I know you all want to eat me alive this time.

You are ready to reward me with flying chappals and eggs.

But please listen to me...ummm....I mean....read me....ughhh whatever.

I

Have

A

Explanation....

Ok first of all...... apologies for the delay. The last few days have been very hectic for me and I justcouldn'take out time for wattpad.

First my Papa got retired from his job as a Govt Officer and we had to leave our Govt. Quarter to move to our own home. The shifting took like ages. We had been living in that house for like 12 years and suddenly shifting everything to a new house is very difficult. We had to pack....move ...and then unpack.

Finally when I was done with that and settled in our new home, I got a notice from my college about our internal exams being scheduled just two days later. I mean who does that? We freaking have loads of chapters to complete and we get only two days?

Anyways we appeared the exam like a computer student appearing Medical entrance and you can guess the outcome......

And then we were called back to college in a hurry and here I am 400 km away from my home, waiting for my 2nd internal exams to start next week. Ughhh!!

But still, finally I got a chance to open wattpad and first decided to check my other story Taqdeer as I'm planning to start updating it once I complete this one.
Then today finally I update this chapter. After so long.....

But

But

But

Buuuuutttttttt

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Hey! I'm dissapointed with the response though. I mean why is there being such a fall in the number of votes? Is my story turning boring? Are you guys losing interest?

Tell me. If this continues, I will wrap it up in the next two chapters.

If you want me to continue with what I have planned, you have to support me too.

Target for next chapter: 350 votes and 70 comments.

For now....enjoy the chappy.....

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Nandini's house

New York

" Where the hell are we going Manik? You just woke me up so early! Its freaking 6!", I yelled at the top of my voice as I sat on the bed lazily, watching my overexcited fiancee choosing an outfit for me. He has been stuck in that wardrobe for like half an hour now. God knows what he is searching for. Huh!

" We're going out baby.", he said the same thing for the thirtieth time since I woke up making me groan. He woke me up at 5:30 in the morning, hurrying me to freshen up and get ready. When asked where, he would only say one thing.." We're going out."

" Manik Malhotra! If in the next two minutes you don't tell me the reason of your excitement reaching the top of Burj Khalifa, I swear I'll break those not so white teeth of yours that you're showing me since morning!", I yelled finally, being highly annoyed with his sudden rush of things, while he just royally ignored my warning, making me boil more.

For God's sake I wanted to sleep more, having slept late last night. Ok no naughty ideas guys. We were talking to our family. But this guy here is not only snatching one of my birthrights, but also pissing me off with his attitude.

Before I could throw a punch at his handsome face, he yelled suddenly making me flinch. " Got it!", he squealed before turning to me with a dress in his hand. He threw it at me and literally begged me to get ready in it. And I agreed. Ok ok I know I'm pissed right now but......ummm....he pouted mahnn!

Soon we were on the roads, in my car, offcourse him driving as I have literally no idea where we were going. He had given me a very casual and comfortable attire to wear, and that made wonder where are we actually moving.

I had a comfy black jeggings on, paired with a long oversized brown sweater. And oh! I had my black skullcap on. Its chilly out here Aiyappa.

I looked at him. And Oh boy did he look hot! He had on a leather jacket which made him look so so hott! Stop drooling Nandini. You're angry. Hmph!

First I thought it could be the beach. Well it had been our daily routine in the last week. But beach in a chilly morning is exactly not an idea that would pop in his mind. Then?

If I talk about our daily routine in the last week, then it goes something like this. First he would wake me up at 6:30 every morning and literally drag me to the garden for yoga. Well not that I don't like it. I am a fitness person, but I just want to laze around in these really cold mornings. And with him around, I just want to be in the bed wrapped up in his arms, feeling the warmth that radiated from his body. It really provided me the much needed assurance that I am finally safe now. Finally home....

Okay coming back to our daily scenarios, he would make breakfast everyday. Trying new dishes, with Navya on videocall. This duo! I tell you, they are gonna blast my kitchen someday.

Well...he really makes delicious breakfast. My appettite has increased substantially these days with all the happy mood I'm having. And his hand made food is just Sone pe suhaga!

But don't tell him okay. Otherwise he would just flatter high, his nose touching the peak of Everest and he will definitely not come out of kitchen.

We watched a lot of movies together in the last week. Bollywood to Hollywood. Even South Indian movies which I clearly understood while he just stared at the screen completely clueless. Well..according to him, he just watched them to ogle at Rashmika Mandanna and Samantha, which earned a real hard smack from me. Huff!

We talked a lot. I mean literally a lot. I haven't talked so much in my whole life how much I have in these 7 days. Although I did attend counselling sessions with George everyday, the conversations I had with Manik every evening actually did wonders.

