Nandini is remaining too quite and sad all these days. Manik and his friends are trying their best to cheer her up to bring back that smile and that bubbly girl. Nandini would zone out casually while working. She would sleep less, work more but will think the most. Manik and Kabir were getting tensed about her nature while others believed she would be fine in some days.

Nandini and Manik were sitting and discussing about changes to be brought in the game to make it different from that of Aura's because they were developing the exact game. Suddenly, whole staff showed up on the door of Manik's cabin. Manik called them in. Nandini and Manik were confused to see them all together at a time.

Manik - What is it?

Employee 1 - Boss, actually..... we all are stressing out recently because of the news of Sameer betraying us and now we all have to make changes in the same game.

Employee 2 - Exactly. It requires too much of energy and we have to overwork.

Nandini's eyebrows crashed and she rolled her eyes, as if she got what they were trying to say.

Nandini - (glaring at all of them) Stop beating around the bush and... Come to the point!

Employee 1 - Actually.... we...

Nandini - (chuckled sarcastically) Keep the letters and GET OUT! (no one moved) OUT!

All employees kept their resignation letters and left, just three were still there.

Nandini - Don't you wanna leave?

Employee - (smiles) We all are young and we believe if boss can do, so can we. He has always led us to the right path and we believe we will never loose if we will follow him.

Manik - (smile proudly) I don't want you guys to follow me. I want you all to stand beside me so that we can show the world that we all are the strongest.

They all smiled.

Nandini - But what to do now?

Manik - Let's continue the work but we have to work overtime from now on.

Nandini - (sigh) You really don't know business tactics man! We can't continue modifying the game. Call the meeting first!

Manik called the meeting as well as informed everyone about the departure of the employees.

Manik - Nandini, you may start.

Nandini - (deep breath) The employees who left actually went to Aura Tech. Aura tech offered them a great profit to attract them because if Aura's will have our employees they can prove it easily that they didn't develop our game, they just developed on the basis of ideas provided by their employees.

All - WHAT!

Nandini - Yeah, you think yourself why they will resign suddenly and without any valid reason or a proper explanation.

Dhruv - Nandini, how can you be so sure?

Nandini - (smirks) I not only have a mind of a programmer but also of a businessman!

Mukti - Woah! This smirk, it means you have your ways and someone should be afraid!

Abhimanyu - Wait! As per what Nandini said it means that Aura's will still develop the game?

Nandini - Exactly! And now we are in problem, because we can neither develop this game anymore nor modify it. Because real is always real.

Manik - Then...

Nandini - (turning towards Manik) You are thinking right! (to all) We have to develop new game!!

All - WHAT??

Alia - Have you gone mad Nandini, we have hardly a month and you want us to develop a new game within a month.

Dhruv - Nandini, the time is too short to start a new!

Abhimanyu - Come on girl, it will require too much of overtime and you yourself has to go out a lot of times.

Everyone started saying it's impossible. Nandini was only getting more and more irritated and angry. While Manik was in deep thinking.

Suddenly, all flinched when Nandini stomped her hand on table loudly that the flower vase fell on table and broke into pieces with few pieces piercing through Nandini's hand's skin. Manik took Nandini's hand and started blowing it.

Nandini pulled her hand back and gave Manik an assuring smile.

Nandini - (glaring at all) You wanna do or not? I just need a bare yes or no!

No one answered and everyone hung there head's low. Nandini scoffed and went to her table and started writing on papers. She started with planning. Manik brought a first aid kit to Nandini, took her hand and treated it. Putting the kit aside,

Manik - Let's start. We can make it!

Nandini and Manik smiled widely.

Kabir - I can help by sketching characters of the game and even some designs if you want.

Everyone looked at entrance where Kabir was standing with a smile on his face. Nandini and Manik smiled and he joined them. The three of them started discussing.

Nandini - Now, who will take the coding part of the game?

Dhruv - Obviously me, who else can? It's always me!

Manik, Nandini and Kabir looked in his direction and saw all standing there with smile. They all got up and had group hug and cheered each other.

Days passed, Manik and his team were working overtime to develop the game and were going quite fast. On the other hand, Manish was still not ready to talk to Nandini, Nandini took temporary leave for 2 months from her company. Even she was not ready to face Manish. Nandini would sob secretly.

One day Manik noticed Nandini sobbing, he clearly knew the reason but he can't do anything except consoling and comforting her. He went to her and hugged her. On the same time Kabir came and hugged both of them. They stayed like that for minutes and then pulled away. Manik and Kabir sat on either side of Nandini, Nandini's head was on Manik's shoulder, Manik patting her back, while Kabir was holding her hand and caressing it.

