Warning: A slow placed but crappy written chapter ahead😅😅
Shower your love guys ❤️
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|| You need to feel the pain
as much as you feel love ||
🔹🔹🔹
"Let's leave it behind Nandini. Let all these things remain in the past. Let's start again", Manik smiled his trademark pearly smile at her, forwarding his hand for her to take. Her breathe hitched as she saw him, all smiling like this after god knows how many hours. Excruciatingly remorseful hours of pain.
With scrunched brows and eyes still in trance, Nandini was in no situation to reciprocate or contemplate even one word that Manik had said. It all had felt too surreal, almost unreal, thinking all this will be gone soon. Yet, it felt so right. As if it was the best thing to do.
Finally after having a moment to herself, when she was really ready to give into Manik's appeal, she heard a faint sound of someone calling. Just the voice coming with no source or body. Just someone calling her, lurking her into a trap and she went with it, either her limbs took her there. Notwithstanding her heart, which refused to leave Manik.
When that sound became undeniable, only then did Nandini open her eyes to see an elderly lady softly calling out her name, "Chote baba ne chai bhijwayi hai aapki". Nandini looked on with her stupor. Her senses as well as mind did not take the transmission properly. "Manik?", she asked clueless regarding his disappearance. "Ma'am chote baba living room mein hai", she replied to her meek query and was gone sooner.
Nandini evaluated her surroundings, realising at last that she was in Manik's bed, in his bedroom, neatly tucked. 'Didn't I sleep on the couch?', she questioned herself for she vividly remembered dozing off on the couch in the living room on Manik's floor. When she had come up last night, she was met with one of the greatest shocks of her lifetime. Manik Malhotra locking his bedroom door was news, not a positive one if you see.
It was sure that Manik brought her here. But this was not what she wanted to know. Did he sleep beside her was the bigger question? The perfectly made bed of her opposite side however told the opposite tale. "Ahh!!", Nandini groaned. First that weird dream that meant something and now this, what a morning it was to kick off things with.
The only ray of light in that morning was the hot tea that was kept on the side cup. How desperately Nandini need some good chai in her system to restart it and get it running. She whiffed, inhaling the familiar scent of freshly strained tea leaves and ginger. By taking just one sip, she knew who made it. Can she ever not recognise the taste? She was 200 percent sure that it was Manik's special tea, that he made for her initially and got her all addicted to it. The perfect amount of sugar mixed with perfect amount of tea and ginger, made it the shining light in her misery.
The soothing tea, gave her energy to fight the rest of the day. If she had to meet Manik, she needed to get ready within one hour, or else Manik will leave for sure. She anyway did not have time to waste. Payal had already sent her the schedule for today and it was indeed tight. Moreover, she had a relationship to sort out too.
Nandini didn't linger on the bed for long and was soon up and running whilst keeping an eye for Manik too, even when in her heart she knew he would have left to have breakfast. Just Manik and his ways of showing anger.
~•~
Nandini moved out of the elevator and strode towards the main living area of the Mansion, fixing her watch on her hands and trying to imitate a conversation between her and Manik, in her mind.
Nandini somewhere wished that she finds Manik there, sitting at his regular chair, with one empty chair beside him for her. Even if somedays she didn't join the Malhotra's for breakfast or any meal, that chair would remain empty. Neither did one question Manik nor did he stop doing it. Whatever happens, one chair remained vacant for Nandini at the dining table.
Another thought that was disturbing her was having to face the other people. She was a bit scared that everyone's demanour may change towards her when they came to know what all had happened between Manik and her. Her heart and almost whole of her mind assured her that Malhotra's aren't like that yet, that small fragment which gave away pessimistic vibes, made her anxious regarding it.
Taking in a deep breathe and preparing herself for another tormenting day ahead, she entered inside. Much to her relief, she found a normal, chirpy atmosphere prevailing at the dining table. Things were like usual, Raj was having his tea, Nyonika having her toast and Abhi reading newspaper while Mukti fuzzed on something. But instead of one vacant chair there lied two, and no Manik.
"Arre Nandini...come sit beta...have breakfast" , Raj beckoned to Nandini, patting on the empty seat beside him which usually was Manik's. On an ordinary day Nandini would have certainly joined them but today, she just didn't have the heart to do so. She was already riding high on guilt. "No...I am late for something. I'll have brunch sometime later. Anyway where is Manik?", even though Nandini didn't want to ask this she was forced to.
Nyonika looked up at her, as if judging if she was in her senses, "Arre Manik had an early shoot today. You only told us yesterday". "Nandini where are you today?", Abhimanyu asked her in a comical way. Nandini just nodded implying that she forgot about it and went out as soon as she could, without stopping in between, off to the Silver Notes.
