Together Till Forever || A MaNan Fanfiction

17| Au Revoir

"Now I am fine!", she said after she was wrapped up in Manik's arms comfortably. Her head nestled in his crook and his arms wounded around her waist. And she was ready to take on reality once again.

"Do not scare me like that ever again" a hoard of feathery kisses were delivered to Nandini, on which part was accessible for Manik. "I am sorry", in between her giggles she managed to utter. "It was just...too much to handle. Everything came back like a rush", the kiss attack had subsided as Manik listened with rapt attention.

"It was all so clear Manik. Like it happened just yesterday. I remember everything so vividly. I could almost see it all happen once again in front of my eyes. And...and there was this feeling, that I was letting myself be consumed and...I thought I failed you..."

Nandini was shut off by Manik's lips on hers. Manik kissed her softly, without any prowess, with just care and love. All that he meant to convey with that was the reassurance that whatever happened does not make her a coward.

"Do you realise what you've done Nandini? You've conquered the biggest demon of your past. And you're thinking you've failed me?"His voice was smooth and contained a different kind of gentleness.

"You have no idea how proud I am right now!"Nandini's eyes shone with tears that were beginning to line up. Along with those was a questioning glint, which was deftly answered by Manik when he pulled her ever closer to him and hugged her warmly. Sometimes, all you need to relay your feelings is a warm and tight hug, and Manik delivered just that to her.

~•~

After spending one whole hour, nuzzled up in Manik's embrace, Nandini was ready to be productive once again. Manik had gone down with the excuse of 'searching for dinner' while Nandini knew he was just trying to give her a little privacy to catch up with her thoughts.

And Manik wasn't wrong! She did need some self-time to sort herself and dictate her actions from now.

A basic framework had started settling inside her head, but she needed a go ahead. A go ahead from three people and she'll start working on it. There was no time to ponder much as she sprang in action, and called someone on her mobile.

"Nandini!? Where have you been all this while? Where did you fly? I've been asking Payal for the last three days and she refuses to tell me anything. What is going on? Look if it's about Manik...", ah! How much does a brother worry?

"Arya calm down first! I am okay. Safe and sound", she heard him take a deep breath on the other side before she continued. "Can you call Hades too?", though it was a weird request from her end, Aryaman abided by it.

Soon, Aryaman was joined by Hades who looked as perplexed as him. "I am with Manik", Nandini's words once again perked up Aryaman's worry. "What do you mean you're with Manik? Where are you both?".

Nandini took an elongated pause before dropping the bomb on them. "I am in Brussels, in our Mansion as of now". And suddenly the floor beneath them ceased to exist.

She expected some sort of a reaction out of the two but what she got was silence. Aryman had gone absolutely silent, and so had Hades.

"Are you okay?", a feeble sentence from Aryaman was heard. "I am Arya. I am. Manik is here with me. And believe me he handled me nicely", Hades and Aryaman could give their life to Manik and yet won't be able to repay him.

"Listen. I have arrived at a few conclusions and before I make them public tomorrow, I need your suggestions and support", Nandini's tone changed to the formal commanding one, making the two gona taut.

In the next thirty minutes, Nandini explained all what was going on in her mind, meticulously to the duo over the phone. From what she planned to do to how she planned to do it. Everything was discussed.