MN - The Fragile Magic ** Epilogue - Pg 140. - Page 31

Mayank immediately placed the picture at its previous position and closed the cupboard. Something inside him burned.

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Nupur wiped off the dust particles from the picture from her sleeves and placed it on the table carefully and properly. She couldn't help but smile back to the picture.

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When nupur came back in the room, Mayank was in the bed, quietly staring the ceiling and Nupur thought maybe he can't sleep again and maybe she'll have to stroke his head again. Although she had no problem, but suddenly she was reminded how did they both woke up in the morning .. so close. Taking a deep breath she climbed on the bed and lied down quietly.

She couldn't leave him alone like this just because she is not comfortable with his closeness, if she can't stroke his head then she should give his sleeping pills back to him. She thought for a while and then turned towards mayank who was still staring the ceiling.

Ignoring every apprehension in her heart, she moved close to him and adjusting herself in a sitting position, she placed her fingers over his forehead and the very moment mayank shifted his eyes from the ceiling to her.

"ab tak tu ceiling k carvings yaad ho gayi hongi ap ko", she smiled and started rubbing her fingers over his forehead. He wanted to smile, but he couldn't understand what came in his heart that he just closed his eyes.

A while past with nupur's gentle stroking and the confusion of feelings in Mayank's heart.

"kanchi was beautiful", she said slowly, sensing mayank was not asleep and mayank opened his eyes immediately. She was smiling and her eyes had a soft expression.

"I just saw her picture in rahul's room, she was extremely pretty", she said, still stroking his head and mayank forgot all that he was feeling just by one name ' Kanchi.

He smiled back, "I know, she was the most beautiful girl of this world, a total princess, an angel descended from heaven", he said with his eyes suddenly shining with a twinkle and nupur's heart warmed at all that she was seeing in his eyes, "rahul's smile is just like her",she added, as it was the first time in so many days that she had seen that sparkle in his eyes.

"I know, you know the way his eyes get narrow on smiling is just like kanchi, even his habits of throwing tantrums regarding food is just like her, she was such a foodie", he was still smiling and his eyes were still shining.

'you loved her very much?", she didn't know from where did this question popped up but it just slipped her tongue. She knew the answer, the way he was talking about her clearly showed that he loved her, but still she had to ask .. WHY?

"I still love her and I will always love her", he said in a determined tone and for a microsecond nupur's' fingers stopped on his forehead. She didn't want to accept but she knew, something, somewhere , deep down in her heart did break down. She smiled back weakly and kept on rubbing her fingers, while after talking about Kanchi after so long, Mayank slept , much earlier than last night.

Once she was sure of his deep breathing, she slowly moved away to the extreme side of bed and turned opposite to him. Something low and strange had occupied her heart suddenly. Feeling suffocated, she got out of the bed and went to her cupboard. Opening it carefully, as not make any noise, she pulled out Nistesh's picture and went to the balcony.

It was chilly and cold, she plainly kept the picture close to her body and stared blankly at the sky. Extreme temperature had caused shivering to her, but she kept on staring the sky with a blank mind, unconsciously hugging the picture tight, somewhere expecting that it will provide her warmth ' but that warmth never came.

Finally when the shivering became too much, she gained back her senses and again placing the picture back in the cupboard, she lied down on the bed, quietly, cuddling to herself.

She was feeling cold.

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Today it was Mayank who woke up first. He looked around and the aura felt as something near dawn and then suddenly realizing that the woman who had recently became such an important part of his life, the woman who shared his bed since the past so many days ' was shivering under the blanket.

Mayank let out an audible gasp and moved close to her, "nupur", he patted her cheeks softly, she was cold and her face was white,

"nupur", he said again, this time much more loud and his pat was with much more force, but nupur was not responding. She was just cold and shivering.

He pulled her in a hug and started rubbing her palms vigorously, "nupur!!", he was again and again calling her name, but there was no response from her.

All of a sudden Mayank Sharma felt that what happened five years before was returning. He felt that nupur will also not respond to any of his voices like Kanchi didn't ..

"nupur!!", he cried out loud, rubbing her palms with all his force, 'nupur please, kia ho gaya hai"?, his voice was scared and desperate when suddenly he felt her moving.

The tiny movement made him feel that someone injected life back in him.

She hugged him back slowly, with minimum power while mayank held her tight, "kia hua nupur?, tum thek ho?", he was still holding her tight but nupur was quiet, she couldn't even gather energy to speak, she just slowly opened her eyes, and saw him, the worry lines on his face and then again everything blacked out.

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"She has caught severe cold, you need to make sure she is warm and make sure she takes proper rest."

These were the words which collided with nupur's ears as she opened her eyes in a completely alien room. Looking around it was painted white, the bed was also not hers' , she was in a hospital .. yeah .. this is a hospital, she saw a person dressed in that lab coat and with him standing mayank .. this was where her nerves calmed a bit .. seeing mayank .. but he was tensed and .. GOD!, her head is hurting so she closed her eyes again.

She couldn't realize that how much time passed when she sensed strong fingers, caressing her forehead and she opened her eyes slowly, seeing the worried mayank again,

"ab kaisi tabiyat hai?", he asked making his rub more soft and nupur just smiled, "main hospital main kyun hon?', she had to ask as her mind couldn't connect anything and mayank smiled at her innocence,"bcz madam, you were shivering like hell in the morning!, and i couldn't take you to a beauty spa na!", he said normally and nupur raised her eyebrows in disbelief that this person also has sense of humor.

