MaNan FF - Humesha : Book 2 [COMPLETED]

Chapter 12 : A Shoulder To Cry On

"What's there to talk about? I am not angry, I am just upset that I haven't been able to make you feel comfortable enough to think that you deserve good things too." Nandini said and walked out of the room, only to bump into Shreya, Manik's aunt.

"Nandini, where are you running to? Chalo chalo! I need to catch up with you." Shreya said.

There were less than two months to go for the wedding. Shreya decided to take a major part in the wedding. For her, Manik was like her own child and she didn't want him to feel the absence of a mother figure. She decided to stay in India for two months and witness the preparations.

"Bua I-"

"Chalo chalo!" Shreya dragged her towards the elders. Manik sighed in relief. In some minutes Nandini would calm down on her own. He didn't know where Nandini suddenly started thinking about all of that. He was amazed by the way Nandini had immediately guessed why he was upset with the gift.

He still wasn't used to people buying things for him, people who loved him unconditionally. For most of his life, everything he owned was either given because his father couldn't give him the time and affection he needed or that woman, who saw everything as give and take. Everything that had been given to him had always been at the cost of something.

So when Nandini gifted him the guitar he had really liked when they went on a random trip to the music store to buy some strings for his guitar, the first thought was that Nandini shouldn't have spent such a big amount on him.

But now that she had assured him that it was like a gift from his late in-laws, he smiled sadly, admiring the guitar in his hands.

'I'll always protect her and take care of her, Amma and Appa. I won't make Amms, Chacha, Chachi and Rishabh regret giving away their Nandu to me.'

-----

It was 3 AM, when everyone decided to rest. Nandini's uncle and aunt had left the party at 11 itself, while Rishabh stayed back with his sister. Nandini decided to stay because it was too late.

Manik was searching for Nandini all over the house and reached the swimming pool where he saw her sipping a drink. She rarely drank.

"Nandini?"

He saw her sigh and looked down.

"Nandini, I am really sorry." Manik said, sitting down beside her, by the edge of the pool.

"It's okay Manik." She said, in a tired voice, taking a sip from the bottle.

"Give that to me. Tumse nahi handle hogi." Manik said, trying to take the bottle away.

"Rehne do. I can." Nandini said.

"What happened? You look low."

Nandini looked at him with a tired expression. Manik noticed the lack of sleep in her eyes.

"I am scared."

"Of?"

"How the album will go. There are only three days remaining. I have been spending sleepless nights Manik."

"Tumne mujhe pehle kyun nahi bataaya? Am I a stranger now?" Manik felt really bad that Nandini didn't approach him about this. Nandini would call him sometimes to tell him the most random thing she heard or witnessed, so suddenly her not telling him felt so foreign.

"Tum bhi toh mujhe stranger jaise treat kar rahe ho. Not letting me buy something nice for you for once. Anyway, let it be. I didn't tell you about it kyunki tum nahi samajhte. I have seen you before the album launch. You look so calm and composed, because for you, it's like music flows in your veins. And you don't care about anything."