Almost Not Love! |COMPLETE| MaNan Fiction

24. Don't Walk Away From Me

A/N : Hello readers, firstly, please accept my apology for missing the publishing date, promised :(

So, I had flight that was supposed to land in Delhi around 4PM in the afternoon, but due to bad weather from the place of departure (Kolkata), there was a massive delay & I reached home at 1AM! :(

For folks who haven't visited Kolkata, this was my third visit actually (it's my brother-in-laws hometown & I was visiting to attend a family function) & I have to tell you, this is one such city, which you must visit in every season, because it gives a different vibe in each! Also, if you visit during monsoon, then don't forget to try the fish Hilsa, which is prepared in mustard sauce! It will freak your tongue in an overwhelming way & you'd not know what hit your head or palate, but after like five bites, you realize the amazing after taste!

Haha, enough nonsense, let's get back to the story now! Happy reading :)

***

Nandini walked out of the washroom, with a frown, this was unexpected; maybe that's why she was complaining of a lower back pain she thought to herself, but her monthly cycles weren't due in another fifteen odd days.

She shrugged the thought off, she had more pressing matters in her mind right then; her conversation with Abhimanyu had opened a floodgate of myriad thoughts and feelings in her. Her realisation of love for Manik overwhelmed her, it empowered her, it scared her; what should she do, should she tell him how she felt? He did have the right to know, but what about their arrangement? Manik had only started to believe in love, he didn't need to settle for a person with so much emotional baggage as her, he should go out there, meet a nice woman, love her, not Nandini; but being as close as he was to her, wouldn't hiding it from him be unfair? But even if she did tell him, how'd she explain the Aryamann angle? How would he ever get it? He only just started to believe in love, he wouldn't have the emotional maturity to grasp her end of the deal. No, she thought to herself, for Manik's sake, her feelings had to be inside her; plus she didn't know as yet if she had to choose, whether Manik would ever find a place where Nandini would choose him over Aryamann. Personally she didn't think that would ever happen.

Nandini was not feeling too great again, she tried to calm down; hadn't the doctor and Aryamann both told her she had to be stress free? She needed to clear her mind off all these questions right now; she tried to drink some water to calm down, but it only increased her puke-ish feeling. She wasn't worried, she was having a heavy flow today and whenever that happened she always felt a bit bloated and nauseated; she was trying to relax and focus towards how she was going to tell Manik about her past two days with Aryamann; she had to tell him something, some information about Aryamann and a little bit of the backstory. Of course she'd spare him of the gory details, but some context before she could explain her lie to him maybe? She hoped Manik won't be too offended at her lie, because between her health and all the pressing matter her mind was crumpling under, she didn't know if she had what it would take to pacify him; she'd try her best though, how could she not, it was Manik, she couldn't ever see him hurt. Not even at the time when she didn't love him; Nandini smiled and looked at her watch. Manik would arrive anytime now; not before long, her doorbell rang, she ran towards it, her sunshine had arrived.

Manik walked into her apartment, she looked radiant as she beamed at him. Jalandhar seemed to have done some magic on her. In less than two days she seemed to have recovered well; he felt satisfied, he had been dwelling with all that Alia had told him about Nandini and Aryamann and he was dying to know Nandini's side of the story; of course he knew it was mostly rubbish. Alia was not in a state to say anything sensible at that point when she had maligned Nandini's name; he anticipated at most they must have known each other at some point, and had a fling at best. What more could it be? Wasn't Nandini deeply in love with someone? But he had not let any bit of his anxiety come across to her in the last two days as many times as they interacted. He was debating all the way to her place if he should broach the subject just yet, and had almost decided that he wouldn't; but now seeing her bright and beaming he thought maybe it was worth a shot?