Hi guys another One shot on Manan..
Manik
Monday morning. The start of another work week.
Most people hated Mondays. I had never been among them. Monday was when I got to return to the one place where I felt I had succeeded in life...my office as I was a workaholic.With my family and friends I had always been the odd man out... The one always checking his phone at family gatherings or weddings.. The one who had no one to look forward to while back home from work. And I had had plenty of dates in my life, plenty of random relationships that were never going to amount to anything and never felt like anything important when I was in them.
And on that note, in personal relationships, I had obviously never been successful either. My family and friends couldn't understand the level of my jadedness, given that they had not grown up alone as I had. My father and mother, the picture of love and contentment...Mr Raj and Nyonika Malhotra...my friends all paired up...Cabir and Navya..Dhruv and Alia and Mukti with Abhimanyu.I'd never been burned, because I'd never been willing to open up enough to someone to be hurt. I wasn't looking for perfect; I was looking for perfect for me.All my friends claimed that love at first sight was not just the stuff of movies, but a real, hold-in-your-hand thing.They claimed that even if I didn't realize it right away,... when the heart knew, the heart knew...and that love would be forever and hamesha...
.O.O.O.O.O.
( Six months earlier)
Monday morning. The start of another work week.
Today, my new assistant started. I wanted to make it to the office before her so that I might see her punctuality.. Someone who couldn't be trusted with time, couldn't be trusted with money. And money meant everything to a businessman like me. I'd worked hard to build my father's business and now it had branched in lot of areas so I was proud of it.Over lots of accounts, hundreds of employees, ... But I didn't take my power lightly. I had earned it and would do nothing to abuse it. I didn't like putting people out of work, but...there was always a way to make something of yourself. People didn't deserve handouts.There was no excuse not to succeed.So I was rather disappointed to read as I glanced over my new assistant..Nandini Murthy's background, that she had not only dropped out of a top MBA college shy of graduating, she had also dropped out of a local college her first semester since her seemingly abrupt move last year. No other information, no hospital track record, no wedding announcements...She was simply there and now she was here. And she had dropped out of two colleges to only end up as my assistant.I understood that an assistant was an important job, that someone had to do it and it was what made my job easier, but...I was used to a young co-ed working her way through college for a business degree. Not some going-nowhere, unmotivated, quitter. I couldn't imagine what had possibly possessed the HR department of my company to hire her.But they had. So I would respect their decision and fire her at the first available opportunity. Frowning down at her information, I closed the folder and tossed it into my drawer..
She stumbled in at eight-o-one. One minute past the time she was supposed to have arrived. I would have scolded her immediately, but I wasn't sure she would have understood me. She looked drugged. Aged...tired...and tiny...Her shoulders were slumped, her posture pathetic. Everything about her screamed, I need more sleep! Her clothes were ill-fitting at best...creased kurti with jeans nothing like the designer clothes everyone donned to work. ... There were purplish bruises under her eyes that alerted me immediately to needing a drug test ordered.She was silent as she came in, in a way that was almost deafening. And I didn't like it. I didn't like that I didn't know the reason why she was on drugs and had dropped out of college. I didn't like that she almost made me feel sorry for her. People didn't deserve pity. There was always another way.
"Miss Nandini Murthy"..."Y-y-y-y-yes, Mr. Malhotra?"..."The time. Note it, Miss Murthy. Tomorrow you will be here at eight o'clock on the dot, or you will not have a job. Coffee. Black. Now."
"Y-y-y-y-yes, Mr. Malhotra."...I slammed my office door in her face..
Days turned into weeks, weeks into months. Even after three months, she had somehow passed every drug test I 'randomly' ordered, never crossed through the lift's doorway a second past eight o'clock. But still, her presence irritated me. Ground on my nerves... Because she let herself be nothing...Nandini was my assistant and, for the most part good at her job... But in there lay the problem. I could see glimpses of her brilliance in her work. The way her quick eye would find an error in a presentation or report. Her quick thought..in relaying messages or delivering them.
