MaNan SS : The Incomplete Song (Part 10 - Pg 62 - 13th April) - Page 23

Cabir left but his words were lingering in her mind the whole night. The truth in his words not only cleared the murk that was clouding her mind but also lead her to the bitter realization. He stood by his promise but she swayed away. She once told Nyonika that she would be at Manik's side at all times, they will face all the obstacles together but she then backed out halfway because she was too selfish. She ran away because couldn't stand the pain of seeing him in misery. Today she realized that in order to free her agony, she left him to suffer in deeper misery. Neither did she manage to lessen her woe nor his. Nandini was in a maze, she knew she couldn't undo the pain she has caused both of them. She knows that it may even take her a lifetime to heal him, to make him forgive her, to revive back her Manik but she wasn't going to give up. She wasn't worried of the consequences; she was willing to face his wrath. She knows that if she was the venom which poisoned him, she is also his antidote but she was worried for Virat. She couldn't just plunge into her attempt to salvage Manik and their relationship which may affect Virat. She stepped into his life with a responsibility, to be his parents, his guardian and his Mama. She can't step out from his life just like she did with Manik. She can't afford to create another gaffe just like she did earlier. Manik hasn't questioned about Virat or her relationship with him but that doesn't mean he doesn't care. She felt as if her mind was running on infinite loop, there were too many unanswered questions boggling her head. She has once again landed herself on the crossroad. The only thing she wanted was happiness for both Manik and Virat. She doesn't know whether she could give them both without jeopardizing each other's happiness. She couldn't rely on her judgment once again; she didn't want to make another blunder in her attempt to bring happiness. She couldn't perceive where Manik's happiness lies, where Virat's happiness lies. Even if Manik accepts Virat but she can't be sure he does it wholeheartedly or just for her sake, because she knows that Manik is capable of enduring anything for her sake. Will it be fair for Manik? How will Virat accept Manik's presence in his life? She has been his mama and papa since the demise of his parents. Will he accept Manik in their life? Will he be able to share her and her undivided attention and affection with Manik? All the questions were running in her head till she fell asleep.

The last thing Manik wanted to see was her tears, he would go to any extend to make sure she doesn't shed them. Today he was the cause behind those precious tears that she shed. As much as he tried to control himself, he failed to hold back his words. He knows it would have pierced her deep because it has pierced him a hundred fold deeper as he uttered those words. He walked out before his anger engulfed him, to hurt her even more. He disappeared from her view but he couldn't leave her alone. He promised to be her shadow, to be within her reach if she ever needed him. He lingered around her place to make sure she was alright. His heart shattered the moment he saw her shadow collapsing on the floor and sobbing. He wanted to run to her, kiss off those tears, cradle her in his arms and never to let her go forever but he struggled to hold himself back. He wanted her to come back to him eternally, so she needs to realize the strength of her love. He knew she would come back running to his arms if he stepped back to the house because of his pain, her guilt of walking away but he wanted her to come back because of their love not her remorse. Tears flowed from his eyes as he saw her sobbing; he stood there wishing if only his tears could substitute hers tears instead. He only walked away when he saw Cabir pulling over at her place. He trusted Cabir to handle Nandini, he knew Cabir would make sure she is alright. With a heavy heart, he headed back to his hotel. He knew the night would have sparked off her realization but he needs to kick start something impactful to make her fully realize the misconception that was clogging her. She needs to know that her perception and logics are not right all the time. He just didn't know how he could achieve it without making her shed more tears. He gazed at the picture of his favorite tree on his screensaver, it was not an ordinary tree but it was their HOPE tree. It was the only memory of her that he manages to salvage from her room after she was gone. That was the only faith that kept him going all this years, gave him the confidence that there was still HOPE for them. From that day, he nurtured their tree with love and care. Everyone was surprised at his sudden interest in gardening but no one knew it was not gardening but it was his HOPE that he was tending too. It was the symbol of their love. "Well looks like there is HOPE after all" he murmured to himself as he dozed off.

