I swear whenever I give a timeline for an update, something or the other things come up!

But anyways, if you guys don't know, I usually update Forever on weekends and at night, so kindly please wait atleast till 11 before you guys get angry at me for not updating..

Also, This chapter is more of about what Manik and Nandini feels.. not much of a chapter, it is.. I don't know why did I write this but I needed this to take the story ahead so yeah, the next one is coming soon, really not giving any timeline this time...

Enjoy Reading!

____

Manik entered inside the room and his eyes
fell on Nandini who was sitting at the edge of the bed holding the tv remote. He looked at the screen and rolled his eyes seeing a daily soap playing.

Yeah ofcourse, Niyonika and Navya were completely rubbing her off.

He chuckled at her but frowned when she didn't even acknowledge him.

Manik: Nandini?

Nandini: Manik shh!

Manik: What are you doing?

Nandini: Can't you see, Manik? I am watching tv. Go and freshen up!

Manik made a bad face at her dismissing tone, the same he uses on his employes, but nevertheless walked in the washroom to freshen up.

As he came out, he saw her sitting in the same position still watching the show with all her attention. Manik shook his head in disbelief and came on the bed.

Manik: Come here.

Nandini: Manik-

Manik: Please?

She scooted back into his arms, not even for once tearing off her eyes from the screen. Manik mumbled something under his breathe and decided to watch too.

He looked at the screen and frowned seeing all the dramatic sounds and effects. Why do they have to show it thrice? And that too in black and white. And upon that, what's this with lightening striking effects?

Manik: What is he doing?

Nandini: He is throwing her out.

Manik: oh- wait what?

Nandini: She did a mistake so he is asking her to leave.

Manik: Nandini- You watch all this dumb shit?

Manik looked at her dumbfounded.

Nandini: It is interesting, Manik. He will regret it. Now shut up and watch!

Manik scoffed and sat still for another five minutes. The male lead continued to shout at the female lead. She pleaded, trying to make him understand but he held her hand and dragged her out.

Manik: What the fuck! What is he doing?

Nandini: Damn! He is totally out of his mind!

Manik: He has a mind?

Nandini: Manik.

Manik: What? This show is problematic. Where's my phone, I will compain to the makers! They can't show this shit!

Nandini laughed while he stared at her serious.

Manik: What? This is not funny. He cannot throw her out!

Nandini: It is just a show, Manik. But you know, this happens in real too.

Manik: Really?

Nandini bobbed her head, finally throwing away the tv remote and giving him her full attention. Manik instantly held her tighter and let her speak.

Nandini: This happens.

Manik: It is wrong. I mean- woman accept?

Nandini: Do you think they are given any choice? You know if tomorrow something happens and you ask me to leave, I would leave too.

Manik: Nandini- there shouldn't even be any choice on this- and please know that, I would never do that. It is your home as much as it is mine and we do not throw our family out.

Nandini: What if I did a really big mistake? Then?

Manik: Still I won't. It doesn't make any sense. It is your home and even if you want to na, I won't let you leave.

Nandini: Promise?

Manik: I promise.

But Manik didn't keep his promise.

Nandini felt betrayed. The pain in her heart was too much to handle. She had walked out of her home. Manik didn't stop her. He told his mother to let her go. She felt abandoned.

And homeless.

Is that how he felt when she choosed the baby over him?

Her mind was too fucked up to even give her an answer.

She dragged her swollen feet out when a car screeched beside her gaining her attention. It was a driver from Malhotra Mansion with Manik's car.

Driver: Ma'am, I will drop you home.

Home. Nandini nodded, she didn't trust herself enough to reach home safely. She knew Manik felt the same for she saw him stand at the gate. She wanted to go back and crash in his arms, cry and curse him for doing this to her and their baby, but Nandini did nothing.

She looked down when he didn't and drew in a tired sigh. From the corner of her eye, she saw Niyonika saying something to Manik, probably pleading him to stop Nandini but Manik didn't move.

He kept on standing there looking at her, daring her to leave and so she did. For the baby she knew she wouldn't let anything happen to.

The car zoomed on to the busy road and towards her own home, and Nandini didn't dare to look back. She just stared out of the window, at nothing in particular.

It was not like she was not aware of mistake of leaving the home. She shouldn't have, she knew but Manik's words - If you die, I would hate him forever, and if you survived, I would look at you ever! - had scared her to the death.

What if she died? Would her baby grow up with his or her father hating him all their life?

What if she survived?

Manik would abandon her and their baby. It was better that she walked away rather than being thrown out.

The fact that Manik said all this to make her agree changed nothing at all. It had scared her already scared heart and blocked away all the logic to understand.

And then, Manik was adamant for abortion, and she knew she would not agree for it.

Not today, not tomorrow.

Her baby was coming in this world, it didn't matter if it was with her breathing or with her dead.

When Nandini reached Murty Mansion, she was greeted by the scary silence. It might be the first time her home was so silent. They were all in the hall, worried and tensed. Nandini stood at the threshold blankly staring ahead until her mother noticed her.

