[Read the A/N at the end of the chapter]
[Ps: Sorry for bursting the hopes but not the awaited one]
"तू पसंद तो है मुझे, बस कहने से डरता हूं,
अकेले अकेले तुझे इश्क किया करता हु!"
"Bye Mimi!!"
"Bye Shona. And remember..."
"No Masti, No Sharat!" Anahita completed her mother's sentence before her.
(Masti- carelessness, Sharat/Shararat- Mischief)
Nandini smiled and gave a flying kiss to her daughter who went and climbed up on the van of their school which will take the kids to the park.
Soon the bus was out of Nandini's vision and she moved back towards the house where for now she was alone, as Ishita also went to hospital early in the morning. And although it was Monday, but it was a government holiday so she doesn't have college today.
For which she was quite thankful for. Because after her encounter with Manik last night, she wasn't sure what to do.
One part of her was feeling guilty for talking with him like that, or even thinking that he has some motives for his soft and kind behaviour.
One of the many things she has learned from life is Reading behind the lines. And as much as she has learnt from her observations, Manik is anything but fake or double faced.
But again observations can be proved wrong. Not everytime your sixth sense works. Generally when you think someone is fighting for you, with you, they choose to stab your back. And there is no worst feeling then seeing a person you trusted so blindly, breaking that trust with a venomous smile and no regret.
She sighed and took a seat on the couch. She was disturbed with her thoughts which were all mess. How just one incident can change your life, your thoughts , your whole existence so drastically. She closed her eyes and leaned back on the sofa and some memories flashed through her mind.
.
हो चेहरा है या चाँद खिला है
ज़ुल्फ़ घनेरी शाम है क्या
सागर जैसी आँखों वाली
यह तो बता तेरा नाम है क्या
(is it your face, or the moon itself shining,
is it your hair, or a dark evening itself?
O one with eyes (deep) like the sea,
at least tell me what your name is.)
"Hey!! You sang so well." The guy in front of her smiled and bowed his head.
"Thank you."
"Oh by the way hi, It's Nandini."
"Moksh"
"Moksh means salvation right?"
"Yeah, whoever gets me, get the ultimate salvation." He winked and she smiled although not understanding and started moving out of the music room. Before exiting the room she looked behind to saw him still standing there looking at her with smile, which was reflected back on her face too. And waving a little she was out of the room.
"Moksh" she muttered to herself and smiled.
.
Nandini opened her eyes and a tear rolled down her eyes. She was too naive to understand the meaning of the words. She was too innocent to think that everyone is real with no fake-ness in them.
But she won't repeat that mistake again. Things done once are called mistake, but doing same thing again is called foolish-ness. And she is not that. Wiping her tear she moved in her room to get ready and decided to go to cafe for overtime, because sitting alone will only mess her mind.
.
.
Manik was sitting in his room near the window staring at the oblivion. His mind was revolving around the last night's incident. It wasn't the first time Nandini has been so closed off. To be honest, she has never opened up. It's just him who tries to seek her thoughts, her practicality.
But last night it was different. He saw something in her eyes, as if she was all messed up, her thoughts were messed up. He saw her eyes filling with guilt when she spoke rudely to him. But he also could see the frustration in those deep eyes. He used to thought that it's so strange that he can sometimes read her eyes. The pain she had his inside her, the longing-ness of something . And yesterday it were all chaos.
It was as if she was trying to run away, from everything. From him. And that thought only scared him. He hasn't even found her fully and she wants to run away from him. His heart wishes to just know her all. Her pain, her sufferings everything. But he also knows that with her it is not gonna be easy.
Love, never is easy.
Manik was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't saw his mother entering in the room. Nyonika could see her son's sadness in his eyes since morning. He was trying to hid and be more cheerful but she is a mother, who can know her child's mental state with just a one glance at him.
Nyonika saw him sitting near the window bed lost in his thoughts. She went and sat in front of him and held his hand which was lying on his lap. Feeling a warm touch on his hand, Manik was bought out in the present. He saw his mother engulfing his hand in her both palms and smiled at him. That smile automatically bought a small smile on Manik's lips too. He silently kept his head in her lap and she instantly started caressing his hairs. A sigh escaped from Manik's lips. All his thoughts as if moved out of his mind. There was a silence for some minutes before Nyonika broke it.
