A Part, Yet Apart

Chapter 41- The Big Truth

Manik woke up in his bed with a hangover from last night. ''Ah, why did I drink?'' he cursed himself. His head felt heavy and had a bad headache. ''Good morning Mr. Romeo'' Aryaman wished him. ''Why are you so smiling? Didn't dad say anything to you last night'' Manik enquired. ''Dad has apologized me long ago but what were you doing with Nandini bhabhi last night?'' he asked. ''Maine kya kiya? Mujhe koi idea nahi hai'' Manik said still holding his head. ''Have black coffee first! Aise raat ko kaise bhool jaate ho?'' Aryaman teased him. ''Don't build a suspense tell me if something is wrong. Did I went overboard with drinks? I'm not a drunkard'' Manik said having his coffee. ''Acha hua ki kisi ne nahi dekha'' Aryaman said, ''mere alawa'' he added. ''I think I should call up Nandini and say that I won't ever drink again'' Manik said taking his phone.

''Pehle sunn lo ki tumne kya kiya phir decide karo'' Aryaman said. ''Kya kiya tha maine?'' Manik asked. ''Manik, you're gonna regret this big time. Listen to me'' Aryaman said and held Manik hand in his hand in an attempt to recreate the scene between Manik and Nandini, but Manik didn't remember a thing. ''Nandini, I just wanted to kiss you when I saw you for the first time'' Aryaman said mimicking Manik's voice from last night. Manik's eyes popped out when he heard him. ''Oh God! I should fix this now!'' Manik thought and immediately sent Aryaman out and dialed her number. Nandini picked up the phone on the other side. ''Hello'' her voice is low. ''I'm so sorry Nandini. I didn't remember a thing from last night, but please believe me! Maine intentionally kiss nahi kiya'' he said. He felt embarrassed to explain it to her. Nandini didn't reply him. ''Ha I felt like kissing you when I saw you first but that was just an attraction. You really really looked beautiful Nandini. Now I do not have any such intentions. I really respect you. I promise I would never pull such acts again. Please trust me'' he spoke his heart out. 

''Manik, can we talk again?'' something seemed off with her and Manik felt it was his mistake to kiss her last night. ''Agreement mein wo clearly mentioned tha ki, I shouldn't even touch her and how can I kiss her? What will she be thinking of me'' he thought. Manik felt he should go and apologize her. He quickly had a shower and got ready. He scurried from home to reach her. All the way to her home, he was nervous to face her. He knocked on the door as he reached there and Mohan opened it. ''Good morning uncle, Nandini kaha hai?'' Manik was in a hurry to see her. ''She is resting in her room'' he said and Manik's foot steps moved towards his room. He saw Nandini on bed while Anitha sat beside her with a glass of milk. ''I'm sorry Nandini'' he said quickly. He then saw a bandage around her head. ''Ye kaise hua?'' Manik asked sitting near her. ''Nandini fell down in the garden last night'' Mohan who came there told him. ''But kaise? When did she come home and how did she fell? Moreover this doesn't look like an accidental wound'' Manik said. ''Manik, it's okay. I have taken medication. Main galti se neeche ghir gayi'' she said. ''Even I'm asking the same Manik, I didn't knew when she fell and by the time I woke up, both father and daughter came back from hospital also'' Anitha complained.

''Aunty, can I speak to Nandini for a minute?'' he asked and Anitha, Mohan went away. ''Nandini, please tell me, did I hurt you? Is that wound because of me. I promise I'll never drink again. I'm so sorry'' Manik felt guilty but she put her hand on his shoulder. ''Stop it Manik! You didn't do anything'' she said asking him to calm down. ''Tum ghar kaise aa gayi? who dropped you home?'' he asked. ''Aryaman ne mujhe drop kiya tha'' she said. ''Raaste mein koi accident?'' he asked. ''Or that Abhinav! did he do anything?'' Manik enquired all the possibilities. ''No, maine bola na! Garden mein ghir gayi'' Nandini said. ''Manik, kisi ne kuch nahi kiya!'' Mohan said entering in. ''I don't believe it, raat ko 12 baje tum garden kyu gayi thi. And why would you both go to hospital leaving Anitha aunty alone? Why didn't you inform her that you fell down'' Manik asked.

