What Manik Wants!

14. You Need Me Nandini!

I opened my eyes the moment sunrays disturbed my slumber, for the first time I hid myself in the pillow and spoke "No Nandu, Don't leave me please! See I Love You" but THUD! I fell off the couch, I had actually forgotten that I was sleeping on a couch and not on my bed so I unknowingly rolled which lead to this and secondly I was deeply engrossed in my dreams! Arghh! Why does this happen with me always but before this 'cursing my life' session I bobbed my head a little up to check on Nandini and thankfully she was still asleep. I did not disturb her and walked past her in the washroom but a packet of tablets caught my eye. I grabbed them from the table besides her and figured out the name. Sertraline? What's that for? The packet had one tablet missing which clearly indicated that she must've taken one. I immediately rushed to the couch and surfed the net regarding the medicine . The results blowed me off! These were antidepressants! But.....But why would she have these? I went and sat next to her staring at her face! No...As much as I remember she never took any such pills then why now? No! It's nothing,nothing. I hid the pills with myself as I saw her waking up and rushed to freshen up.

Cabir had called for breakfast and then probably we would have dance rehearsals for the Sangeet ceremony. I was having some Jam Bread when I saw her a little disturbed! She was too much involved in her phone which did not took me a minute to understand whom she must be busy with. Aryaman!! I was pretty sure he only must've done something and spoiled her mood. Otherwise she was one bubbly girl. She didn't even care to fill her stomach. I breathe a sigh and gulped down the pool of anger which was almost going to burst out and walked away to the room where the rehearsals were about to take place. My eyes were stuck on her actions. She stood in the room lifeless! "Guys I want to introduce you'll to someone!" Cabir spoke gaining my attention and I saw him with that guy from last night. "This is Amar! Our choreographer for the Sangeet ceremony!" I turned my head around biting my lip. Why it had to be him? This guy leaves no chance of annoying me and he thinks I'll learn dancing from him? Joke of the century! Never in my dreams I'll let him train me. "So it's Cabir's and Navya's wedding which should be grand right? I have a plan to make it a hit one! We shall first have a couple of solo performances and then couple dances! Let's start with couples first and then I'll figure out who is capable of solo performances. Cool?" Everyone hooted as an answer to his lecture. Duh! "I am not dancing!" I yelled and Amar came to me. "But you're the groom's best friend right? I guess a performance from your side will make him happy" I held his collar and was about to press his neck. "Listen you! You don't need to tell me what makes my friend happy get it?" He gulped down the saliva in his mouth and rushed back to continue with his work. I sat in one of the corners staring at her movements. "Fine so here we go! Abhimanyu and Mukti, Cabir and Navya, Alya and Dhruv and Me and Nandini" I gritted my teeth in anger! I should've understood his plans. Sirf usse chipakta hai! Fevicol kahin ka! And the steps he is teaching! He almost circled his arms around her waist but I did not let him do that. I pushed his chest and stood behind Nandini! "I'll dance with her" He was now confused about me dancing or not and Nandini was stunned. He shrugged his shoulders and went ahead teaching the steps. I circled my arms around Nandini's waist and pulled her backwards. She hit my chest, my touches still had that effect on her, I could feel her shivering in my arms! I dig my face in her neck as she gave me access but suddenly she pushed me off and ran out. Everyone else could feel something weird but I gave them the excuse that she wasn't feeling well!

