst of emotion that he couldn't comprehend, he feasted his eyes on the ethereal sight in front of him, filing it away in his memory.

A gentle, comforting feeling of warmth filled his heart and he vaguely wondered if this is what it felt like to come home.

He moved towards the dozing figure and sat down beside her, leaning against the chair just like her and marveled at how gorgeous she looked in repose. He suddenly felt all the exhaustion and pain leave his body, leaving behind a serene, restful calm.

He couldn't resist himself, not when she made him feel like this and leaned down, pressing a swift, soft kiss to her cheek.

As expected, her eyes fluttered open and she blinked, disoriented and alarmed before her gaze settled on him and exquisite joy overrode every other emotion on her face.

"Manik!" She exclaimed, smiling widely before she threw her arms around his neck, engulfing him in her embrace. He felt an acute ache of bliss surge through him at the gesture and he wrapped his arms around her, tugging her against him fiercely.

"When did you come back?" She whispered.

"An hour back. I was watching you sleep." He responded fluidly.

She pulled back hurriedly, gaping at him in shock and then she shook her head, "You don't have that much patience." She giggled.

"What?" He schooled his expression into hurt, "I do. And it was very entertaining watching you blush in sleep."

She looked at him with alarm, "No! What?! No way, I wasn't blushing!" She told him, a dark, exquisite blush staining her cheeks.

"No seriously, you were," He teased, enjoying the way she was turning redder by the minute, "What were you dreaming about huh!"

"What, nothing!" Her eyes widened, as she naively tried to recollect all her dreams and panicked when she hit a dead end, "Kuch bhi, I wasn't dreaming about anything!"

"Me, shirtless?" He provided helpfully, the paradigm of innocence "Go on, you can confess, I'm not going to judge you."

She narrowed her eyes to slits, seeing right through his infuriating act and smacked him squarely on the shoulder.

"Manik, enough now," She warned him putting on her most intimidating face but she was failing miserably as the corners of her lips started twitching. She broke into small laughs as she squirmed against his hold, but he held her steady, pulling her closer, enjoying the way her body molded against his like it was made for him.

"I missed this." He told her, tangling his hand in the dark, silky tresses of her hair that spilled down her back.

"Talking to me?" She asked, looking at him through her eyelashes.

"No, making fun of you." He responded callously earning him another sharp punch on his shoulder.

"I suppose you missed this too then," She pouted crossly and damn she shouldn't have done that because her lips...

"I missed this more." He said, impatiently tilting up her face, and tracing the contours of her lips, feather light and searing hot. She sighed, his gentle ministrations on her soft skin causing her to lose the track of her mind before she admonished herself and gathered enough senses together to say what she had wanted to say, enough courage to break the moment.

She averted her eyes from him; she couldn't possibly get through with this when he was melting her heart with one, single heated look.

He scowled at her in irritation as he noticed her obvious uneasiness and gave himself a hundred points for knowing exactly what was going to come his way.

"We need to talk." She began hesitantly, twiddling her thumbs and looking so lost and confused that he just wanted to scoop her up in his arms and make it up to her, make her forget everything.

Only if she would let him and he knew that it was going to be a long time before she let him.

He had a thousand questions her complicated mind could structure to answer before they could get there.

Nandini waited in silence, a little surprised and caught off guard with his unresponsiveness. Nevertheless, she gazed at him expectantly while he looked at her testily. The non-verbal battle continuing till one of them caved.

"Say it." He was finally giving her an opening, something which he had denied everyone else and in spite of the fact that she had been waiting for this moment the entire night, her heart tightened in agony because she suddenly found herself at a loss of what to say.

She had stopped herself from giving in to the boundless pleasure that was his touch so that she could give a voice to everything that was left unsaid between them but looking at the melted chocolate of his eyes, all she wanted to do was drown in it, drown in him and leave everything else behind.

She would have rather had him kiss her senseless.

