91• My Angel

Nandini went to Ethan's room when Manik was taking a shower. Ethan was standing in front of the mirror and getting ready for the office. She approached him and embraced him from behind. Her lips were drawn down in sadness.

He slowly turned towards her, and inquired, "How's Manik?"

She stared at him dejectedly and shook her head. "He isn't fine. He completely gave up on riding the bike. I don't understand what I should do, Ethan. I can't see him like this." A solitary tear streamed down her cheek.

He wiped it immediately. "Sweetie, he'll be fine. Don't worry. Just give him some time and be there for him." He explained to her, clasping her face.

"I didn't think that God would do this to us, Ethan. I just wanted to reunite him with his mother. Is it wrong to help a mother to get back her son?" As she questioned him, he shook his head. "Then why is God punishing me for doing this? First the accident, and now this. Is this what we receive for doing good deeds?"

"No, Nandini. You're thinking wrong. Sometimes we don't know about God's plans for us. God isn't punishing you, he is just making you strong." Ethan explained to her, taking her hand in his.

"I just can't see him like this, Ethan." As she spoke, fresh tears rolled down her cheeks.

"He has gone through a lot, Nandini. Healing from any trauma takes time. You have to be strong for him. At this time, he just needs your support. Just be strong." He made her understand, wiping her tears with his thumbs.

"I'll be strong for him, and I'll heal him with my love." She spoke, staring at Ethan with sheer determination.

"I know, only my sister can do this." He stated with utter confidence and gave her much-needed strength.

***

Manik was buttoning up his black shirt when she returned to her room, and his hair was wet. She admired him, forgetting everything, and a smile flashed on her face as something popped into her mind.

She approached him. "I'll button up your shirt." As she uttered it, he nodded at her, smiling.

His brows arched in confusion as she began opening the buttons instead of closing them. "What are you doing? Do you need me more?" He questioned her, smirking and pulling her closer to himself by grabbing her buttocks.

"I always need you more, baby." She whispered against his lips before kissing him passionately, running her fingers all over his tattooed chest. He devoured her lips, grinding his crotch against hers and setting her body on fire.

As they pulled apart, panting, she suddenly pushed him onto the bed, and his eyes widened in astonishment.

He had no clue what was going on in her tiny mind, so he stared at her in confusion, and she took out her instant camera from the drawer, beaming before sitting astride him.

"I want to capture your photos because you look so hot after the shower." She snapped a photo of him with the instant camera, and it came out.

Her eyes shimmered with joy, seeing the photo. "My hottie." She kissed the photo.

"I'm lying in front of your eyes, and you're kissing the photo, I can't believe it." As he uttered it, shaking his head, she giggled.

"And I can't believe that you're getting jealous of your photo. Manik Malhotra is envious of his photo." She laughed hysterically, and he glared at her.

He snatched the camera and photo from her hands and hurled them on the bed before swiftly yanking her down by grasping her wrist.

"When I'm with you, your lips should touch only my body." He stated in a possessive tone, gazing at her intensely and brushing her lips with his thumb.

"Okay, my love." First, she sucked his lips hard, and then she reached his tattooed chest, trailing kisses down his neck. Her touch was arousing him again.

"Kiddo, just stop, you're making me hard again." He drew her away from his chest.

"So what, Manik?"

"I was already so rough with you at night and in the morning. It's enough for you, Kiddo." He said concernedly.

"Oh, my overprotective boyfriend, I can never get enough of you, and I loved your roughness, baby." She whispered, grinding herself against him, and their carnal desires were at their zenith.

"Fuck! You drive me insane, Kiddo." He pushed her to the side and crawled on her. "You know I missed being inside you so much that I want to be inside you 24 hours."

"Then who is stopping you, Manik? Stay inside me 24 hours." She chuckled after saying this.

"As you say, my love." He kissed her lips before hastily pulling down his jeans, and she yanked down her undies; she was wearing his shirt only. Although she was so sore, she was dripping wet and yearning to feel him deep inside her.

"Fuck... I love you, Manik." She screamed, scratching his back as he entered deep into her in one go, stretching her and making her feel complete as always.

