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Sometimes Love gives you pain and it's upto you to decide to how to face it!

Two days had passed since Nandini came out of coma. Today Shrey and Riya had decided to take her to a nearby park. She was responding well to her medicines and doctor said that she would recover fully in a week or so but they warned her to keep her out of stress.

Nandini was contemplating on joining office but Riya asked her not to until she had a full recovery. She was grateful to God for giving her a good hearted friend and a boyfriend whose aura screamed boyfriend goals, a person to be envy of.

"Nandu are you done day dreaming? Shall we leave now?" Riya asked waving her hands before Nandini.

"Yep I'm ready!" She smiled which was very rare of her.

They left her house and within thirty minutes they were inside the park. Shrey had gone to fetch some refreshments while Riya went to attend Advik's call. Nandini, being alone, perched herself on a wooden bench while her eyes were fixed on the beautiful flower bed at her front that was swaying with the light breeze coming from the opposite direction. She was so lost in nature's ethereal beauty that she didn't notice someone coming and sitting by her side.

"Beautiful aren't they?"

The voice rang a bell inside Nandini's head. She could never forget that voice ever. Her heartbeats rose a notch higher as she felt that person sitting beside her. She came here to seek peace but it seemed like fate had something else for her in its store. However, she didn't want to sound or look weak. She had decided to challenge her fate no matter what it threw on her path. With a hard look on her face suppressing her inside fears, Nandini turned around to face the devil.

"Yes they are unlike you!" She stated with a smug smile. Manik was shocked to see the wounded girl rising above her apprehensions.

"Fiesty huh?" He replied looking directly into her eyes. He thought Nandini would get intimidated but Nandini's poise expressed courage and fearlessness.

"What are you doing here Mr Malhotra?" She came directly to the point.

"I was just passing by so thought of paying you a visit!" He smiled.

"As far as my memory goes you were the one who left me in pain not once but twice. What you did the second time was inhuman and obnoxious. But what could be expected from a black hearted monster like you!" Nandini stated tartly. "So there's no point of the culprit visiting the victim of his wrong deeds!" She added in a hostile tone.

"Looks like the chicken finally has a voice!" He mocked.

"Never underestimate anyone!" Came her taut reply.

"You should atleast be grateful that I even care for you?"

"Care? That word sounds foreign on your tongue." Nandini let out a chuckle. "Says who is responsible for everything. Mr Malhotra the one who inflicts pain on others can never be caring in nature. They are only capable of giving pain but care is just an illusion that they try to create."

"Look I'm not here to listen to your lecture. I just want to know when are you joining office?" He enquired.

"So that you can torture me more? Well, I'm no more afraid of you anymore. You can try any of your dirty tactics but this time I'll fight back instead of shedding tears." Nandini said proudly with her new grown confidence. Yes, that Nandini was gone who could be intimidated and tortured endlessly. The terrible accident on her birthday gave birth to a new Nandini, a bold Nandini.

"I like this new shade of yours!" Manik smirked.

"You can leave now! If my boyfriend sees you, you won't be able to return in one piece." She scoffed.

"You----"

"You heard her right, leave before I lose my temper!" Shrey groaned as he approached Manik and Nandini. Manik rolled his eyes and departed.

"This guy is so shameless. Despite being threatened he still shows up his face!" Shrey snorted before taking the spot beside Nandini.

"Leave him! Why spoil the mood for someone whom we hate?" She winked.

"Ah I like this new girl!" He handed her a plate of hot samosas.

"And hot tea goes well with samosas!" Riya came up with three cups placed on a tray.

"Come on we could have this inside the restaurant." Nandini said.

"But then we would miss the beauty of this place." Shrey stated with a smile and Nandini nodded.

"Are you two ready to hear the next part of my tragic love?" Nandini asked once they were done with the eatables.

"If you're comfortable I'm all ears!" Shrey stated placing the empty cups below the bench.

