19

Manik

"Why am I not happy? I succeeded in destroying them. So, why am I not content with it?" I bang on the table, flinging the paperweight across the room.

The paperweight hit the mirror on the wall, shattering it into pieces.

Walking toward it, I stood before those pieces and looked at my angry face reflecting through the mirror.

As per my plan, the international clients canceled their deal with Raghav's company, due to which it went bankrupt. Initially, I had planned to take over the company, but later I changed my mind, not wanting to take any part of Raghav's life.

After destroying him, I wanted to cut him off entirely from my life, which is what I did. I completely ghosted him, neither receiving his calls nor replying to his texts. I also told the guards at home and office never to let Raghav enter any of those premises again.

I only sent him one text after the news of his bankruptcy went public.

"Manik Sisodiya always pays his dues."

That one text was enough to make Raghav realize who destroyed him and why.

After that, there were no more texts or calls from Raghav.

Then, a week back, another company took it over, and Raghav is now just an employee in that company-all his dedication and hard work in the hands of others.

And Myra, well, as I expected, left Raghav when she heard the news of his bankruptcy. I still remember when she came running to me a few days back, telling me how terribly she missed me.

"Manik, I never loved Raghav. He seduced me in that hotel room," Myra said, tears pouring out her eyes.

'Fake tears,' I thought, looking at Myra in disgust.

"Oh, really? Ok, let's assume that's true for a moment," I said, walking toward her. "But please tell me, what the fuck were you doing with him in a hotel room in the first place? Actually, this is the same hotel room. Do you remember?"

I specifically booked this hotel room and called her here because I wanted to end everything in the place where the betrayal started.

Myra frowned for a few seconds, looking around the room, and gasped when the realization hit her. She then looked at me and gulped, peering at my stern face. "H..he sent me a text, Manik. The text said you passed out while drinking and were unconscious in the room. So, worrying about you, I quickly went to that hotel and that room."

"Do you really think I am that dumb? Or are you that dumb to think I would believe your lies?" I asked her.

I simply could not believe she was the girl I loved at one point. 'How blind was I to not see through her fakeness?'

"Please believe me, Manik. I am telling the truth. Please," she whined, and I closed his eyes in irritation.

Suddenly Nandini's face flashed beneath my closed eyelids, and I thought about how dignified she was-never complaining about what happened to her-never compromising her self-respect.

'Nandini is so different.' I smiled at the thought, but my eyes widened the very next moment.

'Why am I thinking about Nandini?' I shook my head to clear my thoughts. I needed to deal with Myra first.

"Hmm, when I opened the door that day, I saw you sitting on his lap and kissing him. So, tell me, Myra, were you doing that because you were 'worried' about me?" I taunted her. "Was it your love for me that prompted you to jump onto another man's lap?"

She bit her lips and looked at me tearily. "Manik, I admit I was bored for some time. We had been together for almost a year, and everything was getting monotonous for me. So, I agreed to be with Raghav when he expressed his feelings for me. But at the back of my mind, I knew I loved only you. I was with Raghav, but I never forgot about you."

Each word out of her mouth made disgust rise within me. I was also disgusted at myself for burning in rage and revenge for this girl. She was not worth it. Not even a bit.

I took a deep breath to control my anger.

I didn't want to get it to the extent of slapping her because no matter how much she deserved it, I would never hit a girl.

"Just get out of here, Myra. Get out and never show me your face again," I told her, but she shook her head vehemently.

"No, Manik, please. You can't push me out of your life. I know you did everything to get me back, didn't you? You destroyed Raghav to bring me back into your life. And see, here I am. We can now go back to being the happy couple." Myra smiled at me and started walking closer to me.

At this moment, I almost felt bad for Raghav. That man betrayed his best friend for this girl who did not think twice before leaving him in his crisis and running to the arms of another man.

"I destroyed Raghav because he betrayed me. I knew you would leave him after learning he would be unable to fulfill your expensive needs. After all, I know how big a gold-digger you are.

"Also, you became nothing to me the moment I saw you with him in that hotel room. So, Ms. Myra, you can get down from your high horse, thinking I did all this to get you back. After what you did, I do not even want to see your face, let alone take you back in my life," I said and felt a smidge of satisfaction as I saw her crestfallen face.

"No. You can't do this to me, Manik. You love me." Myra tried again, but my patience was over.