"I love you-" she moaned as he came out and jabbed into her deeper. "More, Baby."

***

Manik went to the office because he needed to attend an important conference meeting, while Nandini stayed at home because it was her college holiday.

She picked up his coat from the sofa, and a box of cigarettes dropped from its pocket. Her face hung down in sadness, seeing the box, and she bent down to pick it up.

'He began smoking again." She murmured in a dejected tone as she stood straight and kept the box on the table.

"Please, God, show me a way to make my love alright. I just can't see him like this." She prayed.

***

In the evening, Manik returned home. When he walked into the room, Nandini was in the washroom. He took off his coat and his gaze fell on the cigarette box kept on the table; he understood that she had found out about it and guilt engulfed him.

Nandini opened the bathroom door, and her eyes widened slightly in surprise as she saw Manik kneeling at the door.

He stared at her with guilt in his eyes and clasped her hand. "I'm sorry." As he apologised, her brows furrowed in confusion, and then he pointed at the box of cigarettes kept on the table. "For this."

"Manik, I understand."

His brows arched in shock, and he asked in a disbelievable tone, "You aren't angry?"

She shook her head. "No, I'm not mad at you because of this, but I am still mad at you that you concealed your suffering from me because, if you hadn't done that, you wouldn't have needed to smoke to feel better."

"I know, and my soul was dying to tell you everything, but you had just awoken from your coma. How could I have given you stress at that time?" He explained to her.

"Okay. Now get up." She nodded, understanding him, and made him stand up by holding his shoulders.

He clasped her face and gave his words to her. "I swear, I'll never smoke after this and will never hide my pain from you, no matter what. Forgive me for the last time."

"I have already forgiven you, but if next time you do this, I'll never talk to you." She gave him a warning, pointing her finger at him.

"Never." He shook his head.

"Manik, are you alright?" She suddenly inquired him.

"Of course, I'm completely alright, Kiddo, because you're with me. No matter how horrible my life is, your presence is enough to brighten up my life. You're my sunshine, Kiddo." He engulfed her in his arms and kissed her head, and she snuggled up into his arms with a contented smile on her face.

***

At night, they were lying cuddling each other on the bed. Her head rested on his chest, and she was playing with his shirt button like a baby, and he just adored his kiddo's tiny adorable antics.

"Do you remember that we decided that we would give each other a present after our every make-out?"

As he suddenly questioned her, she instantly raised her head from his chest and answered him, "I completely forgot about it."

"But I remembered it." A smug smile spread across his face.

"Then give me my present." Her eyes sparkled with enthusiasm, and she held out her hand to him after sitting beside him.

"Close your eyes first." As he said this, she immediately closed her eyes with a huge smile on her face.

After a few seconds only, he asked her to open her eyes, and she immediately opened them with anticipation. Her brows furrowed in confusion when she saw him sitting shirtless in front of her, but soon the confusion disappeared from her face and her eyes twinkled with amazement as she noticed a new tattoo on his chest. The words 'My kiddo' and an angel holding a magic wand were inked there.

"Manik, this is a divinely beautiful tattoo." She murmured, stroking it, and he just beamed at her.

"You have always shown me the right path and brought back happiness and my parents into my life. You are truly an Angel, my Angel. I love you very very much." He confessed from the core of his heart, taking her hands in his and kissing her knuckles.

"I love you more, Manik." She rested her head on his chest and placed a soft kiss on the tattoo. He closed his eyes, embracing her, and a contented smile flashed on his face as her soft lips came in contact with his skin.

"I'll give you my gift tomorrow." She told him as they pulled apart.

"No, you don't have to because you have already given me the gift." He refused.

"What?" She asked, staring at him bemusedly.

"Your presence and your support are the most precious gift of my life at this time. Honestly, right now I want nothing else except this from you." He explained to her, entwining his fingers with hers.

"I'll always be there for you no matter what, Manik." She clasped his face and placed a tender kiss on his forehead after raising her face, and a beatific smile appeared on his face. He was extremely fortunate to have an Angel like her in his life.