Devil's Bride

Chapter 75

Hi, I hope the update came out the way I wanted it to, plus it's long enough. And yes pardon me for the cheesy romance. Trust me I suck at writing cheesy romance. Anyways next will be the last update of the story and then epilogue.

Enjoy reading the big update and do lots of comments.


"Wake up, love," he said, softly. His soft lips brushed against my temple, leaving sweet tender kisses.

"No, let me sleep, Manik ," I moaned and buried myself more in his chest.

"Come on, sleepy head, get up. It's 9 a.m. "he whispered, kissing me again. I woke up with a jerk.

"Manik , 9 a.m. It's too late why didn't you wake me up?" I panicked. I took a moment to adjust to the sunlight. Then toiled to the edge of the bed to get up. I sit straight, resting my back against the bed.

"Don't panic, it's okay now get up, I'm here with Aaral. Go and take shower you need it."he said, his tone was mild. I nodded and moved towards washroom. I turned the shower on hot water. It warmed my senses.

Last night, I slept so peacefully. It was a peaceful and deep slumber more than any I had in a long time. It was like finally coming back to my home, having his body entwined with mine and my face buried in his chest was everything I wanted in my life.

I turned off the faucet and slipped into my dress and came out. He was still there, on the same place, playing with his daughter. He smiled at me when he saw me removing my braid and combing my hairs.

While brushing my hair, I felt his hands circling around on my waist. He snuggled more into me, pulling me towards him.

"I miss this, waking up with you," he said while kissing my shoulder. He rubbed his nose over my nape and trailed along with soft kisses. My cheeks reddened, and a smile tugged at the corner of my lips.

"See how perfect we look." He pointed his finger at the mirror and continued his assaults on me. I glanced at the mirror and the reflection of him kissing my neck was magical, the feeling was overwhelming. My cheeks flushed more. He went further down and brushed his cheeks against mine. The sharp edges of his clean shaved jaws pricked my skin.

"What are you thinking" his voice snapped me out from my trance.

"I missed you a lot." I muttered, he smiled and pulled me in his warm embrace. His clasped was passionate. His arms cocooned me like I was a new born baby.

"I've missed you both more than you could ever know" he expressed and tore his eyes away from me. His voice betraying the emotion he was trying to hide.

"I'm sorry because of me you were away from her."

"We aren't going back to that apology conversations, what happened happen. Forget about it."He scolded, his tone mild and gentle. The surge of emotion I felt in that second was almost impossible to describe.

"From now on leave everything on me, and let's start fresh with each other." He said, tucking a lock of my hair behind the ears. I shivered like a dead leaf in his clutch. His words seemed so soothing as if I had been yearning to hear this words all my life.

"I bought something for you" He pulled out a red box from his pocket.

"Actually I never gave something to you so I just felt like. Hope you like it."He opened the box, and I glanced at it, it was a beautiful ring with two heart entwined together and diamonds craved  on it.

"It's beautiful! Make me wear it." I requested, admiring the ring. He held my hand, and slid the ring in my third finger. He raised our interlaced fingers to brush my cheek with the back of his hand. He pulled my wrist up to his face, our hands still twisted together. His eyes closed as his nose skimmed along the skin there, and he smiled gently without opening them.

"I love you" he confessed, kissing my knuckles softly.

"I need you in my life." He demanded while kissing my eyes slowly and steadily. The muscles in my body slowly began to uncoil and the tension in my lessened as he chanted soft soothing words in my ear.

"You owe my existence, Nandini. I can't lose you again. You belong to me only." He conceded, dropping a kiss on my forehead. His each kiss held a confession and emotion.

"I need you, my world, heart and soul need you back." He acknowledged, kissing my both cheeks.

"Marry me" he proposed, my eyes widen, I was clearly surprised by his sudden proposal.

"What? We are already married." I reminded him in case if he had forgotten, we were already married and had a daughter.

"Yeah, officially divorced too."

