Nandini's POV

He stared at me furiously and although I was scared I didn't show it on my face.

Be strong for Rishabh!

Be strong for Rishabh!

I kept chanting it over and over in my head but the monster infront of me was scaring the shit out of me.

"You are not going anywhere! You don't need to find a job!" He said as he left no room for arguments.

"Manik I want to!" I retorted and he slammed his laptop shut.

"I said no and that's final!" He said loudly which made me angry.

"What is your problem Manik? Why can't you let me work? What do you expect me to do when its the matter of Rishabh's custody?" I yelled pissed at him.

"So what you think I'm doing all day? Fucking nothing?" He too yelled at me.

"Manik he is my brother! And I will do whatever I need to for him!" I said sternly.

"You know what? You and your brother can go to fucking hell! I don't care!" He yelled and marched out of the room.

It would be a lie if I said it didn't hurt. His words hurt more than a stabbed knife. A tear slipped from my eye but I quickly wiped it not wanting to be weak at this moment.

After a while when I was searching for job offers on his laptop suddenly Manik walked in out of nowhere and pulled me by my arm.

"You are not going to work!" He gritted emphasising each word.

"Manik!" I said irritated trying to free my hand.

"Nandini!" He roared making my heart thud in my chest.

It fucking scares the shit out of me when he calls me by my name. He only calls me by my name when he is damn serious or outright pissed. And right now he was freaking furious.

"Manik please! I can't let Rishabh go!" I pleaded with tears in my eyes but he remained the same.

"I will handle this Nandini!" He said sternly but it broke my last ounce of patience.

"You will handle what Manik?" I shouted jerking my hand from his.

"Tell me? How will you handle this when you are nowhere related to Rishabh? Rishabh is my brother Manik! No one and only I can take him out of this! He can't decide all this because he is still small! And me? I can't get his custody! Why? Because I'm useless! I don't have those facilities to give him! I'll lose him Manik! I'll lose him!" I broke down as I dropped on my knees infront of him not having anymore courage left in me.

It was breaking me apart each minute, each second just thinking about Rishabh going away from me and never coming back.

"Nandini!" I heard him sigh as he knelt down beside me.

"Don't call me that!" I snapped at him and he looked amused.

"I suppose that is your name? Nandini?" He asked and I glared at him.

"So what should I call you?" He purposely asked making an innocent face and I shut my eyes in irritation.

"Nothing!" I snapped and he laughed making me more angry.

"God! Such a stubborn woman you are! Come here!" He said and pulled me towards him making me sit on his lap.

I tried to get away but he didn't let me as he held me tightly not even letting me move. Tucking a hair strand behind my ear he stared at me while I looked away.

"Rose!" He called and I looked at him.

He stared at me intensely while I stared back not able to look away from his hypnotising gaze.

"Listen to me and listen to me good! I know you love Rishabh more than anyone! I know that you want him to stay with you always and I will make sure that happens!" He said sternly and I opened my mouth to say something but he continued.

"Yes, the Verma's haven't given Rishabh's custody but they will now! I know how to make their no into a yes! And you won't stop me! Not that I will stop but still!" He completed and stared at me.

"Manik is it necessary to scare them?" I asked.

"Rose they are no good people! They deserve this!" He said furiously.

"But --!" I started but he cut me off.

"Enough! The discussion is over!" He said and I closed my mouth knowing he won't listen.

"Manik the job --" I blurted and he glared at me.

"I said you won't do any job!" He gritted pulling me closer.

"Do you understand?" He asked gripping my waist tightly and breathing on my neck.

"Y-Yes!" I stuttered as he started peppering me with kisses all over my neck wherever he would get the access.

"Ma-Manik!" I tried pushing him away but instead he pulled me more closer.

"Hm!" He said as he kissed my cheekbone making me shudder.

"Pl-Please stop!" I said with great difficulty but he continued his work making me clutch his shoulders tightly.

"No!" He said as he came over my lips and stared at me intensely before slamming his lips on mine.

He kissed me feverently like his life depended upon it while all I could do was surrender. I tried to match his level but couldn't as he kissed me with a whole new level of intensity.

We gasped for air once we broke apart and he was going to kiss me again but before that!

Woof! Woof!

I turned and saw Alex in the room wailing his tail looking at us. Smiling I tried to get up only to get pulled back. Manik looked pissed as he muttered something under his breath.

"Alex! Get out!" Manik ordered him and I looked at him shocked.

Alex grred angrily and sat there only making Manik glare at him and me giggle. Manik shifted his angry glare at me listening my giggles while I pursed my lips.

