"Sometimes at the best moments, a single word or a look is enough."

- Honore De Balzac

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Dedicated to the amazing Cooldude101 from India.forums; she had ranted, cried, pleaded and begged, from God to the fairy god for this moment to come soon. When I had imagined and had penned a small part of this moment, I had decided I would dedicate this chapter to her...

So here it is, I hope it was worth the wait! :)

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"Okay, so let's meet in the morning? At 8'o clock?" Nandini asked him, impatient to start the search as soon as possible.

"Yeah, sure. But before that let's have breakfast and only then we should start the day," answered Cabir, knowing how difficult it was for her to wait for the morning.

"You remember the address, right?" Cabir inquired as he stood up to make his way to out of Nandini's hotel room.

"Yes," Nandini assured him, holding up her mobile for him on which she had saved the address.

"I know you won't be able to sleep but try to get some rest, okay?" Cabir urged her before turning to walk out of the room.

"Cabir?" she called him out, walking behind him.

"Yes?" he answered, turning back to look at her as she stood near the door.

"I wanted to thank you, for coming here. I know that you came here for me. So thank you, for everything that you do," Nandini told him, grateful.

"There was no need to thank me, but now that you have, shall I act like Mr Desai and say 'you're welcome, Nandini-ji'," Cabir replied with his hand folded.

The accuracy of his imitation of the ever formal colleague of theirs made her laugh a bit.

"Now, I am going to crash. Goodnight," he wished her yawning, half-dead on his feet.

"Goodnight, Cabir." she wished him back as she saw him walking towards his room.

As Cabir closed the door of his room, he could not help but think how this time around he would have to console the girl who was exposing herself to more pain due to her undying hope even though she herself has been nothing but a blessing for everyone around her. Now, more than anything else, more than ever, Cabir wanted her to be happy, whichever might be the result of the search they were on, he wanted it to be accepted by her, for this trip to finally put an end to the fruitless search of hers.

'What to do with you, Nandini Murthy?' he sighed out loud.

The tiny girl had become very dear to him when he found out that she was the sole reason why his Man-ek had a smile on his face. He started to respect her when he got to know the real her. And he tried to be there for her, whenever she needed, ever since that night. But now what he wanted for her to live her own life, for once.

The only way for that to happen was finding Manik, and he knew there was no way to find his lost friend, so what remained was the second and the only option: to make Nandini accept the reality, for which he was ready to spend every ounce of the energy he had, this time, he has to succeed in the quest...

As much as Nandini was right in thinking that he came to London because of her, there was no denying that there was also a selfish reason why he was now standing oceans across to his homeland: his freedom.

He wanted to be free from the memories of that dark night and all the nightmares that came with it, hunting him restlessly. He wanted to have the answer to why was it that he felt there was something wrong in the silence of the Malhotra clan when it came to the investigations of the accident which cost them a life. A precious soul that should have been far more dear to them than their own; their only son's.

The case was closed and forgotten within a month, how come the hunt to search and find the heir of Malhotra Industries was concluded on theories that the victim was dead without finding the body. Not only that, the court case Nyonika had fought to declare her son dead when even though by law, one could be only declared as missing after six years of disappearance and dead after more than ten years.

But what had been more shocking than anything else was how the media and press hadn't covered the court case - it was as if they were not even aware of it. Everything that had happened within the first year from the day Manik had been missing happened fast and left them dizzy; at a loss. Everything was confusing, shocking. While many, including Nandini, were surprised by Nyonika's action - he was not, not after knowing she was the reason why Manik left for Pune in the first place. It was Mr. Malhotra's response, or lack thereof, what made Cabir paralyzed with shock and rage. That man had claimed that he loved his son, so why he had been nowhere involved in the search for Manik?

Something was wrong with everything that happened after the accident that occurred that night - Cabir could sense it - but what? He couldn't pinpoint, no matter how much he tried to find the answers.

Oh, how he missed the demonically sharp instincts of Manik, he would have known what to do to get the answers he wanted. Manik Malhotra, oh how much he missed his Man-Ek. Any situation he was in, Cabir would realize how much he had depended on his brother like friend. He knew the true value of the selfless person they have lost.

'Only Nandini gives me a fair competition!' Cabir thought, musing over the two people. One cannot think of one without the other...they could never be separated, even in the thoughts.

As he set the alarm to wake up early, he wondered how come he always thought about the duo!

"Such a hardcore shipper you are, Cabir Dhawan!" he muttered, taunting himself, as he closed his eyes.

