Love Conquers All | MaNan

|Twenty- nine|

Conflicts of Emotions -II

Same day, 10 pm.

Near the shoreline where all the chaos in the ripples cease when it meets the land, and away from the crowd that never stopped hustling, Manik sat unobtrusively with his knees drawn to his chest and his stare paused into nothing.

The reflection of the high waves was shimmering in his black eyes which were dry and red from the corners due to the strain and begging to be shut to sleep, resonating with the turbulence in his heart.

His toes hidden in the sand and feet dipped in cold water washing them with every wave, made them numb yet this was the only contact with reality he could maintain to not get lost into a whirlwind. Nature was strange and so was the comfort it gave.

He'd to return home, he'd to talk to his mother, she must be waiting to hear from him, even Mukti and Nandini would want to talk to him. His mobile must be buzzing inside the bag since he put it on silent but he didn't have the courage to answer anyone, any explanation.

How could he move on and smile as if he didn't hear those words uttered for his mother? Nyonika was imprecated for something she'd no relation with. It was the curse from an aggrieved soul. He shivered, tautening his arms around his legs to hold himself together. The coldness was spreading through his nerves.

It wasn't the first time a curse was hurled at him and he'd started ignoring it - in over the last two years, down the line accepting it as an incurable disease of mankind, but why was his mother targeted? He couldn't digest that!!

He was infuriated yet his lips were sealed and he'd walked away from that place, before he could do something stupid like snapping at that girl for not being as vocal and upfront at the time of need as she was today. That'd be mean.

He had taken a stand against Ram easily as a son but he couldn't behave the same with a patient's attendant. He couldn't let his emotions take over! Even hurt, he'd to think like a doctor before being a son. He wished someone would see him as a human too.

A better part of his brain knew those insensitive words were the outburst of her painful turmoil and weren't meant to be taken seriously but it did jab his heart. Nyonika was his foundation and for anyone in his family that now included Nandini as well, he felt the need to shield them from any bad thing in the world, not becoming the reason for it.

He wished he could behave as rationally as Samir and let take indifference a front seat. If that had been the case, he would have taken this profession like a job with no emotions attached and not a lifestyle, he wouldn't have stepped forward to see the girl and offer support and help if needed and eventually get hurt. He could've saved his mother from getting cursed for no reason.

In the back of the mind, he was aware of the chain system but he never expected the sufferers to understand the nitty-gritty of his profession, their coat was meant to cloak the anguish and torment in their lives from the world while shining as the symbol of healing and peace. His father had a smile on his face even when he'd the most dangerous mission awaiting him. He wouldn't run away from his struggles either.

Showing his back to the tough life was the easiest and most sensible thing one could do but it wasn't right, it wasn't something he'd chosen while dreaming to be a doctor and knowing and understanding this aspect of life closely, put his emotions in a swirl and he felt lightheaded. The weariness of the days was finally making it known.

Today was a lesson for him in a different way. He would still step out of his comfort zone for his patients but he wouldn't bear Dhruv's carelessness for anyone, be it the patients and he won't allow anyone to cross through his invisible barriers of professionalism.