"Manik...maine swimming toh seek li hai par tum phir bhi mere saath rahoge na?" Nandini asked as she looked at the giant waves.
"Of course Jaanu, yeh bhi koi puchne wali baat hai kya?" Manik replied. "Vaise....let go boating, wahan dekho."
Nandini shook her head, "Nahi...thats too deep, Manik main wahan nahi jaa sakti."
"Kuch nahi hoga Nandini, main hoon na?" Manik assured her, "Aur tumhare bhai bhi."
"Trust me okay?"
"Thik hai..." Nandini agreed reluctantly. Grinning, Manik led her toward the boating area.
"Hey guys. Kya kar rahe ho?" Rishabh asked as he walked up to them with his wife, Preeti. Following behind was Veer & Kartik with their respective wives.
Nandini just ignored them so Manik...acting like this wasnt 100% his plan replied, "Just going boating....why dont you join us?"
"Manik..." Nandini whispered but Manik pretended to not hear her.
"Haan, it will be fun." Veer agreed. So Veer, Shivani, Kartik & Esha got into one boat while Rishabh & Preeti got into the second. After helping Nandini get into the same boat as Rishabh & Preeti.
"Wait, humare boat kaun chalaega?" Preeti asked seeing the guy sitting in Kartik & Veer's boat.
"Woh abhi bahar aate hi hone madam." The guy replied. Manik was about to get in too when he paused and felt around his pockets.
"Oh shit, main apna phone toh gadi main hi bhool gaya....Ill just come."
"Manik...mat jao pls." Nandini grabbed his hand and looked over the edge of the swaying boat nervously.
"Jaanu, kuch nahi hoga, main bas abhi aaya." After assuring Nandini, Manik left.
A few seconds later, the boat rocked again and Nandini shut her eyes, grabbing the sides of the boat in fear. Gently, Rishabh placed his hand ontop of Nandini's to comfort her.
"Nanhi....kuch nahi hoga. Hum hai na? Tere saare bhai yahan hai, kuch nahi hoga tujhe."
"Huh...bhai..." Nandini gave out a little laugh and removed her hand, "Mere saare bhai toh uss din bhi they. Veer bhaiyya aur Kartik bhaiyya ne jo kiya jo bola sabko paata hai par tum? Tum bhi wahi they na Rishabh? Tumne sab dekha sab sunna par kuch nahi kahan, mujhe support bhi nahi kiya."
"Nandini...tere bhai-"
"Preeti, pls....dont." Nandini held her hand up. "Mujhe tere saath jagrah nahi karni hai par haan, mere so called bhaiyyon par mujhe ab koi bharosa nahi hai."
Rishabh looked down sadly when....
"Nanhi! Rishabh!" The three of them looked back too see that the rope that tied the boat to the dock has loosened and now the boat was already in middle of the lake.
"What the...yeh kaise hua?"
"M...M...MANIK! MANIK!" Nandini started to panic.
"Nanhi...Nanhi shant ho ja." Kartik yelled out from his boat. "Bhaiyya pls boat wahan le jayiye, meri behen ko darr lag raha hai."
"Nanhi...kuch nahi hoga. calm down." Rishabh tried to hug Nandini but she pushed him away. As the other driver turned their boat towards them suddenly something pushed the boat from underneath and made it flip over.
"AAH!"
SPLASH!
Before she got submerged in the water, Nandini held her breathe but quickly lost it as the boat hit her head. Despite the pain she tried to find her way to the surface when she felt a hand grab her from below. Vaguely, she could make out a person wearing scuba diving equiptment holding onto her ankle and pulling her down. Nandini held her breathe and tried to kick but the grip was too strong for her. Still she kicked and struggled to get loose, reaching upwards trying to get away. Soon, she couldnt hold her breathe any longer nor could she fight as she finally lost consciousness.
Meanwhile back on the surface, her brothers were frantically looking for her.
"Nanhi!" Rishabh screamed as he saw around, looking under the flipped over boat.
"Nandini! Kahan ho tum?" Preeti yelled.
"Nanhi! Somebody help!" Veer yelled out. The other boat finally reached them and Rishabh & Preeti got in but still there was no sight of Nandini.
"Rishabh...Preeti, Nanhi kaha hai?" Kartik asked.
"I dont know bhai...humare saath hi giri. Par mil nahi rahi hai!" Rishabh replied.
Veer took off his jacket and shoes and jumped in.
"Veer!" Shivani yelled out, "Kya kar rahe ho."
"Apni behen ko dundh raha hoon Shivani.....I cant loose her again."
"Main bhi nahi." Kartik jumped in after him.
"Bhaiyya, aap ladies ko dock pe wapas le jayiye....Preeti go get Manik or somebody." Rishabh told Preeti & also jumped back in. The boat driver took the boat back and the ladies got out. Preeti went running to get help while Shivani & Esha stayed there and the Khanna brothers went under the water to look for Nandini.
A few minutes later Kartik came out of the water with Nandini in his arms. Laying her on the dry dock, Kartik lightly tapped her cheeks. "Nanhi...aankhen kol."
"Nanhi...come on, wake up...wake up...pls." Rishabh cried seeing his sister in that condition.
"NANDINI!"
They looked up to see Preeti running back with Manik and both the Malhotra & Khanna family.
"Di/Bhabhi!"
"Nandini!" Manik got there first and quickly picked her onto his lap. "Kya hua isse? Nandini wake up...aankhen kholo Jaan...pls pls wake up."
"Haye Rabba, Yeh kya hogaya humari bachi ko?" Lavanya knelt down beside Manik.
"Princess..."Ravi glared at the Khanna brothers, "Tum logon ke hote hue yeh kaise ho gaya? Paata hai na isko tairna nahi aata, darr lagta hai usko phir itne deep paai mein kyun gaye?"
