MaNan: Trust?

30

Cabir came to Nandini's room as she was lying on her bed staring at the ceiling. He sat beside her and kept his hand on her head.

"Headache?", He asked.

"Hmm."

"Stop lying Nanz."

"I'm not lying.", She said in a hoarse voice.

"You were crying."

"I wasn't."

"You had seen him at the mall didn't you?"

"No."

"That's why you were so disoriented after coming back."

"Leave me alone."

"I can't."

"Cabir please."

"You want him back in your life?"

Nandini looked at him with teary eyes.

"He has a kid."

"He might be a single father. The baby could be a mistake. Did you see the baby's mother with him in the party?"

"I don't want to keep any hopes Cabir."

"You want to give up without trying?"

"Cabir... Can we talk about it some other time? I want to sleep for now."

"Okay.. don't think about it too much. Sleep for a while.", He patted her head twice and got up from her bed.

She turned to the other side as tears soaked her already wet pillow.

As she heard the door being shut, she got up from the bed and took her mobile. Dialling a number, she put it to her ear waiting for the other person to pick up.

"How was the party baby? Was Mukti happy with her in-laws?"

"Mamma!", She whispered.

"Nandu? What happened baby? Are you crying?"

"Mamma... I saw him today."

"What are you saying baby? Whom did you see? Tell me clearly."

"Manik!"

There was silence for a few moments.

"Mamma say something.", Nandini said desperately.

"Don't bother him this time Nandu. You have damaged his life enough."

"Mamma?"

"The look on his face when he got to know you had left, It scares me till date."

"He had come to look for me?"

"20 days after you had left, he had come to see if you were fine. You hadn't come to college and also to the Khurana's office. He was worried."

"Why didn't you tell me Mamma?"

"He asked me not to. I couldn't deny after looking at him. He was not angry, there was no hatred, he just looked... Defeated. He was hurt. Don't hurt him more please. Let him live his life Nandu."

Nandini immediately cut the call and cried while hiding her face in the pillow.

She already knew she had lost him forever. But now she realised she didn't deserve him too.

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

"Papa... When are we going to meet Pali Di?"

Manik looked down from the laptop screen and smiled at her.