But still, she angered me...She never tried to engage with the higher-ups, never accompanied them to lunches at nearby restaurants. I checked her credit and background often, more often than was necessary to find her still not in school. Doing nothing for herself. At twenty-three, it seemed she had resigned herself to being a nobody...It disgusted me...And while I couldn't fire her on the basis of this, I could make her life hell. So I did...By making Nandini regret ever settling for a stupid assistant's job when she could have been so much more. I sent her on the most basic and useless tasks possible... Copies, dry-cleaning, coffee...once even making her polish my shoes...I always complimented my second assistant, Soha on her attire, simply making it clear I noticed the lack of effort Nandini made in her own...It all came to a head on that one day...
I left work in a rush that day, ...I was going to miss Cabir's birthday party tonight as I had too many reports to finish, a presentation next week..so I went to the hospital to give him his gift as he worked there as a Orthopedic doctor...After meeting him and handing him his gift..I was before making my exit, not even paying attention to my surroundings as I wandered the hall until I heard a familiar voice...my assistant's voice.. I skidded to a halt outside the door,..."College acha chal raha hai.. Appa"...Liar. You work a dead-end job to get high. You're a liar Miss Nandini Murthy.
"Bahut ache Nandu beta..very good"..."Thanks Appa."
"Your Amma would have been so proud," a tired voice sighed. The past tense was not lost on me.
Glancing around, I realized I was in the oncology unit, the terminal ward where cancer patients tried to outlive the wait for a cure, basically. And Nandini was inside this room talking to her Dad..."You keep glancin' at that clock...class hai kya tumhari?" he asked, pride shining in his voice. I didn't know how she could live with herself..."Yep!" she responded cheerfully, a chair skidding back as she stood...I made my retreat quickly, just far enough back to watch her exit his room a few minutes later. I expected her to head straight for the nearest exit. When she took the elevator down, I followed in the stairwell. I was determined to find a reason to terminate her once and for all, ...When she landed at the bottom, I barely beat her and expected her to find the nearest exit. Instead, she made her way to the hospital's financial advisor's office. I followed swiftly behind, lingering just within earshot of what I was sure to be a desperate and pathetic plea to not pay the bill.
"Namaste, Mrs.Arora. How are your grandkids?"..."Oh, Nandini..sab theek hain. How are you, beta?"...There was a small pause, complete silence, so maddening that I was ready to walk in and demand her answer myself. But before I could, she spoke.
"They say he has another tumor. Pata nahi..if he can make it through another surgery."...And then I heard Nandini, Nandu,, completely break down and sob. The first show of true, real emotion I had ever seen from her. And it tore me apart, because I didn't understand what was happening. She never spoke to anyone at the office about anything. Everyone assumed she was too stuck up to join in their office gossip, but was she really...could she really have been...just grieving?..."It'll be alright, Nandini. Shh, baccha...C'mon..woh theek ho jayenge...uhh It's almost six," the financial officer, Mrs.Arora, whispered, a heavy dose of regret in her voice...A few more sniffles, and then silence.
"I'm so sorry, Mrs.Arora. Thank you...Kitna pay karna hai aaj?" a soft, tired voice asked sweetly, without an ounce of resentment..."Fifteen thousand baccha," a teary, aged voice whispered back...A slow moment of scribbling, tearing, and then sniffling...See you next week Aunty!" my assistant's voice chirped brightly. Annoyingly brightly. Because I could tell it was false..."Next week, Nandini beta."I hid myself out of sight as Nandini exited the office, torn between what to do next. Should I follow her to the place she seemed to so desperately need to get to? No. Was I already in my car and pulling up behind hers at the first stoplight? Yes...I followed her through the city, at enough of a distance to keep her from noticing me, but not so far that I lost her in the sparse traffic. When she parked behind a shady bar..., I knew I had her. There was movement in her car for a few moments, until she emerged in a ridiculously cheap and s**tty outfit... A bare midriff shirt, short shorts, high heels, she looked all wrong like that. I knew it was the truth, that she was no good, but I never wanted to see her like...But then Nandini tied a black apron around her waist and walked in..