"Yes Nandu! If you don't want to say it's fine!" Riya added.

"I really want to!" She emphasized and they gestured her to continue.

"Six months had passed since he came into our village. Everything went well with the school construction getting completed within six months. That was quick enough but we all were grateful to Manik for his kindness. Just like the completion of the school, our love bloomed with every passing day. I had become very fond of him and it was hard to imagine my life without him. I could do anything for him. I loved him too much." Nandini said with tears in her eyes.

"I-I was so naive that I decided to go against my family values. I surrendered myself to him. Sex before marriage was a taboo in every Indian household but being the modern woman, I gave everything to him on the eve of Holi. It felt so right back then but now I felt soiled with his touches and kisses. Soon after he left for some urgent work and promised to return on the inaugration of the school building. I had missed him so much during that one month gap. We did chat in messages but rarely on calls because he was too busy in some work and I didn't want to be the nagging girlfriend." Nandini continued glancing at Shrey. He mouthed her to continue giving her the strength to proceed.

"I remember how I had been told that he would not return!" Riya informed.

"But he did and that was the most beautiful day of my life. I was overwhelmed to meet him that day. But the inaugration took a hell lot of time and we finally met at his house at night." Nandini had a flicker of smile on her lips remembering her past days but it was soon replaced by a looming sadness.

"Manik I missed you so much!" Nandini blurted out as soon as she saw Manik sitting by the fireplace. She came running and hugged him tighter.

"You're squeezing me!" He taunted and pulled apart from her.

"Sorry!" She muttered and held his face for a kiss.

"You still taste yummy!" He winked and pulled her to the chair.

After a small makeout session, Manik received a call.

"I need to go now! I'll see you later!"

"Hold on you just can't leave like that!" Nandini blocked his path, "You didn't even say you had missed me and I've so many things to share with you so I'm not letting you go!" She pouted.

Rolling his eyes off, Manik walked towards the door pissing off Nandini. But she knew how to make him stop.

"I'm pregnant!" She yelled making Manik stop on his tracks. "I knew you will stop after listening to this." She flashed a smile.

"You're kidding!" He let out a forced smile and again turned around to leave.

"No Manik I'm really pregnant and I'm not joking about such a serious issue." Nandini stated with a twinkle in her eyes.

"Seriously you're pregnant and you're telling me now?" He raised his brows.

"We hardly talked on the phone so how could I say it. Moreover I wanted to give you a surprise. You loved it right?" She asked biting her lips in nervousness. Her heart whispered that he would love it but until he clarified she would not believe it.

"Worst surprise ever!" He said in a duh tone.

Nandini's face fell as soon as the words reached her ears. No he might be kidding. He couldn't feel bad about it.

"Manik this is the best news I got when I did a home pregnancy test. How could you say it's the worst surprise?"

"Cut the crap and just abort it!" He hissed.

"It's our child Manik how could you say like that?" Nandini couldn't believe what Manik was saying.

"That was just a mistake. I've screwed so many women and I never made a mistake. Damn I should have used a protection. But it's fine. Now when you're pregnant you can simply go for abortion and have the baby out of your life." He spat and opened the door moving out on the porch.

Nandini was in a state of shock but seeing Manik leaving she couldn't just stand there and see him leave without giving explanations for his rude behaviour. The fact that he had affairs with many women was piercing her heart harder and to top that the word abortion almost killed her from inside.

"You can't leave like that. You love me Manik!" She said with firm persistence.

"I love you? You're living in a delusional world Nandini. I never do shits like love." He smirked.

"So what was it that you did in six months?"

"Time pass you know. I just had my sweetest revenge on you!" He laughed out loud.

"What kind of revenge?" Nandini asked shockingly.

