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"Finally!!!! It feels so good to be back." Manik inhaled a deep breath as he stepped inside Malhotra Mansion.

He was still having difficulty to walk properly. Dhruv was holding him from his side to support him. Nandini and others were walking behind them.

"Manik, you'll go up right now and take rest. And I'm not hearing anything about this." Shreekant spoke up in a strict tone leaving no room for Manik to argue.

Manik closed his mouth gulping the words he was about to say. He could only let out a sigh and curse the person mentally who was behind all this.

"And yes no work, no jamming session till the doctor permits you to do so. I'm sure no one have any problem with it." Manik heard his voice once again from his back and he made a bad face hearing it.

"You can't be serious, dad!" Manik muttered in disbelief but the expression of his father's face didn't change which gave him the answer.

Others present there was holding back their chuckle seeing this new avatar of Manik. The guy who always shows himself as rough one in front of everyone. This side of him is completely new to all of them. But they didn't mind it at all. They actually loved this side of him. They had to agree that Nandini's presence in Manik's life changed him for good which is undoubtedly a good sign.

Manik was going upstairs when he turned back and gestured Nandini to follow him. She surely noticed it as her gazes were on him only. She slowly nodded in no eyeing everyone else around.

Shreekant as well as others noticed it as well. Not wanting to make them uncomfortable, he left from there saying he needed to make an important call.

As he left, Alya spoke. "Nandini, you go up and help Manik, if he needs anything. We need to meet the manager about this incident and update him about Manik's condition. He was really worried and he also wanted to discuss something."

"Is everything okay, guys? I hope it's not something serious?" Manik became serious.

"Don't worry, buddy. Everything is under control." Dhruv assured him.

"Yes. The launch event was interrupted last day, so he would do everything manually today and release the album." Cabir added to him.

Hearing him, Manik rembered something. "I need the first copy of the album. I've promised Rishav that I'll give it to him."

Nandini was surprised once again with his words. She knew Manik shared somekind of special bond with Rishav, they are really attached to each other. But she didn't expect it to be so deep. Rishav really admires his Manik bhai a lot.

"I'll get that." Cabir replied and they all left after bidding bye to them.

"I think now you can come." Manik smirked naughtily.

Nandini nodded her head in disbelief. She couldn't believe this guy can behave this even in this situation. He is really something. She quietly walked to him and helped him to walk to his room. She made him sit on the bed and was about to move back but Manik didn't let her. He was faster. He held her hand and pulled her on his lap.

Nanidni shriked in fear with the sudden pull. "Manik, what're you doing? It'll hurt you." She was about to get up but Manik only held her tighter.

"Not at all. You can never hurt me." Manik replied nuzzling his nose in her neck.

Nandini didn't say anything further. She remained silent and let him do whatever he was doing.

"I'm fine, wifey. Trust me." Manik muttered and kissed on her neck.

Nandini hugged him tightly.

"You've no idea what was going inside me when you were lying lifelessly on my lap with those bloods around. I was scared." Nandini sobbed.

Manik rubbed her back. "I can't leave you, Nandini. You've to bear me for a long time. There's no escape."

After a while, Nandini was still sobbing. Manik broke the hug and cupped her face making her look at him. "You want me to get well soon, right?"

Nandini nodded her head innocently.

"Then you will have to do whatever I'll ask you to."

She again nodded.

"That's like my wifey. Nandini, I'll be fine when you'll be okay. You're my shining star. If you'll be dull like this, then how can I be okay? Be my normal Nandini, then I'll be okay soon. You will do this for me?"

Nandini smiled and pecked on his cheek. "You'll never have to ask."

They were busy with each other when they heard a knock on the door. "Let me check." Nandini said and got up to check.

It was Shreekant standing outside.

"Dad, come inside. Why're you standing there?" Manik smiled.

"I'll go and get something for Manik. He needs to take his medicines too." Nandini left from there hurriedly.

As Nandini left, Shreekant moved close to Manik. "Are you feeling okay? Do you need anything?"

