Nandini's surprised eyes collide with Dhruv's smiling face.
"Hi, Nandini. Good to see you again."
Dhruv's amicable greeting brings a cordial smile back to her face.
"Hi! You here?"
Nandini asks affably. The billing counter girl makes the bill and transfers the paper bags to Nandini. But before she can grab them, Dhruv offers his assistance.
"Let me have this, please. Thank you!"
He addresses the cashier, holds the bags in both hands and gestures to Nandini to follow him.
"Come! Let's have some coffee. I hope you are not in a hurry."
Dhruv asks with a gentle smile. Frankly speaking, Nandini was feeling a bit tired. Moreover, she stepped out without informing Manik and there is a reason behind it. Since she talked about that unknown guy and his phone calls to Manik, Nandini has been restricted to go anywhere without bodyguards. Precisely this was her fear. Manik's overprotectiveness sometimes turns to over possessiveness. Although she agreed that time because sometimes it's better to keep the devil calm with obedience. Simultaneously sometimes it's fun to disobey the devil and break his rule. Nandini looks at Dhruv's inquisitive eyes and wobbles in denial. It's not the decency to deny someone's friendly request when he helped you in need.
"No, I am free for some hours. By the way, thank you so much for the help. It was really a mess. I will transfer..."
Dhruv stops her words in between and says,
"Ahhh...don't be so formal, Nandini. You are Manik's wife. Like my family. And I think family members don't thank each other for this kind of little help."
In reply, Nandini gives a soothing smile. At the party, she didn't have much scope to talk to Dhruv, but he cast a pleasing impression on her during that short time. This guy is a bit different from his other friends of Manik. Not rude and not isolated. Meanwhile, they reached the food court upstairs. Dhruv keeps the bags on a chair, pulls out the other chair to help Nandini to sit and lastly occupies the opposite seat. Mini starts tapping the table amusedly. Dhruv's eyes dance with affection. He asks hopefully,
"May I?"
He hints to take Mini in his lap. Nandini grins. Men look cute when they are with kids.
"Sure! If you can handle her. You know, the genes. She is as choosy as her father."
Nandini utters in a light tone and lifts Manikya to transfer her to Dhruv. Surprisingly she doesn't show her pickiness and comes to him with a toothless smile.
"You are right. She has the same taste as her father. Both chose the same person."
Dhruv mouths lightly and grabs Manikya in his embrace. Nandini squints her eyes quizzically. Dhruv gives a broad smile.
"Manik and his daughter. Both chose the same person. Me. I must say, they both have good taste. Ha...ha..."
Dhruv laughs while fondling Mini's back. Nandini observes her picky daughter who very quickly and comfortably accepts her new companion as she rests her tiny head on Dhruv's shoulder.
"Hmmmm...I can see that. Anyway, how is Aliya? I couldn't call her after that party. My bad."
Nandini diverts the topic. Dhruv beckons a waiter and orders two cups of coffee. Nandini denies any other snacks.
"Aliya is good. I know you must have expected her with me because men hardly visit a shopping mall without their partners. But here the case is different. She avoids shopping and mostly I shop for us. By the way, she was asking about you. After that party...you know..."
Dhruv abruptly pauses and sips on his steamy coffee. Nandini whiffs that he is referring to that fiasco between Manik and Aryamaan. But he probably doesn't know that Manik and Aryamaan have patched up.
"Manik apologized to Aryamaan and I think all is well between them now."
Nandini mouths with hard jaws, sipping on her coffee. Manikya was tossing and turning in Dhruv's embrace, so, he makes her sit on his lap. Mini concentrates on the menu stand.
"That I know. Arya and Manik can never be angry with each other for long. They fight like bulls but care like dogs."
Dhruv sounds affectionate. Nandini dabs the corner of her lips with a tissue paper and abruptly asks,
"And love like a tiger. Possessively. Dhruv, can I ask you something?"
Her tone has something that forces Dhruv to gather his whole concentration on her. He nods positively.
