Mukti and Abhimanyu quickly walked towards the gang. Everyone turned towards them except Manik. He stood paralysed at his position.
Mukti : Dr. Arohi kya keh rahi thi?
She asked, hoping that what she heard wasn't true at all. Cabir looked at her with sorrowful eyes. She turned towards the others. Alya sobbed in Dhruv's chest and Navya had tears streaming down her face, confirming Mukti's wildest nightmares. Mukti's feet wobbled. Abhimanyu held Mukti by her shoulders to support her.
Mukti : Kya.. kya kaha unhone?
*Flashback*
Manik was sitting on the chair with his face in his palms when Dr. Arohi came to the waiting area. Cabir, who was sitting next to Manik, squeezed his shoulder and whispered in his ear.
Cabir : Manik, Dr. Arohi.
Manik became alert and got up from his seat. Dr. Arohi came and stood in front of him.
Manik : Nandini?
All he could utter was her name. His hopeful orbs met Dr. Arohi's worried ones. The last thread of hope that he was holding onto, was soon going to break.
Dr. Arohi : We've shifted Nandini to room no. 306 on the 3rd floor. But she's still unconscious. Also, Nandini ki reports aa gayi hai. And they're not good. Nandini ne mujhe tumhe kuch bhi batane se mana kia tha but right now, her health is my top priority. I don't know if you're aware, but Nandini has a brain tumor in the..
Manik : I know.
Manik spoke before Dr. Arohi could complete. She stared at him in shock because Nandini had told her that she wasn't going to inform Manik about her tumor. To clarify her doubts, Manik spoke.
Manik : Jab Nandini hospital aayi thi apni reports collect karne, tab galti se usne mera phone utha liya tha aur maine aap dono ki saari baatein sunn li thi. Dr. Arohi, Nandini thik toh hojaayegi naa?
His voice was filled with hope and concern.
Dr. Arohi : I don't know Manik. The size of Nandini's tumor has increased as compared to her previous scans. Her biopsy reports say that its a benign tumor, which is a relief. But the tumor is creating pressure on her brain. And if we don't operate as soon as possible, she may not survive.
Dr. Arohi's words twisted each of their hearts in knots. Manik felt as if he had been pulled into a sea of unending torment. Tears pooled around his lower eyelids but were loyal enough to not leave his eyes until he permitted them to flow.
Dr. Arohi : Manik, I need you to know and understand all the risks that come with the surgery. The brain is the most delicate part of our body. Also, the temporal lobe is in charge of our memory. Since her tumor is located in that area, she may lose her memory due to the surgery. Also, there may be problems with her vision. She may lose her eyesight or maybe her ability to feel any emotions. Her language could be affected too. And lastly, she may die on the table. The way her tumor has aggressed, there's a very slim chance of her survival. But I want you to keep one thing in mind Manik, this surgery is our last option to save Nandini. Without the surgery, Nandini has mere days of her life left. But if all goes well, she may be fine. I'll give you some time to decide whether you want to go ahead with the surgery or not. I'm sorry Manik. I don't want to give y'all any false hopes and I think y'all should prepare yourselves for the worst.
She tapped Manik's shoulder pityingly and left from there.
*Flashback ends*
Cabir had delineated the entire conversation to Mukti and Abhimanyu. Mukti's face was covered with tears by the time Cabir ended his narration. Before she could say something,
Dhruv : Manik kaha gaya?
He voiced his concern as his eyes fell at place that was occupied by Manik a few moments ago but was now empty. Everyone's eyes widened in worry. They had all been so engrossed in their own pain that they had failed to notice when Manik had left the waiting room.
Alya : Hum.. Hume Manik ko dhondhna hoga. Hum sabse jyada dard Manik ko ho raha hai. Kahi woh apne aap ko kuch…
Alya couldn't complete her sentence. Even the thought sent shivers down her spine.
Cabir : Woh apne aap ko kuch nahi karega Alya. Aur hume usse dhundhne ki koi zarurat nahi hai. Woh wahi gaya hai jaha usse sukoon mil sakta hai. Woh sukoon jo shayad hum try bhi kare toh bhi usse nahi de payenge.
