• Her presence is enough to keep a devil sane but her absence makes him worse than insane.. •

***

Manik : "I felt like everything fall apart in me, Don't ever leave me. I don't know I'll be able to survive or not and trust me I don't have the courage to even try...".. his confession left her speechless, it really caught her off guard. She felt honesty dripping from each word he spoke, she has really seen something very different in his eyes and her heart screamed he can't be a devil! ..But her mind isn't able to accept it...

She slowly broke the hug and he too reluctantly stepped back but he didn't let her hand go out of his hold, and these small gestures weren't went unnoticed by Nandini. She can see his eyes are communicating with her like never before and for once she feel like there is love in his eyes for her..

Manik : "Why you are here Nandini? Do you have any idea how much we all were worried? How can you be so irresponsible?.."..He scolded her but surprisingly his voice is lowest than ever.

Nandini : "Am sorry!"..She murmured silently while looking down and it took him by surprise.

She isn't fine Manik! ..His subconscious gave him the indication..

Manik : "Nandini!"..He called her softly and she raised her eyes, her eyes are filled with tears and he felt like they are accusing him, they are asking some questions to him and they hold extreme honesty in them. He can't believe that today for a change she didn't shut them down and let them communicate with him freely.

Nandini: "Can we please leave from here?"..She asked in a defeating tone, tiredness is clearly visible in her voice, and he felt like she has thrown her swords in the battle ground and is ready to surrender.

Manik : "Hmm.."..He just hmm'ed because he isn't able to figure out the reason behind her pain but all he knows is that her pain is hurting him the most..

(Background Music)

Awargi se dil bhar gaya
Teri gali mein rehne laga
Jaise kabhi bhi ki na kisiki
Teri fikar mein rehne laga..

He held her hand and she looked at him with teary eyes, he can easily see that she is broken, shattered in zillion pieces and her this state is causing galore pain in his heart. He really wonder how she became so important to him in such short time span when he never felt this much concerned and worried ever in his life.

Tere aansu piyu main
Kabhi tujhko hassaun
Tujhe door se dekhun
Kabhi dil mein basaun

Manik : "Come!"..He started walking while holding her hand and she didn't resist this time, may be because she is hell tired and now she doesn't have any strength left in herself to fight back, so she started walking with him with her head low and his eyes aren't moving away from her..

Tere khaatir jeeyun main
Kabhi tujhpe lutaaun
Ye jaan meri jaan hai tu..bas tu..

Today his heart is screaming only one thing to him and that is "This is that girl for whom Manik Malhotra can kill anyone and also can die for", but perhaps! His ego is far bigger than anything thus he isn't ready to accept this emotion which has already nurtured in him.

Awargi se dil bhar gaya
Teri gali mein rehne laga

Nandini : "Manik!"..She called him still not looking at him and he realized she is still weeping , he instantly stopped and made her turn around, she looked at him when he raised her chin.

Manik : "What it is?"..He asked in his domineering tone and tears eloped from her eyes badly, her eyes are red, puffy and her whole body is shivering due to continuous crying.

Tere aansu piyu main
Kabhi tujhko hassaun
Tujhe door se dekhun
Kabhi dil mein basaun

He wiped off her tears lovingly with the back of his hand, and she stared in his eyes as if she is trying hard to look through him, as if she wants to make herself believe that he isn't any devil but an angel, her angel!.

Tere khaatir jeeyun main
Kabhi tujhpe lutaaun
Ye jaan meri jaan hai tu..bas tu..

Manik : "Have the privilege to tell me anything and I promise I won't ever question back.."..His words left her in biggest dilemma and his eyes are telling him to trust him for once but trust is something which is toughest for her. She has lost that faith from everyone and trusting him is the biggest question in her mind.

Nandini : "Am tired!"..She muttered in almost a whispering tone and he gave her a weak smile but still his heart is hurting like never before..

Na tu khud ka tha kabhi
Na khuda ka main..
Tu mila toh ho gaya
Khud-ba-khud tera main

He picked her up in his arms effortlessly like she is a feather, she too wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder, he dropped a kiss on her head and started walking towards the car, while his heart is beating at the fastest speed he still wonder why he is feeling this much attached with her,it seems like he knows her from ages as if all this while he was craving for her only.

Hone laga hai khud pe
Ab mujhko yakin
Imaan badal ke mera
Tu badalna nahi..

He looked downwards to her face and found her eyes closed, she clinged more to him and for a moment he forgot everything around himself, he just got lost in the moment in that serene beauty of universe. He took away his eyes from her because suddenly his heart reacted totally out of his control and he feel like he is loosing all control from himself only which he can't let happen for any cost.

