PLAYING YOU (#2)

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Alya roped in for a sweet night after such a tiring day as she slipped inside her covers. As she put the netflix show to play the doorbell disturbed the streaming. Standing up and walking out she peeped through the keyhole in order to check if it was someone known or unknown since it was quite late at night.

As soon as Manik's face came into view she felt relived of the fact that it was not some stranger or a burglar. Opening the door wide open she welcomed him in with a sweet big smile.

"Hey baby" she greeted him in a chirpy voice, happy that he was back to her after he had left abruptly in the afternoon.

"You're up late?" Manik walked inside reminding her of the current time.

"I know but this baby of yours doesn't even let me sleep. He is so energeti just like his dad and-" Alya started blabbering her happy bubble life when Manik interrupted.

"I am done with this" Manik spoke.

"what?" Alya asked surprised.

"I said i am done. I have had enough of this drama around me. I just can't take it anymore." Manik held his head in his palms as he sat down on the sofa.

"I know baby" Alya came closer to him and sat beside him, keeping her hand on his shoulder she further added " Nandini and your family can be so tough at time but we have to tackle them "

"Not them Alya. It's you who i am tired of. I am done with this entire drama happening between us" Manik bore his eyes into hers as he spoke each and every word. 

He had decided this time. It was done.

"Excuse me." Alya spoke in shock.

"Alya i cannot live this lie anymore. I don't love you and you know that. That love was over long ago when you broke my heart. I had moved on but then-" 

"Then what Manik?" Alya demanded as they both stood infront of each other.

"Then you came to me with our kid and my life rolled upside down. I am here because of this kid and you very weel know that but what i am doing right now. I can't anymore. I want to live my life with my family and my wife and i am not saying that i am ditching you or anything. I will take care of this kid but along with Nandini and you too. We'll together bring this kid up." Manik tried making her understand.

"Ofcourse you both will. My kid will just be called illegitimate because you and your dear nandini will be busy in your own world. I'll have to take care of him alone. Live alone with the love i have for you." Alya bursted out.

"Alya no you are getting it all wrong. I will surely be his father and i am not opting out. As i said i will takecare of this little one and you will never have to complain about anything. Even now i got the nurse for you so that you don't have to stress about the work around you and your health much." Manik reasoned out.

"No Manik. no you can't leave me. Not for that Nandini. She is important to you. I am nothing to you. Nothing." Alya started crying as she sat down on the sofa.

Manik rushed to her side. He felt bad doing this but he had to. He eventually had to choose someone or this confusion was gonna mess up all of their lives.

"Alya no. You' ll never be left out i promise and no Nandini has nothing to do about it. It's about me. I want to be with her and you know how sweet and good she is. She'll be fine with this trust me and she'll support us both i know for sure."

"No baby please don't leave me. Baby don't" Alya cried as she hugged manik who was utterly trying to pacify her, make her understand his point.

"Alya please understand this. This is supposed to happen someday. We cannot complicate anymore let alone play with Nandini's feelings and the entire business stuff." Manik spoke but as he looked down he realised that Alya had fainted.

 He quickly called out for the nurse who helped him put Alya to bed.

Manik walked out in the hall stressing over the current drama as he saw Alya's picture on the wall.

"I don't know why i feel wierd about all of this but i have made a promise Alya. This thing is done and i am going to resolve it soon. It was you and me together with a plan against the rest but now it is just me and my plan against everything because this time i will play the cards myself and this is going to be the finale of what we started." Manik gave a final statement as he finally walked out of the apartment.

Manik sat inside his car as he dialled an unknown number on his phone, gearing his car out he spoke to the person on call.

"I want every detail of who, why and how leaked the informationg about me and Alya in that vanity before the dawn." he roared his car out and onto the streets back home.

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Zeke closed his laptop as he finally ended his report due tomorrow when his phone rang.

"Hello" Zeke spoke.

"We have a problem." came a voice from the other side and the next 10 minutes went blank for him.

Zeke quickly cut the call as he dialled Nandini's phone number which unfortunately directly went to the voice mail.

Having no other option he quickly left a voice note of the current scenario to his best friend hoping they could tackle it soon.

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It was 11 a.m when Nandini finally woke up with a hangover, holding her head she cursed the moment she decided to free herself to the world.

Shit talk. 

She checked the current time and noticed a few texts and calls , the texts were from her dad who updated her that he'll probably be reaching in an hour. Great a hangover and a worried father, just what she wanted this morning.

The calls were from Zeke who after alot of trials had left her a voice note at last, she opened the voice note as she got up from the bed putting her head in a bun looking out for some headache medicines when Zeke's voice blowed through the speakers shocking her to her wits

"Hey nandini Zeke here. we have a problem. Manik is suspicious and he is looking out for the host who sent the newds about him and alya in that vanity. We have to clear this off before her reaches the true man. Call me as soon as we get it and till then i'll do enything i can."

Nandini dropped the medicine on the floor as she processed her best friends words and slowly a few vague images of last nights came into picture as she realised her call to Manik and him dropping her home but the middle part was blur. The only thought that came into her mind was

WHAT THE FUCK DID SHE CONFESS HIM?