A/N: Hello Readers! Firstly, Merry Christmas! It is a white Christmas in my half homeland, and my mom, my sister and their respective sides of the family couldn't be happier about it! I am so with them in spirit, but well, in Delhi in reality, for now. Although how can Christmas be seamless in a household of two kids? That's why I forgot to update by 11am today! (Apologies!)

So at 10.30 am, there was a bell and in walked my father-in-law in a Santa suit and full get up! My kids Ry & Roo (Ryan & Renee) were ecstatic and literal tore apart all their gifts in a matter of seconds. What followed was a hurricane of joy & delightful laughter & egg nogs and waffles and whiskey sour for the adults! What followed in an hour was two kids ravaging the home, because of sugar rush and all my husband could do was, gush over his new surround sound gears and my father in law was too high to do much other than Ho Ho Ho :D

So, us ladies (my mom in law, who was made to wear a reindeer head gear :D & me) of the house had to take charge, and arrange for the real work & food; and now finally, I got some time to breathe & I realized my chapter is due! Now I can't leave readers hanging on Christmas, can I? So here we go, a dote of love & affection from my house to yours!

Happy Reading! Ho Ho Ho.

***

Nandini was currently sitting in the 'den' of the mansion, she never thought she'd even take a glimpse of, until a month back. This was her old home, the place where all her hurtful memories lay cuddled in. She was returning from Jeff's party with Abhimanyu after Aryamann's disastrous announcement to the media, but midway, Abhimanyu had received a call. Nandini had seen him turn stiff and gruffly reply in 'hmms' mostly, before ending the call with a "Certainly, sir".

"Abhimanyu, all okay?" Nandini had asked, tentatively. Abhimanyu had just nodded to her in a very unconvincing way before ordering the chauffeur to turn the car and take them to 'Jannat' mansion! Nandini had looked at him stumped, as bile rose to her mouth. The Malhotra's ancestral property, where Nandini resided as Mrs. Manik Malhotra, had only harsh memories for her. It was as if that massive mansion had slowly sucked all her happiness out of her. It was between these walls, her dreams as a bride, as a wife, as a lover, as a daughter-in-law had crashed and what replaced all her hopes of a beautiful conjugal were carefully manifested & intricately built, beautiful lies. Lies that promised the world a fairytale love story, where in reality, the princess's place was worse than that of a rag doll's!

"Manik, next Wednesday, it's the golden jubilee anniversary for darji's first movie 'Mughal-e-Shaan'! I know the whole day the film fraternity will celebrate the success of the movie and of course, him, but don't you think we should do something special for him at midnight? It was after all his first film & that also means it's his golden jubilee anniversary as an artist!" Nandini suggested with a childlike enthusiasm, while Manik was brushing his hair facing the vanity. He was leaving for a party soon.

Manik smiled and looked at Nandini through her reflection in the mirror before him.

"That's actually a great idea, Nandini! Do you want to plan it? I will ask Cabir to help you with all the arrangements!" He encouraged her. Nandini smiled in surprise. In the last eight months of their wedding, the reality of it all had come crashing on her & now slowly she was adjusting to the new dynamics. She knew Manik wasn't a bad guy, he was nice to her, as long as she didn't expect anything husband-like from him when there are no cameras on! She had started bonding with his mother, Nyonica Malhotra too. Although she had noticed that her father & grandfather-in-law weren't very approachable. They smiled at her, if she passed them, or on some occasion served them tea or snacks, but that was about it. Nandini truly believed the route to Manik's heart was through her family. The naive girl was happy to have forged a good relationship with his mother. Maybe if dad & darji liked her too, she would impress Manik enough to give them a chance? Fate had silently laughed at her innocence.

Nandini nodded in affirmation, and probed further, "What does darji like, Manik? We should definitely get a cake! Maybe balloons and flowers too? You could arrange for him his favourite bourbon & yes, I will look into daadiji's music archives room & find the first song she ever recorded for darji's movie, we'll play that too! Isn't that the start of their love story?" Nandini asked with a childlike glee, showing her appetite for romance.

Manik's smile faltered, as his face slowly fell. Nandini wondered what she said put him off, but before he could question, Manik spoke to her, his nonchalance was a stark difference from his earlier tone. "On second thoughts, Nandini, you let it be. I will get Cabir to arrange it."

"..but why Manik?" Nandini asked, hurt.

