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“Here, have this coffee!” Nandini handed out a coffee mug similar to hers to Manik as she said that. Manik was sitting on the couch of their living room with his laptop on which he was working ardently.
Viren, Avantika and Abhimanyu had retired for the night. Since Manik and Nandini's apartment was too compact for all of them, Viren and Avantika took the spare bedroom while they had to offer their own bedroom to Abhimanyu. It was a simpler night to that of what Nandini had expected to happen since Avantika was surprisingly quiet. From the minute they had arrived, during the dinner and until the moment they decided to call it a night, Avantika had been extremely calm who just spoke when someone asked her anything directly or else she kept mum.
Nandini preferred this version of Avantika over the one where she was all set to pick up a fight with Manik and her on every last little thing. Atleast this way her house had a peaceful environment.
“Thanks!” Manik thanked Nandini for the coffee as he took it from her and made place for her to sit beside him.
“If I put on some music, will it disturb you?” Nandini questioned Manik after she settled herself beside him with the television remote in her grip.
“Nope, you go ahead!” Manik gave her a green signal and busied himself into the work again. Nandini smiled a little and decided to put on some good old melodies that she used to love in her college days.
There were so many things going on inside her mind at that moment which is why she needed to calm herself and only music could help her do that. It wasn't like she couldn't share it with Manik to relieve herself of that baggage but it was just that she did not want to do something like that. Manik had just begun his work for the first ever project of his start-up and she did not want to pester him with these things. After all that had been going on, Manik badly needed to refocus all his attention on work to get his career back on track.
Amidst the web of all the thoughts,there were a few things that Nandini could list out:
1. Manik losing his job was something that Nandini hadn't told anyone from her family including Abhimanyu. She couldn't help but worry that if it comes out in the open then it'd only put a damper in the process of her family trying to welcome Manik in. She had no idea of how was she going to deal with that.
2. Abhimanyu's abrupt stunt of breaking up with Mukti using worst excuses, bothered her. Mukti was Manik's one of closest friends and her brother screwing things up with Mukti in that manner wasn't going to make it any easier for Manik and her.
3. Viren was strictly advised against travelling until he fully recovers from the fractures which meant that it was going to be a long time that they would be staying here. Not that Nandini had an issue with taking care of Viren but Avantika's presence did worry her given the way she has been acting around Manik. Nandini didn't know how much longer could she possibly hold it together.
4. Amidst everything that had been going on in their life, Nandini had completely lost her focus from work which was exactly why she wasn't being given any project to manage. Vivaan had outrageously expressed his detestation about her lack of interest in her job which again meant a huge deal since he was the boss and he could just as easily uproot her career. Now, with her parents around who had almost disowned her for the career choice she made, it was going to be only more challenging to juggle work and the family drama.
5. Lastly yet the most important of her thoughts was that the next few days or even months could easily put a strain on hers and Manik's relationship. Ever since they had met and until now, both of them had gotten ample amount of time and privacy to be with one another but the near future wasn't going to be like that and she knew it. She trusted him and their relationship but the thing she felt extremely bad about was that they wouldn't get to do the one thing that made her happy- spend lots of time together.
“Hey, what is it?” Nandini was brought out of her trance as she felt Manik wrap her into his embrace and mumble that into her ears. She instinctively snuggled up close to him by hiding her face near his chest which is when she realised that her eyes had welled up and her forehead was filled with worry lines.
“I love you!” Nandini muttered in a low voice yet not low enough for Manik to miss that. He couldn't say that he wasn't worried but he did understand what all could be going on inside her head so he just decided to keep her close. He could always work when she'd be off to work so he decided to keep things aside and be there for her.
Since both of their bedrooms were occupied and it was going to be that way for quite some time, they had to make other sleeping arrangements for themselves in the living room. The couch in their living room could be converted into a bed for two people to accommodate in which was where they had decided to sleep for how-much-so-ever days Nandini's family was going to stick by.
Manik turned the music off following which put aside his laptop on the coffee table and pulled themselves down to lay down on the sofa cum bed. He then carefully covered them with the duvet and switched off the only lamp that was on near his head.
“Do you want to say something?” Manik nudged her gently.
“Vivaan yelled at me for not focusing on my work and ever since then I'm being given no projects to manage. Earlier today, Sanjana called and said that she was asked if she wanted to head a project by herself over me. I'm happy for her but there's a huge difference in our posts in the company so if they have projects to offer her and not me then I'm in for some serious trouble. I just feel so lost.” Nandini rambled out to Manik in a low voice. Well, atleast she could cross off one thing from her list that she wanted tell him.
“When did this happen?” Manik asked her.
“Last week, when I asked for a two-day's leave to go to Pune.” she informed making him sigh.
