Broken But Beautiful

24. Her Reality

Nandini

I waited.

I breathlessly, lifelessly waited for Manik Malhotra to look at me. To ask me what the hell was happening. To demand whether the person in front of me, who was apparently able to take the soul out of me, was lying or saying the truth. To shake me alive and wake me up from the living, standing nightmare I very well knew I always have to bear with me and yet-

Yet I let myself believe that at least one person, in my life- would know me without the agony of my reality. I was wrong.

And Manik Malhotra did nothing of the above. Instead, he forwarded his hand back for what I noticed in a dizzy vision, was a handshake. Madhav and he shook hands. I watched.

I don't understand. Why did I let myself believe that it I will never have to watch it?

When did I slid so away from the reality?

Madhav's eyes slid back towards mine, but failed to make me feel any more lifeless than I already felt. His cold, haunting eyes recoiled at me while his lips formed the gentleman's smile, as always.

He was back. Dr. Madhav Mehta, my ultimate fate, was back.

"It's very nice to meet you, Mr. Malhotra," I heard him say, the smooth malice in his voice could be so easily masked in modesty, I still sometimes wondered. "I read your book. I mean- I'm not exactly a big fan of literature like my girlfriend here, but then- it's her friend's book after all. Your sense of romance is intriguing,"

"It's nice to meet you too, Dr. Mehta," Manik's voice was smoother, and I almost sank into the floor. The silence that followed by was so thick I felt lumps clamping my throat. Both men had their excruciating gaze on me, still and hard. 

One forced life out of me, knowingly.

Another tried to force life back into me, unknowingly.

And I couldn't take any of them right now, let alone both.

"I think I'll take a leave," Manik finally spoke up, turning his gaze at Madhav, "I was supposed to do breakfast with Mukti today. If you'll excuse me," Madhav nodded pleasantly, "See you soon, Mr. Malhotra,"

Manik Malhotra brushed past me, looking straight at the door, whispering, "Goodbye, Nandini,"

Go, Manik. I can't breathe.

Don't go, Manik. He won't let me breathe.

The door shut with a loud thud behind me, and I gasped back to the reality-

Reality. Dr. Madhav Mehta was back.

Sense snapped back into me. Dr. Madhav Mehta was back.

Welcome back to the game, Nandini Murthy.

I looked straight back at Madhav, the smirk curled up in his lips making my stomach churn, like it always did.

"Missed me, baby?" he sneered, inching close to my rigid body. I tried to relax my body- but I had a fear if I tried to relax I might go lax instead. So I decided to stay rigid. 

A laugh escaped my throat, cold and dry, "Of course I missed you playing games with my life. How could you doubt?"

He chuckled, shaking his head as he stood in front of me, "You're an exciting game, baby. I definitely missed playing you,"

I looked blankly at his face, recognizing the same devilry that had been ruining my life hiding behind the mask of perfection since last five years. But then the smirk behind the sneer left his lips, leaving the scowl behind that he was longing to let out for so long- I knew.