A/N: Hello dear readers, firstly, apologies for not making time to give you a mid-week update last week, although I hadn't promised, but I was intending to! But, husband dearest tore an ankle ligament while playing tennis and that caused a lot of rush during the week :( Now he is fine. Also, he's taking it easy so he's home for a couple of days, and so I set him up on daddy duties, so I can get some work done! :P

Also, since most of you know, I newly joined Twitter and I'm still very excited about it, request you to add #MananCelebrityCastaway & tag me (Iv_Roo) to any content you find on this work! I am so excited to explore the works :)

Now coming to the story, so here is my new chapter, and while the mood is still somber here, but a lot happens & I know you guys will love it & have a lot to say about it too!

On that note, happy reading!

***

"Nandini, you're sure about this, you really want to do this?" Manik asked once more, after he got into his car with Nandini. It was evening now; once he received confirmation from Cabir that Abhimanyu's body was released after all medico-legal formalities, and was being taken for cremation, he had informed the same to Nandini, and now they were on their way to perform his last rites. Manik felt unreal. Until now, Abhimanyu's death felt like a devastating piece of information, but now, when they were on their way to finally bid adieu to his mortal remains, he realised the depth of the word gone. Abhimanyu was really never going to be there around Nandini, watching her & having her back, no matter what!

"Manik, I am his only family. He has..erm..had no one else." replied Nandini, sniffing dryly. Manik watched her. She was doing much better now. So much more in control, as she sat by him, staring out of the window, blankly, lost in her thoughts, as her fingers rested on her belly and gently caressed the bump. He felt a pang of guilt. He knew the pregnancy game was going too far. Nandini was subconsciously seeking emotional support from this phantom child, who in reality didn't exist. Was she emotionally ready to accept reality anymore? No, he wouldn't risk this for longer, they were late already. He decided he was going to ask his PR to now think of ways to end this exercise.

"Manik, how did you manage to convince your father & grandfather to allow me to do Abhimanyu's last rites?" Nandini's soft voice pulled Manik out of his own thoughts. He stared at her in surprise.

"How'd you know I had to convince them?" Manik asked, looking at her. She smiled softly, it wasn't a happy one.

"I'm having a Malhotra baby, so whatever I do is directly related to the Malhotra reputation; so the mother of a Malhotra baby, performing last rites for her mere security in-charge? The press will lap this news. This could create a controversy, right? How'd they allow it? How did you convince them?" she asked, looking grim.

Manik stared at her. She was right in thinking on these lines. If there's anyone other than the Malhotra's and their handful of faithful servants, who knew their real face, it was Nandini. He knew convincing his father & grandfather would be next to impossible, when he left for their ancestral home, Jannat, after putting Nandini to bed in the afternoon. However, this time he was in for a surprise himself. His father and especially his grandfather, didn't need much convincing at all. He knew they'd argue that Nandini was supposed to play pregnant and women with child didn't perform funeral rites; they would argue that it would create some murmur in their circle & the press; but to Manik's surprise, they actually didn't. In fact when he voiced his doubts, they told him that letting Nandini perform the rites would send a message of their progressive outlook towards life and rituals, and it would further strengthen their perfect down to earth family image.

Manik could only thank his stars for keeping this easy, because he knew the rest of the evening wouldn't be. Who knew how Nandini would react seeing Abhimanyu's mortal remains? He knew he couldn't expect her to keep up with the pregnancy charade while mourning this loss, so he had already asked Zubin to take press restraint orders around the premises of the crematory ground and not allow any outsiders when they were performing the rites.

"Manik?" Nandini gently nudged him out of his reverie again. He looked straight into her eyes. The part of her question that bothered him more had nothing to do with Abhimanyu or his family, actually. He gently clutched her hands and spoke as he drew soothing circles on the back of her palms.

"Nandini, you are not having a baby, you are only pretending to." he whispered, looking at her meaningfully as she looked at him embarrassed at her silly mistake. He hated to see her embarrassed at this. How was it her fault to momentarily believe she is really pregnant, when she was forcefully made to feel all the biological disturbances that women felt during pregnancy?

