Humesha | ✔️

Chapter 2

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N A N D I N I

When someone's drowning, they'd do everything they can to save themselves from dying. But I did nothing. I grasped for no air, I didn't beg death to pardon my life. Maybe because I didn't want to live a life in which I see my love turning from an angel to a devil. Maybe I didn't want to live a life without Manik. I didn't want to live a life where I am forced to agree that the love of my life is no saint, he's a monster who destroyed the only essence of love left in me, the one who deprived me of my everything.

"Nandini!" The scream made its way to my ears but I refused to get up from my slumber, as I covered my head with a pillow and snuggled deeper into my comfortable bed. Manik had already snatched away my everything, I would let no one take away my sleep from me, since that was the only thing I had full control on now.

"Nandini!", the scream got louder, and the same old husky voice made its way. No Manik Malhotra, you have already made my days miserable, I don't want to see you in my sleep too. Despite all my tries, my eye lids flew open slowly, listening to the banging everywhere around me and I couldn't understand if it was my head or was the world around me collapsing.

"Princess, open the door!" I heard someone singing outside again and I closed my eyes as irritation crept in my nerves and unwantingly, I went to open the door rubbing my eyes to welcome the uninvited person in my night shorts and messy hair. Three AM is no time to visit someone's house, no matter what emergency it is.

Opening my room door, all ready to shout, my eyes saw the person I never wanted to. Staring at him with wide eyes, all the sleep in me disappeared as I looked at him, frozen and grounded.

"Oh Nandini, you have hot legs!" His eyes scanned my body and I couldn't stop the crimson colour rushing to my cheeks as I suddenly felt conscious under his gaze, which checked my body from top to bottom. It was weird how just a small statement of his made me blush despite every time I remind myself I have to hate him, I still can't help falling for him deeper and deeper.

"What are you doing in my house, Manik Malhotra?" I tried to sound calm and quiet and unangry but I failed miserably as my voice sounded in a whisper, already scared of the consequences. His presence suddenly turned the atmosphere of my room all gloomy and dark yet not the dark that would intimidate you, but the kind of dark that we find beautiful.

"I should ask the question, Murthy. What are you doing in my house?" He laughed dryly with the evil grin, throwing himself on my bed as I looked at him with squeezed eyebrows, crossing my hands against my chest but he seemed oblivious to my unrequited gaze on him. "Are you forgetting princess, all your fathers property is mine, which includes this house as well!" He smiled formally and I could feel the last straw within me breaking.

But I wasn't falling weak, not in front of him at least. Gulping the lump in my throat and drinking away the tears arousing in my eyes, I took a deep breath before continuing. I had to be strong, not because I wasn't scared but because I had a long way to go, a long fight to fight despite my fears.

"You have such a big mansion Manik, what do you want to do of this petty house?" I asked in a whisper, and still it was loud enough for the darkness to reflect it back into my face. The darkness that covered us of the night reminded me the reality, that I was no more even capable to own my own house. And what I just spoke was no less than a fact itself, he had such a big mansion that even my huge bungalow seemed so petty near it.

"But I want this house, because it's mine!" He smirked jumping on the bed and I knew there was no point arguing because legally he owned everything I couldn't do anything. Even my dead father couldn't change the storms coming my way even if he wished to.