Kabir - (irritatingly) I will talk to Mamu. How can he be like this to his own daughter?

Manik - Right! I will come with you!

Nandini - You are not going to say anything to dad. He will break even more hearing this.

Kabir - Then why is he still behaving like this?

Nandini - (chuckles sadly) He is doing this to make me strong. Because he thinks if he will stay away from me, if the people I love and live for will stay away from me, I will become less dependent and will take less tension that I have to be alive for them. And when a person has all this stress, he always does some mistake leading to great lose. (she sat straight and held their hands) Manik, Kabir..... dad is just doing this to make me strong and just want that I will be successful in my thing. And I know this all, because I am his daughter, his own blood. Of course I get him!

Kabir hugged Nandini while his eyes watered. Manik was smiling through teary eyes.

Manik - Nandini, I don't want to pressurize you but can you please promise me one thing.........

Nandini - (held his hand) I promise you, nothing will happen to me! I am here with you. Always with you.

Nandini kissed Manik's cheeks while Manik smiled and pressed a long peck on her forehead while Kabir was patting her back and admiring them.

Nandini was right, this is the exact reason why Manish behaved like that. Manish himself is crying, he also stays awake at nights crying his eyes out. He wanted his daughter to not fall weak and complete what his wife left in between.

The atmosphere in Manik's cabin was too tensed. Nandini and Manik were stuck on compressing game storage which was getting almost impossible. It was one last main process of the game development, except this just few small adjustments were left to be made.

Only two days were left before Manik and his team had to leave for the other city and they would spend 3-4 days there. Nandini already refused to go there. There was a party first and then after a day there was game presentation.

Aura's were expecting them to back out since their game was stolen and the time was too short to develop a new one.

It's been hours since Nandini is working on computer and Manik is observing and suggesting her, while Dhruv and Abhimanyu were there observing both. Nandini was getting frustrated now.

Nandini - (throwing the mouse) Ugh! I need some air. (got up and marched towards door)

Abhimanyu - Huh? But there's air in here!

Nandini turned around and threw daggers from her eyes at Abhimanyu to which he gulped being afraid and signalled Nandini to leave. Nandini slammed open the door and directly went to balcony area. Nandini pulled a chair, got herself a coffee and sat down breathing deeply, looking at midnight sky. Nandini threw her head back and closed her eyes, feeling coffee and cold wind around her.

After around half an hour, Nandini jerked up and sat straight on chair and smirked proudly. She hurriedly went in Manik's cabin and make him get up from his chair to settle quickly. Nandini started working putting full focus on keyboard and screen. Alia, Abhimanyu, Mukti, Dhruv, and Manik stood behind her and were fully focused on her work.

After straight 3 hours,

Nandini - (clapped her hands) DONE! Our storage has gone down by more than half.

She hugged Manik tightly. Others looked at them smiling and then hugged each other. Nandini was too happy, Manik was smiling seeing Nandini this happy after so many days. He pecked her lips and pulled her in a hug again.

Everyone was too tired by now since it was already 4 am. And they have to leave the next night. They all were packing the stuff to go back as Manik offered them to come to his place since his place is quite too near. Suddenly, Nandini got a call, Nandini panicked and answered quickly but forgot that others are still around,

Nandini - Hello?

Caller - MK, we will execute the plan the day after tomorrow!

Nandini - (eyes shot up) Great! And yeah be careful.

Caller - You too! Have rest now! Good night.

Nandini - Good night.

Nandini declined the call and took a deep breath. She turned around and stumbled to see others right behind her with their ears in her direction while Manik was shaking his head in disbelief.

Nandini - What the hell!

They all moved back and chuckled nervously.

Manik and Nandini had eye contact and Nandini passed assuring smile to Manik.

Nandini - Let's go. It's already too late.

They all went back and bought dinner while on way back.

They reached home and got freshen up and settled on dining. They all munched on food and were talking randomly.

Alia - Nandini, why don't you join us for meeting?

Mukti - Yeah Nandini. It will be fun.

Nandini - Guys, try to understand. I really can't go.

Alia - Please.

Nandini - Guys, I never come in public. And yeah, promise me none of yours tongue will slip and say that MK is on your team. If you will mention this, trust me you are dead meat.

Everyone gulped and nodded vigorously. Nandini chuckled.

Nandini - Eat then sleep. I am done so I am going. Good night!

JASS