PLAYING YOU (#2)

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE

He folded the paper in a neat fold as he slid the letter inside his drawer locking it down and finally went to sleep. 

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Nandini had already texted Zeke about the place and time that they two will meet today at. She looked through the mirror at the sleeping figure behind her as she passed the earloop through her ear and giving final touches to her office look today. Manik rubbed his eyes as he tried his best to awaken himself, last night was pretty excititng after he wrote her that letter that eventually he would wake up at intervals and watch her beatiful face beside him and he couldn't believe and she was his after everything that has happened.

"Good morning" he heard the only voice that mattered to him every morning before he walk through that door facing the leftover day.

"Morning. Why are you up so early?" Manik asked in his sleepy Shrek voice.

"I am on time sir. It's you who's late today. It's already 9 right now." Nandini replied pointing at the side alarm clock.

"What?? And why didn't you wake me up. Gosh i am late for the meeting." Manik shrieked in terror as he realised the time.

"woah woah hold on my stopwatch. For our first question, i didn't wake you up because you were sleeping like a baby and for your second statement, well your secretary called and she said that your morning meeting has been postpones. So i let you sleep." Nandini explained.

"Ohh. Thank you." Manik smiled.

"Thank you for what?" Nandini asked as she sat beside him on the bed.

"For being the best wife. Always taking care of me and my family." Manik replied as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"That's my duty and i always fulfill my duty. Now sir maybe your meeting is cancelled but not mine. I have a meeting at 10 today so i'll have to leave." Nandini spoke.

"Umhum please don't. Just cancel it. We'l spend some time today." Manik suggested like a baby as he clunged onto her stomach.

"Stop acting like a kid Manik. It's important so i have to go." Nandini let go off Manik and grabbed her watch from the side table.

"Okay boss lady but who is this meeting with?" Manik asked, "I mean we generally now have similar meetings so." 

"It's with Zeke." Nandini replied as she tied her watch around her wrist, "He is a friend of mine and he came to India specially for a bond between our companies." 

"Okay. Go and have fun." Manik replied as Nandini got out.

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Zeke sat in the meeting room when Nandini entered holding a bunch of files.

"Are you okay?" Zeke asked as soon as he saw her.

"Yes i am. Could you please hold this?" She asked him

"Sure." Zeke helped her out in plazing the pile over the table.

"Yeah so shall we start." Nandini raised her brows.

'Yes but why eher. I mean you never meet me in your office or around known people so why today." Zeke asked.

"because it's high time and i am so done with this entire chess game being played here. I just wann go check and mate this time." Nandini replied non-chalantly as she flipped through some pages.

"Are you sure? What is Manik sees me here and asks our relation or anything?" Zeke double checked everything.

"That has been taken care of. Now i want you to get the paper work done as soon as possible. 24 hrs best. 2 days not an issue but not beyond that because i feel sick here. Around all of this and i want you to see this straight here. What do you think?"  She asked Zeke as she pointed something in the file.

"It's good and i just need 6-7 hours max to get this done completely but are you sure? Like 100% sure? You wanna do this today?" Zeke asked

"Never been so sure in my life." Nandini replied.

Zeke and Nandini got busy in some work and they never realised when the clock went past lunch time and Nandini's cell phone rang indicating a call from her husband

"Hey manik." Nandini picked the call.

"Hey wifey. I just thought we'll go out for lunch. I have to talk to you about something." Manik asked.

"I am sorry Manik but i told you na i have a meeting. also i'll be having my lunch with Zeke. I've already promised him." nandini replied leaving Zeke in shock. Did she just say lunch with Zeke to Manik.

"Okay not an issue. See you at dinner tonight." Manik replied and cancelled the call.

"What is wrong with you?" Zeke asked in astonishment.

"what?" nandini asked non-chalantly.

"Lunch with Zeke? When did i come into picture for Manik?'' 

"Since he woke up. Don't stress out, it's all cool. But i think we should leave. the lawyer is waititng for us. We just have 4 hrs left cause it's already 3 p.m. right now." nandini packed all the stuff as she lead Zeke out.

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Manik cancelled the call and no he wasn't being jealous of Zeke but he had planned to tell Nandini everything over a quite and special lunch but maybe something's happen for a reason. maybe it was a hint for him to know that this proposal and letter was supposed to be even more scpecial. so he finally decided to get a homecooked dinner prepared by him for Nandini and then propose her on the rooftop and he had only 4 hrs to do so.

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It was 7 already and the food prep was done, nandini was supposed to be home by 8. He had taken a leave off from office today to plan everything for her. he could see how much his family was excited for them. How thay all helped him to set it all up. Yes everyone helped, even the tough father, Mr. malhotra.

Manik got the bouquet of flowers and place dit on the table.

'Okay enough my over excited brother. Come here and sit with us, there's still some time for her to arrive." Mukti teased.

"Mukti he is just nervous. It's okay son everything's gonna be fine." Neyonika assured him as he sat beside her laying his head on her lap. It was finally peaceful for him to be around her, Nandini made it happen and finally this family was gonna be complete after years.

Mr Malhotra adored his son but he soon got a call, excusing himself he went to a much quiter side but what he heard over the call pulled the ground beneath his feet. As he collapsed onto the chair. Everyone came running to him but the only word he spoke was Manik and then pointed at the t.v. Mukti turned it on and the sky came crashing down at the house as the headlines read,

"MR. MALHOTRA, THE BUSINESS TYCOON HAS LOST ALL HIS SHARES, PROPERTY AND COMPANY TO HIS BELOVED DAUGHTER-IN-LAW NANDINI SINGHANIA MALHOTRA. THE SINGHANIA COMPANY TOOK OVER THE MALHOTRA'S NOW LEAVING THEM BANKRUPT."