Second Chance At Love - [MANAN] #Book2

twenty two

Nandini felt like someone had splashed her with ice cold water. As if someone had swept the ground from her feet, and she was falling to a never-ending tunnel. She couldn't believe what Manik just told her would be an understatement. She was beyond shocked to the point that words certainly couldn't explain what she was feeling right now.

And even though she had been trying to run away from him, hide from him all this time. Because she never wanted him back in her life. But now that she heard that he might marry some other girl, she felt like the man was slipping away from her. Going away from her life. And that's what she wanted all along. But now that it seemed to be coming true, she didn't like it?

"So will you marry her?" Nandini didn't know why her heart was thudding loudly, ready to jump out its ribcage. She didn't know if she wanted to hear the answer to that question.

Her lips trembled with every word as she questioned him. And the question rolled out in impulse before she could realize. Even though she had her doubts that she might regret asking this. But she asked nonetheless. Why? Because curiosity was eating her alive. She didn't want to stay in the dark and assume things. She wanted to know what Manik was going to do. She wanted to know if Manik was actually going to marry that girl that his father had chosen for him.

"What...? Of course, not Nandini. I will never marry her." Manik instantly spoke. He couldn't even believe that Nandini asked him such a ridiculous question. After all this time when he was trying to show that his love for real was real.

"Oh okay!" a feeling of relief washed over Nandini but she didn't know what else to say except an okay. She couldn't even decipher as to why did it matter to her whether he would marry her or not.

She shouldn't care whether he would get married to that whoever - supposed - to - be - his - fiancé or a goddamn pig. It shouldn't matter to her. But here she had her heart almost stopped when Manik told her that he might get married to someone else. Truth to be told Nandini was so consumed at ignoring him that the thought of him sharing the rest of his life with someone else couldn't possibly cross her mind. After Manik did say that he loves her, even though she didn't believe a word. But he had said it and maybe he meant it too, right?

But the thing was that it wasn't about Manik's choice to begin with. His father was forcing him. His father wanted him to get married to a girl Manik claimed he had no interest in. Which was why despite her heart easing a bit cause Manik's statement still she could bring herself to smile.

Because she was scared. She feared that Manik would eventually cave into his father's request. He was his father after all, he couldn't possibly go against him, could he? More like would he?

"Oh, Okay? Is that all?" Manik repeated Nandini's words with a frown. He had thought of a thousand ways Nandini would have reacted but the way she actually reacted surely came out as a surprise nonetheless. To say he left baffled would be an understatement.

"What do you mean by 'is that all'?" Nandini retorted with a straight face. As if she wasn't beyond shocked a second ago. But then again Manik didn't need to know that.

"I told you my father is trying to marry me off to some unknown girl." Nandini tried to look away from Manik wasn't having it.

He slowly inched towards Nandini and keeping his one finger under her chin, he made her look at him. Their eyes met and Nandini didn't know how long she would be able to stay reluctant. She didn't want her façade to fall. Not in front of Manik Malhotra at least.

"And all you have to say is a freaking OKAY?" Manik whispered into a low growl near her ear as he pulled Nandini close to him.

Dismissing any distance between them to the point that Nandini could swear that she could feel his warm breath falling onto her face, heating up her cheeks and She gulped hard as her hands closed into a fist. 'Get yourself together Nandini, get your damned self together for god's sake girl.', she told herself while her quickened heartbeat wasn't ready to slow down any moment soon.