"Kuch hua?" Navya whispered to Nandini as she sat down beside her. "Mehendi ki design dekh ke Manik ko kuch toh pakka yaad aaya hoga na? I made sure ki design bilkul same hai."

"Haan, mujhe lagta hai Manik ko kuch toh yaad aaya par sirf thodi thodi." Nandini said.

"Nandini...yeh saare ladki kahan chale gaye?" Mukti came up to the two girls and asked.

"Matlab?" Navya asked.

"Matlab Abhi, Cabir...Manik, koi nahi dikh raha hai." Mukti replied.

"Manik toh wah-wait kahan gaye....abhi ek minute pehle wahan they." Nandini pointed to where Manik was standing a few minutes ago.

"Haan....Cabir bhi toh yahi tha. Aur bakki sab toh hai phir yeh teeno kahan gaye?" Navya added.

"This is so weird." Mukti, Nandini & Navya were looking around when music started.

https://youtu.be/5AZ56ikeZ30

Manik, Cabir & Abhi came out and started dancing while the girls and everyone else watched on. Soon Nandini, Mukti & Navya joined the boys and slowly everyone else started dancing too. While they are dancing, a elder man enters. Dadi sees him and goes to him with a smile and hugs him. Manik who was dancing suddenly notices the new man and his head starts hurting. He starts getting more and more flashed, especially a younger version of this same man. Clutching his head, Manik excuses him self and makes his way down a random flight of stairs which led to a hallway. Manik stumbles and steadies himself with the help of the wall....thats when he sees a painting of a girl.

"Yeh....Nan...Nandini..kaise?" Manik is super confused and then he sees the name thats is engraved on the golden frame. "Jhanvi...."

His head hurts even more and thats when he starts remembering everything. Jhanvi, Paras....their love, their death....everything. Meanwhile, Nandini who was concerned for Manik, followed behind unaware of who had come. She went down the same stairs and came to the hallway in time to see Manik fall to the ground. 

"MANIK!" Nandini screamed, she lifted up her lehenga and ran to him. As she slid to the floor, she held his head on her lap and gently shook him. "Manik....Manik utho. Kya hua hai tumhe...pls utho na...Manik...Paras!"

"Mmnn..." Manik groaned as he slowly opened his eyes. Seeing him wake up, Nandini sighed in relief. 

"Manik...thank god. Darra diya tha tumne mujhe. Tum thik ho na Manik?" Nandini asked, checking him to see if he was hurt or something. Manik just stared at her, basically going through an emotional rollercoaster. "Manik bolo na...thik ho tum?"

"Im fine...thik hoon main....Jhanvi."

"Haan toh-" Nandini froze as she realized what he called her. She looked at him to make sure she wasnt dreaming. "K...K...Kya bulaya tumne....mu..mujhe?"

"Jhanvi...." Manik smiled and cupped her face. "Tum bilkul bhi nahi badli na? You look exactly the same."

"Tum....tumhe...yaad....sab...sab yaad aa gaya?" Nandini asked. Manik nodded as Nandini cried out of happiness. 

"Bas bas...ab kitna rohungi? Saara makeu kharab ho jayega tumhara." Manik joked as he wiped her face.

"Par...tumhe achanak sab kaise yaad aa gaya? Main aur Cabir bhai...matlab.."

"Harman....right?" Manik said.

"Haan main aur Harman veerji ne kitna koshish ki par tumhe kuch yaad nahi aa raha tha phir ab?"

"I saw him..." Manik got serious.

"Kaun?"

"Saabji." Manik & Nandini turned around to see Cabir standing there. "Maine bhi abhi unko dekha. Its looks like Dadi jaanti hai unko."

"Kya?" Nandini started panicking. "Saabji...Saabji zinda...woh nahi nahi woh hume alag kar denga...woh phirse hume alag kar denga Manik! Nahi...hum hum kya karenge? Saabji...yahan kaise main..hum...woh.."

"Nandu..."

"Nandini...relax...relax!" Manik hugged her to calm her down. "Kuch nahi hoga...hume iss baar koi alag nahi kar sakta. Main iss baar uss Saabji ko jeetne nahi dunga. Acha hai ki woh zinda hai aur acha hai ki mujhe sab yaad aa gaya....I will make him pay for everything."

"Par..."

"Vaise Nandu...Manik sahi bol raha hai. Technically Saabji ne kabhi Paras ko nahi dekha tha, sirf naam sunna aur maarne ki order diya tha, we can use that." Cabir said.

"Lekin Rudra ne toh Paras ko dekha hai na....woh toh bachpan se Paras ko jaanta hai. Woh asani se Manik ko pehchan sakta hai."

"Maine sirf Saabji ko dekha tha bahar." Manik said.

"Maine bhi....par Nandu ka darr bhi galat nahi hai. Rudra kutta hai Saabki ka, tab bhi Saabji ke piche piche ghumta tha and I bet aaj bhi wahi karta hoga. Agar saabji yahan hai toh kabhi na kabhi Rudra bhi ayega." Cabir said.

"We'll handle that when the time comes, filhal....Nandini tum apne kamre mein jao. Saabji se jitna ho sakte door raho, Cabir tu bhi, Saabji tujhe aur Nandini ko pehchan lenge. Main koi bahana de dunga ki tum dono kyun nahi ho." Manik said.

"Manik tum kya karoge?" Nandini asked.