I feel so light-headed now, having emptied all my fears, all my insecurities ....everything to Manik, who would sit silently listening to my every word with apt attention.

He would encourage me to open up more and more, " The eye is always caught by light, but shadows have more to say. And I want to listen to those shadows 'Love'. ", he would say, reffering me with that beautiful endearing, and look at me with those love filled eyes which would give me all the courage to face my dark side as well as the assurance that I will be able to defeat it.

His words, " Remember Shona. Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. And hate leads to suffering. And in your case all these is always directed at yourself only, which makes it worse.

Erase this fear from your mind Nandini. Even Draupadi would have have feared when she took an oath to avenge her humiliation. She too lost almost everything and everyone who was dear to her, in her fight for her dignity. But still, she didn't let her steps falter. She thrived with confidence, and completed her oath, even though her heart burned with agony.

She had a choice. She could have let her fear win and would have left everything, going back to the forest. But she didn't. She fought with her inner dark self. She fought with herself....for herself. She fought till she got back what was hers. She fought till she rid the earth of every single human being who once dragged her into that assembly.

You have to do the same Nandini. I'm not telling that you haven't. You have been the strongest soul I have ever seen. You have fought your own wars till now Nandini even after they did so wrong to you. You too lost your mother. But you rose again. And see...today you are standing here. In a world which has no trace of that Naveen Aggarwal anymore.

You have done a lot Nandu. But your only setback is that you made your close ones your weakness. You blamed yourself for what happened to us when you were nowhere at fault.

Don't do that Shona. Loved ones...our family is our strength and should always be the same. Never let them be your weakness. Not even me.

Promise me Shona. You will thrive like a Warrior Princess now and not hide behind those walls made for a Damsel in Distress."

And I promised. Promised him with a forever this time.

No more disdain.

No more grief.

No more regret.

Its time to face the world as it is and not how I think it to be.

" NANDINI!", he broke my trance with his shout, startling me, as I turned to look at him with a frown on my face.

" Where were you lost? I have been calling you for so long now.", he said and I just shook my head apologetically " Sorry. Was just thinking something. You say. Pahunch gaye kya hum? ( Did we reach?) ", I asked and he shook his head.

" No. I was just asking you to increase the AC temperature. Its a bit too cold today. But its okay. I did it.", he said and I nodded.

" Umm....Manik..."; I started again after some five minutes, trying to sound as cute as possible, but he just cut me off.

" Stop right there. I know what you are trying to do baby. But let me tell you, I'm not gonna fall for any of these tricks of yours. You'll know where we are going when we reach there.", he said making me whine while he just shrugged making me puff in anger. Hmph! What does he think of himself? Monster Monkey Maniac Malhotra! Huh!

Ugh! I'll go mad. Let me just get my beauty sleep till he finally decides to tell me.

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" God! Raj keep that phone away for a moment will you? I'm trying to tell you something aur aap ho ki dhyan hi nahin de rahe!", I yelled, snatching his mobile from his hands making him whine. Its been almost an hour that he's been busy playing something called some Surfer...yeah Subway Surfer on his phone, ignoring everything else in the world. Huh! My idiotic husband!

" What Neyo! I was going to make a new record yaar.", he said making me huff. Him and his records. " Bhaad mein jaye aapka record. First tell me what will you have for dinner? Maharajji and Jyoti are on leave today so I have to prepare the dinner. Phataphat batayiye. ", I said and he frowned.

" What about Cabir and Navya? Aren't they here?", he asked and I sighed. Does this man even listen anything? I have shouted my lungs out five times already that they are out on a date, and here this man! Huh!

" God Raj! How many times do I have to tell you that they have gone on a date today and will return late. They'll have their dinner outside. Do you even listen to anything else when you have that phone in your hands?", I scolded and he gave me a sheepish grin which soon changed to a smirk.

" Kya baat hai? Both my boys turned out to be love sick puppies han. One is there in NYC being lovey-dovey with his fiancee and the other is taking his wife on dates. Wah! Bilkul mere genes hi hai. ", he teased, saying the last part proudly making me roll my eyes. Malhotras I tell you!

" Rehne de han. My sons are not a bit like you. See them. Being so romantic. Head over heels for my daughters. And you. Huh! Not even giving attention to your wife. All your love is for this phone and your work only! ", I said and walked off to the kitchen and smiled as I felt him following me with a puppy face. I know him very well. Now he will start his pampering to prove how Dildaar Malhotras are and how an Aashiq he is. Hehehe....

" Oh my Neyo darling!"

Aaaand here he comes. Let me just enjoy now.

