Hellos peeps. So this idea came to me when I was listening to the beautiful unplugged version of Humdard. The lyrics are so heartfelt that I couldn't resist penning this piece. You could listen to it while you read.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Vp_hpMNnaE
Please note that Manan are mature in this story. A phase we may not see in the show itself but their history remains the same for this piece.
This one is for my Twinkie❤️. I told you I would write another piece. So gift me something in return..write me a Manan piece.
MANAN OS: HIS LIGHT
Manan OS: His Light.
Manik watched with a tender smile as she twirled and danced in the garden with the fireflies. He leaned against the French glass door leading to their garden, content just watching her, her arms out to catch one of her precious firefly.
"When it's true love, fireflies appear. And they glow, Manik."
But they didn't just appear. He made them appear every night. Just for her. If the world asked Manik Maltorta why it did every night. Every. Single. Night. He wouldn't bother telling them. But if his girl asked him, he would tell her because he loves her, truly.
As he gazed at her, so hopelessly in love with her with each passing day ; he recalled what a hard fought battle it had been to have her in his life. What a blessing she really is. His Light.
**********
Manik and Nandini had married early, right out of college. People claimed it was too early, that they weren't ready for marriage. But Manik and Nandini knew it was never too early to start on their Humesha'. They had been ready for each other since they first locked eyes at SPACE academy. Life after marriage was beautiful, far more beautiful than either one of them imagined. Manik and Fab 5 had already released an hit album and becoming more popular by the day. Nandini wanted to learn classical music and more than anything , she wanted to be a housewife. To care for her husband, to give all the love she had for him.
And they both wanted children. Lots of children to love and spoil.
They laid sprawled in bed, tangled in each other's arms. Manik trailed a lazy hand on her flat stomach as he hummed softly.
"Let's have a baby, Nandini ?", he asked as he leaned in to nuzzle her neck.
Nandini had been close to dozing with Manik's soothing humming but now she was wide awake. Excitement fluttered in her heart at his words. "A baby ?"
"Yeah a baby. I really want a baby. A baby with you, our baby."
Nandini's hand found Manik's hand that was still on her stomach. She interlinked their hands as she nodded smiling softly at him.
He smiled down at her as she laid on his chest. "I promise I will love our baby, Nandini. Our baby will always be loved right. I promise, If give our child nothing else in the world, I will still give him or her my love."
Nandini's eyes watered up on their accord. Her heart still ached for the past Manik had, a loveless childhood he had. His mother was hardly a mother to him now but whenever she imagined a younger Manik who craved love and attention and hadn't given any. Her heart broke for him.
"I know, Manik. You will be the best daddy in the world." She leaned into kiss him tenderly and they got started on the baby making business.
**********
But when Nandini wasn't able to get pregnant, they went to consult a doctor. With treatment for over two years, and a miscarriage and lost hope, they were finally successful. But even then by the third month, there were complications in Nandini's pregnancy. They diagnosed her with placenta previa, a condition that endangered her health and doctors advised Manik and Nandini to abort this baby. But Nandini refused. He fought. He pleaded, He raved. He even made the decision for them. He didn't want a baby if it meant putting his Nandini at risk.
"Please Nandini. I am begging you for my life here. We can't have a baby if it means putting you at risk." Manik reached for her hands intertwining their fingers, and calm roused through his body. She really is his calm in the chaos and noise of life. Life without her, his life wouldn't be a life anymore.
Nandini freed a hand and her fingers through his hair as he rested his head on her lap. Manik knew why she was silently doing that, her fingers running through his hair soothed him so it meant she was likely to disagree with him. Again.
"Manik, when I married you I promised myself that I would do anything to make you happy. And you want this baby. We want this baby." She spoke softly but with quiet determination.
He was stubborn but she trumped him in that department. But he still tried again, "But Nandini...we could always adopt. We can still have a child."
"I..Nandini Maltorta wants to have our child. This is our baby, Manik. This life inside me is you, and it's me; it's us. You heard her heartbeat. And I want our baby to have your beautiful smile and my tiny height."
He sat up, pulling her into his arms, "I don't need this child to look like us. I care about this baby growing up without a mother."
"That's not what the doctors said. And besides, the doctors gave us the worst case scenario, they said I could die not that..." She came to a stop when he stared at her, looking as livid as he was feeling.
"Don't ! Don't you dare ever do that to me. Don't leave me. If something happened to you, I won't survive. I can't live a life without you, I can't ! ", He pulled her into a bear hug, burying her petite frame close. So close that they were one.
"And you don't have to. We can't let the doctors lay odds on us. We will take precautions. we will be careful and we will have this baby, Manik. Nandini promise."
