She ran as Manik looked her from other side of the glass . The intensity of his eyes boring into her scared her. Involving with people had decided her fate previously, it's better to keep her guards on. Yes, she was a child but remember what had happened and what she had to face. That guy, his eyes are similar. Similiar to someone who was her only life support but also the one who threw her out of the outside world.

So she ran and hid herself in her room. Her breathing paced. Remembering everything. It can't be possible. Yes, she's in his area but he can't be that guy. But her unconscious mind knows he's who she's thinking of. He is Manik Malhotra.

She looked around in her room for water and drank it to control her breathing. She can do anything but not loose her breathing. She's aware of her heart condition. In the jail, whenever she had a pain they took her to hospital but now when she's out, she don't know where hospital is, what to do, what to say. She have to take care of herself. Calming herself, she closed her eyes and slept.

____

On the other side, Abhi stood frozen at his place. He has no idea who that girl was but when his eyes turned to Manik, he asked him silently. Manik blinked his eyes as a traitor tear comes out of his eyes.

Abhi was about to go behind her when Manik called him, “Abhi! Not now! Please!”

“Why?”, He turned to him.

“Please! Understand! Safety!”, Manik replied in words so that only Abhi can understand.

Others looked confused while Mukti wiped her tears and went to Abhi.

“Hi!”, She whispered.

Abhi soft teary eye turned harsh as he looked at her.

“I'm not here for you!”, he replied harshly.

She gulped her sob and excused herself.

Manik sighed and turned his back to him to avoid further questions from Abhi.

Abhi fumed in anger looking at his aay of dismissal. “It's not ending like this today, Malhotra!”

“Abhi, Manik! What's going on?”, Aliya asked.

“You!”, Abhi said pointing to her, “Stay out of this! Both you and your best friend (Mukti) stat out of this! I need to talk to him which clearly do not require you!”

Hearing him Aliya went outside the fuming in anger.

“What's going on guys? What happened to her?”, Cabir asked as now only the boys are present and Dhruv has closed the door.

“She's here!”, Abhi replied, “And this fucker is still not ready to give her the place she deserves!”

Both Cabir and Dhruv was shocked to hear that.
“Isliye buddy tu mere ghar me rahna chahta hai!”, Dhruv asked.

“But the question is who's she? How she reached here!”, Cabir asked.

“Stay away from her! Everyone!”, Manik turned to them as anger was spitting from his eyes. “Koi nahi jayega meri bachi k pass! And dare anyone tell this to Mukti wur Alya! I'll skin you guys alive!”

“Manik! Shant ho jaa! We know this and we never shared anything related to her to any of our girls!”, Dhruv said.

Manik rubbed his hand on face to calm himself.

“Tu batyega wo yaha bina tery knowledge k kaise paunchi?”, Abhi asked.

“Nahi pata! I fucking don't know a shit about this! Maine clear instructions diye the jab wo niklegi Aryaman will approach her and take her away from here! I had everything planned but Aryaman told me before she could collide with her as per the plan she took the auto.”

“Everytime! Each and every time you proved yourself a fucking irresponsible and looser when it comes to her! Do you have any fucking idea how things would have turned if anyone will recognise her!”, Abhi shouted as his threw the chair beside him in anger.

“I know! I know that!”, Manik cried as tears of regret, tears of guilt filled his eyes. “I fucking know that! Isliye mujhey samaj nahi aa rha tha kya karu! I went underground to dig about her! Her whereabouts! But Aryaman had no idea about Auto's number!”

“Guys! Wait! What's going on? Will you guys clear it out where's our baby? Where's Nanhi?”, Cabir asked.

“Yahi hai!”, Dhruv whispered as things settled on it's place, “Mujhey nahi pata tha wo Nanhi hai jab main ussey hire kar rha tha! But, the feeling of not leaving alone was bugging me even when I never saw her! Only if Manik allowed any of us to see her once in all these years toh main ussey duniya se chupa deta ussi time jab wo mujhey gate par mili thi!”

“Toh kya karta main? Haan? Tum sab bhi ussey milne jatey fir pata hai na kya hota!”, Manik shouted, “Bhul gaye? Don't you remember what had happened in past? We went to meet her! Remember! We went! Then? Don't you fucking remember they involved other prisoner and she was slapped till she lost her consciousness!”

All closed their eyes as they remember everytime they approached her or tried to meet her Virin Murthy did everything to harm her.

“Par ab kya?”, Cabir asked, “Ussey kaise chupaye?”

Manik smiled in tears and said, “Meri bachi bahut strong ho gyi hai ussey chupana bhi hoga hume par duniya se nahi sirf Nyonika and Virin Murthy se! All these years, I could not do anything, not because of that fucking mere contract but for safety! If Nyonika will get an idea about Nanhi's heart condition she'll do anything to harm her. Keeping her in jail was the only option we had to save her!”

“No! It wasn't!”, Abhi said gritting his teeth. “Tu chahta toh bacha sakta ussey!”

“And how? Nahi bol na Abhi! You always blame for my one fucking wrong decision but van you tell me how a fucking 12 year boy who's nobody without his family money would have saved his baby from all the money trapped web that Nyonika and Virin had spread! You clearly know that there's not even single day when I didn't work my ass off to build an empire just to keep my child safe! Tab tak main majboor tha!”, Manik cried, “I was also not happy with what she lost! Her childhood! Her innocence! Her every aspect of life which a child need! I know but main uskey liye yeh sab kar raha tha!”

Abhi looked angrily at him and said, “Uski zindgi barbad kar diya humne mil kar! Thanks to your fucking mother!"

Cabir sighed and said, “We have to think further guys! Ussey kaisey safe rakhey ab! And sabsey important Alia and Mukti should not come across her! The hatred Mukti had is still within her!”

Others nodded and Manik said, “Buddy! Please tell her to add plants in my room! But make sure ki wo kuch na utaye.”

Dhruv nodded as he instructed his staff to buy indoor plants for Manik's room and update Nandini about her work.

“Let's go guys! Anyone can doubt us and inform to Nyonika and Virin about our meet-up! Abhi is here so it will increase their doubts!”, Dhruv said.

They were about to leave the room when Abhi held Manik's arm and said, “Iss baar nahi khone deny meri behan ko!”

“Khud ko kho dunga par ussey kisi ko chuney nahi dunga!”, Manik replied.

___

Next day, as instructed Nandini went to Manik's room unaware of whose room it is. She sat down on the floor of balcony ans started pulling each plant out of it's grow bag to plant it back in the pots.
Manik who was unaware that Nandini is in the balcony, came inside the room. He heard someone and his heartbeat fastens as he felt she's here.

He pulled the balcony curtain aside and found her planting her favourite white lilies and tulips. Smiling he stood at the balcony door and observed her. Finally, after her lilies and tulips, she started with the white rose.

His smile turned to frown as the thrown pricked her finger. Without thinking anything, he went to her and before she could see blood her holds her finger tightly.

“Kya karti ho! Itni chot lag gayi! Dhyan kaha tha tumhara!”, He asked as he examined her fingers.

Her eyes widen as realisation hits her. He's Manik! He's here!

She started shivering at her place as her past came in front of his eyes.

Before Manik could ask further she lost her senses and fell in his arms.