An arranged journey to forever!✔️

Part 91

"Manik, Papa shouted so badly at me today" Nandini was crying all the while sitting on the swing in the garden while Manik was standing leaning to the swing . He kissed her forehead and let his lips linger there for a while.

"Nandini, they are our parents and they have every right to do that. Stop crying" said Manik. He was just not able to bare her cries anymore.

"He has never shouted at me like that before Manik" said Nandini hugging him by his waist as he continued to pat her head

"I know but it's okay, it was your mistake right?" said Manik making her look at him. Nandini meekly nodded. Ofcourse it was her mistake.

"Then stop crying now enough and just apologize to them once all of this is over okay?" said Manik wiping her tears gently . Nandini nodded at him and pulled him to sit beside her. Holding him by his arms and resting her head on his shoulders, she was at peace.

"They will be fine right?" asked Nandini

"The babies will be alright, pakka" said Manik dropping a kiss on her forehead again. He knew that at this point, all that Nandini was worried about were the unborns who yet had not witnessed the light of the day.

"And family?"

"They will eventually be fine Nandini, stop worrying now. Everyone faces their own set of problems some or the other day but nothing of it is permanent, some or the other solution is always there which normalises everything." said Manik in his husky voice. These words of confirmation and assurance was all that Nandini needed at this time. She smiled and gave him a kiss on his cheeks making him smile and the two closed their eyes to feel these few moments of peace cause none knew what the future holds for them and their family.

Meanwhile,in the living hall

"What do you want to talk about Kartik? There is nothing left for 'us' to discuss now." said Naira holding her belly and settling herself on the couch

"Ofcourse there is. We need to talk about our babies Naira. Not about us but them" said Kartik sighing and settling himself on other side of the couch.

"Itne maturely baat pehle ki hoti hamne to ye sab hota hi nahi" said Naira. True indeed. If only had they made efforts to talk about this before, there would not have been a problem

"If you can please stop with your taunts?" said Kartik "I just want to put forward this thing which is in my mind, you are my responsibility till your delivery and after that you can give the babies to me, I will handle them and you can go you say" Kartik said bluntly . Naira had her eyes widened. What was this man even saying? She sat speechless

"Are you in your senses Kartik? Are these babies nothing to me? I have been there for them all this while and I will be there for them for my life ahead and you are saying ki main delivery ke baad bhool jau inhe? You are saying this to a mother? Are you serious?" Naira said in a high tone. It was really illogical for a man to expect a mother to give her kids away.

"So what else? Neither can I leave them nor can I be away from them."

"This is your solution? Kartik, problem is us and not these babies okay so the solution needs to be about us and not them"

"Us? Is there an 'us' now? You just now told your side of story to your family, what about mine? Did you ever give it a thought that what must have happened that the man who loved you more than his life, suddenly said all those words to you?"

"I know what happened Kartik. The thing is there never was love in his heart for me"
Hurt was really evident in Kartik's eyes now.

"What do you expect me to conclude if you choose to go on a dinner with him over me? You remember right? We planned to go shopping and you went on a dinner with him. I was outside the mall leaving all my work and you message me you are on a dinner with him. Wow"

"Kartik, I told you the reason. He had an urgent work to discuss okay? Stop using that against me always"

"Urgent work ha? Okay fine. The next week after this, you stayed back for a night at his house uska reason Naira?"

"Kartik again? Us din bhi tumhe reason bata rahi thi main suna hi nahi tha tumne remember?"

"Now I am listening. Bolo"

"He had his girlfriend over at home, alone. He was not even in the city and he just wanted me to be with his girlfriend that night"

"Naira, even if you are saying the truth but the reason for your distant behaviour? You did not even talk to me properly . Every other day, you had that stupid over for dinner and no conversations with me, nothing at all. You never tried to understand my point of view Naira. Never. We were better not married"

"Kartik, it was you who started ignoring me due to your insecurities. Do not blame me okay. And then, tumne koi baat nahi ki maine nahi ki both of us behaved immaturely  , terribly and so in all of that mess, I thought you were hitting on those ladies at the wedding. Do you even know how bad it felt?"

"Tch. It was all in fun Naira and you had always been cool about all of this before."

"Situations were different before"

The two shared an eyelock and somewhere care and affection reflected. They still cared but misunderstandings overshadowed their feelings for each other.

"What now?" asked Kartik looking away.

"Lets file for a divorce. We are not working" said Naira and Kartik looked at her , hurt.

"Hmm" his voice chocked.

"Fine, let's tell everyone about this decision. We will be parents to our children but not partners to one another" said Naira not meeting his eyes.

Both of them were unsure about this decision, but it felt right then