"You believe in that divorce thing."

"No, I don't but still it was a forced marriage. We both were forced into it. I want to see you in Bride's dress, waiting for me to come and take you away. I want to take those marriage vows and fulfill them. I'm still the same Devil but I want you to be my bride. Devil's Bride! Will you be my Bride? Will you marry me?" He asked, his voice interlaced with affection, excitement, nervousness, passion and love. I hung on every word, completely engaged by his dedication and charisma.

"Yes, I will marry you," I agreed, turning back, throwing my arms around him, hugging him tightly. He turned me around and claimed me back on the same position.

"We both are crazy, one minute we fight with each other and another minute we romance each other." I tittered at the irony of the situation. My laughter intensified as he tickled my waist. I tried to stop but couldn't, he feathered my waist more vigorously. And then hugged me from behind, the moment where we both are in each others arms, I'm in his embrace, guffawing like a child are the moments that makes all the hell we have put each other through worth every second. Moments like this blanket me from the harsh reality of how our relationship. All the obstacles that still lie in front of us, but I care less about them when I'm in his arms.

"That's what makes us special." he said, I nestled more into him. I'm happy actually I'm overwhelmed, on cloud nine, world is under my feet and I'm flying on the sky. He is here with me after all this time, in my arms. Smiling, teasing, laughing. He broke the hug and kissed my lips.

His lips meddled against mine. I could taste our tears, his and mine as well, on my lips. I wrapped my arm around his neck, pulling him more close to me. It was a feverish and emotional kiss, more tears came out from my eyes but he kept kissing me. All this while I longed for his touch on my body. He took in every moment of it, dominating my lips, teasing my tongue in his own way. All the pain we felt, we both let it out. I always knew I would forgive him, we always find a way to be with each other. He was mine the way I was his. We belonged to each other. I broke the kiss, gasping for air.

We broke the kiss, trying to catch our breath, panting hard. I hugged him as tight as I could,  having him in my arms this way was more satisfying than any other luxury or thing in this world. Just having him here, near my heart overpowered my senses. He softly pecked on my lips. I'm taken absolutely consumed by him. I could read his face like an open book, it says how happy he was to get us back in his life. We fought hard for each other and lost nearly every battle that was thrown in our way. First I fought for him when I gave up, he picked up my battles and fought for me. At last we won.

"Manik , leave me, You need a shower, you stink." I pushed him and cringed my nose in disgust.

"You still suck at romance and I don't have clothes." he complained. I rolled my eyes at him.
I moved away from him. I pulled his clothes out of the cupboard that I had kept with myself.

"How do you have my clothes?"

"I kept them for some emergency. I don't have much a pair or two,"

"Hmm, emergency in which I will need clothes. What kind of emergency, madam?" He asked, nudging his nose in my neck, giggle escaped from my lips as his nose tickled on my skin.

"Manik , leave me and I just kept them casually. Now go." I somehow separated both of us. He tried to fight against me but dodged him back.
Smiling contentedly, and after admiring me and his daughter one more time. He marched away.


*******

"Are you sure? you want to do this?" I mean, I can handle it in my own way." I asked, standing outside my father's room. I looked at him and saw something unfamiliar in his eyes, he looked nervous. It was something I never saw in his eyes before. Appa and Manik  never came in front of each other for a proper conversation. Whenever they came face to face they did nothing except fighting. What if they fought over something again? A shiver went down my back at the thought. It was difficult than I thought it would be, I had no idea what exactly was going to happen.

"I don't want to leave you alone. We can do it together." He denied, clasping my hand, interlacing our fingers together. I nodded, a painful grimace flicking over my face. Tremor inside me as I recalled our last encounter. I collected myself and pushed the door ajar.

