Zehnaseeb

7. His Fear

Manik was lying keeping his head on Niyonika's lap while cabir was lying on couch laughing.

"Mom, ask that idiot to stop teasing me. I'm getting irritate." Manik complained. Niyonika chuckled.

"Achcha? Why so? Is he saying wrong? Don't you like NM?" Niyonika asked raising her brows. Manik just snuggled more in her lap hiding his face in her stomach and whispered.

"I don't know."

Niyonika sighed. She knew he was confused and fighting with his feelings.

"Ok tell me what do you think about her?" She asked Manik. He raised his head and looked at her.

"She is beauty with brains. She's successful business woman. Dedicated to her work. She's strong and bold. She shows her arrogance and rudeness to world but in actual she's very kind and helpful person. She smiles rarely which is the most beautiful sight to watch. She also has temper but not like me. She handles situation calmly. She thinks herself as a heartless but she has a golden heart." Manik said. Niyonika smiled at him.

"You understood her so much." She said. Manik just nodded and said.

"But one thing I still dint get. Her eyes. It held different emotion in them. They shows pain. Deep immense pain. But she is good at hiding. I could feel a longing in her eyes of a broken kid. Like they want to show me something but can't." He said lost. Niyonika sighed.

"Try to befriend with her, Manik. First know her completely. Make her open up to you. You may get your all answers." She said making him understand. He nodded at her.

"Aur kya pata, voh dosti jaldi hi rishtedari mei badal jaye, hain?" Said cabir from back like a dialogue. Manik threw pillow on his face.

The room filled with their laughter.

__________________

It has been two days since Nandini discharged. In those days, Ansh dint left her alone. He was beside her all the time. He took care of her like his own child. For a change, Amms dint taunt her nor came infront of her these days. And Abhi, he was outside all the time except night. He totally avoided coming home in day time.

Few days later -

Nandini was working in her cabin continuously from last 4 hours. Ansh knocked and entered inside.

"Nandi, stop your work now. It's lunch time. You have to take medicine also. Come on." Ansh said sitting on couch and opening the tiffin he brought.

"Bhai, tiffin? What was the need?" Nandini asked looking up from her laptop. Ansh glared at her.

"It was needed. You keep on skipping your meal and medicine. And I have seen its after effects which was very terrific. So you have to eat this healthy food daily with me." Ansh spoke little strictly. Nandini sighed and went near him.

"Bhai, I'm fine now. Stop worrying." Nandini said softly sitting beside him on couch.

She could see his changed behavior from that incident. He was behaving all protective and possessive around her. She has seen him getting panic even if she takes little more time in bath. He wasn't leaving her alone and keep roaming around her. His stress was worrying her. He was still scared for her.

"I know. But what's wrong if we had our lunch together spending some time? Outside food isn't good for you, Nandi." Ansh spoke worriedly. Nandini sighed and nodded.

"See, I asked butler to prepare our favorite today. Butter Paneer and Roti with pineapple raita. And some dal rice for you especially because it's healthy." Ansh spoke serving in plates while Nandini helped him.

They started having their lunch talking in between. Suddenly a morsel stucked in Nandini's throat and she started coughing badly. Ansh panicked and quickly gave her water rubbing her back.

"Nandi, slowly baby! Drink water. Shhh relax! Are you okay? Look up. Aram se. Are you feeling ok? Nandi, tell me? You can breathe right? Should I call doctor?" Ansh started panicking more seeing her taking deep breathe with closed eyes.

Nandini heard her brother and opened her eyes. She looked at him. He was so vulnerable.

"Why are you looking at me like this? Say something na you are scaring me." Ansh said his voice choking a little. Nandini just nodded in no and hugged him tightly. Ansh stilled on his place.

"I'm fine bhai, please don't do this to yourself. I'm perfectly alright." Nandini whispered softly in his embrace. Ansh just hugged her back tightly and closed his eyes. Tears fell from his eyes without any control.

"Bhai, please. Don't cry. It hurts to see you like this, bhai. My bhai is very strong person." Nandini said softly rubbing his back.

"I f-failed to pr-protect you. I- I could have lost you, that day." Ansh said choking at his words and a sob escaped his mouth followed by many others. Nandini closed her eyes in pain.

"Let it all out bhai. Don't keep anything inside."

"I was so- so scared seeing y-you. That day. I- I thought, you will also leave me like- like mumma and pa-pa." His tears wasn't stopping. Nandini let him speak.

"You dint wake up. I- I screamed, shouted, pleaded so- so much. But y- you.. Please Nandi, never ever do that again with me. Please take care of yourself. Not for yourself but for, for me. Please. I- I can't afford to loose you. I will die. I will seriously die." He broke down badly in her arms.

Nandini was calm. Her eyes held pain but her tears betrayed her. They never escaped.

She broke the hug and looked at him. He was crying mess. She smiled faintly at him and wiped his tears lovingly.

"I promise bhai. I'll never ever go anywhere leaving you in my life. I will take care of myself. I'll do everything you ask me to do for my wellbeing. But please, don't be like this. It's making me feel guilty that I'm responsible for your fear. Please bhai, please become my old bhai again. For me, please?" Nandini pleaded softly. He nodded sniffing a little. She smiled.

"And never ever think that you failed. You are always protecting me in every possible way. You are the bestest brother anyone could get. I'm so lucky to have you in my life, bhai. Sometimes I feel that, I don't deserve you. I'm burden on you. Already you are handling so much alone and I always trouble you. If you wouldn't have been with me na then till now I would have been dea-"

"Shh chup. Don't talk like that. You are my baby. It's my responsibility to take care of you. You are not any burden and neither you trouble me. I love you. Not as a sister but as my own child. And I'm missing my old Nandi who used to roam around me whinning and shouting for all small things. I miss you, Nandi. Please give me my old Nandi back." Ansh confessed emotionally. Nandini shook her head with a smile.

"One can't make a dead person alive, bhai. Your Nandi, died 3 years back. Now whom you are talking with is a live corpse. Who has no emotions, no heart, no feelings. She doesn't know how to express. She's just a machine. Who knows that she has to eat to survive her body and has to work to help her bhai in handling her father's company which he grown up with his hard work. She knows her bhai loves her so much thats the reason she is alive even being dead. If not for you, then this body also have been died long back with that soul. The reason I'm still taking breathe is you." Nandini said calmly with a soft smile. Ansh looked at her painfully.

"I need to go now. I have meeting in Cafe Cream. Take care. Bye." Saying this she left from there. Ansh held his head in both of his hands.

"How I am suppose to heal you? You are not ready to open up. Have locked up all your emotions. What have you done to yourself, Nandi? How will I cure your inner wounds!" Ansh spoke in defeated tone.

Screen freezes.