Tie your seat belts and embrace yourself for this emotional roller coaster chapter ahead.

~•~

Sometimes, that's the thing about pain. It demands to be felt.

~The Fault In Our Stars

N A N D I N I

"MANIKKK", the scream left my mouth before I could register anything else ahead of me and my eyes widened.

The phone dropped from my hand and my mouth fell open as his white car flew off road and took a 360^ turn in the air.

"Manikkkkk.....", I screamed still standing in my place as I saw a lifeless hand falling out of the window, covered with blood.

I could hear my heart beat faster in my body as I ran towards the car and sat there leaning by the door.

There were whispers everywhere as I tried pulling his body out of the car but I failed miserably since I was too weak and the car exerted too much pressure on his body.

"Nandini!" There was a whisper and I looked to my side with tears in my eyes.

"Cabir!" I sighed in relief as he pulled Manik out from the disheveled car, only to give me another shock.

This wasn't my Manik.
This couldn't be my Manik.

The shattered glass was all into his head and right hand. His face and clothes were covered with blood, his hand still gripping mine tightly. His skull looked disheveled due to the sudden hit on the road and an uncountered amount of blood flowed from his body as he lifelessly lied on my lap.

"Manik!" I let out a sharp cry as I rubbed his hand and face, all the blood transferring and sticking to my clothes.

Everything was coming to a pause for me. Manik was panting up and down for breath as Cabir put him into his car and I sat besides him on the back seat, his head on my lap.

"There's no time to wait for the ambulance. We're losing him!" Cabir shouted closing the door as he drove and his words were like a thunderclap on me.

We're losing him.
We're losing him.

I looked at the cold body in front of me. His lips were dry and purple, covered with fresh flowing blood.

Were these the same lips I kissed a few hours back?

I rubbed my hand through his forehead which seemed like it had cracked into two pieces. His face looked unrecognisable with so much blood and glass pieces stuck out everywhere as I pulled out one.

I could see him panting for breath and I lied there, helplessly. I was seeing him go away from me, very away, and I couldn't do anything.

Nothing.

"Manik!" I cried out in a whisper as I laid my lips on his hair, rubbing the pain off.

I rubbed his face to provide him with all the heat I could but nothing helped. He shivered in my hands in a distorted way, dying for each breath of oxygen.

"Manik, nothing will happen, please be strong", I cried whispering near his head, and as if listening to my words he tried lifting his hand up which fell back again on the couch.

His head lifted a bit and then fell back on my lap with a jolt as a weak smile took over his face.

"Nan-di-....", he barely whispered in an unaudible tone.

"Yes Manik, yes, I am listening. Yahi hu mein, just fight for some time Manik, we have almost reached!" I cried.

"Pl-ease-.. stay.. h-a-ppy..", he mouthed and I fell each cell of my body becoming numb. He was almost a second away from giving up on life, he was struggling for each breath he was taking and every word he was trying to speak way aching him even more. Yet, there he was struggling to speak to me.

I was too numb to see how the car stopped and Manik was being pulled out, away from me, into the stretcher, but his hand never left mine as I ran behind his stretcher.

"Nan-di-ni....", he mouthed again. His eyes were struggling to stay open even a bit but his hand entwined mine.

"If pos-sible.. pl.. love... ti-ll.. the.. en-d.. because.. happi-ly... ever afters.. do exist... bu-......", his lip movement stopped as his eyes slowly drooped close and his hand slowly left mine as they dragged him away, away from me.

"...but it was.. just not us, baby....", I completed his statement as I covered my mouth and fell on the chair, crying.

Reality couldn't hit me, more than now. Till now it just seemed like a bad dream, a miserable nightmare and I was going to wake up. But now, reality was hitting. He wasn't with me anymore, he was going away. With each passing second, he was becoming more and more lifeless.

We were losing him, and he knew that, and even his last words, did he just ask me to move and stay happy!

I covered my mouth even more as the cry just seemed to get louder.

"Nandini!" I heard a someone as a hand wrapped around me. But nothing made sense to me.

"We will be fine, he will be okay!" I think I heard Aryamman say as I was pulled into a hug but I couldn't, just couldn't understand anything.

It felt warm, but all I needed was Manik's warmth. I needed nothing but Manik. I could survive without food and water, but I can't live without Manik.

This was not happening. My Manik was not going away.

I got up from his grip as I took the jar of water kept on the side table outside the OT and put it on me.

"Nandini!" I heard Mukti scream as she took the glass jar and threw it away, and it broke into a million pieces with a huge crackling sound.

This was just the way I saw Manik's body breaking, I saw the car glass breaking, and I feel my heart breaking. This same way, into a million pieces.

"Kya kari rahi ho?" She shouted and the silent tears flew more as I continued looking on the glass pieces, and only Manik's disheveled face came in my mind.

"I'm trying to wake myself up...", I whispered and I heard Aliya cry louder.

"Nandini!" Mukti sighed as she took me into a hug but I couldn't hug anyone back. I needed Manik to hug me, I needed Manik to tell me that he will be fine, I needed just and just Manik.

"No, Mukti. This, this is a nightmare. You know, I will get up and Manik will be by my side and then, when I will cry he will hug me. And you know we'd kiss under the stars, he will sing and we will dance in his room, we will cook together and spend the whole night talking. This isn't the reality Mukti, yeh sirf ek sapna hai.....!" I cried blabbering whatever made sense to me.