"I..." She trailed off.

"You need a mic?" He asked caustically.

She should have expected this! She suddenly felt extremely, extremely stupid for broaching this subject.

"Manik..." She began, "Everything that happened, I..."

"Have to bring it up right now and ruin our first night together, right?" He won't look at her but his bitter voice stabbed at her heart and guilt swamped her.

"It's not like that...I want..." She struggled desperately, "I want to..."

He groaned, rolling his eyes with the supreme irritation of a person who had just submitted himself to torture, "Before you choke on all those questions, just ask."

She hesitated as all her doubts, questions and explanations slowly died on her tongue with each passing second that she spent staring at the look of displeasure on his face, solely caused by her.

Her heart twisted in torment and she vehemently cancelled out each and every item on her extensive list of queries. Not tonight. All of them could wait for another day. Her questions could eat up her mind and keep her awake at night, put her through torture but she refused to be the cause of more pain for him tonight.

As she made up her mind, her eyes settled on the star lamp, twinkling softly on the white concrete and this time, she didn't want an answer. Just a confirmation of something she already knew...

"You got the lamp. How..." She spoke softly, gauging his reaction. She needed to know. He had gone through all the efforts of bringing the lamp from his house here than why hadn't he just come back?

His head snapped up, eyes remaining fixed on her face intently but she saw the way his skin flushed, "I asked someone to get it." He divulged, his expression guarded and she knew that this was a highly edited version of events.

"Manik," She cupped his cheek, pulling herself closer in his embrace, "There's so much we need to say...I just..."

"No we don't!" He growled with a ferocity that left her stunned, "Not tonight! They've stolen enough time from us. Not anymore."

She bit her lip, silenced by the intensity of his words and realizing the truth in them. She was done fighting. She was done worrying. She was done getting hurt. She was done with the pain.

All she wanted was him right now.

She wrapped her arms around him tighter than before, burying her face in the crook of his neck, inhaling the manly, musky scent of him that she had missed so much.

"I'm tired." She heard him mummer in her hair, so low that she wasn't sure she was supposed to have heard.

"So am I." She whispered, knowing that they weren't talking about physical exhaustion at all. Suddenly, she felt weak, the events of the past two months hitting her all at once with a cruel brutality that caused a solitary tear to slip down her eyes.

She didn't know how he knew but he did and he carefully lifted her face up from where it rested, cradling her like she was made of glass and gently brushed his lips across her stained cheek, kissing the tear away.

"I know that you want to know what happened, I know you've many questions and I also know that we will have to face it all one day, but..."

He stared at her intensely, an unfathomable passion churning in the chocolate depths of his eyes, "But, I'm stealing this night for us."

Her eyes widened, emotions she couldn't explain dancing in her heart, "Tonight, it's just you and me." He promised.

A sudden primal urge in her just wanted him to bend down and kiss her senseless, to take her and claim her as his in every way possible, to show her what heaven felt like. It lasted for one infinite second but it was the force of the desire that left her stunned.

"By the way, this is the first of the many nights I'm planning on stealing." He informed her, the mischievous glint in his eyes confirming that his mind was on the same track as hers.

She couldn't help the way her cheeks colored a crimson red, "You'll be a thief for me?" She asked, playing along.

"I'll be anything for you." He told her seriously and she knew that he intended to keep that promise.

"Make it special." She demanded, teasing, though inside, her entire body felt like it was set on fire that only he could quench as memories of that night, that night that she had tried so hard to forget because all it did was give her pain, crashed upon her with all its passionate intensity. Butterflies wrecked a havoc in her stomach as she felt every touch of his from that night on her skin, as if it had been branded on it, been there all along, never to be erased...

His eyes were hooded; almost pitch black now, his voice low and husky, "You want a demo?"

The distance between them thinned till only a hair's width remained between them, one strong hand gripped her waist, the other tilted her face to the side while she fluttered her eyes close and then his mouth possessed hers hot and demanding.

