I extremely apologize for stalling this chapter.. I was going to update this a week back but somehow I have been so busy lately that I could hardly get any time..

I haven't even been able to express my own views on what I am writing at present, but soon enough I will be doing that as well, until then reading all of yours..

I read all the comments, thankyou each and everyone of you for taking out their time to vote, comment and express their views..

Forever Grateful for all the love and support..

Enjoy Reading!

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Manik's eyes fluttered open at the stubborn sunshine trying to escape through the cracks of his curtains. His eyes hurt, red and swollen. His head throbbed early in the morning.

His room was dark, unlike other days. Nandini always woke up before him so he never had to wake up in the darkness. By the time he would open his eyes, the curtains would be undone, and his slightly warm tea sat on the side table.

It was their normal routine until she got pregnant but even then, there had never been a day he had to open his eyes to the never ending darkness in his room.

The thought of Nandini brought back the bitter memories of the previous day, the joy that had turned into deep sorrow.

He had things to take care of and here he was sleeping without any care.

A knock on his door disturbed him and he stood up to open the door. It was Cabir calling him for breakfast. Manik ignored the sympathy in his brother's eyes and told him he would be there in few minutes.

Manik spent the next half an hour of the day while freshening up and trying to figure where half of his things were. At last, he walked out of his room with his shirt half tucked, no tie and blazer in his hand.

Hanging the blazer on the back of his chair, Manik took a seat on his usual chair. Nobody said a word, he didn't feel like greeting anyone either. He silently picked up his plate and started serving himself.

As per his habit, Manik picked another plate when he was done serving himself and started serving. He didn't realise everybody had stopped eating or were staring at him. It was until Mukti who sat on his other side held his arm.

Mukti: Bhai.

And Manik stopped at once. The muscle in his jaw twitching. Realisation dawned upon him. Nandini was not here, who was he serving for?

Navya: Are you okay, bhai?

Manik nodded, taking a deep breathe. He stood up abruptly, wanting to leave immediately but stopped when his father's stern voice called out for him.

Raj: Sit down. We need to talk.

Manik: I have a meeting.

Raj: I don't care, Manik. Sit down.

Manik stood still for a moment, taking his own time to decide if he wanted to disobey and leave but then, ended up doing the opposite. He sat back but didn't dare to look at his father. The last thing he needed right now was a lecture on how to behave.

Manik: Say.

Raj: Manik.

Manik clenched his fists, anger taking the best of him. He felt stupid that he had to sit there and hear his father scold him. He dared to glance at his mother who looked back at him helplessly and Manik hated that look. He was helpless at this point too.

However, He didn't want to worsen the situation or fuel his father's anger. He sighed, still staring at his untouched plate.

Manik: I am sorry for misbehaving yesterday. Maa, I am sorry.

Niyonika: It is okay bacha. Just-

Raj: It is not okay, Niyo. He cannot behave like this with us, with Nandini. How many times do I need to teach you to behave Manik? When will you learn how to handle things like an adult?

Manik gulped, clenching his fists to the point his knuckles turned white and looked up at his father.

Manik: What do you want me to do, Dad?

Raj: Manik-

Manik: You want me to give in to her decision? You want me to let her die?

Raj looked at him startled. Manik let out a bitter chuckle as he shook his head.

Manik: You feel it? The horror I feel everytime I realise Nandini would not be with us anymore? That I won't be able to see her again. That she would leave a child with me to take care of, the child who would need a mother and I won't be able to give him/ her. Maa would ask me to marry for the child's sake and then what? Where do I go in all this? You know how it would end? It will end with me hating my own child, me hating to live and wishing if death came for me instead of Nandini!

Raj: Manik!

Manik smiled through tears. Each of their face showed sorrow and Manik wanted to laugh out loud at them. They were telling him to be calm, be easy on her. Didn't he know what was he doing? He was ruining it all. He was breaking her heart, but at the end of the day, it broke his own too.

He chuckled when his father looked down, almost in guilt and apology written on his face.

Manik: You do not get it, Dad. You don't. It is my wife and my baby we are talking about. It hurts me to loose any of them but- I have to and I will never choose my baby over my wife.