'Once Manik is back, everything will be fine!' was the last thought he had before he slipped into a deep dreamless sleep, without realizing that there was a part of him that has started to hope for what he thought as impossible.

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"Ma'am, we can't give you that kind of information. It's against the rules." The man sitting behind the information counter told them in the nasal voice of his, his face expressionless. After more than an hour of nagging, his responses became mechanical even though he was so damn close to losing it.

"Please, it's very important for me to know. It's a matter of life and death. I have to know, I have been searching for someone for years and I have seen him during the event. I just need some information, can't you cooperate?" Nandini pleaded, becoming restless.

"Ma'am, why can't you understand? We can't give you any information about any of the clients. I have already told you last time, it's against the rules" the man repeated, annoyed with the persistent girl.

"We aren't asking you a lot, just look at the sketch of the logo and tell us the name of the company. What will it cost you?" Cabir snapped.

"Sir, I answered you, I can't give you any kind of information. Now move aside and let me do my work." the man snarled, annoyed with the interrogations.

"At least, let me talk to someone else. Let me go in and talk to one of your seniors." Nandini begged.

Sighing deep, he decided to let the people in a higher position deal with the stubborn duo, why he should be the one to always do their dirty job?

"I will try to talk to them, see if any of them is free enough. More than that, I can't help you." The man declared.

"That will be enough, thank you." Nandini beamed at the man, happy that they were a step forward.

After a conversation that lasted a few minutes, he turned back to them with a frown.

"You both can go in, Jackson sir will see you," he gave them the good news, despite sounding puzzled, the relief of getting rid of them could be seen on his now relaxed face.

* * * * * * *

"Yes?" Edmund Jackson answered the knock on his door. Already informed, he knew who were coming to meet him. Sitting upright, he looked at the two people walk in his office.

'This should be interesting,' he thought as he looked at the petite girl who took the information department of his office by storm.

"Good morning, sir, we are here to ask you for some help. We need some information about the event of a particular day," Cabir told him after introducing himself and Nandini to the man sitting in front of them.

"And they haven't told you that we can't give you the information about our clients?" Edmund asked him, already knowing the answer.

"They have... But it's very important," Nandini insisted.

"I see that. You coming again does mean that you won't go till you get what you want. So what is that you want to know?" Edmund asked, dropping the pretense of being annoyed by the sudden intrusion in his day to day routine.

As he looked at the confused girl in front of him, he thought he'd better explain.

"Well, the last time the show you put on by threatening people with god knows what not, you gave my whole office something to gossip about. I was not here last time, so I told them to let you in if you came again," he informed her.

"And still, they didn't let us in until we practically begged them for hours?" Nandini asked him, annoyed by the unnecessary waste of time that they could have spent in finding Manik.

"Well, it is against the rules. The information office is strictly ordered to not give any kind of information to anyone. So you see you should not even be sitting here, but only because I was curious about you, I told them to let you in," Edmund explained, revealing to them that it wasn't their persistence or the annoyance of the man whom they were begging to for last three hours, but the curiosity of the man sitting in front of them what made sure they, at least, get a chance to know the answer.

With a new determination, Nandini decided she had to try her best to convince the man to help them. Taking a deep breath, she leaned forward on the edge of the chair she was sitting in and made sure her voice sounded strong and confident.

"You are right, I won't leave till I get the information I need. It's nothing big, believe me, I just want to know which client's company of yours this logo belongs to?" Nandini asked, handing him the sketch she drew while she was on her way to India, then she had thought that she will show it to convince Mr. Malhotra.

'So naive you are, Nandini,' she thought, with a sigh.

As Edmund looked at the expression on the face of the girl, he felt the need to help her out, taking a sigh, he decided to take a chance.

"And what is that you want?" He inquired.

"We are trying to find a friend of ours," Cabir mumbled while Nandini could just draw a shaky breath.

Looking at the girl, Edmund felt as if he has seen the reflection of the same pain and emptiness that the girl had on her face on someone else's. Deciding to help them out, taking a step forward all together, he took some liberties that he hoped would give the result he was expecting.

"You are very lucky, I can give you the name of the company without breaking the rules," he exclaimed looking at the girl in front of him.

"This logo belongs to the company my wife owns. Well, partly, but yes, she owns it," he beamed, clearly proud of his woman.

"Oh, that's great!" Cabir shouted, happy to have the name of the company without begging and snapping at people.

