Okay okay I'm so sorry. I thought this time I would update even faster but, you know, things don't always go as planned. Just got stuck somewhere and couldn't find time to write.

But but but, here I am now, with your most awaited update.

What are we waiting for?

Lets dive in....

And han....I want more inline comments this time. Or else forget about next update.
_________________________________________

" Is she alright?", Lexie asked George once he came out of Nandini's room. He nodded his head exhausted, asking for a glass of water.

George O'Malley

An Irish-American, George O'Malley is a Psychiatrist in proffession. Based in New York, he also works as a psych consult in various hospitals in US, specially Seattle. Married to Alexandra Stevens and loves her to the moon and back.

He is a man of less words, but can understand a person just by observing his eyes. Maybe he was born to be a Shrink. He is someone you can always go for good advices on life's problems, without the fear of being dissapointed.

Knows everything that's going on in Nandini's mind. He is her shrink and trying to treat her mental state.

" She got a panic attack seeing the gunshot wound. Maybe it reminded her of the past adventure. I've given her some sedatives. She needs a proper sleep without any nightmares. ", he said to the two men sitting in front of him as Lexie passed him water. His eyes then fell on someone who stood by the window, looking out, his face showing his pained expressions. The man was all silent from the time he met him, when he rushed inside the house hearing about Nandini's condition.

He silently stood up and walked up to him, placing a hand on his shoulders.

" You know, everything will be alright. Her condition has not worsened since the last time. And I'm sure it'll improve, now that you're here.", he said patting his shoulder, giving him a small assuring smile. But the man's expressions didn't change. Many thoughts seemed to be running in his mind making him restless.

" She left. She left without even seeing me. She left without any explanation. She just....left.", he wishpered, but it was audible to all of them and a tear dropped from Lexie's eyes. He shook his head and walked out to the garden outside, making everyone inside sigh.

" Where the hell are you going?", someone yelled, stopping her from leaving. She looked back only to find Neyonika standing there with furious eyes.

" You want to fall into trouble once again? Han? Tell me? Isn't it enough that my son is in there dying? You want me loose you too?", she shouted at her, ignoring Raj and Navya who were trying to control her.

" Mom...", Nandini tried only to be cut off harshly.

" Don't! Don't call me that. You think of me as your Mom right? Then why don't you listen to me? Han? I told you. I told you not to go near Naveen again. I told you to be safe. But what did you do? You never listened. You did what you wanted. Now see what happened. Manik is in there. My son....he is struggling for his life. Oh...", she fell on the floor holding her head as everyone screamed her name rushing upto her. But Nandini was frozen at her place. Was it her wrong decision that got Manik in this state today?

She stumbled a bit which was noticed by Yug and Abhi and they rushed to her. They tried to console her and make her talk but no response came. And they realised what had happened. They had seen there sister in this state in the past. They never expected to see her like this again.

She was broken.....again.

" Shia. Baccha speak something. See this is your Bhai. Come on Baby. Say something.", he tried to make her talk but she didn't. Her eyes turned blank. Her face was expressionless. She stood there lifelessly, staring at the floor beneath.

"Now you will feel the same pain when this lover of yours will die the same fate. "

"And you will never be in peace after this. "

"Your Manik died only because of you. Remember that."

"Don't! Don't call me that."

"You did what you wanted. Now see what happened."

"Isn't it enough that my son is in there dying?"

The voices kept repeating themselves in her head, making her mind clouded. She couldn't think sane. The only thing going on in her mind now was- It was only because of her that Manik is in this state today.

Seeing Manik's bloodied self and Naveen's words had already shaken her and now Neyonika's words added fuel to the fire, burning her completely in it.

Neyonika had not blamed her for anything. She was just shattered by her son's condition and scared for all her other kids. She was angry on all of them for having not listened to her and landing themselves in this state. And the moment she saw Nandini moving away, her hell broke. She didn't want Nandini to again take any dangerous step. She was already on the verge of losing one child. She didn't want to lose another. It was frustration and anger only that made her words come out harsher, which she never meant them to be.

But Nandini misunderstood everything. Her mind was already not functioning properly and Neyonika's words just came at the wrong time. The thought of losing Manik had created havoc inside her and Naveen and Neyonika's voices made her insane.

All in all, she did what she was best at.......blaming herself.

Just a moment....and everthing came back to her.

The half burnt body of her mother. The half burnt face which looked like the worst ever nightmare. She had see it with her own eyes and that had left a great impact on her mind.

The day she found out that her mother died because she wanted to give her justice. Her mother died for her.

The day she found out how much her father loved her. And the next moment she saw him taking the bullet on himself to save her.

The face of her father when he breathed his last in the hospital. The way he apologised to her. But why did he apologise to her? It was all her fault right? Her father too died for her. To save her. He suffered all his life, danced on Naveen's fingers, for what? Just to make sure she is safe? But what did she do? She continued to hate him all that while. She doesn't deserve him.

And lastly the face of Manik. His words. His love. His voice.......and she lost him too. For her own revenge, she pushed him forward. She risked him. He went to jail in false case just so that she can take her revenge. He took bullet on his body, just because she wanted to torture Naveen. Why why why? Why he had to suffer? Why? Just because he loved her?
Why did he have to sacrifice so much for her?

Was her love so toxic?

Yes......she concluded.

Her love was toxic.

Everyone she loved......suffered at the end.

She can't do this anymore. She shouldn't do this anymore.

She has to stop hurting people.

She has to stop putting people's lives in danger.