Although Manik opened his mouth to answer, at the last moment he thought otherwise. "Never mind. Just keep to yourself & do the stuff the camera requires you to do, okay? Bye now!" he quickly reverted before exiting the room, as a disappointed Nandini watched him leave.

The week after, that party at midnight happened of course, but there was press there & a hundred other guests. It was grand & flamboyant, not homely & loving like she'd planned. She was of course made to pose with the rest of her family, when the media took their family picture for the newspapers & magazines, but after the press had left, she was asked to leave too. Abhimanyu had accidentally let slip that they had arranged for Russian dancers for lap dances & strippers too hence, she was made to leave, apparently so did Nyonica Malhotra. While on her way out, she glanced at the stack of gifts stashed in one adjoining room; amongst hundred other gifts, she found her gift tossed too. The indifference towards her gift stung her. Not because she had given darji the gift, but because she had told him that she was gifting him daadi ji's first ever recorded song, which she had hunted out for him from the archives, while handing him her present!

"So you're doing a movie now, eh?" Nandini's thoughts were interrupted by a gruff sarcastic voice, and startled, she looked up to see her ex-father-in-law walking into the den, closely followed by her ex-grandfather-in-law. She could feel Abhimanyu's hold on her shoulder tighten, as if silently, lending her his support.

"Namaste Dad, Darji, how have you been?" she spoke politely, as she stood up and went near them to touch their feet and seek their blessings. She wasn't going to misbehave with them just because she was divorced now; they were still so much older than her.

"Oh please! There are no cameras around" dismissed Shrikant Malhotra with an irritated voice, as both father & son sat on the couches opposite hers. Nandini moved back in shock. Never in all these years, had she been able to get close to these men, but also never in all these years, were they so rude to her. She was too shocked to react, so she silently went back and took her seat.

"So the years have made you smarter now, is it, girl?" It was Shamsher Malhotra, who spoke to her this time. Nandini didn't know what to say, so she looked at him confused.

"Nandini, you can stop this innocent act before us now. Contrary to popular belief, we think your acting is pathetic!" sneered Shrikant Malhotra, with a loathsome voice.

"..but dad, darji..I.." began Nandini, but they didn't let her finish.

"You will call us sir, when you address us!" snapped Shrikant Malhotra. Nandini gulped.

"Sorry, sir." she muttered looking down, feeling extremely confused. Why were they behaving with her so badly, wasn't she helping Manik?

"Dad, Darji, sorry I got stuck with the press outside the house, had to use the back.." Manik's voice floated towards them from the door in the next moment, breaking the thickness in the air around them. Manik rushed into the den & was stupefied to see Nandini sitting there with his father & grandfather. This couldn't be good news! He quickly texted his mother and requested her to come in, he knew Nandini needed saving but before these two Malhotra men, he'd hardly ever stand a chance!

"Nandini, what are you doing here?" he asked her, in shock. True, he was mad at her the moment Aryamann's announcement reached his ears & he immediately tried calling Nandini & Abhimanyu, but both their phones were unreachable. He understood, they were following the protocols to breach the press, so he decided to quickly reach the penthouse instead, but halfway there, his dad had asked him to be here at Jannat & he knew what this was about; so without further delay he reached here to realise, this time shit had gotten real!

"Woh, I was summoned here by da..er..sir" she replied timidly, gesturing towards his father.

"I told you to wrap this Nandini business soon, son! See what you've landed into! Now she will be in the movies?! That too with that bastard son of a bitch Aryamann Khanna?!" screamed Shrikant Malhotra, as Nandini softly gasped at his choice of words.

"Dad, there must be a confusion, let me talk to her once" Manik proposed timidly, not meeting his eyes. Nandini took this opportunity to clear the air. For some reason she hated seeing Manik so powerless before his family.

"He's right, sir. I didn't know about this. I also got to know when he announced" she added quickly, as Manik quickly turned to look at her.

"If you didn't know, why didn't you clarify before the press Nandini?" Manik asked in a strained voice, looking at her directly. Looking at his expression, Nandini couldn't judge what he was thinking.

"..because..because.." Nandini mumbled, but found herself at a loss of words. How was she to explain it to Manik, that she was honouring a friendly promise? It sounded stupid in her mind too! How was she to understand Aryamann would take advantage of her promise? She even felt hurt. She trusted Aryamann, he was her one real relationship. Why did he have to use her and prove Manik right, that there are no real friendships in showbiz?

