The name Aryamaan liquidates the remorse from Nandini's heart for what she was feeling for Manik a couple of seconds before. Rather an acerbity replaces it. Nandini gives Mini to Rishav's lap and gestures to him to head to the dining area. As they left, she turns to Manik who was sipping on his energy drink after ordering the servant to escort Aryamaan here. He doesn't want to face more conflicts in the morning.

"Now, why is he here? Manik I never stop you from meeting your friends. I know I shouldn't. But please! Keep this particular friend of yours away from my house. Someday I will lose the decency of my words and it won't be respectful for your friend."

Nandini hisses and closes the distance between her and Manik. He meets her gaze, his eyes void of any joy.

"I think he doesn't care about that. For now, just keep in your mind that whatever I am doing is for you and my family's safety only."

He pauses for a nanosecond and adds,

"Putting you all at risk will be the last thing I will ever do. Before that, I would prefer to die."

Nandini's breath catches as the last word is spoken. Quickly, she places her fingers over Manik's lips. When will he understand her situation? She cannot imagine her world without him, but his reckless actions are dangerous for both of them. Loving someone with a dark side is never easy, as it means accepting the danger and uncertainty that comes with it. For a few moments, they gaze at each other, unable to express their feelings. Suddenly, a voice interrupts their thoughts.

"Ahem...Sorry to disturb you both but Manik it's important."

Aryamaan calls from the open door. Nandini immediately puts her hands down and steps back a little. Manik looks at Aryamaan and signals him to enter. Nandini gives Aryamaan a displeased glance before walking towards the door, as Manik speaks to her.

"Nandini, please send my breakfast here and one cup of black coffee for Arya. Close the door and yes...today I will get Rishav to his speech therapist. You need not to bother."

With a flared nose, Nandini slams the door behind her. A nonchalant smile creeps on Manik's lips. Aryamaan wobbles his head in disbelief.

"You just love to test her patience, right?"

Aryamaan utters comically. Manik sits on a plank and lifts the dumbles.

"Same goes with you. You like to annoy her, right? Why are you here? You know that she doesn't like your face."

Manik mouths in a flat tone as if he knows the answer. Aryamaan occupies a stool and retorts.

"As if I care. Many people dislike my face, and I've proudly earned that reputation. She is no exception. Anyway...the reason I am here is..."

Aryamaan inhales sharply and continues,

"SP Bhosle came to my office. He was asking about us."

"Us?"

Manik speaks carefully while Aryamaan's hawk eyes remain fixed on his curious friend. Finally, he concludes,

"About all of us. Notorious 5. St Peter Convent School. Abhimanyu Thakkar and most importantly, Mukti. Manik it's not only about Nandini or our Mafia world. He is up to something big and this time, we have no clue."

.....................................

Today was a significant day for the Dhawan industry, as they had the opportunity to collaborate with some foreign investors. Navya was tasked with giving a persuasive presentation to win over the investors. She delivered her best effort, and the Dhawan company was able to gain some ground. For Navya, this type of challenge was not new, but she had some doubts about the presentation's success this time. It was not because of her talent or credibility, but because of a trust issue. After a problem with the pen drive, Navya was unsure if Cabir would trust her again. They barely interacted after that day, and Navya had tried several times to apologise, but Cabir seemed to avoid the topic on purpose. Navya couldn't help but wonder if he was enjoying her guilt-ridden state. She sighed, locked her drawer, grabbed her handbag, and headed to the parking lot. She had a long way to go home, and she had already had two cancelled cab bookings. As she was about to search for a new booking, a deep voice startled her.

"Come! I will drop you."

Navya looks at the person. Cabir unlocks his car.

"No thanks. I will manage."

She decently refuses. Cabir throws his briefcase onto the passenger seat and opens the backseat door.

"It's 1 am. Not safe for a girl to travel alone. And I think it's about to rain."

He tries to judge the condition of the sky. It's really cloudy. Cabir again mutters,

"Sit on the backseat. I will drive carefully."

Navya slides the mobile inside her bag and comes to the other side to open the passenger seat door. A retort comes out of her mouth,

"Being the driver is not a good way to return my favour, Mr Dhawan. Let me sit here instead."

Saying this, Navya shifts the briefcase to the backseat and occupies the passenger seat. With a deep frown, Cabir takes the driver's seat and starts the engine.

"Favour? Care to explain, Ms Mehta."

He sounds curious and rigid at a time. Navya observes him from the corner of her eye. She sneaks a mischievous smile.

"You wouldn't have cracked the deal without my presentation...You are welcome."

She mouths amusedly. Cabir increases the speed. The rain has started. He closes the windows and turns on the heater.

"I haven't thanked you."

He says stubbornly.

"You just did...by giving me the ride. Just like I said sorry by giving an exceptional presentation."

Navya retorts. Cabir clenches his jaw.

"You think I can't do anything without you? You are the only saviour of Dhawan industry and we all are a bunch of fools sitting over here?"

He almost screams. Suddenly the car gets a jerk on a speed breaker. Navya cries in pain while holding her lower abdomen. Cabir immediately pushes the brake and pulls over the car on the side of the road.

"Navya...Shit! Are you okay? I...I am sorry. I couldn't see the speedbreaker. Are you okay, Baby?"

Cabir immediately unfastens his seat belt and leans towards Navya. His hand automatically touches her belly. Despite having a numb pain in her stomach, Navya looks at him with surprise. She doesn't know after how many days and how many months Cabir addressed her with such care and love. Tears well up in her eyes, but Cabir assumes it is a sign of her discomfort. He cups her face and asks once more.

"Are you having pain? Tell me. Let's go to the doctor. You are expecting and I...I...HOW STUPID I AM!"

He chides. But his words get silenced as Navya places her quivering lips on him. It feels like after a prolonged drought, the perched soil gets drenched with rain. Initially, Cabir is taken aback by this gesture of Navya but in the next moment, he holds her tightly and intensifies the kiss. meanwhile, it's pouring heavily outside. The warmth of love and vulnerability makes the ambience more poignant. Their lips lose contact for a while when Cabir whispers,

"Sorry."

Navya murmurs,

"Thank you."

.......................................

It's around 1 am. Dhruv unlocks his apartment door with fatigued hands. It was a long hectic day. However, it was a fruitful day too. Eventually, they cracked the deal with a foreign company. Frankly speaking, it wouldn't have been possible without Cabir and Navya's hard work. He hopes that after this, both of them will reconcile for a better future for the company. Stepping inside he plops down on the sofa. All knackered. Suddenly his eyes fall on the closed door that Aliya was curious about in the morning. A sinister smile appears on his face. In a second his flaccid muscles get tight and alert. He gets up and approaches the door with a slow determined gait. Fishing out the key from his pocket, he opens the door with a click sound. The room is sunk in darkness but still, a soft sound of breathing is audible. Dhruv steps in and calls with a hissing tone,

"Abhi...ger up brother! It's time for some reminiscence. Wake up!"

Author's note: So,it's the first curtain raiser of some mysteries. More shocking secrets will be revealed soon. Keep reading.