A/N: Hello my wonderful readers! How are we doing today? Can you imagine we are into April already?! Time flies so fast :O

Now I have to say, I absolutely loved all the theories you folks shared on what could be the rib curdling truth Nyonica was going to shed in this chapter, but I have to say, no one but one came close to the version I have penned! So, I hope this chapter really catches you off guard & you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed penning it down for you!

On that note, happy reading! :D

***

"Manik, for understanding my leverage, there is one more truth you need to know." Nyonica sank down on the couch. This was going to be a long story. She gestured for Manik to sit down too, and all though perplexed, he agreed and sat opposite his mother. Posture terse, attention rapt.

"Nyonica beta, I need to meet you urgently. How soon can you return home tonight?" Nyonica was startled receiving a call from her mother-in-law that night. Did she sound a little breathless? Her mother-in-law, the legendary Asha Devi Malhotra, was not only a poised and elegant woman, but also the calmest of their lot. Nyonica was attending a cruise party on the Arabian Sea, to mark the twentieth wedding anniversary of a very dear friend.

"Beta, are you there on the call? Can you hear me?" Asha Devi's urgent voice caught her attention and Nyonica immediately tried to check if there was an emergency.

"Mumma, are you fine? Do you feel unw.." Nyonica panicked.

"I'm fine love, just come home the soonest." her mother-in-law urged again.

"Mumma, I am on a cruise that's in mid sea, it's supposed to return to shore in the morning! Even if I try to cancel its route to get back, I cannot return in another three to four hours! Mumma if you don't feel well, I can get my secretary Aneesh to reach you immediately! Also, I think Shrikant is shooting closeby tonight, in Film city; wait let me call him.." Nyonica replied with worry laced in her voice.

There was a sudden calm from the other end. After a few seconds, Asha Devi sighed. "Beta, I need you to promise me, you won't tell a soul that I asked you to meet me tonight. Okay?..and I am all healthy, so don't worry about it. Meet me the soonest you can" before Nyonica could probe any further, her mother-in-law disconnected the call. It felt weird. Nyonica wondered what was going on. Her mother-in-law was a kind, loving & most importantly understanding woman, her demand that night made no sense, nor did her request. Nyonica felt something was off, and so instead of brushing off the odd feeling, she insisted her friend figured out a way to drop her home at the earliest, stating her son Manik had called her & he wasn't feeling well. Of course re-coursing the vessel and killing the party wasn't something she encouraged, but after a lot of effort & a lot of time, a chopper was arranged to pick her up from mid-sea.

As a frantic Nyonica hurried back home, the first thing she wanted to do was meet her mother in-law, but it was very late into the night and as she walked into Asha Devi's room she saw that the older lady had called it a night, she wanted to ask her, what had bothered her so much, but decided not to be disturb her mid-sleep, she looked so peaceful while sleeping, maybe her concern was taken care of? She was worried & fatigued anyway, the rest would do her good. Nyonica decided to meet her the next morning; however, she felt strange. Why would her mother-in-law call her urgently and not wait for her?

In many ways, the next morning was the start of a time cycle that saw to it that every bit of peace in Nyonica's life was taken away from her.

As Nyonica tried meeting her mother-in-law again the next morning, she was informed that Asha Devi had already gone to her 'rewaz' room for the day and wasn't going to be available until afternoon. There was no point calling her, because she never received calls in between music practice anyway. Again, in the afternoon when Nyonica approached, she was told that the old lady was recording a new song. Wait. Recording a new song? Hadn't her mother-in-law retired only last year from recording, due to old age and a weakening voice? Again, she had to wait. Understandably by nightfall Asha Devi ji was too tired to meet anyone & called it an early night again.

By now something struck Nyonica. It was all a bit fishy. She looked at her husband sitting by her on the bed & for some reason he kept looking at the old grandfather clock opposite. "It's quite late Shrikant, are you waiting for something?" she had enquired, to which her husband just waved his hand in denial, and in a few minutes, yawned and retired for the night. Something didn't feel right, and the gut feeling was bothering Nyonica now. No, she had to meet her mother-in-law right then, even if that meant waking her up from her sleep.

As she briskly walked by her room, she was alarmed to see the panicked face of her night nurse. "Divya, what's wrong?" she asked worriedly. "Ma'am..wh..what are you doing here?!" she half barked in anxiety & Nyonica on instinct dashed inside the room ignoring her. As she briskly walked into Asha Devi's bed chamber, she literally froze for a moment. Why on earth was the room so chilled? It felt like she had walked into a cold storage in her silken nightgown. "Divya!!" she barked but there was no noise. She looked out to see the night nurse wasn't there. Where did she go?

