PART-23 YOUR CULPRIT...!!
Hello readers...!! I am back with the most awaited part... THE FACE OFF...!!
HAPPY READING...!!
...
Abhi: nandini...!! We have something to show u...!! Would u like to see...?? And please... whatever it is.. it's just what we think u need the most on ur way back to urself...!!! Please don't freak out... just be calm and see...!!
( nandini just nodded... and all of them moved aside... to show her the surprise... but as they moved... and the surprise became visible to her... she out of shock ... subconsciously moved two steps back...)
...
She was standing there lifeless... seeing the surprise...!! Which didn't seemed to be a surprise to her rather it was a shock...!!
Seeing her navya said...!!
Navya: nandu...!! Kuch bolo...!! Plz... ese CHUP mat raho...!!
(Saying so navya came forward with the surprise... and then pleaded her...!! But she didn't said anything...!! Then cabir came in front of her and said...)
Cabir: say something nandini...!! Plz... atleast now open up...!! Plz trust us nandini...!! We Will be there at every step u take ...!! Plz... say whatever there is in ur heart... plz... I beg u... for god sake plz...!! ( he said this by holding her from her shoulders... grabbing her attention from ' the surprise' ... and then she registered his words... and that was it for her... she said slowly...!! And calmly... not to show her vulnerable side to anyone present there...!! )
Nandini: LEAVE...!! ALL OF U PLEASE JUST LEAVE...!!
( everyone present there... were shocked they didn't expected her to react this way... and in this whole week she has co oporated with them... !! They didn't moved rather forced her to speak up...!! React...!! And finally she reacted...)
Nandini: ( loudly) I SAID LEAVE...!! JUST LEAVE FROM HERE... ALONG WITH THIS...( she said pointing towards... the surprise...!!.) I DON'T WANT ANYONE...!! JUST LEAVE...!! ( Her eyes were spitting fire...!!)
Abhi: nandini till when this is gonna continue...!! I already told u... to be calm...!! Plz... calm down...!!
Nandini: WHAT U ALL WANT...?? I DID WHATEVER U SAID...!! MAINE MERE DRUGS KAM KAR DIYE...!! MAINE MEDITATE KARA...!! I STARTED TALKING TO U ALL...!! WHAT I ASKED IN RETURN...!! HAAN... WHAT I ASKED...!! I JUST ASKED FOR ONE THING... THAT NOT TO TALK ABOUT PAST...!! NOT BRING IT UP ALL OVER AGAIN IN FRONT OF ME...!! BUT WHAT U DID...!! U BROUGHT THIS...!! I DON'T WANT TO REMEMBER ANYTHING RELATED TO THEM...!! ( pointing towards the surprise...) I WANT TO FORGET THEM...!! AND WHAT ARE U DOING...!! U BROUGHT THEM BACK AGAIN...! KYA LAGTA HAI TUM SAB KO...!! KI MAINE YAHA PHOTOS KYU NAI LAGAYI... AUR NAA TUM SAB KO LAGAANE DI...!! KYUKI MAI NAHI CHAHTI THI...!! (yes the surprise was a photograph... but whose photo...?? )
Abhi: but nandini running away from them is not a solution ...!! It will just create more problems ...!! For God sake just give it a try...!! They were once the most important people of ur life...!! How can u just forget them...??
Nandini: Huh..!! GODD...!! really abhi...!! Does he even exist...?? If would of have been real na... then..( looking at the photo frame...) they would have been here by my side ...!! But they are not...!! They taught me to believe in them believe in God...!! That they will be there for me always...!! But they are not...!! They left me all alone...!! They were not there... to stop me...!! When I was about to suicide...!! To stop me... from taking those drugs ...!! To bring me out from this darkness...!! They were never there...!! For me...!! But they are those who pushed me more into that darkness...!! If this is what family Is...!! Then I am happy that they are dead now...!!( yes... the photo was of her family... with her amms in the centre and her maa and appa with Rishabh in her mother's arms and she in her father's hands...standing beside her... smiling... they arranged this photograph from Rishabh's Sns account...!! )
(All of them were looking at her with pity filled in their eyes...!! And manik was standing again hiding somewhere... with tears in his eyes...seeing everything but was feeling really helpless today...!! As he was the reason behind everything but she was blaming her family for her condition... but seeing her like this was his punishment...!! And nandini... was on the other hand just taking out all her frustration on that photo... then she said looking at the photo talking to that photograph...!!)
Nandini: kya hua...!! Why are u all smiling haan...!! Oh... so u all are happy... Happy to see me... like this...!! And they all ( pointing towards her friends...) think that u all are very sad...!! Very upset with me...!! Because wanted me to be a good girl...!! But see now I am a bad actually very bad girl...!! Now come back...!! Show me the right path...!! Huh...!! Whom I am saying to come back...( she said dijectedly...) aap Pehle bhi kab aaye the... jo ab aaoge ...!!