"Well, yes. But you know what's greater? I can fix a meeting for you with the Managing Director of the company without any problem. How about that?" Edmund smirked, looking at now surprised yet hopeful faces of the youngsters sitting in front of him.

"You-you will?" Nandini and Cabir asked him stuttering, not believing their luck.

"Oh, yes, I will," Edmund chuckled at the incredulous tone of the young people sitting in front of him.

Since the past four years, they have been searching for Manik - have talked with countless people belonging to different departments and careers. From officers, doctors, inspectors to common people, to find Manik they have been everywhere but never had things gone so smooth.

'Only, this time around, we have met someone so kind.' Cabir thought as he looked at the man in his late thirties searching for something on the messy desk they had between them.

"Here, it's her card. The workaholic that she is, she works even in the lunch breaks, so if you get going now, you will able to meet her today," he told them while handing them a gray card.

"That's amazing. I-I don't know how to thank you. You will never know how much you have helped us out. Thank you!" Nandini stuttered, smiling gratefully at the kind man who helped them so much.

As Nandini looked down at the card in her hands, she couldn't help but beam at it with satisfaction.

"Oh, believe me, little girl, I know," Edmund whispered, looking at the tried but hopeful smile of the girl sitting in front of him.

Puzzled, Nandini looked up at him, finding him smiling at her gently, she could not give his words any meaning but of kindness. Smiling back at him gratefully, she yet again focused on the card on her hands.

After thanking Edmund profusely, they walked out of his office while he could not help but pray that he was right in leading them there or at least, not terribly wrong...

* * * * * * *

As the phone rang in the silent office of Silvia Matteo, she couldn't help but sigh out loud. Why did she have to do her job even during lunch breaks?

"Ma'am, they are here," her PA informed her.

"Send them in," she told him with a sigh.

As she put the receiver down, she could not help but look at the presentation made by her favorite junior strategist with longing. She preferred working to wasting her time with socializing with the youngsters her husband had sent to her for whatever reason. But what to do, she was, after all, married to a crazy extrovert. Shaking her head, she looked up to see the door of her office being opened by her PA. He took his leave after letting the youngsters in, who looked to be in their mid-twenties.

After a few polite smiles and inviting them to take a seat, she was about to ask the motive of the sudden meeting when her phone rang again. She tried to keep the conversation short, but what to do? Nothing about work was short or simple. Without a doubt, she more of a workaholic than her husband thought her to be. She was okay with it, as whatever she did, she did it for the satisfaction that came with getting the things right.

As she conversed with the junior strategist about the modifications to be made, she couldn't help but feel the glare of the young lady. Ignoring it all, Silvia got immersed in the conversation she was having with her employee.

Nandini let out a sigh, irritated with the elegant lady who was the wife of Edmond Jackson. Ever since they came in, she was on the phone, having a long discussion on the finer parts of how to crack a good business deal with someone she kept calling 'M'. Any other day, it wouldn't have bothered her, anything for Manik, but after spending almost three days without sleep, everything was getting on her nerves.

She looked at Cabir, who seemed busy in observing the elegant decor without a care in the world. Was there any way to get the needed information without wasting unnecessary time? A time which could be spent in reaching the one she has been missing for what felt like more than a lifetime?

"Dio! Stop! You are worse than him," hearing Silvia's sudden shout scared her and Cabir for a brief moment. As they looked at Silvia, alarmed, the woman was just looked at Nandini as if she had done some sort of crime.

"Stop. Tapping. Your. Feet!" Silvia sputtered, each word said with a forced calm, annoyed as she was with the impatient girl.

"Yes, M, I will call you back," she told whoever was there on the other side, ending the conversation.

"Tell me, what do you want?" Silvia asked them, irritated with the girl for making her leave her work in the middle.

When she was asked so directly, Nandini felt words fail her.

"I-I am trying to find someone," she stuttered.

There were not enough words in which she could pour her desperation of finding that "someone". But, it seemed as if the expression on her face and the tone of her voice were able to convey her desperation, her want, her need.

Looking at the girl, Silvia couldn't help but feel as if she was being rude. Taking a deep sigh, she brought a smile on her face and asked Nandini gently.

"Okay... and how can I help you?" Silvia asked the suddenly lost girl in front of her.

"By telling me if you have ever seen this person. I had seen him in an event your company had participated in," Nandini hurriedly told her, showing her a picture of Manik.