Nyonica quickly got hold of the air conditioner remote and quickly turned it off. She turned to her mother-in-law and sighed seeing her sleep peacefully. No, she didn't have the heart to wake her up from such a peaceful and deep slumber, afterall recording songs at this age was a tiring process indeed! She'd come back the next day. As she turned to leave, before glancing one last time at her, she saw her comforter was up only till her abdomen; Nyonica smiled and moved towards her to cover her more, the room was still so cold! As her fingers accidentally brushed against her mother-in-laws, she was startled! My God, she was ice cold.

"Mumma..?" she called out with uncertainty, as she gently nudged her arms. Nyonica staggered to realise they were rock hard. A shallow breath escaped her as she quickly switched on the bedside lamp. What met her eyes was pure horror! Lying before her was her mother-in-law, white as ice with grey lips and were they bluish black patches all around her neck area?

"Mummmmmaaaaaaa" she screamed in horror and as if on standby Shrikant walked in shrieking, "Oh my God, mom is dead!" How'd he even know? He had barely crossed the threshold of her bedroom door yet.!

***

It was late into the night when Shrikant, Shamsher & Nyonica Malhotra were waiting outside Asha Devi's room, while the doctor was inside inspecting if he could understand the cause of death, or they'd need an autopsy.

"Thank God, Manik is at his friends' tonight! He wouldn't have been able to handle this.." murmured Nyonica.

"That wuss of a son of yours' Nyonica, he needs to man up. This is real. This is life. You can't always protect him.." Shrikant snapped at her & Nyonica looked at him. His tone towards their son hurt her, but she gave him the benefit of doubt. He had lost his mother, she needed to cut him some slack.

"Mr. Malhotra.." The doctor's voice caught their attention, as all the three adults stood up, as he stepped out of Asha Devi's chamber. "..the cause of her death was a severe heart attack around two hours back roughly, leading to pulmonary failure..there's nothing we could have done. In this age.." the doctor pursued but Nyonica stared at him blankly. Surely there was a mistake in the diagnosis!

"No, no doctor, that is not it! When I saw mumma, she was cold as stone! There were marks on her.." she began, only to be harshly pulled back by her husband.

"Shut up, Nyonica, you're freaking the staff out. They will go out here and spew this rubbish & in no time the press will find a silly controversy on us! Can't you see it, it was a heart failure?!" he snapped. Nyonica looked at her husband wide eyed. No, he wasn't understanding, there was something missing & she was trying to explain that to him.

"So, we don't need an autopsy, I suppose?" her father-in-law's words cut through her. Fifty years of marriage and he was sounding as curt as ever. Did he have a bone of attachment in his body? The doctor affirmed they didn't need one and immediately Shamsher Malhotra asked his son to release a press statement on Asha Devi's demise, as she passed away peacefully in her sleep.

"..but doctor.." Nyonica tried arguing. "That will be all doctor" Shamsher Malhotra's voice trumped hers and as she glanced at him, she noticed a small malicious smirk forming on his face as he nodded towards the doctor. She quickly turned around to see he returned the same. Nyonica stood still. Oh my God.

***

It had been three days ever since the incident and Nyonica blatantly ignored the father-son duo as she spent her time with Manik consoling him for the loss of his beloved grandmother. She knew in her heart there was foul play; did her mother-in-law know it too? Was that why she was categorically asked to meet her in secrecy? Was she late? Did Asha Devi die because of her? Nyonica shuddered at the thought.

A part of her wanted to confront her family. What did they get out of killing a loving innocent woman? She was their wife, she was their mother? Did it mean nothing? The answer to her question came that very day in the face of Asha Devi's lawyer, who read her will, which incidentally was changed seven days before her demise. The will said, all her financial assets, bonds, including the royalty rights to all her iconic songs & all revenue rights to her latest song which she finished recorded few days before her demise, which was now her last song, was solely under the custody of Mrs. Nyonica Malhotra, which was to be later passed onto her son Manik Malhotra, when she deemed fit, as a mother! The wheels of destiny were in motion!

It took Nyonica ten minutes to realise everything. "..but mumma had retired from recording last year, why was she recording again?" a sudden question bothered Nyonica, and she found herself asking the lawyer, amidst her husband & father-in-law's passive-aggressive stares.