The door creaked open, revealing my family in process. Both mom and Appa were present in their room. Maybe they had figured it out and know about Manik 's presence in their house. Both of them followed our steps through their eyes as we stepped inside their room together, hand in hand. Every step I took was daunting, each step echoing ominously across the spotless tiled floor. I didn't know what was going to happen? I just hope we could get through this together. Appa's eyes fell on our interlocked hands. Manik  tried to pull his hand away but I didn't allow him. He was my husband and he had all the rights to hold my hand in front of everyone or anyone.

"Well, Meera told me about the meeting Manik  and she wants me to give you a chance to speak. According to her, I shouldn't believe Meera blindly. Fine, I agree. I'm giving you a chance to speak." he sighed, sadly.

"I want your confession" he commanded seemingly.Though it was a puzzle but I knew what exactly was going in his mind. He was my father after all. Studying the confused expressions on our face he elaborated.

"Speak, confess everything that you have done with my daughter. From the start till the end, without cutting a single word. Though I have some series of stunts you have pulled out on my daughter but I want to know what was hidden from me. I want to hear it all from your mouth." He ordered, his voice gruff and eyes stone. We stood there like those teenagers who feared to see that look on their father's face. And when I say 'that look' you very well know what I am talking about. Manik  stiffened, uneasiness crowded him. Well, he wasn't the only one who was scared to death I was shaking too. I've never seen him so serious.

We were standing in front of my father not matching the eye contact. He had enough of silence and now it was his turn to blast. Manik  squeezed my hand In assurance while trying to find words to explain.

"I.. We.. Sir.. I mean.." He felt guilt building inside. I needed to assure him. So I did.

"Does. That does not matter now. I want to have a new sta-.." But before I could just say it he spat fire from his eyes. I was pretty shaken at his fierce gaze.

"I am ashamed to recall those ugliest moments of my life. But if you want to know uncle the I will say it but you should I feel guilty about it and I'm not the same person anymore. Nandini has changed me." Manik  began with a great difficulty, his voice trembling at the end of the sentence.

"You know what happened at the time of our marriage and how we married each other. My mother blackmailed me but I blamed Nandini for everything. I couldn't take out my anger on my mother so I took it out on her. There were days when I insulted her and one such was our first night when I forced myself on her but then threw her out of my room. I was always rude to her. After sometime, she opposed and refused to tolerate my rude but it infuriated me more."

"Then there was this person Mr. Saxena my business partner and client. He tried to rape Nandini because I insulted her in front of everyone and he took it as a chance to pacify her then have her." Manik  shut his eyes remembering that scene. He was tongue tied as he didn't want to give a light on what happened. Appa moved forward to have a clear sound of what he was saying. He wanted to register all his words like a recorder.

"I know, I was terrible to her but still my ego never allowed me to think. I never had had a good relationship with anyone except for my sister. I was always ruthless to everyone and even to her but after that incident things changed between us. We became friends." He spared a look at me and found me staring at him. I blinked my eyes telling him that it was okay and I was here with him.

"You know about the drug case. Mr. Saxena wanted to put it in my cabin but his man end up keeping it in her cabin. She took the whole blame on her head. I was upset with whatever happened with her. Then I realized that I'm falling in love with her."

"I freaked out when you came to our house with divorce papers. I asked her if she had to choose one person between me and you who she'd choose. I angrily walked out of the house when she took your name. She followed me. It was late in night and then she got into trouble. A group of boys tried harassing her. I reached on time and I saved her. That night we accepted our love for each other. Everything went back to normal. We were happy with each other." He added, silence deserted for a few moments. Manik  breathing fastened and his forehead had  no traces of dry place, everything was drowned in sweat.

"Things went down went between us when I visited London for a business meeting. I got into some miss understanding. Rather than clearing things with her I pretend to be a Devil. I told her that all of it was a part of my plan. I bought a girl to my house and pretend to sleep with her. She was hurt and broken." He continued, Appa's nostrils flared in anger showing that he was truly displeased by me because I hadn't shared a single bit. His jaws stiffened and teeth gritted together.

