Manik was lost thinking about the horrid happenings of the past two months, intensely staring at nandini all lost when he heard nandini calling him in.
Nandini: manik andar aao na...why are you standing there?
Manik*entering in*: ah...kuch nahi, bas aise hi. You say Abhi kaisa hai?
Nandini: Bhai toh as usual so rahe hai. He is so stubborn...see na! Main unhe kabse bol rahi hu ki wake up but unhone ek baari bhi meri baat nahi suni
Manik smiled a little at her efforts to cover up the hurt that she was going through and sat next to Abhi on the bed.
Manik: don't worry. Ab main aa gaya hu na toh main iski class leta hu tab tak you get me some good breakfast! I am damn hungry yaar
He said cutely, caressing his tummy making nandini smile a bit.
Nandini: ya...I will be back tab tak you talk to him
Manik nodded as nandini proceeded towards the kitchen to make some breakfast.
As nandini left, manik looked at Abhi and smiled.
Manik: Abhi tu dekh raha hai? Did you see nandini? She has become so strong. She isn't crying nor is she falling weak rather she is standing strong...you know why? Kyuki usne rakhi par tujhe promise kiya tha na. Yaad hai tune use kaha tha ki you are proud of her ki she is so strong and responsible so see she is just doing that, afterall how can she let you down? And mukti...she has toh changed completely. Voh aaj kal bilkul damsel in distress bankar ghumti hai but around you she is always smiling. Tujhe pata hai use kisne inspire kiya? Nandini dude...ofcourse! Infact usne toh hum sabko inspire kiya hai yaar...to be strong
Manik said with a faint smile on his face with tears at the corner of his eyes.
Manik: tere accident ke baad na Abhi, we all were broken, we had no idea what to do...how to react, mukti ka toh ro ro ke bura haal ho gaya tha and nandini...voh toh puri blank ho gayi thi, she literally had no reaction on her face but then voh achanak kahi chali gayi and thereafter when she returned, she was this strong nandini who managed everything and she has been this strong even now. Two months Abhi...do mahine! Aur kitna soyega yaar tu? Wake up na Bhai...please
A tear slipped down his cheek as he continued.
Manik: Abhi wake up soon please. We can't take it now...not anymore, I-I can't take it anymore. You used to say right ki we are the THREE MUSKETEERS but we are incomplete without you. Me and nandini miss you alot...mukti misses you like hell man. Mukti is shattered, I have seen her cry for you when she is all drunk and not even in her senses and also when she is sane and it really hurts buddy. Please come back to us and I promise I won't let anything get wrong this time. I will make sure that harshad regrets what he did to you bas tu theek ho ja
He completed and wiped away his tears. Just then nandini entered in with two mugs of coffee and breakfast.
Nandini: so kya baate ho rahi hai?
Manik: kuch nahi bas iski class le raha tha. Yaad hai bachpan me yeh mujhe humesha daanta karta tha for sleeping till late aur ab dekho...he is the one doing that toh maine bhi use daant diya just the way he used to
A small smile appeared on their face thinking of their childhood as they quietly completed the breakfast nandini brought when mukti entered.
Mukti: hey choti! Hey Bhai!
Nandini: mukti ab tumhi inhe utha sakti ho...see na Bhai is acting so stubborn. I toh even warned him ki agar he won't wake up na toh you will be mad at him but see he is still sleeping
Mukti: choti you don't worry...main hu na...I will see to it
Manik: muku tu theek hai?
Mukti: ofcourse! Mujhe kya hua hai? Why are you asking such questions? I am absolutely fine
She spoke the last sentence meekly, looking at abhimanyu.
Manik: nandini I think we should give them some privacy nai? And mukti...you can thank me later
Mukti smiled at his attempt to cheer them up as nandini nodded and soon they left leaving behind mukti alone in the room with an unconscious Abhi.
Outside the room
Once manik and nandini were outside the room, nandini began walking away when manik caught hold of her hand and stopped her.
Manik: where do you think you are going?
Nandini: kitchen me....I need to keep these dishes there na
Manik: that can be done later nandini. We need to talk right now
Nandini*avoiding eye contact*: talk? Talk about what manik?
Manik: nandini you exactly know about what and ya this time I won't leave until we have this 'talk'
Nandini sighed at his stubbornness and gave in.
Nandini: fine. Let me just keep these dishes in the kitchen and then we will talk...ya?
