Manik & Nandini - Stars & Fireflies 106
LOVE - people ask what is a perfect love; but I ask does perfection or imperfection ever matter matters in love, I guess no. well if still you wanna know a mother who scolds you for all your mischief but still saves the biggest bite of cake for you is perfect love; a friend who laughs when you fall but cries with you when you cry is perfect love; a lover who gets angry on you, who is possessive about you, seeks your attention everytime like a kid but when he kisses you he takes away all your pain and darkness and makes you a better person that'a perfect kind of love. LOVE is just LOVE there is no right or wrong; good or bad and perfect or imperfect; its LOVE so fall in it to feel it.
"What? Cabir donated kidney and you are telling me this now and how did you know it?" Manik asked Nandini as he drove towards the hospital. Nandini opened her mouth to answer him but he again threw more questions at her "when did he go for the tests and how come he can do this? He just. Nandini. I mean." Manik wanted to say so many things but he was too shocked with the information and didn't know how to react. Thankfully Nandini understood his inner turmoil and said "Manik relax." She put her hand on his shoulder to calm him down.
"Cabir got himself tested when you went creamate Neyonika and if it wouldn't have been safe the doctors wouldn't have allowed him so don't worry he will recover tum ho na uske liye. And why didn't I tell you earlier for that I am sorry. He asked me not to tell you and why did he do it; I say why shouldn't he isn't DJ his partner too, doesn't he have the right to love her and do anything for her. You only say na fab5 is your family so its all the family manik." Nandini pacified him caressing his cheeks and her words struck the right chord.
Manik wanted to see Cabir as soon as possible. He texted fab5 to meet him in the hospital lobby and sped off to the hospital. The fab3 Mukti, Alya and Dhruv along with Abhi were waiting impatiently for Manik to arrive. "aisi kya emergency thi?" Dhruv cribbed "Waise bhi kal se yeh sirf jhatke de raha hai; he is starting to scare me now." Abhi said while Mukti rolled her eyes "Abhi he is your brother." She said "I know he is but dekha hai use kabhi jalebi uff." Just as they were cribbing about him Manik walked in with Nandini. "are you all done ranting about me or still something is left?" they all saw a chirpy Manik and looked at Nandini for some assurance who gestured with eyes that all is fine.
"but Manik what happened? I mean you asked us all to meet in the lobby anything serious?" Alya asked. "Yes there is something important that you all need to know." Manik said and told then how Cabir got himself tested and donated his kidney to DJ. Everyone was shocked and baffled that he did this and didn't tell them about it.
They all made a mad dash for Cabir's room. Cabir was lying on his bed surfing the channels when he heard the door being opened he looked to see Nandini entering with some white lilies and a huge smile. "Nandini what are you doing here? How is DJ and go away everyone is in the same hospital sabko pata chal jayega." Cabir was saying when he felt a flurry of flowers and smiley balls hitting him. The rest of the fab4 and Abhi along with Vandana walked inleaving Cabir shocked. "kaminey!" Manik started hurling abuses to him. "What is this Cabir? Why didn't you tell us son." Vandana asked him. "Leave him badi ma he thinks we won't let him do this SACRIFICE and I will feel guilty." Manik said finger quoting the word sacrifice to mock cabir.
"manik its not like that?" Cabir tried to explain but Manik stopped him and said "then what it is Cabir bol na. you thought we will leave you or stop you from doing this? Or did you think it was important cause you blame yourself even a tiny bit for all this." Manik asked and Cabir hung his head as he knew Manik is right. "manik is right dude." Abhi chipped in "We all know you love DJ and you have every right to do this for her but you have noght to hide things from us." Mukti slapped him and said "And how did you think you will manage loser."
"Ok Ok guys I am sorry I shouldn't have hid things but you all were so stress I mean manik I thought he was all ready to burst out because of DJ and Nandini and you all also were so stressed so I told Nandini and went ahead." Cabir apologized and then turned to Nandini and said "you proved na you are a girl." "Huh" she gave him a confused expression. "Ab aisa kya dekh rahi ho. Ek baat bola tha mat batao but nahi boyfriend ko jaakar bata diya huh." He showed fake anger and everyone burst into laughter. Just as they sat talking Manik got a call and walked out and Nandini asked Cabir "Navya kahan hai."