When I used to drink... naa... I thought that u will come and stop mee... from drinking...!!
And amms when I slept till late I thought u will come and scold me...!! But no... u never came...!!
Nobody was there when I was lonely...!! None of u showed up...!!
( All of them had tears in their eyes...!! They were feeling her pain... but no one dared to stop her as it was necessary for her to let it all out...! Their tears were flowing endlessly... like how much pain she had hidden in herself.. how lonely she is from inside ... but nandini she was speaking all this but tears were still far way from her eyes... her heart was crying out of pain but her eyes... just didn't allowed that pain to come out... because according to her...He was still not there... he was not there to listen to her pain... to feel it...!! And then Nandini continued...!!)
And now none of u matter...!!( she said looking at the photo... and saying so she just took the photo from Navya's hands... she was about to throw it... but before she could do it... two strong hands came and held her hands...!! And stopped her from doing so...!!)
...
Everyone froze at their places...!! As they saw the person holding her...!! As stopping her at this point when her anger Was at its peak... was a courageous move...!! And who else has this much guts... other then the hero himself...!! Yes the one who stopped her was none other than MANIK...!!
...
As manik saw nandini furiously taking the photo from Navya's hands... he could guess here next action...!! And he knew... she was so much furious that now she has lost her sanity... and can do anything... and he cannot let her regret her actions once she comes to her senses... because he knew whatever she say... her family has always been a precious part of her life and somewhere she knew... it's not her family's fault...!! Bt his... so her anger should be taken out on him and not on her family...!! And not wanting her to regret on hurting her family... he came in front of her without thinking about the consequences...!! And stopped her from doing so...!!
...
Nandini ws not in her senses when she was about to throw the frame...!! as manik held her hands...!! He took the frame from her hand...and gave it navya back...! He held her by her shoulders...!! Till now nandini hasn't looked up...!! But as he held her by her shoulders... and said... NANDINI PLEASE...!! GET A GRIP ON UR SELF...!!
and... and... and... his voice made her look up up within a nanosecond...!! Shock would be an understatement to define her state...!! Already she was very vulnerable after seeing her family's photograph... and then HIM standing there... added fuel to fire...!! She was expressionless...!! Not able to judge whether he was real or not...!!
...
Manik was just looking at her...trying to read her face... but it was blank...!! All of then were looking at both of them...!! Then abhi came forward and put his hand in manik's shoulder...!! But manik didn't shifted his gaze from her...!! And said...
Manik: Nandini...!! Plz... just stop all this ...!! Till how far are u gonna take this...?? Till when will u punish urself...?? Kab tak...(he said helplessly...) u have already come too far...!! Now plz. .. come back before u loose urself completely...!! Why are u punishing urself...!! For what u haven't done...!! It was my fault...!! I am the culprit...!! YOUR CULPRIT...!! Punish me...!! Hit me...!! Do whatever u feel like...!! But please don't do this to urself...!!! And y are u blaming ur family for my deeds...!! Ur family was... is and will always be there for u...!!they may not be physically present here...!! But will always be here...( pointing at her heart) ONLY IF U ALLOW THEM... TO BE THERE...!! Please... nandini...!! I beg u... don't do this to urself...!!
( saying so manik was also crying...!! But nandini she was still standing there blank trying to digest it...!! That he was actually there...and on seeing her like that... not saying anything cabir said...)
Cabir: Nandini...!! Ab plz CHUP mat reh kuch toh bol...!! Kuch toh kar...!!
Manik: nandini... I m ready for anything just... atleast don't do this to urself...!! Punish me as much as want...!! But don't do this to urself...!! It hurts to see u like this...!! ( saying so he tried to touch her face... but seeing him extending his hand to touch her... she backed off ... and manik was just staring at her... understanding her actions... he took his hand back...!! Thinking now he has lost this right...!! Right to touch her...!! But still he continued...)
Nandini say something...!! See I am standing here... YOUR CULPRIT is standing in front of u...!!
...
After what seemed like eternity she spoke but what she spoke... shook them to the core...!!
Nandini: WHO ARE U...?? (She said with complete blank expressions...)
...
...
...
...
...
Suspense...!! Suspense...!! Suspense...!! Once again I left it... in the mid...!! Now think what is nandini trying to say...!! How will she react to all this...! Will it lead her back to that dark world or will she come up with a strong personality...??
Now...!! This is part is really close to my heart...!! Please please...!! Comment this time...!! Ws it up to the mark...!! Did i do justice to this part...!! Will be waiting for ur response...!!
Request: I wanted to post the next pat on the 50th page...!! If I could get that many comments...!! Then I will be really thankful...!! Rest is upto u all...!!
AMAAYA...😊😊
Ye Hai Mohabbatein
Mangal Lakshmi
