I ran to my room as fast as I can before I lose my control and cry infront of the mother and son or pull their hairs.
One option is surely going to happen and I don't have any energy to deal with it.
"Nandini. Nandini." Harshad tried to speak with me but I shut the door on his face.
"You have two hours to bring my jewellery, Harshad. Only two hours!" I warned him from the other side of the door.
"Why are you money minded? You don't value your father's promise or his upbringing. Stop bringing shame to your family by behaving like a gold digger." He spoke from the outside.
I immediately buried my face inside Pillow Malhotra to stop hearing Harshad's voice. I am not going to hear him or his words. This time it must happen as I like and not the other way.
The hell is wrong with the duo? Planning the jewellery for jewellery trees? Is he mad? Or did he think I am that level of stupid? Did he portray my image in his mind as a halfwit?
I yelled into the soft material and as a faithful friend Mr. Pillow Malhotra took it all with no complaint.
I saw him stealing things with my own eyes and he dare to put a blame on me! Oh my! He agreed to marry me because they want to earn karma points to their wonderland entry.
I curse them to have negative karma points so that they would not get entry and instead get an exit. I curse their pillow always stay flat and warm both sides. I curse that their snacks gets lost in the car and tear the leather of the seats. I curse that they step in a wet puddle with their socks on their feet.
I huffed once I finished cursing them till my heart's content. Now let's see what they are going to do.
I held Mr. Pillow Malhotra up in the air to match my eye level. "Pillow, why am I even getting married in the first place?"
I knitted my brows together as I began to think our loud and have discussion with Mr. Pillow Malhotra.
"Do I love Harshad? No. Am I happy with Harshad? No. Will I be happy with him in the mainland? No. Does he respect me? No. Did I get sparks with him? No. Do I feel safe with him? No." I took a deep breath as there are so many No's in this marriage.
Pillow Malhotra, why didn't you ask me these questions earlier? Oh my! Why didn't I think all these questions earlier?
Because I never felt the need to doubt this Angel. Wait! Angels don't trouble others. He is not an Angel.
Let's see about Yes in this marriage. There's no way my father would chose him, right? There must be something good in him.
"Is he my parents choice? Yes. Did he hit me? Yes. Did he lie? Yes. Did he steal? Yes. Did he ask me to steal? Yes. Did he behave violently infront of me? Yes. Does he think I am a halfwit? Yes. Did he frame me to escape from his wrong doings. Yes."
He is a red flag! And I am color blind all these months.
Except for my parents choice there is no reason why I should marry him! Is that one reason worth it?
But if I won't marry him then it means I do not value my parents words. That will make me a bad daughter.
"Tell me Mr. Pillow Malhotra. What shall we do? Shall we break this marriage off or should we proceed like nothing happened?"
The greatest respect we could give to a dead person is to cherish their memories.
Manik's words surfaced my thoughts. Unknowingly I felt calm, as if I Manik will make everything alright and I need not worry about anything in the world.
Snap out, Nandini! He is getting married tonight. Manik will be having a wife so I must think about myself and not depend on others.
If my parents were alive today will they be happy to see me getting married to Harshad?
What if they chose for me earlier they did not do it now? Infact, they could be mistaken like me, he behaved like a true gentleman but as days passed he turned out to be so bad. My parents could misunderstood his behaviour too!
I stood up from the couch leaving the pillow and held my forehead. Exactly! They are no more in this world. What matters is me! I could not make a decision made by others in the past and who do not know what's happening today. I have to decide it for myself.
Marrying Harshad will be the worst mistake in my life and I must not do it. I can not let him drag my parents name every time to have his way. Just because I am not marrying him, my respect for my parents doesn't decrease. I am still their daughter and nothing can change it.
I made my decision. I am not marrying that white coat bullock cart.
Suddenly, I felt a heavy weight being lifted of my shoulders. As if I don't have any burden and I am free.
Dude, was so toxic for me! I didn't even realise.
I twirled around my room and saw my reflection. This dress doesn't seem that bad! I look pretty but I couldn't see it earlier.
I ran to the door to meet Manik. I have a lot to say to him. I need his opinion on my decision. Clearly, he is the only sensible person in this mansion.
