"I know and I'm doing this to change your I'm scared to I was scared.."
Manik gets shocked and worried at the sametime seeing Nandini devastated and quickly hugs her tight while she keeps crying.
"Nandini what happened? Why are you crying and where were you since morning?" Manik asked breaking the hug but Nandini keeps crying. "I am sorry... I am.. so sorry..." She said between her sobs.
"Acha..ok. I am sorry, i should not act so much rude to you.. Now don't cry Nandini. I am not angry at you anymore, fine...but stop crying please. Look at you, what mess you have made yourself.. Just don't cry.." Manik said rubbing her back to calm her down and console her.
Manik then realises she has fallen asleep. He then picks her in his arms and makes her lay down on the bed and lies besides her. That's impossible if she was crying this much because I'm mad at her. There's something else, I guess.. I need to ask her in the morning when she wakes up. Don't know where she was.. She looks so tired. Manik then sleeps besides her.
Next morning, Nandini wakes up to see Manik sleeping holding his hand. She smiles and then leaves to get ready.
Manik after sometime sees Nandini doing her pooja. He smiles seeing at her. "Nandini..." He calls her name out.
Nandini turns to see him. "Yes.. Do you want something?"
"No.. I mean yes. I want to ask you that why were you crying so badly yesterday? And where did you went alone without telling anyone?" Manik asked.
"Manik, you first get ready then I'll tell you everything..." Nandini said keeping the pooja plate.
Manik nods and leaves for getting ready. After a while when he comes back, he sees no one in the room. He then sees a piece of letter kept on the table. He opens and reads it, 'Come to the hall, everyone is waiting for us. I'll tell you everything with all the family'
Manik quickly gets ready and leaves for the Hall to see everyone waiting for him.
"Now Manik is here too beta, say now what do you want to say.." Rajeshwari said.
"Yes Nandini please tell.." Manik asked.
"You asked me to choose between you and bhai sa na.. I have chosen today.." Nandini said while Manik is shocked.
Manik has developed a strange fear inside him. What if he chooses him over his bhai sa? Will she let his brother die by his own hands. And what if she chooses Naman over him? Will she leave him then forever? These thoughts were roaming in his head with a fear of losing Nandini.
"Bhai sa, what happened?" Manav asked to Manik to which he just shakes his head in a no. "Everything will be fine.."
"I'm sorry Manik..." Nandini said.
"It's ok.. Nandini. I know your brother is very dearest to you.. And I have told you earlier too that.. I'll respect your decision.. It's fine, I can understand.." Manik said with a weak smile and starts leaving the room when Nandini held his wrist.
"You can't leave like that.. Without listening to my decision.." Nandini said holding his wrist.
"I know your decision.. It's fine" Manik said releasing his hand from her grip.
"I choose you Manik!" Nandini whispered with tears in her eyes which made Manik stop from moving ahead.
Manik turns to her being shocked. "But Nandini..."
"Yes Manik.. I'm sorry because I doubted on you and not trusted you.. But now I know that my Manik is always right.." Nandini said with a weak smile.
Nandini then turns to everyone. "You all asked na that where did I went yesterday and why I locked in myself room?"
"Yes princess, please say.." Gauri said.
Nandini takes a deep breath. "I went to Anjumgarh yesterday.. to find out the truth.. I took a horse from the stable and escaped from here.. On reaching Anjumgarh, I tried to find the proofs to prove bhai sa innocent.. But unfortunately I couldn't find anything. But when I was leaving my eyes caught Meera's portrait in pile of bhai sa's old papers and documents, which left me with many questions.. To get my doubts clear I came back to palace and on seeing me maa, Gauri and bhabhi started asking me that where was I? But I just said that I'll tell them everything later and moved to the room where bhai sa's treatment is going on.. On reaching the room I saw you (Manik) and bhai sa there..."
Flashback:
Nandini reaches the room to see Manik and Naman. Manik is holding Naman's collar.
