An Evermore Ardour

The Unloved Onlooker.

Manik gazed at her astonishingly, chuckling at her for her ingenuous behaviour. She really thought she can trick him into revealing the place he has got her to ? And give away the details to her father. What a master plan ? He let out a small laugh, confusing Nandini.

" Andaman" he added after a slight pause making Nandini's heart jump with joy, but before she could plan the different ways to give away the clue. He added almost immediately , " I know that you're naive, but didn't expect you to be so stupid. You really thought you can address my name so sweetly , and get the name of the place to alert your father isn't it ?" To which Nandini bit her tongue and shook her head vigorously.

He walked towards her with his hands rugged inside his pockets and stopped with an arms distance between them,"Let me make this clear, you won't reveal anything to Mr.Murthy. I will be besides you, while you speak to him. The call will be on speaker and I will give you the script, you will speak what I type, not a word more" he inched closer and shut her ripe, tremulous lips which had a faded mark of his bite, using his forefinger.

"Why would I do so ? I have been kind enough to stay here, when it is suffocating me. I will not abide by what you say, come what may!" Nandini replies gallantly earning a loud chuckle from Manik.

"Why. Would. You. Do. So?" Manik shook his head lightly from left to right after withdrawing his forefinger from her lips and gazed at her from top to toe. "Because I say so ?" He tucked his hands inside his pocket and looked at her in her eyes and added "Because.. you would like to see your 'papa' alive and kicking ?" Nandini's eyes widened at his inconsiderate reply.

She gained her courage and put up a brave face and replied him, " you can do no such thing, papa is very safe. He has guards around him 24x7 and he is strong enough to safeguard himself. Stop throwing such threats to blackmail me!" Whimpering with a thick dash of tear waiting for its release.

"Guards? Tch!" He strolled towards the table where he was fixed few minutes before and took out his mobile phone scrolling through the gallery, he held it against her face. Nandini's face lost his colour when she saw Ravi, her Papa's bodyguard with Cabir speaking about something so intently.

The dam broke out making tears of helplessness to fall freely. Manik inched forward after placing his phone in his pocket cautiously and cradled her pristine face in his brawny palms. He used his thumb to wipe away the salty water and caressed her cheeks with utmost love and whispered, "Hold them back, you might need them after the heart touching conversation with your papa" and dragged her barely moving frame along with him to the workstation with a lopsided smirk playing on his wicked lips.

Nandini was dazed. It is not like she had planned a lot, but she had hoped. Hoped that she will get this through and somehow go back to her papa, if not immediately but surely. Now she saw that hope crushing into brittle pieces in front of her eyes as Manik set up something in that device of his and turned on the phone call, the continuous ringing of the phone disrupted her misery.

"Hello" came her Papa's strained voice, she could not control anymore and broke down into uncontrollable sobs, weeping with the muffled voice. While Manik looked at her faking his poignancy.

"Nandu! Nandini . Baby I know , it is you, talk to papa baby. I am here. I won't force you into anything" cried out Vishwanath ,almost immediately as if he sensed her presence even being separated by miles. Manik wiped his fake tears making Nandini cringe in disgust for sharing the same space with such cold-blooded creature.

Manik bent forward and began typing something , Nandini followed his actions to which he gave a nod, hinting her to read from the screen.

Restraining the urge to punch the daylight out of him, she read out with shaky voice " I am good papa, how are you? You sound so tired. Aren't you taking care of yourself?" Hiccuping with each passing word she passed a stinky glare towards Manik for adding those words to sound imitate her through his words.

" I am totally fine princess. It is just.... it is just that , I'm missing you. Missing you so bad. Couldn't you tell that you disliked this idea from the start? Won't papa call it off? Don't you trust your papa enough to tell me what you actually feel? Did I really snatch your right to decide as my friends insist? Am I suffocating you with my likes and dislikes Nandu?" Vishwanath clutched his heart and poured everything that was weighing him down since the past five days with a pleading tone which made Nandini wail shaking her head left to right .

Manik gave a pause expecting her to reply and stared at her bawling frame apologetically . He signalled her to continue as he sensed her undefiled eyes staring at him for reply.

"Papa, please don't cry" she chided him like a kid and added' " do you want me to cry? " to which Vishwanath shook his head like an infant and wiped his tears as if his daughter was standing next to him.

Manik stood up not being able to take the overwhelming feeling and walked ten steps to give them their space.

Nandini turned towards her side expecting a reply from Manik to be welcomed with void. She tilted her head to see him standing behind, his back facing towards her.

"Nandu? Nandini? Tell something baby? Are you there?" Vishwanath's panicky voice caught her attention.

She replied , " Papa, you know that I can never say no to your decisions. You care for me, more than anyone else can ever. You will choose the right things for me. And as my Papa's princess my job is to make you happy. But I need some time papa. Abhimanyu is a good guy, a close friend. But I need to know if I really want to get into a relationship with him , when I feel nothing for him. Nothing as yet. And I didn't want to snatch your happiness. You were so happy, so joyful for the engagement. I was clueless, and so impulsive. So I decided to leave. Take some time and explore my feelings. I will be back sooner than you think papa. Just let me be on my own? I also realised that I can't take a breathe without you. I want to test myself enough to face the world on my own" and looked towards Manik to which Vishwanath nodded his head negatively.

" just let me spend some time alone? I promise I'll be safe papa. I will keep you informed. And now your turn to promise me that you will take care of your health, eat properly and also won't work late nights?" And pinched her throat which was mirrored by Vishwanath sitting miles away from his beloved daughter.

"I will." He breathed with a heavy sigh. Nandini was not able to handle herself, she was breaking after hearing her papa cry for her, she wanted to hold him, an added moment of their conversation, she would have revealed everything to her papa if not for the fact that his life was in danger.

"Bye papa, I love you so much and I miss you badly" she choked and disconnected the call , Vishwanath held the receiver to his heart and mouthed a 'Miss you more' and cried with a relief as  his precious daughter was safe and sound, now he just hoped that he could see her as sooner as she promised.

Manik turned to see Nandini scooting from the room as she palmed her mouth to stop her cries. His heart broke seeing her in that devastated manner. He wanted to cuddle her, tell her that everything will be fine. But the sudden rage on seeing her love for her papa, was maddening. The thought that he could never win over her love surpassing her immortal adulation for Vishwanath Murthy aggravated him , he smashed the entire set up displeased with the exchange between the dad and daughter.

I love you more than words can show ;
I think about you more than you could ever know ;
Until forever this could ever be true , because there is no one i could ever love you the way I love you.
- Unknown

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Loads of Love  ❤️
ValliRaghuRaman ❤️