~•~
Silver Notes Headquarters
Nandini's Cabin
Things here with Nandini were quite stressful. She was back after almost 3 days which meant she had a lot to catch up on, but her wind kept wandering away to Manik. She had tried calling up Manik but it was all in vain. Manik hadn't received any of her calls. At last she had to call up Maddy and ask about his whereabouts.
Nandini was starting to get annoyed of this ignorance game. She wanted to talk to Manik and say sorry to him but he was just not willing to listen. All this had started to make her irritated. Nandini was already finding it hard to understand that why was a tag of 'marriage' so important to Manik? Was it really necessary to officiate their relationship? Was this kind of assurance needed actually? Till last night, she had just guilt in her which now had turned into questions. Nandini wasn't questioning herself as to why she was not ready but she was demanding answers from Manik.
She was battling these kind of thoughts when someone entered her cabin. "How ungrateful can people be?", asked Aryaman who had entered Nandini's cabin. "How easily people let go of their brothers when they get boyfriend!", Nandini rolled her eyes at the over dramatic entrance of Aryaman.
"Some more drama left to do ya you will come and hug me now?", Nandini stood with open arms for Aryaman who came and hugged her with equal intensity. "I missed you", she heard Aryaman muffle as his warmth surrounded Nandini. As if the dam of emotions that Nandini had been constructing broke and out came those tears which laid deep suppressed in her system. How desperately she needed a shoulder to just vent!
Nandini breaking down in Aryaman's arms was a scene he hadn't witnessed since the last two years, or to be precise, since Manik had entered their life. Therefore, this scene was bound to shake Aryaman. "What happened Nandu? Is everything okay?", how eagerly he wanted the answer to these questions but Nandini refused to say anything.
"Nandu...is something wrong between you and Manik?", Aryaman being a concerned brother asked again but Nandini refused to budge. Unwillingly Aryaman had to take aid of warnings and threats as he said, "I am calling Manik straightaway if you don't tell me what happened". "No no", she yelled at once and then sat down with a sigh, along with Aryaman.
Nandini narrated the whole incident to Aryaman, since that day's morning when they got lost to that dreaded moment and its after effects. "...since then he has been avoiding me. I want to apologise but he isn't ready to listen", barring a few intimate and unrelated details she told him everything.
Aryaman took his own sweet time before commenting on it. He had a bond as thick as blood with Nandini and he also knew Manik long enough to understand what kind of a person he is. "You...you were wrong Nandini", Aryaman declared after weighing all that Nandini that told him.
Nandini, in all means, felt her heart crack into two pieces. She had thought that Aryaman will understand why she did that but here he was taking Manik's side. "You understood him wrong Nandini", by Nandini's words, Aryaman had safely understood that she had taken Manik's ignorance as his way of showing anger but this wasn't the reality.
"He is not ignoring you because he is angry. He is ignoring you so to heal himself. How else is he supposed to forget such a big hurt?", Aryaman did make sense but sometimes people become blind in their judgement. "No it's just a childish way of showing anger Arya. While I am here trying to talk it out, he is there trying to avoid me and prove how angry he is", Nandini spat.
Aryaman controlled himself. He refrained himself badly from saying something that may damage his relationship for she was certainly driving him crazy. He took a deep breathe and began making her understand once again, "Nandini you just refused a guy who loves you with all his heart, to get married. Shouldn't he be hurt with it?", Aryaman tried so hard to keep himself in check and at the same time reason it out with Nandini.
"Okay. You tell me Nandini why are you not willing to get married?", he asked her gathering all the patience in himself. "No you tell me why is Manik hell bent on getting married? We are living almost like married couple. We have done everything that a married couple does then what's the need of getting married? Who is he trying to please? Society? Fans? My saying no hurt his ego right and that's why he is...", and that was it. With those words Nandini put the last nail in the coffin.
"Have you gone mad Nandini? Are you even hearing yourself? Are you aware what did you say right now?", Aryaman was livid. His body shuddered with rage. He just couldn't take those words for Manik in. Knowing him up-close, he couldn't help but scorn at Nandini. "You are calling that Man egoistic? Remember Nandini, how you treated him initially and how he reacted to it. He stood with you when no one would. And you're calling him egoistic?", Aryaman got up from the sofa, without thinking anything and about anyone, he walked out of room.