"Tell me where's Nandini?" Manik asked holding his collar in anger.
Naman pushes him back. "How I'm going to know that? You stay with her, so you should know about her? And if she's not here that means you have only done something to her... I swear Manik, if anything happened to her then I'll not leave you.." He too said in anger.
"Really? Now you have sudden care for Nandini, whom you never talked directly ever thinking she killed your mother.. Just think, she was a mere 10 year old girl! How can she kill someone in the age of playing with dolls.. You not even tried to listen her words before blaming her.." Manik said in anger.
"Yes, I did that but you don't need to come between it! It's between me and Nandini.. And however I behave but I genuinely care for her.. She's my only doll and don't you dare give her a single pain!" Naman said angrily.
"Wow! Like you can't see your sister in pain but can just rape anyone's sister and enjoy your life!" Manik said.
Naman stood silent for a while. "Now speak up na.. Why are you silent now? No words left.." Manik said.
"Yes, I did that! So what? I'm claiming I did that and I don't regret.. Get that! I don't! And your sister deserve that.. I mean how can someone be so foolish. I just tricked her in my fake love and she.. she just got trapped so easily.. But I must say.. she's really beautiful.. I wish I can try her once m..." Naman couldn't complete because Manik hold his neck choking him.
Nandini gets shocked to see and hear all these confessions. Tears started welling up her eyes.
"How dare you take her name with your filthy mouth! Don't you dare speak a word against my sister or I'll kill you right there!" Manik said angrily and leaves him while Naman starts coughing. "And Meera isn't foolish! She's just too innocent for the people like you.. And about Nandini, she's very happy with me.. I wish she could see this side of his brother so that she could know that.. her bhai sa on whom she trusts blindly.. is such a jerk!" Manik said angrily.
Nandini then leaves to her room. Everyone sees Nandini moving towards to her room lost. She didn't heard anyone and just entered her room closing the door.
"Nandini.. Open the door.. What happened?" Divya said knocking at the door.
"Bhabhi.. Please leave me alone for sometime. I'll tell you all everything but not now please.." Nandini said.
Flashback ends
"And rest you all know..." Nandini said with moist eyes but calm face.
"It's good that you got to know his truth on time bhabhi.." Manav said.
"Yes, I'm too glad that I got to know everything on time.. Because of all this, I was so much stressed but now I'm a bit relax.." Nandini said.
"Nandini..." Manik just whispered her name seeing her face. He knows she's trying her best to not to cry and stay calm but he can see the tears she's trying to hide.
"Manik, I'm with you now.. You can give death sentence to him when he will be fine.. I'm sorry from his side which made you and whole family and specially Meera suffer a lot.. But I'm glad that I know everything now and I'm with you forever.." Nandini said with a weak smile.
Everyone nods and leaves from there leaving Manik and Nandini alone.
Manik approaches Nandini and helds her hand. "Nandini I.."
"Manik please.. don't say anything which make me cry anymore.. I'm tired of all this. And now I just don't want to even think about it... Bohot mushkil se humne iss sach ko swikar kiya hai ab hum kamzor nhi padna chahte.." Nandini said to which Manik hugged her and gives her a light peck on her forehead. Nandini gives him a weak smile.
Manik then leaves for his work while Nandini went to the garden with Gauri. Both of them were talking but Gauri notices Nandini a bit lost.
"Princess, what happened? Still thinking about all that?" Gauri asked.
"Hmm.. I mean Meera I.. I still can't able to believe that bhai sa can do something like this. He respects girls a lot. I know him very well.. he isn't like this.. My mind is saying he's the culprit but somewhere my heart isn't ready to accept it.." Nandini replied.
"It happens Princess.. It's because you have so much trust on him and all this which has happened is just beyond your imaginations.. Don't stress yourself anymore" Gauri said to which Nandini gave her a weak smile.