"Next morning, when she came to talk to me. We had a fight, I got so angry when she accused me for the things I never did, out of anger, I locked her in store room even after knowing she was scared of darkness. She was pregnant at that time." He faltered at the end of the sentence. His voice was stiff, formal, his shoulders rigid. I lowered my eyes when Appa stared at me accusingly. More than angry Appa looked disappointed. I glanced at my mother's face, she too had the same emotions on her face and same accusations in her eyes. I was so ashamed, not on Manik  but on myself. I wasn't there own child but both of them loved me till no end. In fact, I was dearest to parents, especially to my father. He supported me in everything and encouraged me for the things I wanted to do in my life. My smile was the source of his happiness. He never let me feel that I wasn't a part of his family but an outsider. But today I have questioned his upbringing. I let him down. I disappointed him. Because of me he felt failed in his parenting but it wasn't his fault. It never was. It was always me, if someone was to be blamed for everything then it's me and only me.

"I questioned her character when I came to know about her pregnancy. We fought with each other and signed divorce papers. After that day we were staying together for the sake of our child."

"She had complications in her pregnancy.  She tried telling me but instead of listening to her I blamed her saying that she loved somebody else and didn't want to have my child. She decided to keep the baby."

"Eight months later, I came to know about it through her letters. I regretted my decision. I swear I didn't know anything about it. If I knew then I wouldn't have allow her to put her life in danger."

"I accept that I was a foolish, self-centered man. She always did nothing but loved me and I kept hurting her. I was the kind of man who was jealous of his own happiness. She lived with all the pain in her heart and never said anything about it."

"That's all. One last thing I want to say is that I love your daughter despite all the things happened, despite all the awful things I have done with her. Trust me, I regret them deeply." He finished, my heart sank as Appa raided towards him. His eyes carried fire. He slapped Manik  hard on his cheek and pushed his shoulder in hatred. I gasped and got a hold of him. I didn't know what to say, and Manik  stood there like a rock strong, unfazed and unaffected as if it didn't effect him.

"And you wanted to give this man another chance, seriously Meera. That's what you want," he screamed. His voice choke. Tears pooled in my eyes. I couldn't see two important men of my life fighting with each other.

"Appa, that's not the complete story. He only told you about his mistakes. My part of the story is still hidden." I stood up for my husband. Appa looked at me with angry eyes. I shredded in fear.
I didn't know if he was going to accept both of us or not but this time I wasn't going leave his side.

"There's nothing on her part. I miss understood everything." Manik  defended me. I was shocked at his revolt. I couldn't understand why was he refraining me from telling the entire truth?

"No, that isn't it, I'm no Saint in all this Appa. And Manik  I'm not telling another lie. You told the half truth and believe me they are worst than lies." I tried to convince him. My voice was nearly inaudible more like a whisper.

"Come on, Nandini, tell me the whole story. I'm listening." Appa said, looking at my state broken state Manik  protected me as a shield and made me face his back. Not that I needed protection from my own father but then he was Manik  and had his own ways. I moved away from him to face my father.

"Appa, after our marriage I was so upset. We were fighting with each other constantly and  I wasn't able to move on from Dhurv. Then one day after that Saxena's incident I called him. He told me that he still loves me. I didn't say at that time but I wanted to go back to him."

"Then me and Manik  we again fought over something. I end up calling him and that night I decided to walk out from the marriage. I talked to his mother about it. She and I we planned things against him."

"I promised Dhurv to come back but then after sometime I end up falling for Manik . Dhurv was waiting for me to come back. I couldn't tell him that I have changed my mind. I unintentionally played with both of them."

"When Manik  was in London he accidentally overheard his mother's and my conversation. He confronted Dhurv about it and both them miss understood everything. They thought that I was trolling both of them together. That's the reason why Manik  hated me. He thought I cheated on him. I was equally at fault. You can't blame Manik  for everything."