“If you're worried about Vivaan firing you then let me tell you, that is not happening. It's true that these days weren't the best but I'm sure you'd get back on track soon. You love your job so I'm confident that you'd do it easily.” Manik put forth straightforwardly.
“Why are you so sure that he wouldn't fire me, not that I mean I want to get fired.” Nandini questioned him with a frown as she looked up to face him by placing her chin on his chest.
“Don't be mad when I tell you this and also remember that I do not mean to offend you in any way...” Manik felt a little unsure of whether to say it to her or not.
“Just say it already!” Nandini insisted feeling irritated with his polishing.
“During our wedding festivities, I kind of got a feeling that Vivaan might have some feelings for you. Like at our cocktail party, when you left to get your dress cleaned, he expressed how much pissed he was about you giving up that big project of yours and he also did try to pin it all on me and then throughout the wedding he kept passing these nasty glances my way. I'm not saying that he feels for you the same way now as well since you're married but he definitely had a soft corner for you.” Manik finished and in the end he wasn't sure if he managed to even make get believe on everything that he said.
“What? And... Why would you tell me all that?” Nandini cribbed and thus shocking Manik indefinitely. This was so not the reaction he was expecting.
“Wait... You believe me?” Manik had to recheck with her.
“Ofcourse I do and why wouldn't I? Actually, about an year ago he did ask me out when he learnt that I was single. I wasn't ready, obviously and also for a fact that I rejected the offer given our professional relationship and me never feeling that way about him as well. Over the time, I just felt that we had moved past it and he had forgotten about it but now you telling me all this is going to make it so much weirder for me to with with the guy. God!” Nandini whined at the end of her informative speech. Manik did not know about it and he did not blame her for not telling it sooner since it meant nothing from her end. If they sat down to just exchange stories about all the people who've asked them out then it'd take atleast a week to finish that off.
“Funny, you mention feeling weird since for the husband who has to see off his wife to work everyday where her boss might still have feelings for her and could possibly still hit on her, it is the exact opposite of weird, isn't it?” Manik commented sarcastically thus making her chuckle at his tone and expression.
“Fine! You win the competition of who has to face the weirdest situation.” Nandini uttered as she rolled her eyes at him and kissed his chin ever so gently.
“You doing that turns me on and I don't think it'd the best idea to do it while your brother and parents are asleep in bedrooms that are separated by just a single wall from here.” Manik mentioned huskily and dipped his head down to Nandini's neck to leave a wet kiss at her weak spot.
“Umm....” Nandini couldn't help but let out a moan to his assault on her neck only to be shushed by Manik as he palmed her lips to suppress the sound. He had no intentions of her family hearing something that'd definitely ruin their heads forever.
“How the hell am I supposed to control myself for that long?” Manik mumbled to her with frustration as he peppered feather kisses along her right shoulder blade.
Nandini hated how helpless he made her feel so to end her own misery, she decided to pull him down to her level by his collars and kissed him hard on his lips. He sighed longingly as their lips connected and kept her close by wrapping his hands around her waist. He loved their closeness and to realise that it would become a rare occasion for them in the future given their circumstance was disturbing.
“We... We'll figure something out.” Nandini said over his lips before breaking away from the kiss to catch on her breath.
“Until then I'll just have to make sure that you make absolutely no noise.” he said and let his hand shamelessly trace every inch of her skin beneath her top.
With every single touch of Manik on her skin, Nandini felt like she was falling into a trance that she couldn't revert from. He was driving her to edges with every caress and she felt like her entire body was set on fire. They had been intimate countless times but today it seemed more raw and drowning to her. It was probably her mental state that she let him overpower her with his physical activities. She wanted to blindly fall into something and just let go of everything which was exactly what Manik made her feel like I'm that moment.
He unhooked her bra effortlessly after tracing her spinal cord with fingers until he reached the clasp of her bra. Before she could make any sound again, he pushed his lips down to hers ever so sensuously. Once he unclasped her bra, it was as if her upper body was set free just for him to explore and cherish it. In that moment Nandini let herself be at his mercy while he handled her with utmost grace and love.
He kissed her deeply alongside fondling her breasts one at a time under the thin piece of cloth. She couldn't hold back a moan but since it was in his mouth, it remained stifled there. Manik kept caressing every part of her upper body and she surrendered her control but engaged her hands in roaming it on his back.
Their intense session of makeout continued for a while after which they decided to call it a night. They knew that their schedule was going to become erratic from the next day onwards and the one thing that was going to benifit them the most was a good peaceful sleep.
Thus, Manik and Nandini fell into a slumber, both physically and mentally tired from the hot encounter and all the complicated thoughts running through their minds, respectively.
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Rate the chapter between 1-10.
How do you think Viren and Avantika would react after they learn that Manik is unemployed?
Do you think Nandini's career will take a hit because of her family's stay-over?
We're in the final phase of this story. What do you think will happen in this?