The Rake

Chapter Three

“Ma’am, this guy was bullying a junior! So he should be punished!” Nandini spoke maintaining formal yet harsh tone while Divya looked at her Monster Malhotra and he, when saw her looking at him, looked down, and abused this tiny-lilliput.

“Thank You, I shall take strict actions against him” Divya said smiling at the girl, who had the guts to face off with her son.

“Thank You ma’am” Nandini said, coming out of the cabin, rolling her eyes at the monster.

“Manik, again?” Manik looked at her and muttered “Sorry!” A baby he was, in front of his mother.

“No sorry will work!” Divya stood up and caught his right ear to which he shrieked in pain “Ouch!” And his friends could only giggle eyeing the baby Malhotra. They knew the hearty Malhotra who made everyone laugh, not this heartless Malhotra who made everyone cry.

“I shouldn’t see this from next time!” She warned him to which he nodded and walked out of the cabin. A quick transition from baby to monster, yet again. “How dare SHE!” He fumed in anger and walked to the canteen, eyeing his friends bonding with her. Another ball of pure jealousy and anger hit him.

He sat on the side table and eyed Cabir, who hid his smile eyeing the monster. Nandini too was ignoring him like hell, hurting the most priced possession of him- Ego.

“I loved you people! Now gottaa go!” Nandini hugged every girl and shook hands with the boys and went away.

“She’s so cute!” Alya chirped to which Manik cut her off “Cute! Lilliput!” And rolling his eyes, he went away.

“Nandu! Did you make friends?” Chachi asked as Nandini decided to sleep “Yee Chachi! Many! People are really very friendly and I met Navya too!”

“I am glad, Chachi ki jaan!” Kissing her forehead, Chachi went away turning off the table lamp.

“Miss. Nandini Murthy! You are so gone, I swear!” He gulped down a solid drink from his dad’s exquisite collection of wines.

NEXT DAY. New day, New hopes.

Nandini was walking inside the campus with a smile. It was 9 and nearly 90% of the college was present, giving her looks. Some were glaring at her, for messing up with their crush. Some were giving her that *So-Brave* kinda look eyeing her retorting back the monster. While, most of the guys drooled at the natural beauty she was, just like her Amma.

She had to pass an isolated corner to reach to the first class when suddenly a hand pulled her inside a room. It was all dark and black.

“Leave!” She shouted but the room was a soundproof one. Oops, the auditorium it was.

“You! Monster!” She yelled eyeing the smirked Monster standing near her, rolling his eyes. His favorite job, now.

“Tch Tch Nandini lilliput Murthy!” He smirked trying to stop her from shouting.

“You Manik Monster Malhotra, Shutup!” She was a fighter, it seems.

“Your Amma is very beautiful you know!” Manik played his triumph card making her stand still in her place.

“And Appa, I swear! Very handsome!” How he couldn’t just appreciate his future late father-in-law

“What do you mean!” She was scared. How did he got to see them?

“Man! What’s up with so antique pieces? You had to keep their recent pictures no? “ He joked. HAHA! He laughed. But what he thought to be a joke was not a joke for her. It was her life. Her dreadful past, it was. And he was bringing it back. It didn’t even took a second for her to fall in hate with him.

“Manik, that’s none of your business! You talk to me..Don’t bring my parents in between!” She couldn’t breakdown.

“Why? Didn’t you bring my mother in between? Divya Malhotra!” he shouted back.

“Manik! I didn’t know..You stay out of my parents!” She spoke and later shouted “Manik!!!” When she witnessed him throwing the last photoframe she had of her Appa and Amma out of the window of the fourth floor.

He smirked, not knowing the value. Her tears were not stopping just like her feet, knowing the value of that mere photoframe.