The Ex's At War

Chapter 4 - Willing Fights

When I woke up the next morning I found Manini snuggling into me, she slept exactly like Manik on her tummy. I admired her innocent sleeping face and kissed her before getting up and letting my baby sleep. Last night was pretty tiring so skipping school wasn't a bad idea, I also thought of taking a leave from office and spend the day with my love. I had to make it up to her for being a little negligent to her since the past few days due to the Fashion week. I took the phone to inform my boss when I saw 12 missed calls 2 were from Navya and the rest were official. I anyways had to talk to Navya regarding yesterday so called her first but before I could even blurt a hello she stormed.

"Nandini have you read the Night Life Times today??", she said in a panicky tone.

"What?? No I don't read that...But Why??"

"Please read it asap...its important...it has something about you", Navya kept the suspense brewing and wanted me to know it for myself.

I quickly hung up on her and opened my laptop to get the E version of the paper. Night Life Times was more of a tabloid that covered the parties and events of the fashion and film industry, pretty infamous for its baseless write ups. I scrolled up and down their web page to find anything that was relating to the Fashion Week party and what I found was beyond shocking, the article read "The Not So Ex's Rekindling" with a few clubbed pics of Manik and me with Manini, one during the entrance where Manik held me and Manini with both his hands and another during our exit with a sleeping Manini in Manik's arms and I in a disheveled state in his blazer. Apparently the paper had put up an article pin pointing me trying to cling to my ex husband in the name of my baby. It tagged me as a cunning and shrewd woman who knew well how to twist men for my professional and personal benefit, also how I left AURA to join its competitor just to dig at my husband. They further used certain polished derogatory words against me. It was disgusting to how they could write such nonsensical stuff about me. I was furious at this pathetic attempt of defaming me. I immediately called my PA, Shahid to look into the matter and get a clarification from those ass****s. I had pretty much made up my mind to slam those jerks with defamatory charges.

I really didn't know how to deal with this mess, now I knew why those calls from my boss were. I called him up only to be thrashed in return at my reckless behavior. As such Mr. Arora had just bumped into the information that I was Mr. Manik Malhotra's wife and now this article had him doubting my sincerity towards my job. I was in a messy state and didn't know what to do when my Shahid called to inform that apparently someone had paid them to put up the news. Shahid managed to just get this much from his source and I needed no confirmation to guess the name. It had to be the b*t*h REWA. She had to get back at me for last night and what better than this. I was fuming to erupt the very moment.

"Mommy!!", Kaddu came and hugged me like her daily routine when she woke up.

I stirred for a moment to take note of her presence, her adorable face and sleepy eyes did act as a pacifier for the moment. But I couldn't let Rewa get away just like that. I had to show her that I wasn't just a dumb passive counter part of her muse these days.

***

"Mommy we have come to meet Daddy", she looked excited as our cab stopped before AURA.

I couldn't leave her alone at home so had to get her with me, "No baby I will meet Daddy and you will wait for me outside okay...you are Mamma's good bachha na", she nodded her head in a yes even though she didn't like the idea of not being able to meet Manik. We both entered the lobby and the staff around just stared at us as if they were walking straight out of our graves. The reaction wasn't alien because all of them were aware about Manik's and mine current relationship status.