" Manik, you came!"
Nandini whispered like a desparate prayer seeing her love-God standing infront of her with eyes filled with love-worry- longing.
She hugged him placing a soft kiss over his heart and clutched him more firmly. Then she poured her heart out. The sound of her hurt heart echoed throughout the corridor on that twilight time of the day.
Manik pulled her more to him if that was even possible and placed an assuring kiss on her head to let her believe his presence and support. Seeing his World's queen in pain and crying bitterly, his heart also crunched with agony and unknowingly tears started flowing from his eyes as well.
Two people were completely shocked witnessing the scene infront of them. Neither they could believe what they were watching nor what they were listening. The scene was completely incredulous to them.
Slowly Nandini pulled herself out of Manik's hold. Manik wiped the tear strains of her cheeks, then cupped her face and enquired lovingly
" Are you feeling better, baby? "
Nandini slowly nodded placing her plam over Manik's on her cheeks. And asked back " Are you okay, Manik? "
Manik then released a deep breath to assure himself her safety within his vicinity. " Don't you ever scare me like that. I am not going to let you go away from me again. You get that? You have to be infront of me. Always. Everytime."
His eyes were filled with raw worry and her heart clenched. Once again she witnessed how important she was to him. She witnessed the depth of love he had for her. And, despite of that upsetting environment, she felt blessed to be able to meet her God and encountering the love her God had for her. It was indeed overwhelming yet satisfying.
" I was so scared, Baby. Are you sure, you are okay? " He uttered again caressing her face.
A batch of fresh yet happy tears flowed from her doe eyes listening to his desparate prayer. He again wiped those tears lovingly.
" You are with me now. Of course, I am fine Manik. " She whispered back placing her plam over his heart to let his heart know about her wellbeing.
"Oh baby!" He pulled her again to him and uttered. "I missed you so much".
He hugged her.
She smiled hugging him back and muttered " I missed you too Manik. So very much. Thank you for coming to me."
Getting the much needed comfort, she said " Manik, appa. My dad"
" I know baby, I know. " He rubbed her back while hugging " Everything will be alright. Please don't worry. "
She nodded slightly placing a soft peck on the side of his neck and then broke the hug.
He then again said assuringly
" I am here with you. Don't stress out please. He will be alright, Nandini. I promise." Then he placed a deep kiss over her forehead and stayed like that for good few seconds.
Time flowed like in constrained that night. It was already a dawn time. Manik and Nandini were consoling themselves in eachother's arms. And, both Abhi and Sriya were still satute in shock.
The sound of the operation theatre door broke the strance for every one present there. Nandini rushed to the doctors and scrub nurses followed by Manik and others.
" how's my father doctor?" She asked worriedly.
" The Operation was successfully. He is fine now. We need to keep him under observation for one or two days to monitor the improvement. Please wait a little while to meet him until we shift him to general ward " They informed her assuringly.
" Shift him to VIP ward. " Manik's authoritive voice echoed.
That was the time they noticed the well known Rockstar standing among them and that was enough for the nurses and junior doctors to go all Gaga over him.
Manik however didn't bat an eye to those admiring eyes gwaking his presence. His sole concern were for his girlfriend and her family. So, seeing those starstruck yet confused expression, he stated again more firmly,
" Shift the patient to VIP room. Everything must be top notch for him. "
Then he turned his attention to his P.A Aman " Take care of everything. "
Being said Aman followed the doctors to the helpdesk to fill out the formalities while two of Manik's guards took the initiative to escort the drooling nurses away from the rockstar to provide them privacy. And, two of them stayed back with Manik.
That was the moment Nandini realised the blunder. She slowly turned towards a still super confused Sriya and Abhi. And, observing the fine lines on their foreheads, she understood that it was going to be another long and tiring day.
The three bestfriends engaged themselves in an eye contest. Two confused pairs agaist one bludggin guilty pair.