"Wow, Nandini, a lot of things happened and I don't anything about it. After all what you did, you expect from me to be quite? To happily give in to your demands? of what sand are you made? Ridiculous!! I don't blame you. You don't deserve it but Nandini you? I didn't expect this from you. From my daughter? I've always thought that I made you feel like home. I never differentiated between you and my other kids but you failed me as a parent. Or maybe I failed you. There were a lot of things right in front of my eyes and I knew nothing about it. You didn't tell me maybe because you didn't find me worthy of your trust.
All my life I thought that I loved my children enough to have faith in me but no you broke the bubble." He indicted, I knew his heart ached. I knew thousand of knives pierced his heart hearing the horrible things. His face expressed it all. Honestly, I was not left with a word to explain him that I loved him and my faith in him was as strong as before and nothing could ever shake it.
I stepped forward and engulfed him in my arms. He didn't utter a word. He didn't hold me back.
I wanted him to but that was okay. He was hurt.



"Appa, I agree whatever happened shouldn't have happen, I'm sorry about it. I really am. I don't know how to justify my actions but I trust you more than I trust myself. You made me what I am today and you should be proud of your upbringing. I let you down as a daughter. I failed Appa you didn't, you are still the best father a girl can have, please Appa don't believe in whatever you said a while ago. It has nothing to do with you." I sobbed against his chest.

"Navya, told me that Manik  forced you to keep the child even after knowing everything about your case. Then she was suggesting operation but he pressurised her to go for normal birth process just for the sake of baby. Is it true, Nandini? Tell me now and dare you to lie," He asked, his question caught me off guard.  I gaped at his face in disbelief. The doubt in his voice expressed more than words. I couldn't believe my ears. Seriously, Navya, had left no stone unturned to take her revenge. She knew what effect her words will have on my father. She planned it against me. Now, I regret letting her go so easily without a punishment.

"That isn't true Appa. Navya was trying to take her revenge. Because she had feelings for Dhurv and he declined her proposal. She couldn't digest the fact that he chose me over her. I don't even know which statement of her is true. Manik  had his doubts on her but she manipulated everyone so cunningly. What she was trying to do could have put my life in danger. Because of Manik  I survived otherwise she would have killed me." I clarified, pain, short and sharp, flared in my chest. It still hurt to think about it. My so called best friend betrayed me in a worst possible way. She still did it even after everything we had been together. Even after spending so many years with each other.

"Appa, Manik  loves me and I love him too. I know we have made a lot of mistakes but you only say that we all mistakes and we learn from them. No human being is flawless. Perfection doesn't exist. I know he is not perfect for me but I love him and I want to be with him. I want to leave the past behind and start everything from a new point. Please, Appa I know you have already given me a lot of chance but one last time. Just one, please." I pleaded, my throat hoarse and aching as it closed in, choking me with tears and pain. Manik  reached for my hand, and sighed when his cold fingers found mine. I stared at him with fear in my eyes. He squeezed my  hand in assurance. His touch bought the strangest sense of relief — as if I’d been in pain and that pain had suddenly ceased.

We all were waiting for Appa to continue. His face looked thoughtful as he considered my words. I glanced at my mother, she had tears in her eyes but still appeared calm and satisfied whereelse my father looked restless.

"Uncle, I know I wasn't the best husband for her but I love her. Please, let us stay together. I promise it will not happen again." Manik  requested.

"Okay, but if you hurt my daughter next time I will rip your head apart." He agreed, I dashed against his chest. This time he replied and held me close to his chest.

"Happy, Nandini" he questioned while caressing my hair and kissing my head lightly.

"Thank you so much Appa, I'm so happy." I spoke through my tears. He gently wiped away a stray tear falling from my eyes with the back of his knuckles.

"Promise me, you will never keep anything away from me."

"I promise and I'm sorry whatever for happened." I apologized, still hugging him tightly, not ready to part away.

"It's okay," he said, ruffling my hair delicately.