Manik bobbed his head in agreement, determined to make her speak this time as he saw nandini's retreating figure walk to the kitchen.
Inside the room
Mukti looked at Abhi with a smile on her face and sat beside him.
Mukti: so Mr. Abhimanyu Murthy having fun troubling us all? Toh tum yeh game kab tak khelne wale ho please mujhe baat dena taaki at least I don't keep crying all the time na
She uttered as a tear made its way down her face.
Mukti: you know abhimanyu jab harshad ne mujhe cheat kiya tha na toh I was so hurt ki I couldn't handle it aur main depression me chali gayi...I started taking anti- depressants to handle myself, I started destroying myself but fir tum meri life me aaye, you gave me hope and for the first time I felt ki there is still someone jo mere liye kuch bhi kar sakta hai...jo meri itni care karta hai. I felt ki there is someone who can once again make me believe in the existence of love and you actually did
She smiled a genuine smile.
Mukti: do you remember the first time we met? I was just so pissed at you but tumhe toh mere gusse se koi farak hi nahi padta tha. That day for the first time I met someone who wasn't scared of my anger infact, someone who was least affected by it
Flashback
Mukti was roaming around in the corridor outside the fab 5 jam room waiting for the others. She was really irritated that day because everyone was late and mukti did not like waiting.
Mukti*while roaming*: yeh log kaha hai!? Phone tak nahi utha rahe hai yeh log. Idiots! Aane do sabko....aaj toh I am not going to spare anyone!
At the same time a guy was passing by the same corridor. It was his first day in space and he was busy finding his class when out of nowhere he dashed with mukti who was lost in her own world, cursing her dear friends.
Mukti: What. The. Hell! Are you blind!? Dekh kar nahi chal sakte ho kya?
Mukti yelled fuming in anger as she caressed her elbow, getting up from the floor. The guy smiled seeing the angry tigress which irritated mukti all the more.
Mukti: oh hello maine koi joke crack nahi kiya ki tum aise has rahe ho. God! Are you mad or what? Pagal ho gaye ho kya?!
Mukti was really annoyed.
Guy: you know smile karna koi crime nahi hai aur aisa konsi rule book me likha hai ki agar aap smile karo toh you are mad?
Mukti: hasne ke liye reason bhi toh hona chahiye. Anyways...why am I even discussing this with you! Utho and just get lost...I am really annoyed right now
Guy: whoa whoa angry young woman tum kitni annoyed ho voh toh dikh raha hai but you need to calm down
Mukti: and who on earth are you to tell me what should I do and what I shouldn't?
Guy: well abhi tak toh koi nai but who knows kuch ban jau
Mukti: seriously!? So cheesy man!
She said rolling her eyes, frustrated.
Guy: vaise I like smiling faces so apne beautiful se face se yeh frowns hata do cuz a smile will suite you better
Mukti*furious*: look Mr-
Abhi: Abhimanyu...Abhimanyu Murthy
Mukti: whatever...just move now!
Abhimanyu went away smiling like a fool leaving behind a mighty pissed mukti who was already to burst with anger on her poor friends.
You know that was something I found impressive about you but main itni jaldi kaise maan leti!? Then manik ne tumhe introduce kiya as his childhood friend and that was enough to make me angry. Afterall Mukti Vardhan itni jaldi haar kaise maan sakti hai! Isliye I decided to ignore you and piss you off at every chance I get, taunt you every now and then but still no effect
Flashback
Abhi: manik tere paas guitar strings hai kya? Actually I forgot to get mine
Manik: ha ruk...deta hu
Mukti*taunts*: aajkal ab bas yahi baki reh gaya hai...khud ki cheeze lana bhul jao and then beg in front of others
Abhi: manik friends se kuch mangna is not begging right and vaise bhi it us said na ki in friendship, "Jo tera hai voh mera hai" and also sharing is caring so yeah...I hope some people got their answers
He said looking towards mukti with a smug smile and left which annoyed mukti.
Mukti: Tumhe mujhe aise gussa dilane me bohot maza aata hai na?...see isliye abhi bhi you aren't waking up. By the way you remember that day jab I was still upset and hurt with the harshad thing even though entire two weeks had passed by? Uss din tum meri car ke samne aa gaye the and if I wouldn't have seen you and halted my car toh tumhara pata nahi kya hota
Reminiscing the memory, she chuckled lowly.
Next flashback in next chapter n ya the updates will be a bit slow..hope you all are fine with it! Hope you liked this update.
Happy reading.
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