''Because Anitha will panic if she gets to know it in the mid night'' Mohan said. ''Then why do I feel like you both are lying?'' Manik asked looking at both of them. ''We aren't lying'' Mohan said. ''Aapke baare mein mujhe nahi pata but I can easily tell that Nandini is lying. I can see that in her eyes'' Manik said looking into her eyes. ''Fine, if you are not telling me the truth, I'm left with no option than to complain to police'' Manik said. ''Either it should be me who injured you, because I don't remember a thing from last night. Or it should be either Aryaman or Abhinav. Jab police khud investigate karega tho sab sach baahar aayega'' Manik felt useless to talk to them anymore. Nandini got from the bed and hurried towards the door to stop him. ''Manik, stop! There's no one. I'm telling you that I fell off in the garden'' Nandini lied again. ''Jhoot das baar bolne se sach nahi badlega. Both of you are hiding something from me and I want to know it'' Manik raised his voice and Mohan then locked the door. ''Sach yeh hai Manik, that Anitha has hit her with the flower vase'' Mohan revealed.

''Nanna, why are you doing this?'' Nandini was in tears. ''What?'' Manik couldn't believe him. ''We can't hide it anymore Nandu? You don't deserve this at all'' Mohan said. ''Why would aunty hit her? I don't believe this'' Manik said. ''Anitha has a psychological disorder, she doesn't remember a thing from last night'' Mohan said. ''But why would she hit Nandini?'' Manik asked. ''Anitha is constantly under anti-psychiatrics and all this is due to adverse effects of these medicines. Last night, seeing Abhinav triggered her emotions. She became so violent that she had hit Nandini as soon as Aryaman dropped her'' Mohan said. ''Nanna, please stop it'' she pleaded Mohan to stop. Nandini broke down into tears and sat on the bed. ''Manik, she was never this violent. Every night, she constantly asks me to get Nandini married. She is scared that you might end up not marrying her. Abhinav really went overboard last night'' Mohan was almost at the verge of breaking down. ''MR, please come soon'' Anitha called him. Mohan unlocked the door and wiped his tears.

''Manik, ye sab koi nahi jaanta hai mom ke baare mein. Please kisi ko mat batana. Maine ab tak Navya ko bhi nahi bataya'' Nandini cried joining hands in front of Manik. ''Shh! Main kisi se kuch nahi kahunga. Kisi se bhi nahi'' he hugged and wiped off her tears. ''Relax, don't cry! I'm here to make you smile Nandini. I don't like to see your tears at all'' he said hugging her as tight as he can. Nandini hugged him back. ''Aunty ko bhi hum kuch nahi hone denge! We'll get her treated by the best doctors'' Manik said. ''Manik, I'm scared of mumma'' she cried like a child and hugged him. ''Don't get scared Nandini. Do you know mom used to take a stick and beat all of us, Mukti, Aryaman and me! Sabse zyada pitaai meri hoti thi. Whenever we do something mischievous, mom would be ready with her stick to beat us red and blue. Dekha na dad kaise Aryaman par chillaya. Mom dad, they are like this. Pehle pitaai, phir pyaar bhi humse hi karenge na. You know dad apologized Aryaman. It's just a matter of time. Now aunty don't even remember what she did!'' Manik tried to calm her down. 

''Chalo, bahar jaate hai. Sar pe zara sa chot laga tho bed rest nahi diya na doctor ne. Come out'' he took her out in the drawing room. ''Arre Nandu, why are you crying beta?'' Anitha asked seeing Nandini in tears. ''Nandini is so sensitive aunty, mujhe dekh te hi rone lag gayi. Tell me something, is Nandini afraid of injections and medicines'' Manik asked. ''Not at all. Injections and medicines se mujhe dar lagta hai but Nandini was never scared. In fact bachpan mein Nandini doctor banna chahti thi'' Anitha said. Manik felt sorry for Anitha as she is unaware of herself harming Nandini. ''Actually main aap sab ko ek important news batane aaya tha'' Manik said. Manik made Nandini sit beside him and never left her hand. ''Pandit ji se humari baat hui, next year is not at all good for us as per our horoscopes, what he suggested is, to get us married in this year'' Manik said shocking Nandini. ''Kya matlab?'' Anitha asked. ''Let's just stick to our first plan!'' he said. 

''I want to marry Nandini on December 31st as planned. And our wedding should be a close knit ceremony'' Manik said looking at Nandini.