TRUE LOVE NEVER GIVES UP

Chapter-45: Torn Apart

The day dragged on with a suffocating heaviness that pressed down on Manik's chest. After freshening up and trying to compose himself, he wandered through the house, unable to find peace. The usually serene atmosphere of Paradise Point felt hollow and eerie, a stark contrast to the joyful memories that filled every corner of the house.

Manik's mind was racing, replaying the events of the previous night over and over again. He couldn't shake the image of Nandini being pulled away, her tear-streaked face haunting him. The silence of the house was deafening, broken only by the soft rustling of leaves outside and the distant sound of waves crashing on the shore.

He checked his phone repeatedly, hoping for a message, a missed call, anything. But each time, the screen remained blank, and his heart sank a little further. The emptiness gnawed at him, making it impossible to focus on anything else.

Cabir found Manik sitting on the couch in the living room, staring blankly at the wall. "Manik, you can't keep doing this to yourself," Cabir said, his voice gentle but firm. He placed a hand on Manik's shoulder, but Manik barely reacted.

Manik's eyes flickered to Cabir, but they were distant, lost in his own turmoil. "I can't stop thinking about her, Cabir. I need to know she's okay. What if... what if something happens to her?"

"She's with her family," Cabir tried to reassure him, though his own concern was evident. "They won't let anything happen to her. You need to trust that."

Manik shook his head, frustration bubbling up inside him. "You don't get it, Cabir. Nandini... she's fragile right now. I know her. She needs me, and I can't even reach her." His voice cracked, and he buried his face in his hands, trying to hold back the flood of emotions threatening to spill over.

Alya and Mukti, who had been hovering nearby, exchanged worried glances before approaching. "Manik, you need to eat something," Alya said softly, holding out a plate. "You haven't had anything since last night."

Manik barely looked at the plate. "I'm not hungry," he muttered, his voice hollow.

Mukti sat down beside him, her tone more assertive. "Bhai, starving yourself isn't going to help Nandini. You need to keep your strength up. For her."

Manik sighed, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "I don't even know if she's eaten, Mukti. Her phone is off. What if she's... what if she's alone, and I'm just sitting here useless?"

"She's not alone," Raj said, joining the group with Neyonika. "Vishakha may be angry, but she's still Nandini's mother. She'll take care of her."

Manik looked up at his father, his eyes filled with pain and desperation. "But she's not me, Dad. I know Nandini. She shuts down when she's hurt, and she won't talk to anyone. She won't let anyone in."

Neyonika knelt beside him, her heart aching at the sight of her son in such distress. "We'll figure this out, Manik," she said softly. "But you have to take care of yourself too."

Manik's phone buzzed suddenly, and his heart leaped as he grabbed it, only to see another missed call from a business associate. His hope deflated, and he tossed the phone onto the couch beside him.

The day wore on, each hour feeling like an eternity. Manik paced around the house, constantly glancing at his phone, his anxiety growing with each passing minute. He tried calling Nandini's number again and again, only to be met with the cold, mechanical voice telling him the phone was switched off. Each time, it felt like a punch to the gut.

"Her phone must be with her mom," Abhimanyu said, trying to reassure him, though the concern was evident in his own voice.

Manik didn't respond. He knew they were all trying to help, but nothing could ease the gnawing worry in his chest. The thought of Nandini being hurt, alone, without him, was unbearable.