Niyonika: We are not telling you to choose the baby, Manik. We are just asking to you handle this calmly. Talk to Nandini!

Manik: and you think that would work? Nandini would never agree this way, Maa! She is my wife! I know her more than you all know her!

Niyonika fell silent, knowing he was indeed right while Manik looked at his father as he stood up, all ready to leave.

Manik: Let me handle this my way dad. This abortion will happen, either by her will or against her will because there's no way I am letting her die.

He declared before marching out of the place.

Ayesha: Nandu?

Ayesha called out softly as she entered inside her room. Nandini had been sleeping most of the time because of her medicines. Her stomach hurt a little all the time and her head would not stop pounding.

Nandini opened her eyes upon hearing her voice and tried to sit down. Ayesha rushed to her side to help her immediately.

Ayesha: Are you okay bacha?

Nandini nodded, trying not to break down but Ayesha was also a mother. She knew what her daughter might be going through right now. Leaving her home, and having a baby in her stomach that she knew would kill her, as much as she wanted to scold her for her stubborness, Ayesha couldn't help but admire her daughter's strength.

Nandini nodded her head silently.

Ayesha: What happened between you and Manik?

Although Ayesha was already aware of what had happened yesterday, she wanted to hear it from Nandini. Niyonika had told her everything and even apologised for Manik's behaviour but Ayesha really didn't blame Manik.

She knew he was only thinking of her daughter, he didn't want to lose her and his reaction was somewhere justified. Nandini truely was not thinking about anything, not even her own life.

Nandini: H-He said the baby is d-dead to him! H-He doesn't w-want my baby, Amma! A-Abortion!

She choked at the end. Ayesha wanted to smile at her daughter but she only rubbed her back and held her hand gently.

Ayesha: Why doesn't he want the baby?

Nandini: Amma!

Ayesha: You know you can loose your life and even then you want to do this? What about Manik, bacha? What about everyone else?

Nandini: I-I don't know, Amma! But I can't kill my own child. It is a sin! H-how can I kill my own baby? What kind of a mother I would be if I let my child die for my own life?

Ayesha: but-

Nandini: No, Amma. You tell me, if it was you on my place, what would you have done?

Ayesha fell silent. She would have done the same. Fought against everyone for her baby. She looked down silently and Nandini smiled at her mother.

Nandini: See, Amma- you would have done the same!

Ayesha: Maybe, I would have. But I would have thought about Karan too, Nandini. Remember, if you are losing your baby, Manik is loosing his baby too. It is not easy for him either. He is trying hard to save you because he knows you two can have a baby in the future as well, but if you die and leave the baby, the baby would grow without a mother's love. Do you want your child to grow up thinking he or she was the reason you lost your life?

Nandini stared at her, unable to come with any answer. Ayesha was not wrong but Nandini was not wrong too. How could she agree for abortion? Wouldn't that make her selfish? It was a trade, in order to life, she had to kill her own blood.

She agreed she was not thinking about anyone else, but she knew Manik was there. He would handle it.

She just never thought, who would handle him?

Maybe he would marry again, and maybe her baby would never get a mother's love. But then, there were everyone else. Her baby was safe with her families.

Ayesha: Why did you leave home, Nandu?

The disappointment in her mother's tone didn't surprise Nandini. She knew it was a wrong step. She looked down and sniffed.

Nandini: Manik said- he didn't want the baby. How could I have stayed, Amma? I-I was hurt! A-and!

She cried, remembering his words again that made her take this step but now, she could not voice it out infront of her own mother. What would she say?

That her husband told her he was going to hate their child if she died or throw her out if she survived?

Manik wouldn't do that, she wanted to beleive but she knew him. He was a child at heart. Small things hurt him. He was always insecure, and now she had only added to his insecurities.

Ayesha: He is hurt too, Nandu. Remember whatever you choose, think about him too because at this moment, you are the only one he is thinking about.

Nandini looked down, knowing her mother was right. She nodded her head silently.

Ayesha: Let's go down and have breakfast.

