Manik Malhotra, a successful businessman in Mumbai, lives with his family and his two-year-old son. Ever since his wife passed away due to childbirth, Manik has devoted himself to his son, hiding his pain behind his responsibilities and silent grief. Nandini Murthy, a resilient South Indian woman, runs a quaint little café while raising her three-year-old daughter. After enduring an abusive marriage-where she was blamed and beaten for giving birth to a girl-her husband abandoned her for another woman. With the support of her loving parents, Nandini found the courage to walk away and rebuild her life. Two broken souls-one who lost the love of his life, and the other who lost all faith in love. What happens when their worlds collide? Can two hearts, shattered in different ways, find healing in each other and create a new beginning?

This story is Manan version of my other story Clean Bowled. Nandini Murthy X Manik Malhotra To all those who think teenage "love" is only "attraction". He was eight when she new admitted in his school. The moment he saw her were the moments he decided to keep her for himself. He fell for her rosy cheeks and never taking anyone's shit attitude. He fell for her determination and dedication. He fell for her I'll keep you safe promise to keep me safe order. He fell for her...... everything and anything. She was thirteen when something in her heart slipped towards him. He was the star of her eyes. Her best friend, her partner, her solace and her tranquillity but after that thirteenth birthday he became something more. She fell for his gentleman-ness and passion. She fell for his hard work and patience. She fell for his attitude and possessiveness. She fell for his...... everything and anything. She is his first love. She is the hope he always craved. She gave him world no one could envisage. She is his golden pot at the end of rainbow but he can't avow her. He was her first love, her first friend. He was her treasure in the Fort Knox. He was everything she always wanted and it was her life goal to be vowed by him. She was his since beginning. He was her since the start. Still they needed to fight together for each other and with each other. That was pure unadulterated bond made from one pair of hazel eyes to another pair of brown orbs. Fate tie them together for eternity but their destiny never let them be together. Some way or the other their heart were always attached but bodies far apart. Few separations their destiny did, few their families and few they themselves.

Two years ago, Nandini's husband, Parth Malhotra, left for a business trip... and never came back. She didn't search for him. She didn't cry for him. Because deep down, she knew-he never loved her. For two years, she rebuilt her life, buried her past, and learned to live with the truth: Parth abandoned her. But one night, he returns. Everyone believes it's Parth. His mother welcomes him with open arms. His younger brother is suspicious but silent. And Nandini... she's left staring at the man she once called her husband, feeling something dangerously different. Because the man who came back is not Parth. He wears the same face. He carries the same name. But when he looks at her, his gaze is darker, deeper, and filled with something Parth never had-possession. Who is he? Why has he taken her husband's place? And most importantly... why does she feel drawn to him? A story of mystery, obsession, and a love that was never meant to exist. He returned... but he wasn't the man she married.

The Childhood best friends Manik and Nandini shared a bond as strong as the dreams Manik secretly harbored. While his money-obsessed mother, Neyonika, despised their friendship and Manik's artistic aspirations, Nandini was his unwavering confidante, the only one who knew about his hidden passion for acting and songwriting. When Manik's parents violently rejected his dreams, destroying his lyrics and CDs, he spiraled, failing academically and eventually running away. Nandini, ever his anchor, pulled him back, sheltering him and listening to his heartbroken pleas. A chance encounter led Nandini to secure Manik a small TV role through her father's actor friend. Manik seized the opportunity, his raw talent shining through even in a brief appearance. His self-penned lyrics for an album became a massive hit, catapulting him into the spotlight as a sought-after musician. Nandini rejoiced in his success, secretly cherishing her long-held love for him, waiting for their 18th birthday to confess her feelings. But success brought a chasm between them. Manik's burgeoning fame, new friends, and demanding schedule consumed him, leaving Nandini feeling increasingly marginalized. On their 18th birthday, when Manik chose a lavish party over her, her heart shattered. Her attempts to reach out were met with silence, and a humiliating rejection at his office by his PA confirmed her worst fears: Manik, now rich and famous, saw her as a "low-class friend." His cruel words-"Don't meet him from now! He doesn't want a low-class friend"-broke her completely, igniting a fury that shocked even Manik. Nandini, vowing to never love him, stormed out, forever changed. Seven years later, the once bubbly, innocent Nandini is gone. In her plaforce in the Bollywood industry, known to the world as a renowned director whose identity remains a closely guarded secret. Can love, once shattered, ever be mended, or are they destined to remain two powerful figures on opposite sides of a painful past?

manan story!

When childhood friends Manik Malhotra and Nandini Murthy are brought back into each other's lives, it isn't by fate-but by family. Years ago, Manik left for London, chasing ambition and leaving behind a friendship that could have been something more. Now a father of two, freshly scarred by a marriage that crumbled, he isn't searching for love-only stability for his children. Nandini wasn't expecting to say yes to a marriage built on concern and shared history. But when she sees the vulnerability in the eyes of two children-and the man she once called her best friend-she steps into the unknown. Bound not by romance but responsibility, they begin as partners in parenting. But life, in its quiet rebellion, begins to stitch their worlds together-through burnt toast breakfasts, school recitals, whispered arguments, and moments that say more than words ever could. This is the story of two people who never got the chance... until now. A story about healing, choosing each other, and building something beautiful-hand in hand.

am not the original writer of this story it's written by alisha.. I just love this story so going to post here .

here are the one shots as requested by readers. All the shots have manik (Parth ) and Nandini (Niti ) in leads. You can always suggest me the topics for one shots as this book is mainly for the readers. You will also be given the credits for suggesting that particular topic whenever I write. Thanks in advance ❤️

Peep into know more 😜

What if Manik's ex returns back in his life ? Will Manik and Nandini's relationship survive.