"..and my family knows that. Plus they also know how close you were to Abhimanyu and they thought it would be cruel to stop you from performing his last rites, just because we are in the middle of a Manik Malhotra image cleaning PR exercise." Manik whispered. He lied of course. He had to. He didn't have the heart to tell why his family really allowed her. Somehow, he feared seeing the same disgust he was used to seeing in her eyes for him, everytime they made her do such stuff. The only difference was, last time around he didn't care, and now he did - and that changed the whole damn game.

"I think, mom convinced them.." she muttered, looking away again.

"I think so too, but Nandini, my father & grandfather aren't villains either. They are just extremely protective of the legacy, the mantle we hold from generations & they get a bit overboard when the sanctity of it is under jeopardy, that's all." Manik whispered, trying to smoothen things. If he wanted to really see a future with Nandini, she and the Malhotras' couldn't be at loggerheads, right?

Nandini, silently nodded, not looking at him.

***

Manik was standing right beside Nandini as they stood by Abhimanyu's mortal remains, wrapped in a white sheet on a bamboo framework that looked like a stretcher. There was a priest sitting by his body, chanting prayers and conducting a small ritual which Nandini was to take part in, before they pushed his body inside the electric chamber for the burning. Abhimanyu's head was tightly wrapped in white bandage, and only his face was visible; he was lying there, eyes shut, with a relaxed expression, like he was released of all burdens today. He was at peace. At a glance he looked like someone deep in slumber. Manik glanced at Nandini's slightly shaking frame and supported her from the shoulder.

"Sir, we need his kin or family to now come forward, for the rest of the ritual before we put him in" the priest spoke after chanting a few verses from the holy scriptures. Manik looked at Nandini.

"You can do this, right? Else, I can do it on your behalf." Manik whispered, to her ears. She looked at him and slowly nodded in affirmation. Then she moved ahead towards the priest who asked her to hold a wooden plank that was charred from one end, and asked her to take three rounds around Abhimanyu; with each round, she was to touch the charred end of the wooden plank on Abhimanyu's face. Nandini gasped hearing that.

"Manik, that will burn his face. How can I.." she said hoarsely, turning to Manik.

"That's the ritual, Nandini. If you're not comfortable doing it, I can do it on your behalf." Manik gently told her, coming closer.

"Sir, any way she shouldn't do it, she is with child. I had told you this before." the priest added. Manik looked at Nandini seeking for consent.

"..but he considered Nandini his only family. Nandini beta, he has always protected you like his own, I think it is your last turn to do the same for him." Nandini turned back to hear the quivering voice of Shamsher Malhotra, standing behind them, along with Manik's parents, Cabir, Navya & Zubin. When had the Malhotra's arrived? She looked at Manik and he was frowning. She knew, even he was surprised seeing how soft and supportive his grandfather was today, towards Nandini. Weren't they the ones' who wanted her out of their lives as soon as possible? Death really does change people, she thought, as she finally mustered the courage to go ahead with the ritual; Manik nodded at her encouragingly.

"Now, maám, you need to pick up that earthen pot with water in it, and put it on your right shoulder, and I will break a hole in it. You need to take one round around the deceased with it on your shoulder before dropping it behind you, that will complete the ritual." the priest spoke again.

"Pandit ji, I will do it, while holding Nandini's hand. That will work, right?" Manik spoke this time coming forward. Nandini looked at him, frowning. He looked at her and added, "The pot with water will be heavy and she isn't allowed to bend or carry weight in this condition."

As Nandini opened her mouth to argue, Manik further whispered just for her hearing, "Nandini the pot will leak water as you walk around and it will dampen your clothes making your tummy belt visible. Please let me get this?" Nandini nodded, understandingly, as she let Manik take the lead, while she held onto his hand.

