MANIK'S POV
I stumbled my way inside the house where everyone gazed me with hollow eyes. I walked up the stairs with great difficulty pulling myself up with every step pushing anyone who came ahead to help me with my movement. Opening the years old locked door that no one was allowed open, not even me i slammed the door hard to cover all the gazing from everyone behind me. There infront of me stood a huge family portrait, my family that was supposed to stay by my side forever but wasn't and a lone tear escaped my eye as i remembered the happenings from a few hours ago.
5 hours ago. At 6:30 a.m.
I woke up to a constant buzzing sound that was beneath my arms. Holding up my head i realised where i was. It was my study room where Cabir had explained me my mother's entire health condition from start until now. How and when she was diagnosed exactly and the treatments that had been going. After an hour of discussion we had made a few calls taking up to ourselves to get her the best doctor for her surgery that was supposed to happen today.
I might have slept here itself after Cabir left cause i was still going through all the medical files. I picked up my cell phone buzzing on the table as i came across an unknown number. The voice on the other side was cracked and looked like someone was sobbing too hard to even breathe.
"Hello? Who is this?" i asked in panick.
"Manik! This is me-, Sophia. It's mom." the girl on the other side sobbed and my muscles tensed. It was my sister and she was crying.
"Sophia, what's wrong? is mom okay?" i asked the questions in a hurry.
"I don't know. The doctors are here. She was getting ready to leave for the hospital when her nurse found her lying on the floor in the bathroom. She was having difficulty in breathing. Please get here fast." she cried out for my help and i grabbed my car keys as fast as i could striding down the stairs to the garage. Igniting the engine i sped as fast as i could calming my sister down on the phone call as i texted Cabir and Nandini about the situation. Cabir; so that he could get the doctor we decided and Nandini; well i just needed her.
"Sophia stop crying. Mom's gonna be fine. It's going to be okay. I am here almost." i consolded her when i phone slipped out of my hands and the call got cut due to a sudden bumper.
"damn it" i cursed trying to rediall her number but the battery died too.
I made it to her house in 25 minutes since our houses had a huge distance and basically sprang out of my seat towards the entrance where i saw an ambulance already arrived and Cabir beside it. He gave me a hollow look and i panicked. I rushed inside the house as i heard alot of commosion and people moving here and there. The door to her room was open and i saw a siloutte beside Sophia. Nandini stood beside her consoling her looking at something. Moving my head i spotted my mom's figure lying on the bed with nurses around her removing her tubes.
Sophia ran to me hugging me tight as soon as she saw me. Clinging to me like a small kid sobbing too hard.
"She left us." Sophia sobbed pushing herself into me trying to forget the memory. I for once in my life was way too shocked to even reply to what she said.
"She left us Manik. Our mother is no more. I could do nothing." she cried and Nandini kept a hand over her mouth.
I had no expressions at all. I just looked at the dead figure and the figure hugging me. It took me a few minutes t grasp the information.
"No" i mumbled while Cabir kept a hand on my shoulder and Sophia parted from me.
"This can't happen. She can't leave me. No no no not again." i held my head in my palms and looked around the room. Nandini moved ahead for me to console me and i snapped back at her with blood shot eyes, "don't".
"Cabir we had planned everything. This can't happen." i shrugged Cabir by his shoulders.
"She's gone brother. We were too late." he spoke in silence.
I jerked back a little not able to hold myself. Sophia dropped to the floor and Nandini rushed to catch her. Cabir called out my name but i was too numb to react so i did what best i could do. I ran. Ran way too fast and got inside my car leaving the place.
Present.
So here i was in the room i prepared for my parents specifically my mother with all the memories i had of her. I had kept this room a secret from everyone around me and never dared to open it thinking that i would melt down from the hatred i had formed for here but here i was after everything that had happened in my life. I was finally going to have my family back but it got snatched away again. She left me again like she did all those years back.
I grabbed my baseball bat that she once got me and smatched the glass infront of me breaking it into the pieces that i was in bit by bit cutting the feelings down. I grabbed the bat holding it firm in my hand smashing anything and everything that came in my site. When the enitre damage was done i swept down on the floor, sitting on the pile of glasses from the broken stuff picking up the family portrait that once was all that i wanted and tore it down from the middle tearing myself apart from the happy picture.
I was left alone again. This was my destiny.
NANDINI'S POV
A month later.
It had been a month since Manik had moved out of that room. Exactly a month ago he had ran away from his mother's place and locked himself inside. He hadn't even got out of that room for the funeral where i stood by Sofia's side at all times. Our friends by now knew everything that happened between us since i couldn't hold in any longer. I had cried and begged for him to ope the door but he won't.
Two weeks back he had asked for his laptop in the room and now worked effortlessly from that doomed four wall space while Cabir attended the meetings on his behalf. The work wasn't stopped or shut but our relationship did. He refused to meet me and left me just like that. I had been here waiting for him for a month now knocking on his door to let me in for once.
About Sofia, she was coping up with the thought of loosing both her parents. On Manik's order she was shifted to his mansion where i never left her side. She was a part of our group now and we made sure that she knew that. Mukti protected her while Navya was her support now.
"Manik please let me in." i requested for the millionth time in a month but got no reply so i turned to leave to come over the next day when i heard the click of the door knob move.
Turning around i came face to face with the man i fell in love with but he looked different. His stubble was darker than it was before and his demenor was that of an armor. It was his eyes that scared me, his eyes were cold and emotionless. He strided past me to his room that was in the opposite direction leaving me in daze. He did not come closer to me, not even a word from him and left me just like that.
My anger boiled to its maximum, i know he was in pain and i was supposed to understand him but this was enough. This neglection from him was killing me. I stomped behind him into him room where he was looking through some files on his table.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?" i shouted on top of my voice and he turned around facing me but said no word.
"I know you're hurting but atleast talk to me. I had been begging you to open the door and let me in. Look Manik i am scared for you, i can't leave you please just talk to me." i spoke with a lower voice than before taking slow steps towards him.
"I never asked you to wait for me." he spoke and i stopped. Wait what-. Here i was crying my heart out for him and he didn't even care.
"Excuse me." i replied in shock of his words.
"You heard me. Don't play that act. I never asked you to wait for me. I am fine and i don't need you." he spoke texting someone on his phone . His this behaviour was enough to break my last straw as i flipped his phone on the bed.
"You fucking out of your mind. I waited for you because i care about you. And you don't even care." i spoke.
"Was i supposed to care?" he shrugged, " I mean come on, it wasnt like we were serious." he replied like a cold man, the man he actually was and i never saw.
"You've got to be kidding me. Look i know you're hurting but just please don't do this." i kept my palm on his cheek.
"I am not Nandini. I am okay. And i thought you understood it's over. It was over a month back. It was all fun with you but you know i don't do relationships. Just get over it." he shrugged my hand pushing me away and i lost it. I lost it so bad that i slapped him hard.
"Yeah you deserve that. I can't believe that i ever trusted a jerk like you." i shouted moving back.
"You know what. You were right. You were always supposed to stay alone. I was an idiot to ever think that you deserved happines. Good bye Malhotra." i snapped and walked away from him.
This time forever. It was over.
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I would really appreciate a few more comments and interaction from you guys. In all the chaos of my home i am still writing and posting and i think i deserve some words from others as well.