RECAP

Nandini fell sick & Manik was worrying for her a tiny bit...... but didnt want to admit it. Manik blurts out the truth of why he is taking revenge & Nandini hears him but refuses to believe. Manik's mom doesnt want Nandini finding the truth out in fear that she will harm herself.

**********************************************

**********************************************

Manik was driving with no destination in mind. All he could think about was the past.....what happened to Pakhi &  going to the morgue to identify his sister & jiju's bodies. Lastly, Nandini's words rang through his head.

"Mere Papa aur Shaurya aisa nahi kar sakte." 

"Saare Raichands ek jaise hai.....they dont give a damn ki unki vajah se ek pura family barbaad ho gaya." Manik muttered. Tears in his eyes as he drove rashly through the streets. "Sab kuch dekhna ke baad bhi usse lagta hai IM lying....uski bhai aur baap sahi hai aur MAIN galat hoon?"

At that moment, Manik accidentally drove onto the wrong side of the road and a car was coming from infront. The car honked & Manik realized what he had done. At the last minute, Manik swerved and drove into a tree.

CRASH!

People saw the crash & ran forward to help. Opening the driver's door, they found Manik unconscious and bleeding from his head. While some people took him out of the car, someone called the ambulance and soon Manik was taken to the nearby hospital.

****************************

Next Day

Nandini watched from upstairs as Manik's parents brought him home & helped him to the couch. His right arm was broken & in a cast while his head was also bandaged.

"Kitni baar kaha hai dhyan se gadi chalaya kar! Ek beti kho chukke hai...dusri ki kya halat hai yeh tujhe bhi paata...ab agar tujhe bhi kuch ho jaata toh?" Sumitra scolded Manik, in tears.

"Mom...Im fine." Manik assured her.

"Fine? Yeh fine hai??" Sumitra asked angrily.

"Mom! I said Im fine OK! Drama mat kijiye! Just LEAVE ME ALONE!" Manik shouted and just left Sumitra crying as his Dad comforted her. Upstairs, he came face to face with Nandini who was glaring at him for being rude with his Mom. Manik just rolled his eyes and walked past her into his room.

"Problem kya hai tumhara? Aise kaise baat kar sakte ho tum apne parents se?" Nandini scolded him.

"This is none of your business okay? Mera mood off hai so just f*cking stay out of this!" Manik replied rudely.

"I will not stay out of it! Kal jab tumhare accident ki khabar aayi thi na.....tab tumhare parents bohot zyada pareshan ho gaye....Sumitra aunty ka toh roh roh ke burra haal ho gayi thi! Woh toh bhagwan ka kripa hai ke tumhe zyada kuch nahi hua lekin accident tha...KUCH BHI ho sakta tha, phir tumhare parents kya karte? Kal raat se unn dono ne toh kuch khaya bhi nahi lekin you dont care do you? Tum toh bas khud ke baare mein sochte ho....tumhara dard, tumhara dukh...sab kuch sirf tumhara! Manik....apne dhukh dard mein itna bhi uljhe mat rehna ki jo apne tumhare paas hai, tum unka kadar karna hi bhool jao!" Nandini scolded him. She then softened her tone, getting emotional. "You know....growing up, Papa ne kabhi mujhe aur mere bhaiyyon ko kisi cheez ki kammi mehsoos nahi hone diya. I got the very best of everything! Lekin....PHIR BHI, mera bachpan adhoora tha. In fact bachpan kya.....meri life toh abhi bhi adhoora hai, you know why? Kyunki...meri Ma mujhe janam dete hi guzar gayi. I have had hundreds of nanny's lekin koi nahi tha jini lori sunn ke soh sakti thi. Jab park mein mere kisi dost ko chot lag jaati thi toh woh bhag ke apne mumma ke god mein rohte they, lekin mein kiske paas jaati? Mother's day pe sab apne Ma ke liye cards banate toh main bhi banati.....but I didnt have anyone to give them to! Tumhare Ma ne tumhare liye pareshan hoke tumhe zara sa dant kya diya...you got so irritated, lekin do you have any idea what I would give to have a mother jo mujhe aise haq se dante?"

