MaNan SS - Dawn of Love✅

11. "You Can"

Sorry...Long time...will be regular from next week...

Nandini made Manik lay on her lap while ruffling his hairs and when he dozed off and she didn't get a heart to wake him up considering the heart break that he faced by failing in a surgery.

She closed her eyes unknowingly, resting her head back and after few hours, when Manik turned in his sleep, he realized the different surroundings and a different pillow and checked it to be her lap. He quickly got up and looked at her face which was calm and serene. He can spend hours just by seeing her like he was doing it from many years. He smiled to himself and she opened her eyes feeling her lap empty.

"I'm sorry...I just dozed off..." Manik said and she just smiled in half sleep. He saw the time and it was just 4:30 in the morning.

"You sleep..." He said and covered her with the blanket and she immediately snuggled into it and he left to his room.

Few hours later, Nandini woke up and got remembered about the last night conversation and thought to check on Manik. She got freshen up and came out of her room and just then Manik too came downstairs, all ready to leave.

"You are going today...!?? I thought you will take an off after the surgery..." She said and he sighed saying "Yeah the surgery which I failed..."

She had enough of his self-complaint and rolled her eyes before saying "Will you just stop blaming yourself for no mistake of yours...!?? Last night, you were in an emotional turmoil and that's why I didn't say anything...and now...Enough is enough...The world is not going to end if Manik Malhotra fails in a surgery...You have to move on Manik...You have to focus on the next step..."

He stayed silent while she spoke, looking at the empty plate before him and just when she huffed and stood to leave, he asked "Then why did you stop...!??"

She stopped in her tracks and looked at him with a frown and he asked "Why did you stop and didn't focus on the next step when one publishing house rejected your book...!??"

"How did you know this...!??" She asked slowly and he nodded in a no saying "That's not the answer to my question..."

She stood silent and he continued "Tell me Nandu...Why didn't you try to go for another publishing house...!?? Why did you just discourage yourself and didn't focus on improving your writing...!?? And most important, why didn't you personally go and question the one who rejected when they initially liked your work...!?? Even you simply believed that you failed na...!??"

It took her time to realize what he was mentioning.

"Nandini...What happened...!??" Arnav asked seeing her sob when he was back.

"They rejected to publish my book..." She said wiping her tears and he asked "Who...!? That Rainbow publishers...!?"

She nodded in yes while sobbing and he took her into a side hug and asked "But you said they liked your work na..."

"I don't know what happened...He said he liked the few chapters that I wrote and asked me to complete it...But suddenly they dropped an email saying they can't publish new writers..." She said while he rubbed her back and said "Let me talk to them..."

He stood up from his place and dialed the publishing house while Nandini saw him talk at a distance and he came back with a disappointed face.

"Seems like they have enough publications this year and not interested in publishing new ones now...It's okay baby...Let's try next year..." He said and she looked at him horrified and said "Next year...!?? No Ani...What will I do for a whole year...!??"

"Recheck your work...There might be some needed changes...I don't know..." He said simply.

She thought for a while and asked "Ani...You said you have a friend who has publishing house...why don't we try there once...!??"

"yeah sure...I'll try..." He said and went to his room.

Few days later, Arnav came with the same disappointed face and said "I'm sorry baby...He didn't like the work...He needs something beyond...I don't know the terms but he is not looking for this type or genre...You better try something else..."

She felt dejected and said "May be...I'm lacking something...that's why the first house too rejected to publish...and now this...I failed in my attempts...May be this is what I get for not listening to my father..."

"Shh...Sh...It's okay...Let's leave all these for some time...Take a break...and try later...with fresh mind..." He suggested and she felt the same and stopped writing from few months.

She came back to present when Manik cleared his throat and forwarded a laptop saying "Enough of the break...Write now...You can...and you will..."

She looked at the laptop and at him while he said "I have few formalities to complete for the last surgery...and few consultations...I'll be back soon..."

He walked till the door but turned to her to say "You were right...last night I was emotional and I will be in the future as well whenever I have to face such situations...And as a doctor, I know how to take the failures... I know world will not end when we fail...Hope you too understand that..."

Though there were many questions running in her head about Manik knowing all these about her, she was in no state to question rather she wanted to focus on what she is good at. She smiled at the closed door and kissed the laptop before closing herself in her room to focus.

Ignore mistakes...