MaNan: Trust?

31

They reached Mahabaleshwar late at night. Abhi had already booked hotel rooms for them.

Manik took a sleeping Ahana to his room. Making her sleep onto his bed, he moved towards the washroom to freshen up.

After coming out just as he was about to lie down beside her, there was a knock at his door.

He got up hurriedly to open the door as he didn't wanted her sleep to break. Opening the door he found Nandini standing in front of him.

"What?"

"I'm sorry. I didn't know Cabir had done something like that."

He was already feeling guilt crippling inside himself for unnecessarily lashing out at her. He knew she wasn't lying. He nodded slightly but said nothing.

'Not again... Never again.', He chanted in his mind.

"You can leave if you are done.", He showed her the way outside making her squirm.

She didn't wanted to leave, but she didn't have any other reason to stay either. She slowly turned around to leave but then turned back again towards him.

"I.. I hope she is fine now.", She gulped knowing how empty her concern must have sounded.

"She is... I can take care of her. Anything else?", He asked her leaning against the door with his hands folded against his chest.

"No.. nothing."

She turned to leave but then turned towards him once again.

He was standing in the same way exactly knowing that she would turn back.

"I have a request.", She bit onto her lip trying to cover her nervousness.

"Go ahead..", He nodded.

"Can we... Can we behave normally with each other? We would be seeing each other more often now. So can we please let go of this awkwardness?"

He took in a deep breath and exhaled sharply before standing straight in front of her looking into her eyes. She looked down not meeting his eyes.

"If you think I'm treating you differently then you can't be more mistaken. I'm like this with everyone. Reserved and quiet. Talking only when spoken to. So stop giving yourself too much credit.", He told her with a smile that had stabbed her heart very brutally.

She dug her nails harshly into her own palms to control herself from crying. She was just anyone for him now.

As a traitor tear slipped down her eye she immediately turned around as she didn't wanted to fall weak in front of him. She was about to walk away when she felt a light tug at her wrist. She stopped but didn't turn.

Uncurling her fingers he unconsciously caressed the bruised skin just once. His ghost of a touch was so feathery that she didn't even realise if he really did that or it was her imagination.

A second later she felt something slide inside her palm.

"I'm sorry... I shouldn't have lashed out at you for someone else's mistake."

He whispered and left inside his room, but didn't close the door. He just couldn't get himself to close it when she was standing right in front of it.

She stood there unmoving for a few seconds as more tears slipped out of her eyes.

After a few seconds she glanced at her hand only to find a chocolate placed in her palm, which was probably his daughter's. His apology for hurting her, a small painful smile graced her lips as more and more tears flowed out of her eyes.