The lawyer informed her that the father-son duo had convinced Asha Devi to sing one last time & record. They wanted her last song to be announced, and celebrated! It was a grand closure befitting of the nightingale herself! She couldn't just decide to stop singing one fine day, just like that, her long illustrious career deserved a befitting last song & standing ovation! That was the song Asha Devi wsas recording until a few days leading to her demise. Wait, she finished the song a few days back? Wasn't she recording on the last day too? That was why she wasn't allowed to meet her during day, right? If not until now, right then Nyonica was sure of a severe foul play here, and it seemed like it was to do with money! If Asha Devi hadn't changed her will, naturally all her properties would either go to her husband or her son, Shrikant, right? That's the law of natural succession.

Weren't the Malhotra's trying to invest in their very own production house? The costs were touching the roof & investors didn't see return on investment from it. Maybe just all of Asha Devi's existing assets were not enough either! The Malhotra's had announced the project & now they were struggling. Now after Asha Devi's demise, the revenue from the sale of the track that voiced the last ever song of the singing legend, the nightingale herself, would ensure skyrocketing sales figures & who'd be naturally inheriting all that billions worth of royalty money? So this indeed was a murder with a motive! Nyonica gasped inaudibly at her realisation.

However, as soon as she realised this, she realised her mother-in-law had outsmarted the boys in their own game by transferring everything on Nyonica's name, before they could destroy everything she built. Did she really think they'd spare Nyonica's life? Was Asha Devi that naive? Or did she have a plan to save her too, and that's why she had called her urgently? Shit, now how was she to save herself? If they could kill their own wife & mother for the money, who was Nyonica? Nyonica freaked out! She knew it was too soon now, but in the near future, the sword of the Malhotra men would be dangling over her head too. How could she save herself? She needed to live. She needed to live to see through Manik's safety & to ensure he inherited the legacy not the lack of moral scruple from his father & grandfather! Nyonica knew she was the only person keeping Manik from becoming a third generation Malhotra of the same breed. She had promised herself, she'd ensure Manik was saved!

***

Manik shuddered. He truly didn't have anything to contribute anymore. His mind was a myriad of densely dark impossibilities and each turn he took in that dark, dense, foggy mind of his, he faced another lethal impossibility. It was one thing to know that his father & grandfather were uptight, traditionalists who reacted very strongly to guarding their legacy of a family reputation, but extending the borders up to homicide? He staggered for days trying to wrap his head around how they got Abhimanyu out of the way, but his dear own grandmother? So, this killing and sweeping boots attitude wasn't new, it was their way of life? Manik broke into cold sweats for the first time in his life, as he sat to evaluate the price of his star studded, glamorous life. It reeked with blood. Every bit of his stardom, his opportunities, his fame, his luxuries, his entitlement was steeped with his dadi's blood? Suddenly all the air in the room felt short and his lungs incapacitated; he couldn't breathe. He felt dirty in his own skin - the same way he made Nandini feel, the last time they were in the same room, perhaps? This strange line of thought made him remember her soft, angelic face, her moony eyes and that small blush she wore, when she thought he wasn't looking...just like that his heartbeat started steadying. He wasn't breathing unevenly anymore. That was the power of this woman in her life. Nandini..

"Manik, I know you're shocked, beta, but we can't stop here. You need to know the full story.." Nyonica's soft whisper reached his ears. Manik looked up to the tired face of his mother's and a part of him empathised with her. He was living under their roof & using their luxuries not knowing the truth, but Nyonica was living with them, dealing with the devils knowing this truth. How did she survive all this while? How did she not let a shade of discomfort touch her face? Today Manik knew, even though the world thought Shrikant Malhotra was the most amazing actor of the yesteryears, he was the superstar, but it was in reality his mother, Nyonica Malhotra! Not because she made more hits on the silver screen, but because she has been acting flawlessly every second for more than a decade straight!

Manik nodded, pulling himself together yet again. "Yes mom, this doesn't explain what leverage you have & how you use it to save Nandini in recent times.." he muttered distractedly & seeing that her son was still holding it together & listening, Nyonica decided to continue.

