Manik, Avneet and Siddharth followed the waiter. When they reached the hall, they found the environment uncomfortable. They couldn't believe that Nandini comes here regularly.

"There she is." The waiter pointed towards a table and left.

When he left, they all looked at Nandini. They couldn't believe their own eyes that it was their Nandini. She looked completely different. Her dress, her attitude, everything was changed. Manik stepped towards Nandini.

"Nandini." Manik called out her name softly. 

Sid and Avneet too stood behind Manik. They saw so many empty glasses on her table. They doubt it was all, maybe she had more than this. 

"Nandini." Manik called out her name once again. This time louder than before so that she responds as the music was playing on too loud volume and she was drunk, so she might have missed his earlier voice. 

Thankfully this time Nandini looked back towards them but she didn't say anything, to be more precise she was not in a condition to say anything. She only started at them blankly with her drowsy eyes. They felt Nandini would pass out any moment.

"Di!" Avneet couldn't believe her own eyes that her sister can do something like this. "Di? You? Why're you doing this?" She was on the verge of crying. She controlled her tears and held Nandini's hands. "You're harming your own self, di. Why?" 

Nandini was still silent. Maybe she was trying to absorb her surrounding. She was far away from senses. She had no idea of what was happening around her or where she was or if someone was saying anything to her or not. She was in some other world. 

"Why is she trying to vent out her anger like this? I thought she is sensible enough to know, it's not doing any good to her. Because of that person, she is damaging herself in a way which would lead to something really fatal." Siddharth said looking at Nandini.

Avneet was trying to handle Nandini who was not ready to come. Manik was looking at her without saying anything. 

"I won't leave that Sanjay Kapoor. How dare he!" Nandini yelled but her voice broke due to over drunk condition. 

When Manik saw Nandini was going out of control, he went forward and held Nandini's hand. "Nandini, come with me."

She nodded her head in no and tried to free herself. "Leave me. I won't go anywhere."

"I said let's go. At least for my sake don't do this." Manik spoke softly to Nandini who was not in a condition to hear or understand anything. 

Before Nandini could say anything, Manik grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the pub with him. Avneet and Siddharth too come out after paying the bill. They were shocked seeing she had drink so much.

"Should we drop Nandini at her place?" Sid asked worriedly looking at Nandini's condition.

"But dad is there. What if he does something seeing di in this state?" Avneet was scared.

Manik who was holding Nandini looked at Avneet. "Don't worry, we'll drop you both home safely."

Avneet nodded her head in no. "He won't leave you, if he sees you. He'll insult you both again."

"It's not the time to think all this. Moreover, it doesn't matter to us. Right now Nandini is more important to us. Come." Siddharth said and opened the door of car for them.

This time Avneet sat beside Siddharth and Manik settled at the back seat with Nandini.

This fog-shrouded view of the city in this winter night is truly amazing. Amidst the fog filled almost empty road, their car was moving without caring about anything. 

Manik looked around. He saw Sid's whole concentration was on the road and Avneet was staring outside thinking something deep. Maybe she was worried about her father's reaction when they will reach their place or about the state of her sister whom she loved more than anyone in this world.

Manik let out a sigh and looked back at Nandini who had dozed off in his embrace. Suddenly he felt all his anger disappearing and he started feeling bad for Nandini. He removed some of her hair which were falling on her face and caressed her face lovingly. He pulled her more into his embrace as if she would vanish if he loosens his grip. 

'I wonder how much pain she is hiding within herself which forced her to do something like this. She is hiding so much pain but never let us know anything neither she shared anything with us. She is ready to bear all our pain and help us, she is always there for everyone but she didn't let anyone know about herself. Why're you so selfless, Nandini?' Manik thought in mind and pecked on her forehead. 

'Why on this earth the fate of such a good girl had to be like this? She doesn't even have her own father by her side. But don't worry Nandini, we and your Manik will always be by your side no matter what the situation is. I'm not gonna leave your side ever. I love you. I love you a lot.'

Manik kissed on her head and placed his chin over her head. Some of the smallest pleasures of the world are probably found in these little moments. In this way, the image of a courtyard is blossoming in the night of this city.

NEXT   MORNING
The sun's rays have spread in the sky again like every morning. This ray was falling on the face of sleeping beauty. Her face was so serene and this sunrays was making her look even more beautiful. 

Nandini woke up as soon as the sun rays fell on his face. She slowly opened her eyes but her head was aching like hell. She slowly got up holding her head and sat on the bed leaning her back to the bedpost. She winced in pain. She was pressing her head softly trying to reduce the pain. Suddenly she remembered all the events from last night. 

'I don't know what happened last night after I got drunk and who got me here?' Nandini was thinking in mind. 

"Manik bhai." Suddenly she heard a voice from other side of her room.

"Avneet, you!" She wanted to get up but the pain was too much. So, she stayed back in the same position. "And what do you mean by Manik has got me here?"

"Last night when you left from Manik bhai's place like that we all were so worried for you. We didn't what to do. Thankfully Reena di could tell about your whereabouts. We had to go to the pub to get you. Everyone was shocked to see you in that condition yesterday. Then Manik bhai and Sid helped me to get you home."

"What!" Nandini tried to remember when did all this happen but nothing came in her mind. "When did all this happen?"

"You were not sober, di. It's normal only not to remember anything from last night." She walked closer to Nandini and sat in front of her. "Now tell me why're you doing this? You're harming yourself for that person. For the person who is no one to you, to me. Why're you hurting yourself?"

Nandini was silent. She had no answer for her sister. 

"Do you know how much Manik bhai and Sid has been insulted for you yesterday? Specially Manik bhai."

Her words seemed to have applied salt to her wounds once again. "What? He has dared to insult them again?" Nandini got down from the bed and was about to step out of her room when Avneet's voice stopped her on her track.

"What will you say to him? Last night it was you who was at fault." 

"I don't care who was at fault still it doesn't give him the right to insult Manik and Sid. I'm not gonna leave him." Saying this, Nandini went down the stairs, Avneet too behind her.

Sanjay was reading newspaper sitting in the hall. 

"Mr. Kapoor, yesterday you've crossed all your limits. How dare you insulting them even after I asked you not to do this so many times?" Nandini shouted on top of her voice. She was fuming in anger.

Sanjay got up and stood in front of Nandini. He also seemed to be really angry. "Shut up. Who're you to say me what will I do and what not? Last night when you came back home being all drunk with a random guy that time where was your values?"

"What do you mean by random guy? He is the one I love. Get this clearly in your mind that I love Manik and I can go anywhere with him. Also you don't need to worry about my values or anything else. I'm big enough to take care of myself." Nandini replied sternly. She could never take anyone saying anything against Manik.

Sanjay was also losing his cool. He couldn't take it that his daughter keep insulting for a boy like Manik. "You're crossing your limit, Nandini. I don't say anything that doesn't mean you'll do whatever you like. I'll see how can you stay with that boy. I'm gonna fix your marriage with my friend's son."

"I love Manik. Hear me out carefully. I love him and I'll marry him only. Also I'm not gonna marry chosen by a murderer. A person who can kill his own wife by torturing her for his own benefits, I'm sure the boy he will choose would be like this only. Like him, a murderer and I can't let that happen to myself."

Nandini's words seemed to cut through Sanjay's body. His eyes were spitting fire and there was something deadly going on in his mind.

That's all for the time being. I hope you all liked it. Do let me know your thoughts and don't forget to vote.

18.08.2023