Married To Mr. Malhotra #1 ✓ (2016)

Chapter-17: It Hurts

(A/N: Aaahhh. I am so happy today. OMG! I love you guys to the moon and back. Yep, I might just do another update if you guys like this one. Do you? Well, read toh karlo. And yeah, tap the star and type your comments in the box below. Yipee. I love you guys.)

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The artist wrote Manik's name on my hands and after my hands were done, I was asked to sit down. I sat down against the wall and she did my feet too. Navya held my saree, to protect the mehendi. My hands were decorated till almost my elbows. Amma came with some sweets. She put a sweet into my mouth and kissed my forehead.

"Nandu, you already look like a bride. Tomorrow you..." She was in tears. It was such an emotional moment for her. Ever since Rishabh was born, I did all I could to help Amma. I was always there for her when she needed me. Parting with her was going to be so difficult for me too.

"Amma, please. Don't say that. I won't go anywhere." A strange fear engulfed me. The fear of losing my family after getting married. As such, I was getting married to someone who hated me. I didn't want to feel detached from my family. After all, they were the only ones always there for me.

"Nandu, mujhe tumse kuch puchna tha. Later." She whispered and I got a hint of what she was saying. I glanced around the room to find Madhyam.

"Yeah sure." I replied and smiled at her.

"Oh My God! You're getting married. What will I do in college alone?" A chuckle escaped my lips.

"I will be going to college after a few days. It's my last year and I have just a few months to get graduated. Then I'll have my own research laboratory." My eyes sparkled as I spoke about my job. It was always my dream to pursue genetic engineering, open a research laboratory and work with other experienced scientists. The thought fascinated me so much.

"Nandini..." I heard a call and I turned to see Nyonika Aunty, carrying a plate of sweets, followed by Mukti. I smiled widely at her and she fed me some kheer. She complimented me and left.

"Manik ate from the same spoon just before you." Mukti whispered in my ears and Navya's eyes widened. She was pretty excited and God knew why. Mukti left soon later and I looked at Manik. His back was facing me but he turned his head towards me, while holding the baby in his arms. I looked away in disgust and the artist had completed the design. I stood up carefully and walked into my room.

***

"Mukti yaar, she's damn pissed off with me now. She isn't even looking at me." He said, frustrated at me. I was surely boiling his blood by not paying attention to him. He was a little restless and he sighed as he saw me going inside.

"Manik, Alya loves you." Mukti whispered to him and his eyes glanced at her for a fraction of a second and then back to me. After realizing what he heard, he turned slowly back.

"Haan toh? I don't love her, na? Look Mukti. Even if my best friend loves me, I can't ditch someone I'm already committed to. If she would've told me before my wedding was going to happen, I wouldn't have minded getting married to her. Now I have a girl. I can't do this." He sighed and Alya walked away. It hurt her to know that he didn't feel the same for her.

"And besides, people should stop using the 'L' word often. It loses its meaning." He muttered under his breath and Mukti nodded. She saw Alya sobbing and she ran to comfort her. Dhruv, too, went to help her out.

"Manik, what is wrong with you?" Cabir put his hand on Manik's shoulder. Manik looked at my room and then back at Cabir.

"Nothing is wrong with me. I don't want to hurt her much. She's already going through a lot. And if anything happens to her, I am answerable." He said in a meek tone and Cabir signaled Mukti.

"Don't you think you're being a little too possessive about her?" He questioned and Manik let out a fake smile. He shook his head in disapproval.

"Come on Cabir. I'm not possessive. Like I said, if something happens to her, I will be accountable for it."

"Whatever." Cabir said and walked away. He looked at me, as I searched for Appa and then approached me.

***

"Nandini..." He called out for me and I ignored him. He can't just always be hurting me and expecting me to forgive him.

In that fit of ignoring him, I had also ignored how handsome he looked in that attire. He was dressed in a kurta, almost the same shade of green as mine and golden sherwani pants. His hair was spiked up, complimenting his figure. He caught me staring at him and I got embarrassed.

"Why aren't you talking to me, goddamnit?" He scolded and I just looked away, calling him names in my head. "You're taking it too far now. It was just a fucking dare. Why are so worked up about it?" I looked at him in disbelief.

"Just a fucking dare? Are you even hearing what you're saying? Like you're getting married to a girl here and you're kissing someone else in front of her. And then you expect her to be shameless like you, and go around acting normal and treating it as a casual gesture. I don't get it, how can you be so cool about it?" For the first time, I was having a serious discussion with him and not crying.

"She's my best friend. Not any random chick." He retorted and shrugged his shoulders.

"Oh really? Then it will be okay with you if I go and kiss Madhyam in front of you right? Since he's my best friend too." I snapped at him and his eyes shot at me.

"Nandini... Come on. You're just finding ways to fight with me." He sighed and helplessly waved his hands in the air. I looked at him with a questioning expression. Was he for real?

"You, men, are sick in your heads. You think you're allowed to do anything and nobody will question you and let me tell you, you're highly mistaken. I am from a orthodox family and kissing someone else before your fiancé/fiancée is not something to be cool about." I collectively scolded Madhyam along with Manik and he just huffed. I was getting on his nerves but again, he knew he was at fault too.

"Okay fine. What do you want me to do now?" He asked, finding no other way to console me. How did he find things so easy?

"Do? Oh no! You don't have to do anything. Absolutely nothing. I'll just kiss Madhyam before you to give you a taste of your own medicine." I reiterated and he shook his head. It was, obviously, the only issue he had. Me with other men was something he couldn't bear.

"You can't do that."

"Oh sure I can, moron." I snapped again and he held my shoulders and bent a little in consideration.

"Nandini, I am sorry. Okay? I can't stand you with that jerk or for that matter, any other guy. I swear if I see the two of you, he won't be able to touch a girl after that." He challenged me and I just stood there, trying to offend him with my words.

"So you agree what I do is wrong, don't you? You're so egoistic, Manik Malhotra. You know you are wrong yet you are ignoring the fact that I am a human and not your toy, that won't care about anything you do to her." I stated facts and he just gaped at me.

"What can I do now? Kiss you? You want me to kiss you?" He tilted my chin towards him and closed in against me. He leaned closer and shut his eyes. I slipped from under his arms and walked away.

"Kissing can't solve everything. I have some self-respect and I can't let that die." I responded and walked out.

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(Well, let's accept it. If anyone of us, at least me, was in place of Nandini, I would react the same way. At the same time, Manik didn't intend to hurt her. You needed to know that and that's why I put a part regarding that. Did you like it? I can't believe you guys love this story so much and I don't want it to lose its charm. Anyways, next update will be a little manofying. Let's see. Vote. Comment. Share.)