Keep checking media box for this story as all the edits are made by me 😉😉 ..

Thank you for showing your interest in this story as well..love you all..❤❤❤

Downstairs :

Manik showed the painting to Cabir and Navya ..they looked at it very carefully..

Manik : "kuch bhi idea hai ki usne yeh painting kyu banayi hogi?".. He asked and both were lost in deep thoughts..

Cabir : " han! .. Shayad I know what's the reason behind this painting..".. He told him and Manik looked at him intently ..

Manik : "please tell Cabir".. He asked and now trio sat down on the sofa in living room..

Cabir : " actually Manik.. When Nandini was of 5 years ..mai aur woh hide and seek khel rahe the..but don't know how..woh store room mei lock ho gayi ..that store room was full of dark.. After 3-4 hours woh Hume waha mili..unconscious.. Jab use hosh aaya..she was very terrified.. Woh bahut jyada Dari Hui thi.. It took 2 weeks in her recovery..but still..tabse use andhere se dar lagne laga..thoda bhi dark hota hai toh woh dar jati hai.. ".. He told him everything..and he had listened every bit of it very carefully..

Navya : " han! Abhi 1 month pehle..kuch esa he hua tha..".. she told him..and he asked what..

Navya : "Nandini was in her room..she was all quiet..but tabhi electricity ka kuch issue hua aur light chali gayi..it was dark all around..Nandini itni jyada dar gayi thi..ki usne khud ko harm kar Liya..she was hospitalized for 1 week.. And dheere dheere uski condition aur bhi kharab hoti chali gayi..".. She told him..and Manik at first felt so helpless..as he wasn't with her in her painful hours..but he somehow hold himself back..as he knows..he can't loose hope like this..

Manik then looked at the painting.. It was a sketch of a girl..sitting on the floor..holding her knees close to her body..her face was dip in her legs..and all around there was darkness..

He realized that he needs to cure this fear of hers..as only after getting rid of this fear..she will be able to get that much needed trust in herself..

Manik : " we need to remove this fear of darkness from her mind..tabhi woh kuch respond karegi treatment KO..".. He told them..and they were confused..as how can they remove that 18 years phobia from her heart and mind..

Manik knows the plan which is in his mind..can be dangerous ..as it can worsen her condition as well..but in her case..shock remedy is much needed..

****

It's evening..and Manik was all set to execute his plan..he very well knows what he is going to do.. it's just even he was nervous a bit..after all it's not a counsellor treating a patient but a lover standing in front of his love..

Nandini was in her room..as always..playing with her big teddy bear..her timmy..Just then light went off..which instantly terrified her.. she looked all around ..it was only darkness that she can see.. her heart started beating as it's fastest speed...

"Bhai.. Bhai..".. she started calling Cabir ..he was standing outside the room..and listened her plea.. he went all weak listening that painful and fearful voice of hers..

He so wanted to run inside and engulf his baby sister in his arms..but Manik held his hand and stopped him from stepping in..

Manik : " nahi Cabir..we need to do this.. she has to fight back..for herself.." .. he told him and Navya too held his hand ..so Cabir rest his case..

Nandini was really frightened with the darkness..the fear took away her sanity..she stood up..and hugged the big teddy very close to her body..she started walking..but tears were falling out of her eyes..that darkness was scaring her to hell..

"Cabir Bhai..Bhai kahan ho.. please Bhai..save me..".. she cried and Cabir was feeling very helpless but he knows it's for betterment of his sister only..

She was shivering ..sweat was all over her body..and soon her fear overpowered her mind..she threw the teddy..and started breaking every other thing of her room..

CaVya were terrified after looking all this.. but Manik was calm..he knows it was coming up..

Navya : "Manik..she will hurt herself" .. she said in totally frightened tone..but he assured her that she won't..

Inside Nandini was breaking every other thing.. don't know whether it was due to fear..anger..or just to calm herself a little..

But all this while ..she didn't harmed herself..she was only breaking things... The fear of darkness was clearly visible on her face..

But before she could break more things.. she heard a voice..a very charming voice.. she stopped in her path..when that melodious voice fell in her eardrums..an unknown peace filled in her heart.. and for a brief moment ..she calmed down..

"There was a star.. A star which used to shine.. Shine to full.. No matter what but the shine of that one star never decreased.. " ..his words.. Manik's words made her stop from breaking this ..or may be breaking herself..

He walked inside ..there was no light still..but still she was standing in that darkness..listening that heart soothing voice..she was in captivate of that particular voice..

"A star which used to brighten everyone's world.. A star which gave life to others..".. he said while recalling how she changed his life for better.. She changed him and made him a better human being.. She enlighten his world and made him learn how to live..

He walked closer to her..while CaVya were still outside the room..and listening all this..

