MaNan ~Inevitably Together~

34• |Monopolising affairs|

The last time her Appa spoke to her, he had condemned her mere existence and now he was calling her after so long and she did not know what to think of it but keeping her inhibitions aside she decided to answer it.

“Hello, Appa!” unknowingly her tone sounded extremely tired and Viren did not miss that. After years together, he was finally looking at her as if from her childhood days. He could literally imagine the lethargy layering her innocent doe-like eyes.

“We got your letter!” he stated and without any intention of his, the voice came out all cold and distant for a reason very much unknown to him. Nandini closed her eyes feeling defeated again as she had hoped once again that atleast this time her father might call out her name rather affectionately.

“I... Appa, I don't know what your calling for but I beg you to not say anything nasty about that letter because the time I wrote it, that was probably my last few hours of being just your daughter. I don't want anything to taint it, Appa. I... I'm sorry but I don't think I can talk to you today. I've got something to deal with and it's very important to me. Can we please talk later? I'm really sorry for speaking to you this way, again. I...... I don't think there's anything else for me to say than I'm sorry again.” Nandini said exasperatedly. She did not know why was he calling but if was going to be anything like the last time then she had no energy to take that in today. She already had a lot on her plate and hearing about how she failed as a daughter could probably wait for another time.

“It's okay! I understand! I'll call you some other time.” Viren felt like something stabbed his heart when he heard his daughter say that to him. Is that how Nandini felt everytime he spoke to her previously? If yes, then it sucked and added more to his already piling guilt.

“Appa! I'm sorry if I upset you but I have to do this today. I hope you're fine and... Tell Amma that I asked how she was? Take care and... Bye!” Nandini couldn't manage to say anything other than that and so hung up without waiting for anything from the other side because tears had begun to flow from her eyes already which she did not want her father to know at any cost.

She almost threw her mobile on the couch and turned to face the wall separating their kitchen from the living room. She leaned on the wall with her palms covering her face and let the wall take her entire weight expecting from it to erase that conversation from her head completely.

Manik walked in as if right on cue into the living room to find Nandini oddly cornered near the wall. He was about to reach out to her when they heard the doorbell ring. Nandini turned to find Manik looking at her with confusion and she headed to get the door as she guessed that Cabir was here.

“Hey! How's he?” Cabir questioned the first thing, as Nandini came into sight making sure of keeping his volume low.

“I don't know! He needed space so I did not bother him but he has come back and I think we should show him and tell him everything that we found out.” Nandini said in a low voice too. She then opened the door ajar for Manik to know about who had come at that hour in the night.

“How are you?” Cabir asked Manik and entered into their apartment.

“Is it true?” Manik answered him with a question but he looked at Nandini too while asking it as if he wanted both of them to confirm it.

“It is! I know, it's too much for you but everything Nandini has told you is infact true. And.... Here, this has everything you need to know that this is all real.” Cabir said extending the file in his hand towards Manik. Manik looked unsure of whether to take it or not but he did eventually.