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Chapter 34- The Secret Admirer

"So what's up?" Siddharth asked. "When did you know me?" she asked him. "I knew you would ask this" he said. "Aunty sent your photo the same day you went to shopping with her, you went to buy a saree na?" he asked her. "Saree?" she elaborated. "Black saree right? Ab toh mil gayi hai na wo" he asked her. "Yes" Nandini said but thought about something but did not utter a word and he shook her. "Coffee?" he asked and without a second thought she said "yes". He is quite surprised. "In 15 minutes" she told and he replied, "great, I'll wait for you in cafeteria". Navya is suspicious about him and wanted to know if he is the one who sent her that gift. Siddharth went to Manik's cabin but he isn't there. He wanted to inform Manik about Nandini and searched him. "Tum abhi tak yahi ho?" Manik asked Siddharth. "Yes, I was searching for you, you know what just had happened! Nandini said yes for a coffee" he said excited and the next thing Manik eyed is his bracelet on Siddharth's hand. "This!" he pointed at the bracelet. "This one I found in your things, why aren't you using it, if you are not, then give it to me" he said he liked it. "Sorry Siddharth but you aren't supposed to wear this, can you please give it back" Manik controlled his temper.

"But why? Didn't you like it? Why I'm I not supposed to wear it?" he asked adding fire to the fuel. "Because that's a secret, I will tell you later" Manik couldn't hold it any longer and he might burst out anytime. "Ok, take it" he returned back and Manik quickly went away from there. Nandini waited for Siddharth at cafeteria and Aryaman came there. "Why are you sitting here alone?" he asked. "Aryaman, I saw him, the one who wore the bracelet I gave" she said and told about Siddharth. "Quite surprising" Aryaman said. "Aryaman, he is coming, you go, I will manage" she said. He left from there and Siddharth came. "Hi" he wished her. "Were you waiting for me?" he asked. "Of course" she said.

"Where is your bracelet?" she asked him not finding it. "I'm not supposed to wear it Nandini" he said and Nandini is suspicious. "Why?" she asked him. "Its a secret" he told. He asked about her future plans and said about his. She said she had some work and took his leave. "Nandini, do you have anything to say about us?" he asked. Nandini didn't know what to say, "I need some time" she said and he came closer. "Thank you, atleast you didn't reject me" he said and left from there. She remembered how Manik reacted when he was rejected.

Nandini, Aryaman and Cabir went to Manik. "Sir, we need to take an off today" Aryaman said. "I understand you all, being with your friend is important but I can't send all the three of you, Cabir its important to stay with Navya's father more than being with her. Aryaman and Nandini, only one of you can go" Manik advised them. "Nandini, Navya might need you, you should go" Aryaman said. "Ok but shift hone ke baad tum bhi aa jao" she said. "Aryaman, if you want you can go and drop her, but come fast" he said and Aryaman dropped her at Navya's place. "You go, I might get late to hospital but remember don't cry in front of Navya, she might fall weak" he said to her and Nandini went in. She saw few people in front of the house and went inside. Navya sat in a corner and cried silently. Nandini went and sat beside her.

"Navya, please speak something" Navya saw Nandini but didn't react. She just sat there as a rock with no movement at all. Nandini tried to talk but she did not respond. "Navya I know how it feels when you lose your mother, but please don't be hard on yourself, cry out Navya don't let that pain kill you. Cry aloud and you will feel better" Nandini said but of no use as Navya didn't respond. Nandini feels saddened seeing Navya almost lifeless. "Just think about your father, uska kya hoga if you just sit here like this" Nandini shouted unable to see Navya like that. This triggered Navya and saw Nandini. She went inside and locked the door. Nandini wondered and constantly knocked the door. Few minutes later, Navya came out and appeared ready to go out.

"Navya, tum kaha jaa rahi ho?" Nandini asked. Navya took her bag and stethoscope and Nandini understood that she is going to hospital. Nandini also took her bag and tried to stop Navya but in vain. Navya did not stop when others asked to her stop and left in an auto without waiting for Nandini. "Nandini, please beta tum hospital jao, I don't know what Navya is upto" Navya's aunt told. Nandini blamed herself as Navya went to hospital. After few minutes, Cabir saw Navya at the hospital. He called Nandini. "I'm sorry Cabir, I shouted on Navya that she can't sit idle and I reminded about her father" Nandini said with tears. "Ok you come here soon" he said and cut the call. Cabir tried to stop Navya entering ICU but couldn't. He called Manik for help.