She has to stop loving.

" Nandini.", Neyonika tried to call her, trying to explain to her that whatever she said, she didn't mean it. But it was too late.

Nandini just silently walked to the bench nearby and sat on it with a thud. No words were spoken. Everyone fell silent now. It was as if a dark blanket had been thrown over the place choking all of them.

Breathes held.

Hearts pounding.

Chests clutched tight.

Eyes red.

Lips quivering in silent prayers.

They waited for some miracle. Some miracle to save the one who lay in peaceful slumber inside, attached to all those drips and machines.

Neyonika and Raj were crying for their son, their pride... They couldn't imagine anything happening to him. They were on the verge of beeaking.

Fab 4 were afraid. Yes...it was the first time till date that Fab4 were so afraid. Why won't they be? Afterall their strength lay lifeless inside. Their backbone was on the verge of breaking and they were just holding it straight with their hope. A hope that was slowly fading out as time passed.

Navya was mourning for both her hearts. Manik had become her best friend in all this time. The Bhabi-Devar shared a bond which can't be expressed in words. All the times when they would team up against Cabir, or experimenting new dishes in kitchen together where Manik would whine that he knew nothing, all the times he would cheer her up and scold Cabir when they had a fight, everything she remembered...and tears flew from her eyes. And Nandini's condition made her heart break more. Seeing her sister sitting lifelessly made her want to kill herself for not being able to do anything for her. Being a doctor, she knew how less chances Manik had to survive. But still she prayed. She prayed for Manik to come out safe and handle her sister. She just prayed.

Cabir was broken. He had seen Manik fall down. He had seen Manik clutch his stomach where the bullet hit him. He looked at his hands and saw blood. Blood of his little brother. His Veere. Although Cabir was an all time prankster, he still loved Manik as his little brother. He was protective of him and today seeing his condition, he cursed himself for not being able to save him. He just stood near the door of the ICU, looking at the lifeless Manik lying there, wishing for him wake up and throw sarcastic replies at him like he always did.

Everyone were lost in their own thoughts and miseries and Yug sat beside Nandini, just to support her in case she breaks. But she didn't. She didn't even move. She sat there like a stone. No expressions. Nothing. He would have thought she was dead if not for her very slight breathing movement that she made.

Suddenly there were loud beep sounds coming from Manik's room followed by Cabir's shout for the doctor.

"Code blue!"

"Code blue!"

The nurse shouted as they saw Manik sinking.

The doctor rushed in with the nurses pushing the Crash cart. One of the interns had already climbed over the bed giving CPR compressions to Manik. Dr. Ved was making the Defibrillator ready to give shock.

" Charge to 300.", Ved shouted at the nurse, keeping the paddles on Manik's chest. " Clear." And Manik's body jerked up due to the shock. They looked at the machine but their was no change. It was still showing Asystole which meant that heart had stopped beating.

" Charge to 360 and push 1 of Epi.", Ved shouted, again placing the paddles on his chest. " Clear." And again Manik's body jerked. No change.

Ved tried for 2 more times. But nothing happened. It was as if Manik was stubborn, not to come up. As if he was enjoying it...going towards the light.

Ved looked around. He was sweating. His hairs were dishevelled. He had tried his level best. He so wanted to save Manik. He knew how much he meant to his colleague. But he failed. His face had dropped. He for once looked at Nandini who was standing at the door. His eyes showed helplessness and that was it for Nandini.

Her feet suddenly started moving. She so wanted to go near Manik. She so wanted to jerk him up to life. She so wanted to slap him till he gains his consciousness. But her feet didn't listen to her. They took her in the opposite direction. She couldn't understand what the hell was happening to her. But the next moment she found herself running away. Running away from Manik. Running away from everyone. Running away from her life.
The last thing she heard before running from there was......." Time of death....."

She ran and ran. She ran out of the hospital, ignoring the shouts from the nurses and other doctors who tried to stop her. She ran out of there, her tears suddenly falling, her eyes suddenly getting blurred. She couldn't see clearly. Still she ran.

She didn't realise when she had run on to the middle of the road when suddenly her trance was broken by a loud sound of horn. Her legs stopped immediately and she turned only for her eyes to widen.

" MANIKKK!!!!"

"MANIKKK!!!", Nandini yelled as she suddenly got up from her nightmare. Her whole body was covered with sweat and she was shivering like a dry leaf. She looked around to take in the surrounding, realising that she was in her room in New York. She tried to remember what had happened to her. Flashes of the incident that happened sometime earlier in the hospital came back to her and the last she remembered was her falling unconscious into a set of familiar arms.

Her eyebrows scrunched up as she tried to remember who he was. But couldn't. Before she could think anything else, the door of her room banged open and 4 people rushed in. Two of them were George and Lexie and Nandini was surprised to see the other two.

She was about to ask them how were they here, when suddenly her eyes fell on the door and she froze at her place.

Cliffhanger!!! 😝😝😝

Don't kill me for this. Pweaseee......
*Puppy face*

I end this chapter here for you to guess what happened next.

What do you think? Was Neyonika right?

Was Nandini right at what she was thinking.

Did she do right by running away?

Manik really died........

Did he?

Nandini met with an accident?

.
.
.
.
.
.

Next chapter will reveal everything. Till then...enjoy the suspense.

And han  .... don't forget to tap on the star below. Otherwise I won't update. *Devil laugh*

Keep thinking and write your views to me in the comment box.

Till the next update then

Stay safe

Stay healthy

Yours Writer....