The pained look on Aryaman's face had more or less conveyed what was the outcome of the siblings meet. To say Aryaman wasn't genuinely upset with Nandini would be wrong. He had, with all honesty, tried to make things right between Nandini and Manik by bringing Manik's point of view to her but she had been too blind to see it unfold right in front of her eyes.
In the temperament that he was in, he didn't stop but just said, "Nandini stop holding onto things. It will just destroy your future while doing nothing", and that was it. He banged open the door, coming face to face with the person no one had expected to be there.
To Nandini's absolute horror, at the threshold of the room stood, Manik who had the most alien like expressions, which displayed that every word that Nandini spoke there, he has heard. "Ma...Manik?", in a very rare moment of life, the earth actually slipped from beneath Nandini's feet. Aryaman himself stood worldless. He had no idea how to tackle this kind of situation.
Manik's anger was unlike anyone else's. He rarely got angry, but when he did, there was no way of calming him down. His anger usually overlooked every other emotion working through his mind and body but this time, with that rage was a hurt mixed in it. It wasn't like that blind fury that overcomes him but it was a more silent storm that brews on the inside.
"I came here to make you understand my point of view Nandini. Like always. Because you once again weren't initiating. You wanted to say sorry Nandini but not answer my questions of why you don't want to get married. I would have gladly agreed had you given me one good reason to not get married", the calmness that his voice held in it made both Nandini and Aryaman shudder. He didn't have an accusing tone that one usually has, but it was something absolutely different.
"You know why you aren't able to answer this question of mine? Because you yourself know that the reason you're holding onto is nothing but sand, that you're trying to contain in your hand", Aryaman along with Nandini watched with astounded faces. The surety that Manik's voice held, made them believe that Manik knew exactly why Nandini was persistent on a no wedding rule.
"It is your past isn't it?", Nandini's wide eyes, required no proof to suffice. They knew it too well. "You are holding onto sand Nandini. I understand that people have past insecurities, but you have to let those go. There is no point holding onto them. I had understood it was because of these insecurities that your refused the very next moment", Manik clearly remembered, how while sitting alone that night, it had occurred to him. He somewhere knew it all the while, but seeing Nandini only attempt at apologizing and not answer made it more clear to him.
" I just refused to bring this up because I was waiting for you to discuss it. I 'thought' I am close enough for you to talk out your inhibitions to me...but I guess no", the first time in the whole monologue, Nandini actually understood the emotion that Manik was feeling. It wasn't anger on what Nandini had just said for him, it was pure and plain hurt. The hurt of him not being on a pedestal where she can talk to him freely.
"Manik...no you are getting it wrong. If there is anyone who I can talk regarding these things, it's you", it was a desperate attempt from Nandini's side to muster up her life that was falling apart, "It isn't about the past Manik. I am...over it".
"Fine. If you're over it then come with me to Belgium", what he just said, bounced off from both Nandini and Aryaman's head. "You are going to Belgium?", Aryaman who had been a mute spectator all along spoke up finally, when he saw Nandini was deduced to a state of muteness.
"I came here to solve things out before I fly out to Belgium for my shoot. But...it seems Nandini is not willing to do that", everything that Manik uttered after saying 'flying out to Belgium' was a blur for Nandini. She couldn't shift her concentration from Belgium.
In came those scenes, those helpless scenes, her father's death. Her Amma's death. Her home. The orphanage. The Alpha Zee. Everything. Everything that she was trying to forget. She collapsed back in the sofa, her head in the mesh of her hands
"Nandini...come with me to Belgium. Make me believe that you're over your past, and I promise I'll never utter a word regarding marriage", Manik bent down on his knees in front of Nandini, gentle touching her wobbly knees.
"I am ready to leave everything behind and start afresh. Let's leave it behind Nandini. Let all these things remain in the past. Let's start again. But you have to come to Belgium with me", Manik stood right in front of her, stretching his palms outwards for Nandini to take, smiling that soothing smile of his, almost identical to what she has seen today morning, but did she have it in her to give Manik what he wanted. Was she actually over her past? Can she go back to the place where it all started? Can she face the life taking her where it all started?
Life had taken her to a crossroad. One led her to Manik but meant overcoming her fears while other took her to her spinster life but had the relief of being into a false image of having overcome her fears. It was going to be Nandini's choice, and it was only that, which will lead her to her destiny.
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Holaaa!!! I guess this Chapter answered most of your queries regarding why was Manik avoiding her. He wasn't. He was just trying to see if she brings up the topic by her own or no.
This chapter was either a total crap or a total eye opener. What was it for you?
Do you think Nandini is over her past?
Do you think she'll go with Manik?
Will everything be okay with them?
Stay tuned to know ❤️
Stay safe peeps💓