Upside Down: A MaNan Marriage

14: Nandini

I don't want him to like me or even take the effort to get to know me. I hate him just like he hates me, but did he just call me his servant? And the way he treated me in the kitchen is not something that I can ever forget or even forgive. He is a monster, the most terrible version of a monster. Sometimes he comes across like he cares, but this... this... is his true side. I had tears in my eyes when I began unpacking my belongings. How am I going to live with this monster for one year? Should I stay away and live a separate life not considering the fact that he stays in the same house? Or should I be the perfect servant or "spot girl" as his girlfriend called it? Even if I chose to stay away he keeps reminding me that we have to share the same roof just like the incident in the kitchen when he manhandled me. I finished dumping my clothes into the walk in closet in my room as I was in no mood to arrange them neatly after the night I had. With tears in my eyes, I started to doze off. Then suddenly I jolted awake by a horrific thought. What if he kills me while I am sleeping? He can get away with murder with the kind of resources he has! My head hurt with all those thoughts. I looked around and it was dark, I took my phone and saw that  it was only 3:30 AM. I searched in  the mess I made unpacking and took out my medicine box to find a paracetamol to ease my head ache. In the hurry of packing, I brought the wrong medications. My Amms had a prescription for sleeping pills, and I held on to them to keep track of her dosage. I brought them here instead of my pain killers! All because of the monster I forgot to bring painkiller. And what will Ams do without these?... Why don't I take one and sleep tonight? I was too scared of the possibility that he would murder me when I am sleeping, so I went to the bathroom and had a shower in cold water. I tiptoed to the other room and peeped in to see him sleeping on his bed. I was unable to sleep because of him and look at him, sleeping so peacefully. Monster Manik! Just as I exited his room I remembered what he told his girlfriend when they were ahem...ahem.. about to do the deed. (I hope she doesn't come and I don't have to hear them in the process of having a good time... Yuck!). He told her that he had an important conference call today and that he was going to prepare for it. Mr. Malhotra you will attend no such conference call as long as your wife, no... your "spot girl" is there to serve you.

It was getting brighter so I decided to make some breakfast and coffee for the two of us. Poor guy has a conference call to attend at 7AM right! I went to the kitchen at around 4AM. I had a lot of time before the time I expected him to wake up for the call. The kitchen was very well organized. All the necessary spices, lentils and other dry items were neatly stocked in the store room that was attached to the kitchen. I saw some atta, so I decided to make poori and aloo. I finished the process of mixing the flour, frying the pooris and making the aloo subji before 6AM when I heard him walk out of his room. I quickly made 2 cups of coffee and set the smaller dining table up for the two of us. He wiped his eyes and saw the table again.

"You made this for me?" he asked me surprised by the breakfast on the table. "I overheard you mentioning that you had a conference at 7. How can you work on an empty stomach. So, I made this for you." I told him with a (fake) smile on my face.
"Thank you," he said and sat on one of the chairs of the 4 seats and I stood to serve him, you know being a good spot/wife. "You can eat too." He said very sweetly. Maybe he didn't mean those words he told his girlfriend yesterday? But what about the way he treated me before that! He deserves what is about to happen to him. I sat down and served myself some poori and aloo. "Did you sleep well? Why does he care, he treat me like I am crap and then he is now "concerned" about my wellbeing. He has to know that I am not his servant and will never be his wife. Finally, he took a sip from his coffee that contained a sleeping pill that I had added earlier. "You don't have to cook. I have a cook who starts work today." He told me. "Ok." I said. He left with his coffee mug and the newspaper. He did have enough sips of the coffee for my plan to work, so I was satisfied but also guilty. I have never done anything to harm anyone, thats not how my Amms brought me up, but I do not know any other way to protect myself from the unpredictable monster I am staying with.

I decided to explore the apartment, so after washing the dishes I went to the second living room. It was cozy and warm and was decorated with shades of red and black. I had seen the other living room,the kitchen and my room so I didn't go there again. I went to the study room that was located adjacent to the living room that I sat in when discussing the divorce paper and my name change with Manik's lawyer. It was simple and had everything I would expect to see in a study room. Some books, papers, a desk, a desktop computer etc. The room had a glass door, so it could be viewed from the hall. The main hall had a beautiful and probably expensive channeller hanging from above. I noticed a fleet of stairs leading to another level. Thats when I remembered his condition "... do not go to the store room on the top floor. It is out of bounds for you and will remain locked throughout your stay here."  He only banned me from entering the store room, there might be other rooms upstairs. So, I walked up the stairs and saw another study room, this one was open and had no doors. It was also a lot smaller than the study downstairs. I also saw a closed door. It was locked, so I assumed it was the store room he was talking about. I bent down to see through the gap of the door, but all I could see was dust. It hadn't been swept for days compared to how spick and span the rest of the apartment was. I checked the time on my watch and it was 8AM. There was no sign of him, so I went down, took my TC and other certificates and went out of the house with my set of keys.

I went to the business school of my choice but they denied me admission because the seats were full. They had only seats for recommendation students and not those who were seeking admission based on pure merit. I decided to use my Manik Malhotra card which I never wanted to use. "I am related to Manik Malhotra, the owner of Malhotra Industries. You can call Soha Khurana who arranged for my TC and find out." I said to the registrar of S.P.A.C.E Academy. "Oh sorry ma'am. I didnt know you were related to our trustee Mrs. Nyonika Malhotra ma'am and her son."  she replied a little scared that I would complain to her boss. So, I am going to study in an institution run by the Malhotra's, just when I thought things couldn't get any worse. Arghh!

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So, "spot" Nandini is not a dainty girl who cannot handle herself. And,  this was Nyonika's entry in the story!
Hope you liked this long chapter. Will post the next chapter after a gap as this one is longer than usual.