Celebrity Castaway | COMPLETE | MaNan Fiction

1| The End

A/N : Hello readers, I feel immensely fortunate to present before you, one more MaNan tale of love. This story is my attempt at showing the mirror on how all things glamourous aren't worthy; on how love is indeed priceless and the most worthy possession of ones' life.

This is a tale of love, a story of dreams, a story of faith and a story of betrayal too. A story of how love conquers all, in a slice of life. 

This first chapter is dedicated to my reader @Heirof_slytherin- for her birthday on October 5. Wishing you a very happy birthday in advance, and I hope you like this chapter :)

Now the wait is over!

Happy Reading! :)

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The Present

"So, this is it, I suppose, Manik.." she whispered, looking down. Her eyes were teary, expression crestfallen, although she tried her best to stay strong & hold onto whatever little bit of grace she was left with.

"Trust me, this is for the better, Nandini" he whispered back, holding her hands, and caressing them lightly.

"How can this be for the better, Manik?" she whispered almost to herself, but he heard her.

"We have been through this so many times, Nandini. It is for the better because we both deserve to be happy.." this time he sounded impatient & Nandini caught on to that. She sighed, but nodded in understanding, like she had done on all the occasions when Manik & she discussed this.

"I shall get going then." Nandini whispered, trying very hard to not choke on her tears. "..and all the best, Manik. I hope you find all the happiness you're looking for, this time around. I will miss you."

"I wish you all the happiness too, Nandini. You are a good woman, you deserve it. Also, one last piece of advice, this time around, don't agree to marry just about anyone, just because your Aams finds him suitable for you; listen to your own heart. And I will miss you too." Manik smiled gently, looking at her, before hugging her briefly & departing from the premises of the family court at Bandra; leaving a distraught, disconnected, broken & now divorced Nandini behind.

Their marriage of two years was officially over today.

It had to be over, right? Nandini thought to herself. The circumstances that led to their marriage, screamed of only one outcome, a divorce; but they got married anyway. She was of course compelled by an ageing grandmother who feared leaving her orphaned grand-daughter alone & family-less, if she passed away before getting her married; and Manik?

The Past

Manik was a superstar, born to a family of acting royalty. His father was a superstar of his time, his mother was a veteran actress before she married his father; even his grandfather & great grandfather were acting legends of the country. His grandmother, Asha Devi was a singer of the highest calibre, who'd gone on to be known as the nightingale of India at her time! Basically, everyone in their family was either dedicated to the fine craft of acting or behind the cameras & were eminent by their own rights. Manik Malhotra - a star, an icon, a business billionaire by birth, but Manik had one problem, despite all this, he still belonged to a conservative patriarchal Punjabi family.

The Malhotra's were known for the charm, the good looks, the acting & the larger than life image, but what they were never known for in all these generations, was scandal. Ranvijay Malhotra of the 50s was a super star & won the heart of the whole nation, but his reputation was squeaky clean, so was his son Shamsher Malhotra's who ruled the early 70s up till the late 80s; then came Manik's father, the legendary Shrikant Malhotra, ruling the box office from the early 90s until a decade or so back, maintaining the same track & now the mantle was passed onto Manik Malhotra. He was the Malhotra scion by every right. He was a terrific actor & entertainer, a people's person, the heart throb of the whole nation, but the only place he stumbled upon was reputation, thanks to Innaya Forbes, the half-English half-Kashmiri supermodel who took the fashion world by frenzy in the last few years & reached the top like it was a cake walk.