I watched her from a dark corner the whole night. I watched her trip over bumps in the floor, I watched her get hit on by sleazy men, I watched her fight back tears when a drunk asshole threw the remainder of his beer on her when she politely tried to inform him it was last call.I watched her work until almost one in the morning, until the place was officially closed and I had to wait in my car across the way for her to emerge. When she finally did, I followed her patiently to what I had assumed would be her home, until I recognized her destination.A twenty-four hour copy place. Because I had told Nandini at two minutes 'til five today to have the flawless presentation she had already created to be change using a different font. So here she was, well past the middle of the night fulfilling an honestly meaningless task. It struck me then, how many times I had given her a last minute assignment just to irritate her. Because I thought she was lazy and undeserving...But maybe it was too early to let her garner my sympathy. So her dad was sick. So what? If my father fell ill, I would still care for him while I continued to better myself. She had no excuse. I would not feel guilty..
I watched her leave the copy place to make her ways a bit down the street to an old warehouse. Or what I thought was an warehouse until Nandini inserted a key in the door and disappeared inside. Moments later she reappeared, holding a large hamper of clothes. She walked down a few clicks, sliding comfortably into the neighborhood's Laundry shop.Because I had told her today that her clothes were unprofessional at best, and she would do well to try and do something about it. So here she was at two o'clock in the morning, washing her clothes to make them clean-pressed because of my insults.Recalling Mrs. Arora's figure from earlier in the day, I did the math quickly. Her salary from her assistant's job with me paid her father's hospital bills. I could only hope that the money she made at that dive bar from earlier paid for her essentials. Either way, she worked round the clock to keep her father cared for, letting herself fall by the wayside. And she was up at all hours of the night to follow my instructions, instructions that were given because of false impressions and undeserved and childish hate...But instead of pitying Nandini for her circumstance, as was my gut reaction to do, I was impressed by her grace. The grace in which she held her head high and never flinched when I gave her these tasks. Because her job and her father were more important to her than showing a stupid, selfish man like me what he was. I was awed by her. And I was ashamed of myself...In my stupid luxury car underneath a streetlamp, for the first time in as many years as I could remember, I...Manik Malhotra.. cried..
From that day forward, I watched Nandini. And every day that I watched her, another puzzle piece fell into place...Where I once regarded her fashion choices to be uncaring, I realized she simply had no interest indulging in expensive fashions when her money was needed for her father. Each night that I saw her stumble into her shady apartment at well past two, I understood the purplish bruises under her eyes that much more clearly the following morning...I stopped harassing her. I stopped insulting her. And when I did, a curious thing happened...I noticed how she wasn't snobbish when she declined offers to join executives for lunch, she was only embarrassed she couldn't afford to pay for the meal. And I knew she couldn't, because on my third night of stalking her, I watched her shop her way through an all-night grocery store with just cheap bread and ready to make noodles...I noticed how Nandini was a truly kind person, the kind of person that helped someone pick up files that they dropped without hesitation or annoyance, and gave up her barely there lunch to the homeless man that lurked outside our office building on the occasion she used the bench at noon...I noticed that my entire day could be made or broken by whether or not I could get a smile from her in the morning over coffee. She never commented on my abrupt change in behaviour, just accepted it and appreciated it with the same grace she used for everything else in life. She even told me not to call her Miss Murthy but Nandini... We became...friends. I learned her likes and dislikes and she learned mine, discovering along the way that we had more in common than I ever thought possible.
I noticed that I thought she was perfect, and it killed me to think there might be a chance that I might not get to know all her imperfections..
I spent many evenings while Nandini was at work reconnecting with my friends and my parents... Always there by the time she got off to ensure she arrived home safely, but... And I learned through truly interacting with them that I wasn't the only one who struggled. Despite my and romantic notions about my parents, I learned that they fought and made up like every other couple on the planet. I learned about Aliya and Dhruv's struggle to conceive. I learned how alone Cabir felt without my friendship...Other things occurred during that time. With the help of my father, we created a charity together to aid needy families, but I could not bring myself to interfere in Nandini's life without her consent. It turned out I didn't need to. I asked Cabir and his friend was familiar with Mr. Murthy's case and signed him up without a word from me. ...
"Are we ever going to get to meet her Manik?"..."I hope so.".
