ʟᴏᴠᴇ- ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴜʀᴇ ғᴇᴇʟɪɴɢ | ✓

~ f i f t y s i x ~

kabhi saya banke mere kareeb rehna,
kabhi mujhse ladh ke mere raqeeb rehna,
maine khuda se kuch aur maanga hi nahi,
bas dua hai, farqat tum hi mera naseeb rehna!!

--

"Nandu, come sit have your dinner."

Nandini looked at Ishita and nodded. Everyone were sitting around the dining table having their dinner. She looked at her brothers who were engaged with Anahita and her non stop talks. Since the time they have disappeared last night and came back today evening, she hasn't got time to talk with them and ask them that what had happened. But she had this unknown fear in her heart.

She looked around and saw Manik's absence. Frowns etched on her forehead she walked to the door and saw his silhouette standing under the moon in the lawn with his hands in his pockets staring into the dark sky.

Glancing once at the table she moved out and stood beside him looking at him. Manik had sensed her presence even before her arriving but didn't said anything, until he couldn't stay quite as she was staring at him.

"What's wrong?" He finally asked tilting his head in her direction and looking at her illuminating figure under the moonlight.

She is preety, he thought.

He frowned in confusion when she didn't answered back and kept looking at him as if trying to read his mind.

"Uh, Nandini. Are you okay?" Nandini shook her head in no in response and he stood straight in worry, but before he could ask anything she asked him.

"Are you okay, Manik?" Manik inhaled a breath and kept standing without giving an answer. And when he didn't answered anything Nandini asked again.

"You didn't went home?" Manik looked at her and smiled a little, but she knew that this smile was anything but his genuine one.

"You want to throw me out from your house?" He tried teasing her but Nandini didn't reacted. She just didn't spoke anything and stared right into his eyes. Manik felt himself bare infront of her and rubbed his nape before adverting his gaze.

"I- I don't want this Manik." Manik's head snapped into her direction and he was confused as what was she talking about. He thought she was talking about the revenge and justice part and was about to make her understand but saw her taking a step back.

"I- I know the pain of living without your family. It's- it's not easy, however they're. It never is. And your family? They- they toh love you naa? I would always hate myself if because of me you had to go through that pain of separation with your loved ones. I- I've learnt to live alone Manik, I would never want you to go through that path. Please go back. Please."

The tears in her eyes were for many reasons. She was crying because maybe she was again living the pain of surviving without your family. Or maybe because she wanted him to stay but still not at the cost of his pain.

A thousand time she wanted to take his hand and a thousand time she stopped herself. She wanted to tell him that she loved him, that she need him want him, that she doesn't want him to leave her, that just for once she wanted to be selfish, for him, but she didn't.

She just couldn't.

And when she looked at him again, she wished she could tell him. The pain and hurt in his eyes broke her heart. And when he chuckled humourless-ly, her stomach flipped to her feet.

"I wish, atleast you would have asked that what I want. Maybe then I would have told you that I don't care how complicated it gets, I still want you. I would have told you that leaving my family or you was never a choice for me. But, you never asked. They never asked. No-one asked what I want."