"time kiya hua hai?", she asked, ignoring his joke, she was feeling cranky and was not in mood of any jokes.

"7 a.m!", he smiled and nupur gasped, "7 baj gaye, tu bache?, bache kahan hain?", she was about to sit when mayank held her, "relax nupur, bache thek hain, ghar pe hain, relax"

She breathed deep and lied down again, and mayank got back to stroke her forehead, "you have caught sever cold and fever, thank God it's not pneumonia , he said slowly and nupur opened her eyes, and understood the reason, the last night she was sitting in the balcony ..

"did u go to the balcony last night?", he asked cutting her trail of thoughts and she just kept mum,

"maybe that is why you have this fever", he completed his sentence in a worried tone and nupur was still quiet,

"I wan't to go home, please, mujhe hospital mian nahi rehna hai", she didn't want to talk about last night, so changed the topic,

"don't worry, bus ik report aur ani hai , if it's normal, then we'll leave for home in an hour", he smiled and nupur turned her side and closed her eyes.

She couldn't understand why, but she wanted to cry, and so she did, hiding herself in the pillow, while mayank moved away. He thought maybe it's because of the illness that she is feeling cranky ao something else, but all summed up in the fact that he still couldn't pull her in a hug when she was crying, neither could he ask what happened. Although it was hurting him, but he had to let her cry.

An hour passed and the final reports about any internal damage due to sever shivering came normal, they were on their way back home. Nupur just kept quiet, staring outside and mayank also gave up to make her smile. Maybe she just wasn't in a mood to smile, he thought.

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Parnav you won't finish breakfast?", Rahul came to him munching his wafers, and parnav was sitting hugging his knees.

"I won't eat until mummy comes back"

Even though Rahul couldn't see his face, he was sure he was crying,

"you are crying"?, Rahul left his wafers and parnav raised his head , wiping his tears, "I want ,my mummy back, mujhe mummy k pass jana hai", he was crying with long tears and Rahul , unable to think what to do, just hugged him.

"she will come back pranav, see daddy promised that she will be back, please don't cry, daddy says brave kids never cry", he tried his best to say everything he thought he should to see anyone crying, but he was also missing Nupur aunty, he missed her during breakfast and now he didn't want to see pranav cry like this, it was hurting, the same way it hurts him to see his daddy sad.

"kids see who is home"

It was mayank's voice which made both of them sprang apart, "mummmyyy!!", paranv screeched and rushed down stairs and Rahul followed him in equal speed.

"araam se, gir jao gey", nupur herself rushed to the stairs seeing both of them running down stairs,

"mummy where were you", pranav hugged her tightly

"your mummy was not feeling well, so we were just with the doctor", mayank answered instead and Rahul came forward, "you know aunty, pranav was crying and he didn't even finish breakfast", Rahul informed like a good boy and nupur pulled him close and ruffled his hair, "and I missed you to aunty, I didn't enjoy breakfast", he said with honesty pouring out from his huge eyes and nupur hugged him, "I am so sorry kids", she smiled and pranav also joined the hug.

"and now, both of you listen", mayank pulled both of them away from nupur and three of them just stared at mayank.

"nupur is not feeling well, so I certainly don't want any mischief, okay!!", he glared at the kids and they were so ever ready to nod, "both of you better behave and be good boys , no tantrums, no fighting and certainly no shouting!", he was still glaring and kids were nodding.

"good boys, now you both can hug her one more time and both of you go get ready for school and get seated on the car quietly, I'll be there in 10 minutes", this time he said with a smile and both of them hugged her, "take care mummy,

"yes aunty, we will be back soon and then we will take care of you", they both kissed her cheeks and rushed to their room and nupur was in awe of them, and before the tear could roll down her cheek, she was interrupted by mayank, "nupur you need to rest, you are very weak, please", he said with concern pouring out from his eyes and she quietly made her way to their room, and mayank followed her.

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These are your medicines and you need to take them after breakfast, soup ka main ne keh diya hai, and please no need to step down from the bed, and as for kids, I'll take them to office after their off, I know ghar pe honge to tang karen gey, no matter how hard they try, they will end up in mischief"

He was speaking constantly, arranging the medicines on the side table, while nupur was sitting in the bed, with two blankets over her.

She was amazed at the concern and care of Mayank and guilty on her own behavior. She had absolutely no right to behave like this with him, and she couldn't even understand the reason of her coldness, and now seeing him care for her like this, all her bitterness was fading away.

"tum sun bhi rahi ho ya nahi"?, suddenly mayank realized that nupur was blankly staring and all his 10 minutes speech on how to avoid cold went in drain. "hmm, sun rahi hon", she smiled .

"good, now rest, I'll leave, bache gari main intezar kar rahe hain", he patted her cheek and was about to get up when nupur held her hand, "thank you mayank, for being so caring", all this came from her heart and mayank sat back, holding her hands tight.

"I literally died seeing you shivering like that nupur, ..", he said with his voice going weak and nupur smiled again, but next what came was totally unexpected for her.

He brought their entwined hands close to his face and gently pressed his lips over her fingers,

"please take care nupur ... you are important"

Chapter 9 - Page 51