TRUE LOVE NEVER GIVES UP

Chapter-64: Much Needed Assurance

After the doctor left, the atmosphere in the room was heavy with a mix of relief and lingering worry. Nandini remained seated beside Manik, her eyes fixed on him, waiting for any sign of him waking up. Soha stood near the doorway, her gaze shifting between Nandini and Manik. Despite the jealousy within her, she couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy seeing Nandini so vulnerable, so wrapped in her concern for Manik.

Manik stirred, his eyelids fluttering as he slowly came to consciousness. His vision was blurred at first, but as it cleared, the first thing he saw was Nandini sitting beside him, her eyes locked onto his face. She looked drained but attentive, her expression a blend of worry and relief. The moment their eyes met, Nandini’s breath hitched, but she didn’t say a word.

Manik reached out with weak hands, finding Nandini’s fingers and holding onto them. His touch was light, almost as if he feared she might pull away. “Nandini…” he murmured, his voice raspy with exhaustion.

Cabir moved closer, helping Manik sit up slowly, making sure he didn’t strain himself. Dhruv offered Manik a glass of water, and without saying anything, Nandini took the medicine from the bedside table and handed it to him. Manik took the pills, his gaze never leaving her face, but she kept her eyes down, focused on the task at hand.

“Thanks,” Manik whispered after taking the medicine, still gripping Nandini’s hand lightly as if her touch was his anchor. He glanced around at the others who were watching him with concern. “I’m okay, guys. Just… exhausted.”

Alya sat on the edge of the bed, her voice soft and concerned. “Are you sure you’re okay? You scared us, Manik.”

“Yeah,” Navya added, her tone reflecting the collective worry of the group. “You need to take it easy. You can’t keep pushing yourself like this.”

Manik nodded, offering them a tired smile. “I’ll be fine. Just needed a wake-up call, I guess.”

But his eyes kept drifting back to Nandini, who was still silent, her focus now on collecting the medicine wrappers and putting things in order. She looked up briefly, meeting Manik’s gaze, and then turned to Neyonika. “I’ll go to the kitchen and make some soup for him,” she said quietly, not waiting for a response before she slipped out of the room.

Manik watched her leave, letting out a heavy sigh. He knew that look—the silent treatment. His heart sank, realizing she was upset with him.

Cabir glanced at Manik, noticing the tension between him and Nandini. “What’s going on, Manik? A few minutes ago, she was so worried, waiting for you to wake up, and now… she’s like this?”

Manik rubbed the back of his neck, leaning back against the pillows. “It’s… it’s always like this,” he said with a sad chuckle. “Whenever I get sick or hurt, she goes quiet on me. It’s like her way of punishing me for not taking care of myself.”

Dhruv frowned, his brows knitting together. “But why? I mean, it’s not like you do it on purpose.”

Manik shrugged, his expression softening as he thought back. “It’s just how she is. From childhood, she was always my go-to person whenever I got hurt. There wasn’t anyone else around—Mom and Dad were in London busy with work, and it was just us. I’d inform Mom if something happened, but it was Nandini who’d take care of me. She’d scold me, sure, but she never asked too many questions. She just… did what needed to be done, you know?”

Mukti nodded, a small smile forming as she listened. “She’s always been like that, hasn’t she? Quietly strong.”

Manik nodded, a wistful smile tugging at his lips. “Yeah. I’d get these silent treatments every time I got hurt. If I’d hiss in pain, you could see it in her eyes; it was like she felt it too. She’d let me rest my head on her lap and ruffle my hair until I was okay again. In the early days, I used to miss you guys, Mom, and Dad… but Nandini never let me feel alone. Even though she was away from her family too, she was always there for me.”