"Because?" Manik pestered further.

"..because you're ex-wife is a fucking slut & has developed an appetite for fame & money now!" spat Shamsher Malhotra and Nandini was stunned to numbness.

"Darji please" Manik retaliated instinctively. "Nandini isn't the type. If she's saying she didn't know..Please let me.." Manik began pleading but who was listening to him anyway?

As tears pooled around her eyes, she vaguely heard Manik's father support his father. "You think she is not a party to it, son? She knows you will kick her out real soon, and after that she will be a nobody again! She doesn't want that! She wants to use the limelight this time to make a permanent place! Aryamann was a smart choice girl! He would do anything to beat you, even sleep and indulge a whore like her!" he spat at her.

"Shrikant, bas!" an angry bellow came from the door & all heads turned to see Nyonica Malhotra walking through it. Manik sighed in relief.

"Manik Malhotra, I am so disappointed in you today! You let this man call your wife a whore & you didn't stand up for her?!" she now glared at Manik as she threatened him.

"Ex-wife, beta!" whispered, Shamsher Malhotra amidst this.

"That's all you heard in my entire sentence, dad?" Nyonica called out to her father-in-law in vexation.

"Even he called Nandu, a fucking slut, maám!" Nandini jumped hearing Abhimanyu's voice from behind her. She had almost forgotten about him.

"Just shut up, Abhimanyu & walk out of the den this instant" Manik glared at him & ordered him. Amidst all this, Nandini couldn't help notice, there was a strange kind of concern laced in his eyes, when he ordered Abhimanyu.

Abhimanyu hadn't moved an inch from his place. Seeing him defy, Shrikant Malhotra smirked at his father. "See what I meant? And Manik said he had it under control" he spat. This time Manik walked up to Abhimanyu and physically shoved him out of the room.

"Nandini, you leave too. Go home with Abhimanyu. I am staying here for the night" he commanded her, and Nandini didn't need telling twice. She had heard enough insults to last her a lifetime, she didn't ever want to come back here. She quickly nodded at Manik, and wiped her tears with the back of her hand & got up to leave.

"She won't be acting in that movie" thundered Shamsher Malhotra's voice, not directing at anybody in particular. It was a command to be followed not questioned.

"She won't, Darji." Manik replied on her behalf. "I've got Cabir & Zubin coming in sometime. We will figure it out" he added assuringly, eyeing Nandini. She didn't react at all. Her head & heart, both felt full. She had had enough bad experiences in Jannat, but this was the worst. As she slowly walked out of the door, she heard Nyonica tearfully whispering, "I'm so sorry Nandu, beta. So very sorry!". Nandini looked at her once, with the intention of pacifying her, but nothing came out. So she slowly walked out of the door.

***

Manik was pacing up and down the living room with a dark face. He had come back to the penthouse in the morning after a tedious discussion on marketing & PR tactics with his father, grandfather, Cabir & Zubin that had gone onto the wee hours of the morning. There were a lot of debates on how to make Nandini reject the offer without making it look like the Malhotra's made her do it. They didn't want bad publicity on the Malhotra name, lest someone called them conservative for not letting the woman folks of the house work in the film industry. If this topic came up, they'd be digging up the topic on Nyonica Malhotra giving up on her high flying acting career soon after marrying Shrikant Malhotra too! After a lot of debate they had reached a conclusion & even though Manik had no clue how to convince Nandini for the same, he had to agree, it was the only way out.

Entering the penthouse in the morning, he had called out for Nandini. He was angry & frustrated at her for calling in this new problem, but he was also upset & apologetic for the way his family had behaved with her the night before. All this, culminating together, made him a very tired man at the moment, and all he wanted to do was talk to Nandini & see if she was okay right then; but to his dismay, a moony-faced Navya had informed him that, Nandini wasn't at home! In fact she hadn't ever returned home from last night! Weary as he already was, now he was also worried about her safety. All this put aside, there was no backing from the fact that there was also the angle of that psycho Soha Khurana who was out to harm her! He immediately called Nandini but her phone was dead. He tried calling Abhimanyu, and he was unreachable too! He called her chauffeur and he informed that he had dropped them both at Abhimanyu's apartment, the night before. Manik sighed in relief. He understood, Nandini needed some space & probably that's why, chose to crash at Abhimanyu's. He was okay giving her the time.

