30. But What If You Fly?

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A/N : Welcome to the last chapter of this MaNan ficlet, readers!

I'm not going to say much today, except, Happy Reading!..and I will see you on the otherside!

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Manik looked at Nandini pleadingly, a lot was at stake. Even his last thread of connection with her. If she said she was happy, after this show down, Aryamann would make sure he never heard from Nandini again. He didn't know how to survive that if it happened, but that wasn't important right then, ensuring Nandini's happiness was.

"I don't know Manik." Nandini replied after a long, deafening pause.

He shut his eyes in apprehension.

"What?" he heard Aryamann shout, "You don't know?! What do you mean you.." he hurled at Nandini, losing patience at this point.

"Sshh" Manik stopped him, "Let her speak" he said as Aryamann began to speak.

"What do you feel, Nandini?" Abhimanyu asked her gently, and hearing his comforting, friendly, supportive voice, she revelled; she found comfort in the knowledge that no matter what she said, this one person would still be there with her, she found a sense of belonging that one finds with family, a sense of platonic love and affection, it was always like that with Abhimanyu, but lately she had forgotten the feeling, because lately she wasn't confiding in him. Family was something she hadn't had in the longest of time; his assuring voice, somehow gave her courage, the strength that she seemed to have lost ever since Aryamann's appearance in her life; a tear escaped her eyes. One drop of tear and it opened an unknown latch inside her. There was so much locked inside her, she needed them out today, forever. How on earth was she holding on to so much?

"I don't know Abhimanyu, I really don't know how I feel. This man, Mr. Aryamann Khurana he was my life, he was my every breath for the last decade! All I ever wanted was him. I loved him. I gave him a piece of my soul, he was a part of me. Getting rid of him was like getting rid of a part of me. I loved him, I love him" she then turned to Aryamann, "I love you Aryamann, because that's all I have felt all these years; love for you. You were my escape, you were all my heart and then again you were also my personal hell" she it all out. Her voice was strained.

Manik stopped breathing, the despair was so deep and dark that it was consuming him. He could barely stand on his feet, it felt like someone was sucking the life out of him.

"See Mr. Malhotra, all cleared?" sneered Aryamann triumphantly.

"But..." Nandini continued, it was as if she never heard Aryamann's interjection; Manik looked back at her with a slight flicker of hope; the last shard he was holding onto before crumpling.

"But?" Manik asked softly.

"But you know Aryamann, I have already been to Spain, done skydiving, had that experience" she whispered with uncertainty. They all looked at her confused. A lump formed in Aryamann's throat; no, this couldn't go south, he'd stop it.

Nandini was speaking now, but she was not really present in the moment, her thoughts were far, drenched in memories of long ago, memories that her Aryamann had promised to fulfil now after so long, but did fulfilling these matter anymore, now? Did she really think this through? She said yes to him because she had never known how to say no to him. His proposal overwhelmed her long craving for him, no wasn't even an option to her brain. But then these old promises that Aryamann was ready to fulfil now, were they of any significance in her life today? Did these dreams matter to her anymore now? Shit, why did she not think about that? What joy would she get out of living these long lost, long forgotten fragments of imagination, which at one point she thought would give her joy? Those days are gone, those dreams are gone, that girl is gone. Then what right did Aryamann have to stay on? How did she not look at it this way until now? Why did she not ask herself these questions so far? How'd she let this get so far? Why did Aryamann always have the power to overwhelm her, she wondered desperately.

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