Naina and Manik remained in the cabin until Manik broke the silence, ordering her to get him a coffee. Without a word, Naina turned and left the cabin.
As she reached the elevator, Vikram stopped her. "Manik Sir said you are not to use the elevator," he stated flatly. Naina was taken aback. How was she supposed to manage? She had to walk from the 15th Floor down to the 10th Floor where the kitchen canteen was located, and then back up, all by the stairs, just to make coffee. She finally returned to Manik's cabin, coffee cup in hand, and presented it to him. Manik took a sip, grimaced, and rejected it, demanding she make it again. Naina didn't argue; she simply left. Manik watched her go, a devilish smile playing on his lips. He wanted Naina to suffer.
The cycle continued. Naina made almost twenty to thirty cups of coffee, each one rejected by Manik. She was utterly exhausted from the constant running up and down the stairs.
It was long past the lunch hour, and Naina hadn't eaten. Manik finally called her back to his cabin and assigned her a daunting task: arranging a bulk of files. This took her nearly two hours. While she worked, Manik ordered his own lunch. Once the file arrangement was complete, Naina presented the stacks of organized documents. Manik looked at her and, with a subtle shift in tone, told her, "Have some lunch. You'll need the energy to tolerate my punishment." Naina ate quickly, sitting on the sofa nearby as he watched.
After lunch, Manik piled more tasks onto her already exhausted state. They finally left the office close to 9 PM.
Once home, they quickly got fresh and had dinner around 11 PM. Manik sent Naina to the bedroom to sleep, while he retired to his study until 1 AM.
When Manik eventually returned to the bedroom at 1 AM, he found Naina sleeping on the sofa. He walked over, studied her face for a quiet moment, then simply went to the bed and fell asleep.
For the next few months, this pattern became Naina's life. Manik tortured her relentlessly at the office-endless rejected coffees, impossible organizational tasks, and the constant humiliation of being watched by the staff. At night, Manik would sometimes be intimate with her, a cold, possessive intimacy that felt like another form of torture. Naina was slowly being drained, becoming a silent robot, losing her inner self bit by bit.
The Revelation
One afternoon at the office, Manik told Naina that they would be attending an event. Naina was surprised-why was Manik taking her to a party? She simply said yes and returned to the work he had assigned.
In the evening, Manik gave Naina a black saree to wear. Unfamiliar with how to wear one, she went to him for help. She wore the blouse and the petticoat, and when she came out, she looked breathtakingly beautiful. Manik stood staring at her. Naina stood awkwardly before him. Manik stepped closer and began helping her drape the saree, his hands moving professionally yet intimately across her body.
They arrived at the event, which was arranged by Manik, around 8 PM, accompanied by Vikram. While Manik engaged with his business partners, he noticed some guests hadn't had drinks. He called a waiter, took the tray of drinks, and then looked at Naina, who was standing nearby. He gave her the tray and ordered her, "Serve our guests who don't have drinks."
Manik gave her that familiar devilish smile. Naina hesitated, knowing what this meant, but she took the tray and began serving the businessmen. The men watched her with lecherous gazes, some even touching her inappropriately, making Naina deeply uncomfortable. She felt like a display, a trophy, and a servant all at once. Inside, she was crying, questioning why Manik was torturing her so brutally.
Across the room, Manik was watching her with that same cold smile. Vikram approached him, concern etched on his face. "Sir, we need to stop this," he urged.
Manik's smile hardened. "She deserves it," he said, repeating the thought that had justified his actions for months: "She deceived that 'She love me'." Vikram looked down, feeling immense guilt.
A few minutes later, as Naina was still serving, Manik forced her to dance with him. Naina looked at him, her eyes completely devoid of emotion. Manik, however, was seeing her with a flicker of something he couldn't name-an emotion he couldn't control. Overwhelmed, he abruptly pushed her. Naina fell to the ground. She watched him storm out of the event, her gaze fixed on the door long after he was gone. Then, she picked herself up and left the event.
Naina walked through the street in heavy rain, lost in thoughts of her happy past and her horrifying present. Why was Manik torturing her?
As she walked, some goons emerged from the shadows, surrounding her and reaching out to touch her. Naina snapped out of her daze. She saw the men, screamed, and started running.
The Rescue
At that same moment, Manik was not searching for Naina; he was at the Simran Villa. He walked through the greetings of the servants and entered a specific room. There, connected to hospital machinery, lay a girl in a coma. This was Simran. Manik went to her side, his voice cracking with emotion. "When will you wake up?" he whispered, touching her pale hand. "The one who hurt you is paying the price now for putting you in this state." He then lay down next to Simran, staring at her face.
His phone rang-it was Vikram. "Sir, Naina is missing."
Manik immediately forgot everything else. He jumped up and raced out, relentlessly searching for Naina.
Meanwhile, Naina was running desperately, constantly looking back at the pursuing goons. She stumbled over a stone and fell, crying, convinced her life was cursed. The goons closed in, one of them reaching out to touch her shoulder and pull away her saree's pallu.
Just then, bright car lights flooded the street. Naina and the goons shielded their eyes as several cars surrounded them. In moments, the goons were lying on the ground, each with a bullet hole in his head.
Naina stood up, trembling, but her pallu remained on the ground, revealing her shoulder. This sight instantly enraged Manik, who had emerged from a car. He ordered the driver to shut off the lights. He then came to Naina, picked up her pallu, and carefully covered her with it before lifting her into his arms.
In the car, Manik held her. Naina was silent, staring blankly out the window.
They reached the villa, and Manik carried her straight to his bedroom. He took her to the bathroom, gently cleaning the dirt and grime from her. Naina remained completely silent, staring emotionlessly at the wall. Manik carried her back out and placed her in the bed. Neither of them spoke again. They simply went to sleep.