As Silvia looked at the picture, she felt breathless at the sight captured by the picture. The young man in the blue coat with a guitar in hand, smiling, standing on the stage looked as if he was in his element, he must have been singing a song at the moment the picture was taken. The passion and the happiness the guy must have been feeling were visible in the picture too, but what made her gasp at the sight were his smile and his eyes...

Alive. His eyes looked alive, so beautiful, and so full of life...

Silvia felt her heart torn as she looked from the happy picture of the young man to the hope shining in the girl's eyes. Pushing aside the feeling of guilt, she drew a deep breath, knowing what is it that she should do.

"Sorry, piccola, we don't employ any rockstars here," she answered Nandini, reminding herself why she was responding the girl in such a rude way.

"Please, it's very important. After years, I have found something that can lead me to the person whom I have been searching for since long. I have to know, only you can help, please. I have to find him. I have to..." Nandini begged, for an unknown reason she felt the woman sitting in front of her knew something but was hiding it for some reason.

Silvia didn't know if it was the age, the pleading or the restlessness - whatever it was - it made her snap out, question herself as to why she attempted to hide the truth and for the first time, really look at the girl sitting in front of her keeping in mind the description she had heard from someone.

As she did that, there was something else too that she could see; a glimpse of the pain lived by someone she knew very well staring back at her on the girl's face and the hope which was giving her the possibility to finish the endless torture. As she thought of the impact of the consequences of not doing what her heart was telling her to do, she felt obligated to at least try.

"What did you say your name is?" she asked, almost daring to hope of already knowing the answer.

"We never reached that part, my name is Nandini, Nandini Murthy," she answered as she looked at the wide eyes of the woman sitting in front of her.

"What? You-how?" was all Silvia could utter for a few breathless seconds. Shocked beyond belief, she felt her head spin.

"You are not supposed to exist," she whispered to the ghost of the girl who actually existed.

"Excuse me?" Nandini asked incredulously.

As Cabir looked at the woman in front of him, he couldn't decide, should he laugh at the woman who was opening and closing her mouth, imitating a fish out of water or should he try to understand the situation? Controlling his laugh at the comical expression the woman had on her face, he redirected his attention towards the conversation between his friend and the woman.

As the effect of the shocking news started to wear off, Silvia snapped out of the trance she was in. Standing up from her chair, she picked her phone and started to walk without looking back.

"Follow me," she ordered the other two as she made her way out of her office.

"What?" Nandini asked her, puzzled by the strange behavior of the woman.

"Come on, hurry!" she shouted at them as she stepped out of the office.

"O-kay! Let's find out where the crazy woman is leading us. If she is some serial killer of young good looking people, I feel very sorry for Edmond Jackson," Cabir commented dramatically, making Nandini shake her head at him as they walked out the office.

Looking in front of them, they found Silvia standing near the lift, almost punching the button in a hurried manner while she talked to someone on the phone.

"Shut up! Tell me you both are still in office or I will kill you," she shouted at whoever it was on the other side.

"Oh, grazie a dio! Stay there Dev, force M if you can, just don't let him go anywhere till I am there," she ordered the person on the phone as she stepped into the lift.

"Dai, dai, dai, piu veloce!" she exclaimed in her native language, making the duo standing behind her share an amusing look.

As they got off the lift, Silvia felt her heart skip some beats in anticipation as her eyes found the men they were searching for. Almost near the entrance, they were busy in an argument. The first one, who had his back to them and was walking without a care, unmindful of the second man who was begging him to stop.

'Must be the guys she was talking to,' Nandini thought as she walked behind Silvia.

"Dev!" she heard Silvia shout out, making both of the men stop moving forward. While the one who must be 'Dev' looked up at Silvia, the other one who had his back to them stood there, shaking his head as if he was irritated with the happenings around him.

Sighing in relief, Silvia ran to them, as fast as the six inches heels she was wearing let her. When she reached them, she blocked the entrance by standing in front of the two men with her back to the only escape.

"M, you have to listen to me!" Silvia told him, out of breath.

"Not you too, Silvia. I said I am going, no matter how unwell you both think I may be. Now move," a very familiar voice snapped, stopping Cabir and Nandini in midway.

If someone had asked her then, Nandini wouldn't have been able to describe what was that she felt in that second. The second in which she heard the voice she had been deprived of; when the one voice she longed to hear, was ringing in her ears. All she did know that she was stuck under the spell of the moment; her soul was at peace, knowing it had finally found its home while her heartbeat a million beats per second and her brain, overwhelmed by the sight, the first sound of that voice, had lost its ability to do anything.

