MaNan SS - Dawn of Love✅

12. "I Tried"

By the time Manik came back home, he saw Nandini in the garden, seated on a chair, lost in her thoughts. He gulped a glass of water looking at her and went towards her. He dragged a chair and sat beside her and cleared his throat to gain her attention and she looked at him.

"Counting stars in the evening itself...!??" He asked sarcastically to which she rolled her eyes.

He chuckled and said "Acha sorry...But tell me what are you thinking about...!??"

"Will you answer me...!??" She asked looking at nothing in particular while he frowned and said "Of course"

"Then tell me Manik...How do you know what all happened in my life in your absence...!?? I have only told you about misunderstandings between me and my dad and then how I met Arnav...But how do you know about my trials of being a writer...!?? Why did you bring me here...!?? Why am I here...!?? Is there anyone trying to find me...!?? Why...!?? Why...!??" She started confidently but ended up in tears.

She wiped her tears with the back of her hand and said "You asked me to write...I tried...But everything...my mind...my imagination...everything is clouded with questions...I don't have a clear mind to write..."

He took a deep breath and huffed before saying "Not now Nandini...You will get all your answers...But not now..."

"Ab nahi toh kab Manik...!?? When will you get that time to answer...!??" She yelled.

"Don't shout..." He hissed and calmed himself to cup her face and said "Nandini...Trust me...Soon you will get your answers...I can only say this...Think that, even if I was far away from you, I was always around you...every single time...After I finished my schooling, I used to come to see you when you were in school...I have always admired you from distance without your notice...May be I should have closed that distance but that wasn't our age...May be that's what I felt and stopped...But trust me when I say this...I have always loved you...and jo kuch bhi I'm doing, that's for your own good...I can't say anything more than this..."

She closed her eyes to let her tears fall down and he wiped them in a go and hugged her to his heart saying "Please...Few more days...Please bacha..."

She sobbed but instantly stopped when he consoled her. They parted after a minute and she said "I...I'm sorry...You just came from hospital and I started with my questions..."

"No bacha...I should be sorry because I'm unable to give you answers...But...soon...very soon..." He said and she nodded slightly and he went to freshen up.

On the other hand, Arnav called and went to meet his best friend from college, Cabir, and knocked on his door.

"Hey Arnav...Got time to meet me...!??" Cabir chirped and engulfed him in a hug. Arnav smiled and they sat in the living room.

"Cabir...Did you find anything...!?? Where is Nandini...!??" Arnav asked. Cabir, classmate and best buddy of Arnav from Engineering, mostly interested in hacking and other software related stuff.

"Dude...I have tried all the ways...Pub wala CCTV mein toh she went behind someone after drinking...and after that there is no trace of her...I have hacked the CCTV footage from the traffic signal outside the pub...but no luck..." Cabir said and Arnav brushed his hair back in frustration.

"How can she just disappear into thin air man...!?? Even if someone has kidnapped her, we should have got a ransom call...But nothing...Nothing found...It feels like she herself is hiding..." Arnav said and Cabir looked at him in shock.

"Arnav...Please don't mind me asking this...Does she...I mean...she really loves you right...!?? Any other person in her life...!??" He asked.

"No way dude...That stupid girl loves me like anything...She don't have anyone else other than me...I'm so sure about that...Haan she loves writing other than me but that too, I have made sure to not let her succeed..." Arnav replied.

"What...!??" Cabir asked being shocked and Arnav smirked saying "See Cabir...You know everything about me...There's nothing to hide from you...I don't want to let her be independent...She should always be dependent on me...That's for my good...That's why I didn't let the publishing house encourage her work..."

"But why bro...!??" He asked and Arnav continued "Cabir...Just think...Her father is getting old...He needs an heir...and uske liye toh mein hu...I'm there for that...But for suppose, in future, what if he and his daughter patches up...and in the worst case, what if Nandini finds out about my intentions...!! So...the solution is they shouldn't have an option...They should be dependent on me in all the ways...physically, mentally and once I get the property, financially too...I must make them trust me to that extent..."

He sipped on to his coke and said "For that, Nandini shouldn't have a career of her own...She already depends on me...for any type of decisions...bechari usko toh yeh nahi patha ki what to order for dinner...And that's my plus point..."

"Huh...Mastermind..." Cabir said with a smile and playful salute to which Arnav smirked and said "Acha...sun...please yaar...do something to find her before her dad comes..."

"I'll try my best dude...When will he return...!?" Cabir asked and Arnav checked the date and said "In another week..."

"And uske baad...if Nandini mil gayi, that next week will be your wedding...hai na...!??" Cabir asked and Arnav nodded with an evil smile.

"But I missed that chance of having her buddy...I spiked her drink just to have her and dekho wo khud hi gayab hai..." Arnav cribbed while Cabir patted his back saying "She will be all yours after marriage...What's the hurry...!??"

Arnav nodded in acceptance and they spoke for some time and he left to his place.

Manik came out after having a shower and his mobile rang for the second time. He smiled seeing the caller id and said "Hey..."

"Where were you...!? I was trying to reach you..." The person spoke from the other end.

"Sorry sorry...Was busy in the hospital and just came out after refreshing...Bolo...Any development...!??" Manik asked wearing his track pants and balancing the phone in between his shoulder and ear.

"Whatever you thought was true...He was the one behind everything...Just do something..." The person said.

Manik sighed and asked "When will her father return...!??"

"May be in a week or 10 days..." The reply came and Manik said "Let him come...dekh lenge..."

"Manik...Why don't you tell everything to her...!?" The person asked and Manik had a small smile to reply "Proof nahi hai dude...Just waiting for that one proof...chalo...Let things go like we have planned...I can only send her when her father returns...warna wo Arnav kuch bhi karega...and this girl is still in full of confusion...She needs time...She can't take it at once...Let's go step by step..."

"Whatever you say...I trust you..." The person said and Manik smiled before cutting the call.

Ignore mistakes...