"I have to find out ki Dadi Saabji ko kaise jaante hai....woh kya kar raha hai humari shaadi pe. And mauka dekh ke mujhe humare ghar walon ko sab kuch batana hoga. Saabji is very dangerous, kuch bhi kar sakta hai woh." As Manik turned to go back, Nandini grabbed his wrist.

"Manik....pls be safe."

Manik smiled and kissed Nandini on her forehead. "Dont worry meri jaan....iss baar jeet, pyar ki hogi."

(Imagine Nandini has a worried expression)

Cabir and Nandini went to Nandini's room while Manik went back to the roof area. As he came up the stairs, Navya ran up to him with a scared expression.

"Manik...Cabir kahan hai? Mujhe usse kuch-"

"I know, Saabji right?" Maanik said.

Navya looked surprised. "Tumhe sab...yaad?"

"Haan but now is not the time Navya. Tum Nandini ke kamre mein jao, Cabir aur Nandini bhi wahi hai....Saabji kisi bhi halat mein tum teeno ko nahi dekh sakta hai okay?"

Navya nodded and quickly left.

Manik then turned to where he saw his Mom, Dad & Dadi talking to his enemy....the man responsible for his and Nandini's deaths and their families as well.

"Arre, woh raha Manik." Raj smiled seeing his son and motioned for Manik to come near. Manik went.

"Manik...inse mil, yeh hai Kuldip Malhotra....mere bade tauji ka beta hai." Raj introduced him to Saabji. "Rishte mein tere, Arjun aur Dev ke tauji lagta hai."

"WHAT? Tauji???" Manik's eyes widened in shock as he found out he was related to this man. 

"Uh....main pehle kabhi mila kyun nahi inse?" Manik asked.

"Mile ho beta." Kuldip AKA Saabji spoke up with a chuckle. "Par uss vaqt tu itna chota sa tha na shayad isi liye tujhe yaad nahi hai."

As Kuldip placed his hand on Manik's head, Manik resisted the urge to rip his arm out of his socket and just forced a smile on.

"Vaise teri dulhan kaha hai? Nandini...hai na?" Kuldip asked.

"Arre haan...Nandini kaha hai?" Nyonika asked, looking around.

"Mom woh actually uski tabiyat kharab lag rahi thi toh isi liye maine Cabir aur Navya ke saath usse kamre mein bhej diya." Manik lied. Nyonika though just took one look at her son and knew he was lying but she didnt say anything because she knew he will have a good reason and he will tell her when the time is right. So she just nodded.

"Koi baat nahi, nayi dulhan ko aaram karne do...main baad mein mil lunga usse." Kuldip said.

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

"WHAT?"

"KYA?" Manik's family, Mukti & Abhi all looked shocked as Manik told them everything. As soon as Saabji was settled in his room, Manik called for a family meeting in Nandini's room.

"Haye bhawan.....Kuldip aisa kuch kar sakta hai, mujhe toh yakeen hi nahi ho raha hai." Dadi sat not knowing how to react.

"Dadi lekin unhone aisa kiya....mere bhai ke saath milke." Nandini said. "Main sach bol rahi hoon...mujhe paata hai yeh punar janam wali baat shayad aapko vishwas na ho lekin hum-"

"Ek minute!" Dadi sternly stopped Nandini. "Maine ek baar bhi kaha kya ki mujhe tujhe pe vishwas nahi hai?"

Nandini shook her head.

"Hum mein se kisi ne bhi kaha?"

Nandini shook her head again."

"Nandini....hum tum dono pe pura bharosa hai. Agar tumne kaha hai ki Kuldip ne aisa kiya hai toh kiya usne aisa."

"Vaise sach kaun toh...main utna bhi shocked nahi hoon Ma." Raj spoke up. Everyone looked at him. "Maine pehle kuch kahan nahi kyunki woh Sartaj Tauji ki bete hai par Kuldip Veerji mujhe kabhi bhi sahi insaan nahi laage....kuch toh tha uske baare mein jiske vajah se main uske saath zyada nahi ghumta tha. Ab paata chala mujhe aisa kyun lagta tha."

"Par ab? Hume police ko call karna chahiye na?" Nyonika said. "Agar usne phirse tum dono ko kuch kiya toh?"

"Mom hum police nahi bula sakte....ek toh Saabji...I mean Kuldip tauji ka bohot connections hai upar se itne saal pehle kiye gaye jurm ki kya saboot hai humare paas? Yeh pichle janam wali baat aap sab mann rahe hai kyunki aap humare apne hai...par Kanoon saboot mangta hai."

"Toh hum kuch nahi karenge?"

"Karenge na Ma....Manik ke pass ek plan hai. Jisme hume aap sab ki madat chahiye." Nandini said.

"Kaisa plan?" Abhi asked.

"Saabji ke muh se unka gunna confess karwane ka." Manik smirked.

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Kuldip Malhotra AKA Saabji: A relative of the Malhotras, he was the village head and has many connections and lots of power. Married 4 times in his life, each time with very younger girls and has many children. Kuldip uses his power to get what he wants and if he cant have something he destroys everything. Rudra is his most loyal supporter/ sidekick. Years ago he saw Jhanvi and lusted for her, used his power to convince his family to get her married to him however when she ran away on their wedding day, he ordered Rudra to kill his sister and her lover....in the process he killed many other people too including Jhanvi's family. Had left the village and now lives in city.

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Note: Introducing Saabji....how did did you like this chapter? I know many of you thought it would be Rudra but nope...Rudra is not coming yet, he will be here soon though. Also did any of you think it could be Saabji?