DAY 42! - Manik Malhotra!!!
Words will fall short to introduce him to the world. Every individual has his or her distinct opinion about his fearless, audacious, altruistic persona. Some want him in their lives...others want him banished from this college, from their surroundings. Yet everyone's life at some point of time revolves around his unforgettable aura.
"Manik Malhotra mere liye kya hai...kya nahi hai...aap mere liye decide nahi kar sakte." You simply don't dictate a star to find another sky. He's limitless for her. His name is the music she hums every day. Her music isn't any ordinary piece of lyrics. It's the tuneful melody the syllables of his name ping when she croons them using her own voice. "Manik..." Her heart, once upon a blank piece of paper with no wishes...now lists the daily prayers for his well-being, for his safety, for his eye-watering smile, for his heart-joying laughter, for his remaining life to be brightened by the colourful emotions of this world. His words remain flowing through her body like a constant gush of blood flooding every vein; keeping her alive and satisfied that he's a part of her. His touch is the reviving button of her heart. It ignites the ability for her to think coherently at times when her mind is wavering with confusion. It caresses her heart when it tires out from fighting the battles of this perplexing world. It empowers her to rise after every fall, shine after every dawn, smile after every tear and believe after every fear.
You simply don't demand so ruthlessly for someone to give up on their own heart beat. She breathes his presence in order to survive. Her heart, her soul, her mind had waved their goodbyes to her a long time ago. For namesake they are her organs, but they belong to him like his own heart, his own soul, his own mind. Her keenness towards every rising morning are his hugs and pecks and her unobjectionable reason to fall asleep every night is that he continues to float in her dreams too. They say that time is the only constant working of this world. Yet her time flies by when he's in front of her eyes and it crawls endlessly when he is nowhere to be seen.
Love. What is love?
Love is friendship. It's needless to say that Nandini Murthy's friendship with Manik Malhotra was a late-discovery, but it's an existing relationship between the two souls. "Tumme sach much mai lagta hai that you can get away with this lie? Manik...whatever you feel for your friends na...tumme kabhi bhi hide nahi karna chahiye mujhse." The first and foremost important rule of friendship; sharing is caring. They've shared, are sharing and will continue to share everything with each other. Hamesha! They've shared tears, they've shared smiles. They've shared fears as well as painful times. They've shared miseries and now they're sharing battles. They wish to continue to share the thorns of this love's rose as well as the rose's petals. She had once said that anyone would be blessed to have him as a friend. She had once quoted that "your friendship was the first thing I noticed about you." She became his friend because she wanted to experience that blessing. She befriended him because Manik Malhotra's friendship is a part of her love for him.
Love is hope. It's inessential to say that Nandini Murthy's hope was ever alone. Nandini Murthy's hope was always holding hands with Manik Malhotra's hope! Hamesha! He gave her his hope through a challenge. She gifted him her hope by accepting the challenge. He gave her his hope by smearing the colours of his love upon her during holi. She gifted him her hope by wishfully organising a starry night date under the lit sky on the terrace. He gave her his hope by singing on that same terrace to ensure she's well-prepared for an unexpected test. She gifted him her hope by assuring him just a few minutes before the performance that; "Patience ka fal...hamesha meetha hota hai. Yeh sab toh tumne suna hi hoga na? To jo bhi hai...iss mein happy rahein. Manik...all the best! I mean koi miracle ho jaye and we sing together. Mujhe koi risk nahi lehna. Waise being a lucky charm...is a big responsibility." He's her hope. As long as Manik Malhotra is with her...her hope can never defuse.
For Nandini Murthy; Manik Malhotra is trust! Manik Malhotra is friendship. Manik Malhotra is Hope
For Nandini Murthy...Manik Malhotra is love...
"Manik Malhotra...tumhare liye theek nahi hai!" He loathes him to the guts. He fears Manik Malhotra's presence because he is that one monster that certainly can evolve to become the hindrance in his unpleasing plans. He fears him because Manik Malhotra defines unpredictable! And so the devil has planned to send him into a deep hospital sleep for approximately one week. But he failed to understand that Manik Malhotra was till now a sleeping lion. And you simply don't wake up the snoozing king of the jungle without his own will. He's protective about his family; Fab 4. His innocent lioness; his Nandini. His homely habitat; SPACE! And this devil seems to be obsessed with just the wrong monster. Manik Malhotra's family is not an open bundle of four sticks that the devil can just cunningly pluck the Dhruv twig' out of the bundle and separate them all. Manik Malhotra's love is not some artefact trophy that is displayed in an ancient cabinet in a world-famous museum for the Devil to eye on so shamelessly. Manik Malhotra's home is not a charitable asylum where any devil can hide in a dark corner and plan his sinful acts. This devil claims that Manik Malhotra is not suitable for a girl like Nandini Murthy. However the Monster Manik Malhotra seems to perfectly apropos for battling an unavoidable brawl with this devil.
"Kyonki Manik Malhotra...the great Manik Malhotra perform karna chahta hai." He isn't wrong. His situation is just too complicatedly unsolved. He doesn't hate him. He simply hates himself for not being able to become so capable in life. He isn't heartless. His experiences in his life have made him bitter.
Step 1: Dhruv's already experienced the first round of painful and blunt edges of a knife. Aliya walked away from his life. Manik punched him for Nandini. The Fab 3 retaliated him for the harsh and senseless words he uttered for Manik and Nandini.
Step 2: He has experienced the second round of the smothering flame of fire too. Nandini's furious revelation of Manik's ultimate sacrifice. Manik' sudden outbreak of walking away from Dhruv's life. He sacrificed his own happiness for his brother's smile. Navya's explosive eruption to reveal yet again another selfless sacrifice; "Sacrifice! Tumhare liye! Fusion concert ka performance...Manik Nandini ke relationship ko ek naya meaning dene waala tha. Itni saari problems ke baad na...unhon ne socha tha ke woh ek saath perform karenge...unhon ne apni saari umeedein iss concert ke saath jorhi hui thi. Lekin tumhari waje se...tumhar iss dard ki waje se...Manik jhuk gaya! Usne apni dosti ko ek baar phir upar rakha! Aur apne pyaar ko hamesha ke jaise neeche rakha!"
Step 3: The only thing that remains now is the third round of refining blades of the machinery. The hockey sticks, the wooden bats, the metal rods are ready. This last step will be the ultimate transformation step of Dhruv's life. It will close his journey form considering himslef to be a worthless rock, to finally being able to perceive himself as a priceless diamond as his buddy, his brother, his Manik Malhotra sees him as.
Manik Malhotra. One word, Yet endless meanings. One individual. Yet the need of him in others' life is infinite. He's like the stars; uncountable. He's like the see; his depth is immeasurable. He's like the nerves of the mind; untraceable. He's like the rain; unpredictable. He's like the sand; ungraspable.
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NOTE: Can I just take a moment to scream, yell, clap and jump in joy for Navya's outstanding outbreak in front of Dhruv!!! First Nandini and now her... woohoo Girl power rock I say!! Okay I think I'm done... 😆😛
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'OTE 2: A post on Cavya has been added on page 2: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/post/121922996