Stay with me

Chapter Four: Nandini/Manik

Manik?

No.

But it was him, it was all coming back to me.

I was not ready to face him, it felt like I will literally faint. I turn around before the lights came back on. I don't know why I did that but it felt right at that moment because I was scared.

Did he know it was me? Did he know by my voice?

The silence took over us and the darkness was still present. All I could hear is us breathing.

"We are sorry for the inconvenience, the elevator seems to be having technical issues and it may take time. We are trying our best to resolve it please stay calm and don't make too many movements. We are now turning the emergency lights. Once again sorry for the inconvenience" we hear an announcement.

The lights suddenly came back on and our eyes met. There he was.

My husband, my love, my manik.

I felt my breath hitch as I faced him. The first thing I noticed was his eyes and then the bruised cheek from my punch. Why do I keep doing this?! This is how we met for the first time, all the memories came washing back to me. The tears I controlled for so started flowing.

Control Nandini.

Don't cry in front of him.

He looked at me like he was shocked but also not surprised at the same time. His hand brushed his bruised cheek as I could see that he felt pain from it. His face expressions softened when he eyed me and a little smile formed on my lips as Manik took a step towards me, his hands moved up like he was going to hold me closer forever to never let go again but all off the sudden his expression changed and his jaw clenched. Manik's hands moved away, my small smile faded away and he took a step back turning away with his back facing me.

I couldn't find the courage to say anything.

Manik presses all the buttons on the elevator repeatedly to try to get the elevator to start working again and that's when I notice his wound on his hand. It was bleeding. I got worried.

"Manik your hand is bleeding!" I say as I go to him holding his hand carefully, I look at his hand and then him.

He turned his face around to look at me, he seemed hurt but not physically. Manik jerked his hand away from me.

He started to press the buttons again but this time with his injured hand. I looked him, why is he doing that? His hand is clearly hurt.

"Manik stop it! You're hurt" I try to grab his hand but he pushes my hand away.

I forgot how stubborn he was but it pained me to see him like that and on top of that I punched him too. What is wrong with me?

I grab my purse which dropped when the lights went out, I had a small scarf in there that i wear every-time.

I take them out of my purse throwing it back on the floor and quickly going back to Manik.

"Please let me see your hand, you're bleeding way too much" I tell him with a concerned look but he still doesn't listen.

I get frustrated and grab his hand again and quickly apply pressure on it with my scarf before he can take his hand away from me again. I tried to tie the scarf around his hand so it stops from bleeding furthermore. I managed to tie one knot.

"Stop Nandini!" He moves away from me, and that was his first words to me. He finally spoke to me.

"It shouldn't be your concern do you understand?" His firm bitter tone pierced my heart. He has never spoke to me in this way.