"I didn't mean for this to happen. I— I'm sorry for sure." My heart races and the gravity of the situation feels overwhelming. The romantic tension of our earlier moment now feels overshadowed by my overwhelming guilt.

I want to fix it. I just want to make it right, but I'm at a loss for words. All I can think about is how to apologize and erase the harm I've caused, hoping for some understanding in this deeply embarrassing and dramatic moment.

"Come inside," he whispered, stepping away from the door. I hesitated for a moment before entering, and as soon as I was through, he locked the door behind me with a soft click.

"Mr. Malhotra?" I murmured, my eyes cast down in shame. A wave of guilt washed over me.

Yes, the person I accidentally hit was none other than Mr. Manik Malhotra—the very man I could talk about endlessly. But now, after the incident that happened just a few minutes ago, he's left me completely speechless

"Mhm?" he grunts, his tone assertive as he walks into the living area.

"Mr. Malhotra, I'm... I'm really sorry," I stammer, keeping my eyes on my toes and nervously fiddling with my bag.

"Ah, Nandini," he murmurs, and I close my eyes at the sound of my name rolling off his tongue. I feel his long fingers gently lift my chin, guiding me to meet his gaze.

Oh my god!! I can feel butterflies fluttering in my stomach!

"Nandini, it's okay... hmm?" he says reassuringly, nodding his head. I mirror his gesture, nodding along with him.

"But, Mr. Malhotra... you're bleeding," I point out, noticing the blood on his lip. He pulls his hand back, chuckling nervously.

"I guess I am," he admits, his tone light. "But I have to say, you're one strong girl." He turns away, but not before flashing me a wink.

What? No way! Did he really just wink at me?

"Thanks?" I say, looking at him, unsure if it was a compliment or a taunt, as he pulls the first aid box from the drawer. "But it wasn't me—it was my ring," I add, pointing to the metal ring on my middle finger.

"That's not enough to justify your act; you need to help me with my lip," he chuckles, settling down on the couch. I step forward, placing my bag on the coffee table. Taking out cotton and Hexisol, I pour some of the solution onto the cotton and glance at him, ready to help.

"It will burn a bit," I say, gently patting his lip with the cotton. He hisses from the sting. As he takes my hand in his large grip and presses it hard, I let out a moan of pain.

I shake my head, trying to dispel the lingering pain and focus on his lips, carefully cleaning the blood away. After placing the cotton down, I squeeze some ointment onto my pointer finger and slowly apply it to his lip. As I do, he grips my hand more tightly, his fingers digging in with an intensity that mingles with the pain.

"Mr. Malhotra, it's done," I say with a smile, slowly stepping back from his grasp. I suddenly realised I'd been standing between his legs the entire time and hadn't noticed until now.

"Ahuh... th-thanks," he stammers, turning his head away. I quickly put the first aid box back into the drawer and grab my phone, feeling a flush of shyness.

"You're here to meet Nav, right? She'll be home soon, so make yourself comfortable," he says, getting up and quickly heading upstairs without glancing in my direction.

I let out a heavy sigh and settled onto the couch, idly flipping through TV channels as I waited. The hum of the television fills the silence until Nav walks in, her presence breaking the monotony.

"Hey, girl," Nav says cheerfully as she walks in. I look up at her and respond with a curt "Hey," my irritation barely masked.

"I'm sorry," she continues, her tone light and apologetic. "I had to leave; I was having some fun, you know?" She winks at me playfully.

I roll my eyes, clearly annoyed, but I don't let it show too much. Gathering my purse and phone, I get up from the couch and follow her upstairs to her room.

"You should have told me; then I could have come later, you know?" I say, scrolling through Twitter as I follow her up the stairs.

"I'm sor.... Dad, what happened?" Nav exclaims, her voice laced with concern as she hurries toward Manik, who stands at the far end of the corridor. As she rushes to his side, Manik's gaze lingers on my annoyed expression.

"Nothing, just a simple accident," he says, offering a casual smile as he reassures Navya. When I raise an eyebrow in scepticism, he merely smiles at me over Navya's shoulder before pulling her into a hug.

