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Manik left the bedroom and I followed him a few minutes later. I ran so fast that no body could spot me loitering in Manik's corridor. I locked my bedroom door and took a moment to calm my breathing.
What's his problem? More importantly what's my problem?
I should have pulled his hair the moment he saw me in the closet instead of trying to make him unconscious. That would suit him perfectly!
I felt his hoodie on my skin and immediately removed it and threw it on the floor. Since my dress is wet I changed them and wore the robe. I came back to the bedroom and saw the hoodie still lying on the floor and made a pity face.
I should do something about you! I picked it up and wrapped it on the pillow which was devoid of a cover, thanks to my talent. Ah! Now we got Mr. Manik Pillow Malhotra.
I pointed my finger at him and laughed, he has no where to go but to face my wrath. "Tell me, Mr. Pillow Malhotra, what did you say? It's not my husband's room to stay? Guess who is speaking about standing in a stranger room?"
I faked having a thought mimicking him, "She is mine, nothing more or nothing less. These were your words, Mr. Pillow Malhotra. You were ready to have a woman in your room without wanting her to be your wife. It was you who stayed with me, and it's not your wife's room."
I paced the room. "And what the hell were you doing with a woman who's not your wife in the shower, huh? You were freaking naked infront of me, technically behind me, but that doesn't matter. What matters is you took a shower while I, a fellow human who uses mouth to eat and intestine to digest, was standing a foot away."
I punched the pillow as soon as I remembered about his party. "Why did you take extra effort to look nice tonight? I don't remember you putting this much effort all these days were together. Are you trying to impress the women from the party? But they are not your wife? What happened to your rules, you dumb Manik."
After yelling at him as much I wanted I felt at peace. I thought I will be crying all night but thanks to his hoodie I discovered Mr. Pillow Malhotra who will now has to bear all my anger.
I lied on the bed with a smile on my face. It was the first time I am feeling comfortable after coming into this room, as if my room is complete. But how is it possible when there was no change? The furniture, the wall colors, and the bed was same then what made a difference tonight?
Mr. Manik Pillow Malhotra was sitting on the bed leaning on the headboard next to me. "No. You don't get to confuse my mind, Mr. Pillow Malhotra." I sat upright and gave an evil grin. "For troubling me you are going to sleep on the couch tonight."
I kicked the pillow and it successfully landed on the couch. That suits him more!
I dimmed the lights and lied on the bed to sleep. From my eyelashes Manik's hoodie on the couch felt as he was really in my room. As if we were once again sharing the room, and as if he will respond to me when I call for him in the midnight. But I know none of it is true as I couldn't hear Manik's soft breath as he slept but somehow my heart yearned for it to be true.
I woke up the next morning and lazily wiped my eyes, and saw Manik on the couch. "Don't run into the bathroom before me, I will use first." Surprisingly he didn't say anything. Usually he would run and lock the bathroom just to irritate me. Then what happened today? I rubbed my eyes more and was able to focus on the couch and realised it was Mr. Pillow Malhotra.
Dude, Stop making me a fool first thing in the morning!
I kept my feet on the cold floor and hopped into the shower. I wore my pillow cover dress which was cleaned overnight by the servants. Perks of being a picky princess that I got clean clothes in a few hours.
I marched down the hallway and reached the dining hall where my innocent food is waiting for me on the table. A maid was serving the food and she gave a warm smile at me before placing my plate and filled it with two slices of bread and a green something above it.
"Enjoy your Avocado Toast, Mam." She said filling my glass with warm milk.
"Did everyone had their breakfast?" I questioned munching my bread. She called it Avocado Toast, now is the bread called Avocado or Toast and what about the green thing? Is it Avocado or Toast?
"Yes, except for you and the Boss." She said standing aside.
Wow! Manik and being late, that's interesting.
I saw some smoking, sticky, white thing in a bowl and the smell was delicious. So, I questioned her what it was?
"It's chicken porridge for the Boss hangover. Our chef personally made it."
"Hangover? Where is Manik hanging?" I choked on my food. "Aren't we supposed to save him instead feeding him food?"
Manik's voice echoed in the room as he entered. "Hangover means not hanging over something. It's a symptom after drinking alcohol."
I resumed eating as he pulled his chair and tucked his napkin under his neck. "Ofcourse, it's expected as you drank all the perfume before going to your party."
"It's surprising that little Miss knows a perfume has alcohol in it." He taunted.
"Well, Big Mister should know that I read the label before I use anything." I said and chewed my bread.
He sighed and signalled the maid to serve him the porridge. As soon as she bent to put the spoon in it I shrieked. "What are you doing? Manik doesn't eat anything served by others. He only eats if it's served by his wife! Unless, you are his soon to be wife you can proceed to serve the food."
