the devil's star (Completed)

chapter 11- karwachauth

Recap-
Today is karwachauth, pari wakes up early to eat her food and water. Manik comes down to prepare his protein shake when he sees pari.
He also notices a faint scar on her waist but pari is quick enough to hide it. Manik doesn't remember today is karwachauth.
Nandu remembers how manik married her when they were children.

And you know one secret, I still have the string that he made me wear as the mangalsutra.

"But now I wear it as a waist chain. I don't know why manik didn't notice that. God. I hope that guy isn't blind. Wait. If he would have been blind, he couldn't see me. God I am getting stupid."

*MANIK'S POV*
I have been working out for 1 hour now but I still can't make pari go out of my head. I know I have grown a soft spot for her.

I don't want to get close to her. See the deal is, we have to be at least be together for 6 months and I can't divorce her. But she can.

A smirk came to my lips as I thought thr plan to make her divorce me.

I quickly did my rest of the workout and went to go take a shower.

After the shower

I came out of the shower and saw my clothes neatly kept on the table along with my black coffee on the side table.

I got angry and was about to shout at pari for touching my things without my knowledge when suddenly I saw baby nannu in front of me.

I was shocked. How can she be here. That too she looked 14. The age I last saw her at.

She looked at me and smiled and said "don't do this my mani. Not now."

I closed my eyes and shook my head from left to right. I opened my eyes and saw no one. This is the first time I have hallucinated about her.

Going by jaan's order, even though it was a hallucination, I won't deny her.

I quickly changed into the clothes pari had left for me and took a sip of my coffee.

I was now trying to tie my tie which I couldn't. What? Don't laugh at me. I had always mom o4 nannu beside me. Now none of them are here.

I was busy trying to tie thr stupid tie when I heard a knock on the door. I looked at the door  and saw pari there.

I raised my one eyebrow as if asking her what. She pointed towards my tie and said "may I? If you don't mind?"

I was about to say know when suddenly again 14 year old jaan came to my mind and softly nodded her head no.

I sighed and nodded my head in yes. She came up to me and stood on her tip toes to my tie.

After she was done she smiled proudly looking at the tie.

I was awestruck. This is the first time I saw her smile. God her smile is so beautiful.

As If sensing my gaze, she looked up at me and blushed a deep red and went outside.

Suddenly a sense of deja vu hit me.

FLASHBACK
NANDU IS 14 AND MANIK IS 18 (TWO DAYS BEFORE HE HAS TO LEAVE WITH HIS MOM)

I had brought my baby for a sleepover to my house. She came yesterday and currently she is cuddled up beside me.

Being the next mafia king in line, you have to sleep with one eye open. You can never trust your surroundings.

Mom had gone to London and I'll join her day after Tomorrow.

I am watching my baby sleep peacefully when my alarm rang, my cue to hit the gym.

With a kiss on her forehead,  I went out for my workout.

---×---

I had now showered and when I came out I saw my clothes neatly kept on bed with my coffee on the side.

I quickly changed and had my coffee and now I was trying to tie my tie.

I huffed annoyed and then I felt two small hands on my tie and tieing the tie properly.

I smiled when I saw who it was and kissed jaan on her forehead. She blushed a deep red and tried running outside when I pinned her to the bed and started showering her face with my kisses.

FLASHBACK ENDS
I was snapped out of my thoughts with pari calling me. I turned my attention towards her and said a what.

She looked up at me and said softly "breakfast is ready."

I was again getting lost in her eyes so I closed my eyes and cleared my throat and said "okay now listen. There are some rules you need to follow."

She nodded her head as if encouraging me to go on.

I looked coldly in her eyes and said "1. You have to call me Mr. Malhotra.

2. You will be sleeping to the room next to Mine and would never come to my room unless said otherwise.

3. You'll have to make food of all the 3 times, I.e. breakfast, lunch and dinner.

And yeah you have to clean the house too. Now go. Start working."

She smiled a small sad smile and said "as you say Mr. Malhotra." And with that she left.

*NANDINI'S POV*
I knew this was coming so I wasn't surprised. I had already made breakfast for him. I have also done all thr preparations for lunch. So now I am left with cleaning the house.

I quickly tucked the pallu of my saree to my stomach and started cleaning.

----×------

It was now time to break my fast. Cleaning and all wasn't a big deal for me because that is what pretty much I did in my previous home.

I am also feeling very weak. Doctor had asked Me to take rest but I couldn't skip my fast.

After doing thr puja I went to the terrace with the puja ki thaal in my hand and lucky enough for me, manik was there looking at the moon.

I quickly saw him with my channi without letting him no and was about to take a sip of water when I was harshly turned around to see manik with anger and worry in his eyes.

He looked at me and said "why didn't you tell me today you had fast, tell me pari! You're still weak."

I couldn't register what he said, black dots started appearing in front of my eyes and the alst thing I felt was two strong arms preventing me from falling.