Manik's brain had shut down and refused to think the moment Dr. Arohi said that they should prepare themselves for the worst. Instinctively, his feet had found its way to Nandini's room. She was the only person who could provide some kind of comfort and relief to his racing mind. He found himself standing outside her room. His heart was throbbing wildly against his chest. With trembling fingers, he twisted the doorknob. But nothing could have prepared him for the sight that awaited him on the other side of the door. The hospital room was as devoid of beauty as Manik was of hope. The walls were cream in colour. In the middle of the room was the bed where Nandini lay, unconscious. Her frail body was attached to numerous types of needles and machines. His heart ached at the sight of his girl hooked to all the machines and needles. The only sound that echoed in the room was the incessant beeping of a monitor, indicating her steady heart rate. Taking baby steps, Manik walked towards Nandini's bed. He sat on the stool besides her bed. He blamed himself, innumerable times, for her fragile state. 'This is all because of me,' he mentally cursed. He entwined their hands and stared at them. He couldn't face her just yet. Tears had started to roll down his cheeks. A drop of tear fell down on their entwined hands. A part of him hoped that she would wake up and kiss his pain away. But a major part of him knew that it wouldn't happen.
Manik : I'm so sorry Nandini. Yeh sab meri wajah se hua hai. Agar mei apna promise todkar subah nahi gaya hota toh yeh sab hota hi nahi.
He kept his forehead on their entwined hands and sobbed.
Manik : I'm so sorry. It's all my fault Nandini. It's all my fault.
He lifted his head to look at her. He hastily wiped off some of his tears with the back of his free hand.
Manik : (in between his sobs) Mei.. mei late na.. nahi hona chahta tha Nandini. I.. I thought I'll be back even before you wake up. Lekin….
*Flashback*
The sun rays disturbed Manik's sleep. He woke up to the most beautiful face in the world. Nandini was sleeping in his arms with a soft smile spread across her lips. Manik's eyes crinkled at the edges and the corners of his lips turned upwards on seeing Nandini's serene face. He carefully untangled himself from her. He adjusted the blanket on her body and got up to draw the curtains together so that Nandini's sleep isn't disturbed. He went back to bed and sat besides her. He tucked the few strands of hair covering her face behind her ear to get a better view of her face. The grin didn't leave his lips. He bent down and placed a lingering kiss on her forehead. Nandini's smile widened in her dormant state, as if she was awake and aware of Manik's gesture. He could stare at her beaming face forever. An idea struck his mind. He looked at the clock on his phone. It said 7:30am. He quickly got up from the bed. He didn't want to leave Nandini and go but he promised himself that he would be back even before she wakes up. He left the farmhouse and walked towards the road that led him to a florist he had seen the evening before while in the car with Aryamann and Dhruv. He had hurt Nandini a lot and although she had forgiven him, he wanted to do something for her as an apology for his outrageous behavior. And what better way to do so by surprising her with her favourite flowers! Since he wasn't familiar with the surroundings, this was his only option. All the way, Manik was in a mirthful mood. As he reached the florist, he asked the florist to make a bouquet filled with red and white roses, just as Nandini would like. While he was waiting, he spotted an old woman across the road. She was struggling to walk. He told the florist that he'll be back in a minute and went to help the old woman.
Manik : Mei aapki madad kar deta hu. Kaha jaana hai aapko?
He asked the old woman. She looked up at him.
Woman : Beta, mera ghar yahi paas mei hai. Mei chali jaaungi. Puchne ke liye shukriya.
Her eyes gleamed.
Manik : Nahi, nahi. Mei aapko ghar tak chod deta hu. Aap thik se chal bhi nahi paa rahi hai. Aaiye.
Manik kept one hand around her shoulder and held her hand with the other to support her. A small smile adorned the old woman's face at his kindness. Manik helped her walk while she took small steps due to her old age. Manik could see the pain visible on her face. He could sense that she was just trying to push through to reach home. Suddenly, she stopped. He tilted his head in confusion and glanced at her.
Woman : Beta, tumhe aur bhi zaruri kaam hoga. Tum jaao. Mei kaise bhi ghar pahuch jaaungi. Agar tum mere saath aaye toh tumhara bahut waqt barbaad ho jaayega. Aur maine tumhe waha ful khareedte hue dekha tha. Tum zaroor woh ful kisi khaas insaan ke liye khareed rahe hoge aur usse intezaar karwana thik nahi hoga. Isliye tum jaao.
Manik's heart warmed at her words. He never had someone who cared for him like this except Nandini and his friends. Not even his own mother gave a damn about his happiness. At that moment, he knew he had to help her. No matter how much of his time, helping the old woman would take, he would help her. Nandini would be proud of him and she wouldn't mind him breaking the promise once she gets to know what kept him away for long.
Manik : Aap sahi keh rahi hai. Mei woh flowers apni girlfriend ke liye khareed raha tha. Lekin jab usse yeh pata chalega ki usse intezaar na karna pade isliye maine aapki madad nahi ki toh usse bahut bura lagega. Aur jab usse mere late hone ki wajah pata chalegi, toh woh bahut khush hogi. Aur mei nahi chahta hu ki mei uski woh smile usse cheen lu. Isliye, pehle mei aapko ghar chodunga aur fir uske paas jaaunga. Aap yahi rukiye, mei.. (he looked around) mei abhi aaya.
