Reunion?

Part 9

Flashback within flashback

Everything was going fine in Manik and Nandini's life till she received a call from her Amms (Nandini's grandmother). Nandini rushed to her hometown.

Nandini's chacha had suffered a heart attack. He was advised to reduce stress and take bedrest for sometime.

Nandini : "What happened suddenly, Amms? He was fine all these days, right?"

Amms : "He had been working a lot without caring for his health. He had his first heart attack."

Nandini : "Why was he stressing himself so much?"

Amms : "Your chacha had promised your dad that he would fulfill your dad's dreams. He was working overtime to earn more money so that he can bear the expenses for your studies now and also in the future."

Nandini was sitting in her room and thinking. She was feeling guilty. Her chacha was working hard to fulfill her dad's dreams. She on the other hand was little distracted from her studies and she was enjoying life.

After Manik and Nandini realized their feelings for each other, they used to spend more time together after college. She was a little distracted from her studies. She was still a good student, but her grades had dropped a little.

Nandini couldn't afford to lose her scholarship, losing it meant more pressure on her chacha. She had to concentrate on her studies. She also decided to work part time  so that her chacha didn't have to bear the burden alone. Nandini started thinking as to how her decision would impact her relationship with Manik.

She remembered about Navya and Mukti who suffered because they fell in love. In Navya's case, they knew how Harshad was all along. In Mukti's case, Abhimanyu seemed to be a gentleman, but he too left Mukti. It took quite sometime to get Navya's and Mukti's life back on track. Love stories had happy endings only in books and movies. The real love stories she had seen didn't seem to have happy endings.

Flashback within flashback ends...

Arya interrupted : "So, you thought that he would ditch you, and you would end up in a similar situation like your friends?"

Nandini : "No, he isn't like that."

Arya : "You decided to concentrate on your studies and fulfill your family's dreams. Is that the reason you broke up with him? He would have supported your decision if you would have shared it with him."

Nandini : "Family's dream was one of the reasons. I know that he would have supported me, but what about him. I would have got busy with my studies and job. I wouldn't have been able to spare time for him."

Nandini : "Manik is born with a silver spoon. He has a perfect life without any hardships. He is so wealthy that he can have people at his beck and call. When that is the case, how could I make him wait for me? I felt it wasn't right on my part to do so. He was even ready to give up his life for me, but I didn't have anything to give him."

Nandini : "I fell for him without thinking about the reality. I forgot that my life and dreams are indebted to my family. I lost my parents when I was little. After my parents passed away, my Chacha and Chachi took care of me. They didn't even think of having a kid of their own because they didn't want their love or care for me to reduce. They expected only one thing from me, that is that I would fulfill my dad's dreams. There was no way I could back out from that."

Nandini : "I myself wasn't sure of how long it would take to achieve their dreams and where this journey would lead me to. I am used to hardships, but why should Manik suffer because of me. I wouldn't have been able to concentrate on my goals knowing that I am making him wait for me. Even after all that I didn't know what our future holds for us."

Nandini : "There is lot of difference between our status. What if his family doesn't accept me? Manik would be forced to choose between me and them. Having lost my parents, how can I let him choose me over them. If he chose them, then what about me?"

Nandini : "We were in a relationship for a few months. I decided to put an end to it in the earlier stage instead of letting it grow roots and then breaking our relationship apart. I didn't even tell him the reason."

Arya : "Did you really love him? How could you breakup with him without giving him a reason?"

Nandini : "I did, I still do. I would have been happy to continue our relationship, but how  would he be happy with me when I didn't have anything to give him? He wouldn't have distanced himself from me if I would have told him the real reason, and I couldn't get myself to lie to him. I didn't want him to be stuck in life because of me. I wanted him to move on and be happy."

Nandini : "He would hate me for breaking up like that, but I felt that it would help him move on more easily. Manik has all the qualities a girl would look for in a partner. He would have found someone much better than me, someone who can be with him by his side and shower him with all the love he deserves. I wasn't in a position to do that."

Arya : "What if he hasn't moved on? What if he is still waiting for you?"

Nandini : "Why would he wait for me? I didn't give him a reason to wait. I am not some princess of some kingdom or a fairy (apsara) from heaven that he will wait for me. I am just an ordinary girl. I am sure he would have found someone much better than me."

Both Arya and Manik didn't know that Nandini was under the misconception that Manik had moved on with Alya.

Arya : "Show me your feet."

Arya pretended as though he was going to touch her feet.

Nandini : "What are you doing, Arya?"

Arya : "You thought about your family, you thought about your boyfriend and what about you? Will you be happy if he moves on with someone else?"

Nandini : "The time I spent with him were the best days of my life. I will learn to live with those memories. It is difficult for me to even think of him being with someone else, but the thought that he is happy surpasses that."

Flashback ends...

Manik : "Yes, he did."

Nandini : "Aren't you angry with me?"

Manik : "How can I be? I knew there was a reason behind your decision and I figured out that you wanted to concentrate on your studies. I thought that you felt that I was distracting you from your goals, so I thought of approaching you once you completed your studies. Then Arya told me about what was going on in your mind. How did you even think that I will move on and be happy in life without you?"

Nandini : "I am sorry! Please forgive me!"

Manik : "You don't have to apologize. I don't know why you thought that I would find someone better than you. You are very special to me and if I see myself with someone, then it is with you. The position of my life partner is reserved only for you."

Manik : "Now that you have achieved your goals, I hope you don't have any objections to continue with our relationship?"