They were finally done with the rituals, and it was time to put Abhimanyu in the electric chamber. A few musclemen of the crematorium came forward to put the bamboo framework with Abhimanyu on a trail that rolled into the chamber. Nandini was shaking in tears, as Manik held onto her tightly with dry red eyes. Cabir was teary eyed, as he gently patted Navya's shoulders, who was silently crying all the while. Even the Malhotra's looked ashened. Nyonica slowly moved ahead and patted Manik and Nandini, consoling them, when a slightly shaken voice grabbed their attention.

"There you are, Abhi, and here I was waiting for you, for hours! Did you forget, you promised me a date?"

Nandini and Manik turned around quickly, but what met their eyes, made Nandini gasp & Manik's jaw dropped in shock. There stood Mukti, in a blood red knee length dress, with black high heels. Her hair was curled up professionally, but her face gave out a different story. The mascara of her eyes were spoiled and there were black tear trails from her ruined kohls, sprawled across her face. Her eyes were teary & red and lipstick smeared all across her lips, and chin and cheeks. She looked like a mess; a nightmare.

"Holy fuck" Manik muttered. How did he forget to check up on Mukti? How did she get to know? Of course, the news. He glanced at Cabir immediately and he looked paralysed in shock too, gaping at her. Manik gathered, in all this Cabir must have missed checking up on her too.

"Manik, Mutki.." Nandini's voice shook, as he quickly glanced at Mukti to see her taking slow deliberate steps towards Abhimanyu, and slightly wavering on the way. Was she drunk? Fuck.

"Mukti.." Manik called her, and tried grabbing her shoulder, but she dismissed him with a wave, ignoring his call. She reached Abhimanyu, and slowly bent down, looking at him as tears slowly rolled out of her eyes.

"Abhi, come on now. Enough of your drama. You said, you will pick me up at seven! Look, it's nine now & I have been waiting! I told you not to keep me waiting, remember? How can you fuck up our first date in such a long time, haan?" she scolded him, touching his face.

"Mukti, Abhimanyu..he's gone." It was Nandini's voice that broke Manik's trance. She was now standing beside her, gently holding her shoulders.

"He..he can't Nandini. He promised me a date." Mukti replied, looking at Nandini with a demented face. Nandini weeped seeing her state.

"I'm so sorry, Mukti. I'm so sorry." she whispered, as Manik and Cabir went over to gently pull her up & requested the musclemen to put Abhimanyu's body in the chamber. As his body started rolling away from them, Mukti became violent almost, trying to run after him, but Manik and Cabir held her back. Manik glanced at Nandini and she was weeping uncontrollably too. He was desperate. He wanted to go to Nandini, to hold her. He knew just how broken even she felt right then. He anxiously turned around to see Nyonica watching him. He looked at his mother with pleading eyes, and she understood. Nyonica came forward to hold & comfort a hysterical Mukti, along with Cabir, and Manik quickly went over to Nandini.

Manik pulled her into his chest and she embraced him fully, giving into the moment and weeping. "Nandni, please get a grip. You have to be strong. Look at Mukti, we need to handle her too, right?" Manik whispered softly.

As they waited outside the chamber to collect Abhimanyu's ashes, after the process of electrocution, both Nandini and Mukti calmed down eventually. While Nandini went ahead to console Mukti, Manik and Cabir stood a little far to discuss collecting the administrative paperworks, funeral service & Abhimanyu's will, if he had any.

"Mukti, I want you to know, Abhimanyu never stopped loving you. I don't know if he ever got a chance to tell you that, but he did confide in me. That's why I wanted you guys to talk it out this morning.." Nandini whispered, holding Mukti's hand. Mukti nodded as she wiped her tears from the back of her palm.

"Yes, I know. He did confess before me." Mukti replied with a shaking voice. "How did this day change so drastically from the morning to night, Nandini? This morning I was ecstatic knowing he still loved me, he wanted to give us another chance. This afternoon I was getting ready to go out on a date with him; to restart life with the love of my life & look at tonight. I am standing here at the crematorium, awaiting to collect his ashes? How did it go so bad so fast?" Mukti wondered aloud in an astounded voice.

