MaNan : Aching Smiles|| COMPLETED

11. Showdown!

Congratulations everybody, we are #76 in fanfiction.
And yes, the promo for kyys3 is out. Both of them are looking so adorable, I can't stop gushing over both of them 💗💗💗
A warning: a bit sad upadte, but was the necessity. And please read the information and grasp it. Maybe you could help somebody in need. Leave your views in the comments too!

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~ It's not always what you see, it's sometimes much deeper than on the surface~

Manik entered the house, his face bewildered and unshed tears shining in his eyes. Everything had came rushing back to him, and it felt like hundreds of knives twisting in the gut. The pain was getting more unbearable for him every second and he almost ran to the stairs when his mother's voice stopped him.

"Manik?", Pakhi was amazed to see Manik home early.

Manik turned, trying his best to hide his eyes from his mother. He wanted to hide it from her yet again, like he had done for the last few years.

" Where is Nandini? She told me she was going to your office?", Nandini's name fueled the anger that was overpowering him again, more so now when she didn't have an explanation to her actions.

Manik had been away from her all these years, but there was a very tiny part in his heart that told him that she would give her a reason for everything, that Nandini could never hurt her Manik that way, that Nandini would never leave him for Barkha like his father did. Today, Nandini had mercilessly murdered the hope in his heart, and it only did nothing other than increasing the agitation that ran through his blood at the given moment.

"I don't know", Manik tried to dodge and not react, balling his fists tightly, trying hard to not show the anger on his face.

" What do you mean by that Manik? She is our responsibility here, and she went to your offer. You sho-", Pakhi felt he was acting irresponsible and she thought it was his ego when Manik cut her off, gritting his teeth.

" She is not my bloody responsibility Maa, She is no one to me" , Manik huffed at the declaration, bringing tears in Pakhi's eyes. It was the first time that her son had raised his voice in front of her, and cursed too.

This was one thing that she had tirelessly taught him again, and again. To not curse in front of anyone. She hated that in men, especially in Manik's father and she always thought she did a good job at raising her only son, until today.

"Manik?", Her voice was low, she never thought Manik would curse in front of her. But Manik was too over he board at the moment to realize the blunders he was making.

"I fucking don't care Maa. I don't care where she is. I don't care if she lives or even die-", Manik was cut off by a slap that landed on his left cheek, his entire body swayed to the left under it's impact.

Outside, on the door, Nandini and Shiwali had frozen at their places, witnessing Pakhi slapping Manik that way, while inside, tears rolled down Pakhi's cheeks as shame covered her eyes, of not giving a good upbringing to Manik.

Manik, on the other hand, stood still, his left hand covering her cheek, and a blankness slowly overpowering her senses.

Shiwali reacted first, gasping aloud as she ran towards Manik. Nandini came back to her senses seeing Shiwali run and she too came inside, but Shiwali had ran to hold Manik and Nandini came and held Pakhi who had started sobbing by then.

"I am sorry Nandini. I am really sorry. I didn't know I had raised his son and not mine. I didn't know he would disrespect you like that. I am ashamed to be his mother, I really am", Pakhi joined her hands as she faced Nandini who immediately held them, shaking her head in a no, and tears simultaneously running down her orbs too.