Manan:Hamesha. Forever.

17

Manik walked inside. He saw Chachi was beaming with joy while Rishabh's eyes were twinkling. Nandini was dancing in happiness while the guy was laughing. Confused Manik placed his hand on the guy's shoulder. As soon as he turned around Manik gasped.

Manik: Abhimanyu! What a surprise!

Both of them hugged each other.

Manik: yaar btaya nahi tumne you are coming. Main aur Nandini pick karne aa jate na!

Abhimanyu: usse toh surprise kehte hai Mr. Malhotra!

Both of them laughed. Chachi came forward and hugged Abhimanyu shedding a few tears.

Chachi: ab ki baari na main tujhe jaane hi nahi dungi. Pata hai jaan sukh jaati hai meri tere bina phir bhi tujhe apna yeh business karna hai. Main Murthy ji se ladungi woh Chahe toh chale jaaye videsh business sambhal ne lekin main ab tujhe nahi jaane dungi.

Nandini too joined the hug.

Nandini: haan abhi ab main bhi nahi jaane dungi. Yaar yeh kya baat hui. Business business. Family kuch nahi hai kya.

Abhimanyu: Oho my lovely ladies! Rona bandh karo. What if iss baar main khud kahi na jao?! Toh?

Nandini: SACCHIIIIII!!!

Abhimanyu: ahan!!!

Nandini: yippeeeeeee.

Nandini started jumping around the house. Everyone laughed seeing her. Manik admired how she became a child when it came to her family.

Chachi: accha chalo tum log baat kro main kuch accha banati hoon tum sab ke liye. Aur na main jaldi jaldi dinner bhi bana lungi Taaki phir baith ke aaram se Abhi ke saath gappe maarungi.

Everyone had a horrified face listening to Chachi saying "kuch accha banati hoon"

Chachi: fikr mat karo koi experiment nahi karungi.

All sighed in relief.

Then Chachi walked off to the kitchen. Suddenly Manik and Nandini had an eye contact and the air around them turned awkward. Nandini simply ignored him and walked upstairs to her room while Manik kept looking at her. He then looked at Abhimanyu and Rishabh who were smirking seeing him.

Manik nervously smiled. Abhimanyu gestured him to go upstairs.

Manik: ni its okay.....main baad main baat kar lunga...

Abhimanyu: maine kab kaha uske paas jao......main toh keh raha tha ki we should go up in Rishabh's room and spend some boys time together....

Abhmanyu and Rishabh smirked while Manik nervously rubbed his back neck and forced a smile. Rishabh held Manik's hand and started pulling him upstairs. He pushed Manik towards Nandini's door while both the brothers walked away to the other room planning to spend some bro time together.

Manik nervously fidgeted with the door nob. Finally mustering up some courage he took a deep breathe and pushed the door ajar to witness the most heart breaking sight. Nandini was sitting near the window sobbing. He didn't know where to began from.

For him Nandini was his world. His everything revolved only and only around her. Seeing hatred and disgust, in her eyes that too for him, was something he couldn't bear. He silently walked towards Nandini and knelt down beside her. He slowly raised his hands in an attempt to wipe off the tears. His hands shivered. He was scared to touch her. What if he would hurt her again? He was the one who promised her two days back that he wouldn't let her cry and here she was sobbing because of him.

He placed his shivering hands on her cheeks and wiped the tears.

Manik: Daant lo, maar lo, chilla lo, lekin please ignore mat karo. Tumhari ignorance mujhse bardasht ni hoti. I feel all left out and thrown back to darkness just like how I was years back all alone and surrounded by darkness.