Nandini stopped to take a breathe as a tear ran down her face. Manik's eyes were also brimming with tears after hearing her but he held them back.

"Mere...Mere paas Ma nahi hai...aur ek Papa hai jo ab mujhse baat nahi karte, main shayd duniya ke sabse zyada unlucky insaan hoon lekin mujhse BHI zyada unlucky paata hai kaun hai? YOU.....kyunki jo apne parents ke hote hue bhi unka kadar nahi kar paata, they are just....hopeless." Nandini said. "I understand ke tumhare andar itna gussa, itni nafrat, itni negativity aur darkness kyun hai par meri ek baat na kaan khol ke sunn lo....tumhe jo bhi bhadas nikalna hai na...mere upar nikal sakte ho kyun tumhe handle karne ki takat main rakhti hoon. Par aaj ke baad agar phir kabhi bhi tumne apni Ma or for that matter apne Papa ko hurt kiya JUST because tumhara mood off hai toh Im just letting you know right now ke main, tumse bhi zyada badi wali monster ban sakti hoon, samjhe??"

Manik couldnt help but gulp in fear after seeing how serious Nandini was.

"Good...jao maafi mang ke aao.....NOW!" Nandini raised her voice making Manik take a step back and flinch slight. Manik left the room as Nandini followed him to the door. "Aur jab tak dil se maafi mang ke nahi aate na....dont even think about coming back to this room!"

Manik was left staring at the door as Nandini slammed it in his face. "What the.....yeh dusri baar hai jo issne mujhe mere hi kamre se bahar nikala hai....lekin....jo bhi hai, she is kinda right. Mujhe Mom se aise chilla ke baat nahi karna chahiye tha, she was just worried for me."

Sighing, Manik walked back downstairs where he saw his mom still crying & Dhananjay comforting her.

"Sumi shant ho jao. Tum janti toh ho Manik kaisa ho gaya hai. Harr time gusse mein rehta hai...aise dil pe mat lo."

"Am I really that bad?"  Manik thought to himself.

"Woh baat nahi hai. Main jaanti hoon mera bacha pareshan hai warna woh pehle mujhse kabhi aise baat nahi karta tha lekin dukh isi baat ka hai ki woh itna zyada badal gaya. Mera pehle wala Mannu raha hi nahi. Aaj gusse mein itna tez gadi chala raha tha ki accident ho gaya. Aap ka paata nahi lekin mere bache ko agar kuch ho jaata na...toh main maar jaati!"

"Sumi tum yeh- ek minute...aap ka paata nahi matlab? Manik kya mera khoon nahi hai, main pyar nahi karta usse?" Dhananjay asked offended.

"Karte hai, lekin 9 mahine maine apne andaar rakha na usse." Sumitra defended herself.

"Toh? Uska yeh matlab toh nahi ki-"

At that moment, Manik came foward and hugged Sumitra with his good arm crying into her shoulder. "Im sorry...Im so so sorry. Pls aise marne ki baat mat kijiye....pls dont leave me Mumma."

Both Sumitra & Dhananjay were shocked as Manik had not shown his emotions like this before, nor had he apologized for anything like this and the last time he called Sumitra Mumma instead of Mom was when he was a child.

 "I know...Im a very bad son. Aap chahe toh mujhe thappad mar lijiye...dant dijiye but pls never leave me. Pls....I cannot loose anyone else." Manik sobbed.

"Mannu...beta." Sumitra stoked his hair with her fingers. "Kaunsi Ma apne bache ko chod ke jaana chahti hogi? Main tujhe aur Pakhi ko kabhi chod ke nahi jaungi...mera woh matlab nahi tha. Main bas....tujhe khona nahi chahti."

"Im sorry Mumma....I love you" Manik repeated.

