NEVER IN A FOREVER (Manan)

45

Nandini

“Aryaaa” I squealed as I jumped into my friend’s arms. He laughed and twirled me, catching me in his arms at the right time.

“I miss you” I pouted like a baby as he put me down on the ground.

“I missed you more kiddo” he patted my head as I took a step back with annoyance. My hair.

“Aye, I’m not a kid anymore, I’m married if you don’t know” I said, pointing my index finger at him playfully.

“You married when I was not here” Aryaman huffed.

“No you left when I was getting married” I argued.

“Sorry, come here” he opened his arms and I was about to walk to him when a hand clasped around my wrist and pulled me back with force that almost made me lose my balance and I gasped.

I thought I’d fall when an arm was wrapped around my waist, not letting me fall. No, not fictional. It was more a kind of embarrassing fall as I would have fallen backwards.

“What the-?” Aryaman stood speechless and I can’t blame him, I was in the same position as well.

“Manik” I shrieked as I balanced myself.

“What are you doing?” I glared at him as Aryaman sighed and sat on his seat, gesturing us to sit too.

“That’s my question to ask, what do you think you are doing?” He almost yelled, making me flinch.

“Excuse me?” Aryaman frowned at his tone.

“Don’t come in between when I’m talking to my wife” Manik warned Aryaman, pointing a finger at him making my eyes go wide.

“What the hell? Manik, calm down” I tried to contain my anger. What the hell is he even trying to do?

“I know that she is your wife,” Aryaman said, amused even though I could see he didn’t like the way Manik was trying to handle me.

“Yet you are hugging her right in front of me?” Manik’s glare intensified.

He looked like the guy on our marriage day who was beating the shit out of Madhyam. It feels like it has been a decade since we got married.

“Chill dude, what’s wrong with that?” Aryaman asked, interlinking his fingers of his hands as he rested them on the mahogany desk.

Damn, Manik is getting possessive here. Manik took a step forward raising his hand and I was in front of him the next second.

“Move Nandini, I don’t want to hurt you” He said, taking a deep breath.

“Manik, hear me out at least” I said when he pinched the bridge on his nose.

“He is my brother,” I yelled angrily. This guy is sometimes ridiculous.

His head snapped towards me in a split second that gave me a whiplash.

“Quiet and sit” I warned him. God please give me some patience, I don’t want to hurt him.

He looked at me for a moment with a thunderous look that made me doubt he’d hurt Aryaman but he obeyed me.

I sighed. I suddenly have an urge to cry but I can’t.

I sat beside him and gave an apologetic look to Aryaman.

“Sorry for that, he accidentally cut himself with a glass item and it was pretty deep, I want to know if it needs stitches or any treatment” I said calmly.

“You know that I’m a psychologist right?” Aryaman chuckled.

“I also know that you know the basics and that you are a general physician and you do know that I don’t trust anyone other than you when it comes to this stuff” I retorted.

“Ofcourse, forward your hand” Aryaman muttered and Manik showed his palm.

Aryaman tore off the bandage that I wrapped this morning and examined it and hissed.

“This looks really painful,” he muttered. There were few blood stains, the two inch cut was now actually looking better than yesterday.

“Did he lose his blood too much?” Aryaman asked.

“He did,” I replied.

“This looks like it needs stitches, we better do it before it get infected, you cleaned the wound right?” Aryaman asked.

“I did,” I answered.

"Shall we go to the ward?” He asked, shifting his eyes between me and Manik.

“Can we get it done here, god knows if we find some paparazzi, it’d be hell of a news” I scrunch my face.

“Sure, give me a few minutes” He said and grabbed the landline that was there and called his assistant.

An hour passed. The stitches were done after Manik was given anaesthesia to numb the pain. After cleaning the wound again and bandaging it neatly, Aryaman prescribed some medicines and instructed me about his diet.

It would heal in a week or two if given proper care. I was listening to him carefully while Manik wouldn’t stop tugging my hand under the table.

I clutched his hand in mine to calm him when he removed my hand and started playing with my dupatta while keeping a cold face.

I ended up pushing him out of the cabin after getting irritated and asked him to give me a few minutes.

“Are you sure he is taking good care of you?” Aryaman asked quietly.

“Why would you ask that?” I frowned.

“The way he was handling you today..” Aryaman trailed off.

“He takes care of me like a baby Arya, he really does. Even before marriage, he was patient with me when I was throwing fits that I didn’t want to marry him. He handled Madhyam, mom and dad, he explained things to Abhi, even if it was just three days that we got married, he changed me and changed me for good” I said, a smile automatically forming on my face.

“Then what about the way he was behaving?” Aryaman asked stubbornly.

“He had a bad morning because of that wound, he had work and I wasn’t letting him do any, so he is just pissed” I lied.

“He didn’t hurt you right?” Aryaman asked and I shook my head.

“After Madhyam, I thought I can’t trust anyone, but I think I’m starting to trust Manik. I don’t know if it is a good thing or a bad one” I muttered.

“If he is being your anchor and taking care of you, it’s ofcourse a good thing. You said you even want therapy” Aryaman frowned.

“No, not now, he is not in a good mood and I don’t want to annoy him anymore, Maa said he gets cranky when he is wounded, so I better go and make sure he rests” I smiled and hugged Aryaman for the last time.