She is mine. Nothing more or nothing less.
His words once again surfaced my thoughts. What will happen once I say that I am cancelling my marriage with Harshad? I have no responsibility now, but what about Manik? He still will marry Alya and I will be his...consort for life.
Is it worth it?
I stepped away from the door and took my steps back.
Manik chose a perfect partner for himself. Someone who is smart, wealthy and attractive. These were his words! He said it infront of me to Harshad. Alya is also his crush, his first love. He also promised to marry Alya and everyone knows The Boss does not go back from his words.
He does what he promises!
If he plans everything so perfectly for his life even I have the right to chose a perfect partner. Just because I felt the spark I will not stay as his consort.
I do not love, Manik. There's no way a spark is worth all my life.
Your kind attention please, Mr. Pillow Malhotra. Female, Nandini Murthy, aged 23, has decided not to involve with anyone from the Malhotra mansion.
Manik will not marry me, and I will not marry that white coat bullock cart.
I looked at the clock and it's already 7:40 and Harshad still did not come with my jewellery. His audacity!
I mean isn't he afraid that I will tell about the map to Manik? Isn't he afraid that I will tell about Alya's 25 million? Or did he think I would not tell anyone? If he thought about the later then I am sorry, as I will not stop myself. Also, I am no longer tied to him and his mother.
I don't want her as my mother in law. She is bad and she believed Harshad's stupid story instead of my truth. Well, good luck finding the lost items in the locker. Maybe she will believe my words that time.
I was determined to announce my decision and took confident steps towards the door.
"Nandini, dear." I heard Niyonika's voice outside the door and I was startled. "It's almost 8, come and sign your marriage."
I looked back at the clock and it's 7:55. Shit! Only five minutes left and I can't risk going outside. Nobody will listen to me in such a short notice and will surely get me married to that bullock cart.
What should I do? I paced the room.
"Nandini, dear. Did you hear me?" Her voice scared me. A few minutes ago she was treating me like a lowest form of life and now she got all the sweetness in her voice.
I am no way falling for it.
Manik will also be in the hallway with his would be life partner, Alya. He would look at her with all the love in his eyes and sign his name on his marriage document. They would smile at each other with happiness and kiss softly as they have all the time in the world.
That thought brought a piercing pain in my chest. Atleast one of us is happy tonight. I sniffled.
A sad smile rose on my face with the thought of Manik marrying someone other than me. It's a forbidden thought of us ending up together. From the beginning it was crystal clear that they are a couple and I am nobody to them.
I should not cause trouble to their life. Alya deserves Manik and vice-versa. I have to accept this bitter truth no matter how difficult it is for me.
"Nandini!" Niyonika's voice started losing patience bringing me to reality.
I don't want this woman in my life! I have to do something before she breaks the door open and drag me to her son's feet. What should I do?
Run away!
That's the first thought in my mind. It's the perfect solution for my problem. I checked to see if there are any secret doors like Manik's room and sadly I found none. It's a guest room afterall unlike the mighty Boss room.
I ran to the bathroom and saw the moonlight from the ventilation system. With shaking legs I stood up on the toilet seat and pulled out the glass sheets from the ventilation. I successfully made a open space after removing five of those pieces.
For the first time I thanked for not being tall and muscular like Alya as my small body went inside the space with an ease. I rolled and fell on the ground, luckily it was the garden filled with tamed grass and I did not get hurt.
The clock tower of the Malhotra mansion struck with a loud bell indicating the time as sharp 8pm.
Suddenly the lights went out. Everything became pitch black and I honestly couldn't see anything. It's my best chance to run away from the gates before the lights come out and anyone finds me.
I took a few steps and fell down hitting something or someone.
Am I caught?
I did not move and pretended to be a stone so that they would leave me. I was wrong.
My mouth was covered with a tape and I was thrown into a box. Before I could understand anything this box was flying with me inside it.
...
How is the update?
You did not complete the target but still I am giving you double update. Enjoy!
Yayyy!! Nandu is not marrying Jerkshad!
Booo! Nandu is kidnapped. But who could it be? Will she be safe?
What will happen now?
Do you have any ideas for Manan scenes you wish to read?