Angel's Brute (Complete✅)

Chapter 16 - "The reminiscence..."

"We are sitting in Manik's underground room. I know he calls it his den and he has told me that whenever he feels lonely and restless, he comes here and plays his favourite guitar. But I don't know why he feels lonely and restless. Today I am here to step into that unknown territory of his heart. I know he has an ocean of untold emotions and pain hidden inside him and here I am to share that burden."

Manik makes Nandini sit on the edge of the bed and pulls a chair to sit on it facing her straight.

"You wanted to know how I lost my parents...right?"

Manik says in a grave voice, eyeing Nandini's wondering orbs. Nandini bobs in consent.

"But before that, you should know who my parents were and how was my life with them."

Manik pauses for a while and sighs. He sits on the chair squarely and starts reminiscing.

"My Dad Mr Shrikant Malhotra was one of the top business moguls of this country. You can say money, power and influence were part of his daily life. Needless to say, I was born with a silver spoon in my mouth. Dad loved me to the moon and back but due to his hectic and busy schedule, he hardly could give me any time and my mother Mrs Nyonika Malhotra used to fill this void in my life. She was a singer. A classical singer. I heard that she used to perform on stage and functions before her marriage. My father saw my mother at one such function and he fell in love with her. Within a week he proposed to her and after a couple of months, they got married. But you know, when my Dad married my Mom, he was not that rich. He didn't belong to the middle class though, his business started shoring high after my Mom came into his life. And for this reason, he considered her as his lucky charm. Their love was an example in society. A true fairytale love until that lady entered in this story like a witch. Ms Menaka Patel. Mom's best friend. A playback singer."

Manik looks at Nandini. His eyes are filled with some abhorrence. He gets up from the chair and walks towards the bar counter. Nandini's silent eyes are measuring his agitation. She knows that he needs something to calm him down. Manik pours some whiskey in a glass and again comes to Nandini but doesn't sit. Abruptly he asks,

"Do you know who was Menaka in our Purana? She was an Apsara (nymph) who was sent to lure saint Vishwamitra and break his meditation. Menaka successfully incited  Vishwamitra's lust and passion and broke his meditation. Just what Menaka Patel did to my Dad. She entered our house and our happiness eluded from our life. My Dad Mr Shrikant Malhotra could never give proper time to his wife and his married life but he never threw my Mom out from his heart. The husband love and care was there...always; until he saw Menaka. Menaka Patel was very close to my Mom and knew very well about her frustration due to Dad's workaholic nature. She encashed my Mom's vulnerability and started creating differences between my Mom and Dad. I remember how they used to fight even in front of me. I used to hear my Mom's sobs for the entire night. On the other hand, Dad was inclining towards alcohol and gradually moving away from my Mom. Here Ms Menaka Patel played her masterstroke. She gave her shoulder to Mr Shrikant Malhotra and he got trapped. They started their illicit affair behind the back of my Mom. My Mom was so naïve and innocent that she never expected this betray from her husband and her best friend."

Manik is roaming in the room, occasionally sipping on his drink. It is evident that this painful reminiscence is not easy for him. If some other times, Nandini might have stopped him but she knows how much necessary for him to vent out the poison which is burning inside him. Manik refills the glass and continues with a razor-sharp tone.

"One day I saw my Dad with that bitch in a compromising position and told everything to my Mom. At first, she didn't believe me but later she confronted Dad and ironically that honest man admitted his guilt. It was like a bolt out of the blue for her but this time she made a strong decision. She asked for a divorce and tried to come out of our house along with me. However, my Dad was not ready for it. Perhaps he never expected this big step from his demure and mentally soft wife. He never imagined how his life would be without my Mom and his only son? Maybe we value those things only then when they are no longer in our life. My Dad surrendered to my Mom. He accepted his mistake and asked for another chance because it was too much for him to lose both of us. My Mom agreed. Maybe because of her love towards him or maybe because she didn't want me to be deprived of fatherly love. But now I think she did the biggest mistake of her life. In order to save her home and relationship, she put her life at stake. When my Dad chose his family over Menaka, she showed her true colour. She planned to uproot the hindrance of her way to achieve her ultimate goal...my Dad and his opulence. She planned to kill my Mom and me. But it had to look like an accident. One day my Mom was supposed to take me to my music classes. She used to go with me in my every activity class like music, summing or lawn tennis. Initially, I used to complain about it. But that time I was an 8 yrs old kid and my Mom was overprotective about me."