Manan ff : Shining Armour

Chapter 37

Manik woke up as he felt nandini moving under his body. He opened his eyes to see nandini shivering, her forehead was filled with sweat. She was murmuring something in her sleep and literally shaking which made manik worried. He thought she was having some nightmare so he started waking her. "Nandini !! Nandini !! Wake up" said patting her cheeks but nandini didnt opened her eyes. He was getting worried as each second passed. He sat up and turned at fetch a glass of water but then suddenly she,

"NAIIIRRAAAA" Nandini woke up all scared.

Her eyes were wide open, her hand was on her heart measuring her heartbeat which was wild at this moment. Her hairs were facing directions. She was total wreck.

Manik turned towards her cringing his eyebrows and was about to hold her hand but stopped as nandini started panicking again.

"BLOOD !! BLOOD " with horror filled eyes nandini turned towards manik, her hands were moving all over her upper body as if she was searching something.

"manik blood blood " said turning towards manik. Manik couldn't understand a thing. Still he calmed himself and spoke

"Nandini calm down there is no blood over here, calm down" said rubbing her arms. Nandini shook her head and started throwing all the small pillows near the headboard as if she was searching something. Manik looked at her with utter confusion.

"Nandini listen ...." before he could complete nandini found something under the pillows which she hugged close to her heart.

" i..im sorry, im soo sorry " said taking that thing into a bone crushing hug. Tears rolled down her eyes. Manik didnt know how to react either to be confused, concerned, worried or angry for not telling him anything. He sighed and moved a little and sat beside her in opposite way facing her. He cupped her cheeks,

"Nandini shhhh! Stop crying" said rubbing her cheeks with his fingers. Nandini opened her eyes and looked at his face with eyes filled with tears. Next moment she was in his arms with her head buried in his chest and she was crying her lungs out. Manik did stumble a little at first but balanced it. Maniks arms rounded her figure, with his head on her head. He rubbed her arms to calm her but the hurricane inside was not ready to stop. By now he knew something big had happened and his curiosity was killing his patience. He held her in his arms until he felt her calm with normal breathing which meant she was asleep. Manik made her sleep on her back and covered the blanket till her waist and was about to pull away but the thing nandini was holding caught his attention.

It was a barbie photo frame.

With a photo of two girls side hugging each other looking incredibly cute. By looking at the girl at the left, manik was sure that it was nandini, looking at her cute chubby cheeks and her totally kissable pout. The other girl was looking a bit older than nandini but even she was beautiful. Manik wasnt a fool, he could easily find out that the girl with nandini in the photo frame is naira whom nandini mentioned in her nightmare and looking at the way nandini saying sorry he was sure something was definitely wrong. And the blood part, did she witness any murder many possibilities were there. He sighed and kept the photo back in her arms and stood up.

He went near the balcony to look at the sky filled with stars. He stood there with his hands on his pants pocket. His eyes held a lot more than any feelings mainly pain with he thought no one would even understand what he is going through.

Yes !! He opened up, he told nandini everything about how he felt when soha betrayed him. How he felt when he was used. His trust was crushed. But there were many thing which nandini didnt have a slightest idea. He was messed up which he knew but the thing which was killing him was his obsession on nandini. He didnt know what are his feelings for her. Love ??? Nahh it was out of question for him. But he couldnt deny the attraction he felt for her. Thinking about all this , one point came clear to him that was he trusted nandini without even thinking where as he thinks a lot before trusting others. What was in nandini which made him open up and trust her without thinking. Sure he asked her to heal him but at first place was he ready to share his pain and grief with her. Will she ever be able to look at the dark side of maniks life which his own parents and friends dont know or have a slightest idea what he is going through.

But there was some part in his heart which wanted nandini to look through him and find out his miseries which he succeeded in hiding from his parents and friends.

Next morning

Nandini woke up when sunlight strike through the curtains. She sat up and after a while the whole incident which happened last night came infront of her.

Her mind went blank remembering how she acted and she slept beside manik. The worst thing was manik was there when she broke down.

Nandinis pov

Ayyaippa how can i break like that. I have always been a brave daughter of my dad but how could i. What will be manik thinking about me right now. Oh god !! Did i tell him something last night. No, i dont think so. U didnt tell him anything nandu just stop panicking. But if i ever tell him he would feel so disgusted about me. I am damn sure he will never look at me when he gets to know.
Ayyaippa im tired [ she held the photo frame infront of her] im really tired now but im sorry i really am [ said kissing the girl on the pic]

End of pov

Nandini got up from the bed when someone walked in. Nandini turned around and was caught by surprise one word which came out was obvio "mukti".

Mukti came in and took nandini into a bone crushing hug.

" huh im missed you soo much nandu "said hugging nandini to which nandini smiled and replied back " i missed you too mukti". Mukti broke the hug and sat on the bed

" then how are you...." before she could complete she saw nandinis face and panicked. "Nandu what happened your eyes.. they are soo red, did u cry ??"asked with concern. Nandini became conscious for a while but came up with a lie that she was watching tv whole night and mukti bought that.

After chatting about their whole week mukti bid bye and went to her room to take rest. Nandini went to washroom to get ready.

Later that night.

Nandini was in terrace. Her phone rang.

" yes dad"

" i want to dad i really do "

" i dont know but i need a closure"

" dad repeating a false statement often again doesnt make it true"

" i am dad, last night will be last time that i would ever break down. I just couldnt handle shaila aunties death matter "

" no im fine dad dont worry, book the tickets please"

" thank you, good night dad love you"

After the call, nandini sat there starring no where. Suddenly she felt someone's presence she turned to look at manik sitting beside her.

Nandini sighed.

"manik, i know there are lot of questions going on in your mind right now about last night but i dont have answers for any. And im really sorry for how i behaved last night i..i ....." her speech was cut by a peck on her lips which caught her offguard and left her eyes wide open.