"Chachu...hum sab saath mein they. The boat was tied...paata nahi kaise ho gaya I-" Veer started exlaining.
"Jaan...wake up pls..Im so sorry. Main phir kabhi tumhe akela nahi chodunga, I promise...tumhari har baat manunga just wake up pls apni aankhen kholo....I love you, tum jaante ho mai tumhare bina mar jaunga..." Manik cried, not paying attention to anything as he was just concentrated on his wife.
"Manik....we have to get the water out of her." Rishabh said. Manik still held onto Nandini tightly so Rishabh shook him a bit. "Manik!"
"Huh? Haan...haan paani bahar.." In a daze, Manik placed Nandini down and then started pumping her stomach to get the water out. (Note: I do not know CPR or what you're supposed to do when someone drowns so pls excuse me if Im wrong and just imagine...)
"Saans nahi chal rahi hai iski...." Kartik whispered in fear, holding his fingers near her nose. Everyone was in tears by now.
"No...no... no no no no no! Tum mujhe chod ke nahi jaa sakti Nandini...you cant!" Manik started CPR.
"Ill call the ambulance!" Shravan took out his phone.
"You dont have permission to leave me okay? Humesha apni manmani nahi chala sakti tum! Har baar woh nahi hoga jo tum chahte ho so just wake up DAMMIT!" Manik screamed. Suddenly Nandini coughed up water and started gasping for air. "Nandini!"
"M...M...Manik." Nandini weakly mumbled, opening her eyes. The families both continued to cry but now out of happiness.
"Oh thank god." Manik scooped Nandini up and held her against his chest in relief, "Jaan nikal di thi tumne!"
"Nanhi...tu thik hai?" Kartik asked, placing a hand over her head. Nandini just nodded slowly.
"Im gonna sue this place! Mujhe gaye itne waqt ho gaye aur woh dusra driver abhi take nahi aaya! And how the hell did the boat just flip like that?" Manik growled in anger.
"M...Manik..."Nandini whispered hoarsely.
"Haan Jaanu?" Manik's voice switched and became much softer as he looked at Nandini.
"S...s...someone pu-pushed th-the boat." Nandini replied.
"Kya?" Raj asked.
"Haan...aur mere pair bhi p..pa-pakra tha u..usne. Chod hi nahi rah th-tha.." Nandini started crying as she remembered how scared she got. Immediately Kavita wrapped her arms around her and comforted her.
"Shh..shhh...kuch nahi hua. Meri bahadur bachi hai na tu? Kuch bhi nahi hua. Mumma yahi hai, Nanhi ke paas." Kavita stroked her hair. Feeling safe and also because she missed her mother's hug Nandini hugged her back and cried. Letting the mother daughter have a moment, Manik got up and backed away to where Abhimanyu & Shravan were standing.
"Koi Nandini ko maarne ki koshish kar raha hai." Manik tried to stay calm for Nandini's sake but he was freaking out on the inside.
"Manik, Nandu ko kuch nahi hoga." Shravan consoled him, "Hum sab hain na-"
"Hum sab ke hote hue yeh ho raha hai Jiju!" Manik whisper yelled. "Kal sab they, sab wahi dance kar raha tha aur phir bhi Nandini pe attack hua....aaj bhi yaha Nandini ke saath Veer bhaiyya, Kartik bhaiyya, bhabhis, Rishabh, Preeti sab they lekin phir bhi attack hua....yeh jo bhi insaan hai na jiju, usko koi dar hi nahi pakre jaane ka."
"I think...yeh humse koi ek hai." Abhi said.
"What?"
"Haan...think about it, do baar itni asani se sabke hote hue Nandini par attack hua aur na toh woh inssan pakra gaya aur nahi yeh samajh aya ke woh kaha se aaya aur kaha gaya....why? Because he sint out of place here. Koi apna hi Nandini par attack kar sakta hai without anyone suspecting them."
"Tu police wala hai toh kuch bhi bakega kya?" Manik said. "Humme se kaun yaha Nandini ki dushman hai?"
"Manik.."
"Nahi bata, main hoon? Apni khud ki biwi ki jaan ki dushman? Ya phir Mom, Dad? Or maybe Mukti ya tu?"
"Manik...thats not what I meant. Of course main babydoll ki dushman nahi hoon....aur main ye bhi jaanta hoon ki Nandini iss ghar ki ladli hai." Abhimanyu clarified.
"Phir? Aur kaun bacha hai?"
"Nandini ke bhai." Shravan spoke up.
"Jiju...do you know what your saying? Aapne dekha tha unke halat jab Nandini behosh thi? Bhai hai woh log Nandini ke!" Manik objected.
"Im not saying they are guilty par....its not that uncommon, kahi cases mein dekha gaya hai ke bhai apne bhai ka ya behen ka murder kar deta hai for property or for revenge." Shravan replied, "After all unke parents maare hai, and they believed Nandini to be responsible. I mean...dont get me wrong, its completely possible ke woh log sach mein Nandini se pyar karte hai and they realized their mistake....par yeh bhi possible hai ki all of this is for revenge."
"No...I dont believe it. Maine unke aankhon mein Nandini ke liye pyar dekha hai, isi liye I agreed to help them. I dont believe they can do this to Nandini."
"Manik....we dont have any proof so of course koi ilzaam nahi laga rahe hai par....bhai ki baat galat nahi hai. I think you should keep an eye on them, especially Veer & Kartik.....baaki main paata lagane ki koshish karta hoon ke yeh kaun kar raha hai." Abhimanyu said, "Dont worry Manik, hum baby doll ko kuch nahi hone denge."
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Note: Hey guys! How did you like this chapter? Who do you think is trying to kill Nandini? Is it really her brothers trying to get revenge?