"I know right. This morning, I was happily bickering with him like always, yet in the afternoon he was shot right before my eyes & he fell on the grass collapsing; taking a bullet that was probably meant for me; and now? Here we are. He is gone. Forever." Nandini whispered.

Mukti's head shot up at Nandini. "He took a bullet for you? As in, he wasn't shot for him?" she asked, in a shocked voice. Nandini looked at her with a frown. "..I would think so, because the bullet was shot where I stood with Manik and Alia, and Abhimanyu wasn't even closeby; he came running, looking at me frantically, and before we could ask what happened, he was shot." replied, Nandini. Mukti looked stunned, and this confused Nandini.

"Mukti?" she called out, perplexed.

"Why is it always you, Nandini?" Mukti suddenly snapped looking at her in a demented way. Nandini took a step back.

"Meaning?" she whispered.

"Nandini Murthy, always in the middle." she muttered. Nandini was about to ask further, but she spoke before that. "He broke up with me because Nandini was hurt, he was  patching up because Nandini was okay; now he is gone because Nandini needed to be protected from a bullet. Always Nandini. Always her. Who was I anyway?" Mukti whispered, sounding a little mad.

"Mukti, you know it's not like that.." Nandini began, but Mukti was in no mood to listen.

"Fuck, why am I even crying? Did I matter to him? Of course I didn't, because if I did, he'd be here standing with me, while we'd be waiting here to collect your ashes, not Abhi's!" Mukti screamed in vexation, finally catching everyones' attention, including Maniks'.

"Mukti.." Nandini stammered, as Manik rushed to them.

"What the hell are you saying, Mukti!" Manik growled, holding her elbows, pulling him to her.

"Manik, please, she's not in the right frame of mind." Nandini pleaded from next to him. Cabir nodded in agreement as he pulled Mukti out of Manik's grip. Manik let her go, and he knew she was in shock, but her allegation hit too close to home. She was right. If fate played out a little differently in the morning, he'd be here waiting to collect Nandini's ashes, not Abhimanyu's. This shook him.

"Does it hurt to even imagine such a thing for a woman who you don't even really feel for? A woman who is your wife for the world? Then imagine what I'm going through knowing the man I really loved laid down his life, not thinking twice for a woman who is not even his partner. Just fucking imagine, Manik Malhotra!" Mukti screamed.

"Mukti, just shut up!" Manik growled, holding Nandini's wrist into his, and pulling her towards him.

"Manik sir, we need to take Mukti away from here. The press is just outside and we don't want her screaming stuff out. What if someone hears her?" Zubin's urgent voice caught Manik's attention now. He was right, Manik thought. He nodded at Zubin & then turned to Cabir. "Drop her home safely and be with her," he added. Cabir nodded. As Mukti was being pulled away by Cabir, she turned to Manik with a maniacal smile.

"The killer is still out there Manik Malhotra! Nandini is still the target! I wonder who will be made to die for her now, after Abhimanyu? Will it be Cabir next or Zubin? And after that? Will you die for her too, or between your public image and your life, you will choose your life and finally let her die, when it comes down to you?" Mukti spat at him, showing him the middle finger, as Cabir pulled her away with muscle strength.

Manik staggered seeing the hate in Mukti's eyes for him. Did she really think he knowingly let Abhimanyu die? However, her last sentence shook him more. The killer was still alive & if Nandini was the target, she was definitely still in danger.

"Mukti is in shock, Manik. She didn't mean any of that. Please calm down, she will be fine" Manik turned to look at Nandini trying to pacify him. He stared at her tired face, her fragile body and her vacant eyes; his heart churned. He turned to Zubin and quickly briefed him.

"Please wrap this and collect the ashes and bring it home. We will arrange for a funeral after that. Also, please ask Cabir to call my travel desk and arrange a high security charter for me & Nandini. We are flying to London tomorrow evening."