"Relax. I'm fine. You sit here and tell me what happened. I know you want to say something."

"You know police commissioner is one of my close friends. I talked to him last night about this matter and he told he would look into it personally. I had requested him to hide about her for the while and gather other information. He did. He had called right now." Then he explained Manik his conversation with him.

Manik heard him carefully. It was raging him from inside. He wanted to rip her head off at that instant. Only he knew what was taking him to control that urge.

"Damn!!! I knew it. I had a doubt that time only. But she planned everything in a way that I had to believe her. Then I didn't get time to look into this matter. That's completely my fault. I should've been more careful." Manik was angry upon himself for being so careless.

Shreekant placed his palm on Manik's shoulder. "Manik, calm down. It's not your mistake. You're not God, you can't control everything. You've to accept the happenings and face it."

Manik nodded.

"Have you thought anything about unfolding it to Nandini?"

"Let's not just tell her anything about this now. She's already very tensed and it won't help her anyway."

Shreekant agreed to him.

A few minutes later, Nandini walked inside Manik's room with a tray in her hand. "I've got your lunch. Then you need to take your medicine too."

"Okay. Manik, complete your meal. I'll see you later." Shreekant left patting his back.

Nandini sat beside Manik on the bed. She placed the tray in front of him. Manik was staring at her. Nandini raised her eyebrows asking him what. Manik simply smiled and removed her hair a little from her face and the vermilion on her hairline was visible now. He caressed the place and moving closer to her, he pecked there.

"I love you."

Nandini smiled sweetly.

"Have it fast. It'll be cold." Nandini handed over the bowl to Manik.

"You know I'm the patient and I'm hurt."

"Of course. That's why I got them for you."

Manik sighed. "Don't you think you should feed me?"

"Manik, your hand is fine. Also as much as I know, you're not hurt in your head, then why are you acting so dramatic?"

"Drama? I'm hurt here and you think I'm acting?" He placed his hand on his heart. "I'm hurt. Badly hurt."

Nandini nodded in disbelief. She took the bowl from Manik's hand and started feeding him. Nandini was feeding her and Manik's eyes were on her all the while. He didn't even blink for once.

After finishing the meal, Nandini gave him the medicine. "Now you take rest. I'll leave."

Nandini was about to get up but Manik held her hand to stop her. "Stay here."

"I'm here only." She smiled softly and walked out of his room.

Manik slept due to medicine's effect. Nandini saw him sleeping so she walked out of his room after fixing the duvet over him. She went to the pool side and sat there thinking of the recent happenings from the day she was attacked to the night in the launch.

She was lost in her thoughts when she felt someone's presence behind her. She turned back only to see Shreekant standing there. Nandini got up seeing him.

"Uncle, you here? Do you need anything?"

"No. I just saw you here so thought of checking on you. Manik's sleeping and you looked tensed. Are you fine?"

Nandini nodded with a smile. "I'm fine. I was just thinking of the happenings."

"Nandini, I hope you know you're nowhere at fault. It's just the situation which is wrong. If not Manik, then you would have been hurt and let me tell you, in both the cases we would have suffered the same way."

He stopped to take a breath before starting again. "Nandini, you're a part of my heart's life. Manik is my heart. He's the reason, I'm still alive. From his childhood, I tried to give him everything but I forgot that he might need our time too. I stayed away from him due to my problems with Nyonika and that's where I made the biggest mistake. We pushed him to be the 'monster' according to you."

Nandini's eyes went wide hearing him. She didn't know he knew of this too. She looked down in embarrassment and Shreekant chuckled seeing her.

"It's okay. I know how my son behaved with you. But he changed when you entered into life. You made him smile. The smile which I always craved to see on his face. You made him alive again and I can't thank you enough for this. Nandini, I know what you mean to him and what you're to him actually and let me tell you my blessings will always be there with you too. I know that my son is in right hand. Stay together always like this."

