MaNan: Strings That Bind Us

"Unseen Shadows"

Manik froze, his expression softening when he saw the hurt in her eyes. He reached for her, but she pulled away, her heart heavy. She had been so caught up in trying to mend him, in making sure he felt loved and supported, that she hadn't realized how deeply her own feelings had grown for him.

Nandini: "I care about you, Manik... More than I should. But it seems like last night meant nothing to you."

Manik's chest tightened, his guilt doubling. He could see the pain in her eyes now, and could feel the shift between them. He opened his mouth to speak, but the words caught in his throat. He didn't know how to explain that last night had meant something to him, but it wasn't the way she hoped.

Manik: "Nandini... I never wanted to hurt you. You've always been there for me, but I... I don't know how to be what you need right now. I'm still... so messed up."

Nandini's eyes filled with unshed tears, and she looked away, her heart breaking as she realized he was still lost in his past-still tangled in Alia's memory-and she was just someone he turned to when he needed comfort. The love she had been offering him, the care she had given, was all one-sided.

Nandini: "Maybe it's time you find your way without me. I thought I could be the one to help you heal, but... maybe I was wrong."

Nandini stood up, clutching the duvet around her, her body trembling from both the cold and the weight of the emotions she had been holding back. She didn't look at Manik as she walked to the bathroom, locking herself inside. The sound of the shower running filled the room, but it did nothing to wash away the pain she felt. She had tried. She had tried to be there for him, to help him heal, but in the process, she had lost herself. The woman who had once been so confident and self-assured was now broken, a mere shadow of who she once was.

After what felt like an eternity, she stepped out of the bathroom, freshly dressed, her eyes cold and distant. She moved with a sense of finality, walking over to the suitcase. With swift, deliberate motions, she folded the clothes and added them to her bag, her mind made up.

Manik stood up, staring at her in disbelief.

Manik: "Nandini... what are you doing."

Nandini: "Enough, Manik. I've lost my self-respect while mending your pain. And now... I'm broken. I can't stay here anymore."

Manik's chest tightened as he tried to stop her, but the weight of her words was suffocating. He wanted to hold her, tell her he needed her, but he couldn't.

Manik: "Please, Nandini... don't leave me."

But she just shook her head, her face set in stone, her heart aching but resolute.

Nandini: "I tried, Manik. I tried so hard... But I failed. I can't keep sacrificing myself for someone who doesn't even see me."

She turned her back to him, not giving him a second glance. The door clicked open, and she walked out, her footsteps echoing in the hallway.

Downstairs, Manik's parents, Raj and Neyonika, and Mukti were in the living room, talking, but they fell silent when they saw Nandini walking toward the door, her suitcase in hand. They all stood up, shocked.

Raj: "Nandini, where are you going?"

Neyonika: "What's happening? Why are you leaving?"

Mukti: "Bhabhi, what happened."

Nandini: "I've tried... but it's enough now. I can't stay and watch myself fall apart."

Nandini didn't look back, not even once. As she reached the door, she paused, turning to face Raj, Neyonika, who were all watching her with a mix of concern and disbelief. She bowed to take their blessings before she spoke.

Nandini: "I've tried to be the person he needed... but I can't keep pretending. I'm sorry Mom Dad, but this is the end."

She then turned to Mukti, who had tears in her eyes, and embraced her.

Nandini: "Take care of him, Mukti. He's lost, but I hope he finds his way."

With that, she stepped outside, leaving the house and the life she had once imagined for herself behind. Manik stood motionless, his heart a storm of regret and confusion, as he watched her walk away. But she didn't look back. Not once.

And in that moment, he knew-he had lost her.

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