How? How could a conversation like this work? Excuse me, Nandidni. I've been following you for months. I think I'm in love with you. Coffee? I apologize for the stalking, but I thought maybe I could call you sometime? Nandini,, I love you. I assure you I am not crazy..I couldn't wait any longer. Due to her great work as my assistant, she was being promoted and starting tomorrow, wouldn't have to see me on a regular basis. On top of that, her father was getting worse by the day. His end time was coming closer and closer, and I didn't want to, couldn't, wait for the day to come when she called in to work.
"Good morning, Manik. Your coffee."I jumped a mile in the air, startling her into almost dropping my mug..."Shit! I'm sorry, Nandini. I was...zoned out." A barely contained smile made my embarrassment completely worthwhile if it was for her amusement. An awkward silence fell between us as she stood there, waiting for me to take my mug. My hands were shaking slightly as I reached to take it from her, holding it up in thanks as I took a sip..."So... aaj mera last day," she began nervously.I smiled weakly in return, nodding and swallowing the lump in my throat. Speaking without thinking, I blurted out more loudly than necessary.
"Would you like to go to dinner to celebrate Nandini?"Never before in my life had I seen a person blush that red that fast. Her eyes blinked at me in shock and her mouth dropped open, nothing but a slight squeak escaping. She recovered herself quickly, darting her eyes away..."Um...I'd love to Manik, but I can't. main shaam ko busy hoon."Of course she was. I should have remembered that. She would be walking into that shady bartonight at six on the dot. Before I could respond to let her know that it was fine, she continued. ..."But...after tonight..main free ho jaongi..jahan main pehle jati thi wahan nahi jaongi... ..."She trailed off, her eyes looking anywhere but me, which was for the best given the shock written plainly across my face. She was quitting the bar job? Had the money from the foundation and her promotion really been enough for her to rid herself it? ..."So another night, then Nandini?" I asked cheerfully, almost too eagerly. Well, not even almost. Just plain eagerly. "Kal shaam ko ?"
She seemed more surprised by my reaction than amused, which I was simultaneously happy and irritated to see. It shouldn't be shocking to her that I would want to...date her? Would this count as a date? Should I clarify my intentions? She nodding shyly, before she picked up my agenda for the day, signaling the end of the conversation for now. Still, the stupid grin didn't leave my face for hours...Her visit with her father was brief and bittersweet. I always lingered just out of earshot of the conversation, but close enough to reach her if something were to suddenly happen and she needed support. He was fading and she knew it, and it physically pained me to know that no amount of money in the world could fix him.
As I always did, I tried to spy a glance at his chart outside his door before finding Cabir and his friend and asking him to explain the terms to me, hypothetically speaking of course. But today, a gruff voice called out..."You...andar aao"...Terrified, I debated running...I wandered inside his room slowly, no clue how to explain myself..."You're Dr. Cabir's friend, haina?"Maybe I wouldn't have to. Nodding slowly, I saw him nod in return."Aur Nandu's boss." ...Sighing, defeated, I slumped down into a chair. And instead of nodding, I blurted out the dumbest thing of my existence.
"I love Nandini."He watched me shrewdly for a moment, not breathing a word, his face a carefully crafted mask of indifference."As good as it makes me feel..ye tumhe Nandu ko bolna chahiye."My eyes nearly bugged out of my head, my mouth gaping like a fish..."But she deserves to know all of it...main tumhe roz dekhta hoon ..and tumhara naam I saw in that grant jo Dr Cabir ne mujhe diya... My old friend Khurana checks up on Nandu for me from time to time and usne tumhe dekha Nandu ko follow karte hue us bar se"...A choking sound erupted out of my throat and the room suddenly felt very, very hot."That's right, I know. Mujhe pata hai Nandu college mein nahi pad rahi... I know she couldn't after all the money she's had to put up to keep me here. But I let her think I don't, because I don't want her to think all her hard work's been in vain,uski nature hai to care for others aur agar main zidd karta treatment na karwane ki toh it would have killed her I know"he sighed..."Tum usse follow kyun karte ho Mr Malhotra?"