Tere khuda se maangu main kya?
Mujhko duaae aati nahi
Tujhse mohabbat kaise karun main?
Mujhko wafa ae aati nahi

She opened her eyes and looked upwards, he is walking with his head high and all she is wondering right now is "how can she ignore such charming face?" , She is trying hard not to fall for him but her heart is ready to surrender.

Tujhe dekh ke lekhin
Yeh dil dagmagaaye

He opened the car's door with difficulty as she didn't moved out of his arms, he too didn't resisted much, he placed her on the seat comfortably while her eyes aren't leaving his face even for a second and he can feel her piercing gaze on him..

Mujhe aazaan dekar
Tu mujhko jagaye
Mujhe meri nazar mein
Tu mujhko uttaye
Mera imaan meri jaan hai tu..

Manik : "Sit comfortably!"..He whispered and kissed her forehead, his small concerned filled gestures taking her heart away. He moved back, closed the door and walked to the other side of the car, while she looked at him only. She isn't able to take her eyes off him, her mind is instructing something else but her heart is totally in the captivate of his charm.

Bas tu.. Hai tu.. Hai Tu..

He sat down inside the car, and looked at her while she is still looking at him like she has never seen him before, and for the first time he feel like under her spelling gaze he isn't able to breathe properly as if she has taken all the sanity from him, and he is no longer in charge. Silently he drove away in the silence of the night..

• Silence has it's own voice, it takes only a person to listen carefully.. •

****

Arjun : "Dadi just relax, Mr. Malhotra has asked me to look after you and now there is no need to worry as well, So please.."..his calm tone made Dadi relaxed a bit.

Dadi : "Thank you Arjun, did you informed Mr. and Mrs. Murthy?"..her concerned and worried tone made Arjun smile.

Arjun: "I did that also while i was coming over here,I did that.."..he ensured her and now she looked relieved.

Dadi : "Ahh thank goodness..Was Manik angry on Nandini? I hope not..."..she again got worried and her this question made Arjun smile to fullest, which made Dadi all confused.

Dadi : "What is it?"..she asked with perplexed look and he instantly held her hand..

Arjun: "You won't believe what I witnessed today....."...he narrated the whole scene to her, how manik was worried for her, how he was so concerned and all that bought immense joy in dadi's heart.

Dadi : "I knew it, the day I saw her that day only I knew that only this girl is made for him. I hope she bring back our old Manik, the one whom we lost years back.."..her voice trails off as she recalled manik's cold behavior and his I-Dont-care-for-anything attitude.

Arjun : "She has given hope dadi."..he smiled and she too revert back with only hope in her eyes..

• When the divine was busy in making night, a beautiful angel smiled to him and created light. •

****

In the car:

Manik : "Are you fine?"..he asked as she is all quiet, it's been 15 minutes they are driving but she is all quiet.

Nandini : "Hmm.."...she answered while looking outside, then he noticed her phone in her lap.

Manik : "I was..."..he stopped and corrected himself .."We were worried, why your phone wasn't reachable?"..his questions irked her and she looked at him with irritation..

Nandini : "Why you are interrogating me like am some eloped murderer​?. Can't I just spend some time with myself? and moreover I am not answerable to you, so stop it please.."..she scowled which made him baffled but still he composed himself as he has already seen she isn't in the state to argue on such pity issue.

Manik : "Listen Nandini, we were only worried okay.."..he explained her in his calm tone which is so un-him and she just looked away from him and didn't answered although her this behavior is evoking anger in him but for her welfare he is not loosing control on himself.

After a complete long silence...

Nandini : "My phone's battery is dead and Earlier there was no network.."..she answered him in her low tone while looking outside the window and he looked at her, he can sense her vulnerability but she isn't ready to take the am-strong mask off her face.

Manik : "Why you left from Murthy mansion?, your parents were really worried for you."..he told her in low tone and this made Nandini recalled how she announced the truth about Aahana in front of her parents and instead of consoling them she increased their worry by running away from there..

Nandini : "Can I stay at my parent's place tonight?"..she suddenly asked in almost whispering tone while looking at him, he too looked at her and was about to dismiss her request but then he noticed her face which was filled with pain and torments only, her pleading eyes stopped the devil inside him and he nodded reluctantly.

Nandini : "Thanks!"..she murmured and started looking outside..

Manik : "After this stunt of yours I can't leave you alone, Today you scared the hell out of me and am surprised by my own emotions. What you doing to me Nandini?"..he thought while looking at her whereas she is lost in her own world...

****

Yippee am back to India, no matter where you go, you always miss your land, your place. Isn't it? 😅😅

I know it was complete nonsense update. Pardon me 🙈🙈.

Sorry hell tired from the journey and got to know that next Saturday am having my exam as well, freak! Am screwed.  😖😖

And I really Missed you all a lot.. did you people missed me? I know you all definitely missed stories but who missed me? 😝😝..

Love and care..

Your storyteller ❤😘