|| ENDLESS LOVE || -- A MaNan FF

|| Chapter Twenty Five ||

Manik's office, the same morning - Manik's POV:

I was sitting in my office catching up with my technical team. They were briefing me about the happenings of the last few days I wasn't in.

My phone rings and it's my darling wife.

"Hello"

"Manik?"

"Haanji.."

There is a long pause.

"Nandini?"

"Manik, I am sorry, I froze in the morning. I wanted to tell you that, none of it is true. I don't know why he was saying all those things. We never ever talked like that - marriage? relationship? I was not in a relationship with anyone in those three years I was away from you."

"Baby, you alright?"  I walk away from my desk to the window.

"Manik, you didn't say anything. You were awfully quiet. That was so unlike you - I mean he was talking all that shit and you were just listening to him. If it was any other time, you would have beaten him dead. I am confused. I thought... "

"Nandini, I didn't say anything because I knew it was another stupid stunt from those assholes. Wasn't it obvious? He said - I have no other way of approaching her. You locked her in this beautiful golden cage away from me. They want you away from me Nandini, so that they can get to you. They are unable to penetrate our security. I was actually feeling happy about it.

It is a feeble attempt to separate us baby, or maybe more. I was trying to read through him. You never know how deep it is with these bas***ds. I beat him up and the next thing I know they will be scrolling it on the national TV - Malhotra beats up his wife's ex-lover. It just wasn't worth it."

"Sir?"  Ben, my IT guy was at the door.

I signal him to come in.

"I got to go baby. Are you going to be fine?"

"Manik, what is in that folder?"

"I don't know. I gave it to my IT guy to look through it. He is here. I will call you, once he briefs me."

"Oh?"

She doesn't hang up.

I can feel something is wrong.

Her voice was very low.

"Nandini? Are you crying?"

"Manik, I have to tell you something.. A few months after I went away, Navya sent me to this support group where people - you know - in the same boat - talk with each other and try to deal with their issues. I went and that was where I first met Ashish. They pair up people as partners and we both were paired. He might have emails from then. Please don't misunderstand me after reading them. I was just..I was in a different world then."

"Nandini, I am coming home."

"No. Please. That is all I wanted to say. I am fine. Navya is with me. She is as shocked as I. Please finish your work and come home. You will stress after you come back."

"You sure?"

"Positive."

"Alright. I will come home early."

"I'd like that. Is your hand alright?"

"Yeah, I feel fine. There are people waiting in my office Nandini."