"Son, so far I along with the rest of the nation, was just mourning the death of a mother-in-law who was all giving, all loving & all encompassing, but it didn't stay simple for much longer. The very next day of her will reading, I still remember it freshly, we hadn't even come out of the shock of losing her, I still hadn't thought through and made sense of all the small inconsistencies in the news of her death, I hadn't been calm enough to join all the dots as yet, but in my heart I knew something was amiss & my husband & father-in-law were behind it. That day when mom called me to meet her, it wasn't just like that.."

Nyonica was sitting on her bed and trying to rest. When an attendant told her with a fearful face that she was called for in the study room by 'saab' and 'bade saab'. By the dark look on the staff's face, Nyonica could very well gauge the mood of the study room. She slowly walked to them.

"Shri, dad, you called?" she asked them meekly, looking down. She didn't know why there was this feeling of doom set inside her. She had a feeling, the walls of Jannat had yet more crimes to witness.

"..Nyonica, how dare you, you bitc.." Shrikant was about to advance at her in lethal strides, but Shamsher Malhotra stopped him.

"Aah beta, you have such a smart woman for a wife, and you spend your time screaming & grunting!" spoke Shamsher Malhotra with warm paternal affection, but his eyes were different today, Nyonica noticed.

"Dad...I don't.." Nyonica began, positively alarmed.

"Now, now beta, don't get all ruffled up at Shrikant's attack, there's no harm done here..in fact I know you love Shrikant so much, and our little Manik? Your son? You don't want to do anything to ruin his childhood now, do you? So I am sure, you will help us only.." Shamsher Malhotra spoke silkily, eyeing Nyonice, she could see the passive-aggressive threat there.

"Dad, what can I help you both with?" Nyonica wondered, aloud this time. However, before her father-in-law could respond, Shrikant shoved something heavy her way, which hit her on the arms and slid down to the floor, its final destination. Nyonica was shocked at the gesture, and glanced at the object. It looked like a grubby old diary, and upon looking closely, she could see the letter ADM embossed on it. It was her deceased mother-in-law's diary. She looked up at the duo in positive confusion this time. What could she have to do with the diary? She was seeing it for the first time.

Seeing her expression, Shamsher Malhotra realised, Nyonica was caught off guard, but that extra smart dead wife of his had made life really inconvenient for him, he couldn't let this go without checking now, can he?

"Beta, this diary has some very disturbing revelations. I think unfortunately, away from all our notice, your mother-in-law was losing her mind, by the end of her time.." whispered Shamsher Malhotra, looking disturbed. Nyonica's instinct didn't let her buy this. She quickly bent down and glanced through the last few entries, and what she found in the notes made her gasp.

It seemed that the Malhotra men were planning on her homicide for quite some time. They had initially asked Asha Devi for the sum they needed to build the studio, but she had declined. She had reasoned herself in the diary stating she had seen the same greed & unscrupulous conscience grow in her son, that she had seen in her husband always. Her love was weak, so she stayed and lived her life with him, but in the end she wanted to do one right thing, that is not hand over all her life's worth of hard earned money, prestige to these men. She had faith in Nyonica and she knew if she supported her daughter-in-law, she could raise Manik better; only if her upbringing wasn't questioned. So, she wanted to leave everything she had for Manik Malhotra who was better than his father or grandfather, a man who would use the resources rightly.

When Shamsher & Shrikant Malhotra had learned that they weren't going to get the money, they had devised a heinous plan to exterminate her from the equation, but much less did they know, old Mrs. Asha Devi Malhotra had understood their ways & intentions all along. She even knew they were to slowly poison her with little doses of arsenic in her food and it would seem like she finally had a natural death! Apart from this massive accusation, something else caught her eyes, another note in the last page of her diary. Asha Devi had mentioned some proof of planning her murder & other black deeds of Shrikant & Shamsher Malhotra; she had collected against both men and apparently she had passed it down to Nyonica for safe keeping!! Nyonica was stumped, because she knew no such thing had happened in real life! How would she ever prove this to these men?

"So beta, I ask lovingly" her father-in-laws whisper jerked her back to reality. He was looking like a menacing criminal. "Hand us over whatever proof Asha left you.."

"Dad, I don't..." Nyonica had barely begun but her husband shook her by the shoulder roughly in vexation. "Just give it to us Nyonica, or else..." he threatened her!

"Shrikant!" his father shouted, "Calmly son, Manik is at home, in his room. You don't want him barging in, right?"

