"लोग शोर से उठ जाते हैं,
मुझे तेरी खामोशी सोने नहीं देती!"
"I wanna see you, touch you, hold you!"
"You can't!"
"Why?"
"Because, I am trapped!"
"Trapped? "
"Yes, I'm trapped, inside a tower, I've been locked and lost the key. Now the darkness that creeps in at night, is my only company."
"I will save you."
"You can't! No-one can save me here since, since no-one can hear my cries. This tower isn't very grand, It's really not that tall, But still I can't escape it, I can't break free at all. You can't see this tower, Just believe it's there instead, Because my tower isn't made of stone, It's all inside my head."
"We will fight. Together. With our love. I know Our love is stronger, we will together break this tower with our love. Give me your hand. We will fight it together."
I moved forward into the oblivion. I saw her standing there. Her hair blowing in air. Her hand fisted. I moved further and forwarded my hand. With her trembling ones, she held my hand. I smiled, I was about to pull her when I heard her soft trembling voice.
"This love will not give you anything except pain. I can never give you anything except sorrows of lifetime. I'm a burden. I'll always be a burden on you."
"No you aren't!! A burden is something you're forced to carry against your will, and I freely chose to be a part of your life. You can never be a burden."
"You're very loving. But sorry."
And in a spur of momet her hand slipped away from mine and I saw her falling down of the tower.
.
.
"Nandini!!!!!!!!" Manik woke up with a jerk breathing hard. He sat there in a daze for some minutes but soon he realised that it was a dream.
A nightmare most probably!
He ran his hand through his face. He was sweating. He closed his eyes when again his mind flashed his current nightmare, and he opened his eyes with a jerk.
Taking some water he drank it in a go and moved out of the bed walking towards his balcony. He looked at the shining moon and stars.
But even the call night wasn't able to calm the hurricane going on inside his mind. He was scared. He closed his eyes praying to his BabaJi still breathing hard.
But Nandini's face flashed in his mind again and his eyes snapped open. He played the dream in his mind and his eyes widened with realisation.
Today for the first time in years he saw her face.
The dream or sometimes the nightmare where he used to feel his The One in danger, he never saw her face. But today, he saw it.
And it was Nandini!
Nandini Murthy!
His heart skipped a beat and his eyes fluttered closed when he reminisced their first meet.
Her Deep Eyes which attracted him. He was able to feel the pain in those doe shaped eyes.
And soon a small smile was graced on his lips, which was converted in a full blown grin such that his teeth may hurt.
He jumped in excitement and grinned. He was feeling so so happy.
And why not?
The day he was waiting for finally was here.
The person he was waiting for finally was here.
His The One.
He had loved her even before meeting her.
He had longed for her even without expecting anything.
Who says you always need to spend decades with them to love them?
You mother starts loving you even when you were just a zygote.
Your father starts buying clothes and toys for you even before he sees you.
Then why can Romantic Love be like this?
If the saying that Couples are made in heaven then why can't one feel the other one's existence even before meeting him?
Manik has felt that.
He had always knew that on this planet there is someone, made only for him. And that's why he was waiting for his The One with all his love.
And he finally realised it.
He finally got to know who is his The One and this happiness isn't letting him stay calm.
His heart is beating at abnormal pace.
His thoughts were chaotic.
But still, his soul was Calm. Finally!
And he couldn't stop himself from sprinting out of his room and shouting for his family to wake up, standing in the middle of hall.
So what if it was only 3:36 am in the morning?
They are his family.
They are ought to know it first.
Be it Earliest Morning then!
He was too happy to care about this for now.
.
.
Nandini was awake too. She was looking at the shining moon in the dark night. There were frowns on her face.
This evening when saw was sharing her thoughts with Manik, she was pulled back in her past. That past she was running from. She couldn't sleep. Everytime she closed her eyes, she would snap them open because her mind would flash memories she was running from.
She looked at her palm where she was holding a bracelet. It was her gift and the only thing from her past life she has kept with her all these years alongwith the pendant, which she lost and she was very sad about it.
She looked at the bracelet and again closed her palms resting her head on the window pane closing her eyes.
"You need to do this Nandini."
"You are .. You are saying me..to.. to k..kill my ba..by."
"Illegitimate baby who have no future ahead. Are you freaking mad? You yourself are a child. Are you listening to yourself?"
"What is this girl still doing in My house?"
"Papaji...."
"Tell this girl to leave my house NOW!!!"
"Papaji, where will she go?"
