His P.A. ✔️

15. His Side Of The Story

*unedited*

N A N D I N I

He lay in my lap and I gently stroke his hair. I know you'd all think that I'm a fool, an emotional fool to be with him like this even after whatever he has done.

Yes, I am angry, I am hurt, I am disgusted, and I have tried my best to hate him. But this is love. And I have loved him with all my heart. And now that he needs me, I can't push him away. This isn't me.

Sometimes this is about love. We give people we love more than they deserve, and get hurt by the same people, more than we deserve.

But there was a part of me who wanted to stay there, to know the truth.

I stroke his hair once more with my right hand and our eyes locked. "You are my imagination right?", he asked like a little kid and I kept silent.

If I say yes, I'd betray him by lying. If I say no, he wouldn't tell me anything.

Manik was a kid, a little kid with a huge ego. He hasn't ever experienced emotions, and so when he does, he ends up acting in the wrong way and pushing people away from him.

"Nandini, do you hate me?" He asked slowly, hope in his eyes.

"No, I don't", I replied looking right into his eyes. I should hate him, I have tried hating him, but I can't. I can't.

"But you should hate me after whatever I have done to you!" He says with utmost sincerity.

"Not before you tell me why have you done this...", I said, weakly smiling.

"Princess! This monster destroyed you and you still want to know why? You should just hate me, you shouldn't look at any reason. I have given you a reason to hate me myself, why are you even here with me right now?" He says looking into my eyes. I feel confused. What does he want? Does he want me to hate him?

For once, he says he is afraid to lose me, and then the other moment he himself asks me to hate him. Manik Malhotra is one such mystery that seems impossible to decipher.

"Please tell me why did you do that, please?" I begged. I'd cry now to know the answers but I can't live anymore without knowing why, without knowing what Manik wants.

"Ask whatever you want to, Murthy, and I'd answer everything!" He said as he got up from my lap and sat besides me, both our feet dipped in the pond. He put his hand over my shoulder, pulling me close, just like a side hug.

His over coat was covering our front bodies, just like a blanket and he snuggled into me more and more like a kid. Sometimes I want to forget everything that happened and just start new with him.

"My only question is why Manik, why me? Why did you do this to me?" I asked, vulnerable.

"Do what? I didn't do anything to you!" He laughed dryly and I rolled my eyes at him.

"Okay! Okay! I'd begin from the beginning!" He said and I clutched my hands tightly. There was something in his eyes, something in our talks that told me this isn't going to end well.

"It will either mark our end, or our beginning", he said with hard eyes and a cold tone that sent shivers down my spine.

"Okay, so on your birthday, when you were at the office, and Mukti was teasing you with me, I caught you blushing, and that's when I got to know that you have feelings for me...", his voice fades. WHAT? He knew since then?

"So, when Fab4 arranged that surprise for you, I wasn't going to come. But then I saw you and you looked irresistible, I couldn't stop myself from coming and wishing you. But on our way back, my mom called and I lost it and I don't know how I ended up telling you about my past, and right there, I felt some connection with you, something I have never felt, not even with Soha!"