One sheer ringing tone of Manik's phone broke their contest and Manik attended the call. "Yes, Aman"
Listening to the other side, he replied " Hold on a second." Then he placed one hand on Nandini's shoulder to grab her attention. " I need to sign a document, so I am going to the hospital helpdesk. I will be real quick. Wait for me here itself. Okay. "
A stranced Nandini still staring at her BFF's, just nodded her head. He dropped a quick peck on her forehead and motioned two of his guards to stay with her while other two followed him.
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Nandini kept on counting the seconds waiting for the Strom.
Eight
"Care to explain" Sriya was the first to address followed by an over anxious Abhi "What the hell was that?"
The moment she was dreading came so abruptly and Nandini was not ready for that. Though she knew that nothing but the truth was the only thing that could help the situation, but yet she was short of words. She didn't know how and where to start. But, her secret is out of the Pandora Box. So, she had no other choice but open the secret chamber more widely.
Before she could form a proper sentence to answer them, Abhi shouted again and this time more aggitiately
"What is Manik Malhotra doing here? And Baby??? Why the bloody hell is he addressing you with such enderment? He is just your mentor for few weeks only Nandu, isn't he? And, why the hell he kept on kissing you!! What happened to you? What changed? And How?"
"Yes, don't stand like a statue Nandini. What's going on? What's all this? " Sriya added and seeing her expression, it was clear that the always composed Sriya was also a second away to loose her mind and cool.
Nandini took a few breaths to compose herself to address the warth of her best friend's. Then catching up with needed breaths she muttered
"W....ell, Ma......nik. Maaan....ik is is...." But words were betraying her.
" Is this the secret you were hiding from us? " Sriya asked seeing the baffled expression on Nandini's face. She knew Nandini to the back bone. So, she understood how difficult it was for Nandini to address any confrontation. Because of that, being the loyal friend, she herself came front to aid her baffled bestie.
Nandini gulped down the anxiety and decided to face the music honestly, after all these were the two people she cherished the most.
" Yes " she answered softly.
"From when?" Sriya asked again.
" A while. " She replied then seeing the absolute lingering question on Sriya and Abhi's faces, she clarified "nearly nine and half months "
"What? That means it started before our workshop!?" A stupified Abhi exclaimed in confusion.
Nandini in reply nodded. And that gave Abhi the chance to put all of those missing pieces together. From her everytime dening his offer to drop home to hanging out. Her secret phone fondling to phone calls. Her overly comfortable behaviour and stares around Manik whenever he came accross them. A confusing credit card in Nandini's bag to the address of Nandini's new secret flat that she never allowed him to know about. And, suddenly something poked his mind.
He grabbed her shoulders and demanded " Your new home. Does Manik Malhotra know about it? Does he visit you there? Also, in that news, you were that secret lady with Manik Malhotra in that hotel, weren't you? "
Nandini was not ready for that topic and related confrontation. She completely forgot about that in that moment. So, hearing Abhi's to the point accusations, literally scared her and she didn't know what to say.
" Answer me. How could you lie to our faces? It was you. Wasn't it? Speak up Nandu." He shouted shooking her shoulder vehemently.
The two bodyguards who were keeping their distance to provide privacy to the three friends rushed to free Nandini from Abhi's grip. They feared for their jobs as they were sure that Manik would bring wrath to them ever if their Nandini mam got a single tiny bit of scratch despite of the whatsoever reason.
They politely tried to free Nandini from Abhi's iron grip. " Leave me " Abhi shouted at them.
Nandini knew Abhi was hurting feeling betrayed , so she requested the gurads to give them privacy.
" Abhi...woh..." She tired to give him explanation. Her eyes were full of guilt.
" Speak up dammit. You betrayed us" saying being hurt he pushed her freeing his grip on her shoulders. Nandini lost balance being emotionally drained out and fell on the floor weakly.
Abhi realised his mistake and about to approach her to help her get up along with Sriya, he was roughly pushed away.
"What's going on here? " An agitated Manik roared in sheer anger seeing his girlfriend on the floor crying so vulnerablly.
He clutched Abhi's collar and threatened again " How dare you? "