Well...life has been returning on tracks in the last few days. Manu got well finally and went to meet Nandu. I know how much he was dying to see her and was cursing himself for not being able to. Seeing him, I felt so angry on Nandini for leaving him and going away. But then, I too knew what must be going on in her head. Infact, I was the one who forced her to think that way with my words.....although that wasn't my intention at all.

I never wanted to say those words other that day. I know I didn't say anything wrong. But the timing was bad. I didn't understand that Nandini wouldn't be thinking straight and would take my words in a complete different note.

*sigh*

The exact thing happened. And I so hate myself for that. Both my Children were suffering and I couldn't do anything but curse myself and our fate.

But God again proved that every bad phase in life...finally ends and there's happiness awaiting for you on the other side.

Now see. Manik is with Nandini and they are happy. That day when they called Cabir for a video call, I just couldn't come face to face with Nandini. I was so guilty for having said those bitter words to her that day without even caring for the consequence.

I could see how broken she was. She looked so pale...her eyes filled with dark circles, clearly stating her sleepless nights. Her voice broke so many times and I felt my heart squeeze everytime it did.

I just couldn't face her. So I stayed out of the frame and just saw her finally mending her ties with her family once again. There was a smile on her face finally, which made all our hearts rejoice, finally finding peace.

I thought she didn't notice my absence and that I wasn't coming into the frame. But who am I kidding? She is Nandini Murthy. Nothing can ever leave her eyes.

That very day, at around 8 at night, I got a call from an unknown number making me frown. I picked it up, only to be startled by the yell from the other side.

" Mrs Neyonika Malhotra! What the hell do you think of yourself han? You will avoid me...ignore me...then I'll feel miserable and then I'll call you and beg you to forgive me. You want that? Then stop dreaming coz I won't do that ever, because I wouldn't have done that ever to my Mumma. ", Nandini yelled making me stumble from the chair I was sitting on. What the hell! This girl! What the hell is she? And atom bomb? All silent for months and then suddenly bursts!

I opened my mouth, but before I could say something, she again shouted, " Oh wait wait wait....am I taking it completely wrong? Is it the other way round? I mean...you are feeling guilty of talking to me like that and now avoiding me because you can't show me your face or something? Ugghhhh! Its definitely that. God! Mom! You are The Neyonika Malhotra. This guilty guilty goody goody doesn't suit you. You are a strong lady and not like me who always starts the self blaming session pushing myself into darkness.

You said those words that day and it was justified. I should have listened to you knowing how dangerous that man is. But I didn't. Just because of my overconfidence. I thought I had everything under control. But I forgot that noone can ever say what will happen in the future, so we need to measure our steps in the present.

Mom. I know you must be thinking that your words made me vulnerable and forced me to leave. Then yes. It did...... But not because you said something wrong. Its because I was stupid enough to take it wrong. I was so into believing that bastard's words that I forgot you are my Mom and that you would never blame me for hurting Manik...coz maybe more than me, you understand my love for him.

I am not hurt by your words Mom. Never. You are my mother and you can say anything to me. Its your right. So from the next time, if you think like this, I'll order your two sons to prevent you from having any sweet for a month.

Mind it. And stop this drama Old Lady!", she finally stopped. Uff! How can this girl speak so much at once? In a single breath?

But her words just brought tears in my eyes. How lucky am I to get such a beautiful soul for my son. Infact I am the luckiest to get these two amazing sisters as my daughter-in-laws...oops..sorry... Daughters.

After that we talked for hours before I retired to bed. She told me everything. How Manik made her cry so much when he left her and went away, making Manik earn a long scolding from me. And that baby girl just giggled like a kid. How cute she is.

Ok..I think Raj is now making those cute puppy faces at me to forgive him. But I know what his real intentions are. He wants me to make something sweet and delicious for him today and this all buttering is for manofying me. Huh!

Anyways let me now concentrate on by dear but stupid husband. Bye guys.

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Ok guys....

Thats all for today. I hope you guys liked what I wrote.

Manan?

Nandini is really pissed on Manik now. Hehe.!

How was Nandini's pov? I tried to make justice to their characters by explaining their efforts for each other, especially what Manik did for Nandini and what she felt about it. But I just didn't want to drag it along. Hope you liked it.

Did you find Manik's words heart touching?

What about Neyonika?

Neyo-Nandu's bond?

Nandu's words for Neyo?

Next update will be out as soon as target mentioned above is fulfilled.

Well, I am trying. But the college authorities are just fucking up with my plans.

Okay okay okay.....till the next update, please keep voting and drop your comments. Target khatam na hone tak no update.

Till next time then...

Stay safe

Stay healthy

Yours Writer