You and I

CHAPTER 28

MANIK

She'd fallen asleep on me, literally on me, about an hour ago. But I was still here. Her head had been on my shoulder when she'd nodded off and had gradually made it's towards my chest. I had asked her that why would she assume that we would not meet. She had averted her eyes and didn't say anything. I'm guessing it has a lot to do with her being underconfident. All that she has faced in her past, they've made her underconfident and insecure. I kissed her forehead vowing that I'll replace every one of that insecurity and help her become the confident girl she was before.

I looked at the time to see it was 12. Shit. I stayed for longer than I thought I would. I know Abhi is alright if we start dating, since we haven't started anything officially, but he would lose his shit if he found me in her room this late at night. Owing, we are not yet official.

Easing out from under her, I pulled the covers up so she wouldn't get cold. Just as I was about to move away, she began wo whimper. It was soft, but it was a cry. Then she began to kick and shake her head and her whimpering got louder.

I have nightmares every night. I see my mother die over and over again.

Her words replayed in my mind. Was that what this was? I began to rub my hand up and down her arm as I assured her she was okay and I was here.

It didn't help. She kept kicking and then started moaning pitifully. Seeing her this way broke my heart. She suffered this way every night. Lost in a horror she couldn't escape. It wasn't a nightmare. Those weren't real. Those you could wake up from. This was a memory that haunted her. One she'd never wake up from.

I crawled in bed and lay behind her, wrapping me hands around her and pulling her against my chest. I kept whispering in her ear, that I was here. That she was in my arms and I wasn't leaving her. That she'd be okay.

Slowly she began to ease. She quit kicking and her terrified sounds stopped. Then her fingers wrapped firmly around my arm. She wasn't letting me go. Even in her sleep, she knew I was here, and she was keeping me close.

That felt good. She'd been my rock and source of peace, but I was never one for her. I thought she didn't need me the way I did, that she'd lived her hell alone and survived. But in reality, she was still living it, and I would do all that I could to help her with it. To release her from this. Hold on to her so that she never felt lost.

Someone was jerking my body back and forth. Groggily, I opened my eyes to see why. It was still dark out. I blinked and looked down to see Nandini had turned and now was facing me, tucked in close to my body.

A hand on my arm tightened. Apparently, I hadn't woken up on my own. I looked up to see Abhi scowling at me.

"What. The. Fuck," he growled. "What in the hell are you doing in her room?" He was keeping his voice down, which was good. Abhi I could handle, but Rajiv Uncle would kill me.

"I just came over to see her since she left right after the game. I was just talking to her when she fell asleep on me. When I was going to get out, she started having a nightmare. I helped her with it and unknowingly went to sleep. That's it. And even if it wasn't it is none of your damn business. Remember, you gave me your 'blessings'," I said, air-coating blessings.

He calmed down a bit. "It's just that, you guys aren't official yet. Even if I would understand it, but I don't think Mom Dad will. And Dad is more protective over her. They trust you with her Manik. They know you wouldn't do anything wrong with her, but still. They don't want her to get hurt in any way. Dad doesn't have a slight clue that you guys may feel something for each other. He just thinks that you're her friend, whose going through a rough phase, and she's helping you with that. Thank God, I was the one who saw your car right now, if Dad saw it during his morning walk, you know he would lose his shit right?"