**********
Now, six months later, Nandini's pregnancy reached full term, a prospect her doctors didn't think would be possible. Manik and Nandini did everything possible to be safe, kept up with appointments, her medication, her exercise routine (which meant bed rest), her diet. Now they felt more positive than ever. Nandini was scheduled for a Caesarean in a couple of hours because placenta previa could cause severe bleeding during the delivery.
She had been given the best care money could buy, Manik Moltorta made sure of it. She had been monitored at the hospital for over a week until her gynaecologist deemed her ready for the surgery.
Manik traced the swell of his wife's perturbing stomach. It was their love in her tummy, a child made of their love. A child they fought for, prayed to Nandini's Ayiappa for.
Initially Manik was hesitant to love this baby and Nandini had told him."It's okay to love this baby, it doesn't mean you don't love me."
They laid together on the bed, locked in each other's arms as Manik trailed a hand up and down her bulging stomach talking softly to her and their baby. He wanted the moment to still right here where he could live in this moment forever. He didn't think his heart would survive if he had to part with either one of them. Manik already loved the child he hadn't seen yet. Blind love. He believed in it now.
He also knew he couldn't part with his life, the woman who had healed him. She shared his sorrows, his demons so happiness could finally make it into his life. She became his existence, his reason for being. She became his life and his life was in danger because she had promised him a child. She had made him a Nandini promise.
"I am scared.", he whispered into the silence and her arms tightened on him.
"Me too.", she whispered back to him.
He turned to face her as she lay on her back and traced the soft contours of her face, memorizing her every detail, every feature. She blurred in his vision as tears filled his eyes. She reached out and wiped them away tenderly.
"Smile, Manik. Your smile is so beautiful. It's my strength; it's what kept me going. Promise me you will always keep smiling."
He reached for the hand that was still resting on his face, "Then don't leave me. I will always smile for the woman who is the reason for my smiles."
She smiled softly in return. " Manik, we don't know what will happen today. But I need you to know this life was beautiful. You made my life beautiful. I don't know if Ayiappa has heaven up there. Even if he does, I will tell him I have already found my heaven." She inched closer until she could rest her head on his chest, right where his heart lays. She listened to the resounding thud thud of his heart and it was one of the most beautiful sounds of the world. " You are, and will always be my heaven. My jannat."
He looked down at her, smiling through the tears. "And you mine, Baby. You are my shining star. I want you to be the light that you have always been, fighting the darkness. I will be plunged into endless darkness if you desert me and go to your Ayiappa."
Nandini gestured to him that she needed his help so they scuffled until they were face to face again, laying together. Even at such a emotional time, they managed to chuckle to about their height differences. Once settled, Manik came closer until their foreheads touched and their breathes mingled together until their lips touched softly.
They were interpreted by a knock at the door. Manik sat up as Nandini's gynecologist, Dr. Sharma entered with a smile. A woman in her forties full of warmth and understanding. She had been a huge support once they made the decision to have the baby, giving her attention and any resources possible. They also wouldn't have made it without Fab 5 and Navya either. Everyone took care of Nandini, gave the couple as much as emotional support as possible. Even now, Manik knew they were all huddled up in the waiting room, giving their unfailing support.
Dr. Sharma grabbed a seat on the stool next to the bed, as Manik helped Nandini sit up and he sat next to her wrapping a strong arm around her.
"You two already know everything but I want to explain again. We hope for a successful surgery but there are chances of complications." Manik's heart constricted. Yes, they knew everything. The baby might not make it. Nandini could die but even now Manik somehow couldn't believe he agreed to this. This suicide. Should anything happen to his girls, he didn't think he could survive.
Dr.Sharma pulled the surgery informed consent that outlined information the doctor had shared with them. Manik took the papers and tried to sign. But he couldn't, his hands wouldn't stop shaking. He felt as though he was signing a death agreement, agreeing to give his life away. Nandini's warm hand covered his and he glanced up to see her looking on with understanding. She was scared too but she was being so brave for him. He eventually signed and handed the pen to Nandini to sign.
Dr.Sharma took the papers and smiled tenderly. "The nurses will be by in a few minutes to take her to the OT." And with that, she left.
As soon as the door closed, he pulled her gently into his arms and rested his cheek on her head. "I can't believe I am letting you do this."
Nandini chuckled, "When have you ever denied me anything?"
"Then you don't deny me my life. Come back to me. Be my light, glow like a firefly."
"I promise you, you will always have light in your life. Nandini promise. Light will never leave your side, it will always fight the darkness. Humesha"
Manik couldn't hold back the silent tears anymore. He had never been so scared before. "I love you, Nandini. I will always love you.", he whispered through his tears. He glanced down at her as she let her tears flow too.