He feasted on her lips mercilessly, taking everything that she had to give, robbing her of her senses, one by another excruciating second till her heart thudded madly in her chest, reducing her breathing to short, agonizing pants, completely under his control. Her fingers reached up and dug into his luscious black hair, pulling him closer, seeking, and begging him to wreck her more...

She didn't even realize how it had happened but she found herself lying on top of him, each curve aligned perfectly with the hard planes of his masculine body, his hand on her waist gripping her tighter than before as he locked her firmly in his embrace, his lips continuing their assault on hers...

He released her after long, intoxicating minutes, only for his lips to carve out a blazing path over every inch of the soft skin of her face, each kiss feather light, each kiss more drugging than the last before he traced his way back to her swollen lips, only to ravage them for the second time.

She had lost all her bearings of reality, her very soul drunk on his passion when the exquisite pressure on her lips eased, leaving her skin burning, her body craving, demanding for more and the violence of her urges caused her to tremble in his arms.

He was looking at her, breathless, blazing and she felt elated to see that he was as affected as she was, his eyes burning black as he leashed his desires back under iron clad control.

At that moment, she wanted to damn anything special. She wanted him right now. Right on the floor, beside the swimming pool.

"I love you." The declaration was searing, impatient, pure honest and it brought her crashing back into the dream that was her reality. The reverent fervor in his words causing a breathtaking smile to grace her face.

"I love you too." She breathed back.

To her utmost surprise, his handsome face twisted into a dark frown, "Don't say I love you too." He whined like a child, "Its sounds like you're just agreeing with me. It's like I say the weather is nice and you say yes I like it too."

She gaped in disbelief at his genius logic and when he continued to pout like she was denying him his favourite candy, she realized he was being absolutely serious. She relented with a laugh, bending down to give him a slobbery, wet kiss on his cheek.

"Okay," She giggled against the corner of his lips, "I love you, I love you and I'll love you Humesha."

"Much better," He smirked looking smug, "Now say that a hundred times." He ordered.

"Shut up!" She laughed, "You're such a baby!"

Before she knew it, she was flipped over and pinned to the ground under solid male muscle as he hovered on top of her, his body pressed against her curves, light enough that she didn't feel any weight but hard enough that she felt every inch of his flaming skin on hers through all the layers of unwanted clothing in between.

"I think you already have enough proof but I'll enjoy proving it to you again that I'm anything but a baby."

She gasped, every nerve ending in her coming alive as tendrils of pleasure twisted and curled in her stomach, her body aching, demanding for relief.

She lay under him, breathing heavily, speechless and surrendered, waiting, hoping, praying for the unendurable torture to either begin or end.

His hand trailed up her waist slowly, caressing every inch, dent and groove on its painful journey upwards and she tilted her head back, not able to meet his eyes as they raked over her form, sparkling with ancient, primal desires.

He spared her, his hand coming to rest on her cheek instead, gently caressing her chin; far away from what she had thought was the original destination and her eyes widened, her blush spreading from the tips of her hair to the ends of her toes.

Sensing that she was being laughed at, she glared at him fiercely, only to see that he was smirking back at her, obviously pleased that he could take her mind to all those place so easily...

"Special, remember?" Of course! Of course he had to be a perfect gentleman when he shouldn't be! Ugh! She screamed at him mentally and then tilted her face to scream at that offending hand, only to see...

"What happened to your hand?!"

Her loud, shrill demand caught him off guard and he looked down at his hand, as if noticing the ghastly, bloodied bruises for the first time.

"It's nothing!" He dismissed carelessly but she wasn't having any of it, panic and worry already causing her heart to leap in her throat, she flipped him back down, knowing that she only succeeded because he was distracted.

"It's not nothing!" She glowered at him, climbing off of him to examine his wounded hand. She held it tenderly in her own, eyes watering at the sight of the bruised, battered knuckles and the dried blood and black skin caking them.