"But then dark clouds came.. and took away the shine of that star.. the confidence of that star.. Now that star don't shine.. now that star don't illuminates light.. now that star lives in darkness.. that darkness which that star hate the most.. still that star chooses to be in that darkness..".. he said with a heavy heart and a tear eloped from her eyes.. don't know why but she felt connected with that story of his.. tears were rolling out of her eyes..he came more closer to her..and wiped off her tears.. she felt something very unusual inside her today..when he wiped those tears..it felt so good In her heart..some unknown feeling started blooming inside her heart..

"That star is you Nandini.. our star Nandini.. who knows how to love..how to spread happiness.. Nandini is born to shine..not to be in darkness.." .. He told her...and don't know what came in her heart that she hugged him tightly ..without thinking further..he too give in..it was first time ..she is in his arms.. it was so soothing..it feels so right.. their wounded hearts started healing under each other's embrace..

She cried profusely in his arms..and he let her do that..he knows..she is gaining her long lost trust back..and he is one step closer in bringing their old Nandini back..

After like ages..he broke the hug..and looked at her..he made her look all around..there was still darkness.. Nandini looked all around..but this time ..she didn't shivered..she didn't got scared..suddenly that darkness doesn't haunt her.. she smiled ..and as soon as she smiled .. the light came back..which made Manik smile as well..

Manik : "your smile illuminates light Nandini.. you are a star.. don't take this Shine away from yourself.." ..he said very lovingly and she smiled to full..there was shine In that smile..which came back on her lips after two long months..

Outside Cabir and Navya ..were all emotional..they were looking at that shining smile of her..

Cabir : "she is coming back Navya..she is coming back to us..".. there was tears in his eyes..and a never ending smile on his lips.. Navya hugged him ..and he give in..

There inside.. MaNan were looking in each other's eyes..smilingly ..

"Thank you friend!". .. she said in her babyish tone and he smiled..

******

2 weeks passed by..

It's been 2 weeks Manik is here in Mannat villa ..treating her with love and care...gradually Nandini started responding ..from the day Manik came here..they all noticed a very big change in Nandini.. she spends more time with Manik..unlike those dreadful 2 months..when she used to sit inside her room..quietly ..not talking with anyone..

Now those attacks have also cured in her.. she have started talking with everyone ..but still she is mentally ill..she still behaves like a baby.. for which Manik is working on.. he only want to see her totally fine as soon as possible..

After 2 months.. 2 weeks.. Manik is taking Nandini outside..after that accident Nandini never stepped outside .. Manik somehow convinced her..to take her with him..and CaVya have full faith in him..so they let them go..

Manik : "chale princess?" .. he asked after opening gate of car for her..and she smiled..she has that teddy in her hand..

Nandini : "hum kaha ja rahe hai friend?".. she asked very innocently and he smiled ..

Manik : " Ice cream parlor".. he told her..and she got excited..

Nandini : "jaldi chalo".. she said in enthusiastic tone on which he smiled..

He then made her sit in the car..and took the driving seat himself...

****

After sometime both were sitting in the parlor ..and eating ice cream..while he was admiring her lovable face.. In this 2 week..his feelings deepened for her.. don't know when his love for her got more stronger.. All he know is .. he loves her more than his own life..

Life is such a waste..until or unless you don't get the reason to die for someone..or to just obliterate your whole existence just to enlighten that one's world.. It seems like he was a wanderer till the date he met her.. he never realized that actually he was living nomadic life..without any aim..but that night..that night changed all ..changed him..for better.. he collided with his soul master that night.. And today he want her to collide with herself..

Manik : "oh no! Main apna wallet car mei bhool aaya..tum Yahi baitho..Mai laata hoon..".. he told her and she just nodded in yes while eating ice cream..

He went towards his car..which was parked on the other side of the road ..he then showed her the wallet from there and she smiled..he then started crossing the door..when suddenly Nandini noticed a high speed truck approaching towards him..

She was horrified ..ice cream dropped from her hand..and she shouted her lungs out..

Nandini : "maaanniiiikkkk".. it was the first time she took his name that too so seriously.. he stood there numb..and the truck was coming towards him..

She without caring for anything..don't know what strength came inside her that she ran towards him in full speed ..to save him..he was shocked ..standing like a statue on the road..

Before the truck knocked him down.. she pushed him ..and both rolled on the road..

Her head collided with the big stone and it started bleeding.. she closed her eyes..last she saw blurry face of Manik.. he was patting on her cheek.. And ask her to open her eyes.. but she was unconscious.. people gathered on the location..

Manik : "kuch nhi hoga tumhe..kuch nahi..".. he said and picked her up In his arms.. he ran in full speed to the hospital..

Screen freezes on his terrified face..

So! How was this part?.. Manik made her free from fear of darkness.. Nandini saved him but met accident..now what destiny is planning for these two people ?? ..stay tuned..

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Kajal 😃