"Its ok beta....and I love you too." Sumitra smiled emotionally and kissed his forehead. Dhananjay was happy to see Manik finally let out some of his pain and that his relationship with them was getting better but he was still confused as to how it happened suddenly. Looking up towards the second floor, he noticed Nandini watching Manik & Sumitra with a smile on her face. She wiped her tears before going back to their room.

"Dad..." Manik looked to Dhananjay. He stood up and looked at his feet. "Main...aapse bhi maafi maangna chahta hoon. Main shayad sabse zyada aapke saath rude behave karta hoon.....gusse mein, Ive always disrespected you. Lekin Dad aisa nahi hai ki main aapke izzat nahi karta ya aapse pyar nahi karta. You are my Dad....aap humesha se mere idol rahe hai, I respect you the most even though I know, I havent shown it. That will change, I promise aaj ke baad I'll never behave rudely, or take my anger out on you....or disrespect you. I promise."

Manik hugged his dad tightly after apologizing.

"Sumi ne sahi bola tha.....Nandini sach mein bohot pyaari bachi hai. Aaj uski vajah se humare bete ne pehli baar apne behaviour ke liye maafi mangi. Nandini ko uske baap ki kiye ki sazza nahi milni chahiye, she doesnt deserve that." Dhananjay thought to himself.

**********************************************

After the apology session, Manik spent some more time with his parents before going back to his room which he found was open. After entering, he found Nandini sleeping on the couch so he walked over and threw a pillow at her face.

"Manik...sone do na!" Nandini grumbled.

"Fever utra nahi hoga tumhara...go sleep on the bed." Manik ordered in a rough tone. Nandini raised one eyebrow at him. "Im not showing any type of care....bas Mom ko tumhari fikar hai iss liye, unke liye."

"Hmm...aur tum kaha soge? Tumhara ek haath toota hai....upar se sir pe bhi laga hai. You should sleep on the bed." Nandini replied. Manik gave her a look. "Im also not showing any care. Sumitra aunty ko tumhari bhi fikar hogi so...unke liye."

"Ill be fine." Manik rolled his eyes.

"So will I.... Im staying here." Nandini covered herself with the blanket & laid back down.

"Nandini...go to the bed."

"Nope."

"Go....to...the...bed....now!"

"Varna kya? Utha ke le jaoge?" Nandini smirked, looking at his broken arm. "I'd like to see you try."

"Fine." Manik used his other arm picked her up, literally throwing her over his shoulder. 

"What the....Manik! Choro mujhe!"

Manik let go, making her fall onto the bed.

"Ow!!"

"What? You said choro....so I did." Manik smirked. "And also....never challenge The Manik Malhotra."

He then flinched because of the pain which Nandini saw.

"Kya hua? The Manik Malhotra ko dard ho raha hai?" Nandini asked. "Kisne bola tha Superman banne ke liye?"

"Go to sleep." Manik said.

"Acha listen na! Let's...compromise. Bed share kar lete hai." Nandini suggested.

"KYA!" Manik's eyes widened in shock.

"NOT like that....dirty mind!" Nandini scolded him. "I mean....let's divide the bed. It's so big."

"Matlab?" Manik asked. Nandini got out of bed & left the room, she then came back with a rope & bedsheets. Nandini stood on the bed & put up a curtain right down the middle of the bed. "This...is our border. Tum apne side pe sohna and Ill sleep on my side. Simple." Nandini explained.

"Hmm...ok." Manik nodded. "That works."

They both lay down in their own sides when Nandini spoke up again. "Ek aur baat-"

"Kya hai?" Manik sighed frustrated.

"Mere Papa aur Bhai galat nahi hai...Ill prove that to you." Nandini declared.

"You-" Manik turned around to yell but stopped as he saw her determined look. "This girl...isse sach mein, like genuinely lagta hai iska bhai aur Papa innocent hai.....how can anyone be that stupid?"

"And I.....will prove to you that they are NOT innocent." Manik replied.

"Fine."

"Fine." 

They both then lay back down to sleep.

--------------------------------------------------------------

Thoughts?

Pls leave comments.