"Manik Malhotra, tell me what happened!" She commanded, her mind already conjuring up all the worst case scenarios.

"I told you, we aren't talking about all this tonight!" He snapped back, irritation and the beginnings of anger marring his features.

"What did you punch?" She asked, changing her tack, surely this wasn't out of bounds!

"A wall, a guy and a steering wheel." He said dryly, "Are we done now?"

"You-!'' She was at a loss of words, knowing all too well that he wasn't going to tell her why he did all those things, not tonight at least. "I'm getting band-aid." She made a move to get up but he caught her arm, sending her crashing back on his chest with a startled gasp.

"You're getting nothing and you're going nowhere." He told her with an absolute finality that left no room to argue or escape not that she could even if she tried, not with his iron hold, anchoring her close by his side.

She shot him daggers through her eyes only for him to stare back perfectly composed and nonplussed. In this game of stubborn, both were bound to lose.

"It doesn't hurt." He said casually only to get a black look in return.

She stared at his damaged hand in dismay, wondering how its owner could be so heartless and cruel towards it. Her own heart ached, as if the wound was hers and not his. She couldn't rest until...

She gently cradled his hand in her own, bending down till her lips brushed against the wounds, placing small, soft, kisses across the skin, her own balm to soothe his pain and to cease the worry in her heart. She was vaguely aware of his sharp intake of breath as he watched her with a strange mixture of fascination and tenderness, immobile under the hold of her care.

"What're you doing?" He asked her, voice layered with an emotion she couldn't fathom.

"Healing." She said, mimicking his casual nonchalance.

She placed feather light kisses on each and every split knuckle vowing to herself that she would dress the wounds the first chance she got, regardless of what the monster said.

He took his hand from her grasp, pulling her down on top of him, gentler this time and stared at her with an inscrutable expression.

"You're impossible." He muttered, his eyes still shining with that same wonder and fascination.

"I should say that." She accused, only for him to grin abashedly, "I'm dressing it when you sleep." She announced smugly.

"I'm not sleeping." He said determinedly though she could see the way his eyes were ridden with exhaustion and his shoulders slumped with fatigue. They both had gone through a long, harrowing day.

"Sleep." She ordered in the most authoritative voice that she possessed but of course it had zero effect on him as he shook his head.

"I'm taking you back inside when you sleep." He countered, tiredly. He had already put his arm behind his head and used it as a pillow, contradicting himself as he shut his eyes close.

"We'll see about that." She whispered softly, wrapping her arm around his waist. She snuggled closer, placing her head on his chest, the warmth of his body compensating for the cold floor and the chill from the pool. She didn't really care about all that; she had him, that's all that mattered.

Seconds ticked by as she listened to the steady beat of his heart, the sound of it the most beautiful lullaby that she had ever heard and suddenly all those miserable nights that she had gone through, melted away in the tranquil beauty of this one.

The world could descend into chaos around them, in his arms, she would always sleep soundly.

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Author's Note: I used the third person to write about Manan in this chapter because I am still trying to get it right and hence toying with techniques that I am comfortable with. I'm extremely sorry if I am unable to do justice to it since Manan is not my type of romance or the type I am usually a fan of therefore I don't have any source to draw upon. Feel free to give me suggestions to improve my work.

Secondly, I know that the Manik v/s Dhruv track has already been portrayed on the show but from my point of view, it seemed like a half-baked story that lacked depth and only served as a means to glorify Manik's character more. I see Dhruv as a character that has tremendous potential but it wasn't utilized. I want to explore the Manik-Dhruv dynamic here in my own way. I don't believe in solid blacks and whites, my characters meet halfway, therefore expect to see a more human, less general hero-like (If that even makes sense) version of Manik. 

Sorry for the rambling!

Do comment and let me know your thoughts! (I'm a sucker for comments, they help me improve.

Much love,

P.S.

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