Cabir called his partners in crime back home the moment he woke up. It was an eventful dinner, he knew that Manik's outburst at Nandini's place was a positive sign but he needed to be sure. When he elaborated briefly what happened at dinner, Manik's cold treatment towards Nandini throughout the dinner and the state he found Nandini when he came back. Everyone sighed with disappointment except one; he could sense her beaming in joy from her voice. "Cabir..." she gleamed in joy. "If Manik was lashed his anger out at Nandini yesterday that means there is still feeling for her" she cried out in excitement. "Paar Navya, it was anger not love. Lots of things have changed him in the past 6 years." Mukti pointed out. "Mukti, when anger prevails, it shows that there is also love hidden deep down." Navya explained. "Navya, please enlighten us with your logic" Mukti chided. "Dekho Mukti, Manik told us that he is over Nandini and she doesn't make any difference in his life anymore. Then why did he burst out at her. So usko farak padatha! She still affects him despite his denial. He has manage to mask it in front of us but he couldn't when she is around" she explained. "Mukti, I'm not taking Navya's side but that is exactly what I felt too. Issiliye I wanted to know whether my instinct is right or I'm just being too optimistic in this case. Manik is a double-edged sword, so we really need to handle the situation very carefully" Cabir explained. "Actually, even I feel Navya has a point. Remember you and Bhai, he doesn't affect you anymore. So there is neither anger nor disappointment in you despite whatever he does because you are really over him." Alya added. "Manik is totally unpredictable when it comes to Nandini. Remember how we all thought there was no chance for them after Soha's incident yet he couldn't let her go. He tried to hurt her yet he couldn't. His love for her is greater than all the hatred that is in him" Dhruv reminded them. "So are we saying that his outburst towards his Nandini is just his way of letting out all the bottled emotions and there is a chance for Nandini's comeback in his life?" Mukti reconfirmed. "Possibilities are there Mukti... Need to get them together more often, rekindle their memories and maybe they will come around. On worst case scenario, at least it will give both of them the closure that they need to move on in their live." Cabir assured her. "But Cabir, does Manik know who Virat is? Will Virat's presence affect Manik's decision to reconcile?" Alya asked. "That's another problem yaar. So far, he hasn't asked me anything about the kid. He is pretty cool with Virat, in fact they bonded so well during the dinner as if he knows the kid for ages. Manik was only icy towards Nandini. So I don't know whether he knows that Virat is not Nandini's kid or not. I can't gauge his reaction on this" Cabir informed them. "Cabir, you have one more day to execute the plan, once we fly in to Dehradun then its practice and alumni night performance. Manik has all the reasons to avoid meeting Nandini. After the concert, it will be difficult to make him stay even for our holiday" Mukti reminded him and Cabir sighed. "All the best Cabir...I'm sure you will make it happen. You always understood them better than all of us and you have always been their cupid, so let's hope for the best time too..." Navya encouraged him. Navya's encouragement gave him a surge of hope; he smiled and promised to give his best shot before ending the call.

