Unwanted [COMPLETED]

Chapter 6

Saying that, Nandini walks toward the dressing table to get ready, whereas Manik just stands there, too stumped to say anything.

He does not know whether he is impressed or annoyed by this girl.

This chit of a girl has the guts to speak the way no one has ever spoken to him before.

"Look, Nandini, I-" Manik starts saying but gets interrupted by Nandini.

"There is one more thing I wanted to tell you. I am going to go out of the house starting today to give interviews for the job.

"As our marriage will be over as soon as you achieve what you want from this marriage, I need to be independent before that happens. I don't want to be homeless or penniless once I leave this house," Nandini says, looking at the mirror as she fixes her hair.

"Is this your way of asking alimony from me? Saying you will be homeless or penniless, so I will give a share of my property and money once we file for divorce?"

Manik knows that is not what she means, but he needs to find something to convince himself that Nandini is not as virtuous as she looks.

Nandini shakes her head as she turns to face Manik. "I do not know how your brain functions, but you must stop getting other meanings from my direct sentences. Let me clearly tell you what I meant to put your mind at ease.

"I want to do a job so I will have some money with me when I leave this house.

"All I want from you is divorce because I do not want to stay in this marriage where I am refused to be acknowledged as a wife.

"So, once your reason for getting married to me is fulfilled, let me know. And please keep in mind that I will not ask even a single penny from you, Mr. Sisodiya, let alone a share from your property," Nandini finishes, and Manik again feels stumped by her.

He had thought he would offer her some money to divorce him and get out of his life quietly, but she wants nothing from him.

If she were greedy or cunning, she would have asked for half of his property and would have dragged him to court to fight if he had refused.

But she wants to be independent so she can look after herself.

Suddenly, a thought clouds his mind, and he voices his confusion to Nandini.

"Why would you be homeless and penniless? You have your parents. You can go to them after our divorce."

Although he cannot fathom why he is taking so much of interest in her life, Manik still waits for her answer.

Nandini feels a searing pain in her heart at the mention of her parents.

She knows her parents would refuse to shelter her if she returned to them. They had been tolerating her before Vivek's death, but after his death, she had seen the resentment for her in their eyes.

Once, her mother had even shouted at her, saying it would have been better if she were in that accident instead of Vivek.

Her father was also in the room then, and she had seen it on his face too. That he, too, wished for that. For his son to be alive and daughter to be dead instead of him.

It had been just a day before her marriage, and at that moment, she had truly felt the loss of her parents. That was when she had thought she would only have her husband and in-laws in the name of family.

But at that time, she did not know that even her husband would not be hers. When Manik has refused to accept her as his wife, how can she think of him and his parents as her family?

That is why she is truly alone in this world now.

But she cannot say this to Manik, can she?

So, keeping a stoic face, she replies to him. "It should be none of your business where I would go after our divorce. As I do not have any right to question you, you also do not have any right to interfere in my life. Please remember that."

Manik frowns as he hears Nandini. This time, her reply does not fuel his anger. Instead, the angst he had seen in her eyes while she was contemplating her reply roused in him something akin to protectiveness toward her.

He had seen vulnerability in her expression and demeanor for a moment before she masked it with stoicism. But a moment had been enough for him to see it.

He cannot deny it anymore. There is something about this girl which he needs to decode.

He wondered if this was really her or if she was putting on some act to get to him.

It should not have mattered to him, but it does, and he needs to do something about it.

There already is too much going on in his life, and he cannot add this puzzle to them and make himself more restless than he already is.

'There is only one solution to this,' Manik thinks and stops Nandini, who was about to walk out of their room.

"Work in my office as my personal assistant," he says to her, and Nandini is surprised hearing him.