Within moments they all gathered around her. They tried to ask her what happened or why was she here. Aryaman even went on to check outside if Manik was there.

Ayesha: Nandu! Where's Manik?

Nandini: H-He didn't come.

Ayesha frowned, sharing a worried glance with Karan who looked at her equally tensed.

Karan: Did he say something?

Nandini: H-He - Appa- ab-abortion

Nandini managed to speak before a stream of tears followed by. She sobbed and her father took her in his embrace the next moment.

Nandini: I want this baby, Appa. I can't kill my own baby.

Ayesha: Nandu-

Ayesha started but Karan shook his head in no, asking her not to say anything. Nandini was in no state to hear or understand anything. Ayesha nodded, reluctant but understanding his point.

Ayesha: Nandu, Bacha come with me.

Nandini broke away from her father's embrace only to throw her arms around her mother. She cried harder feeling the warmth that surrounded her while her mother tried to console her.

Somehow, they managed to take her to her room and made her sleep. They all came out and looked at each other tensed until Ayesha's phone rang breaking the silence.

Ayesha: It's Niyonika.

She looked at them worried.

Niyonika: Manik, Go get her back! Right now!

Niyonika was furious at him as she followed him inside. His wife walked away and he had let her. She still couldn't beleive what had happened. He didn't stop her and she couldn't understand why.

These two grown up adults were behaving worse than children. She wanted to smack her own son for whatever he had said to Nandini.

While Manik stood there still angry and upset.

Manik: I never asked her to leave, Maa. She went on her own and she will return on her own. I am not going to fuel her stubborness.

Niyonika: So you are going to let her be?

Manik fell silent. He had to make her agree for abortion. He didn't have time. When he didn't reply, his mother came infront of him. She glared at him and he glared back, so furiously that he saw her take a step back with wide and fearful eyes.

From behind, Manik could hear his father yell at him for misbehaving but ignoring it, he walked away. He was in no mood to entertain more arguments.

As he stood at the threshold of his room, he couldn't help but roam his eyes around, waiting for Nandini to come out of the balcony, or maybe from the washroom like always.

Maybe all this could be a dream, a fucking nightmare. But only if it was that easy..

His eyes fell on the bed that had a pile of clothes to be taken care of while a magazine laid on the bed, open and upside down. Probably, Nandini was setting his cupboard although he had asked her not to, she would still do to pass her time.

Manik walked ahead and slumped on the floor beside the bed. He picked up the magazine and stared at it for a second, realising it was pregnancy related. He flipped few pages, reading a word or too in between. Nandini hated reading books that were not related to her profession so this was indeed a surprise to him.

Manik chuckled, actually picturing her to read all the stuff written in the magazine. If he was there, she would have him read everything to her. He laughed to himself realising he would have done that happily.

It was all until Manik realised where he was and what had happened and when it did, his laughter died down. He stared at the magazine in his hand silently.

Everything swirled in his mind, all at once. Life had played them so dirty. They were so happy, and they didn't deserve it. Their baby didn't deserve this.

Manik blinked away the tears that formed in his eyes at the mention of his baby. He loved his baby, and all that he told her in the hall, he hated himself for it.

He took a deep sigh, and turned away his face, his eyes falling on the frame infront of their bed. It was Nandini's picture he had taken from her childhood album when they were staying at the Murty's. He smiled remembering how annoyed she was.

Nandini: Why are you so obsessed with my pictures?

Manik: Ah! You now I heard when when a lady gets pregnant then whosever picture is kept in front of her for 24/7 hours, the baby is born like them. And, I,  for sure want a baby, just like you.

Nandini looked at him dumbfounded before laughing out loud at his theory, making him rub his nape in embarrassment.

Nandini: Who told you this?

Manik: Google!

And she laughed harder than before.

Manik let out a small chuckle at the old memory, where they were so happy.

Manik: A baby like you, Nandini. Not without you.

He took out his mobile, his thumb trailing on her picture at the lockscreen, one of her bridal picture, his forever favourite. He stared at the screen in conflict. Should he call her? What if she didn't pick up? She was definitely angry but so was he. She left him. She shouldn't have.

Manik almost crumbled the poor magazine in his hand before throwing it away. The fact that she had actually walked away from him hurt more than anything.

Rage filled inside him soon as he stood up and threw every single thing that came in front him away. Remote, clothes, lamp, pillows, every single damn thing.

Nandini had failed him today.

As much as he wanted to complaint how much she had hurt him with her decision, he didn't want to break down infront of her because Manik knew, the moment she would try to comfort him, he would give in.

With the realisation of the power she held upon him, Manik slumped down on the bed and clutched his head in his hands, sobbing out loud.

Only if it was that easy to make everything alright..

To be Continued.

This gotta be more messy.. My evil mind is not satisfied yet..

Anyways, I wanted to say a lot.. like lot but my mind literally shut right now so probably, in the next update...

See you guys soon,

Have a nice sleep :)