Manzilein

12. Messed up hearts

Hlo darlings

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A heart in love is no less than a mess. You want to go and meet the one to whom your heart belongs, but another part of you want you to stop. When he doesn't care, then why should I ? You want to destroy the feelings that you have but those are too precious for you to lose.

Arpita looked at her Bulbul who wasn't cooing the way she used to do. Her friends, those peafowls sat around her as she was sitting in the terrace lawn, on the grass. They looked at her sadly. There was a time when she used to dance and they used to accompany her. But seeing her silent, they felt miserable.

Arpita walked towards her in slow steps as the peafowls flew away sensing the presence of another person. It was always unknown to every one in the palace as why those peafowls, otherwise known as shy creatures, don't fly away when Anika is there ?

"Anika, till how many days you'll keep sitting here like this ? Even those Peafowls are sad looking at you like this." Arpita caressed Anika's hair.

"They atleast understand my pain, that's why I sit here. Unlike him, who didn't care. Unlike Neil who didn't ask me if I even wanted this or not. Then what's the need to talk to anyone ?" Anika said calmly but Arpita wasn't a kid wouldn't notice the accusation in her voice.

Anika stood up and left from there, ignoring Manish and Neil who were standing there.

"What are you doing, Neil ? For trying to protect her, to give her the best you are depriving her of happiness." Arpita said to Neil and did what he was doing from past five months, denying.

Manish and Arpita looked at Neil's retreating figure as he went to Anika's room attached to the lawn. Arpita looked at Manish helplessly.

"I can't see her like this, Manish Ji. How can you let her be like this ? You couldn't see her sad then why now ?" Arpita cried and asked from Manish.

"I can't see her sad. I was just trying to give them their own time. I wanted them to take a step on their own but... these two are too foolish. I can understand about Anika but that idiot, he committed a mistake five months ago and continuing it till now. My daughter is paying for that. Not any more. If she kept waiting for that idiot then my little firefly will forget to illuminate.
I've decided to get Anika married. I've found a perfect groom for her. He will keep her happy." Manish said with determination, making Arpita shocked.

"What has happened to the both of you ? I'm trying to make Neil understand but here you are also walking on the same path. Why can't you both see, that you both are not doing any good to her, instead you are giving her more pain." Arpita spoke angrily but Manish stopped her.

"Now nothing can change my decision. It's final." Manish said and left from there followed by an angry but helplessness Arpita.

Neil entered Anika's room and saw her doing the only work she likes, looking at a picture. Nobody knows whose picture it is as Anika never showed it to anyone. But the faint smile on her face tells whose picture it might be.

"Di, we didn't go out since so many days. Lets go and have ice cream." Neil spoke as cheerfully as he could.

"You go with Gauri and Bhavya, they'll be very happy." Anika denied as she kept the photograph in the nearby drawer.

"What has happened to you, Di ? I did everything for your own good. And did he stop you ? He could do that. But he didn't even come to meet you. It simply means he didn't want to come." Neil said, trying to convince Anika despite knowing that he will not be able to do that. If he could, he would have been successful long ago.