"No, Myra. Hatred and disgust are the only feelings I have left for you now. Also, I am married now. So, I can never be yours," I said, and opening the door, I walked out, ignoring her pleas to take her back into my life.

I sigh and sit on the chair in the corner of the room.

I thought I would be satisfied after destroying Raghav and separating him from Myra.

I thought I would be content throwing Myra out of my life after she came crawling back to me.

But I don't feel those things. If anything, after succeeding in my plan, the thirst for revenge has gone, now replaced by the niggling guilt.

"Nandini," I whispered, the source of my guilt.

***********

Third Person's POV

Nandini was sitting on the couch in Manik's room, reading a book.

'Finally, the weekend is here.' She thought, remembering how hectic the last two weeks had been.

With Manik's company signing a new deal with Ajay Khanna, there had been too much to do. And to top that, the preparations for next month's party made everyone's schedule tight.

After the deal with Khanna Group of Industries was finalized and officially signed, Manik and Samrat announced this party because of the company's colossal profit this calendar year.

"Coffee?" Nandini frowned, hearing Manik's voice, and when she looked up, she saw him standing in front of her with two cups of coffee in his hand.

"I was making coffee for myself. So, I thought to make it for you too," Manik explained and handed a cup to Nandini.

With the cup in her hand, Nandini gave a small smile to Manik, looking down to read her book when he sat beside her.

She had hoped he would leave after handing her the coffee, but the way he looked at her, it seemed he wanted to talk with her.

Still, she did not say anything. She waited to hear what he had to say.

A kind of hesitation has seeped between them after everything that happened. From her telling about her past to Manik to him realizing his faults and apologizing, they came a long way. But after all that, they have been stuck in that same place.

Since their marriage, his sharp tongue and her comebacks fueled their conversations. So, now, without those things, they are finding it difficult to interact with each other.

"I make a good coffee," Manik started speaking. "You can ask Mom and Dad. They always rave about my coffee."

Nandini took a sip of coffee and found it was indeed true-the perfect mixture of foam and cream with adequate bitterness and only a hint of sweetness.

'It is exactly how I like my coffee,' Nandini thought.

"This is good. Thank you." Smiling politely at Manik, Nandini kept the coffee on the table. Then, turning the page of her book, she resumed reading.

"How do you do it, Nandini?" Manik asked, and Nandini frowned at his question.

"Do what? Read? Well, I went to school, and teachers there taught me how to read," Nandini answered, finding Manik's question weird.

Manik shook his head when he heard Nandini. "No. I was not asking about how you learned to read. I was asking how do you be like this?"

Nandini narrowed her eyes at Manik, not understanding what he was talking about.

"I don't understand. What are you talking about?" Nandini asked, now keeping the book on the table.

Sipping his coffee, Manik thought about how to broach the topic with Nandini. He knows what he is going to talk about will hurt her, but he needs to know.

Looking at Manik's thoughtful face, Nandini sat straight on the couch. It felt like he wanted to talk about something serious.

"You were mistreated by your parents all your life," Manik began and noticed Nandini stiffen at his words.

"If you are uncomfortable-" he was saying but was interrupted by Nandini.

"No, it's ok. Go on, please." She wanted to hear what he had to say.

"You felt unwanted all your life because of how your parents treated you. And on our wedding night, I also told you I would never accept you as my wife. But you never complained. When you talked about your past, you never said you hated your parents for what they did. Also, you don't seem angry with me when you should be after what I did with you.

"Don't you feel like wanting to take revenge from everyone who hurt you? Don't you feel you will be happier if you hurt everyone who wronged you?" Manik asked Nandini.

"Why are you suddenly asking this question?" Nandini looked at Manik questioningly instead of answering his question.

"Two people, who were close to my heart at one point, betrayed me. So, burning in my rage, I plotted a plan for revenge against them. And I recently was successful in it too.

"I used to think breaking them would bring me the peace and happiness they snatched from me. But now I feel like I was wrong. Because even after being successful in my plan, I don't feel happy. Instead, I am burning in guilt for those who bore the brunt of my revenge." Manik looked intensely at Nandini as he said that.

"Am I one of those who bore the brunt? Was marrying me also a part of that plan?" Nandini wanted to confirm what she deciphered by Manik's look.

"Yes." Manik sighed, rubbing his face with his hands.

He looked at Nandini again after a few seconds. After everything he did, it is now the time to tell her the reason behind it.