LOVE +

Past Haunts

Manik reached home with his mom and went to his room. His phone rang and the display showed Nandini's caller ID. "Hello Nandini" Manik spoke. "Sir, are you busy?" she spoke. "No, tell me what is it?" Manik asked settling down. "I don't know how to say it" she whispered and Manik thought of making her comfortable. "Well you can say anything to me" he assured her.

"Whatever aunty said here at home, do you know it already?" Manik understood that Nandini called him to know about Siddharth. "No Nandini, I don't know" he said. "Matlab, you don't know that guy?" she asked him. "I know Siddharth but its quite long time I haven't heard about him. Mom knows all my friends and she might have contacted him" he explained. "Ye sab mere saath kyu hota hai?" Nandini whined. "Kya hua?" he got up. "Mujhe ye shaadi nahi karni hai" she said as if complaining.

"Nandini, you have to marry at some point in your life. Being a doctor, I know we don't have time for a family but that doesn't mean you shouldn't marry at all. Siddharth acha ladka hai, tumhara chacha chachi ka pasand hai, I knew him personally" Manik explained her. "No, I'm not against marriage but I want someone who understands me, who knows me so well and who loves me a lot, aise arranged marriage mujhse nahi hoga" she said. "Who knows you well, matlab he should know when you will add sugar or salt in a coffee" he joked. "Aap bhi Alya se pyaar kiya na, don't you know what is love?" she asked him and this hit him. "What?" Manik asked in a serious tone. "I mean, I know Alya and you aren't together anymore but you once loved her, you know her in and out and I think she knows you too, tabhi tho usne kaha ki Manik kabhi wapas meri zindagi mein nahi aayega."

Nandini has unintentionally made many memories fresh for Manik. "I know what is love Nandini, ye tumhe pain hi dega, sirf pain" he said. "Zaruri nahi ki har kisi ke life mein pyaar painful hoga" she countered. He smiled. "Why did you smile?" she asked Manik. "I can't believe that you are one of those cheesy fairy tale dreamer" he smiled again. "Haa, life isn't a fairy tale, but for every girl her first love is always a fairy tale" she said looking at the moon.

"First love?" he asked as if a doubt. "Ha" she nodded. "Matlab, abhi tak tum kisi ko date nahi kiya?" he wondered. Nandini did not reply. "Are you serious Nandini, I thought you were not as dumb as I see you, but tum usse bhi dumb nikli" he joked again. "I'm not dumb" she huffed. "C'mon you want to love someone and marry but you haven't dated anyone till now!" he spoke. "You will know about your soulmate when you are with them" she says. "Kaise hawa mein khusboo, aasman mein do rainbows" she cut him off, "no you can feel it by your heart beat, your heart beat rises" she said. "Then cardio surgeon ke consultation lena padega na" she's done with his jokes. "Haha very funny" she faked a smile. "Aaj ke liye itna hi Nandini, I can't smile anymore" he said before turning down her phone. "Me too" she reciprocated.

"And yeah happy birthday once again and bye good night" he wished her. "Thank you, good night" she said and cut the call. She looked at the moon and closed her eyes, soon she fell deep asleep.

"Itni jaldi hospital jaake kya karte hai" Sanju said with a puppy face. "Tho kahi ghoomne chalein?" her eyes lit up when Aryaman said that. "Mujhe ice cream khaana hai" she pouted. They went to an ice cream parlor and took ice creams. They sat in car and started. "Do you eat ice cream with your nose too?" he asked her. She took out her phone to see herself. He wiped her nose with a tissue and she thanked him. "Can I ask you something Sanju?" Aryaman asked her. "Ha" she said yes. "When do you know about this?" he asked. "What?" she asked clueless.

"That you!" he stammered. "That I had a hole in my heart" she completed his sentence and he nodded to say yes. "Just a couple of months back, when you joined here for your internship" she said. "And why are you alone in hospital" he asked. "My mom and dad died in a plane crash when I was 5, and my grandpa died when I was 14, since then my dad's friend and business partner looked after me. My grandpa is the trustee for hospital and I'm just doing his duty" she said. "You know what! I saw you on the same day when you pasted Alya's posters in the hospital, such a jerk you were" she twitched her nose. "Yes, I was" he admitted. They drove back to hospital and he safely left her in her ward. "Aryaman!" she called him and he turned back. "Thank you" she smiled and he reciprocated. "Good night Sanju" he left from there.