Manik realized that he was in love, but that raised more questions in his mind about the future. Though he wasn't aware of his feelings for Nandini till now, he had already tried all possible options to find Nandini. She hadn't taken her phone with her, so they couldn't trace her. Also, she had accompanied Sunaina in a taxi, so there were no records of Nandini having used any kind of transportation to leave the city. Her friend, Navya also had told that she didn't know of Nandini's whereabouts.

Manik's thoughts : "I have no idea where she is. Even if I manage to find her and confess my feelings, I don't know how she is going to respond. After what happened with her mom, will she be ready to even give me a chance?"

Manik's thoughts : "How am I going to convince her that I won't let her down if she gives me a chance, when I myself am not sure of how things will turn out in the future? What if our future also ends up like my parents?"

From Manik's point of view, both his parents were special to him as individuals, but his opinion was quite the opposite when he considered them together as a couple. When it came to Mukti's relationship, there were still issues, but at least the reason for their separation was clear. But when it came to his parents he still didn't know the reason behind their repeated bickering. He had asked his parents about it when he was younger, but he hadn't got a clear answer. He decided to try once more to talk to them and find out.

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Next when Alya came up with an idea to divert Manik,

Manik : "There is no need for this anymore. Cabir, you won the bet. You must be very happy that finally you won over me."

Cabir : "Really! I am happy for you."

Cabir : "I won because you lost your heart to her. .. By the way, when it comes to her, you always have been a loser and may be the trend will continue. So there is still time if you want to back out."

Manik : "I don't mind losing to her as long as I manage to win her heart, but for that I have to find her first."

Cabir : "Don't worry. When you can turn into a lover boy, everything else also will fall in place."

Alya's thoughts : "All my efforts went waste. What is there in that girl that my brother as well as Manik are going gaga over her? I feel like wringing her neck. .. I have to do something. I can't lose to that meager girl who walked into our life only a few months back."

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With time, the bond between Sunaina and Nandini had grown stronger, and Nandini had mentioned about Manik a few times to her.

Sunaina : "Was Manik only your club partner or was there something more between you two?"

Nandini : "He wasn't only my partner, he was a well wisher too."

Sunaina : "He cared for you and you speak highly of him. You are sure there is nothing more than that .. you don't love him?"

Nandini : "You are in love, so you feel that others are in love too. I don't speak only of him, I speak of Harshad, Arya and Navya too."

Sunaina : "I know what they are to you and why, but I can't say the same about him."

Nandini : "If I explain everything that happened, then you will be able to understand. But I can't, because it is connected to others' lives as well. All I can say is that when people including the one who knew me misunderstood and wanted to harm me, he trusted me and kept me away from it, though he didn't know me well and didn't have anything to go by."

Nandini : "Otherwise, I don't know what situation I would have landed in. I doubt I would have been able to handle another trauma at that time. That alone is sufficient to be grateful, but he didn't stop there. He also tried to get me out of the situation I was already in though he had no idea what it was."

Though Nandini had denied that she was in love, their conversation raised questions in her mind.

Nandini's thoughts : "Sunaina said that I speak more often of him, but I tell her only a small part when compared to how much I think of him. My day starts thinking of him and ends too thinking of him. I have known him for a very short time when compared to everyone else, but still he is the one who comes to mind more often. Why?"

Nandini's thoughts : "They all helped me and encouraged me to move on from the past, but it is his words that pushes me to put them into action. Why am I giving so much importance to his words over the others? This is not how things should have been."

Nandini's thoughts : "I had lied that their plan was successful, did it by any chance turn into truth? Could what Sunaina is saying be possible?"

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A movie was playing on the television and as it is the case with most movies, this movie also talked about love. Manik took that opportunity to discuss about it with Nyonika.

Manik : "Mom, today I and my friends were discussing about love. What do you think about it? Yours and dad's was a love marriage right? Will it fade away with time or is it meant to stay forever like they show in the movies?"

Nyonika : "It varies from person to person. May be it fades away for some, while it stays for others."

Manik : "What about you mom? Do you and dad still love each other?"

Nyonika : "I do, but his love faded away with in a few years of our marriage."

Manik : "Then why do you both argue all the time? Why do you think dad changed?"

Nyonika felt Manik was old enough to understand, so she didn't dismiss the question this time.

Nyonika : "That's the way your dad prefers to speak, otherwise probably we wouldn't even speak to each other."

Nyonika : "Your dad thinks that I married him for his wealth. He thinks that I pretended to love him only to trap him so that I could lead a luxurious life."

Manik : "Huh.. your family is wealthy too, so what makes him think so?"

Nyonika : "Now, they are wealthy, but it wasn't so when we got married. The difference in our status didn't matter to your dad, but it did to your grandmother (dad's mom). Your grandmother wanted to get him married to someone of their status, but your dad went against her wishes and married me. She didn't want to lose her son, so she accepted our marriage, but she disliked me. She continued to convince your dad that I trapped him for his wealth."

Nyonika : "In the beginning, your dad took my side and supported me. After a while, he stopped, and I thought he had got fed up of convincing his mom. But sometime after you were born, he started accusing me of the same. I tried to convince him several times that it wasn't the case, but to no avail. Even after all these years his thoughts about me has not changed."

Manik : "Didn't you ever feel that you should free yourself of this relationship and go away from him?"

Nyonika : "When his accusing didn't stop, I did feel so a few times. But then I realized walking away from him also meant walking away from you. Your dad was powerful and I wouldn't stand a chance in front of him. I wouldn't be able to get your custody. My family also wouldn't have supported me. Your dad helped them to flourish, so they weren't ready to hear anything against him. In spite of all that, if I managed to gain your custody by chance, then I would be separating you from your dad. He didn't turn out to be a good husband, but he was and is an ideal dad. Neither could I think of separating you too, nor could I get myself to stay away from you .. or from him."

Manik : "If one of my friends end up falling in love, what would you suggest mom? Should they pursue it or not?"

Nyonika : "If they are sure it is love, then they should pursue it. It isn't necessary that all relationships will end up like mine, there are lot of cases where love has succeeded too."

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Manik found his dad drinking in their house bar. He approached his dad and put forth the same question.

Dad : "There is nothing like love, it is all a big trap. Take my advice, never fall in love. I did that mistake and am suffering to this day."

Manik : "Why do you think it is a trap? Why do you feel you did a mistake?"

Dad : "It is an old wound, I don't want to talk about it."

Manik's dad didn't tell anything but he continued to drink more to forget it temporarily. Manik tried to stop his dad at first, but his dad didn't listen to him. Later, Manik felt that that was the best time to get his dad to speak what was in his mind. So, Manik brought up the question again.

Dad : "I loved Nyonika and married her going against my mom's wishes, but she didn't love me. She pretended and trapped me for my wealth and status. By the time I came to know her true colors, it was too late. I was in a dilemma. If I leave her, I would be separating you from your mom. She didn't turn out to be a good wife, but she was and is an ideal mom. Neither could I get myself to hate her completely, nor could I continue to live as though nothing has happened."

Manik : "How did you know that mom married you for your wealth?"

Dad : "My mom warned me even before getting married, but I didn't pay heed to her. My friend also warned me, but I was so blind in love that I didn't consider his advice. It was a few months after our marriage, that my friend disclosed the truth and that changed my life forever."

Manik : "What truth did he disclose?"