PLAYING YOU (#2)

CHAPTER TWELVE

Manik looked at those puffy eyes that pierced his soul right through. He never wanted to hurt but everyday he was. He tried so much but alas nothing was in his hands or he thought so.

Mr. Malhotra grabbed his shirt's collar and tried to make him look up. Keyword being 'tried' because his eyes never left hers. All that mattered to him in that room was Nandini who looked devasted and he wanted to walk himself through hell over and over again for that.

"Answer me dammit!" Mr. Malhotra roared ready to punch him again. The number of phone calls he had been recieving since the papparazi recieved this news had taken a toll on him. This guy had ruined his image again like had been doing since the past years.

Mukti ran ahead to stable her father because more than the news she cared about her brother right now. She had decided to surprise her family by visiting them earlier than decided but as soon as she landed. She came across the worst news ever.

"Dad don't. Please at least let him explain. I know there must be a reasonable reason for this." Mukti tried to pacify her father, later joined in by Neyonika who had left her daughter-in-laws side to stabilize her family.

"Mukti is right. We can atleast give him a chance to explain." Manik looked at Neyonika finally moving his gaze away from Nandini who hadn't spoken a word since then.

"No Neyo this boy has always ruined my image over and over again. All i wanted from him was to create a life now with this girl sitting right there but no he had to ruin that too." Mr. Malhotra roared.

"Dad no! i can explain. This is not what it looks like." Manik tried explaining only to be interrupted by his father again.

"Oh really. So you are saying that all of us. all of thse people are delusional and only you are the master of truth here. Tell me what were you even doing there with HER in HER vanity in the first place. Is that your important meeting?" Mr. Malhotra questioned.

He was right though.

" dad please trust me. She just needed help and for our old friendship i thought-" Manik came up with an excuse.

"Trust you. Look around Manik nobody here trust you. Nobody." Mr. Malhotra stated the fact until a voice bore through his words to Manik's ears making his eyes go down with guilt.

"I trust him" Nandini spoke standing up from the sofa behind him.

Manik was for once relieved to her that but he was ashamed of himself because he didn't deserve this trust of her.

"Nandini" Neyonika spoke.

"I trust him Dad, Mom. He is my husband and i know for a fact that he can't do such a thing." Nandini moved ahead wiping her tears.

"We all know how these reporters are. They just love to create a story out of everything. Even false news. If Manik is saying that this is all a lie then it is. I trust him." Nandini stated as she stood in between Mr. Malhotra and her husband.

Mukti smiled at her brother's choice of women. Every guy needed a wife like Nandini in his life who would understand him and trust him to the fullest even if it was against the whole world.

Nandini moved forward as she kept her hand on Manik's cheek pulling his face up in order to make him look at her.

"Nandini" the words left his mouth as soon as he met her eyes.

"I know" Nandini smiled at him.

"I am so sorry" Manik cried looking at her.

"You don't have to. I am always going to be by your side" Nandini assured him as she engulfed him in a tight and understanding hug while he cried in her shoulder.

The others stood spectator to this beautiful scene. Mr. Malhotra wasn't;t too convinced at his son but was proud of the choice he made for his family. This girl was going to be the glue to his broken  family. Neyonika understood her husband's feels, so she held his arm as they side hugged.

"Nandini looked direct out at the door to the car that waited outside where a thumb emerged from the window.

She had nailed her act.

Breaking the hug Nandini smiled at a dejected Manik.

"I am so sorry Nandini. I never wanted you to get hurt." Manik apologized for the upteenth time maybe for today or maybe for everything. Thoughts unknown.

"You don't have to because you were not wrong. And we promised when we tied each other into this relationship to trust the other. And i am trusting you." Nandini looked at Mr Malhotra, "And dad it's not important that what we see is always the truth. We are a family and we are supposed to be each others sword not wound."

Mr. Malhotra hugged Nandini as he thanked her for entering thier lives.

"We will look into this matter later now. It's time for something to eat. You all must be hungry. It's lunch time already." Neyonika tried shoving the topic.

Manik smiled at her gesture while Mukti hugged her brother tight. Even though they were not bonded by blood. But they were always connected through heart.

"And yes i am hungry and also jet lagged." Nandini laughed at her while they all made their way to the table.

Manik was aware that the topic was shoved but not deleted from his life. He still had a long way to mend with his father again.

Nandini's phone buzzed as she excused herself from everyone. Picking up the call she took a deep breathe as she said, "Dad".