Second Chance At Love - [MANAN] #Book2

twenty

"Manik-!! What the hell are you doing?!" Nandini shouted as her eyes widened at the sight of Manik punching the wall vigorously like a mad man and Nandini shuddered at it. She couldn't believe at what her eyes were witness. It was if the old Manik was back. That monster Manik.

Surely Manik was still an arrogant, narcissistic bastard who didn't give a fuck about others but she couldn't remember the last time when she had she seen the MONSTER MANIK, the real monster fueling with rage and burning down everything coming his way. The Monster Manik who loved shattering things when in pain.

"Manik- MANIK!! MANIK STOP IT." Nandini could care less about staying away and avoiding Manik at the moment as her feet marched towards own their own accord. Running quickly, she held his hand to stop him from hitting the wall anymore.

"Let go you fuck-..." Manik yelled but his words died down in his throat when he saw who had dared to grab his hand. Of course it couldn't have been anyone else but Nandini. Since the first time they had met in college she was the only one who ever dared to stood up to him and didn't entertain his shit. She was the only one who wasn't afraid. Afraid of his monstrous self.

The moment Manik turned his neck to look at the person whoever didn't love their dear life enough, Nandini saw his blood shot eyes. She saw that Manik was about to ask the person to piss off but stopped when he realized that it was her. She felt his clenched fist loosen a little at the sight of her and his glaring gaze turned soft, even vulnerable.

"Nand-" Manik started but Nandini didn't let him finish instead she grabbed his wrist and with a firm grip she pulled him away from the wall and looked for a stool or anything at this point to make Manik sit somewhere. She huffed when she found nothing. Manik didn't say a word, he was just staring at Nandini with his eyes holding tears at the edge.

His eyes followed her every movement as Nandini took out a handkerchief from her jeans pocket and carefully wrapped it around Manik's now bruised hand. Her heart clenched at the sight of his split blistering knuckles. It pained her to see him in this state. She could never. She could never see him hurting himself.

"Why do you do this to yourself? Why? You freaking idiot. You reckless piece of baboon." Manik chuckled slightly at Nandini's attempt of not cursing. Dang it, just how much he missed her weird way of censoring swear words. It was beyond cute to him.

"YOU find it funny huh? It's funny? Tell me what's so funny about it Mr. Manik Malhotra. Tell me!" Nandini fumed when she found Manik looking at her with a smile on his face. It was frustrating to her as she found it unbelievable that Manik was smiling as if he wasn't just close to burst open his knuckles. She started hitting Manik's chest while her eyes turned glossy.

"YOU stupid, idiot, brainless..." Nandini continued to call him names while hitting him but Manik? His smile just seemed to widen with every harmless hit of Nandini.

"You are the only one you truly cares about me." Nandini got startled at the sudden confession as Manik caged Nandini into a tight embrace and nuzzled his nose into her hair.

Nandini sighed and for once instead of pushing him away, she held him close, clutching his shirt tightly into her tiny fists as if Manik would leave her if she wouldn't hold onto him. She needed to keep him near her. She needed to assure that he was okay. She needed to assure that he wasn't turning it the old monster.

"Manik you scared me." Nandini retorted between her sobs making Manik draw her closer to him and rub her back soothingly, his hands gliding behind her back tenderly like feather touch and it seemed to do the trick as Nandini' s shoulders relaxed and her hiccups faded.

"Shhh everything is fine Nandini don't cry." Manik whispered those words like a chant into her ear before breaking hug but still kept his hands around her. His honey brown eyes bored into her caramel ones making her heart melt as he caressed her hair with a loving gaze and she just couldn't look away.