Cabir called to check on Nandini, she assured him that she was fine but Cabir insisted on meeting up for lunch. Now he needs to check on Manik before he hatches his next plan. To his surprise, Manik was much calmer than he anticipated. "I ordered breakfast for both of us because I didn't know what time you would wake up" Manik informed him as he was buttering his toast. "Did the sun rise from west today?" Manik threw him a annoyed look in response to Cabir's question. "I was expecting you to skin me alive but you are calmly buttering your toast here" Cabir explained. "If skinning you will make you happy, then I will be more than happy to do it for you" Manik mocked him. Cabir grabbed his coffee and pretended to browse the headlines of the news. Manik waited for Cabir to question him about walking out from dinner but he reacted as if nothing happened last night. "How is she?" Manik finally asked unable to tolerate any longer. "SHE? Who is SHE? Navya? Aisha? Mukti?Alya?" Cabir pretended to be puzzled. "Cabir, cut the crab. You know who I exactly meant" Manik chided him. "Dude, I haven't mastered the art of mind reading yet! So I don't know who you meant by SHE. There are quite a lot of ladies eating my brains at the moment, so please be specific" Cabir answered him with an innocent look plastered on his face. "FINE... I MEANT YOUR NEW FRIEND! HOW IS SHE?" he barked in irritation. "Oh my new friend... Acha... She wasn't fine when I found her yesterday night, thanks to you but she is much better now .By the way, she happens to have a name and her name is NANDINI." Cabir retorted. "If you need more details, why don't you call and ask her yourself. The way you left her yesterday, I thought u least cared about her" Cabir tried to provoke him. "Oh shut up Cabir...Nothing would have happened if you didn't sneak out yesterday with the kid. You think I wasn't aware of what's cooking in your head! Things would have only gotten worse if I stayed back. I'm not as heartless as you think, to leave her alone at that state. I knew she would be in fine with you. Nothing could have gone wrong because you were there with her!" Manik blurted out in anger. "Wait a minute... Did you say that nothing would have gone wrong because I was there with her??? That means you were watching out for her till I reached???" Cabir caught Manik red handed. "YES I WAS... HAPPY???" he snapped back.

Cabir pulled his chair over, next to Manik. "Manik, how long more are you going to deny this? You still care for her and she still affects you the same way she did 6 years back. You have not moved on from her neither has she moved on from you. Then why don't both of you give your relationship a second chance" Cabir told him. "Cabir, there is no place for a second chance between us!" Manik stopped him halfway leaving Cabir staggered. "There is never a second chance between US because I never gave up on US from DAY ONE!!!" Manik broke down for the first time in 6 years. "Let it out buddy... Let out all the emotions that you have been suppressing..." Cabir hugged Manik and tried to pacify him. "She wanted me to let her go, so I did. But I couldn't bring myself to let go of our relationship, letting go of US, letting go of my HOPE. She taught me about HOPE, so I'm still holding on to it. I wasn't angry at her for walking out from me but I was angry at her stubbornness. She made me let her go because she felt that is where her happiness lies and yesterday I saw how happy she was. She tried all her she could to put up a happy face but her eyes told me everything that I needed to know. I was angry at myself for letting her go so easily, because I know she went through the same agony I went through for the 6 bloody years. If only I was adamant with my decision as always, I could have saved both of us from this pain. " Manik confessed. "Manik, you can't be taking the blame for everything that happens. You were blinded by your love for her that you couldn't deny what she wanted. She was blinded by her love for you, that she held herself responsible for everything that went wrong in your life." Cabir comforted him. "I just wished things could have been simple between both of you but Manik aur Nandini ki beech kaisi simple ho sakta" Cabir sighed. "Toh, both of you have wasted 6 years of your life by complicating things. What are you waiting for Manik? How long more do you need to straighten things up? Knowing Nandini, she will never make the first move. Why don't you do it yaar?" Cabir suggested. "Nah Cabir, not so soon" Manik told him. "Aap kya hoga? Waiting for the right muhurat? Shall I call the priest? " Cabir was irked. "I'm so tempted to lock both of you in a room till both of you make up or better still make out" he declared and Manik responded with a punch. "Dude, I'm trying to do both of you a favor and in return I receive this??? Balai ka zaman nahi" he pretended to sulk.

"Cabir, I know you are rushing on a deadline for your mission but let me handle it my way. I will not let Nandini go this time but at the same time I need to ensure when she comes back to me, she comes back to me with full faith in our love and me. So chill... I will take it from here buddy" Manik smirked. "Just a minute... What do you mean by rushing for my deadline??? Were you spying on me? You were ears dropping on my conversations?" Cabir demanded for explanation. "Chill...Chill... No need to get so hyper. I have better things to focus on rather than to spy you. It so happen that I was on call with Aisha in the morning, when I overheard Navya and the rest of my so-called buddies were planning a conspiracy against me. I think Navya was on speaker and she didn't realize I was on the other line with Aisha." Manik broke the secret... "Arrghhh Navya..." Cabir gritted his teeth. "It wasn't her fault, luck was just on my side" Manik defended her. "Anyways since all is well now, let me just tell you that I planned lunch with Nandini at 1pm. You can take it from there, I will be nearby just in case you need me to babysit Virat while you make up or make out with MY FRIEND" he joked. After a long time, they both had a hearty laugh and headed out for lunch.

