Things that matter

Chapter 10: Manik

My heart started racing hearing Nandini's screams, I made my way to her room as quickly as possible as I see her on the bed with her hand on her chest trying to gasp for air.

Her face seemed pale and it wasn't like it always is, it's like she was in pain—she was hurting. I couldn't see her like it was bringing me physical pain in my chest. Her screams were getting louder but her eyes will still closed meaning she was still in the nightmare.

I rush over to her grabbing her by her waist "Nandini it's okay, it's a nightmare open your eyes"

"I CANT BREATHE!"

"Nandini!" I tap her cheeks hoping for her to wake up from her nightmare because her screams were making me out of control, it's like I just wanted to punch something, my heart wrenched seeing her like this. I make her sit on the bed and my hands pull her in to a hug making her head lean on my chest as I slowly caress her hair trying to wake her up from the nightmare.

"Mumma please help me! I cant swim!" Her screams were turning in to sobs now, tears kept running down her cheeks.

"Nandini you are safe with me, apni aankhen kholo see Tum pool mein nahi Ho" my words result in hee opening her eyes slowly but she was still going through her panic attack, her breathing only got heavier while she was sweating like crazy. I look down at her and slowly letting go of the hug so I can look at her properly.

She looks at me with her weak eyes and then looks around the room—probably realising that she's not in her nightmare anymore. I wonder what it is with her and nightmares about pool and her mum. Cabir had never mentioned anything in detail because he said Nandini couldn't herself remember her childhood and especially the events which caused her trauma.

"I can't breathe" she looks at me trying to ask for help.

"It's okay Nandini, tumhare panic attack ke wajah se ho raha hai" I hold both of her hands pulling her closer "take a deep breathe in" I take a deep breath in myself showing her, she looks at me shaking her head like she was almost about to faint losing control.

"Meri aankhon mein Dekho Nandini" my voice comes out softly and quietly, she looks at me shaking with her teeth gritting during the panic attack she was going through.

"Take a deep breath in and out okay" I do it for her, she manages to take a deep breath in and out once.

"Good Tum accha kar rahi ho—hum saath mein karte hai okay.. this will pass" I rub my thumb on her hands as her hands were trembling in my grip.

"I'm trying" her voice shakes as she looks at me, her and I do the breathing exercise together and I don't leave her hand not even for a bit till I know she has calmed down and her panic attack has passed. She does it one more time and looks at me, she was getting better.

"Ab kaisa lag raha hai?" I ask

"Better" she nods and looks at her out hands which were locked together, I held them like I refused to let them go.

I look at our hands and then her "I'll let go of them when I know ki Tum puri tarah se theek ho"

"Thanks manik—main seriously ab theek hu" she says reassuring me, I nod and slowly let go of her hands—which kind of made me upset I didn't want to let go of them, her hands felt so soft just how I imagined them—soft like a cotton.

"Okay" I let them go completely moving away from her little.

"Thanks for helping me—you can go now" she looks away like she was upset about something then I remember the hospital scene. She's definitely mad about that. I honestly felt bad for saying that to her but I couldn't let her know the reason why I was at the hospital and I had no idea what she works there, I wish I knew from before things wouldn't be like this.