(A/N: Hey people! We are extremely sorry for late update. Anyways, we don't want to waste your time. So, here you go with chapter 16. We need more votes and comments. Loads of love.)
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~~Nandini's POV~~
I hear a knock on the door. I quickly stood up and wiped my tears. I opened the door and found Naman, panting.
Nandini: "Naman... Baby, kya hua?"
Naman: "Uff... Umph.... Manik... Manik."
Nandini: "Manik? Manik ko kya hua?"
Naman: "Mom, Manik fainted."
Cabir: "What?"
Naman: "Haan..."
Nandini: "Okay. I'll go and check. Cabir, please tum bacchho ko unke ghar pe drop kar do. And if possible, take Naman and Nidhi also." Cabir smiles at me, and I know why. He is smiling at my concern towards Manik. I can't bear anything happening to my Manik, not in front of me.
Cabir: "Okay fine. Nandini, take care huh?" He winks at me. "Naman, chalo. Let's go downstairs." Cabir and Naman leave the room.
I go to my room and see Manik laying unconscious there. I go to my bedside table and take my bottle of water. I sprinkle some water on him and he wakes up but his eyes are still closed. I run to him and sit beside him. I gently put his head on my lap. Small tears start welling up in my eyes.
Nandini: "Manik... Manik, please utho na? Please open your eyes and look at me. Manik..." I run my hand on his forehead. He feels my touch and a small smile appeared on his face. He immediately holds my other hand, which is lying on his chest and keeps our hands close to his heart.
Manik: "Nand... Nandi... Nandini...." He pants, slowly regaining consciousness.
Nandini: "Manik... I am here only." I say fast, trying to control my tears.
Manik: "Nandini, please don't leave me. Please mere saath raho. Humesha, humesha ke liye... I am sorry, Nandini. Please mere saath kabhi mat choddna."
Nandini: "Ssshhh Manik... " I cry harder and he clenches my hand tighter, making sure I won't let go of him. I break down in front of him and Manik smiles. I pat him to sleep and call Cabir. Just then, Cabir enters. He comes rushing to my room.
Cabir: "Manik! Manik!" He shouts and stops in front of the door. I put my finger on my lips and hiss, signalling him to keep quiet. He nods and enters. He carries Manik in his arms with my help and lays him on the bed. I put a pillow under his head and put my Naman's blanket over him. I put my scented pillow beside him, just like what I do for my kids. Well, he is like my kid only.
Cabir: "What the hell, Nandini? Why did you put a pillow beside him?" He says softly. I quickly realise and try to take the pillow away, but Manik holds it tight, just like he holds me in his sleep, and smiles. I admire him while Cabir gently coughs to bring me back out of my world. I blush.
We walk downstairs and I sit on the couch with Cabir, still blushing remembering that night with him.
Cabir: "So Nandini... Did I miss anything?" He teases.
Nandini: "No... Not at all. Vaise Cabir, if you don't mind, ek baat puchu?" He smirks at me.
Cabir: "Of course." He says.
Nandini: "Uss din... When Manik got arrested, uss din actually kya hua? Mujhe toh expulsion mil gaya tha. What happened to Manik?" His expression immediately changes.
Cabir: "Voh actually... That day..."
Manik looked at Nandini for the last time. He walked into the jail chamber. Nyonika came to Nandini.
Nyonika: "Meet me in college now."
Nandini: "But Ma'am..." Nyonika walked away. Nandini ran to the jail chamber but the security guards pulled her away.
Alya: "How could you do this to our friend? Do you know how much he trusted you, you loser?"
Dhruv: "Aur janti ho, buddy tumse kitna pyaar karta hai?"
Nandini: "Guys, I'm sorry. Galti ho gayi. I'll make it up for..." Cabir cuts her mid-sentence.
Cabir: "Nandini, forget it and just go to college. Only Nyonika can save Manik. So go for his sake.."
Nandini: "Yes Cabir. I will go... For Manik." She got ready and went to college. She saw Nyonika there, sitting with a letter.
Nyonika: "Here you go." She handed the letter to Nandini. Nandini opened the letter. She read it and got shocked.
Nandini: "Ma'am, but aise kaise? How could you just expel me from college like that?"
Nyonika: "This is my college and I can do anything. Nobody can question me. Besides, you have served your purpose in this college by putting my son behind bars. Now, you have time till 12 noon to clear your belongings from this college and leave." Nandini took the letter and went outside.
She sat in the canteen, crying. All this was witnessed by Navya. She came and consoled Nandini and told her that Nyonika helped release Manik from jail. Nandini smiled and hugged Navya tight. She ran to the JAM room, where FAB 5 were usually chilling. But they were not to be found. Nandini went around the college, searching for Manik. She couldn't find him anywhere. She looked at her watch. It was 11:30 a.m. She went to her locker and packed everything while tears were flowing down her eyes like waterfalls. She called her friend, Jeet and asked him to book a ticket to Delhi. She cleared her locker and turned around. She bumped into Cabir.
Cabir: "Nandini, don't worry. Manik will be okay and he won't just let you go like that."
Nandini: "Cabir, I have just 20 more minutes in this college." She said and walked away. She went to the canteen and met FAB 5. She bid everyone goodbye but Manik didn't care. He was just playing his guitar and didn't bother to look at her. When she came to him, he turned his back at her.
Nandini: "Bye Manik. Forever." Manik ignored her. She hugged Cabir. He broke the hug and smiled. He made a 'will-miss-you' face. She smiled inspite of the tears rolling down her face.
Cabir (to Manik): "Bro, she is going. Stop her."
Manik: "Jaane do usse. She deserves it." Everyone else followed Nandini. She boarded a taxi. Everyone came and bid her goodbye, with happiness. When the car was about to leave, Manik came running and stood behind FAB 5. Nandini cried and Manik avoided eye contact. Nandini left S.P.A.C.E. forever. Manik went home and nobody knew what happened after that.
Cabir: "And after that incident, that night... He went to the beach where you both spent beautiful moments together. He stood by the waves and was about to jump but Abhi and I stopped him and took him to the Malhotra mansion. We stayed with him that night and I think, that's when he broke his phone and started to spend sleepless nights in his bed. Please Nandini... He needs you badly and I know he's what you need too. So please don't do this to yourself."
Nandini: "Cabir, I already told you. I can't be with him because he doesn't value true love."
Just then, a shattering noise comes from upstairs. Cabir and Nandini run upstairs.
Manik: "Nandini... Nandini..."
Nandini: "Cabir, kya hua?"
Cabir: "This is how he is, every night, unless he sleeps with a girl, to express his emotional pain on her, physically. Ever since your breakup, he is like this. You affect him a lot." OMG! He is so affected by that incident but am I not? And he sleeps with different girls? After me?
Nandini: "WHAT?"
Cabir: "Yeah... You heard me right. He sleeps with different girls every night. And I don't think he did anything wrong, because you toh got married. He didn't. He still loves you madly." Manik... The thought of him with another girl pricks my heart.
Cabir: "Probably you can't accept him, Nandini. But please, let your kids bond with him. Let them experience a father's love. I know how painful it is, to not feel a father's love. My mom was an awesome parent, no doubt about that. But she can never fill that empty space in my life which my dad could. Please don't do this to your kids."
I start crying hard. I know I can never give my kids that love which Manik could. Probably I'm just not a good parent after all. Ab kya karun? Manik se shaadi karlu? Naman aur Nidhi ke liye? Ya phir just let my kids alone with him. But he shouldn't know that these are his kids. Agar pata chal gaya toh he will take them away from me. Now what should I do?
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