"Do you think I am harmful to Manik?"
Nandini's words form lines on Dhruv's forehead. He asks,
"As in? Look, if you are talking about Arya's bullshit then...he...he is always like this. Harsh, rude and insensitive. Don't give much attention to his words. He just wanted to win the argument and uttered those shits."
"No, all his points were not shits. Dhruv, I know Manik's background. I know his dark past and even I know the part and parcel of all your disturbed childhood. Some unpleasant pasts of all of you. Why Manik became so hard and harsh? In fact, you all faced a lot in your early years. Maybe those experiences made you all like this. Aryamaan is in a stage where Manik once used to be when I met him. He didn't believe in love. He didn't trust anyone. He used to think people come close just for greed. A relationship is all about give and take policy. Exactly it is happening with Aryamaan. He thinks that I may make Manik weak because he loves me. And that's why he wants to..."
"Keep him away from you?"
Dhruv completes her words. His tone and penetrating eyes hitch her breath for a second. Manik...be away from her? Impossible.
"Manik is mine. His good and bad. Vile and virtues all are mine. I think you are right. I shouldn't give much attention to Aryamaan's words except one thing."
Nandini halts for a nanosecond and adds,
"If I love him then I have to protect him."
..........................................
Manik is sitting in his office cabin. His PA Emma Dormin is a mid-40s lady with blond hair and a finely wrinkled face. She is efficient and more than that loyal. In the absence of Ayan, she takes care of Manik's every twisted work.
"Therefore, Malhotra companies want a formal meeting regarding the upcoming project details..."
Manik's dictation gets a halt when Ayan's name flashes on his mobile screen. He begs her pardon and attends the call. Emma patiently waits still touching the tab screen in her hand. She knows Manik quite well. That's why she never shows curiosity when he proactively doesn't ask for assistance. But that doesn't mean she works like a robot who doesn't observe his boss's facial expression and body language. At this time, she can easily monitor and figure out that Manik Malhotra got a breakthrough in some of his secret ventures. The shine of his eyes clearly indicates that he is very excited and the spark tells that someone is in deep shit. Manik Malhotra is a smooth player. He knows when to use a pen and when to use a gun. Her lips curve in a satisfactory grin.
"Okay, fix a meeting with him. You know where. Good."
Manik cuts the call. His gritted jaws are visible through his clean shaved chins.
"Ms Dormin postponed my all meetings for tomorrow and shift them to next week. And hang on to this mail. I need to think more."
He mouths, reclining on the cushiony chair. Emma gets up from her seat.
"Sure, Sir. What about the evening dinner with Ma'am? Should I pick her up?"
She asks in a professional voice. Manik takes some time to arrange the entire plan in his mind. Since Nandini revealed that unpleasant incident at the party and told him about that filthy guy, he feels the urge to spend time with her. Not just time, he wants to see Nandini as same as he saw her for the first time. That innocence, those kohl eyes, that magnetic aura. Sometimes he becomes surprised at how a person can keep him eternally mesmerized when once upon a time, he never used to look back at a woman for a second time. Nandini is like a fathomless ocean. He can only dive into it but never reach its depths. He can drink the water but his thirst never gets quenched. She is still a mystery to him. Manik bites his lower lip and replies in a dreamy tone,
"I will pick her up. In fact, I will leave today early...ummmm...around 4 pm. You just confirm the booking and let me know."
"Sure, Sir. Anything else?"
Emma tries to confirm. Manik smiles at her and assures her,
"No, thank you."
Emma nods and leaves immediately. Manik exhales contently. Suddenly his eyes fall on the mobile and the smile leaves his lips. He murmurs,
"Let me be with my world today. Tomorrow will be your day. The doomed day."
His eyes sparkle with a diabolic emotion.
Author's note: Will Dhruv become Nandini's guide to controlling Manik? Did Manik finally catch the unknown guy? What will be his next step? Will Nandini come to know about it? In the next, we will witness some romantic Manan moments and some gruesome incidents. Stay tuned. 🙏❤️