"Aapke friend ne nahi bataya ki where she stays?" I snapped, not meaning to, but feeling uncomfortable and embarrassed and terrified. His eyes narrowed on me and I corrected my attitude immediately, explaining in a softer voice. "Uski safety ke liye...I just need to know she's safe."." I've followed her. Because who pagal hai... She goes to the grocery store on foot at two o'clock in the morning...goes to work at that shady bar all alone aur mujhe uske liye tension hoti hai... I ran out of breath after my rant, staring stonily out the window with my chest heaving, cursing myself silently for saying way, way too much..."Hmmm...I like you."he said...Bewildered, I turned around to find who else had just walked into the room, because he surely couldn't be talking to me."Yes, Manik Malhotra, tum mujhe pasand ho ... I approve, if that matters to you. And I think agar tum Nandu ko ye sab bataoge toh well ..uska gussa toh tumne abhi dekha nahi..."...I absorbed his words silently, trying not to let myself hope that he was right, even though he knew her better than any other person in the world. Nandini was going to kill me. And slap me. And scream at me. I knew this to be fact..."Appke pass kitna time hai, Mr. Murthy?"I asked..."I'll do my best..taki who tumhe mujhse formally milane laye ...And, Manik?"he said
"Ji?" I sighed..."Nandu ka dhyaan rakhna...take care of her for me"
The night flew by as I waited for Nandini, until movement at the back exit to the club caught my eye. I started my car, waiting for her to do the same and begin the same journey I had made for over four months now. After several minutes of watching her behind the wheel, she surprised me when she got out of her car and kicked the door. Cracking my window, I was able to make out several mumbled but definitely profane words I had never come out of her mouth before.By a cruel twist of fate, the sky took the opportunity to open, heavy, pouring rain coming down in sheets and drenching her almost instantly. Surprisingly, the rain seemed to snap her out of her anger enough for her to lift her face and use the water falling to wipe off the heavy mascara she wore to the club each night. After checking the street for traffic, I pulled up along the sidewalk and rolled my window down all the way.
"Nandini!"...She jumped, squinting through the rain and not even trying to mask her surprise."M-m-m-manik?"she said...
"Get in."...She looked around nervously, surely trying to understand what I was doing in this part of town in the middle of the night. Or maybe she was nervous to get into a car with me. I hoped it was the former. If I had to toss her screaming and kicking into the backseat, I would..."I...I'm all wet. I'll ruin your car Manik."she said..."I don't care about the damn car, Nandini. Please get in."...Reluctance plain on her face, she walked around quickly and entered the passenger side, already shivering from the cold. Reaching into my backseat, I grabbed my jacket from earlier and held it out to her, but she simply stared at it shocked..."I...I can't wear that. Kharab ho jayegi aapki jacket."she said"You sound like a broken record, you know?" I smiled, trying to disarm her with a bit of charm. "Sirf jacket hi toh hai... I'm much more concerned with the person in need of it."Tentatively, she reached over and took it from me, her hands grazing against mine as she pulled it out of my grasp.
"Thank you, Manik. I...I'll have it cleaned for you."I shook my head, more at myself and her innate stubbornness."Manik?"."Yeah," I answered, trying to get out of my head enough to work up the nerve to talk to her."Apko kaise pata where I live?"."Ohmygod," I exhaled, swallowing thickly.And then it all just came tumbling out. Not understanding Nandini when she first started working for me, how cold and detached I was, how I overheard her that day in the hospital and followed her, how I'd continued to follow her these last four months, about the foundation and the grant, stumbling all over myself as I rushed to assure her that I had nothing to do with it, with the promotion, that I had intended to tell her everything tomorrow, even about my conversation with Mr.Murthy, though I reserved enough dignity to not tell her about his approval, not wanting to manipulate her in any way, how she'd changed me..."Aur main janta hoon you might not return those feelings knowing what I've told you, but you deserved to know. You deserve everything, the best and I wish that I could be the man to give it to you... Now...now that I know you'll be safe..main tumhe follow nahi karunga. I'm sorry for invading your privacy like that. It was wrong and selfish and I, just...I'm so, so sorry, Nandini."