The name of her son rang a sudden bell in her head, and Nyonica, even though was shattered as a woman & wife, the mother in her was evoked! It was a moment of epiphany that recoursed the rest of her life. Yes, her mother-in-law was right, these men were monsters & if she didn't have power over them, she'd not be able to raise Manik better than them. Today, if she confessed she had no proof, they'd eventually do away with her because she knew too much & could be a liability. If Shrikant showed no mercy to his mother, what chances did a wife have? She couldn't leave Manik with them. She couldn't even take Manik with her and go away, these bastards were too powerful. So it meant, she'd have to do just what Asha Devi had wanted her to, live right amidst this disgusting chaos and raise her son right.

"Nyonica beta.." Shamsher tried again, this woman was testing his patience, but he had to be calm right? However, this time, Nyonica didn't let him finish.

"Dad, Shri is right. I met mom the night before we lost her, you can ask the staff & check the security camera footage. She was weak. The signs of being poisoned were showing. I was aghast and had insisted I took her to a doctor, but she denied saying it was too late. Now I know she was trying to save you both from being caught. She told me, someone was trying to kill her & after her, I'd be the next target. She didn't out you both Dad, maybe she had hoped you'd mend your ways? However, she wanted me safe without a doubt. She handed me all the proof she had against you, only I didn't know they were against you at that point of time. Shri, I have everything to bring you both down to your very knee." Nyonica whispered, there was a cold threat that neither Malhotra's missed.

"How fucking dare you, you stupid bitch!" Shrikant advanced towards her, and Shamsher gasped. How did things turn around so fast?

"I'd be careful if I were you, Shrikant Malhotra!" came Nyonica's fearless answer, and Shrikant paused, staring at her with murder in his eyes.

"The proof is safe with me & it's faraway from you both. One finger lays on me or Manik, even an accident for all I care, the instruction is clear. One copy of the proof will go to the media and the other to the court. So, if you want to run safe and out there in the world enjoying every bit of your coveted Malhotra mantle, it is simple, you have to do what every normal family does. Take care of your wife & son & ensure we live happily. Can your son do that much, dad?" Nyonica finally looked at her father-in-law whose eyes were hooded.

"Dad.." Shrikant snapped again. Shamsher looked at his daughter-in-law and if there was no proof to obtain, he'd tear her apart and not think twice, but was he willing to risk going behind the bar? Was the studio worth that? No. He had to pause. The studio had to pipe, but he had to live & hunt for those proofs and when he'd get his hands on them, oh the glorious death this bitch was to embrace! The Gods above would shudder seeing her fret for life, as he would slowly, patiently, painfully see her life slip her body; but for now she had to live & she needed to be given what she wanted. She was doing all this for Manik, right? Shamsher vowed that day that one day he was going to use Manik as the weapon to kill her grotesquely.

"Beta, trust your wife. She loves you. She isn't threatening us. She understands why we did what we did. We didn't need to if Asha simply gave us the money. Nyonica understands this all is in some way Asha's fault, she isn't planning to punish us. She is scared for her & her son. Don't you think it's natural? After all you did kill your mom, why'd she think she stands a chance? So, it's time we show her some faith, okay? We make her believe we love her, and she & Manik are safe with us. She isn't handing us over to anyone, and isn't even asking for anything unreasonable, right? Let's give her that and have our family back?" Shamsher's words were careful and honey coated. He feared his son would react wrongly to it, but even Shrikant had realised they had no immediate way out & the dangers of being out were high. He gulped in agitation. Then Shrikant looked at Nyonica.

"Beta, you have my word. Not a finger will be laid by anyone, much less us, on you or my grandson. We need you back in the family, we have lost a lot already.." the old man shuddered in pain. A smirk was almost playing on Nyonica's face seeing him act, but he controlled it. Truth was she had no proof to begin with, so she didn't want to go overboard.

"..and Manik that day, when I heard they were planning to kill Nandini, I used this leverage." Nyonica's eyes welled with tears, only she knew how she was living with the guilt of knowing she was the reason for Abhimanyu's death.

"How did they agree to extend the favour to Nandini?" Manik asked, choking this time.

"They didn't. I told them, if Nandini died, you'd die too. In grief. They saw the truth in my eyes, son. That's why they spared her, because my deal remains; one scratch on you, and the deal was off." she whispered, looking at Manik with a piercing glance.

