Nandini
I regained my consciousness and found myself lying on a bed in the sick bay. I was confused at first but then remembered how I got scared during the fight and fainted. I am sure manik would have been very restless and scared seeing me like this but what can I do....I had a horrible past as a child which still haunts me. I opened my eyes to see all worried faces in front of me specially bhai and manik. But what amazed me the most was that I was not lying my head on the pillow but it was in manik's lap and manik was gently caressing my hair. Heat rushed through me cheeks as I blushed but soon my eyelids got heavy and I went off to sleep which I guess was because of those heavy sedatives that were given to me.
"No don't.....leave me please!.... Please leave me!"....I fell on the floor crying badly. "I will do whatever you say but please let me go....please."
My movements were restricted now as I got tied with ropes. I struggled to free myself but all my attempts were a failure. I saw that person come extrely close to me and I started shouting.
" No!! Please.....manikk!..."
Bhai!"
I woke up with a jerk and next I know that I was engulfed in a bone crushing and rather a very consoling hug by manik.
"Nandu....star....dekho I'm here see" he said and was continuously rubbing my back in order to console me. I looked around scared and said " manik they left me....bhai vo log mujhe chod kar chale gaye....they left me" and I cried badly engulfed in manik's arms. What more could I even do?..... I was very naive that time to even understand what was happening with me. I had got numb after that incident. If it wasn't bhai and manik I would have caged up myself and would be living lifelessly like those days....my past still haunted me and that would bring along this horrible nightmares that did nothing but just added more misery to my pain. I could hear alia question manik about my state but he just ignored her and told the others to leave. Nandini murthy you have to be strong now. If you really want to fight back your terrifying past then you will have to face it and I very well knew what would be my first step to get rid of it and so stopped everyone from going out. I had decided to spill the beans now. No more hiding, no more getting afraid. I had to do this....for me!
I collected courage and stopped them only to be stopped by manik who was yet not ready to believe that I was fine. I first needed to calm him down and ensure him that I was fine and that was what I did. I ensured him but still could not calm his rage, his eyes were still showing how furious he was with a slight tinge of guilt as I very well knew he would blame himself for not being able to save me from harshad. Just to lighten him up and calm him down I initiated " manik, can I calm u down now? Please manik?" And I smiled a bit. I knew it will work as his reply came after a few seconds once he had properly studied me whether I was in pain and replied with a small smile " your smile does that anyway". I smiled wide.
We all settled down after a bit of teasing and having some fun. I was gelling up well with manik's friends now. All were ready for me to recite my past to them that still bought me goosebumps even after being warned by my overprotective best friend, manik and my very much concerned brother, my bhai, Abhi.
I started...
"Guys please be patient and don't interrupt me specially you manik..."
"Ary when do I interrupt when you
talk?"
"So what are you doing now?" I said cocking my eyebrow.
"OK fine sorry....continue"
"Hmm good so....guys look ye baat batane ki himmat mujhme kabhi thi hi nhi....I was not even ready to face it. That incident had changed everything. I was lost after that but yet manik and Bhai brought me back. It happened 4 years ago when..."
Flashback
It was during late summer when nandini was in Mangalore with her entire family. Amms, chacha, chachi and Abhi. Even manik's family was there. Nandini was very fond of such family gatherings as it was one thing that her parents enjoyed a lot....spending time with their family. This made nandini feel their presence near her. Everything was going well until now and all were having fun, chatting with each other, pulling each other's leg and playing around when chachi called nandini.
Chachi: nandu beta yaha aa
Nandini: ji chachi
Chachi: beta mere saath chalna mujhe kuch kaam hai tujhse
Nandini: OK
Nandini nodded obediently and moved out along with chachi. They started walking and reached a deserted street. Nandini got scared and caught hold of chachi's dupatta in fear. The next moment nandini was hit on the back of her head and dragged in some cottage.
A few hours later nandini opened her eyes to see herself tied with ropes on a chair and her lips sealed with a tape. She was horrified. She kept on struggling to free herself, she even tried shouting for help but failed. After a while she heard some noise as if someone was breaking a bottle. She was in a fix. Nothing could be put into juxtaposition with what she was going through at that time, her heart was throbbing violently in her chest, no sign of rescue was visible, beads of perspiration appeared all over her face, she was having goosebumps now. The door opened with a creek and nandini's blood dried in her veins seeing the person in front of her. The person was.....