MaNan ~ Chasing Life

3. Ego Clashes

He wanted to tell her how stupid she was sounding at the moment, but blinded by the anger, each mock seemed so realistic. The trust, the love, the moments everything vanished in minutes.

Nandini who have had enough shouted too at the top most high pitch "Matlabb!! You know what..You guys are enough!! You just need our bodies thats it..Even you know what Manik..tume bhi sirf body hi chaiye thi..!" And that was it.

He shouted "Shut the fuck up! You broke us today! Y-you disrespected o-our love!" And he moved to the cupboard to bring out his clothes and in no time he packed his clothes "I HAVE HAD ENOUGH!!"

She looked at him with tears and anger in her eyes as he packed his bags. Not once did their eyes meet. She couldn't believe that he wasn't getting her point and for once, he couldn't believe she was the same woman he loved.

And he walked away from the house while she stared blankly at the plain walls- just like her love, plain and broken.

"Chal Gaurav! We're not staying here anymore!" Manik shouted as he got down and grabbed his best friend by his arm, who seemed rather taken aback to even react anything.

Chandni was shocked too, because somewhere she knew this was because of her.

"Manik! You are not leaving. Kya ho raha hai?" Chandni shouted trying to stop him and Gaurav's eyes flickered at her. In the past hours, this was the first time he had heard her voice.

"Chandni!" He shouted, showing his hand to her, indicating her to stop and she did halt in her tracks with tears in her eyes. She wanted to share her pain to her best friend, but not at the cost of losing their relation.

"Nandini ko kehna, dhyaan rakhe. Because i might not come back.... anytime soon!" He said in a slow and cold voice, each word being dipped in venom and anger.

"Yes, blame it on me! You're simply making me the villain here!" She shouted from behind as she walked down the stairs after composing herself, and the tears she had wiped away emerged again.

"Because you are. Yeh jo crack aaya hai na Nandini, it's because of your immaturity. Ek baar soch ke zaroor dekhna what you were saying, shayad tab apni khoyi hui akal paa lo. Aur agar nahi aa paayi, toh yaar rakhna, it's not me. I always make mistakes Nandini, but not this time. This time, it's you who broke us.!" He whispered in a cold tone without turning back as he grabbed the bag on his shoulder and left the house.

Not once did he turn back and looked at her red and swollen eyes. And somewhere deep down, Gaurav and Chandni were both repenting come to them. They never knew this would turn out something so big, something so irreparable.

As for Nandini, she walked to her room, quietly and numbly. She looked like a walking corpse as she fell behind the closed door, her mouth opening wide as she tried covering it to silence the screams.

But nothing worked as his words repeated in her mind as she let out a small and sharp cry.

"Haa. Bohot saare one night stands kiye hai maine. Shaadi ke pehle hobby thi meri...!"

"I HAVE HAD ENOUGH!!"

"i might not come back...."

"This time, it's you who broke us..!"

She covered her mouth harder but nothing helped as the pain in her chest increased. Just a minute without him, she already felt weak and helpless. It all felt so hollow, the sudden pain her in her chest and stomach that wanted to make her throw up.

She hugged her legs tighter to her chest as her head collapsed to the cold ground and she cried harder.

"Did I break us Manik?" She cried to herself in a whisper. It was as if she could see nothing in front of her or around her as the darkness started engulfing her.

"Nandini!"

"Nandini!"

Chandni tried as she tried banging on the door but nothing helped as there was no response from her friend because she was hearing nothing but Manik's voice playing in her brain again and again.

"Manik!", Nandini slowly cried holding the mattress on the ground harder as everything around her disappeared and the world spinned, breaking into different parts. She wanted to puke but she couldn't even get up as she suddenly felt weak and incapable. She tried lifting her hand but it suddenly seemed as if it was made of metal.

His smile, his eyes, his voice flashed in front of her. "Manik!" She whispered once as the darkness engulfed her for one last time.

"Yeh Chandni kyu call kar rhi hai!" Manik sighed in frustration as he switched off his phone and threw it aside on the counter.

"Chill bro! Enjoy the party!" Gaurav consoled him. He really wanted to pick up the phone himself just to hear his loves voice, but he refrained. What was more important was to make Manik realise how much he loved Nandini, and for that, he had to distract his mind and the local bar seemed like the safest option.

"Vodka shots please!" Gaurav smiled at the counter and the girl at the beer counter gave him a sly and seductive smile passing the glasses to the boys. Gaurav smiled seeing the glasses while Manik frowned as he went back to the memory lane.

"Manik! Jitna sambhal paao, utna hi pina please but enjoy with your friends. I wouldn't be there to handle you if you get drunk na. Aur agar you get drunk, please mujhe math call karna. Your friends will hate me someday," she smiled fixing his tie and he kissed his cute wife's crown.

"Nandini! I can't help it that I love you so much. Even when I am drunk, mujhe sirf tum chahiye hoti ho!" He argued pouting and she giggled at the way he loved her like no one could, as if she was a drug to which he was addicted ruthlessly.

"I know that. And mein bhi tumse utna hi pyaar karti hu. Mera toh mann karta hai tumhe chupa ke rakh du mere dil mein, kabhi dur nahi jaane du apne se...," she confessed and he laid his forehead on hers, as both of them found their peace, right in each other's embrace.

Her voice still echoed in his ears.

"Nandini!", he breathed and his heart beat increased and his breath tightened, warning him that something was definitely not right. He wanted to call her right away, but he refrained from doing do.

Ego clashes? Maybe.

But had it damaged their relationship permanently? Surely.

~•~

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~H&N