Nandini was fast asleep when she heard noise from downstairs. Waking up, she walked out of the room and looked over the railing. There she saw a completely drunk Manik stumbling through the front door & his mom helping him stand up straight.

"Manik....yeh kya hai huh? Roz roz aisi halat mein ghar aana. Tere Papa ne dekh liya na toh kand ho jayega." Sumitra whispered looking here & there.

"Like I care..." Manik mumbled & brushed Sumitra's hand away.

"Manik.....Manu!" Sumitra called after him but Manik slowly made his way upstairs.

"There is no way main uss bevda aadmi ko mere saath ek room main sone dungi." Nandini said to herself. Before Manik could come, she went back into the room and locked the door. A few moments later the door knob rattled and then Manik realized it was locked.

"Oye Biwi....darwaza kholo!" Manik slammed his fist on the door.

"Uhmmm....nope." Nandini replied through the door.

"WHAT?" Manik yelled. 

"Shut up Monster....sab soh rahe hai, itna bhi khayal nahi hai kya? Auntyji aur Uncle ka toh paata nahi but Im sure tum Pakhi aur Mahi ko uthana nahi chahte." Nandini said with a smirk.

"You little-" Manik lowered his voice. Nandini felt she won and grinned to herself.

"Aaj guest room mein soh jao Hubby. Good night & sweet dreams!" Nandini said. She then went back to bed and got under the blanket....falling back asleep immediately.

Manik didnt want to wake up his sister & Mahi just as Nandini guessed but he also wasnt one to admit defeat.

"Mujhe mere hi kamre se bahar rakh rahi ho? There is no way, Im letting you get away with this. Manik Malhotra hoon main, mujhse panga lena bohot bhari parega tumhe."  Manik's eyes were red and he most definitely wasnt in his senses. He stumbled towards Pakhi's room and quietly got a clip from her dressing table. Then he stumbled back to his room and used the clip to unlock his door. Manik picked up a sleeping Nandini and took her to the balcony. As he placed her on the ground, Nandini woke up and was confused seeing where she was.

"What-tum? Tum andar kaise aaye?" Nandini asked.

"Yeh MERA kamra hai." Manik gripped Nandini's arms tightly and leaned in threateningly. "Did you honestly think tum mujhe mere hi kamre se bahar rakh paogi?"

"Manik leave me." Nandini tried to get loose.

"Ok....whatever you say." Manik smirked and pushed her back while he stepped back into his room. "Good night & sweet dreams Biwi."

Before Nandini could stop him, Manik shut the glass door and locked it from inside. Nandini started yelling to be let in and smacked the glass door but as it was sound proof Manik could not hear a thing and only saw an angry Nandini moving her mouth. He laughed and plopped himself in bed.

"Kya kar raha hai Manik...it's cold out." One side of Manik felt a bit bad for what he did. But his otherside didnt care much. "Relax....thodi na puri raat bahar rakhunga. Aadhe ghante mein uski akal thikane aa jayegi and she will never keep me out of my own room again. I'll let her sleep inside."

*********************************************************

The next morning Manik woke up with a killer hangover.

"Ahh...mera sir." Manik groaned as he held his head. Looking up, he saw Nandini fast asleep on the balcony floor and he realized that he had fallen asleep. "Shit, yeh ladki toh puri raat bahar hi thi! I forgot to let her back in!"

He quickly got up and slid open the balcony door. Nandini was curled up in a ball, shivering. Manik slowly knelt down and reached out to her. "B..Biwi? You okay?"

He touched her arm and gasped in shocking seeing hot her skin felt. "Isse bohot tez bukkhad ho gayi hai.....f*ck yeh kya kiya tune Manik? Hate her or not....par iski life risk mein nahi dal sakta tu. Varna tujh mein aur unn Raichands mein kya fark reh gaya?"

Manik scooped Nandini up and took her back inside. He then placed her in bed and tucked her under the blanket. "I should call the doctor..."

As he turned to get his phone, Nandini unconsciously grabbed his arm pulled him closer. She was softly crying and mumbling, "Papa...mujhse baat karo pls..meri galati nahi hai. Pls...pls..."

Manik slowly stroked her hair with his free arm to soothe her. He leaned in and whispered gently,  "Shh....sab thik hai. It's okay, sab thik hai."

Suddenly a few memories flashed through his head.

Flashback

"BHHHHAAAIIIII!!!!!" Pakhi is seen screaming in terror.

Next Scene

Manik is at the deathbed of a woman who looked older than him. He held her hand in his own, sobbing.

"Di...kisne kiya yeh sab? Just tell me the name! Chodunga nahi main usse!"

