MaNan SS - A Delicate Love Story✅

10. Better To Stay Away

Part-10

Manik is just waiting for the sun to rise as soon as possible.

"What she wants to talk..?? Is she ready to accept me...?? Ya phir...No Manik...Let's just hope for the best...positive rakha karo..." He thought and looked at the clock which smiled him with 3:00am and rubbed his hair counting the remaining minutes.

The much awaited moment for Manik and most tough time for Nandini because fighting back with emotions is the toughest thing a girl can ever do in her life.

Every time he looked at her,his heart got habituated to skip a beat as if he is seeing her for the first time.But this time,he noticed some sort of sadness,worry in her eyes.After all,he understood every expression of hers even though she didn't utter a word.Those eyes have that power of speaking with him.

"Hi...Good Morning Nandu..." He said excitingly yet eagerly to listen her.

"Good Morning.." She said slowly.

"Umm..you..you wanted to talk right..??" Manik asked her slowly.

"Yeah...I don't know how to start.."She said looking down.

The place where they met is nothing but her college.She came early that day to meet him.

"Nandu...you don't need to worry for anything...plz go ahead...kaho jo kehna hai.."He said convincingly.

"This won't work out.." She said slowly.

"What..?? What did u just say..??" He said in shock.

"Yes..I mean...this love and all is just against my family and its traditions...Amms aur appa ko bahut bura lagega...I can't hurt them.." She said with small pool of tears in her eyes.

"Tum kehna kya chahthi ho..??" He asked while his heart ached.

"I can't see u hurt either...Manik jii plz try to understand...Neither I can hurt my family by breaking their trust nor I can hurt u by building hopes in u..." She said while a lone tear escaped from her left eye.

"So u wanna hurt urself..??" He asked in disbelief.

"My happiness lies in my family...I can't break their trust...aaj pehli baar mein ne jhoot bola to meet u...I don't want this...plz understand...and mein aise aap ke mann mein hope nahi dhena chahthi..." She said slowly.

"Nandu...what are trying to say..?? I can't understand.." He asked not knowing what to do.
"Manik jii...my family won't accept this relation...and I can't even say a word about u in front of them...they will blame themselves that they hadn't brought me up in a right way...So plz..." She stopped in middle wiping her tears.

"What do u want me to do..?? Shall I speak to ur family..??" He asked with hope filled eyes.

"No...plz...Manik jii...mein aap ko kaise samjhaooo...I'm sorry to say this...plz..plz stay away..." She said slowly bending her head and wiping her tears.

"Nandu...U can't conclude like this...plz..let's figure out something...aise give up nahi karthe..." He said to convince her but of no use.She turned to leave.

"Tum aise nahi jaa sakthi..Nandu..plz.." He pleaded.

"U deserve a better girl...not a confused soul like me..." She said while he faced her back.

"Who are u to decide that..??" He asked out of frustration.

"Bye Manik jii...I wish u all success in ur life...Take care..." She said and left the place leaving behind a devastated Manik.

"I can't let u go Nandini...and I won't let  u hurt urself...But kya karooo...??" Manik thought when he saw her leaving him.

"Nandini..tum jo bhi kar rahi ho,uski balayi ke liye kar rahi ho...It's better to stop everything when it is in bud stage...aur zyada hurt karne se better aise dhoor hona...don't cry..." She pacified herself while sitting in the empty class.

When her 3 friends arrived,she explained what she has done.Navya is happy but not Mukthi and Aliya.

Nav-Nandu...tum ne sahi kiya..because hum sab se zyada apne family ke baare mein tum hi jaanthi ho...and U shouldn't play with someone's feelings...It's better to end up rather than hurting even more.

...

Nyo-Manik...are u ok beta..??

Nyonika asked Manik who was not eating anything at dinner and was lost some where.

Ma-Haa Mom..I'm fine...

Raj-U look so stressed beta...koi pareshaani hai..??

He asked being concerned.

Ma-No Dad...nothing..mujhe bhook nahi hai..

He said and left to his room skipping his dinner.

Raj-Isko kya ho gaya..??

Nyo-Patha nahi Raj...Subah tak theek tha...

They discussed about him for a while and Raj told her about the changes he observed in Manik at work.

Nyo-kuch toh baath hai...

Raj-hmm..U don't worry...Call Cabir...thodi dher uss se baath karega toh theek ho jayega...

Nyo-yeah u r right...Cabir only can handle him and he know him better than us...

She said and called Cabir.

55th position in short story...
Thank you so much guys...
Happy tears...

So now I think,I can expect some 50+ votes and inline comments too...