Nandini was going away holding Smaran's hand when Manik held her hand from back.

"Manik, leave my hand." Nandini snapped angrily.

"Nandini, please listen to me once, then you can go. But who is he and where are you going with him?"

Nandini freed her hand from Manik's grip and looked into his eyes. "He is my fiancée. That's why I am going with him. Any problem?"

Manik felt like someone just threw burning coal on him. He was not able to believe his own ears. His Nandini is getting married to someone else.

His Nandini was not his anymore. . . . . .

"Nandini, I am telling you this is not any mental case. He is just trying to hit on you. I know this kind of boys very well. Let me teach him a lesson."

"Wait, Smaran, no need of all this. Just come from here." Nandini looked at Manik. No matter what he did to her but the thing is she still loved him like crazy and she couldn't bear anything happening to him. 

Then Nandini went away with Smaran.

Manik was still standing at the same place like a statue. He felt his whole world collapsed right in front of his eyes. His eyes were filled with tears. He didn't know why life is so cruel to him.

Most important thing was how will he live without Nandini???

Later that day Nandini went to pick Pari from school.

"Pari, today we'll go for shopping, okay?" Nandini tried to sound excited but she didn't know whether she managed to do it or not.

Pari kept staring at her sister for a while before nodding her head. "Okay. But you'll have to buy me lots of chocolates."  

Nandini sighed seeing her obsession with chocolates. "Fine."

Nandini came to a shopping mall with Pari. She was roaming around. They were entering in a shop when Nandini's eyes fell on Manik. A girl which is none other than Soha was pulling him with her. Manik was about to say her something when he too noticed Nandini there looking at them.

Nandini hurriedly turned to other side.

"Soha, you continue. I will be back in a minute." 

Soha nodded and went away. Manik ran to Nandini and stopped her from going away.

"Nandini, please wait. Just hear me out once. Then you can do whatever you want to.Just once. One last time."

Manik was talking to Nandini when Pari too noticed him.

"Areh! Manik bhaiya! I missed you a lot." Pari got excited seeing her Manik bhaiya after so many days. She jumped on him hugging him.

Manik smiled shortly looking at her. He too hugged her back. "I missed you too, baby."

Nandini held Pari's hand and pulled her away from Manik. "Pari, come here. Let's leave."

Nandini was going away from there with Pari when Manik again held her hand.

"Nandini, please just once listen to me. I love you, Nandini."

Soha who was waiting for Manik at one of the shop came out when Manik didn't come back after 10 minutes. She looked around and spotted him.

"Manik!!!" Soha called out Manik's name.

Nandini turned towards Soha. She also came towards them.

"Manik, why are you holding her hand?"

"What're you doing here, Soha? Did you buy everything?"

Tears escaped from Nandini's eyes. Manik wasn't able to do anything. Neither he was able to bear Nandini's tears nor he was able to say anything to Soha.

Nandini went away from there with Pari.

"I want to go home." Soha told.

Manik only hummed still eyeing the way Nandini had gone and went to home with Soha. After coming back she was breaking everything. Manik was getting irritated but nothing was in his hand.

"Soha, what happened?" Prerna asked seeing Soha in a bad mood.

"Soha, I said I'm sorry." Manik muttered in an irritated tone.

"You held her hand. You don't love me anymore." Soha was sobbing like crazy.

"Soha, try to understand the situation and don't overreact." 

"Okay. Then say me I love you." Soha wiped her tears and demanded standing in front of him.

Manik let out a breath. "Fine. I love you (slowly so that Soha doesn't hear) Nandini."

Soha ran to Manik and hugged him. Manik didn't hug her back. He was thinking that anyhow he would tell Nandini the truth.

Next day
Nandini was coming back home after dropping Pari to her school.

"Nandini. . . . ." Manik called her from behind.

Nandini turned back.

"Nandini, it's not like that you are thinking. Yesterday I was. . ."

Nandini was leaving when Manik came in front of her, "Please just once hear me."

Nandini threw a glare to him. "What'll you say? Is there something more for you to say? You know what's my biggest mistake? My biggest mistake was trusting you. I trusted a wrong person. If a person can leave once breaking his promise, then he can leave again. I should have realized that."

"Look into my eyes and say you're happy without me." Manik held her from shoulder. 

Nandini tried to free herself. "Manik, leave me. I'm getting late."

Nandini was going away when Manik held her hand pulled Nandini close to him.

"Manik, what're you doing? Leave me. Everyone is watching us."

"Let them see."

"Don't behave like made. Maybe you don't care about anyone's emotion but I do."

"Just look at me."

Nandini closed her eyes and tried hard to free her hands from his grip. But Manik was pulling her more close to him, "Nandini, look at me and say you have forgotten all those nights? Say?"

Nandini didn't say anything. She was looking down and trying to hide her tears.

"Nandini? Say that you've forgotten everything. All our moments. All those moments when we were together. Tell me that they don't matter to you anymore." 

Everyone were looking at them. But Manik gave a damn to them.

Nandini shifted her gaze away from him and looked at everywhere else apart from him. "What are you saying? Which moments? There's nothing left between us. Absolutely nothing."

Manik held her more tightly. "Oh really? You don't remember anything, right?

"I said I don't remember anything. Didn't you hear?"

