Stars and Fireflies - Manan

Chapter 70

Same night.....

" I love you" he whispered in between the kiss making her skip a heart beat.

"I I love you too mani" she whispered back while kissing him hurriedly.

"Let's sleep" he said while moving away from the kiss and soon they both slept in each other's arm.

It was around 2pm when nandini stirred in sleep. She turned towards manik to snuggle in him but frowns on not feeling his presence. She immediately opens her eyes but gets startled on not finding manik.

"Manik.....manik kaha chale gae" she thought worriedly and moved out of bed to look for him. She was about to move downstairs but stopped seeing the study light on. She hurriedly moved towards the study and sighs in relief on seeing manik there but soon frowns on finding him drinking.

"Manik" she called softly and kneeled down beside him as he was sitting on the floor with some album in his hand.

"Ap yaha kya karre h ......aur ye kya h" she asked while pointing towards the album.

"This is my childhood album....let me show you"he said while opening the album.

"See ye when I was born..." He said excitedly while pointing towards the picture on a baby in a cradle.

"U were so cute" she whispered while admiring the photo of baby manik.

"This is of my first birthday....." He informed and showed her few more pics of his birthdays. All this time nandini was looking at manik in an attempt to understand what he was thinking.

In the end he showed her the pics of his fourth birthday where he was kissing neyonika's cheeks lovingly.

"Aur pics kaha h" suddenly she asked on finding the rest of the album empty.

"Aur.....aur ha hi nahi.....I made this album when I was three with the help of mom...to collect all my birthday memories....par after her I never collected any picture." He said sadly while picking up the alcohol glass.

"Manik.....no" she pleaded while holding his hand stopping him from drinking.

"Drinking is not the solution of any thing....." She whispered while keeping the glass away and cupping his face turning him towards her.

"Then wat is the solution.....ha.....u know it hurts so bad.....all these years I....I cried and longed for her.....thinking that she...she...died." he asked painfully.

"Why.....why she didn't came back.....m toh...toh.....she calls me jaan na.....toh why she didn't came back for me. Pta thana unhe m unke bina nahi reh sakta.....fr bhi....I know how I survived these 22 yrs....by being scolded, compared... ignored...alone...vo kyo nahi ae.....kya vo pyar nahi karti ab mujhse" he whispered with tears in his eyes.

"She loves u manik.....she loves you...ap aisa nahi soche.....please.....hear her out.....once." she said convencing him.

"No I will never talk to her.....she left me.....vulnerable......kisine mera ni socha....kya glti thi meri ha.....why so much pain" he whispered in a broken voice. He like a shattered child was looking at her for any solution to decrease all his sufferings and pain. Suddenly he hiccuped with all the emotions building up in his heart. He immediately hugged her while keeping his head on her chest and broke down crying his heart out in her arms.

"Whyyyy......nandu...... kyo......I missed her so much" he cried making nandini cry as well.

"Bas bas....mani....sab theek hojaega.....ayiappa sab theek kardenge" she said while caressing his hair and back.