"Um..u okay?" Manik asked lovingly while keeping his hand on her shoulder fixed. She slightly shrugged his hand off and bobbed a yes.
"Someone close?" He asked with a voice full of concern staring passionately at her. She shifted her eyes at the grave and smiled painfully. Having offered a bunch of white lilies she stood up and glanced at Manik though she wasn't in a state of mind to interact with any other person at that moment but still she wasn't that ungrateful that she would forget his that night's chivalry.
"Tum yahan?" She spoke in a heavy tone and Manik stood up facing her.
"I come to the Church for prayer every Sunday" he lied in an urge to impress her.
"Oh..anyway I'll take ur leave now as I'll be late otherwise" saying with a blank expression she turned her frame to leave.
"Ah Nandini..." he called her back though he didn't know what made him stop her.
"Yea?" Turning back she questioned carelessly and he moved a little closer to her while all she did was stare with her big rounded eyes.
"Light a candle for that person to see and hold on to his/her memory, but save your tears because that particular person would still be burning in pain seeing u cry in spite of so many flowers and all" he muttered and Nandini for a moment was lost in his words. Lowering her eyes she looked at the grave and gulped down the lump formed in her throat.
"Hmm" she managed to whisper which to her then seemed to be the toughest because of the numbness in her throat.
"U know there's a very famous saying 'Don't cry when the sun is gone, because the tears won't let you see the stars'...hain na?" He said though he was fighting with his own heart as his hand itched to wipe away the crystal pearl dribbling down her eyes. Nandini never discussed her pain with anyone, she didn't even welcome Manik into such discussion but his deep words were somehow stopping her from making him unstoppable. She sighed.
"U talk really well u know" she looked into his eyes while he just smirked though it was not a harsh one.
"I may not have gone through such deep waters as u but... I can relate to ur pain, trust me.. and the idea of how deep the waters had been for u makes me be proud of u, sachhi" his honest words have put a gentle smile on her face which made her eyes twinkle and all Manik wanted at that moment was to see her face shine like that of a star, forever.
"Waise how will u go home?" He asked while rubbing his palms.
"Not home. I am associated with an NGO actually which works for the betterment of the socially challenged kids and I love spending my holidays with them only. Anyway...I'll leave now" she voiced.
"I could have dropped u at the NGO and trust me my car is very much functional now" he spoke.
"Neither it's snowing nor it's late night so why would u exactly help me?" Creasing her brows she asked him.
"Be..because I always have wanted to...to work for such distressed kids and ah.. yeah issi bahane I'll get to see meet those kids as well. I can really drop u" he clarified.
"And what about me? How the hell will I go home?" Someone from Manik's back screeched and he knew the quantity of his happy moments were at an end.
"Manik!" Mukti stood there glaring at Manik while he pleaded her through gestures to kindly keep quiet.
"Chup kar meri maa please" he leaned forward and whispered in her ears.
We never know
Start from the beginning