"Really?"

"See just leave me else I'll shout. Then you're smart enough to know what might happen." She tried to threaten him which had no effect on him.

Manik too shouted. "Fine, shout. Shout as much as you can. Come on, Nandini, why're you quiet?"

Nandini pushed Manik with all her force and ran away from there. Manik kept looking at the direction Nandini went.

That day late at evening Manik was sitting with Aryaman and Cabir.

"Manik, it's enough now. Just come back home. Everyone misses you a lot." Cabir said.

"Yes, you just come back home. We'll handle everything else." Aryaman too supported him.

Manik let out a breath and smiled sadly. "I can't come back home." 

"Why? Because of that crazy girl?" Cabir yelled not able to control his anger.

"Yes, because of her." Manik too yelled but he controlled himself and continued softly. "Cabir, trust me. I'm selfish but not that much that I'll leave someone to die just because I want to be happy. Alno not when they've done so much for me. If I'm alive today, then it's only because of her father which I can't forget. Her treatment is going on. Besides, I have promised her parents that I will help her to get well. That's the only thing they have asked from me." He inhaled a deep breath and controlled his emotion. "I know Nandini is hurt. She is in lot of pain. But I also know she still loves me a lot but she doesn't know the reality."

"Manik, you're ruining your own life because of others." Cabir felt bad for him. He knew at this moment there was nothing in their hand. 

"You guys go home now. I'll see you both soon." Manik uttered while getting up. 

"Take care and call us, if you need anything." Aryaman hugged him.

Manik nodded and then Cabir and Aryaman left form there.

Manik was sitting at the park all alone. He looked at the sky. A drop of year escaped from his eyes.

"I wish I could tell Nandini everything. Just one chance and I'll tell her everything. Even after hearing everything, if she wants to go away from me, I will let her go happily. But I have to tell her everything anyhow. As soon as possible." - Manik thought.

Other side Nandini was again standing beside the window and talking to the sky in mind, "Are you watching what's happening to me? Are you also thinking that I've forgotten him? How can I forget that crazy person who's like in every breath of mine? How can I forget all those moments which I had spent with him? All his touches seem to be still fresh on me." 

"Nandini!!!" Alya called her.

Nandini wiped her tears and plastered a fake smile on her face, "Hmm."

"What happened? Whom are you missing? Smaran?" 

Nandini smiled shortly. "No."

That time someone knocked at the door. Nandini opened the door and saw Shreekant standing there with a smile on his face. Nandini also passed a smile to him.

"Papa, you here? You could have called me."

"It's okay. I just thought to see you. You've become really busy these days. How's everything going on in the hospital?" 

"Everything is fine, papa."

"Nandini, day after tomorrow is your engagement with Smaran. So, he will come to pick you tomorrow. You both will go to shopping and buy dress, ring, everything needed."  

Nandini was shocked with the new found information. "So soon?"

"Why? What's the problem? You said you're ready for the marriage."

"Nothing." Nandini looked down.

"Fine then. I'll leave now. Talk to Smaran and fix the time." Then Shreekant left from there.

Nandini was hell nervous with the sudden revelation. She was confused what to do at that moment.

Next day
At evening
Smaran came to take Nandini for shopping. Nandini went with him as she can't deny her mother or Shreekant. Smaran talked a lot whole way but Nandini was quiet. Nandini could not gather courage to tell him anything.

They reached the shopping mall. They were roaming around. Smaran was done with his shopping but Nandini didn't buy anything.

"What happened, Nandini? Didn't you like anything?" 

"No, actually I am confused."

"Okay, let me help you." Smaran laughed. 

Nandini only nodded her head.

Then Smaran helped Nandini to select her dress and other things. After shopping, Smaran dropped Nandini home. Nandini directly went to her room and started crying hiding her face in the pillow.

That time Cabir came there. "Nandini. . . . ."

Nandini wiped her tears and plastered a smile on her face. "Cabir, why're you standing there? Come inside."

Cabir came and sat beside her. "Nandini, are you really happy with this marriage?"

Nandini didn't say anything. She was just looking down.

"There's still time. If this time passes, then you won't be able to do anything neither us. I know you're right at your place. Anyone would have reacted the way you're doing. But I'll ask you to hear him once. Let him say what he wants to. Just one last time."  

Nandini sobbed. "You know he always says that he loves the smile on my face and hated the tears in my eyes. But he is the one who makes me me cry the most." 

"Nandini, you also know that Manik loves you a lot. That day whatever happened was wrong. It was not fair for you. But he too didn't have any option. Let him explain his side too." 

Nandini started crying more loudly.

"Manik is waiting for in the backyard. If you think he deserves a chance to keep his points, then go and meet him once. I can't force you nor I'll. Just remember I'm always there for you. You're sister no matter what happens." 

Then Cabir left from there leaving a confused Nandini behind.

Precap: Don't know.

That's all for now. I know you are not liking this track but it's necessary. It will also end soon. So, what do you thing about Manik and Nandini?

Nandini is getting engaged?

Did you miss Pari?

What's Manik hiding?

Will Nandini go to meet Manik?

Will Manik be able to manofy Nandini?

How was little Manan meeting?

Guess what's gonna happen next.

Please do vote and comment.

Bye.

30.03.2022