Tangled Beliefs

Chapter-51: Shattered Trust

She brought him a piece of his heart. He returned it with a storm he couldn't control.

Manik's POV,

I pushed open the front door and walked in, rolling my shoulders to ease the tension.

The day had been extended.

Too long.

I ran a hand through my hair as my eyes landed on Nandini, sitting on the sofa, lost in her own world.

She looked up when she heard my footsteps and a small smile appeared on her face.

"You're back."

I sighed and sat beside her, stretching my legs out.

"How was your day?" she asked softly.

I groaned, tilting my head back against the couch. "Don't ask."

She raised an eyebrow, waiting for me to continue.

"This Mukti and Cabir... they give me a damn headache with their useless talks!" I complained, shaking my head.

Nandini bit her lip, trying to hold back a smile.

I ignored her amusement and continued, "And Alya and Dhruv-God! They were doing too much PDA today. I swear, it was like watching a damn romantic movie live."

She let out a small laugh. "You're exaggerating."

"I'm not!" I scoffed. "It was sickening. But apart from that, we just played some tennis and talked."

She nodded, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Do you want tea or coffee?" she asked.

"Tea."

She stood up, and within minutes, she returned with a steaming cup, handing it to me.

"Here."

I took a sip, sighing in satisfaction.

"Hmm... not bad, Mrs. Malhotra. You're learning."

She gave me a flat look. "I always knew how to make tea."

I smirked. "Then why does it taste better today? Did you put some special love in it?"

She rolled her eyes. "Shut up, Manik."

I laughed, watching her expression turn into a cute pout.

God, teasing her was fun.

After finishing our tea, we headed to the room.

As we walked in, Nandini suddenly spoke, "By the way, I have a surprise for you."

I stopped in my tracks.

"Oh? A surprise?" I wiggled my eyebrows teasingly. "Are you going to confess you're head over heels in love with me?"

She huffed. "Manik, I'm serious."

I chuckled. "Alright, alright. What is it?"

She pointed to the bed, where something was covered with a cloth.

I frowned. "What's that?"

She didn't answer immediately. Instead, she walked up to the bed, her hands gripping the cloth.

And then she removed it.

The moment my eyes landed on the object beneath...

My entire body froze.

The easy smile on my face vanished.

The room suddenly felt smaller, suffocating.

I couldn't breathe.