Crossroads of love: Enstranged or Adultery?

Between Denial and Desire

This chapter was a collaboration with my friend, Himakshi04. Thank you for your help!

Manik Pov

Manik: You told me that you love me.(I said observing her reaction closely. I watched as she looked at me with her eyes widen like saucers.)

Nandini: I didn't said anything like that. (She said , her eyes depicting uncertainty. )
I was in a dizzy state so I must have mubbled something and you must have been mistaken hearing it for I love you. (she tried to cover up. i took a step closer, the air crackling between us.)

Manik: Look at me, Nandini. (I demanded, my voice gaining strength with every word.) Look at me and deny it. Deny the way your eyes met mine before you fainted, a silent confession brimming within them. Deny the way your hand instinctively reached for mine, a silent plea for connection. And I am very well aware that in such situations, a person always speaks the truth. Moreover, you don't need to hide your feelings from me any more because I too feel the same for you. (I revealed.)

Nandini: What?? What are you talking manik? (she stammered.)

Manik: Yes nandini. (I continued, my voice softer now, laced with a vulnerability that tore through my usual facade.) I can't pretend anymore. You've become the rhythm of my heart, the air I breathe. Ignoring these feelings is suffocating me. Nandini, talking to you makes my heart race with happiness. Your voice is a melody that lifts the weight from my chest.

It's like you clear away all my confusion and help me find answers. When you're not around, I feel lost, like a piece of me is missing. But with you here, I feel strong and confident, like I can do anything.

Your unwavering positivity is my lifeline in a churning sea. As I confess these feelings, a storm of emotions rages within me, but you're the most important person in my life. You're always there for me, and I can be completely honest with you. You've witnessed the depths of my despair, yet your love for me remains a constant fire. That matters more than anything. In you I've discovered a mirror reflecting the best of myself, a loving partner for eternity.

My voice cracked, a tremor of vulnerability shaking me.

Tell me, Nandini, is there even a shred of a chance you feel the same? Because if there is, I'll wait forever. I'll wait for you to see what I see, to feel what I feel. You, my love, are the oxygen that I breathe, the reason my heart beats a joyful rhythm. Because with you, Nandini, everything feels real, everything feels alive.

Nandini Pov

Manik's words hit me like a bunch of pebbles, shattering the calm I had just moments ago. My eyes went wide, heart thumping like a drum solo in my chest. Mortification flooded me, turning my face as red as a fire truck. I could barely breathe, words getting stuck in my throat like popcorn kernels.

What did he think? Panic started boiling inside me, making me want to lie to hide how much I'd accidentally spilled.
I didn't said anything like that i blurted, words tumbling over each other. Everything felt like a tangled mess, my voice barely a whisper when I mumbled I was in a dizzy state so I must have mubbled something and you must have been mistaken hearing it for I love you sounded more like a weak "I like pie. (I tried to cover it up. )

Underneath it all, though, a storm of emotions raged. Fear gnawed at me. What if he didn't feel the same? The silence hung heavy, suffocating. Did he think I liked him just because he was nice? Like a sad wilted flower leaning towards the sun? It felt wrong, fake. But even as I denied it, a tiny voice whispered in my heart, a voice I couldn't ignore.

The silence stretched on, filled with unspoken things. My confession had ripped everything open, revealing the jumbled mess of feelings inside me. It felt like a thin thread connecting us now, no matter how much I wanted to deny it. I held my breath, waiting, unsure of what would happen next. Anything could happen, all because of what we just shared.