Let Me Love You ✨|| Completed

27. vulnerabilities!

~ maybe it won't work out! But maybe seeing if it would be the best adventure ever~

" M-manik...", A tear strained and hesitating voice hit his ear drums. Reflexly, he turned to find the sight he detested.

His Nandini, in tears.

"Nandini...", He rushed to her and held her by shoulders.

"Hey, it's okay. Don't cry...sshh", he tried to console her but her sobs increased.

"M-manik...Don't leave me... Please. I am sorry. But don't go...", She was chanting only one sentence and his heart pained at seeing her so weak and vulnerable.

"Nandini I am not going anywhere. I am here. I am staying right here...", He hugged her tight and reassured here, again and again, until he felt her relaxing.

Nandini on the other hand, was getting paranoid but being held close to him, brought back her sanity. Second by second, she registered the presence beside her, HIS  presence beside her and she calmed down a little. Her accelerating breaths calmed down a little and the blood rushing in her veins slowed a little. With tear strained damp cheeks and misty eyes, she looked at him and found him worried. Care and concern reflecting in his eyes, he was panicked seeing her like that. She got her composure back, held her head high, wiped off the dampness in her cheeks. Holding his hand, she dragged him to the bed and made him sit on it.

"Manik", she took in a deep breath and gulped down the lump in her throat. He in response, tightened the grip on her hands, giving her whatever shred of courage she needed.

"Manik I am not used to sharing. I know you want to know and believe me, more than you, I am desperate to tell you. But I CANT. I simply can't. I try every time and I fail. I can't make myself speak it all out. All my life I have lost people because of this incapable nature of mine. I lost my best friend at the age of 22 because she felt that I didn't trust her enough to share my heart with her though I every time asked her to share hers with me. But Manik, I don't know how to tell you this. It's not that I don't want to. It's just I can't do it. It's not like my secrets are something dark or painful. It doesn't effect me anyomore. But I am so used to keeping it all in, I do not know how to tell you.Maybe I am insecure. Maybe I am afraid. Maybe my life is full of maybes. But Manik, I DONT WANT TO LOOSE YOU too. Please. Give me some more time. I know I am taking you for granted but I am sorry. Please. Don't go...", She wanted to explain some more. But she could not. It wasn't a excuse. It was how she had been, twenty six years of her life.

Some of us might think she was being unnecessarily complex. Or that she was seeking attention. Or that what kind of extreme emotions she had that she had to behave this way? Or that she was being diplomatic by being there for others but not giving that opportunity to them? Well we might be correct because that is exactly what one side of the story depicts.
But if we try to look a little deeper into her soul, we would realize the difference between being broken and being scarred for life. She was not broken. She was not in pain. But she was definitely scarred. She was afraid to speak because she feared being subjected to humiliation for it. Not everyone was going to understand her way of thinking. Not everyone was going to see deeper than the face she had. Not everyone was bound to understand. Or maybe, none had ever made her believe that they would be there for her, in every circumstances.

Manik heard every word of her monologue,his eyes stuck to her face. There was no dampness now, no vulnerability. The confident Nandini was back. But he knew better. He held her hands tightly and smiled.

"I am here and I will be here. I will be THERE FOR YOU,  every time. I won't leave you. I won't judge you either. I promise. Just, Let me love you, in my way, okay? ", His reply made her smile and he then finally tucked her in bed and then lied beside her.

One hour later, he was already sleepy and almost in the embrace of goddess of sleep when he felt the movement in the side of the bed she was sleeping in. He turned to find her turning and tossing in the bed, sometimes gazing at the ceiling and sometime at the window. He turned towards her with the suport of his elbow and smiled at her.

"Nandini?", Manik's voice made her turn towards him and she found him gazing at her.

" Not feeling sleepy...?", He asked but before she could answer, a yawn came and embarrassed her. Manik chuckled at his adorable wife.

" Actually sometimes when mind is clouded with thoughts, I find it difficult to sleep...", She answered the unasked question but Manik's face broke into a huge grin which mirrored the sheepish smile on her face. Wondering why?

Because she took the first step.

Finally.

Manik was ecstatic because she answered something that he didn't ask her. She shared the inner conflict she usually would have been mum about. Nandini chuckled seeing the happy face as she understood why he was being so happy. Manik took one hand of her in his own and patted her to sleep. Nandini was bewildered for a moment but he eyed her to just sleep and she obliged. Within minutes she was fast asleep but the grip of her hand on his tightened further. He could see the frowns on her forehead even if she was asleep. He ruffled her hairs lightly caressing her hands and she slept more peacefully and comfortably.

Sometimes we should understand people instead of judging them for their actions. Manik had decided to do exactly that. He knew Nandini will share everything soon. He was hopeful. And well, on hope stands the world...!

Next morning, Nandini woke up first to find her hubby still in deep sleep though a grin was lingering on his handsome face. She could not help but click a picture of him sleeping.

Freshening up, she came down to make some tea when she saw Nyonika and Raj back and shipping tea in the front porch. They were laughing on something when they noticed Nandini smiling at them, standing behind.

"Nandini, you are up so early?", Raj enquired.

"She wakes up early everyday, unlike us...", Nyonika laughed at him and herself while Nandini joined in.

"So how was the meeting?", Nandini asked and Raj eyed Nyonika before bursting into laughter.

" Perfect. We ate her favourite ice-cream and my favorite pav-bhaji on the roadside stall, roamed around the beach and then went for a long drive...", Raj said amidst the laughter and Nandini frowned in confusion. Only later, it dawned on her that there was no meeting or marriage, they had left them alone purposefully. But the glow on both their faces and their thinking eyes made her smile wide.

Maybe, finally Manik's dream of a happy family would come true. She prayed and went in to wake up Manik...!