ANAM CARA || A MaNan Fanfiction

9. Bending To His Will

|| The smallest of joys,
warms the heaviest of hearts ||

🔹🔹🔹

"We are locked here Nandini, until you agree to my conditions"

Manik stood in front of the closed door, putting up his best smirking face forward and hands in his pockets. He put up quite a show of fearlessness in front of Nandini, taking her a little by surprise.

"Are you mad?", came the obvious and spontaneous reply from Nandini. It did nothing to deter Manik from his stance. He came with full preparation this time. "Call me mad or call me anything you like but, this door isn't opening until you agree to my conditions", he locked his eyes with hers, this time without any flashing guilt but a deep down softness in his orbs.

Nandini was dumb struck at his daring, but masked it comfortably. Atleast according to her she did. Manik however, was able to see beyond the shown which gave him a soft smile and some more confidence to go ahead with his plan.

"No way", she said gritting her teeth. Making Nandini Murthy agree on something she isn't willing to do is a task which needs god to come down on earth. Even then there will be a maybe yes or maybe not attached to it. "Fine! Then let's stay locked up", the confidence in his demeanor was a source of suspicion of Nandini. Manik definitely had something powerful up his sleeve otherwise he wouldn't have been so confident.

But she wasn't someone who would sit back. "In your dreams Mr. Malhotra", she muttered, "Any time Aryaman would be here and I will be out of here", mocked Nandini. Manik, much to her despise gave an utterly opposite reaction. He let out a grin before rubbing his lower lip with his index finger, in a way, that made even Nandini stop and stare unabashedly.

"I am not that big of a fool Nandini. Come on", he spoke with conviction and smug sprawled on his face. Those were the warning bells for Nandini. "What!?", for the first time since Nandini had entered the room, her face showed signs of confusion. It did take some time for the thoughts to strike but when they eventually did, she remembered Aryaman's words from that day.

I have to let Manik inside our lives

"Is Arya in this with you?", her rehtorical question left even herself disconcert. At first she was indeed sceptical because the thought of Aryaman betraying her was vague, but when Manik's smile brightened at this, she became sure that she has been deceived by her most trusted ally. "Arya wherever you are just open the door before I knock it down", she still thought that if Aryaman was listening to her he may change his sides to original again.

"Nandu atleast listen to him. I swear I won't open the door before you agree", a feeble voice rang in their ears, that came from the other side of the closed doors. "Unbelieveable", she couldn't believe her own ears. 'What spell has this guy casted on Arya?', she failed to understand. Knowing Aryaman for long enough time, Nandini knew that if this guy has set his mind to something he won't back off.

Still, she could take one last aim at it, maybe a little emotional one may work."You are really helping him over me?", she brought all the sisterly emotions in her out, and produced the words in such a tone that even Manik got into a swamp. Aryaman's prolonged quietness gave some rays of hope to Nandini which were soon buried down.

"You won't be able to blackmail me Nandu", Aryaman spoke the truth which even Nandini knew. "Fine. Tell me your conditions", she said at last, seeing no way out other than that. Nandini wanted it to be over fast so she can escape Manik. Nothing was as daunting as having Manik in front, for her.