The maid fell on her knees and bowed her head. "I am sorry Boss. I do not understand what is happening here but I no guilty intention. I am just serving your porridge as you ordered."
Manik glared at me and I shrugged. "Dear, you are not supposed to stay in the same place as this man. He might question you if this dining room is your husband's!"
Before the maid could utter anything Manik asked her to get out of this place leaving us alone. He threw daggers with his red eyes and I served myself some of porridge onto my bowl. "That's mine!" He said.
"Ofcourse, everything is yours, nothing more or nothing less isn't it?" I smiled sheepishly. "By the way, this porridge was cooked by a male chef who is not your soon to be wife. I don't think you will eat it anyways, so let me do your favor."
I started eating this creamy porridge and it feels so good. It is so delicious that I want it as my lifetime food. So bad only sick people get to eat this heaven of a dish!
"Nandini, stop irritating me, I already have a headache." He said through his gritted teeth.
I smiled back at him. "Why are you telling me this? You are not my soon to be husband to care for you."
We stared at each other's eyes not willing to break the eye lock and lose. I do not fear him as I have regained my energy after lashing out on Mr. Pillow Malhotra. I am confident once again that if Manik does anything I am going to attack the pillow.
Thankfully, Alya stepped in and saved him from this competition as he sat staring the living room.
"Why's your bowl empty?" Alya questioned.
Before he could say anything I started, "He is waiting for you to serve him, Alya."
She laughed, "What am I a chef?"
"No. He is your soon to be husband and you are the only one who can serve him food."
"Eew! That's cringe. Are you pulling his leg first thing in the morning, Nandini?" She laughed. "Show him some pity, afterall he drank alcohol last night served by someone who's not his wife." She joined me and we laughed together.
Alya stopped laughing and looked at me, "Once you finish your breakfast come to the living room. I've got the designer here."
I didn't know there was someone in the living room as my back is facing the door and it explains why Manik looked over my shoulder earlier.
Alya left the room and I was about to start another wife joke but stopped seeing his red eyes directed towards me.
He hit the table with his fist and I stood up to leave and be safe. "I piss!"
"It's I pass, dammit!" He yelled and I walked out the dining room and sat next to Alya in the living room.
I could see Manik still staring at me from the dining room as it's giving a clear view of what's happening here. There were two men pulling out a suitcase filled with plenty of clothes. One of them is a blind man and other one is following his orders.
"Wow, you are blind!" I said and immediately regretted. What was that? Why did I have to say that? All I meant was how gracefully he is dealing the situation even without the ability to see.
He laughed. "Someone has good humour, I see!"
"No, you can't see."
Shit!
He laughed once more and it's getting so awkward. Alya broke my awkwardness by pulling out different types of long, black dresses.
"I wear only black frocks! That's my style, Alya. I can't wear a dress!" I explained to her.
"It's time for a glow up, babe! You are now a woman and also getting married." Alya suggested. "Let's pick you some dresses."
I refused many times but Alya didn't agree. She kept insisting to pick one as she didn't get to wear any dress all her life as she wasn't a princess but a Mafia Boss who could wear only pants and jackets. Finally, I picked up a black long dress and smiled happily.
"That's a good choice. Now show it how it looks on you." The blind man's friend suggested. "We have to see if we can make any changes to the measurements."
"Should I wear it here?" I questioned.
"Yeah, honey! Just wear it on your little black top and skirt." He said animatedly.
Oh I like him already! He is the first person who could my talent instead of calling it a costume or pillow cover.
I agreed and stood up, taking the black dress into my hands and faced Alya to display it to her while wearing it. Unfortunately, that's the only position where Manik has a clear acces to watch me with his hawk eyes.
Our eyes met and I felt a shiver pass down my spine.
"Come on hurry up, Nandini." Alya encouraged and I nodded.
I scrunched the entire fabric in my hand and made a wide opening to let my head go inside of it. The fabric pooled at my waist and I slowly let it fall down till it reached the floor.
I felt naked from my waist and above as the dress was covering only from my waist and legs. Manik's intense eyes are also not helping me as I struggled to find something to cover myself on my chest.
Point to note, I am still wearing a pillow cover dress on me and yet I am feeling naked infront of him. The designers, Alya and everything else disappeared except for Manik and I. I could see only him and his eyes staring at my uncomfortable half dressed self.
He had his coffee mug in his hand but did not sip from the time I stepped into this dress. I finally found the strings of this dress and successfully managed to cover my chest with it. I put my arms behind my neck to tie the strings and fix it safely but found it difficult.
Manik stood up from his place and walked towards me in a trance. I felt my heart beat rapidly as he came closer and I clutched the strings holding my dress behind my neck controlling myself from taking a step forward or backward.
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Precap
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Let's welcome Mr. Pillow Malhotra.
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