Manik and Nandini searched for Cabir everywhere but they couldn't find him.
Nandini : Manik, Mukti had gone behind Cabir. Maybe usse pata ho Cabir kaha hai.
Manik : Yes, maybe. Let's go to the canteen.
They headed towards the canteen.
In the canteen
Manik and Nandini reached the table where everyone was seated previously.
Nandini : Mukti, Cabir kaha hai?
Mukti : Pata nahi Nandini. I tried to find him. I checked the jam room, auditorium, every place he might have been in. Lekin woh mujhe kahi nahi mila. Pata nahi kaha chala gaya yeh.
Manik : Shitt.. What have I done?
He shut his eyes in self-disgust. He rubbed his hand on his face. Suddenly, a thought struck him.
Manik : I think I know where he might be.
Manik was about to leave when Nandini held his hand. He turned to look at her.
Nandini : Mei bhi saath chalti hu.
Manik : No Nandini. I'll handle it. Tum yaha ruko and please jyada stress mat lo. Also, Dr. Arohi has told you to rest. (Looking towards Mukti) Mukti, tu please Nandini ka dhyaan rakhna. Don't let her go anywhere.
Mukti nodded. He turned back towards Nandini and cupped her cheeks.
Manik : I'll make it alright. I promise.
Nandini nodded.
Nandini : Please don't lose your cool this time.
Manik : I won't.
He reassured her and left from the canteen.
Dhruv : I hope inn dono ke beech sab thik ho jaaye.
Nandini : Don't worry Dhruv. Manik ne bola hai naa, toh he'll make everything alright.
Outside the college building
A plethora of memories flashed through Manik's mind on his way to the place where he thought Cabir might be. When he reached the backside of the college building, he found Cabir sitting there on the lone bench with his back facing towards him, looking at the lush green trees ahead. This was the place where Cabir went when he wanted to be away from the world and alone with his thoughts. Manik knew this place because Cabir took him there when Manik was struggling with his feelings after his breakup with Nandini and couldn't talk to anyone about it, unbeknownst to the fact that Cabir had sensed his torment. Cabir had told Manik that this place helped him gather his thoughts and make the right decisions. ‘It provides me with some unknown kind of peace’, Cabir had said. Manik remembered. He smiled at the memory. He walked towards Cabir. When Manik was behind him, he called out.
Manik : Cabir..
Cabir had heard some footsteps but he didn't think it would be Manik. On hearing his voice, Cabir wiped off the few teardrops that had fallen from his eyes. He sure was angry with Manik for talking nonsense but more than angry, he was hurt. Hurt that his childhood friend would think and say something like what Manik had said. Had those words come from anyone else, Cabir wouldn't have cared. But coming from Manik, those words pierced his heart.
Cabir : Manik tu kyu aaya hai yaha? Chala jaa yaha se. Mujhe tujhse koi baat nahi karni hai.
Manik came and stood in front of Cabir.
Manik : Cabir ek baar meri baat toh sun le. Please. Please Cabir! Ek baar.
Cabir : Manik please meri aakhon ke saamne se chala jaa. I don't want to talk to you or see your face. Just leave me alone and go. Aur vaise bhi bolne ke liye bacha hi kya hai? Sab kuch toh bol diya hai tune. Ab aur kya bolna chahta hai? Ab private mei meri aur insult karni hai kya?
Manik's heart sank at Cabir's words. But he knew he deserved Cabir's ire.
Manik : Cabir.. Tu aisa kyu bol raha hai yaar? I know I deserve your indifference. I know that mujhe woh sab nahi bolna chahiye tha. I know what I said was wrong. But don't say that I want to insult you more. Please ek baar mujhe bolne de. Ek baar meri baat sun le Cabir. Uske baad tu jo bolega mei karunga. But please give me one last chance.
His voice was almost inaudible by the time he spoke the last statement. His eyes were brimming with tears. They threatened to fall but he gulped them back. Cabir just nodded his head, indicating Manik to continue. Taking a deep breath, he started.
Manik : Cabir, I'm not trying to justify myself because I know what I said was downright mean and obnoxious. I shouldn't have said any of it but I don't know what took over me. I wasn't in my senses when I spoke those words. I just lost it when you joked about yesterday night. Which I know I had no right to. But Cabir, kal maine jis haalat mei Nandini ko dekha, I don't want to see her that way ever again. I can't see her in that kind of pain. For those few moments when she was screaming in pain, it felt like someone was ripping my heart off my chest. And the moment she fell unconscious in my arms, my entire world came to a standstill. Cabir, you know how much I love her. Ek tu hi toh hai jo starting se sab kuch jaanta hai. Jab mujhe bhi nahi pata tha ki mei Nandini se pyaar karta hu, tabhi tujhe pata tha that I love her. Tune hi toh mujhe realize karwaya tha what she means to me. You were the cupid in our love story. Agar tu nahi hota toh shayad aaj hum saath nahi hote, Cabir. I know yeh koi justification nahi hai for what I said to you, but you know that I can't lose her. If I lose her, I won't be able to live. Aur mujhe nahi pata lekin I have this weird feeling that something bad is going to happen. I'm sorry Cabir. Mujhe tujhse aise baat nahi karni chahiye thi. No matter what I was feeling, I had no rights to charge you with such bitter words. I'm sorry Cabir. Please forgive me. Please.