Nandini: Amma-

Ayesha: You need to eat, Nandu. Your baby needs food too.

Nandini sighed and nodded her head.

Manik: WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?

Manik was raging in anger the moment he came across the file containing multiple errors, the file's due date was before yesterday. It only angered him more and he threw it on the employee, Tarun's face who was trembling like a dry leaf.

Tarun: S-Sir-

Manik: SIR WHAT! DO I PAY YOU FOR THIS?

Manik banged his hands on the table, causing the young boy to flinch. Tarun looked at Aman for rescue who himself looked scared of Manik today.

Aman: Sir, Atleast-

Manik: Shut up! Get out! Get out both of you! And you are fired!

Manik snarled at the now disheartened Rohit. It was indeed a bad day for him. Aman shook his head with sympathy and took him out of the cabin.

It had been happening from the morning, Manik was more than angry. He had fired atleast five of his employees. Nobody wanted to come infront of him at this moment. He snapped at every single person who tried to talk to him, shouted at Aman infront of the whole office and then started working as if he didn't, it would cost him his life.

Manik needed some distraction and work was never one for him. The more he tried to concentrate, the more it frustrated him. It was nothing new. Everytime he and Nandini fought, he would escape to the office but only to lock himself in his cabin, unable to do any work.

But today, the office was suffocating him. He couldn't breathe properly. Everything was getting on his nerves. Manik left the office the moment he got free.

While on the way, he dialled Ayesha's number who picked up on the third ring. She didn't say anything and Manik didn't know how to start a conversation at this moment. He wondered if the woman was so upset with him. He had never heard Ayesha use a tone other than polite and filled with love for him.

Did he disappoint them too?

Manik: A-Amma, Are you angry?

Ayesha: I am not angry but I am disappointed, Manik. You shouldn't have said that.

Ayesha added softly at the end. Manik took a deep breathe, clutching the steering wheel tight in his hand.

Manik: Is she fine, Amma?

Ayesha: She is okay.

Manik: She ate?

Ayesha: Yes.

Manik: Medicines?

Ayesha: Yes, Manik.

Ayesha paused and Manik knew she had something to ask him. He waited for to speak impatiently.

Ayesha: If you care so much, why did you let her leave?

It had been budging her the whole day. Why did Manik let her daughter leave?

She knew Manik. He was impulsive. He gets angry easily but he was not someone who would allow his wife to leave when she was angry and pregnant. And then she was aware of the love and respect this man held for her daughter. She just couldn't understand why didn't he stop her.

Manik gulped, vulnerability taking the best of him. He was angry at himself for not stopping her but only if she had given him any choice.

Manik: Because stopping her would have meant losing her Amma and I am not ready for that. I will talk to you later, Amma. I am sorry.

Ayesha tried to say something but Manik cut the call, taking a u-turn to the place he knew would help him forget everything. He was in no mood to go home and see the disappointment in his parents' eyes.

And maybe, it wouldn't be counted as misbehaving.

On the other hand, Niyonika sat in the hall, more than worried. Time passed painfully slow, but the clock showed eleven soon. Manik was not at home yet. He would not pick up her call, and Aman was roaming around trying to find him.

For a moment, she thought about calling Nandini. She was sure this would make her come back but then, this would also make her worried and at this point, the last thing Nandini needed was to take stress.

She paced around the hall and prayed continously for his safety. Around half an hour later, the door bell rang. Niyonika knew it would be her son. She smiled through the tears and rushed to open the door only to gasp out loud at the sight infront of her

There, Manik stood leaning on Aman,

- drunk and completely out of his senses.

To Be Continued.

Generally, when such crucial topics arise in books, people take sides, like understanding one's side and ignoring the other's..

But here, I have really tried to explain both Manik and Nandini's pov..

Neither Nandini nor Manik is completely wrong, but neither are they both completely right.

All Manik needs to know is react calmly, while all Nandini needs is assurance and love at this time.. atleast according to me..

Do share your views as well guys!

Thankyou!

See you people soon, because yeah, well - I have the next chapter ready.. just need to edit..

Have a nice sleep ✨❤️