"Navya, I asked you to be away from your father, please be outside and I assure you, your father will be recovered as soon as possible" Manik tried to explain her. "My mom died in front of my eyes and I can't let go off my dad like this, I beg you sir, please let me in" she pleaded and fell at his feet. Manik couldn't see Navya like that and made her stand. "Ok, you be here but remember Cabir will also be here, I can't take risk with your father Navya, in fact having two doctors is much safer" he said and Navya thanked him. Nandini came there but Aryaman stopped her seeing her in tears. "Nandini, please stop crying, Cabir ne mujhe bataya and stop blaming yourself, Navya is traumatized and don't think that she came here just because you said. Let's give her some time, she will understand us, she will come and share everything with us. I promise you, we will together get our old Navya back" Aryaman hugged Nandini as she cried like a baby.

Abhimanyu came to meet Mukti. "Ruhi, you are too bad, you used to talk with me, but then when your sister came, you have completely forgotten me" he complained on Ruhi who sat beside Mukti. "Sorry bhaiyya, Mukti akeli thi na, isliye main iske paas baith gayi" she said so that he doesn't get offended. "Mukti?" he asked Ruhi. "Ha, she asked me to call her just Mukti" Ruhi said. "How are you feeling now Mukti?" Abhi asked her. "Relaxed" Mukti summed up all her feelings in one word and Abhimanyu chuckled seeing her expression. "How is playing with Ruhi?" he asked her. "Ye tho chota packet, bada dhamaka, she plays so well and you know when she is about to get defeated she changes the rules, definitely my mini version. That's why I asked her to call me just Mukti and not di" Mukti said cheerfully. "Happy to see you like this Mukti, your dream had finally come true, dream of having a normal family" he said. "I never imagined that I will ever have one Abhimanyu" she said. "Forget everything Mukti, you got your happiness back" he said. "I want to live again Abhimanyu, once again. I want to play with dad and when he is angry mom will take care of me. I would never have to wait for dad to come back from work, mom will feed me. Sundays we would go to a movie or a restaurant and when I knew I'm going to have a sibling, I would take care of mom and will never Ruhi after she is born. She would never go for a boarding school. When mom and dad are busy I would take care of Ruhi and I will always have her by my side" Mukti said. "Relax Mukti" he said. "But I'm happy now" she said to him.

Manik and Siddharth goes back home. Manik wanted to ask what happened between Nandini and Siddharth but kept mum. "Manik, wo bracelet ki kahani kya hai? Why is everyone obsessed with it?" Siddharth asked breaking the silence. "Kuch nahi hai, that's not mine. So I asked you not to wear it. By the way who is obsessed with it?" Manik asked. "Oh may be that's the reason why Nandini asked me about it" Siddharth said to him. "Nandini asked about it! What did she ask?" Manik is curious to know. "Yeah, when she saw me for first time, she might have noticed that bracelet and next time when she didn't see it, she asked about it" Manik understood that Nandini mistook that the secret admirer is Siddharth. They went home and Nyonika said she is happy for Nandini and Siddharth. Manik didn't understood anything and asked Nyonika about it. "Nandini said she needs some time Manik, atleast wo na tho nahi kaha na" Nyonika said Manik. Frustated, Manik went to his room.

Raman saw Navya and Cabir in ICU ward. "Navya, tum yaha kya kar rahi ho?" he asked her and she kept mum. "I'm asking you Navya, didn't I tell you not to be on duty. You are not on duty that's the only reason your mother's suicide case is dismissed so easily. Please do not work here" he warned Navya. "I didn't give the CCTV footage to police because I don't want hospital reputation to be lost". Cabir is shocked to hear that Navya's mom committed suicide.

"Navya, kal raat aise kya hua ki wo suicide kiya? What happened last night?" Cabir demanded an explanation. She did not speak. "Aise chup rehne se kuch nahi hone wala hai, tell me everything Navya, we're friends" he asked her. "Why do you hate your own parents? Why they are apologizing you? And why aunty and uncle adopted you?" he asked her. "They did not adopt me Cabir, they are my in-laws" she said and he can't believe what he heard.

"Do you mean you're married?" Cabir asked. "Yes" Navya replied.