The Girl He Was Paid to Forget
you can't escape this
The morning air hung heavy in the mansion, thick with all the unsaid things. Nidhi walked into Manav’s room like she did every day now—expression blank, footsteps steady, holding his coffee in hand.
She placed the cup on the table beside him and turned to leave.
The calm in his voice was deceptive.
manav kapoor
“Do you hate me that much?” he asked, not looking up from the file in his hand.
manav kapoor
“Or are you just scared of how I feel?”
nidhi shrma
She turned slowly, her eyes cold but tired. “I’m not scared of your feelings. I just don’t care for them.”
Manav shut the file with a snap and looked at her, smirking bitterly.
manav kapoor
“You can keep lying to me, Nidhi. But don’t lie to yourself.”
manav kapoor
“Then why do you tremble every time I’m close?”
He asked, rising to his feet. He stepped forward, slowly.
manav kapoor
“Why do you hold your breath when I speak like this?”
He reached out and gently caught her wrist—nothing forceful, but enough to stop her.
manav kapoor
“Why do you run away if you’re not affected?”
She pulled her hand free.
nidhi shrma
“Because you’re turning into something I don’t recognize. That’s what scares me.”
He stepped back, jaw tight.
manav kapoor
“You keep acting like you don’t feel anything. You really want to hurt me like that?”
nidhi shrma
“No,” she whispered. “But if that’s the only way to keep you away… then yes.”
She turned and left the room—this time faster than before.
As the door shut behind her, Nidhi leaned against the wall, her breath shaky, heart pounding in her chest like a siren.
nidhi shrma
("This is getting out of my hands.")
Her fingers curled into a fist.
nidhi shrma
("He’s not the Manav I used to know. He’s watching everything, reading everything—every breath, every blink. It's not just love… it’s control.")
nidhi shrma
("And if I stay here any longer, I don’t know what else he’s capable of.")
Nidhi straightened her spine, trying to hide the shaking in her limbs as a maid passed by.
nidhi shrma
"I need to leave. I have to. Before this turns into something I can’t fix."
But deep down, she already knew.
It already had.
Midday Scene – The Decision
Manav stood by the window for a long time, the untouched coffee still on the table, steam fading.
Later that afternoon, a black sedan pulled into the Kapoor estate, drawing the guard’s attention. A man in his late 30s stepped out—neatly dressed in a formal shirt, carrying a leather folder, and walking with sharp precision.
The security guard approached with a cautious glance.
security guard
“Yes? Who are you?”
Mr gupta
“Mr. Gupta. Manav sir hired me for some personal matters. I’ll be around for a while.”
security guard
The guard frowned. “We didn’t receive any message about this.”
Without a flinch, Mr. Gupta handed over a sealed envelope. Inside was an official letter on Kapoor Industries’ letterhead, already signed.
And just in case, he pulled out his phone, calmly displaying a short message from Manav:
“Let him in. He’s with me.”
security guard
The guard scanned it, then stepped aside. “Alright. You can go in.”
Mr. Gupta gave a nod, his voice low and even.
Mr gupta
“Thank you. I know the way.”
As he walked through the grand doors, his eyes scanned every corner of the estate, taking mental notes.
They really don’t know anything.
By evening, Mr. Gupta was no longer just a stranger in the house. He had already familiarized himself with the layout, the routine of the staff, and—most importantly—Nidhi’s daily movements.
From the balcony, he noted her time in the garden. At lunch, he lingered in the shadows near the corridor she crossed. Every detail was stored with a near-mechanical precision.
He didn’t interfere. Not yet.
But he was always there. Watching.
And Manav’s words rang clear in his mind:
“If she tries to leave… stop her.”
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