"R...R...Rai...ch...an..d...." The woman manages to say before letting out one last breathe. Her bloody hand slipped out of Manik's as the machine let out a long beep and the line became straight....indicating her death. The doctors called out the time of death and unhooked her from the machines.

"DIIIIIIII!" Manik fell to the ground sobbing. 

Flashback Ends

As Manik remembered this, his expression hardened and he roughly jerked Nandini off his arm. 

"No....you hate her Manik. You Nandini Raichand....bholo mat." Manik told himself as he stood up. "Doctor ko bulana tera farz hai so just do that. Iski yeh innocent chehre pe mat ja....koi bhi Raichand innocent nahi hai."

He grabbed his phone and called the doctor.

*********************************************************

"She has a high fever. Maine injection de diya hai toh kuch time ke baad aapki wife ko hosh aa jayegi-"

"She is NOT my wife." Manik said angrily.

"Oh...sorry sir." The doctor apologized. "Uhm....well, yeh ladki....she should wake up in an hour or two. Yeh dawai ki prescription hai....pls send someone to get it. Inko jab hosh ayegi toh she should have the medicine on time....at least until the fever is gone."

"Hmmm....thik hai." Manik grunted. He took the prescription from the doctor and then the doctor left.

"Bhaiyu?"

Manik turned to see Pakhi standing by the door with a sad look.

"Morning little birdy....you okay?" Manik smiled warmly to her.

"Bhabhi bimaar hai?" Pakhi asked cutely with concern.

"She is not yo-" Manik controlled his anger and shook his head. "Woh thik hai....bas thoda sa fever hai."

Pakhi nodded and then ran off, confusing Manik.

"Ab Pakhi kaha jaa rahi hai?" 

After getting ready for work, he left Nandini in his room & he went downstairs where found Pakhi telling Sumitra about Nandini.

"Great just what I need...ab Mom 1000 sawal puchegi. Kya hua, kaise hua? Office bhaag Manik..." Manik mumbled to himself. He started towards the door when Sumitra called out.

"Manu!" Sumitra walked upto him. "Yeh pakhi kya bol rahi hai? Kya hua Nandini ko? Kaise hua?"

"Mom...choti si fever hai bas. Itni bhi koi badi baat nahi hai." Manik rolled his eyes.

"Par kal tak toh thik hai.....achanak fever kaise ho gayi usse?"

"Mom apni lecture khatam hi nahi karegi if dhe finds out meri vajah se hui hai....vaise bhi mujhe sapna thodi na aata ki yeh ladki itni nazuk hai." Manik thought.

"How would I know Mom? Bas ho gayi....anyways yeh lijiye, Doctor ne prescription di hai dawai ki." Manik quickly handed the slip to Sumitra and escaped.

"Manu tu-" Sumitra tried to stop him but no use. Shaking her head, she handed the prescription over to a servant. "Shiva....yeh le, dawai hai Nandini ke liye. Jaa ke jaldi leke aa, main paisa deti hoon."

"Ji Malkin." Shiva nodded. Sumitra took her purse and handed him some cash. After he left, Sumitra sent Pakhi off to play and she took a glass of warm haldi milk with her up the stairs.

"Sumi...yeh sab kiske liye?" Dhananjay asked his wife.

"Nandini ke liye hai. Usse bhukhaar ho gayi hai." Sumitra replied. "Bechari bachi....uske saath humesha kuch na kuch ho hi raha hai."

"She will be fine....doctor ko bulaya?"

"Haan...Manik ne bulaya tha. Maine Shiva ko bheja hai dawai laane ke liye." 

"Toh bas...isse zyada aur kya kar sakte hai?" Dhananjay shrugged. "Its just a fever....itni badi baat nahi hai."

Sumitra got angry hearing him say the same thing as Manik. "Pakhi ko bhukhaar hoti toh bhi aap yehi bolte?"

"Sumi-"

"Nahi...of course not. Kyunki Pakhi aapki beti hai na?" Sumitra replied. "Manti hoon main ki Nandini aapki beti nahi hai....aur na hi aapki pasand ki bahu hai. Woh aapki dushman ki beti hai par BETI TOH HAI! Ek insaan hai woh....jiske paas abhi koi family, koi apna nahi hai. Woh agar yahan iss ghar mein hai na toh humare bete ki vajah se....aur aapko itna bhi fikar nahi hai ki woh achank se itna bimaar kaise ho gayi ki doctor ko bulana para?"

Dhananjay knew that Sumitra was right so he kept quiet.

"Manik toh pagal hai...paata nahi apne zid aur gusse mein kya kar raha hai par aap uske baap hai na? Bade hai aap usse? Aapko toh samajhna chahiye ki kya sahi hai aur kya galat! Par nahi...dono baap bete ek jaise hi hai....HEARTLESS!" Sumitra glared at her husband one more time and then stormed off.

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