Love will Find The way

Chapter 63- Down the memory lane

Nandini's POV:

"If I don't confront Dhruv now, how would everyone knows that he did this" I asked Cabir. ''Ab bolke kuch fayda tho nahi hoga na, nothing will change'' Cabir said. I think now I know what I should exactly do. For the first time after I met Manik, I felt pity for him. He literally behaves like he owes his life for them who doesn't even value him. Manik's every action is almost related to either Siya or Dhruv, when will he learn to live for himself? I hate him for this. But how would he react if he gets to know that Dhruv is behind all this! Sochna kya he would silently say that Dhruv is right and what more can I expect him to react. With all these thoughts in my mind, I happened to see Manik with a glass of whiskey in his hand! This Manik has changed a bit I think, him cooking and now drinking in a party. I walked towards him to remind if he has forgot that he is in his beloved Dhruv's engagement party and not his bedroom where he usually drinks secretly.

''Tum sharab pee rahe ho, wo bhi yaha'' I asked him but instantly regretted to start a conversation. He looked at me like he already knew that I was going to ask him this. ''Ab sab ko pata hai that I drink regularly, my secrets are not really secrets anymore'' he said with a plain face. ''Good for you, at least now you are trying to be honest with your girl friend'' I said. ''Siya meri girl friend nahi hai'' he said it without an expression, not even looking at me. ''Oh, is she your fiancé now?'' I asked him. ''We both ain't getting married. Never. I already told her the same. Ab mujhe kisi ki validation ki zarurat nahi hai'' he said. Does he mean that he don't care anything? I thought. ''That doesn't mean I have an I don't care attitude, it is just that I don't have anything to lose'' he said. What Manik said is true. He really has nothing to lose. His name and fame is just vanished in a day, his love was just a facade, his property or money is slowly decreasing. I don't feel that connection with him which I had earlier during our initial days. May be we are standing so close to each other yet far away from one another. Manik, you made this.

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Manik's POV:

After all the Thaam jaam, the function finally came to an end. ''Bahut late ho gaya na, I think you should stay here tonight'' Siya suggested. ''No, I'm not that drunk. Moreover Aryaman and I already called for a driver to drop us home, so we will head to home now'' I said and there is an instant change on her face but she said OK. ''Kal subah aaunga, don't forget to take your medicine on time, tumhara bed side table pe rakhe hue hai, see you, good night'' I said as I knew she would forget them. Aryaman and I were silent on the drive back home for most of the time. He went to bed but I didn't knew what kept me awake till now. I have literally become an early bed person and I can't believe myself that I once had insomnia. Nandini is the only reason I loved my insomniac phase of my life. But then, she ended my insomnia and I ended our beautiful relation. Nandini and I, we might not call our relation love, but it is a greater feeling than love. 

Humara night drives, late night conversations, her endless love for ice cream! How beautiful days were then! Ice cream se yaad aaya, why don't I try an ice cream with her now! I found my idea brilliant and went ahead to buy an ice cream tub of her favorite flavor and started to her place. I made sure I took her keys along with me, in case if she doesn't open the door. I felt like flying to her flat if I had wings and now here I am in front of her door. Should I ring the bell or open it directly. No, she may think of me as an intruder. Pehle ki baat alag thi, but I shouldn't be doing that now. Without a second thought, I came here but will she let me in! I thought of many possibilities of her reaction and accidentally I placed my hand on her calling bell. She opened the door within a minute. ''Tum yaha?'' I expected this reaction of her. I stood there without saying anything but showed her the ice cream I bought. ''Itni raat ko tumne ice cream lekar yaha aaya? You shouldn't have come, go now'' she was about to shut the door on my face but I succeeded to open it again.

''Ye ice cream tumhara favorite tha'' I said. ''Exactly! Favorite tha! Ab nahi'' she said going inside. I followed her too. ''Pasand, na pasand ye change ho sakte hai, aadatein nahi'' I said. ''But I have developed a habit to not have ice cream anymore, I'm off-sugar'' she said making it an obvious excuse. Not that I don't believe her dieting, but more than the diet, it is her excuse to not have it because I brought it. ''Do you think I didn't notice you? of course ye sugar free hai'' I said showing the sugar free label. She didn't even look at it. I went inside to get a bowl for the ice cream. Everything in the kitchen was out of place and I was unable to find a bowl. Then she came inside and took out the bowls from the bottom shelf. Maybe they are not out of place, they are in a new place.

We may not bring in our past sweet memories back in our lives but why don't I try to add new memories now! I served the ice cream in the bowls. ''Everything has a cheat code'' I paused for a while when she looked at me ''like this ice-cream, sugar-free'' I said completing my sentence. ''I wish life has a cheat code too'' she said after a while after eating her bowl. ''Do you remember Nandini, you once said that we will forget whatever we talk if we get drunk! Does that still apply?'' I asked her. She did not talk. ''I'm drunk now and so are you!'' I said. ''Getting drunk, makes you forget instances not incidents Manik'' she said. I always thought I was not lucky enough to get her love, but her hatred for me has too many feelings. ''What if we really have cheat codes in life too!'' I asked but before she could answer I answered for her. ''I would ask you for a moment where we could talk keeping everything aside''. I waited for her reaction. ''What would you say if you were given a cheat code, if I talk keeping everything aside'' she asked in return.

''I love you'' I said as honestly as I could. ''Jhoot'' she said simply. ''Agar tum sach mein pyaar kiya hota tho aaj hum itne paas hokar bhi dhoor nahi hote'' she said. ''I messed it up Nandini, not only this, I messed up my love, my life and my career too'' I said. ''You can never keep aside everything and talk Manik, because everything for you is just Siya and you can't keep her aside'' she said. ''But I said, me and Siya are not getting married'' I said in my defense. ''So, you agree that shaadi is a lifetime commitment and you're not ready for it. You can never keep someone your priority over Siya'' she said. ''Yes, I love you but that doesn't mean I don't want Siya in my life. Agar Siya ke place mein koi ladka hota, would you ask me the same question! Of course, you would say that Siya is not my mom or sister, but she is my best friend. The only person whom I admire and respect other than my family'' I tried to explain but as always I failed miserably angering her much. She turned the other side not showing her face. ''Nandini, listen, let me explain. If you and Siya are drowning in an ocean and if I can save only one, who do you think I would choose?'' I asked her and without a second thought she said it is Siya.

''Yes, you are right because I would not see her dying. I would definitely save her but I will die along with you, at least death may unite us if not in this life'' I said. ''Isse zyada main kuch bol nahi paunga'' I said. ''Aur tumne zyada hi bol diya'' she said smiling slightly and then I realized I was sitting on my knees like I was proposing her. I immediately got up and asked if she understood what I said. ''Tumne break maanga aur maine diya, not just get out of my place'' she was rude. ''Oh, like you were sleeping before I come, even you were awake till this late'' I said. She was in a hurry to send me off and pushed me towards the door with her hands on my back. ''Ek choti si sawaal, before I go'' I stopped to ask. ''What now!'' she asked. ''Why did you cut your hair! Lambe baal bahut ache the. I love your long beautiful black hair, in fact I love everything about you'' I said. ''It is none of your business Manik, just leave'' she may not thought I would ask such a stupid thing but yet I wanted to know. I was at her doorstep and asked her if I could ask something serious. She did not say yes, but she did not say no too. ''If I had not done what I shouldn't have done, would we be together today?'' I asked her. 

''It's too late to ask anything Manik, just go away'' she said slamming the door against me.