"What is it that's disturbing you Manu?"
"Her." And before Manik could realise that word was out of his mouth making his mother frown.
Manik has still kept the identity of his The One, a secret from his family. He says that he will make them meet once he is sure that she also loves him. And although everyone once in a while would taunt him but still they understand him.
"What happen to her? Is she okay?" Manik smiled a little hearing his mother's concern face. She hasn't even met with her yet, still the worry or concern in her voice was visible. Oh how much she would love her when they'll actually meet, he thought. But then his thoughts again went around her, and in no time he was expressing his worries to his mother.
"I don't know Maa. At time I feel that I know her, and at times it's all confusing. She is not someone who is too friendly Maa. She likes to be alone. She likes to fight for her own. She is reserved, she is closed off. It took me a month to make her a little like a little comfortable around me to share her thoughts on some things.
And her thoughts. They are so deep, so mysterious, so enchanting Maa. She's the kind of girl you'll crave to have a conversation with.
She talks about magic realism, relativity, sun signs and what not. At times you just sit down and think about those little things she does--the way she religiously loves literature and hates materialistic people. She and her thoughts are so enigmatic that you'll fantasise unwrapping her mind, before anything else.
She is as mysterious as moon to me with all its flaws. Like the moon which I love, I can see it daily but I know, I can never have it. And the thought only scares me. I don't want my first love to remain unrequited. I want a love story with her, people will remember ages. I want a lifetime with her. I want her in my life Maa. And I also know, if it's not her than there will be no one else."
Nyonika was astounded hearing her son. The way he was speaking about her was making her scared too. Hearing about her she realised that His The One is not someone who is all ready to swoon over her son's charms and beautiful smile. Or maybe she is not even ready to fall. And that's why Manik's last words scared her. She knows that not all loves stories are meant to be. But she never wants her son's to be incomplete.
Shaking off her thoughts as mother's unnecessarily worries, she chose to make her son understand.
"Manu, not every person's life is same my child. If there is love in this world, then there is hate too. If there are dawns which brings light, then there are dusks too. If you had happiness then it's absolute fact that one has grief too. There is balance of everything.
Now look at yourself, you've been raised like a Prince, literally! Not necessarily that she has happiness all around her always. Maybe her life has taught her to live like this. Reserved. Closed off. Not trusting anyone easily.
If you craving for love is fair, then her running away from it will also be fair. So when you love a girl who has been used to being on her own, please be prepared to stay. Be ready to hold her hand when she says, "I can do it," and respond with, "But I can help." Be ready to learn about her life, her world, and find a way to respect it while still being a part of it. Be ready to scale the walls she's built around herself, and her heart, and be ready to never worry about what's going on outside of them. Because when you do, when you really do, she'll be ready to never let you go."
And again a silence fell in the room. But this time Manik's thoughts weren't all messed up. And he was mentally prepared for anything and everything coming his way to get his love.
Atleast that's what he thought!!
Because at times we can never be prepared for thing called- life.
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.
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A/N- Yes not the one you were waiting for, but didn't I told you that's due on Friday? So wait till Friday or maximum Saturday.
But that would also depend on your response on this chapter. I hate requesting you guys to vote and comment (proper) as much as you love reading.
If all, I'm trying to be consistent, but your response is discouraging me I swear. When I says you to give a good response you do so, if not then you don't. I'm not at all gonna request you again and again to give proper response.
No one is too free to write 2k words to get some effortless comments like "Amazing, Nice, Update soon" etcetera. You can also write more words of appreciation while writing this, now, Can't you?
Because if you can't, then I'm not sure how long will I be able to write more. This is a story which is close to my heart and I won't be happy in un-publishing it, but you're weak response is making me do so. I can spend those two-three hours in building my skills which will give me progress. So please, decide if you want this story or not.
I'm not threatening you all but my patience level is also breaking. So don't just react give response too. I'll prefer 30 comments with good appreciation then 100 comment with Amazing, Nice n all.
And also it doesn't takes breaking the mountain time to hit the star button. Out of 1.2k+ reads only 300 something press the star button and max 50 comments out of which 35 are amazing, nice, next. This is frustrating.
Hope this will be the last time I'm requesting for your votes/comments. Because there will be NO next time.
Do leave your reviews.
By the way, any guesses on how Manik will find the truth?
Words count - 1700
~A♡