Manik had spotted a cycle near the florist. Manik crossed the road and went back to the florist. He explained the situation to him and requested him to lend his cycle to him so that he could drop the old woman home. The florist seemed skeptical so Manik offered him some money which he readily accepted. He also told him to keep the bouquet ready and said that he would take it when he comes to return the cycle. The florist nodded and Manik took the cycle. He helped the old woman sit and rode the cycle to her house.
Once they had reached, he helped her till the door of her house.
Woman : Shukriya beta. Aaj tumne meri bahut madad ki hai. Bhagwan tumhe aur tumhari girlfriend ko hamesha khush rakhe.
She kept a hand on his head. Manik threw a grateful smile her way and left from there. He reached the florist and handed over his cycle back to him. He took the bouquet and fished out cash from his wallet for the same.
Florist : Nahi bhaiya. Aap pehle hi paise de chuke hai. Yeh lijiye aapke upar ke paise.
The florist forwarded his hand to give the extra cash back to Manik. Manik shook his head sideways.
Manik : Nahi. Yeh aap rakhiye. Apne bacho ke liye aaj kuch tohfe khareed lijiyega. Woh bhi khush ho jaayenge.
The florist smiled from ear to ear. Manik's heart jumped up and down at the happiness he felt. Nandini would definitely be proud of him, he thought. But little did he know that a storm awaited him at the farmhouse. He left for the farmhouse.
*Flashback ends*
Manik unfolded the happenings of today morning in front of an unconscious Nandini.
Manik : I know this isn't any excuse for what I've put you through. I know. Meri wajah se aaj tum iss haalat mei ho. Meri ek stupid si harkat ki wajah se aaj tum iss hospital bed par ho. Sirf aur sirf meri wajah se.
He covered his face with his palms and cried profusely. His entire body shook with sobs. He blamed himself for her infirm state. His mind had come to only one conclusion : It was his fault. Had he not broken his promise and left without informing Nandini or anyone else, then none of this would have happened. She wouldn't have been here. His guilt and remorse were eating him up. He just wished for one last chance to make it up to her. One last chance to have her in his arms. One last chance to tell her that he wasn't dead. He removed his hands from his face and clasped her hand in his.
Manik : Please meri iss stupidity ki itni badi saza mat do mujhe Nandini. Please. Agar tumhe kuch hogaya toh yeh Manik Malhotra ki jaan chali jaayegi. Please ek baar mujhse baat karo Nandini. Tum mujhe jo punishment dogi, mei usse accept kar lunga. Tumse koi bhi question nai puchunga. Tum jaisa kahogi waisa hi karunga. Tumhe bina bataye kahi nahi jaaunga. In fact, har jagah mei tumhare saath jaaunga Nandini. Mei kabhi bhi tumhe aise hurt nahi karunga. Please, mujhe sirf ek ishara de do ki tum mujhe sunn rahi ho Nandini. Ek ishara ki tum jaanti ho mei zinda hu. Ek ishara ki tum mujhe chodkar nahi jaaogi. Please Nandini. Please.
Manik begged. He brought the back of her hand in contact with his forehead and let another set of tears stream down his cheeks. His heart was simply waiting for a miracle. That's when he heard someone faintly calling out his name. He lifted his head in a swift. His eyes sparkled in joy as he realized that it was Nandini. Nandini shifted a little in her position. Her eyes were squeezed shut but her lips were parted. Manik got up from the stool and brought his ear closer to her face to make sense of what she spoke.
Nandini : Ma.. Manik, tum.. tumhari ko.. koi galti na.. nahi hai. I.. I lo.. love you.
She stammered in her subconscious state. A huge grin spread across Manik's face. He stared at her in awe. His heart lept in joy on hearing her voice. Even in her subliminal condition, she wouldn't let him blame himself for anything. To her, he would always be the perfect boyfriend. But his happiness was short-lived. Nandini had drifted back into her deep slumber before he could have a chance to say something. But that didn't wipe out the smile off his face.
Manik : I love you too.
He bent down and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.
Manik : (while caressing her hair) Mei tumhe kuch nahi hone dunga Nandini, I promise. Aur iss baar, mei apna promise nahi todunga.
He vowed. Just then, he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He fished out his phone and looked at the caller ID. His eyes shimmered with hope and his smile reached his ears when he looked at the name of the caller. Throwing one last glance towards Nandini, he left the room, with a new found hope, to receive the call.