However, it was evening now, and there was still no trace of Nandini. He tried calling her numerous times, throughout the day, and her phone was still dead & Abhimanyu's unreachable. He had gotten calls from Zubin asking, if Nandini is aligned, for them to start the PR engagement; he had gotten calls from his dad asking if all the PR planning was done as yet, and he had no answer to give them! Trust Nandini to put them in a situation!

By nightfall, he was almost debating asking Nandini's driver for Abhimanyu's address, so he could go there himself & get Nandini home, but before he could act on it, the doorbell rang. He pranced to get the door, before his butler Tarun could reach even half the way. He opened the door to a cheery faced Nandini along with Abhimanyu standing behind her. He glared at Abhimanyu hard, as the latter looked down, before grasping Nandini's wrist and pulling her in, before shutting the door on Abhimanyu's face.

"About time, huh?" he scowled at her.

"I needed some time off from all this. Plus I was with Abhimanyu, so I was safe". Nandini replied curtly, freeing herself from his grip and walking inside.

"Nandini, we need to talk." Manik said, in a grave voice.

"Later, Manik. I need to see Navya first. She must be worried for me." she replied, walking towards her room. Manik stared at her in dismay. This woman was worried that her friend would be worried for her, but did she have no clue how worried he was of her safety? Was she blind?!

"Nandini, you will not find Navya, in her room" Manik spoke, as he followed behind her towards Navya's room.

"Why? Did she go somewhere?" she asked, perplexed.

"She moved out." Manik replied, patiently.

"What?" Asked Nandini, sharply, then followed up after a few seconds with a "Why?" before her eyes went dark as she walked up to him, with a glare on her face, hissing, "Did you throw her out, because I disobeyed you?" As Manik stared at her angry yet mesmerizingly beautiful eyes, he wondered why she had so little faith in him? His question was answered by his heart itself. When did he ever do anything to win her trust? Also, how was he to explain why he needed Navya out of their house, without telling her what PR engagement they had planned for her movie announcement cleanup!

"Nandini, we need to talk." he repeated; however he knew conversation was the last thing on her mind, as her expression shifted from anger towards him to worry for her best friend in a nanosecond.

"Manik! Where is Navya?! You know right, she has nowhere else to go? You threw her out anyway? How could you, Manik? How can you be so heartless?!" she screamed in vexation and tears pooled in the rim of her eyes.

"Nandini, listen to me" Manik tried, by gently holding onto her shoulder, but she angrily swatted his hands away.

"Despite everything, I'm here trying to help you, Manik & this is how you return my favour? By throwing my friend out of our house, in my absence?" she bellowed, coming close to his face, with their noses almost touching. Manik stared at her. He really did have an argument in place to deliver, but all he could focus at that moment were two things, one the soft rosy lips that looked like petals up close and the words 'our home'. A soft smile played on his lips without his knowledge.

"..and look at you, Manik Malhotra, you are smiling on my face! You are such a monster!" cried Nandini in frustration.

"...what?!" Manik asked, distracted.

"Navya, Manik! Where is my best fr.." Nandini cried out in perturbation, seeing Manik react so weirdly.

"Arre, calm down, Nandini. Please listen to me for once?" he whispered gently, cupping her cheeks with his palms. Nandini froze for a moment. Amidst all the animosity she felt for Manik at the moment, she couldn't deny, this was the closest they had ever gotten off camera. This was real. She looked at him with her big doe eyes, which looked rounder in surprise.

"Manik.."she whispered back.

"I didn't throw Navya out of course. Remember I told you that she could stay with us until we figured things out for her? She is starting to work with Zubin from next week & going by the nature of her work, she cannot be staying with us right? How could you explain how our PR agent shared our home, haan? So, I had asked Cabir to help her with finding a place for her to stay. They were looking for an accommodation for a few days now, and today she had finally booked the place for moving. That's why she left, not because I threw her out, Nandini. I would never do that to your friend." he explained gently, seeing her calming down. Nandini stared at this new shade of Manik. Why was he being so genuine with her? For one crazy moment she wondered if they had spy cams installed in the house!

"..but..but, why didn't she tell me that she's moving out today? She didn't even say bye?" she complained, trying very hard to hold onto her anger.

"How could she? How do you know she didn't try, Nandini? Were you available on the phone?" Manik chidded her softly. Nandini realised he was right.