Manik sighed. Was his love for Nandini that obvious? For how long had it been around for the world to know before he realised? He wished he could show it to Nandini someday. That wouldn't happen ever now. After hearing everything he heard from his mother, not only did his heart shatter knowing how nefariously his loving old grandmother was murdered, and how traumatised his mother has been inside, he was sure he'd not let Nandini even wander around his family. Manik shuddered to see a reflection of his father & grandfather in him. They had hurt, wasted, killed their women too and hadn't he done the same? His grandfather was right that day, he was a true bred Malhotra indeed. His mother couldn't save him from being one. His grandmother's sacrifice went in vain. Suddenly a fury rose in him against his mother.

"Mom, you knew you couldn't raise me right. I was one of them! I was eventually going to be a murderer too I suppose. Then why did you knowingly let Nandini come in between all this? Why didn't you save her?" he scowled, as a tear of remorse fell from his eyes. Today, all his past behaviour and aggression and disrespect towards Nandini, hit him with a new sharpness. He fell down on his knees.

"..for one I didn't know how to stop it while you were marrying her the first time, because they wouldn't listen to me and secondly when I met her, I felt she could do what mom wanted me to do for you, which I had failed somewhere. Manik you were never a monster like them to begin with, but they had made you an animal for sure. I thought Nandini could make a man out of that animal. When you threw her out of your life the first time, I was disappointed. I realised you couldn't be saved, but I was happy for Nandini, but this time when I saw you both bonding, I decided not to save her again, hate me for it, but I saw that she didn't need saving, in fact she was more than capable of saving both herself & you; and look at you son, even though you're hurting so badly today, you took a lifelong pledge of being hated by her to save her. Doesn't this mean she saved you from becoming a Malhotra? Doesn't this mean, she saved your grandmother's sacrifice from going to waste? She saved you Manik, and in doing so she saved herself too..don't you see it son? Even though the Malhotra men feel they won, they didn't, son." whispered Nyonica with tears pooling in her eyes.

Manik stared at his mother's eyes, he didn't know what to tell her at this point. If they had won, why did it feel like his life's greatest defeat?

"Only I am defeated here son, no one. I couldn't raise you right, that's why you are going through all this pain and I caused Abhimanyu's death.." she whimpered.

Manik sighed. He agreed, Nyonica couldn't save him from the shadows of his father & grandfather. He did grow up looking up to them, but hearing the truth he realised that's the best she could do. He didn't blame her anymore. Also, one thing was clear too, Nyonica wasn't guilty of Abhimanyu's death.

"Mom, for what it's worth, you aren't responsible for Abhimanyu's death. His death was inevitable. Dad had planned it anyway, it was either this way or another. Also, you didn't raise me all wrong mom; although I made massive mistakes and it took me years, I realised my mistakes and when given a choice to choose between love & selfishness, I chose love. That's why I am hurting, right? Also that's why those criminals are roaming freely - because I chose love & Nandini's life over seeking selfish justice for my lost baby girl, my happiness which lies in Nandini's arm, my grandmother's murder & even Abhimanyu Thakkar's homicide. Isn't that something?" Manik whispered, but his voice finally cracked. Nyonica nodded softly and hugged her son.

Could nothing be done to revive Manik & Nandini's heart anymore?

***

Word Count: 5,172

A/N: Hello dear readers, are you folks still breathing? :D

So, agreed, this chapter doesn't have much mention of MaNan, but it is one of the most crucial chapter in the book. This sneak peak into the past clears a lot of questions, right? So, the drill is simple, I will ask a few questions & request you to answer them! :)

1. Did you see this twist coming? :D

2. So Asha Devi was murdered? What do you feel about her decision to burden Nyonica with the burden of her husband & son's wrath. Was she wrong in bringing Nyonica in the middle? What else could she have done differently, according to you?

3. Nyonica's decision to not come clean & stay safe in order to give Manik a fighting chance. Do you think her choice all though risky, it made sense?

4. Do you blame Nyonica for Abhimanyu's murder?

5. What do you think, Manik is feeling right now, knowing all this, what should he do from here? Is he legit in wanting to keep Nandini away from him?

6. Anything specific that you like/dislike want to call out about this story?

Thank you for reading & I hope you keep the in-line comments, the after comments & the votes flowing & I will continue to strive & give you my best here in this story.

Lastly, unfortunately, now I have officially run out of chapter bank & I will be in Goa until Sunday next for a strat meet from work. So, I am not sure if I can update next week, however I will keep you guys posted if I am able to. Just keep following my Wattpad, Twitter & Insta profile for more updates..

Until I see you folks next,

Stay well.

Love,

Your writer,

A.