Manik was pacing up and down in front of room number 101 peeking in every now and then. Just then Damini walked out and said "Manik go and see her she is waiting for you since morning and I know you won't accept it but you are dying to see her. Go beta." He looked at the door for few moments and opened it stealthily to enter without making any noise. He went and stood near the bed and looked at DJ, she was sleeping. Her wrinkled skin had become pale showing the strain of such a huge sugery, there were wires all around her poked in her fair and fragile body. A tear escaped his eye and fell on her wrist. She opened her eyes slowly and Manik swiftly wiped his tears and stood looking the other way. "Manik!" she called for him; manik had been the most precious part of her heart since the day he was born; she loved him and adored him beyond what words could ever express but today she knew she boke him. He walked away and she had no one except herself to be blamed. Manik turned and looked at her coldly. Before she could say anything further the team of doctors came in to examine her and Manik stepped aside to let them do there job. Throughtout the check up DJ kept looking at Manik who was staring at her but was blank, there was no anger, no sadness just a cold ignorance. Once the checkup was done Manik spoke to doctors and left without bidding goodbye or saying a word to her. True to his promise he was devoiding her of his voice.
Nandini was walking up to the physc ward when Manik came out of DJ's room and before Manik could stop her she went in Navya's room. "hi Navya!" Nandini wished Navya who was sitting by the window looking at the sky. She gave Nandini and faint smile and said "tumse toh maafi bhi nahi maan sakte hum Nandini. Aaj hamari nadani ki wajah se sab kharan ho gay sab khatam ho gaya." "navya." Nandini trie to stop her but Navya stopped her and continued "bolne do Nandini aaj nahi bol paye toh kabhi khud se nazarein nahi mila payenge waise abhi nahi mila pa rahe. Hum tumhare aur sabse zyada Manik ke gunahgaar hain. Tumhe kitna kuch bol diya socha bhi nahi humein. Hum Mumbai ek musician banana aaye the aur dekho sapno ke is shehar mein aakar apna sapna hi bhool baithe aur galat ko sahi aur sahi ko galat kar diya. Kabhi ho sake toh tum aur Manik hamein maaf kar dena." She burst in tears. Nandini hugged her friend and wiping her tears said "Navya hum dost hain best friends. Tum meri sabse achi dost ho aur timhe kabhi bhi sorry bolne ki zaroorat nahi. Galati hum sab karte hain; kya manik ne kabhi galati nahi li ya maine but sabse important hai use manana and use sudharna. Aur Manik ne yehi kiya toh sabne use maaf kar diya na aur navya tumhara dil to saaf hai phir tumhe Manik kyun nahi maaf karega zaroor karega. Who dikhata nahi hai par jitni jagah uske dil mein sabke liye hain na utni jagah shayad is duniy mein na ho. Aur hum sab hain tumhare saath." Nandini's words gave courage to navya but there was still an obstacle "Nandini par hum apni gaati sudharenge kaise? Jis rehab mein sab hamein bhej rahe hain who bahut expensive hai aur hum apni amma ko kuch batana nahi chahte aur haan manik se madad lene ki baat karna bhi mat." Navya's words put even Nandini in dilemma.
But there was someone else too who heard these two besties talk and it was none other than manik who followed Nandini and heard everything. His heart swelled with pride and his love for Nandini increased manyfolds when he heard her talk about him. He secretly prayed to ganapti, aiyappa whoever was listening to keep her and them safe and walked off.
Nandini walked into Cabir's room to find everyone especially manik having fun and laughing. He was laughing without any stress after many many days she stood by the door adoring his smile when Mukti saw her and asked her to come in. she smile and came and made herself comfortable at the couch. Even in the smiles and fun manik noticed a small worry in her eyes and he just knew the reason. "Nandini all ok na?" he asked her to which she nodded in a tiny yes. Cabir to saw her worried "it doesn't look like ok Nandini. Tells us what happened?" finally she started to speak but with a little fear as to how Manik will react "woh I was.. I was." She found herself fumbling so Manik smiled and completed her sentence "she is worried about Navya as she can't afford rehab."
Nandini gave Manik a how do you know look' and replied with I have my ways' look. "I know she can't maybe we can donate and." Cabir was about to suggest but Nandini stopped him saying "she refused it Cabir." They felt dejected as to how to help her when Manik raised their hopes by saying "through our music." Mukti asked "how?" Manik smiled and said "guys who are we; we are FAB5 and we the best band in town peopleare mad about us. So lets do a benefit concert for Navya, form a trust and that trust will take care of people like Navya what say." And as manik hoped his words brought hope, smiles and victory on all their faces.
"So many people are looking to me to be strong and to fight but I am just surviving. I may be weak but I am never defeated. I still keep believing in clouds with that sweet silver lining." Victory isn't about winning; victory is about how powerfully we we rise after every fall.
End of part 106.
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