I don't need oxygen to breath, I need Manik Malhotra.

And I despise a world without Manik Malhotra.

I felt like a hollow hole in my heart at the only thought of not having Manik with me anymore. I wouldn't ever hear his voice again, his new songs for me. I wouldn't ever get up again to see Manik admiring me, we wouldn't ever go on a date again, we will never be together again. I will never be able to look into his eyes, hold his hand. I will never be able to feel his lips on mine, he will never be able to hug me again. I wouldn't be able to hear his giggle, his laugh or the way he teases me. I knew I was losing him, and it pained. It pained so miserably.

And maybe that's the thing about pain, it demands to be felt.

"I just need him. I don't need anything else. Paisa, ghar, job, sab le lo. Just give me my Manik back, please!", I whispered to no one in particular as I hugged my knees to my chest tighter.

"Excuse me, Miss. Nandini?" I heard a manly and unfamiliar voice as I looked up slowly to find an officer there.

"Yes..", I barely whispered trying to get up.

"These are the few things we found from Mr.Malhotra's car...", they said as they handed me a file and a white envelope.

Wiping my tears, I sat there grabbing the file as I slowly opened it to find a 'surprise' ribbon there, and a certificate.

Ofcourse, the surprise! It's all because of me. I should have never asked for the surprise in the first place, and yeh sab kabhi hota hi nahi. Is all my fault. I always keep making these stupid mistakes, and Manik keeps suffering because of me.

I opened the ribbon as the certificate thing plopped in my hand.

Congrats!
A star in the Orion Constellation, the largest and the most visible constellation throughout the world has been named after Nandini Manik Malhotra.
The star is the biggest of the constellation and shines the brightest near the celestial equator and can be seen near the Pole Star with naked eye in the night sky each day.
Congratulations Nandini Manik Malhotra!
~the star community, galaxy today.

The tears in my eyes never stopped as I processed each word written in there. I couldn't even stop as I tore open the letter.

Nandini,
Wondering why I haven't started the letter with a 'dear' right? Because I am no gentleman, I am a monster. A monster whom only you dared to love and a monster that loves only you.
Now coming to my surprise, I don't need any special reason and occasion to surprise my girl, but well, this is special.
Today is the day when three years back, I first kissed you.
So in a way, happy Kiss Anniversary maybe?
And also, today is the day I marked you mine. I don't need any marriage certificates to tell anyone that you are mine, though we will get married at the right time.
But until then, just so you, everyone, and even the aliens in the outer space know, you are mine~ Nandini Manik Malhotra.
Not just for now, for Hamesha. Be the star you are in my life, and keep shining for me, Hamesha.
Let Hamesha, just be our thing, Hamesha. ;)
Yours,
Monster!x

My hand went numb, as the tears dried on my cheek, spreading all the mascara here and there but I don't think I cared.

Hamesha.

Nandini Manik Malhotra.
Nandini Manik Malhotra.
Nandini Manik Malhotra.

Hamesha.

I was smiling like an idiot while crying at the same time as I caressed my own name with my thumb on the letter, in his hand writing.

Just then, a beep stopped my thoughts as the OT lights went off and the doors opened as the doctor walked out.

"Doctor!" All of us shouted surroundering him.

"We're sorry, we couldn't save him completely. He has slipped into coma!" The doctor said and each word fell like a thunderclap as he walked.

"But- But-... doctor, there is hope right?" I asked hopefully blocking him. I am dying to hear the words that he will be okay, that this will take time, but he will be fine. Let him take away my life, but please make Manik okay.

"Well, I wouldn't lie to you child. Only miracles can save him. And even if he somehow makes it out alive, this wouldn't be easy for him. He has got a severe hairline fracture which we doubt can lead to a sever memory loss, even temporary amnesia. He might even be paralysed since many of his never cells are damaged badly. Don't hope for him to survive child, hope for him to rest in peace!" He patted my back as I stood there rooted.

Everyone fell back to their place but I? Well I smiled walking out.

Was this really our last kiss Manik? Our last hug? Our last goodbye? Will this really be the last time I will see you, or will ever hear your voice?

There are so many things I want to tell you Manik, so many unsaid words, will they always remain unsaid? Just like every other love story fairy tale, will our story never have a happy ending Manik?

"Aur agar mein hi tumhe chodke chala gaya toh?"

Was this really the last time I felt you with me Manik? The last time you called me princess?

"Excuse me Ma'am...", someone stopped me at the receptionist. "The formalities of the case are still left"

I smiled weakly wiping my tears away from my face.

"What is your full name?" She asked.

"But until then, just so you, everyone, and even the aliens in the outer space know, you are mine~ Nandini Manik Malhotra."

"Not just for now, for Hamesha. Be the star you are in my life, and keep shining for me, Hamesha."

"Let Hamesha, just be our thing, Hamesha."

"Nandini. Nandini Manik Malhotra...", I smiled weakly.

"And your relation with the patient?"

"His Wife.....", I smiled.

~It's sad how things are vulnerable, yet beautiful when they are ending,
Like the flowers when they are wilting,
your smile when it's fading,
the sun when it's setting,
and us, when we were breaking~

~•~