"Remember you had slapped me in front of your villagers? You had hurt my ego. Moreover you went on and won the case. I lost everything that day. My dad had sent me here to build a mall on the open space. It would generate huge revenue. I was sure I would live upto my dad's expectations and will get a share in his property. But you, being the saviour of your village, ruined my every fucking plan and dreams. That day I lost a share in my dad's property and he had asked me to leave India. And it's all because of you Nandini." He barked out.

"That very day when you won the case I had decided on the revenge game. I became a sweeter version of mine and earned the trust of your villagers by promising to build a school. Because I knew entry to your heart would only be possible if I pleased the villagers. And look that's exactly what happened within six months. I played my game and won. The only fall out of this game is you getting pregnant. But every problem has a solution you know." He let out a sigh of irritation.

Nandini backed off as salty tears coursed down her cheeks and took support of the chair centred on the middle of the porch. She couldn't digest all the things Manik told her. Her heart was racing a hundred miles per minute while her mind was completely blocked and her legs had given up that she almost crashed on the chair.

Manik's love was all just a part of his revenge. What trap had she fallen herself into? Why didn't she realize it earlier? But now it was too late. She would never abort a new life growing within her. But what about the taunts she would receive in her society that's mainly patriarchal? How would she raise her child alone? All such questions created a havoc in her mind.

She noticed Manik marching towards the car and without wasting a second she sprang to her feet despite the mental and physical weariness. She made a mad run towards him.

"You can't leave me in this state. Even if its not love on your side,". Her voice cracked on the choice of her own words. "You've to take care of this unborn child. You've to support me in this phase and post pregnancy." She held the passenger door of the car and yelled at him with tears raining down her sullen cheeks.

"Fine I'll give money for your abortion." He stated with a poker face.

"I don't need money Mr Malhotra. I'll give birth to this child and you've to take responsibility for it." She snapped back.

"Sorry babe if you insist on keeping the baby then you need to deal with it on your own. I don't give a fucking care to your love or your so called baby!" He snarled and closed the passenger door right on her face.

Manik started the engine and drove off followed by a distraught Nandini who began running madly behind his car. Nandini had no clue what she was doing but she didn't want to give up at that moment. She felt he would take pity on her and stop the car. But she had no idea about what she was dealing with, a cold hearted monster.

He saw her running behind his car in the rearview mirror but ignoring it, he pressed on the accelerator,speeded up the car and in a few seconds the car disappeared leaving a cloud of dust behind. Nandini started coughing up and with her visibility being lowered by the smoke and dust, she stumbled upon something hard and fell flat on her belly. Her heart wrenching wail could even make the dead shed tears. But eventually her howls and screams got silenced in the dead silence of the night along with her dreams of a happily ever after.

"The next day I had learnt that I had a miscarriage and I lost my only hope forever and it was all because of Manik Malhotra." Nandini said wiping off her tears.

"Since then the next two years had been like a hell to me. I had fallen into depression. The double attack of heartbreak and losing my child had totally changed me as a person. The once lively girl turned into a dead person. We changed our locations but nothing helped. Two years passed by and I was still lamenting the death of my love and my unborn child. I will never forget that pain ever." Nandini trailed off.

"I can understand what you've went through these years." Shrey looked away blinking back his tears.

"I wish you had never met him!" Riya hugged her and cried.

"Don't cry Riya. Now after all the pain I recieved during those years including the recent one, I've become immune to pain and it's all because of the support of my friend and lover." She held Shrey's hand who was about to get up.

"You guys have showed me the light at the end of the tunnel. I can no longer be that same old boring Nandini. Now when I've fallen in love for the second time, I want to give that love a chance. I want to live my life once again. I want to enjoy every moment of my life." Nandini squeezed Shrey's hand.

"I'm happy for you Nandini that you have become a strong woman now. I promise I'll never let you down!" Shrey hugged her while Riya just wiped off her tears thanking the Almighty to give her old lively Nandini back.

~•~•~•~•~•~•~

2650 words

Finally the past is out now! How do you feel about it?

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Nandini decided to get stronger than before. Did she make a right decision for herself?

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