"But why are you home?" Nav asks him. I silently remark to myself, Well, that's the one valid question for Ms. Navya Malhotra.

"Your mom couldn't make it, so I had to stay home alone until Nandini showed up," he explains with a resigned shrug.

Navya wraps her arms around him in a tight embrace, her voice gentle as she apologizes on her mother's behalf. "I'm so sorry, Dad," she murmurs, her tone filled with regret.

After that sweet yet somewhat strained encounter with Mr. Malhotra, Navya pulls me into her room with an eager energy. Once inside, she immediately starts chattering about her sudden date plans for the evening. As she details every little aspect—what she's wearing, where they're going, and how excited she is—I listen with a detached interest, my mind drifting as I absorb her words without much engagement.

Because I know I can never truly describe how the love of my life looks to her, a wave of sadness washes over me.

"Nan!!!!" she exclaims, shaking me out of my thoughts. I blink and look up, confused. "Huh?"

"You were zoning out, silly girl. What are you thinking about?" she chuckles, noticing my distant look. I shake my head, feeling a flush of shyness as I try to hide my thoughts.

"Were you thinking about my brother?" she smirks, nudging me playfully. I shake my head again, about to open my mouth to respond when someone interrupts us.

"Dinner is ready, girls," a voice calls out. I look up to see Manik standing there, and I can't help but feel a wave of gratitude.

'Thank you, Manik,' I murmur softly, just for my ears to hear, feeling a wave of relief at the distraction and grateful for the timely interruption.

I couldn't bring myself to lie to her.

During dinner, no one utters a single word; the food is simply too delicious to waste a moment talking about anything else. The only sounds are the clinking of cutlery and the occasional satisfied murmur.

That is until Navya breaks the silence. "Dad, you never said how you ended up with that injury," she inquires, looking up from her plate.

I choke on my mouthful of beef, the sudden question catching me off guard. As I struggle to clear my throat, Manik shifts uncomfortably in his chair. His gaze, previously directed away, now locks onto mine with an intensity that makes me feel suddenly self-conscious. The tension in the air grows as our eyes meet, a silent understanding passing between us.

"Oh, that's nothing for you to worry about, darling," Manik says with a nervous chuckle, attempting to brush off the concern. "It's just that I hurt myself with a tool, nothing serious." He forces a reassuring smile, clearly hoping Navya will accept this explanation without further questions.

Luckily, she seems to buy it, nodding in acceptance and turning her attention back to her food. She resumes savouring each bite, blissfully unaware of the unspoken tension that lingers in the room.

"I'm done," I say, finishing the last piece of my beefsteak and setting my fork down. I glance over at Navya, who is still absorbed in her meal, eating with a voracious appetite that shows no signs of slowing.

My gaze then shifts to Manik. Our eyes meet, and I blink at him slowly, a silent gesture of gratitude for his timely intervention and for easing the tension. My expression conveys a simple yet heartfelt "thank you" as I take a moment to appreciate his subtle support.

"Nan!! Where are you lost? Are you coming upstairs or not?" Navya's voice cuts through my thoughts, sharp and demanding. I glance around, realizing her seat is now empty. My eyes follow her as she starts climbing the stairs, already halfway up.

I suddenly realised I'd been lost in thought for a few minutes, completely unaware that she had finished eating and was now heading upstairs. The realization hits me, and I quickly gather myself, feeling a bit flustered for having zoned out so completely.

I shake my head in annoyance at my own stupidity, cursing myself for losing track of time. I quickly clear my plate and fork, washing them in the sink with a sense of urgency. After grabbing a quick drink of water from the bottle on the counter, I hurry to catch up with Navya.

I completely disregard Mr. Manik Malhotra, who is busy tidying up the kitchen and focused on his task. As I step out of the kitchen, I reflect on my lapse in manners, feeling a pang of guilt for not offering to help with the cleanup. Yet, as I look back at him busying himself with the dishes and wiping down surfaces, I realize I don't have the courage to confront the situation further tonight.

Without a second glance, I rush upstairs to join Navya, feeling a mix of embarrassment and determination as I try to make up for my distracted moment and leave Mr. Malhotra to finish the work on his own.

To be continued...

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02.08.2024.