Nandini then after sometime moves to Meera's room along with Gauri to see Manav and Ishaan already there. All of them are talking and were enjoying each other's company. Both of them then leaves from there leaving them alone.
It's night when Nandini enters the room to see the room in full darkness. "Manik.. Manik are you there..." She called slowly stepping inside.
"I'm here only Nandini.." She heard his voice but couldn't see him.
"Manik.. I can't see you.. And please light the diyas.. You know I'm scared of darkness.." Nandini said looking around.
"I know and I'm doing this to change your I'm scared to I was scared.." Manik said.
"But Manik.." Nandini said but Manik cut him off.
"No Nandini.. You have to fight your fears.. You are learning shooting too na.. then you will overcome this. Trust me I won't let anything happen.." Manik said and approaches her and held her hand. Nandini sighs feeling him.
"Manik.. Now light them please" She said.
"No.. We will not light the diyas tonight.." Manik said.
"What you are planning to do?" She asked.
"Stop your naughty thoughts my wildcat.. I mean that we will sleep like this without lighting any diyas.." He said with a teasing look.
"Mr Monster, I wasn't having any thoughts.. It's just you who's mind roams in that direction.." Nandini said making Manik chuckle.
"Wow! You know me well.." Manik said.
"I know you better than you know yourself.." Nandini said.
Both of them lies on the bed with hands entwined and her head on his chest with moonlight making them look more pretty in each other's embrace.
Next morning, Manik is bathing while Nandini is busy in arranging his papers and letters and Gaurav is with her too. Just then they hears Manik's voice from inside. "Nandini.. What the hell..."
"What happened to him?" Nandini said to Gaurav to which he chuckles.
Manik then comes out wrapping only towel on his waist.
"Manik! What is this? And where are your clothes.." Nandini asked turning her face away from him.
Just then Nandini hears the sound of a small puppy. She turns to see a small puppy standing near her legs. Gaurav picks it up. "I scared you chacha.. I won the challenge.."
"Challenge?" Nandini asked.
"Yes, Manav chachu challenged me too scare him and I won... Yaay!!" Gaurav squealed in happiness.
"You wait Gaurav.. Just wait till I wera my clothes then I'll see both you and your Manav chachu.." Manik said while Gaurav ran out laughing.
"It's ok Manik.. He's a kid.." Nandini said.
"Kid? And what about Manav? He's 22 and also a kid?" Manik said annoyed.
"So, you were just scared of such a small and cute puppy Manik?" Nandini asked with a chuckle.
"No! I'm not scared of dogs or puppies but it's just horrible.. Like guess, you are bathing peacefully and then you just feel something ticklish on your feets or something.. Like someone is there.. Won't you be scared?" Manik said.
"Whatever it is Manik.. But I'm today proud of Gaurav.. I mean he scared you, he scared a monster.. Good job, I must say..." Nandini said while laughing.
Manik then pulls Nandini to himself by her waist and her hands lands directly on his bare chest. "I can make you proud of me too.."
"H-how?" She stammered due to sudden proximity.
"You want to know..." Manik said with a teasing smile. She then sees Manik who's going to open his towel.
"Bhabhi is calling me.. I'll talk to you later.." Nandini said and starts leaving when Manik pulls her and picks her up in his arms.
"Manik why.. are you taking me to the bathroom..." Nandini asked.
"Because.. I want to enjoy my bath today.. with you.." He whispered in her ears.
"Manik.. See, let me go now... Please. Bhabhi is calling me.." Nandini said in a low voice.
Manik smiles at her and puts her down. "You get scared so easily Nandini.. I love to tease you.."
Nandini frowns and pushes him due to which he falls in the water while she laughs at him. She's leaving but Manik pulls her dupatta and she too fells in the water with him.
Both stares each other deeply while Manik kisses Nandini passionately this time. Nandini too responds him back while his hands roams on her waist and back. After a while both breaks the kiss and smiles at each other touching their foreheads together.
Here's another update!
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