TRUE LOVE NEVER GIVES UP

Chapter-61: Their Paradise

As the front door closed behind Manik, the echo of his last words lingered in the air, leaving a heavy tension in the room. Nandini watched him disappear, her heart torn between her love for Manik and the pain of seeing her mother so conflicted. Before anyone could speak, Vishakha turned to Nandini, her eyes pleading.

“Nandini, please—” Vishakha began, her voice cracking with the weight of everything unsaid.

But Nandini backed away, the hurt and confusion clear in her eyes. She shook her head, taking a step back, unwilling to engage in another argument. “Mumma, I need space,” she said, her voice strained. “I can’t do this right now.” Without waiting for a response, she turned and walked towards the door, grabbing Navya’s hand as she went.

Vishakha watched helplessly as Nandini and Navya left the room. The door clicked shut behind them, and the silence that followed was deafening. Vishakha felt her chest tighten, the familiar pang of fear and helplessness overwhelming her.

Bela and Mahir exchanged worried glances before approaching Vishakha. Bela placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, trying to offer comfort. “Vish, we’ve been friends for so long. We know how much you love Nandini, but keeping the truth from her is only pushing her away.”

Vishakha’s eyes were red and filled with tears, and she turned to Bela, her expression fraught with turmoil. “You think I don’t know that?” she snapped, her voice breaking. “You think this is easy for me? If I told her the whole truth then she would get to know that she is not my daughter. I can’t tell her that she’s not my daughter, that she’s adopted! She’s my everything, Bela! She’s the only good thing that came out of that nightmare!”

Bela sighed, trying to stay calm. “Vishakha, you can’t keep living in fear of the past. Nandini deserves to know the truth about her identity, about Vikrant’s real face, about why you’re so scared of her being with Manik.”

Vishakha’s composure began to fray, her breaths coming in quick, shallow gasps. “I won’t do it,” she said stubbornly. “I won’t tell her. I can’t bear the thought of her looking at me differently. I’ve loved her like my own from the moment I held her in my arms. She is my daughter, Bela. I’m the one who raised her, who stayed up nights when she was sick, who celebrated her achievements, who...”

Her voice cracked, and she paused, struggling to keep her emotions in check. “I won’t let her go through the pain I did,” Vishakha continued, her tone turning desperate. “She doesn’t need to know that the woman she thinks of as her mother is just some stranger who took her in. I don’t want her to hate me.”

Bela’s expression hardened, frustration finally bubbling to the surface. She stepped closer, her voice firm but laced with compassion. “Vishakha, wake up! You’re not protecting her—you’re protecting yourself. You’re so caught up in your pain that you can’t see what you’re doing to her. You’re suffocating her with your fears, your insecurities, and your unresolved past.”

Vishakha flinched at Bela’s words, her eyes wide with shock. Mahir, standing beside Bela, nodded in agreement. “Bela’s right, Vishakha. Nandini deserves the truth, not your version of it that’s wrapped in lies and fear. If you really love her, you’ll let her decide for herself. You can’t keep controlling her life because you’re afraid of what might happen.”

Vishakha’s eyes filled with tears, her voice rising defensively. “I’m not controlling her! I’m protecting her! I just… I just don’t want her to get hurt like I did.”

Bela shook her head, her expression a mix of empathy and exasperation. “You think you’re the only one who’s ever been hurt, Vishakha? We all have scars, but we can’t let them dictate our lives forever. Nandini is stronger than you give her credit for. She has the right to know who she is, and why you’re so afraid of her being with Manik. You owe her that much.”