Her face was pale and drawn and tired, her eyes wide open and unblinking at me, her lips slightly parted in shock. Even after everything I'd done wrong, I still couldn't find the strength to keep my eyes on her, letting them fall to my lap as I waited for her to absorb it and then explode. When I heard her finally inhale to speak, my eyes clenched shut."Thank you for the ride...Manik.. aur aapki jacket ke liye... I have to go. I...think we need to talk about this, but...I really need to sleep. And think. Mostly think. Um...kal aap mujhe kitne baje pick karoge?"My head whipped up so fast that I actually felt my neck crack as I stared at her in disbelief..."What did you just say?"She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before she fixed her gaze on me."Look...I need to think before I talk about this, but...main aapko hate nahi karti Manik. I'm not angry with you, but I reserve the right to take that back after I've had a chance to think about it. Still kal we have plans and it would give us a chance to talk this out more. We don't have to call it a date if you don't want to, ye bas dinn-"
"No! No. Please," I stopped her, lifting up a hand to place a finger against her lips before thinking better of it at the last second. "I'll pick you up at six. Aur ye date hi hai Nandini."Her smile was gentle and sweet as she leaned slightly forward, reaching up to grasp my hand that was still frozen midair and placed the softest ghost of a kiss to my palm before disappearing out of the car and into her building.I fell asleep that night staring at my palm, still feeling the phantom sting..
I considered picking her up for work that morning so she wouldn't have to ride the bus, but she had my number and she didn't call me. So I didn't. And I didn't see her the entire day, though there was a cup of coffee waiting for me on my desk when I arrived that morning and a sandwich marked 'Manik' that I didn't put in the fridge that day.For the first time in four months, I didn't follow her to the hospital..I went home instead to make reservations for our date. We were going on a date. I showered, changed, and thrummed my fingers against my kitchen table six-hundred and forty-eight times before I gave up and headed over to her apartment. I paced in front of her building three-hundred and twenty-two times before the door opened to reveal an amused, beautiful, Nandini..."Hi Manik"I laughed breathlessly, trying to shake my nerves. "Hi Nandini are you ready?"She nodded, opening the door fully and pulling my jacket out from behind her, freshly pressed in a dry-cleaning bag. I took it from her gratefully, mumbling my thanks to her as I opened her door. We pulled up to a casual restaurant ...We sat down and she picked up the menu immediately, remaining quiet."So Manik ..Is it killing you yet?"Clearing my throat, I furrowed my brow at her. "Is what killing me yet?""Baat na karna," she smirked, no cruelty in her voice, just amusement.Sighing, I smiled and shook my head. "I'm glad to find that I can be of some service to you Nandini... Aur yes to answer your question, it's killing me."Leaning over her menu, her smirk became a sweet smile. "Well, try not to die on me just yet. I've gotten kind of attached to you."
I hid my grin behind my own menu, replaying her words in my head over and over throughout our meal. I followed her lead, listening to her tell me about her new position, her plans to either step down to a part-time position in the spring so she could return to school or quit altogether and make her way through with grants if necessary. What was left unspoken, I heard. If Mr.Murthy didn't make it through the end of the year and no longer required her support, she wouldn't need to work. When I caught her wince as she said it, I couldn't stop myself from reaching across the table to place my hand in hers. She squeezed it thankfully, not releasing it for the rest of the meal. I would gladly eat left-handed for the rest of my life.I laughed with her about my new assistant Harshad, a rather flamboyant young man... And our conversation just flowed.But we had to leave the restaurant eventually when we took notice of the growing crowd waiting for a table in the entrance. I left a generous tip to thank the waiter for not rushing us out and to make up for occupying his table for so long, this time working up the nerve to softly guide Nandini out of the restaurant, my chest puffing with pride that there was no question this woman was with me.I followed Nandini over to a vendor, letting her buy us a couple of Chai's and then taking them over to a quiet, secluded point and we sat down.