He patted Nandini's head and left from there leaving a baffled Nandini behind. She didn't understand what he actually tried to mean. For a second, she got the thought that maybe he had come to know about their marriage but she chucked the thought thinking that's not possible.

She walked inside the mansion. Before going to the guest room, she went to check on Manik. She found him still sleeping. She moved near him and fixed the duvet properly on him. She couldn't help caressing his hair and peck on his forehead. Then she went away to the guest room.

NEXT   MORNING
Nandini woke up earlier as per her habit. She freshened up and got ready before going downstairs. She asked the butler about Mr. Malhotra. She got to know that he has left early in the morning saying he would be late.

Nandini made Manik's special tea and entered into his room. She found him still sleeping. She knew it's the effect of medicine. She smiled seeing his innocent face in the sleep. Nandini placed the cup on the bed side and table and went to open the curtains letting the sun rays fall on his face.

Manik immediately groaned and tried to cover his face under the duvet. "Robin, close the curtains." He shouted. He didn't know who it was.

"It's not Robin." Nandini chucked and moved her face closer to his ear. "It's your one and only wife."

Hearing her husky tone, Manik opened his eyes and their eyes met with each other. Their faces were only a few inches apart. Her hair were falling on his face. He raised his hand and tucked them behind her ear.

"Good morning, Manik." She whispered.

"Good morning." Manik was moving his face near her to kiss her but she covers his lips with her palm.

"Not now, Mr. Malhotra." She hurriedly went back making Manik fall on the bed. "I have got your tea. Drink it, then freshen up. You have to take your medicines too."

"I'll have them later."

"Manik!!!" She glared at him. "You can't be so careless. You need to have them. So, get up now."

"Fine." He accepted his defeat.

Nandini handed over the tea mug to him. He drank that.

"You go and freshen up. I'll go and get your breakfast."

Nandini turned to go but before she could even take a step forward she found herself beneath him within a few seconds and his muscular body hovering over her. Manik had a mischievous grin on his face. 

Manik moved his face in between her neck nuzzling there. "You know you've started behaving like typical wives already." He placed a wet kiss there.

"Manik, please." Nandini clutched the collar of his t-shirt.

He didn't say anything but fused his lips with hers. His hands travelled from her waist to her cheeks, then he pinned her hands over the mattress. Nandini kept laying beneath him completely surrendered to him. They had longed for this moment for a long while.

Nandini broke the kiss when both of them were out of breath. She knew they had to stop before they lost control over themselves. She knew it's not the right time. Manik looked at her being surprised.

"We can't do anything now, Manik. Your health is more important." She whispered.

Manik let out a breath and moved away from her. "Yeah. You have no idea how difficult it's to control myself when you're around. That too so close to me."

Nandini smiled and kissed on his cheek before stepping down from the bed. "Then I can blackmail you to get well soon or you know you can't come close to me." She winked at ber maintaining safe distance between them so that he couldn't hold her again.

Manik raised his eyebrows looking at her but before he could say anything his phone started ringing. He took the phone. It was Cabir. As he picked up the call, Nandini walked out of the room to prepare for Manik's breakfast.

She was instructing the butler about his food when she heard Manik's shout from his room. Nandini got scared thinking he might have hurt himself or something have happened to him. She didn't wait anymore and ran to his room only to find it empty.

"Manik, where're you?"

"Nandini, I'm in the washroom."

She ran near the washroom but stopped outside the door. "Are you fine, Manik? Do you need anything?"

"I'm not able to take off the t-shirt. Will you please come in?" Then he moaned in pain as if he was hurt. 

Nandini went inside the washroom only to find Manik sitting on the cabinet with a naughty grin. It took her few seconds to realize that he had just pranked her and she fell for it as always. She threw a dead glare to him and was ready to turn back when Manik jumped down from his place and pulled her back holding her arm. Nandini's back hit his chest.

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That's all for today. It was a long update. Don't forget to vote and comment. Share your favourite scene from this chapter.

05.12.2024