Written in the stars

Sequel - Part 8

Nandini had to get some files signed from Manik. When she was taking the files back, their hands touched. Manik's hands were very warm. Nandu touched Manik's forehead to make sure.

Nandu : "You seem to be having a high fever. Why did you come to work when you aren't well?"

Manik's thoughts : "How will I see you if i don't come here?"

Manik : "I had to sign those documents today, they were important."

Nandini : "I could have got the files to your house or sent it through someone."

Manik's thoughts : "Maybe I should give it a try. I won't be able to see her all day, but I can check if she can remember anything if she comes home."

Nandini got the medicines and gave it to him. Manik took a little rest at the office and left early that day.

Next day, Manik asked Nandini to come home with a few files in the pretext of still being sick. Nandu came home and the servant who opened the door welcomed her without asking any questions.

Nandu was sitting and waiting for Manik to come. Meanwhile, she was looking around the room. Before her eyes fell on the family photos on one of the walls, Nyonika and Mukti came to talk to her. They were eagerly waiting to meet her, but they couldn't let Nandu know about it. They talked to her for sometime and left when Manik came.

Manik went through the files and signed the documents. He was observing Nandu now and then, but didn't find any signs that showed that Nandu recognized the place. Nandu left after sometime. Nandu didn't remember anything. But she felt that they treated her differently, as though they knew her well. But she didn't think much about it later since they did meet a few times earlier at the hospital.

Days were passing by. Manik was thinking of how to gradually introduce Nandu to her past without putting too much stress on her. Meanwhile, Soha was trying to get closer to Manik in her own crooked ways.

Once when Soha was in Manik's cabin, she pretended to trip and fall down on her way to the door. She pretended as though she was in great pain and couldn't get up. She was expecting Manik to help her, but he was busy in his work.

Soha : "Sir, Can you please help me?"

Manik looked at her. He didn't know she was pretending.

Manik : "Nandini, Can you help Soha?"

Nandu helped Soha till outside the door. From there Soha walked fine on her own. For a while, Nandu was just wondering what just happened. How could a person who was struggling to walk a few minutes back, walk perfectly fine so soon? Nandu figured out Soha was just pretending to be hurt.

Another time, Soha came to work wearing revealing clothes and tried to flaunt her figure in front of Manik to attract him, but it didn't effect him as she had expected. Manik hadn't even bothered to look at her.

Later during the day,Manik found some his employees not concentrating on their work. The male employees were ogling at Soha and talking about how hot she looked. Female employees were disgusted with the way Soha had dressed up and were gossiping about her. Soha  definitely got the attention but not in a way she wanted.

Manik called Soha to his cabin,

Manik : "Miss Soha, you seem to have taken a sudden interest towards modeling. But ours isn't a modeling agency. You are free to quit this job and join one if you are interested in modeling."

Manik : "I want my employees to concentrate on their work and you are distracting them from doing that. If this continues, I will have to fire you. Take the day off. Make sure this doesn't repeat if you want to continue working here."

Soha had to put a stop to this antics of hers, if she didn't want to lose her job.

One day, Manik informed Nandu that he will come to office after meeting the client. Nandini finished her work and didn't know what to do sitting simply. So she was organizing things in the room. Her eyes fell on Manik's photo and she started talking to it.

Nandu : "Why do I feel you are staring at me sometimes? Even when I see your photo now it looks like you are staring at me."

Nandu : "Soha is always trying new antics to gain your attention, but you don't even look at her. She looks pretty hot, if it was anyone else in your place I am sure they would at least lift their head and notice her."

Nandu : "When you don't even look at her, then why will you stare at me?"

She thinks for sometime.

Nandu : "Probably I am just imagining things. May be you were just lost in your thoughts."

Manik was careful so that Nandu doesn't know that he is looking at her. But there were times when he was lost in Manan land, that is when Nandu had noticed him staring in her direction. Nandu couldn't tell anything to him directly, so she was talking to Manik's photo.

Though Manik had informed Nandini that he will be late to work, he came to office since the meeting with the client had got postponed by an hour. How could he stay without seeing Nandu for long?

Manik opened the door of his cabin slowly, he didn't find Nandu at her desk. So he came inside the cabin looking for her, but hid behind a pillar seeing her standing in front of his photo and talking to it. The photo was on the wall, so her back was facing the door. Nandu was so busy conversing with the photo that  she didn't realize Manik was in the room.

Nandu : "Why can't you be more careful? You get hurt so often. Do you know how much it hurts me to see you in pain?"

Nandu : "But why do I feel so? I know you only from a few weeks."

Nandu : "A few days before I saw you at the hospital, my heart began to beat erratically. I was feeling so restless. I didn't even know why? I didn't tell Bhai thinking that he will get scared. It got back to normal after you held my hand on that day."

Nandu : "When you held my hand , i didn't feel like letting it go. I felt as though I have known that touch all along. How can I hold onto your hand in front of Bhai, so I tried to take off my hand from your hold. I didn't even know you then, how can I feel like that. Even you were unconscious, then how and why did you hold my hand?"

Nandu : "What is the connection between us?"

Nandu : "Do I know you from before the accident? But then Bhai would have known you too, but he didn't seem to know you. Or you would have told me if you knew me."

Nandu : "Sometimes I feel you want to tell something but you are holding it back."

Manik was very happy listening to Nandu's words. He left the room as silently as possible. Manik didn't want Nandini to know that he heard her. Nandini turned around feeling his presence, but didn't find anyone. She let it go thinking that she was just imagining things.

Manik left the office and got into his car. His smile was stretching from ear to ear. All these days, he had tried to be very careful thinking that Nandu didn't recognize him and might take it wrong if he ended up doing something by mistake. But now he came to know that though Nandu didn't remember anything, her heart did recognize him. She had sensed that there is a connection between them. He remembered Nandu's words that she said before the accident.

"My heart was then, is now and will always beat only for you as long as I am alive."