PLAYING YOU (#2)

CHAPTER ELEVEN

"Why Manik?Why? Isn't this my life" Alya looked right through at him.

"This is just not your life Alya. It includes someone elses too since the day you walked right through my door and said that you were preganant." Manik raised his voice finally letting out the anger he had in himself since the day he heard those words from her.

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"For once i just can't understand that how are you so casual about it at times. How? You behave as if nothing happened at all. You behave as if our lives haven't turned around all upside down. You can ignore it and move ahead but i can't. " Manik finally voiced out his emotions.

Alya moved ahead but was stopped by Manik who took hold of a nearby chair to stable him. All this had been piling up inside of him since so long. He so wanted to shout it out to the world that his life wasn't normal as it looked a while back.

"You came at my door just before my sangeet(music and dance) function and dropped a bomb at me telling me that you were pregnant. You call that simple. Alya i was finally moving on after loving you. I was moving on into a beautiful life that i finally chose for myself with a girl like Nandini who is smart, understanding, at times sensitive but the purent soul out there." he looked at Alya whose eyes burned with fury on hearing Nandini's name and he knew this was not the important topic at this time . What was important was to tell her that he was trying to do the right thing even though it was burning him from the inside.

"I ripped that relationship, that chance off for you, for this kid we were going to have. I believed you because i had always wanted to spend my entire life with you until- But we moved past that. I made a choice and in return i just asked you to be sure and healthy for that life inside you and what are you doing here, risking your health. " Manik spoke out the truth piercing her soul but Alya knew she couldn't let him slip off from his hands so easily not after all she had done to get him back .

"Manik" Alya spoke in a soft voice while he looked up meeting her eyes. Those eyes used to give him a warm feeling but then they turned cold for him until he met a pair of new warm brown orbs that held so much love. He wanted to run upto Nandini and tell her everything. Tell her to leave hm and have a loving life because right now he was in capable of love or whatever he felt for her.

"i know i've hurt you. I know i turned your life upside down with this sudden news and i am sorry. you are right, you don't deserve this so i know what i have to do." Alya picked up her cell phone and bag and gave Manik a final look which he for sure understood and why wouldn't he they had been together for the past 5 years until she walked off.

Sensing her act Manik quickly got up and held her hand while Alya resisted, " No Manik i should have gone long ago and left you in your peaceful life. I could have taken care of this baby alone and shouldn't have disturbed you. I am sorry but now i am going to make it right. I am going to walk away like i should have." 

"Alya no. I chose you. I chose our kid. I want to keep you both safe that's it. Please." Manik held her face while she hugged him crying. I call it fake tears.

After a suffocating pacifying hug for Manik, they pulled apart and Alya played her final act,

"Let's get back home. I think the kid needs some rest." Manik gave a smile when he heard those words and he pulled open the vanity door when a bright flash almost got him blind.

Looking ahead they found a dozen of papparazi clicking pictures and asking various question

Mr. Malhotra what are you doing here with this lady?

Are you cheating on your wife?

Is she your lover?

Didnt you just got married?

What is you statement on this awkward scenario sir?

Alya looked at a baffaled Manik who knew this wasnt supposed to happen but gladly they were saved by Joe who came with a ton of security guards who swept them through the crowd and to their cars.

Alya covered her face while the paparazi ran after their car until it swept away.

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On a remorse end of the studi stood a car of victory. nandini looked at Zeke with a victorious smile until Joe walked upto them.

"Was that enough?" Joe asked them.

"More than enough." Nandini glemaed in pride.

"Thanks buddy for this help. We owe you alot.: Zeke shaked hands with Joe.

"Don't thank me bud. You've helped me and my company in the worst of times. Just a payback from our side." Joe waved them off and Zeke turned his eyes back to the winning coach.

"What say now? Ready for your act?" He raised his brows at her.

"Waiting so long for this so ofcourse i am. This is what i was talking about. Did you see their faces." Nandini exclaimed in excitement.

"I can see that on your face but damn was Alya scared." Zeke laughed.

"And the look on Manik's face, like a kid caught with candy. Damn i can live this day over and over again for that look." Nandini smiled in triump.

"But you still have some work left my girl. So ready to zoom off for your act." Zeke gave a look to his partner in crime and zoomed off to the final destination.

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Manik and Alya reached her apartment and Manik smashed her keys on the floor scaring the s**t out of her.

"How did this even happen?" Manik roared in anger.

"I made sure that nobody saw that. Nobody should have known about me. How?" Manik looked at Alya who was not less that a scared cat right now.

"I have no clue trust me. I specially asked Joe for no papparazi so that you wont find out but i think the company did that." Alya replied being scared of the monster ahead her.

"If you said no then how the f**k did this happen. Do you have any idea what your freaking dream has done to my life now. How am i supposed to face my family. How am i suppoed to face Nandini?" Manik shouted his lungs out.

"Manik i-" Alya tried to talk it out but Manik beat her to that too.

"Don't. Your stupid actions have done enough for us . Now you are going to just sit here. I am gonna call the maid for you and you are not to get out of this house. Until i make this right." Manik picked his cell phone and walked out.

Alya looked over at her phone blaring with thier newses and posts and she knew that this was just the beginning of the end of her imagined life.

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Manik reached back home and took a few minutes for himself at the door because behind that door stood a war for him.

Walking over that threshold he came face to face with a bunch of questioning eyes who had their entire focus on the news presenting infront of them on the televisison until Neyonika spotted him.

He father turned to look at him. Just one look and he knew that his father wanted answers. Mr. Malhotra walked upto him and with all his courage Manik was ready to explain it out.

"Dad i know how it looks but i-" 

Before he could verdict him out, a rough hand hit right on his cheek making him stuble back and look down. Mr Malhotra towered over him in anger after he slapped his son right infront of the other audience.

Manik moved his eyes up from the ground when his pair of orbs locked with a certain someone who mattered to him at this time more than anyone else in this room.

There sat Nandini with Neyonika on the sofa looking at him with puffy and moistened eyes.