"I will love you too, Manik Maltorta. Promise me something else ?"
"Anything !", and he meant it.
"Name our baby Roshini."
**********
Nandini Murthy never broke a promise. Her humesha is forever. And she kept her promise. She left him with light so bright, it illuminated every corner of his broken heart. She gifted him light. His Roshini. Hee smiled despite the tears and wiped them discreetly when he heard her call out.
"Daddy !" She gestured to him wildly as soon she saw him coming down the wooden stairs. She flew into his open arms and his heart started beating again.
Even five years later, Manik's heart ached with the loss of his heartbeat. He lost Nandini, too much blood loss the doctor said. Roshini had been born but Ayiappa refused to give Nandini back.
"Look Daddy, the fireflies are here again.", his daughter demanded his attention again, holding his face. The momentary darkness faded away as his princess smiled at him. At five years old, she was already the splitting image of her mother. With the same beauty, the same features, the same warmth.
"Oh yes they are. Wanna catch one ?" He put her onto the grass gently. Roshini ran trying to catch a firefly in her tiny hands.
"Daddy, they won't come to me.", She pouted as she gave up slumping onto the grass.
His daughter wanted to catch a firefly. Now, could he deny her anything? He winked at her and got ready to make her smile. After a minute, he finally grasped one between his palms. Kneeling down, he quickly transferred the firefly into her tiny hands telling her to close her palms. After a few seconds, she opened her hands to let the firefly escape. And she glowed. Glowed brighter than the fireflies she was mesmerized with . Her face filled with happiness that mirrored her mother's.
" Daddy, fireflies glow when it's true love, right ? That's what mommy use to say na?" She asked as she sat in his lap, turning to look at him.
"Yes, baby girl.", he said, smiling as she turned her attention back to her fireflies. She was still young but Manik made sure their daughter knew her mother. He cradled her in his arms as they watched the glowing fireflies dance.
Yes. True love. That's what he shared with his daughter. He loved her beyond anything else. And he would die if there was ever a night the fireflies wouldn't glow. That meant, he was breaking a promise he made to his Nandini and himself. The promise to love their child, their Roshini.
He glanced down at his daughter as she snuggled closer, settling her tiny head on his board shoulder. His baby girl was ready for bed. He scooped her into his arms and she locked her arms around his neck.
"Time for bed, my Roshini." He said as he walked towards the French doors.
"Will the fireflies come back tomorrow, Daddy ?" his daughter softly asked.
"Yes, they will. I promise."
**********
They followed their routine. Manik refused to let a Nanny care for his child. Nyionka had suggested it but let's not go into how Manik told her off. Manik had been so afraid of raising their child alone, without Nandini but Roshini seemed to give all the strength he needed.
Manik helped Roshini brush her teeth and wash her feet saving the shower for the morning. Then, both father and daughter duo prayed to Ayiappa. Manik silently, asking him to keep his Nandini and Roshini both happy and safe.
And his Roshini prayed out loud, like her mother. She folded her small hands together, "Ayiappa, please keep my mommy safe and happy. Please tell her I love her. Please give me the strength to be good and to be good to others. And please give the world's happiness and love to Rishab Chachu, Cabs Chachu, Dhruv Buddy, Mukti FuFu, Alya Chachi and Navya Massi. But please give the most happiness and love to my Daddy."
Yes, Nandini is somehow alive today in the presence of her daughter. Her spirit lives on in Roshini. Whenever Manik felt like he couldn't fight the ache in heart when it cried out for Nandini, he looked at his daughter. His Roshini. The light Nandini left him with and the brief darkness fleeted.
After settling into Roshini's pink princess bed, Manik cradled his daughter's head against his chest while he ran his fingers through her black, silky hair luring her to sleep while he sang to her softly. When Roshini was a baby and would cry into the night. Manik would cradle her in his arms and sing softly to her until she calmed. Now she wouldn't sleep until he sang for her. So, he sang softly to her and before he knew it, he too fell asleep with his Roshini close to his heart. And they slept peacefully as a jar of fireflies glowed diligently on Roshini's side table.
**********
Well here it is.
I would love your feedback on it. Thank you for reading. 😳
-Reya <3
Manan Pieces
Nandini promise: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/kaisi-yeh-yaariaan/4283880/manan-os-nandini-promise
Connected Hearts: https://india-forums.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=4370726
Her Shadow: https://india-forums.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=4378563
Hamari Adhuri Kahani: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/kaisi-yeh-yaariaan/4442402/manan-os-hamari-adhuri-kahani
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
Geet - Hui Sabse Parayee
