NEVER IN A FOREVER (Manan)

50

Nandini

What the heck? What are my parents doing here? Though they didn't have time.

Manik's mobile buzzed at the same time, making me frown. He grabbed his mobile And looked at the message he got.

"It's Abhi, he said your mom dad might be here as they got to know about my hand cut as his tongue slipped" Manik answered my question even before asking.

"That's okay, I expected them to come with our friends but didn't know what made them late, now I think they came late wantedly" I muttered, knowing my mom.

"How did your brother know about my wound in the first place?" Manik frowned.

"Might be Dhruv or Arya" I shrugged. I can't blame them, they got too worried.

"Damn, let's just keep quiet for a while and hope they leave" Manik muttered, caressing my cheek softly.

I know he is worried about me getting a panic attack or something. I shook my head in no.

"I need to know why they are here Manik, I didn't do anything wrong to hide away and even if I did, they gave their rights away to you when they did Kanyadaan" I said.

I can't believe I said that but I can't live like this forever. My parents can't do this to me anymore, I'm married now.

"I'm so proud of you Mrs Manik Malhotra" Manik smiled, kissing my forehead. His eyes said how proud he was. To see Me taking a stand for myself.

"Let's get this done" I muttered as he held my hand before I walked down the stairs with my husband.

Did you ever feel you could achieve anything because you had a person by your side? At this moment I could feel that confidence inside me.

"Wow look who walked down to grace us with their presence" I could feel the sarcasm in my mother's tone. I frowned.

"Mom, dad when did you guys come? Please sit. I'll just get water and some snacks" I said with a smile, ignoring whatever my mom said previously.

"Drop the act Nandini" my mom glared at me. Why me? I sighed.

"What did I do now?" I asked tiredly, I'm too exhausted at this moment with all honesty.

"What did you do? Ask us what you didn't do" my mom raised her voice.

"Okay what I didn't do?" I asked, hoping she'd get pleased and leave soon.

"How dare you talk back huh? Is this how you inherited our values and grew up?" My mom yelled.

"Mom, calm down will you? Why are you shouting coming here all of a sudden, you were the ones who yelled at me in Murthy mansion for no reason and-" I was about to continue when she yelled again.

"For nothing? Is it nothing for you? The pride of murthys and Malhotras? It's nothing? How could you even think that? Ofcourse. What can we expect from a girl who loves a guy who has no status and gets involved in wrong work and then marries someone else?" My mother's voice was filled with venom.

"Shut up, will you? Do you even realise that you are talking about your own daughter? The one to whom you gave birth to?" I yelled back. I really had enough of her bipolar behaviour.

"Lower your voice Nandini, she is your mother. Is this how you talk to her?" My dad glared at me.

"You didn't ask this question when she was accusing me" I muttered.

"She is older than you and she didn't say anything wrong" my dad replied, wrapping his hand around my mom's shoulder.

"I can't believe I loved you guys" I said, feeling broken from inside. I know I never treated my parents in the wrong way, no matter what they did or how they treated me. But just because they are older doesn't give them any right to do this to me. To kill me mentally.

"Can't believe we gave you birth" my mother replied coldly.

"Mom, do you even realise what you are saying? Seriously? I don't even know why you guys came and for what you are creating ruckus here, can't you see he is ill? Is this fight really important?" I asked, feeling anger building up inside me.

"Wow, you really grew up Nandini. In Fact too much that you are yelling at your parents and talking back to them. That you are questioning them" my mother replied.

"You gave me no choice," I replied calmly. I don't know how I'm even holding up at this moment.

"You left us with no choice, Nandini. You did. It was you" my mom replied bitterly.

"Me? Yeah? What did I do?" I asked, frustrated.

"You didn't tell us your husband got hurt and that you took him to the hospital. I didn't even find it until Abhi talked to Mukti on call. You really outdid yourself this time. Snatched my son from me too" mom accused me.

"How about you calm down and hear me? For starters, no I didn't even told this to your son, and no, I didn't even told his own parents that he was hurt until this morning when he was hurt at night, it was my issue to solve, my husband to take care and I would do it when I feel that it is the right time. I can't get them to panic so I didn't tell them. And I didn't tell Abhi too because I know you'd know it anyways and come here to make some drama and see, you are doing it" I said in a single breath, my breaths coming shorter.

Manik was quiet all the time letting me speak and I'm so glad for that.

"Because you are the reason Nandini, I'm sure you are the reason he got injured" I can't believe I crawled out of her womb.

"This is why I didn't want you guys to know, you'd do everything to make me feel that I'm wrong and I'm the fault for everything. Even if dad loses a contract I'd be the reason and I don't know how" I shook my head with a sigh when my mom's palm met with my cheek with a force that I stumbled back.

Manik held me immediately, but the look in my mom's eyes was terror.

She just slapped me.