"Nandini" I called her as I noticed her standing in front of the ocean crying her heart out. "Manik go away! Tum chale Kyu nahi jaate? Kyu aaye ho meri life mein wapas? Why don't you let me be in peace? Kya do saal pehle jo tumne kiya wasn't that enough to break me down?" Tears rolled down from my eyes on hearing her harsh words but I couldn't let her cry. "Nandu please don't cry" I wiped her tears and and cupped her delicate face in my hands moving her tresses behind her ear. She struggled to restrain from my touch."Kyu bhaag rahi ho? I know you still feel the same for me! Aaj jab maine tumhare saath dance kiya you almost got carried away with me! Tumhe bi Humara dance yaad aaya the way I remembered damn it! For god sake stop running from me Nandini!" She freed herself from my grip and screamed "Main tumse nahi bhaag rahi kyuki main already tumse bohot door jaa chuki hun Manik and I don't love you samjhe tum?" I ran and held her waist in my hands wrapping her with myself. "Tum kahin nahi gayi ho! You still love me aur agar aisa nahi hota toh aaj jab main Tumhare saath dance karne aaya tumne kuch bi nahi Kaha! Aur woh Amar, you knew he was trying to stick around isiliye,isiliye you calmed down when I saved you" Her expressions changed into a disgusting look "What? Stick around? Manik he was not sticking to me" I clutched her arms and replied "He was, I saw him whispering something in your ears and when I try to come close to you, you push me away" She caught my hand and jerked it away "Manik Tum pagal ho gaye ho! He was not sticking to me woh mujhse isiliye baat kar raha tha because he likes Mukti, he wanted to know about her isiliye woh mujhse uske baare mein puch raha tha and about you! Chod do! It's better you stay away from me otherwise" I was wrong about that guy but about Aryaman? "Warna kya? Aryaman will hit me? Tumhara boyfriend! I am not scared of him! Infact I've been waiting for him so that I can show him what it takes to trouble you! I know he has been troubling you since morning isiliye tumne breakfast bi nahi kiya!" She sighed and took a further step to leave giving up on me "Manik you won't get it" For once I thought I again misunderstood her but no! I had seen her upset in the morning how could I be wrong? My chain of thoughts broke when I heard a sound. I looked up to find Nandini falling down! She was about to hit the ground but I saved her in my arms. She had fainted but I still had that hope of waking her up. I patted her cheeks slightly "Nandini, Nandini". When she did not respond I scooped her and took her to our room shouting for others on the way.

I placed her on the bed gently still in my panicked mode! "Nandini utho! Please wake up" I begged her when the others barged in. "Kya hua Nandini ko?" Navya questioned in her tensed voice. "I..I don't know she was talking to me and then bas she fell" Navya searched for something like a maniac. She looked around for it in the whole room and then in her luggage but still couldn't find it. "Navya kya dhund rahi ho?" Cabir asked her and she replied panting "Manik tumne Nandini ki koi tablets dekhi hai?" I then remembered and pulled them out of my pocket "Yeh hai woh?" I showed her and she grabbed them from me. "Haan yehi aur ek baat batao! Nandini ke behosh hone ke pehle tumhari usse kuch baat hui thi?" I was shocked at first because I couldn't reveal what we spoke but then it was necessary "Uh...Haan Hui thi" She feared of something when she again asked me "Kis baare mein Manik?" I narrated the whole story to her of what we spoke and she bursted on me "Manik isiliye, isiliye Nandini behosh hui hai! She...She" My inner turmoil was killing me to listen what was the reason behind all of this! "She what Navya?" I yelled and Navya finally answered in a go "She is suffering from depression since you've left her and she is on pills! Whenever there is some tiff between you both she has these! Aur is baar usse mili nahi hongi because you had them!" I stepped back unbalancing myself after hearing those words from Navya! "Manik sambhal" Cabir held me and Navya consoled "Usse yeh tablets khila dena she'll be fine then" I shook my saddened face as all of them left and I fed Nandini her pills carefully. After settling her on the bed I lied down beside her hiding my face in her tummy. "Nandini Why? Why are you hurting yourself so much?" I was now in tears already as I held her hand tightly. "Ek baar bi tumne mujh par vishwas nahi kiya? Itna bi vishwas nahi kiya ke mujhe bata sako tum kis se guzar rahi ho? Ek baar mere paas aa jaati aur mujhe keh deti Nandini! I would've died in your arms happily! I would've been there for you always. Akele hi itna kuch sehti rahi? Even if for once you would've thought of telling me I would've healed you baby! Kyu karti rahi apne saath aisa? And main, main toh is duniya ka sabse bura insaan hun! Meri wajahse tum yeh sab seh rahi ho aur main? I am sitting here all fine all okay? Wake up Nandu and hit me for all that I did but please don't hurt yourself. I won't let you hurt yourself! I won't" Each time I saw her innocent eyes and small face I felt like killing myself a thousand times. Why did I do this to her? Just then her phone beeped and I picked it from the side table. "Hope you had your pills! ☺" Aryaman's message flashed and that's when I realised that he wasn't troubling her rather taking care of her. He was the perfect man for her but I promise that I'll hold on to you forever. I'll hold on for our love! I have to make you okay! You need to get well Nandini aur main Tumhe thik karunga! You fear of me right? Me leaving you? Issi cheez se tumhe darr lagta hai na? You need to overcome these fears and I'll make you do this, in my way now! You need me Nandini! You do! as much as I do! I kissed her forehead and covered her with the blanket lying besides her only. That was my first step towards her recovery!

Sorry Sorry Sorry! I am late I know but I wanted to tell you'll that now my college will re open soon and hence forth I won't be able to give that regular updates! You'll need to co-operate with me! ❤💋 I hope you'll liked the chapter.