As the discussion between the people standing a little far away from her continued, Nandini tried to break out of her stupor, the immobile contentment her whole being wanted to be stuck in. Despite the voices falling in her ears, she could not give a meaning to the words spoken by them. And how did those words matter anyway? Her whole being was just so immersed in the sound of that voice that nothing else mattered.

"Manik..." Nandini whispered with her voice full of awe.

His name whispered by her was soundless for everyone else, but somehow loud enough to stop the moving steps of someone. Standing there with his back to her was her Manik, she knew.

As the time stood still for each person standing near the isolated exit of the office, for Nandini it suddenly started to move. And why wouldn't it? The one she was longing for years was here, standing just a few steps away from her. She could not move fast enough, taking steps forward till she reached him who was standing still like a statue. Standing on her toes, she placed a shaking hand on his shoulder to turn him around, knowing her touch had the power to breathe life in that unmovable statue.

As she turned him around, she was hit by the enormity of the moment they were living. As she looked at him after so long the ever-present emptiness within her was filled with the vision of him. The consuming pain she felt in her heart gave its place to the immeasurable joy of finally finding him. As the relief drowned her, her whole being sang in peace. She was whole again, yes, she was...

"Manik..." She quivered, her lips trembling, whispering his name in joy, in certainty, after so long.

"Nandini..." He gasped, looking at her as if he has seen a ghost. His eyes wide open, his skin starting to turn paler.

Frowning at the uncharacteristic reaction, Nandini looked at him puzzled.

"Manik? What's happening?" she asked, worried as she saw him blinking as he was dizzy.

"Nandini..." Whispering her name in answer, his eyes closed while his head slowly rolled back and within a second, his feet gave in.

Despite standing so close to him, Nandini could do nothing but look at him as he began to fall on the floor. When just within the second she snapped out of her shock, all she could do to save him was grasp his hand, but all it did was to take her down with him.

Falling on the floor hard, she bruised her elbows and knees but she didn't waste time to feel the pain, forget tending to it. She quickly sat on her knees near him, bending down on his unmoving body on the floor to understand what was wrong with him. As she looked down at him, she saw the man Silvia called 'Dev', cushioning Manik's head. It looked as he only thought of saving Manik's head, letting the rest of him fall.

Nandini frowned at the man as she gently pulled Manik away from the man, placing his head on her lap. She placed her trembling hand Manik's cheek, caressing it gently. Unable to understand how to act, what to do, she just tenderly called him out, stroking his hair, pleading him to wake up.

Spell bounded by the sight, Dev could do nothing but gasp at the sight of a tiny girl pulling the giant of his friend in her protective arms. While he was awestruck, the sight in front of them was compelling enough to snap Silvia out of the trance she was in.

"Devansh! Hurry, we have to take him to the hospital," she shouted at the man while punching some numbers on her phone.

As the others were tending the friend he thought he had lost, Cabir tried to give whatever was happening around him a meaning. The second he had heard it, he had been frozen by the voice he had thought he would never hear again. With his eyes were wide open, he felt as if he was trapped in an incredible spell. A perfect illusion they were living in.

'Were Nandini's delusions contagious?' he wondered, marveling at whatever was happening in front of him. In his childhood, he had heard countless stories about how the people lost in the desert run after mirages, maybe the only time when two people could see the same illusion. But now it seemed it may be not the 'only' time as he wasn't in the desert yet living a mirage.

"Cabir!" he heard his name being shouted out and as if in response to the call, his mind recovered from the overwhelming confusion he was feeling.

"A little help?" The man called Dav asked him while indicating the unmoving body of his friend which was embraced protectively by the tiny girl who has achieved the impossible and was holding close to her the most precious treasure of hers...

His feet started to move towards them before his mind could give meaning to the thought that crossed his mind; Manik was alive. Maybe not well, but alive. Till he didn't get better, the rest could wait...

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Meaning of the used Italian words;

* Dio = God

*Piccola = lil girl

*Grazie a dio = Thank God

*Dai, piu veloce = come on, faster

 A/N:- Here it is, the new chapter...The very first glimpse of Manik after so long...There a few clues, subtle moments and hidden information in this chapter for you to find, let me know if you caught them.. ;)  

I hope you liked it and that it was worth the wait! :)

Please leave a comment or two to let me know your thoughts and feelings... :)

Thank you... :)

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