Let Me Love You ✨|| Completed

50. A View More Clear!

~ and then when she lay bare, her guard finally down, that it became clear to me, the reflection of her broken soul visible in her eyes that she had so stubbornly refused to show~

Nandini was still sleeping when Manik entered her ward, drinking her presence with his eyes. Just looking at her made his eyes teary. He had not even in his worst dreams thought that she might had endured something like that. Choosing between good and bad is easy. Marking things right and wrong is easy. But deciding between good and good is tough. Nandini's appa loved her, no doubt and she too had loved him. His insecurities and anger might had driven him to the edge and her too, but she had always tried understanding his points, trying to defend him to her own small, child heart. And that was where she had found her maturity, that was when she had started seeing both sides of a coin. But it was behind doubt that all these had scarred her for life.

Manik sat beside her and caressed her hairs. It was early morning. The night that had seemed to turn their worlds upside down, had finally passed away.  She was in deep sleep, under the effect of medications. A small smile came on his face, while he continued to stare at her, not blinking even once. A few minutes later, there was a slight movement as Nandini woke up feeling a pressure on her right hand. She opened her eyes to find her hand sandwiched between his, as if he was confirming her presence near him.

"I scared you, haina?", Nandini asked and Manik at once, looked up, relief flooding him finding her awake. He got up his seat and settled beside her on the bed, leaning in to kiss her forehead.

"Yes. You scared me too much", he pouted at her and Nandini raised her left hand to ruffle his hairs, just the way he liked.

"I am sorry hubby. But I don't like seeing you this way, that charming curve upside down...", She spoke making him chuckle at her adorableness.

"This is my hubby...", She spoke again, finding him smiling and he hid his face in her bosom in response, as he hugged her even though she lay bed-rideen. Nandini wrapped her hands around him, providing him the comfort he was seeking. She knew it would have shaken him to see her like this. Later, manik sat up and helped Nandini sit properly on the bed, supporting her back with pillows.

" By the way Nandini , I have a surprise for you. Need you to meet someone.", Manik spoke non-chalantly as he faked making the bed and Nandini frowned at him.

"Who?",she asked and at that moment the door to her room opened.

"Good morning roll nu 42. Here is roll nu 43 wishing you a good morning...", Neil entered and wished making Manik chuckle and Nandini was taken aback. She was downright astonished to find Neil staring back at her.

" Neilllll", she squealed as Neil took her in a hug.

"Hey partner. You actually had the audacity to forget me haan?", Neil asked her, in a really hurt tone, such that even manik looked as he was ready to console him.

"Seriously Neil. Just shut up with this drama. Nautanki.", Nandini didn't give a damn to his hurt tone and in the next moment both were laughing giving a live demo of how sometime distance does nothing but deepen the friendships. Manik laughed with them but suddenly Nandini got aware of Manik's presence. She stopped smiling and looked at him terrified, and then paused and looked at Neil.

" Manik I am sorry. Neil is just a friend. He, me, I mean, sorry...", She started blabbering and Manik was confused as in what happened all of a sudden but Neil looked at her and observed her like he was understanding what was happening. He signalled manik to hold her in his embrace and Manik complied taking her in his arms.

"Nandini. It's you. Not aunty. And it's manik, and not your appa. Don't go back into the past. That day is not repeating. Come back into the present. Nandini. Nandiniiii", Neil spoke loudly to her finally breaking her trance and nandini stopped moving and looked at manik.

" Manik. Manik...", She shouted again before flunging herself in his arms. By this time, even manik had realized what was happening with her. He cajoled her in his arms while Neil injected her with a mild sedative to give her body and mind some more rest. Manik helped her to lay down properly and then followed Neil to his cabin.

"Neil, what do you think should we do to bring all that out of her system?", Manik asked worried a way too much.

" See Manik. When a child grows up his world are confined to his parents. It's after teenage knock in that friends become important. In nandini's case, what she saw and felt was a broken family, a family where finance was proper but what lacked was trust and respect for each other. She never saw her parents being there for each other. Normally in such instances, child psychology has two extremes. A child either stops getting affected from the daily fights and taunts and all that, eventually and moves on being a emotionally deprived person or, the child becomes too sensitive to everyone and everything. In Nandini's case, she has had a bit of both types of coping mechanisms in her. She is too sensitive to other people and their pains, while at the same time she is immune to trust and respect when it comes to talking about her own life. That is why it took so long to accept your love. So treating her I would suggest therapy, but in the later stages. The initial front would be you dealing with her openly comparing yourself with her appa so that the facts that she had accepted deep down as the only reality can be changed. She needs to know that there are men like you too, and she is a lucky girl. You need to be there for her, the way she never saw her appa stand for her amma.Once she starts feeling good about herself or in short, starts loving herself as she is, we can go for therapy sessions. Do you understand what I am trying to convey?", Neil asked and Manik nodded at him, finally both coming together for the one girl that mattered to both of them.

By noon, Nandini was discharged and Manik took her home. Sheer luck, no one was home and it was easy for them to enter and freshen up. Nandini was all good by then, her weakness was only a little left and Manik took care she had her Lunch and medicines. Later, when Manik asked her to rest, she pouted and complained as how she was tired of resting and Manik laughed at her contradictory words. But anyhow, he obliged and took her to their favourite place, the beach.

It was close to dusk by then and both started walking in the wet sand, hand in hand.

"Manik, you won't ask me anything? About yesterday and about Neil?", Nandini asked and Manik smiled at her.

"Nope. Neil told me enough stories to know you guys are so good friends and about you I understand your state of mind. And some part, Neil clarified  me yesterday. So as of now, no questions. Just enjoy the moment...",manik smiled at her and Nandini was glad. She kept her head on his chest and they kept walking in silence until their gaze stopped at a figure enjoying pani-puri at one of the stall. Manik looked at Nandini and Nandini looked back at him,before smiling mischievously and Manik took out his phone to click some pictures as evidence. Satisfied with the pictures, they turned back to not cross paths with the figure again until it was time for some real fun!