Glassy Dreams

Chapter 2

"Hazaroon, yaadein humari,
Mai jee rha hu, kishton me hi sahi"

"Seriously Di? You are saying you couldn't convince that one man for my admission who would do literally anything for you? Impossible", Rishabh scoffed at his sister, throwing his hands in the air and an accusing glare at Nandini, "Unless it's you who doesn't want that I get an admission here".

Nandini who was attempting to pack her suitcase, looked up, hurt. But she schooled her features and shook her head, "Why would I not want it Rishabh? Don't you know Manik? Once he makes up his mind, you just can't reason with him", she threw more clothes into the suitcase, exasperated.

"Di I am just asking you to try harder, for once. Maybe when you met him yesterday, you didn't talk to him nicely, or didn't request properly", Rishabh pressed before sitting down on the couch beside Nandini, his legs beginning to shake.

Nandini observed him getting hyper, and forced herself to take a deep breath before sitting down on her knees before him and holding his hand in hers "Rishabh, talk to me. What is happening? I am right here okay?"

Ever since they had come back from Denmark, Nandini had held on to some serious guilt for not being there for Rishabh when he needed her the most. When Manik had been struggling with his dementia, she had ended up focusing more on him, relying on Chachi to take care of Rishabh. His treatment working and him beginning to speak had placated her more. But in all the madness of hospitals and doctors and treatments, she believed she had over looked him and not seen how the pressure of that institute was affecting Rishabh adversely. His stutter was getting worse, and he had later confided in her about being bullied for it one day, crying furiously on call. She had brought him back to India immediately after. He had been coping better ever since, but a part of Nandini hadn't forgiven herself.

Rishabh stammered, completely oblivious of Nandini's thoughts, as he tried to answer her, "I just - I can't believe you are giving up on my dreams so easily", he pushed her hand away and stood up,
"Why are you even fighting with him anyway? He was the one and only good thing in your life and you let him slip away".

That made Nandini freeze in her steps, the part truth of that statement hitting her hard, along with making her angry at herself all over again. Why would a man be the only thing good in her life? Was that how the world, and her brother saw her now? Was that all she was relevant for?

"Seriously Rishabh?", Nandini spat bitterly, "He isn't the only good thing in my life, and Space Goa isn't the only college in the country"

"It is Di, it is the only college that provides music therapy In India and it is what I want to attend. I am not leaving. I don't care how you do it, but do something about this. I am not leaving my dreams behind because of your issues with Manik", Rishabh banged the door on his way out, leaving behind a stunned Nandini.

What in the world was her life falling to?

------

Manik watched the dot on his cell phone screen move slowly on a familiar road, and sighed, leaning back on his car seat. She was going to the church, he could tell. Surely it meant she was thinking things over. Oh, he hoped she did.

The first month after she had left, he hadn't been able to think for a good few days. All he had known was pain - bone numbing, soul crushing, bringing you to your knees kind of pain. Everything inside him hurt every time he looked around their house, without Nandini in it. Without her light battling his darkness.

Sure she hadn't been herself for a while, but at least she was there.

And now she was not.