Manik folded his hands and put his forehead on them, shutting his eyes. Cabir got up from the bench and went towards Manik. He held Manik's hand. Manik looked up. Cabir's eyes had also welled up with tears after listening to Manik.
Cabir : Manik, yeh kya kar raha hai? Stop it. You don't have to fold your hands like this.
Cabir just hugged him. Cabir's heart ached at his plight. He had never seen Manik be so vulnerable. He knew what Nandini meant to Manik. He knew how important she was to him. He knew everything. Manik and Nandini were the epitome of true love for him. He had witnessed their love blossom from hate. And he believed that love existed because of them. They broke apart.
Cabir : I know Manik. I know everything. I know how much you love her and what she means to you. I know, Manik. And she's a gem, Manik. And you won't lose her. Tu aisa kyu soch raha hai? Tu hai naa. Hum hai naa. We will always protect her. We won't let anything happen to her. Aur jab tak hum sab saath hai, tab tak kuch bura nahi hoga. Hum aisa hone hi nahi denge. She's the one who turned you into the good human, that you hid somewhere deep in your heart, from the monster you portrayed to be in front of others. She was the one who faced us. Who wasn't scared of us. Who saw the good in us. She was the only one who didn't think of us as completely hopeless beings. She was the only one who had the hope that we could be good too. She has not only changed your life Manik. She has changed our lives too, by bringing out the goodness in us. The one that even we had forgotten, existed within us. Hum usse kaise kuch hone de sakte hai? Haa?
Nodding his head, Manik smiled a little at that.
Cabir : Manik I know you didn't mean any of what you said and you just said it out of concern for her. And I'm sorry too. Mujhe har baar aise mazaak nahi karna chahiye.
Manik : Matlab tune mujhe maaf kar dia?
Cabir : Haa obviously. Agar maaf nahi karunga toh tujhe aur Nandini ko tease kaise karunga?
Cabir guffawed.
Manik : Cabirrrr… Tu bhi naa.
Manik shook his head and laughed along with him.
Cabir : Lekin..
Manik : Lekin kya?
Cabir : Tujhe ab mujhe treat deni hogi. Dekh, teri wajah se mujhe itna dur chalke aana pada. Ab mujhe bhook lagi hai.
He joked. Manik swung his hand around Cabir's neck.
Manik : Chal..
They headed towards the canteen.
In the canteen
Manik and Cabir reached the table.
Mukti : All sorted guys?
Manik and Cabir looked at each other. They thought of having some fun with everyone and signalled each other through their eyes. They put on their serious faces.
Cabir : Sorted? My foot. Mei aaj ke baad Manik ki shakal bhi nahi dekhna chahta hu. Usse lagta hai na that I don't care. Now I'll show him how it feels when Cabir doesn't care.
Manik : Haa haa.. Jaa naa. Mujhe bhi teri care ki koi zarurat nahi hai. I don't care too. Aur tu kya meri shakal nahi dekhna chahta hai? Mei teri shakal nahi dekhna chahta hu. Aaj se dosti khatam.
Cabir : Haa haa. Mujhe bhi tera dost banne ka koi shauk nahi hai.
Everyone looked at them in consternation.
Mukti : Stop it guys! Stop being kids! Aur yeh kya bol rahe ho tum dono? Shakal nahi dekhni hai? Dosti khatam? Chup chap yaha baitho and sort it out.
Dhruv : Haa guys. Shaanti se baat karo, sorry bolo aur khatam karo.
They couldn't hold their laughter anymore and burst into fits of laughter.
Navya : Yeh tum dono hass kyu rahe ho? Mukti aur Dhruv be koi joke nahi maara hai.
Cabir : (in between his laughter) Mukti ne nahi, humne joke kia hai. Kaisa laga mazaak guys?
He laughed again.
Mukti : What? Tum dono toh aaj gaye.
Mukti got up from her seat and launched towards them. They stopped laughing.
Manik : Wait a minute. Nandini kaha hai?
Mukti stopped too.
Alya : Woh usse koi call aaya tha. Uske baad woh chali gayi. She tried calling you but I think you didn't receive her calls.
Manik checked his phone. He had 4 missed calls from Nandini.
Manik : Usne bataya nahi woh kaha jaa rahi hai?
Dhruv : Nahi. She just left.
Manik : Okay. Guys, you'll carry on. Mei abhi aata hu.
With that, he left. He tried calling Nandini while walking towards his car. She wasn't receiving any of his calls. He put his phone on speaker while calling Nandini and unlocked his car. He sat inside and was about to put on his seatbelt when he heard a click indicating that his call had been received. He put the speaker off and brought the phone to his ear.
Manik : Thank God Nandini you received the call. Kaha ho tum? Tell me, I'll come.
No one replied on the other end.
Manik : Hello? Hello Nandini?
He was about to disconnect when he heard a familiar voice. Something in his gut told him to listen to the conversation. What he heard, ripped his heart into a million pieces.
Hey guys! Here's the next update. I hope you'll liked it. Do leave your votes and comments below.
- Sakshi❤️