Love Will Find A Way

Chapter-52: Beginning to Heal

Nandini had just come out of the bathroom, fresh and ready for bed. She saw Manik standing on the balcony, gazing at the stars. Her first instinct was to go and talk to him, but she hesitated.

Maybe he needed some time alone to process everything that had happened today. Deciding to give him that space, she lay on the bed and drifted off to sleep.

Meanwhile, Manik was lost in his thoughts on the balcony, speaking softly to the stars as if they were Aryan. "Hey, Aryan, you're up there watching over me. Today was... tough. I broke down, man. For the first time in years, I let it all out. And Nandini, she was there for me. I didn’t expect that. I didn’t expect to tell her everything. She... she handled it so well."

He sighed, looking up at the night sky. "I still can't believe it, Aryan. I opened up to her. She didn't run away, she stayed."

After spending another hour on the balcony, lost in his thoughts and memories, Manik decided it was time to go inside. He needed to clear his head and decided he would talk to Cabir tomorrow. Cabir always knew what to say.

Entering the room quietly, he saw Nandini already asleep. She looked peaceful, a stark contrast to the turmoil inside him. He walked over to the bed and gently climbed in, careful not to wake her. Propping himself up on one hand, he placed the other softly on her belly, feeling the slight swell where their baby was growing.

He spoke in a whisper, his voice filled with a mixture of awe and tenderness. "Hey, little one. It's your papa. I don’t know if you can hear me, but I want you to know that I’m going to try. I’m going to try to be better, for you."

Manik paused, feeling a surge of emotion as he continued. "I’m sorry if I’ve been distant. It's not your fault, and I also know it’s not your mom's fault but the thing is I can’t trust people. I’ve just been dealing with a lot of pain, things from the past that have haunted me. But I promise you, I’m going to do my best to heal. I want to be the best father for you, and I want to make sure you grow up in a house filled with love and happiness."

He gently stroked Nandini’s belly, feeling a sense of connection with his unborn child. "I can’t wait to meet you, to hold you in my arms. You’re going to be my little star, just like Aryan was. And I’ll protect you with everything I have. I promise."

As he finished speaking, a sense of calm washed over him. For the first time in a long while, he felt a glimmer of hope. Leaning down, he placed a gentle kiss on Nandini's belly.

"Goodnight, little one," he whispered, closing his eyes. He drifted off to sleep.

The next day, Manik woke up early, his mind still heavy with the previous night's revelations. He quickly got dressed and left for the office, sending a message to Cabir to meet him for lunch.

By lunchtime, Cabir arrived at Manik's office. As he entered, he greeted Manik with a typical poor joke. "Why don't skeletons fight each other? They don't have the guts," he said, grinning.

Manik tried to smile, but his face remained tense. Cabir’s grin faded, replaced by a look of concern. "Okay, what happened? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Manik sighed deeply, running a hand through his hair. "It’s... a lot. Yesterday, I broke down in front of Nandini. I told her everything about Aryan, Riya, the guilt, everything."

Cabir's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Wow. That’s... a big step, Manik. How did she take it?"

"She was... amazing," Manik admitted. "She held me, comforted me, told me it wasn’t my fault. But now I’m freaking out. How can I trust her? How can I trust anyone after what happened with Riya? I feel like I made a mistake by telling her everything."