"Finding this funny huh?" He whispered and I immediately nodded a no.

"Alex I said out now!" He used his Mafia tone but to no avail.

Giggling I stretched my arms out for Alex as he came running to me and settled himself in my arms making Manik angry.

"Unbelievable!" He muttered under his breath.

I tried to get up from his lap and this time he let me as he continuously glared at me and Alex. We both royally ignored him and moved out of the room.

As soon as I got down I saw Bhai and Navya consoling Rishabh whereas he chose to stay quiet. I know he was still not convinced about him staying with me forever.

"Cabir! Let's go!" Manik said getting down from the stairs.

"Where?" Bhai asked confused and we all looked at him.

Manik stared at me and then announced.

"To finish this once and for all!" He looked determined and I knew he won't let this go today.

"Manik!" I stopped him as he reached the door.

"Can I come with you?" I asked hopefully.

"No!" He said curtly and when I tried to insist him he cut me off.

"I said no Rose!" He said leaving no room for any further argument.

Once they left I couldn't concentrate on anything as my kind kept wandering over there. I was getting too impatient to know what Manik will do and how was he going to get Rishabh's custody.

"Nandini relax! Everything will be fine!" Navya said seeing me pacing from here to there.

Rishabh was playing with Alex as I asked him to, to divert his mind. I looked at Navya with a helpless face.

"Nandini! Come here!" She patted on the couch asking me to sit beside her and I obliged sighing.

"You trust Manik right?" She asked startling me.

"Trust!" I whispered.

"Yes! Trust! Do you trust him?" She asked again and when I didn't answer she continued.

"See Nandini for every relationship to start there must be trust between the partners. Without it you cannot be in a relationship! Only if you trust Manik then you should know that he will make everything alright!" She explained while I was lost in my thoughts.

Do I trust Manik?

Finally after what felt like hours Manik and Bhai returned home and a smile spread on my face but it vanished as before I could approach Manik he straight away went to his room without even acknowledging my presence.

I too got up and followed him without caring about anything else in that moment.

"Manik!" I called him as soon as I entered in the room seeing him standing there with his back facing me.

But neither did he turn nor answered my call. This did nothing but increased my anxiety as I took slow steps towards him.

"Manik!" I called once again keeping my hand on his shoulder.

He turned around and looked at me with a serious expression that scared me.

"Ma-Manik what ha-happened?" I asked with great difficulty.

"Nandini!" He sighed making me more tense.

"Manik pl-please!" I choked trying not to cry and his eyes widened.

"Rose! Don't cry! Okay I'm sorry I was just joking!" He said trying to calm me down but I shoved his hands away not wanting to listen anything.

"Rose we got the custody!" He said loudly and I stopped looking at him with teary eyes.

He cupped my face and wiped away the tear that slipped from my eyes.

"Rishabh is not going to go away from you ever!" He said softly and I sniffed.

"Promise?" I asked still sniffing.

"Promise!" He smiled and I hugged him tightly.

"What did you do?" I asked in the hug while he tightened his arms around me.

"What do you think?" He questioned me back.

"Say no Manik!" I whined and he chuckled.

"Well I just threatened them!" He said simply and I looked up at him from the hug.

"And they agreed?" I asked shocked.

"Do you really think?" He said and I nodded a no.

"They said they will file a case against me if I didn't let Rishabh go! So I just threatened to kill them if they did anything that sort of! Still they didn't budge so I shot -!"

"You killed them?" I cut him off in between shocked.

"I didn't! But I just scared them off so they would agree and they did! They love their lives more than their son! And they just wanted Rishabh's custody for money!" He said and I was confused.

"Money?" I asked.

"Yes! Rishabh would earn for them so he would be their bank!" He said and I shut my eyes from the pain that coursed through me listening to that.

"Rose! They're not worth it!" Manik said softly wiping my tears.

I nodded wiping my tears and hugging him tightly.

"Thankyou!" I whispered and he just kissed the top of my head.

"So don't you think I deserve a reward for this?" He said and I broke the hug.

"What reward?" I asked.

Instead of answering he leaned down and I closed my eyes in reflex. His hot breath fanned on my face and I clenched my fists on my sides.

"You know what reward!" He whispered in my ears and I opened my eyes.

We kept staring in each others eyes till it dawned me.

He wants me to kiss him!

~~~

So the last day of 2017! A new year starts within just few hours!

I hope 2018 brings lots of happiness in all your lives! Spread happiness! Spread postivity! Be happy and make others happy!

Happy New Year !!!✨❤