CHAPTER 66

                                    

                                          
NANDINI
We were all seated in the living space. Mama Mami got to know what happened earlier and now they are adamant that they will come back. Nothing Abhi said persuaded them. They were coming back tomorrow morning. Manik didn't want Neyonika Aunty to come back anytime soon. So he convinced her for that.
So from tomorrow, I and Abhi will go back home. Navya will live with Sid here, as was her plan from before. Mukti, Cabir and Manik will go to Manik's place. 
"Guys I just had a chat with the investigator, he said that Ranbir has vanished in thin air. No trace of him, his mobile phone was found near his home in a dumpster," Sid said while moving inside the room.
"But I think it's one of his plans. I mean we did get his ring right? And nobody will come after Mukti and Mysha if not Ranbir," Abhi said.
"I can agree to this. Maybe he's doing everything in hiding, and staying in hiding is also one of his plans?" Navya said.
"That could be true, but there's a twist. His parents have filed a missing report 4 days after the attack on Mukti," Sid said.
"What the fuck?" Abhi and Manik said together.
"Exactly. If he is guilty I'm pretty sure his parents wouldn't have filed a missing report in the police to find him."
"But it could also be possible that it's a ploy, a way to look innocent," Cabir said.
"Could be and could be not. But answer my few questions. Nanz have you met Ranbir?"
I shook my head.
"So that means he shouldn't have a problem with you?"
"No he wouldn't have a problem with Nandini but he may have few with Manik and me. Anyone who knows us now would know that to hurt Manik the easiest way is to hurt Nandini."
I felt Manik stiffen beside me as Abhi said all this. 
"So this could be possible that someone is hurting Nandini just because they are not in good terms with Manik and want to hurt him? So basically she's getting hurt just because Manik loves her? Fantastic."
"Shut up Sid. We don't know for sure and what are you trying to insinuate with all this haa?"
I felt Manik standing up.
"Manik?"
He didn't reply anything just went away towards his room.
"What the fuck Sid? What were you trying to show?"
"I'm not trying to show anything Nanz, I'm just stating that you're getting hurt just because of you being close to Manik."
"So what? It's not that Manik is doing anything. He's trying his best to protect me."
"And I'm not saying that he's not doing anything to protect you. It's just... We finally got you back and now you're again in danger. I just want that till all this is settled, and we don't know who is behind all this, just kinda stay away from Manik? Maybe the attacker would get the message that you guys aren't together and will stop attacking you? Be in my shoes and you'll understand."
"Are you even listening to yourself? It's Manik who brought me back to life. It was him for whom I started to speak again. He made me alive. And how can I be that selfish that just because someone is trying to hurt Manik through me, I'll leave him? How can I do so? And what if after that he tries to target Manik directly. Then?"
He stayed silent as I spoke all this.
"You know what, I understand your fear for me. But I love Manik. And he loves me. And that's enough Sid. Don't you think he's beating himself enough up for this? And you just throwing all these words in his face will only hurt him and hurt me. Get this straight in your head that I'm not leaving Manik because of this hiccup."