"..still what was the hurry? She could go tomorrow or something. I could help her with the shifting!" she mumbled complaining, and strangely, Manik found that cute. What was happening to him? Why did this Nandini seem so different from the older Nandini - the one who loved him?

"The hurry was because of our PR engagement. The new one we planned to cover up..err..your debacle with err..Aryamann Khanna" Manik spoke awkwardly. Gone was the mush in his voice, when he remembered seeing the video of how Aryamann was tightly clutching Nandini's waist as he announced to the world about Nandini getting launched into the movies. His face hardened and he swiftly moved his hand away from her face, as he stepped back to put some distance between them.

"About that, Manik..it wasn't supposed to happen. I haven't ever agreed to this thing." Nandini mumbled as all the abuses that were hurled to her at the Malhotra mansion Jannat came flooding back to her. Her voice cracked and Manik noticed it. His shame had no end.

It was true, he was furious at Nandini for making such a dumb announcement. He always knew it was some miscommunication, but he was angry at her for even being party to it. In fact when he saw her at Jannat, he was ready to give her an earful, but what his father and grandfather said, it was so harsh & cheap & uncalled for, that he no longer had any right to say anything more to her.

"Nandini, about the things my family said to you last night..I'm really sorry. I'm sorry they said those things, I am sorry I couldn't defend you better. You did not deserve to hear all that, and I promise that I will ensure that no one ever talks to you that way." he whispered, looking down.

Nandini looked at Manik's hunched figure, she could tell he was genuinely guilty. Truth was, even back when they were married, despite him not reciprocating to her feelings & breaking her heart & faking his love for her before the cameras, Manik had never been this disrespectful towards her. He never abused her. So she trusted him, when he said he was sorry, but her question was different, and at this point she voiced it.

"Do you trust me, Manik?" she asked softly, and seeing Manik's startled face, she was sure he wasn't expecting this.

"Meaning?" Manik croaked with uncertainty.

"When I say this was not my plan. I never planned to take advantage of the fame that came with being your partner before cameras for launching my acting career. Do you trust me?" she asked, clearly.

Manik looked at her clear brown, honest innocent eyes, and answered with what felt right in his heart. "I do, Nandini. I trust you." he whispered. Nandini smiled. "Thank-you, Manik."

The ringing of their doorbell, broke the moment, and suddenly the trance they were in, seemed to lift. Nandini scurried to get the door, as Manik let out a breath he didn't know he was holding as he sat down on the sofa.

In a minute, Zubin walked in with Nandini, Navya & Cabir. Manik saw Nandini was animatedly talking to Navya, but she looked indecisive in her reactions. He gauged that Zubin & already told Navya about their PR plan. He gulped. God knows how Nandini was going to react.

"Manik, have you told Nandini the PR cleanup plan yet?"Cabir enquired, as Manik nodded in negative.

"Aah Nandini maám, you might want to sit down for this one. It's a big one!" added Zubin, & Nandini noticed that Navya looked positively shaken.

Nandini wondered, was this why Manik was being so extra nice to her all this while? Him showing concern, remorse, trust, what she thought for this one moment was real, were they fake too? Maybe there were no cameras, but he still needed to soften her to make her agree for a big PR favour right? Were these all lies? She shuddered to think what they wanted her to agree to this time, if Manik had to put in so much effort & fake show in preparing her to agree.

Her heart broke again.

***
Word Count: 4,006

A/N: Sooooo, how was it?

Come on, out with all the Malhotra fam hatred here. :P

What about Manik? How do you feel about his reaction at his ancestral home, and vis-à-vis at home?

Any thoughts abut what's coming up next?

Readers, thank you so much for sticking by and loving this book, and let me tell you the high octane part of the story just begun! ;)

In line comments are the reason I smile nowadays when I'm thinking of this story, so please please please keep them coming! I'd love to hear all your thoughts and if you think this book is worthy, please vote and give this book a shoutout too!

This is the last update for 2022. May you all thrive & may the light of Christ reach all your hearts. May we have bread & wine to keep his light in us, and may we all redeem and walk towards light. 

Amen. 

Next update will be published on 1st Jan, 2023 (Sunday) and I promise you, you will gasp right from the title ;P

Now, stay safe & party hard (no drunken driving, okay?)

See ya on the other side,

Your writer,

A.