"So," she began, glancing at me sideways before darting her eyes forward. She leaned over the ledge, setting her tea down for the moment."So," I aped, letting her lead."I visited appa today. But, shayad you already know that."I visibly winced. She rushed to continue, looking at me in concern for a moment."I didn't mean that in a bitter way, Manik. I'm sorry. I just meant...you know. We don't need to dance around it."I nodded..."He and I had a long talk today. Maine unhe bataya about our conversation last night and he admitted some stuff to me. Stuff that...you knew about, but didn't mention...Kyun Manik?"I was suddenly feeling very, very hot again...Before I could either heave into the water or find a suitable response, she continued."I think mujhe pata hai kyun...actually I'd like to think I know you pretty well. You're probably the best friend I've got."Oh God. I'm being banished to the friend zone.Manik you will not cry. you will not cry.She didn't notice my internal struggle this time and just kept speaking."If I know you,toh aap mujhe upset nahi karna chahte the.. and my appa seems to like you," she said , a cute smile on her face. "You mentioned last night that you invaded my privacy and I was hoping ki aap use explain kare...""Um..." I began, unsure what to say. "Sab kuch toh bol diya maine kal... Was there a specific part you were unclear on Nandini?"She cocked her head, her eyes focused on something I couldn't see in the waves. "I just wanted to know how you invaded my privacy. I know you followed me to the hospital, but my understanding is that you didn't listen to my father and I talk."..."Except for the first time," I corrected, and then instantly scolded myself.Just help her dig the grave,Manik.
"Right,," she nodded, her tone even. "Aapne mujhe follow kiya bas... But you never, like, went and sifted through my drawers or anything like that, did you?""What?" I choked. "Nahi! Nahi! Nandini, I've never even been inside your apartment building. Hey bhagwan."Finally, her face showed some emotion, in the form of a small smile..."Mujhe pata tha. Manik, I'll be honest. My first reaction wasn't anything even close to anger. I just felt...cared for. I couldn't believe half of what you were telling me, just because I couldn't believe you'd give up your free time just to make sure a friend got home safely...I trust you Manik..aur fir apne bol diya ki aap-..."she sighed.."You said that you loved me," she whispered, looking down at her hands. "kya who sach hai Manik?."I slipped my hands into hers, tugging to get her to look at me. Keeping my eyes locked on hers, I chose my words carefully."You...are my best friend Nandini... I've never let myself be close to someone enough to ever say that before,.but tumhare sath I am a different Manik... You made me feel again...And that made it pretty easy to fall in love with you. I'm so in love with you, Nandini."Her eyes were quickly filling with tears, but she wasn't letting them spill over. Our hands were shaking, but I couldn't tell if it was her or me or both. Her breaths were quick and shallow, but mine had ceased altogether, waiting for her to speak."I love you too, Manik."I blinked at her, swallowing hard..."You...love...me?"She nodded, a couple of tears escaping with the movement. I needed further clarification."You're in love with me?"She nodded again, a small sigh escaping her, for what I wasn't sure."So...you want to...be with m-""Ohoo, Manik! Are you ever going to just kiss me already?" she asked, throwing her hands into the air in exasperation."Can I?" I asked excitedly."Hey bhagwan," she laughed, shaking her head as she looked at me incredulously. Sighing, she stepped a bit closer to me, until she was rightthere, right in front of me. "Manik, you never have to ask."...So I didn't. And when I leaned down and touched her lips softly with mine, I felt it all click into place. Every fissure in my heart that I had created over a lifetime of distance slowly fused back together as her mouth moved in tandem with mine. In her kiss, I felt safety, security, love; I tasted my past melt away, my future appear. It was all Nandidni...My Nandini.
.O.O.O.O.O.
That first kiss was five months ago. I met Mr.Murthy officially two days after our date... He passed away three nights later gently in his sleep. One month after that, Nandini showed up at my doorstep, crying and in pieces. She spent the night for the first time and never left again. And looking back, I knew now that my family and friends had been right. About a lot of things, but one thing in particular. When the heart knew, the heart knew.From the first moment I saw her, something in me knew that she was different, even though I tried to hide it with hate and spite for a long time. But I wasn't that man anymore. I had changed for for Nandini, and for myself. My phone was more often forgotten at family gatherings..i was glued to Nandini always..touching her in some form... And life was beautiful ...I had Nandini and our love which was Hamesha and forever.
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