An Arranged Journey To Forever

Part 3

The sun beamed brightly, casting a warm glow over the sky, while birds chirped merrily in the distance. It was the kind of morning that seemed to promise peace and new beginnings.

In her balcony, Nandini sat quietly, sipping her cup of coffee. The gentle breeze tousled her hair as she gazed into the distance, lost in thought.

Abhimanyu walked in and, without a word, sat beside her. But his calm demeanor faltered the moment he noticed the glistening tears in her eyes.

"Hey, Nandu, what happened?" he asked, his voice laced with concern. "Why are you crying? Look at me."

Nandini quickly wiped her eyes, trying to hide her emotions. "I'm not crying," she murmured, but the tremor in her voice betrayed her.

Abhimanyu raised an eyebrow, his gaze piercing. "Yeah, of course. Something must have gotten into your eyes. Stop hiding your tears from me, Nandini. I can see through it."

Nandini shook her head, trying to hold back. "I swear, Bhai, I'm fine."

But Abhimanyu's stern voice cut through her resistance. "NANDINI!"

That was all it took. Nandini's composure shattered, and she collapsed into his arms, the tears flowing freely.

"Bhai... Papa..." she sobbed softly.

Abhimanyu, his heart heavy, tightened his embrace. "What happened? Did Mr. Murthy do something to you?" he asked, his voice a mix of concern and confusion.

"No, Bhai," she replied, her voice muffled against his chest. "Papa would never hurt me... I'm just... I don't understand. Why can't you and Papa be happy like you used to be? Why can't things go back to how they were?"

Abhimanyu sighed deeply, his voice a little harder this time. "Nandini, we're not going down this road again."

"Why, Bhai?" Nandini pleaded, her voice shaky. "You know it was an accident. Papa's mistake wasn't intentional. His guilt eats him up every day, and you... you just shut him out. It's tearing us apart."

Abhimanyu's eyes darkened. "How can you say that? It's because of his mistakes that Dadi isn't here anymore. How can you not see that? Don't get involved, Nandini. Stay happy, and I'll handle everything."

Tears welled up in Nandini's eyes again, but she wiped them away quickly. "Bhai, every time we talk about this, you divert the conversation. You refuse to forgive Papa, and I don't understand why."

Abhimanyu's frustration finally boiled over. "Yes, I don't want to forgive him! No more talking about this." His voice was loud, sharp, almost unrecognizable.

Nandini had never seen her brother so angry. This was the first time he had ever raised his voice at her, and it cut deep. She pulled away slightly, her heart aching for both of them. Abhimanyu, realizing his outburst, quickly softened.

"I'm sorry," he muttered, his tone full of guilt. Without another word, he walked out of the room, leaving Nandini behind, her tears still fresh.

She whispered to herself, "Bhai, I can see the care in your eyes when you look at Papa. I know you love him. I'll make sure you accept it someday."

Malhotra Mansion

Meanwhile, in Kolkata, the Malhotras had returned from the meeting.

In Manik's room, Cabir entered, practically dancing.

"Ishq hua! Ishq hua! Aaj mere Bhai ko ishq hua!" he sang, clearly teasing.

Manik shot him a glare. "Shut up, Cabir."

Cabir, undeterred, continued in a dramatic tone, "Shutttt upppp, when Bhai says shut up, shut up! Shut up!"

Manik rolled his eyes. "Stop the drama. What do you want?"