Nandini was not able ignite her car; nothing was happening the way she wanted. She got up with throbbing headache, she burnt the toast for breakfast, and she nearly blew up the kitchen by boiling an empty kettle. Lucky for her, Virat naively pointed out that the kettle was smoking. She burnt his uniform while ironing and she forgot to pick up the laundry because her mind was preoccupied with the dinner preparation yesterday. So Virat didn't have spare uniforms and Nandini decided that she needed Virat's company the most today. She needed him to keep an eye on her and to divert her mind from her goofing up further, so she called the school and lied that Virat wasn't well to attend. She told Virat that she wanted to spend time with him, to make up for leaving him behind. She also told him that they are meeting Cabir uncle for lunch. Virat was grinning in joy for skipping school and meeting his new found friends. "Mama, is Manik uncle also joining us?" Virat asked innocently. After yesterday's incident, Nandini was sure Manik would not even want to see her face. "I don't think so baby. He may be busy" she lied again. "Oh ok... He said he will teach me new tricks with guitar the next time we meet. He and Cabir uncle are soo... Coool..., I wish I can meet them every day" Virat explained. Virat's innocent remark just aggravated her guilt. The guilt of turning Manik to the man he is today.

"Madam, the restaurant is just opposite the road" the taxi driver's voice brought Nandini out of her thoughts. She thanked him and paid the fare. Virat insisted for a cob of grilled corn when he saw the stall by the roadside. Nandini tried to refuse him but he manages to convince her with his angelic smile. The same smile that reminded of her of Manik and Virat succeeded in what he wanted. "Virat, just stay here, while I get small change to pay for the corn." She informed him as she walked over to the next stall. Virat nodded while he was busy enjoying his corn. Nandini was busy scouting for change when she heard Virat calling out Cabir's name. She froze in shock when she saw him running across the road towards Cabir without bothering about the traffic. "Virat... Careful... Car..." were the only words she could scream as she tried to run behind him.

Cabir panicked when he heard Nandini's scream. He rushed towards Virat and manages to grab him to safety. Nandini sighed in relief and by the time she was back to her senses, she heard blaring horn of a truck heading towards her. She froze in fear that she couldn't move to safety nor scream. She shut her eyes tightly and prayed to her Aiyyapa. When she was prepared for the worst, a miracle happened. The next thing she realized, a strong pair of hands pulled her over. She landed hard on his chest, his hands tightly wrapped around her. She never felt so safe like she felt now, she was at her haven. She refused to open her eyes fearing he will disappear. "Nandini are you ok? Open your eyes Nandini... Nandini say something... Damn it Nandini... Look at me "his voice filled her ears. It was so blissful to hear him call her name. She slowly opened her eyes unwillingly, to break away from the ecstasy state but the panic from his voice forced her to. "I'm ok" she stammered. He checked her thoroughly to make sure she was really fine before he pulled her closer and hugged her so tightly that he was worried she would slip away. Nandini slowly recuperated his hug; his body flinched at her touch as if her touch charred him. He froze for a moment, and then he freed her from his hug. "Manik..." She tried to talk but his glare warned her to be still. "Don't you dare to say anything? Don't you dare !!!! Just shut up and follow me" he warned her and dragged her to the car. Cabir assured from the other side of the road that he will handle Virat.

Looking forward for you valuable comments/reviews... It was over whelming to read some of your lovely comments. Gives me the assurance that I have conveyed the emotions that I had in my mind through my words. Keep all the lovely comments coming, coz that's my motivation to keep going peeps...😊

I know a lot of ppl where looking forward for MaNan meet, but I had to stop here because I wanted the MaNan part to be uninterrupted. Plz bear with me😳😳😳

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