Manan FF - Kaisi yeh Yaariyan season 3 - Chapter 123 & note - Page 21

Nandini stood there, frozen. Did he not recognize her?

But then she saw him lift his hand and gestured her to come closer. Those five steps towards his bed seemed to be the longest she had ever taken. As soon as she was within an arm's distance from him, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her with whatever strength was left in him.

This sudden commotion alerted the doctor "Manik, you should take it easy" Then turning to his friends he said "Guys, if you could please excuse Manik for sometime, I need to check on him."

All of them slowly slipped out of the room. Nandini too turned around but Manik wouldn't leave her hand. "Let her stay" Manik requested the doctor.

The doctor checked his vitals and asked him a few basic questions trying not to excite him much. "Please meet me in my chamber in an hour." He told Nandini before leaving.

"Apna chehra dekha hai?" He asked her, now that they were alone in the room.

Nandini nodded, tears clouding her eyes.

"Come here"

Nandini sat on his bed and leaned over , her tresses falling all over his facce at once. "Sorry" she started gathering her hair, away from him.

"Let them be. I missed them so much after yesterday night. Come here na." He urged her to lean in further and when she did, he raised his head with much struggle and tried to give a peck on her cheek but his lips could barely touch her. Nandini had had enough. She couldn't control herself more. Hurriedly she stretched her hands under his head to support him. Tears started flowing.

"Nandini"

She tried to look away. How could she look at him, with so much pain in her eyes which she didn't want him to read. But then, there was a part of her that didn't want to look anywhere else other than him. She wanted to drink his entire sight, to assure her heart that her life was safe and with her.

"Nandini!!!" He called her again "Look at me"

This time she did, fighting her tears, falling thick and fast.

"Itni jaldi tumhara mujhse peecha nahi chutne wala..get that into your tiny brain. I am not dying after just one round of jamming, abhi to aur jamming karni hai, performances dene hai, awards win karne hain" She looked at him confused when she realized he wasn't talking about music. Even in that condition, amidst swollen eyes and on a wet face, a tiny smile appeared on her lips. She playfully hit on his chest and he cried out "Ouch"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, tumhe lagi to nahi" She started panicking.

"It hurts" he said pointing at his heart." It hurts to see you like that Nandini. I didn't sign up for this. When you smile, the pain doesn't feel as bad, but when I see you this miserable and I can't even get up & lift you in my arms, it just kills me. Do you want me to go through this ?"

NAandini nodded.

"I am not leaving you so soon, we have a long way to go together." He assured her again.

"Manik, I need to meet the doctor. I will come right back." She kissed him on his forehead and wiped away her tears.

"Ok, kameeno ko bhej do andar. Unki zara khabar to le lun."

Nandini stepped out. The friends were all eagerly waiting outside. Nandini didn't have a good feeling about whatever Manik had mentioned. For some reason, she felt as though his memory had gone back by three years to the point when he had had that fateful accident. She warned them about it and requested them to not mention anything that could unsettle Manik. Peeping one last time through the window, she left to meet the doctor. But two steps down the line, her phone beeped

"So you see what happens when you try to do something I don't like. Ise warning samajh lena and next time, if you try telling him anything, you know what I can do. Make your choices wisely because they will determine how long Manik Malhotra lives." Nandini stopped in her tracks. So this wasn't an accident, it had been a sabotage. Though Nandini didn't know that Neel had actually intended to kill Manik & had failed in his attempt. You had to give it to Neel Dixit for his foxy cunning mind. I mean just look how nicely he masked his failure and made Nandini believe that he had intentionally done it. She wouldn't have minded going to jail after strangulating that son of a bitch but right now Manik needed her and nothing could be more important, not even killing Neel Dixit.

*********

Manik: Kyun be Kameeno, aise bhoot ki tarah kyun khare ho, mujhe pehli baar dekha hai kya?"

They all looked at each other, trying to figure out the most appropriate thing to say.

Dhruv: "Nahi buddy aisi baat nahi hai, who hum sab dar gaye the na"

Ranbir: "Pehli baar hi to dekha hai" Navya who was standing next to him, pinched his finger tighly. "I mean is avtaar mein, with the bandages and all, par tu bandage mein bhi sexy lagta hai"

Manik: "Chup kar be.. Aur ek baat bata, main to tujhe bacha raha tha, fir tu yahan single piece mein kaise?"

Ranbir didn't knnow what to say when Mukti chipped in for him "To use single piece mein dekhke tujhe khusi ho rahi hai ki complex ho raha hai?"

Manik: "Nahi main to khush hoon, thanks to this bandage, abhi kuch dinon tak meri hyper girlfriend will only do TLC (Tender Love Care). Couldn't have asked for more yaar. Are madhubala, you are also here? Kaisi friend ho yaar, udhar Nandu ne ro rokar river bana diya and you couldn't stop her?"

Now how would Navya tell him, what all Nandini had been through. Any other girl in her place would have given up by now. But it was their love for each other, that had kept her sane and pulled him back from death. How wrong she had been in the beginning to presume that Manik was the worst possible partner for her bestie, no he was THE ONE, the perfect one for her. Navya knew it was going to be a tough ride ahead, but now that they all were aware, Navya would put in her best efforts for these two.

Manik: "Alya, why are you silent?"

Alya: "Nahi woh... I am glad you are ok." She was finding it difficult to speak. Yes they had been apart for close to 4 years now, but then they had been together for 7 years before that. A part of her still ached for him, and not just as a friend. To see Manik fighting between life and death had been really hard on her.

Mukti was badly hit, but together with Navya, she was trying desperately to put up a brave face. She felt like crying her lungs out, out of the joy for having her Manik back and out of sadness for the last three years. But she didn't let it come on her face, not for a second. "Listen Manik, enough of this melodrama. We are not like your girlfriend, so don't expect any TLC from us. Ab jaldi se uth and lets go back..ok?"

Manik: "Go back to where Mukti? FAB 5 is no more...right?"

Ranbir:" Yeah right..so sad...no more FAB5.. But you can come back to '6OnDRocks'... because we are 6 and we totally rock dude" He was trying hard to copy his brother's throw. They pretty much had the same voice and tone, but the way they spoke was vastly different. While Cabir had panache & style, Ranbir had depth and foresight..but when it came to hiding their feelings, both were equally skilled at covering up with lame humour. "So deal's done, Manik is getting out of the hospital and throwing us a big party at his home!!"

Dhruv: "Kya Ran...Umm...Cabir? Aisi halat mein who party kaise dega?"

Manik: "Exactly bro..I mean look at me, pata nahi 210 mein se kitne bones to mere fractured honge, I deserve some empathy, some yummy food, some love and care and yahan saalaa tu mere se party lega..kameene tu kabhi nahi sudhrega"

Ranbir: "Human body mein 206 bones hote hain, 210 nahi"

Manik: "Exaaactly!!!! And I was testing tour GK bro"

They would have continued with their useless banter had the nurse not walked in and forced them out.

By now they had clearly understood that Manik was talking about things that had happened just before his accident three years ago. They also understood the dilemna that Nandini must have gone through. While it still hurt them that she hadn't kept them in confidence, she hadn't even cared to inform them and had it not been for the accident, perhaps they would have never known that he was alive and back, but they weren't mad at her like before...especially Mukti. She realized, Nandini had had to bear a lot alone and if she had chosen the suffering, there had to be a worthwhile reason.