Nandini's head snapped towards him. "What?! Manik we can't do that, I need to be here for his funeral." she argued immediately.

"It's not an option, Nandini. We can't be here with the killer on the loose. Not unless the investigation starts and the cops find the killer or rule you out from being the target. It's not safe here." Manik overruled her plea.

"Manik, I am not going anywhere without doing Abhimanyu's last rites. I don't care how much danger I am in." Nandini retorted stubbornly. Manik was about to argue, when Nyonica spoke.

"Nandini, when you fly out tomorrow, you will take Abhimanyu's ashes with you. We can arrange for a funeral service in London, okay? But I'm with Manik on this, you both will leave. I don't know if the target was Abhimanyu, Manik or you, but we lost Abhimanyu & I do not want to take any risk with the two of you & it's final." her voice was firm with a tone of finality. Nandini slowly nodded.

"Zubin, please ask Cabir to hire the best investigative officer on this. I want a private probe on it as well, along with what the cops are doing. I want answers & I want them fast." Manik commanded, gripping Nandini's hand tightly. Then he sighed a little and toned down. "..also Zubin, I know it's very awkward for you, but take care of Mukti for a while will you? Cabir will be busy with all this & I know handling PR will be a nightmare too, but you have Navya to help you there. I'd have taken Mukti with us, but I don't think her being around Nandini will help, so.."

"I get it Manik sir. You don't worry, I will take care of her." Zubin replied, with a small smile. Manik nodded, before taking Nandini away from there.

As Nandini walked away, she glanced back at the chamber with Abhimanyu, still in it. A lone tear escaped, as she knew, she'd never ever see his loving face again.

"Farewell, Abhimanyu" she mumbled, as she left.

***

Word Count: 3,393

A/N: Okay, firstly, I have very limited knowledge on the Hindu process of cremation, but this is what I got from the internet & my maid, cook, neighbours and family friends ( Everybody gave me the 'she has lost it' look, when I enquired so enthusiastically about it :P). I don't know how accurate this is, but please make it work? Or you can tell me if there is a glaring mistake, that I should edit?

Now coming to the story, as usual, I am ever curious to know what my readers think, and you folks are ever generous to tell me, so here goes:

1. MaNan interaction, what are your thoughts? Is Nandini unconsciously letting Manik chip her walls? Is Manik going in the right direction with her? Are his concerns only affectionate & caring or do you feel there is a passionate undercurrent that is there deep down, that he is yet to address?

2. Mukti's allegations; do you think there is merit in it, from her pov?

3. The Malhotra's being all supportive? What do you think is going on in their mind? I know most of you feel, they are the culprit, but how would killing Abhimanyu really help them? Any thoughts?

4. Manik taking Nandini to London now? What happens now? What are your thoughts?

5. Okay, lastly I am very curious, if you were Nandini and if Manik had been this way with you (mind you you still love him like crazy, is the assumption) what would you do to him? (Bring on the fire, ladies :P)

6. Any other thoughts, feelings, about the chapter, narrative, plot, character, interactions, logic? Anything you liked, disliked, felt should be detailed out further? Any thoughts on the overall storyline?

7. Lastly, I don't know if I can accommodate, tell me one of your MaNan fantasies that you'd like to read about in context to this story (it can be love, affection, romance, anger, action anything, but a MaNan encounter!)

Okay, now, dear readers, you have been a fantastic support on Wattpad & even beyond! Thank you so much, for everything & I hope you will continue to pour in your love for this chapter too, through votes, in-line comments & overall comments and shout outs on other platforms as well!

And as a mark of celebrating Valentines Day (come on, this MaNan at the end of the day) I will give you an extra mid-week update on 14th Feb! However, please don't shower less love on this chapter because another one is coming soon! :D

With that, I will wrap for now!

Next update: 14th Feb (Tuesday) - DON'T FORGET TO STOP BY, IT'S A WEEKDAY!

Love always,

Your writer,

A.