"I don't care. She is dead to me.! Heard me? She is DEAD!!! The girl sitting here is a disgrace to our family. And I do not tolerate such mud in my house." And with this the old man grabbed her arm tightly and dragged her till the mansion gate and threw her out like a garbage in the heavy downpour.
"Where will she go PapaJi. ji you say something."
"She may rot in hell for all we care. She is NOT my daughter. She is not." And the man closed the door of the gate leaving his own daughter to die on the road.
"Bitiya this pandant will protect you and also take this money, go bitiya go from here."
.
.
Nandini took a sharp breath and opened her eyes.
For a while everything ached and then a little voice inside her said- "Hey you have to do something other than hurt all the time."
And she said- "I know, I know, I'm trying!".
Still breathing uneven she moved towards her bed.
To her Peace.
Her daughter.
Her one and only reason to live.
She hugged her daughter after laying on the bed with tear streaming out of her eyes. She kissed Anahita's forehead with all the love.
"You're not Illegitimate. You are Mine. Only Mine. And I won't let you suffer just like I did.
Never!
"It stops here. With me and you. It ends with Us."
.
.
"Manu you okay naa?"
"What happen son, why you were shouting like this. Everything okay?"
"And why are you grinning so much?"
"Did you saw a nightmare?"
"A ghost Mann?"
"Why did you disturbed my sweet sleep Ass...Asstonium!!!"
"Wait! What is Asstonium Cabir?"
"How would I know, I toh wanted to say Asshole but didn't wanted to die." Cabir muttered to himself before grinning at Arijit.
"Bhai that's a spanish word." He replied.
"Wait! I've learnt Spanish too Cabir, there's no such word like Asst..Asstomonia whatever."
"This is new Spanish Bhabhi. Leave Spanish let's focus on this Indian."
"Yes Manik, will you speak now? Everyone is awake."
"Okay so listen family. The good news is..."
"You found your The One?" Cabir joked and laughed at his own while other except Manik looked at him with bored expression but Manik jumped and hugged him while swinging.
"Cabir!!!! You are my true friend. You can even read my happiness. I Love you Cabireeeeee!!!"
"WHAT?" Manik jumped back hearing a chorus What in unison.
And they all jumped on Manik with questions like-
"When?"
"How?"
"Who is she?"
"Where?"
"When are you introducing her to us?"
"Where is she?"
"Is she beautiful?"
"Doesn't matter, does she love you back?"
"Why?" - Cabir.
"Seriously Cabir, Why?"
"Everyone asked my question so I asked this." He shrugged while everyone shaked their head in disbelief.
"Manu, speak anything."
"Mhmm!! I'll tell you all this, when I'll be sure of everything. I just wanted to say that Yes, I finally found Her. Okay Good Night!!"
And with this Manik ran to his room leaving his shocked family behind.
Here Cabir after half an hour found himself jumping in the balcony of Manik's room.
Well how can he leave him easily?
He saw the lover boy sitting on his bed holding his guitar and hence he moved in and sat in front of him and Manik just sighed as if knowing that he will come.
"Who is she?"
"You will know!"
"I guess I know."
"Who?"
"You aren't that Peculiar."
"So..?"
"Nandini!!"
"What the fuck!! It obviously was not so obvious!!"
"It wasn't. But I had this inkling."
Manik grinned and hugged Cabir who was happy for his friend and hugged him back. But his smile faltered and Manik noticed it after breaking the hug.
"What happen Cabire?"
"Manik it's all good. Nandini is very nice human being. But sometimes she is confusing. I don't know."
"She is Art Cabir. What the fuck do you expect from her, other than confusion, beauty and goddamn soul!?"
Cabir was amazed hearing Manik and a smile was formed on his face for his friend.
Finally his wait was over.
His eyes found hers,
Finally his earch was over!!
.
.
.
Heyo!!!
How was it?
Finally Manik realised that who is his 'The One', but is he ready to face everything tha is going to come in his way now?
One or two more chapters and Anahita's truth will be revealed, I'm hella excited for that part, but please yaar I need some good response before that.
No, I'm not blackmailing you to give votes and comments for next updates, because woh toh aana hi hai, but I'll feel motivated enough to write them soon with your good response.
Again, please "Update please, Amazing, Update soon" comments mat karna, they don't motivate me, sachi!!!
Footnote- The starting dream sequence's starting dialogue was a poem by eh on Pinterest and am not sure if it is Edward Harold or Erin Hanson!
Also, Nandini dialogue - "It stops here. With me and you. It ends with Us." - was also from my favourite book- It Ends With Us, just felt the right track and that dialogue came in my mind so.
Anyone who read the book?
That's all!!!
1853 words!
♡A