Together Hamesha (MaNan Version)

Chapter 25

Manik got out of the car. Never had he thought that the person standing in front of him would be here after all that had taken place inside the hospital. 

Manik : Chachi, aap yaha? 

He was dumbstruck. Was it actually true? Or was it all his hallucination? He couldn't tell. Chachi ignored his question and swamped him with the questions that troubled her mind. 

Chachi : Jab tumne yeh sab kia hi nahi hai toh bina kuch bole waha se kyu chale aaye? Kyu tumne Nandini ke Chacha ko saamne jawab nahi dia? Kyu Manik?

Chachi's face reddened in fury. Tears lined the borders of her eyes. She loved Manik as much as she loved Nandini. He was like a son to her. In fact, she considered him, her own. And she hated the way in which he had been accused. She hated the way in which both her children had been suffering. 

Manik : Chachi aap.. 

He was interrupted as Chachi spoke further.

Chachi : Mei jaanti hu Manik ki tum Nandu ke saath kabhi bhi aisa nahi kar sakte ho. Kar toh kya, tum meri Nandu ke saath kabhi aisa kuch karne ki soch bhi nahi sakte ho. Mujhe tumpar pura bharosa hai Manik. Mei jaanti hu ki Nandini ke Chacha ne andar jo bhi kaha woh sab galat hai. Toh phir tumne chup chap unki saari baatein kyu sunn li? Kyu tumne ya kisi aur ne kuch nahi kaha? Kyu Manik? Batao mujhe. Kyu? 

There was no end to her questions today. Manik's eyes brimmed with tears and a small smile spread across his lips as he sensed the love emanating through Chachi's questions. But that smile didn't last long. He knew what Chacha had held him responsible for wasn't entirely false. 

Manik : Chacha ne andar jo kuch bhi kaha woh sach hai. 

Manik's words came as a blow to Chachi. She staggered behind and stared at him with wide eyes. Did she hear it correctly? Did Manik just admit to being guilty for Nandini's condition? 

It took a while before Chachi recovered from the shock. Her mind was filled with a million thoughts but her heart refused to believe what Manik said. 

Chachi : Tum.. tum jhooth bol rahe ho na? Yeh.. yeh sa.. sach nahi ho sakta hai. Mei.. Mei jis Manik ko jaanti hu, wo.. woh aisa nahi hai.

She stuttered. She drew in a breath and peered straight into Manik's eyes.

Chachi : Bolo Manik. Yeh jhooth hai na? 

This time, she spoke firmly. Her heart knew that Manik was lying. But why? That she didn't understand. Manik averted his gaze. Out of all the people in the world, only Chachi and Nandini were the ones who could look through his pretence. That was the cue for Chachi to believe her heart and not Manik's words. Her tone softened as she spoke the next words. 

Chachi : Manik beta, tumhara mujhse nazre churana hi iss baat ka sabut hai ki andar jo bhi tumhare Chacha ne kaha woh sab sach nahi tha. Aur mera dil yeh maan ne ko taiyaar hi nahi hai ki jo insaan Nandini se pyaar karta hai, woh uski iss halat ka zimmedar hai. Toh ab bataoge ki sach kya hai?

Manik's head shot up. His expressions changed from confusion to shock to anguish in a millisecond. The truckload of tears that he had been trying so hard to conceal, cascaded down his cheeks. Horror clouded Chachi's features as she witnessed Manik fall to his knees, his body shaking with sobs. She immediately rushed towards him and knelt down in front of him. Without a second's delay, Chachi clasped Manik in her arms as he let out all the pain that he had been holding in, on her shoulder. 

Outside Nandini's room 

Chacha was seated on the chair with his head in his hands. A million thoughts fleeted through his mind. How could he not see the pain in Nandini's eyes when Manik broke her heart? How could he have been blind to Manik's reality? How had he failed to protect his daughter? Why didn't she trust him enough to let him know about her illness? But the one thought that disturbed him the most was : Why had God assigned his daughter to this fate? She had never been unkind, not even to the ones who had been inhumane towards her. Then why was she subjected to the callous games of destiny? Aryamann came and sat besides him.