BROKEN - to be healed by her (manan ff)✔️

84 : Don't you trust me?

Nandini's pov:

    None of us could keep away from tearing up, Cabir tenderly held me close to him while we both wept comforting each other and ourselves through it.

" Nandini, Manik needs us...we should go" Cabir said as we parted away, gazing at him unsure I stood contemplating my next move.

" Cabir, I..I cannot bare the aloofness from him..it will kill me. I have to pull myself together before I see him." my voice barely making it, throat so dry that it hurt to speak. The crippling fear of him acting strange and distant dominated my thoughts at the moment, even though a part of me still knew I couldn't push it for long but I was stubborn to keep away as far as I can.

Cabir tried to put words together to make me tag along but gave up soon, sighing as if he could feel my turmoil, the war my insides were deep into. Softly peeking my forehead he left to check on Manik.
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Cabir's pov:

  I walked into the room expecting to be greeted my a humongous mess quite frankly a visual interpretation of this situation, but surprisingly found everything in order.

Manik's distorted frame slumped against the bed. Eyes closed and the walkman still laying loosely in his hands, dried tear strains governed his cheeks.

Stealthily I sat beside him not wanting to disrupt his chain of thoughts, not more than a few seconds he realized someone's presence and looked over, the amusement didn't rest longer on his face.

" vent it out Manik! Trust me you need this!" my words must have hardly reached him and the tears which were at halt streamed again.

Hugging him to me I let him cry hoping it makes him feel better, while he held on to me.

Minutes went by and he still hadn't stopped crying and I let him be the way he was comfortable.

" Cabir....She went through...so much.." sobbing he spoke his voice cracking due to excessive crying.

" She was strong...so..so..strong" my best bud weeping like this triggered my tears too.

No words exchanged just us sitting, starring in oblivion at times silence and presence does all the deed.

" Cabir...Nandini?" whispering, he looked at me making me sigh.

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" Aiyappa....why does it have to be so difficult always, Manik was already reluctant to let me close to him...abhi iske baad toh he'll make sure na, to push me away? I don't wanna lose him..." I hate it that crying has been the one constant thing throughout the day, I am hating this...this clenched heart of mine which only grew tighter and even more sufricative as Manik's hopeless look and his words kept reverberating in my mind.

I yearned to run back to him, comfort him hug him to my dear soul so much so thay every cell of his body feels my presence, albeit having this irresistible erge my legs were too numb to move adamant to stay still and heavy all this while.

I wished to seek comfort that only his arms held and revert him the same, I hoped I could do so many things differently at the moment but...ugh! It was getting arduous for me emotionally, I have a tolerance for humongous amount of things but seeing aloofness in Manik's eyes is not one of them. I wasn't strong enough to face him when at my weakest, I hate the fact that I was dreading to expose my vulnerability to him.

I clutched the railing before me tighter leaning onto it, tears never leaving my side...now this is what they mean when they say heart break takes a part of you away from yourself after which one is never the same person...either ends up being worse or better.