Manzil Pyaar Ki (COMPLETE)

Chapter 10

"Listen Manik, I will be late at home so don't wait for me." Cabir said.
"Ya ok, it's fine. See you later I guess." Manik spoke disinterestedly.
Cabir and Navya when for their date while others unaware of it went to their hostel or apartments.

It was 6:30 when Nandani rang the doorbell at Cabir's apartment. Manik though it was Cabir and opened the door, "where have you been man, it's......." He stopped as soon as he saw Nandani. "What are you doing here? What do you want? Look Cabir is not here so you can go."
Nandani then called Cabir and asked him whether she should cook or not. And he asked her to prepare food as he will have dinner at his house. Nandani then pushed Manik aside and entered his apartment.
"What the hell man and why are you making dinner at my house?" Manik yelled.
"Have you already forgotten what Cabir asked for? He wanted me to make dinner at "his" house for 7 days so here I am.."
"Forget it, do whatever you have to and please LEAVE this house as soon as possible."
"Ya whatever."
Nandani placed her bag on the sofa and moved towards the kitchen. While Manik went to sit in the balcony. Nandani looked in the fridge and found only fruits and milk so she decided to make rice and dal and also fruit salad. While doing the preparation, Nandani heard a phone ringing. She thought it was Manik's so did not react. But the phone kept on ringing and nobody answered it. So she went looking for the phone and she found it on the table in the sitting room. "It's his mother, couldn't he hear the ring....whatever let me give it to him."
She walked in the balcony towards Manik and handed her the phone. But he looked away leaving Nandani in a surprise. "It's your mothers call. Pick it up she will be worried."
"Listen, leave the phone on the table and let it ring."
Nandani got angry and decided to pick the call and put it on speaker.
"Oh so finally you got time to pick my call," shouted his mother. Manik was shocked at what Nandani did. He tried to grab the phone from her hand but she ran inside. Manik ran after her to get his phone but making sure he never spoke a word.
"You are the biggest burden in my life, I curse the day you entered my life." His mother said.
Nandani stopped running as she was surprised as how can a mother say such words to her son. Manik was hurt beyond his limits. He froze on his spot and looked down trying to absorb the words that came from his very own mother.
"Why can't you just bloody accept the cheque that I send you. What do you want to prove to Mr Malhotra? That I don't take care of you? So that he cut offs all the support to my company?  Don't think your father loves you, if he did he wouldn't have left you to me! Are you even listening to a god damm thing? Hello.....hello.....hello." And she disconnected the call.
Nandani was too scared to look at Manik. She was too scared as she herself couldn't believe that it was his mother on the call. She was scared as she herself was losing it. Her eyes welled up with tears. She cursed herself for accepting the call. But she turned around and looked at Manik as he needed someone more than her at that moment.
Manik was just staring at the floor with no emotion. Nandani walked towards him, "Manik.......I am so sorry, I....."
"Please leave me alone." Manik said calmly.
"Manik I am there. You can talk....."
"Get out Nandani, I will end up hurting you. Please for god sake leave-me-alone." Manik's anger now rose as he spoke the last sentence.
Nandani was terrified to see Manik's condition. She saw the same pain in his eyes that she saw that day in the library, the same pain she saw during when they played truth and dare. That time he hide it with his laughter and a lie, but this time he again was trying to hide it behind his anger.
"I won't leave." A horrified Nandani said as she knew that if she left then Manik will end up harming himself.
Manik angrily took his phone from her hands and threw it on the floor scaring the life out of Nandani as she thought he was going to hit her. She closed her eyes out of fear. Manik saw the fear on her face. He didn't want to hurt her so he looked away and asked her to leave.
Nandani realised she was safe and opened her eyes to find Manik standing in front of her with his back towards her. "Do you know why it hurts so much? Because you keep it all within yourself. Because instead of facing it you are running away from it. I don't know what the problem is. But I know one thing and  is that you are not so week to let someone else do this to you. Even if she is your mother...."
"She is not my mother." Manik's screamed as he turned back and held Nandani's shoulders. "How can she be my mother. Have you ever seen a mother being so cruel to his one and only son! Have you seen a mother who forced his son to leave behind all his dream and send him into a place that is so dark that he can't even hope for a ray of light! I wanted to go to Australia as I got accepted into a music school but Nyonika had other plans for me so she forced me to come here. After that I left my music forever. I am blessed with parents but I wish I was an orphan. I hate her Nandani....I hate her. Despite whatever she did to me, I always had hope that one day she will shower me with her affection but that day when I saw her with him in her bed. I wish I died before I saw her like that with him." Manik started with anger and eventually fell on his knees as he finished. He hid his face with his palms trying to hide the tears that he wanted to shred since so many years but he never could. Nandani kneeled in front of him and cupped his face. "Don't hide these tears. Let them flow out of you so that they stop troubling you and make peace with yourself." They both shared an emotional eye lock. Manik's tears didn't stop flowing while Nandani stayed strong as he needed her. He suddenly hugged her tightly. So tight that no one cloud break them apart. Nandani was feeling uneasy but didn't say anything as she wanted to let Manik know that she will always be there for him no matter what. Manik sobbed hard but he was calming down and eventually stopped and pulled out from the hug. There was awkwardness between them. So much that they couldn't see eye to eye. Manik looked away when he saw her shoulders.
"Shit, did I do this. I am so sorry. I was....."Manik apologetically said when Nandani interrupted. 
"It's ok. It's not hurting........are you ok?"
Manik then got up and faced the other side while he said, "listen I have never shared this with anyone, not even Cabir so please keep it to yourself. And don't ever talk to me about it."
"Don't worry I won't tell anyone."
"I know......I trust you."
Nandani wanted to say something when the doorbell rang. Manik opened the door and it was Cabir.
"Hey Nandani, so what did you make today?" Cabir asked.
Just then both of them realised that she was here to cook and she didn't even start with anything yet. They looked at each other trying to find an excuse when Nandani spoke, "actually Cabir, I am so sorry. I just came 15mins ago and couldn't prepare anything. Please can you order something today and eat. I promise I will come early tomorrow and cook."
"It's ok Nandani. We will order pizza. Why don't you also join us. It's already 8:30, I am sure you must be hungry also." Cabir said.
Nandani's hunger had vanished long ago when she heard a woman who claimed to be someone's mother. She had controlled enough and also wanted to let it out but not in front of Manik. So she decided to deny it, "no Cabir, I am not hungry. I will just leave." Without waiting for his reply, she looked at Manik and walked out of the house.
"Ok so Manik which pizza do you want to eat? Let's order so that it arrives soon." Cabir said as he sat on the sofa.
"Cabir I am not hungry, I had something so don't order for me." Saying this Manik left to his room.
"I hope these two did not fight again." Cabir thought to himself.