TRUE LOVE NEVER GIVES UP

Chapter-69: Shadowed Truths

Nandini stood at the top of the stairs, her heart still racing, her mind lost in a whirlwind of confusion and despair. Her tear-filled eyes found Manik in the hall below, talking to someone. For a moment, everything else faded, and all she could focus on was him. She needed to get to him, to feel his arms around her, to hear his voice telling her that everything would be okay, even though nothing felt okay anymore.

She stepped forward, but her legs felt weak, trembling with the weight of everything she had just learned. Her foot slipped on the edge of the step, and before she knew what was happening, her ankle twisted violently. A sharp, searing pain shot through her leg, and a scream tore from her throat.

“Manik!” she screamed instinctively, her voice echoing through the grand hall as her body lost balance. She fell, rolling down the stairs in a blur of agony, her world spinning as the ground came rushing up to meet her.

Manik’s heart stopped when he heard her scream. He turned toward the stairs, and his blood turned cold when he saw Nandini tumbling down. “NANDINI!” he yelled, his voice cracking with terror. The entire hall fell into chaos as everyone’s attention turned to her.

Everyone gasped in horror, and Vishakha, standing frozen for a split second, let out a heart-wrenching cry.

“Nandini!” Navya shouted. Manik was already sprinting toward her, his heart pounding like it was about to burst. The scene before him felt unreal, like a nightmare he couldn’t wake up from.

Nandini’s body came to a sudden stop as she landed hard on the ground, her head hitting the cold marble with a sickening thud. Blood pooled from a gash on her forehead, staining the pristine white floor beneath her. She was breathing heavily, each breath shallow and labored, her chest rising and falling with difficulty.

“No, no, no…” Manik murmured, panic gripping him as he dropped to his knees beside her, his hands shaking as he gently lifted her head onto his lap. “Nandini, please, open your eyes. Look at me!” His voice was breaking, tears streaming down his face uncontrollably.

Vishakha rushed forward, her face pale and streaked with tears, collapsing beside them. “Nandini! Nandini, my child, please keep your eyes open, baby,” she cried, her voice desperate, her hands trembling as she touched Nandini’s face. “Don’t close your eyes, please!”

Nandini’s eyes fluttered, barely able to stay open. Her breathing was ragged, and every breath seemed to come out as a painful gasp. “I have… no one…” she whispered in broken sentences, her voice barely audible. Her eyes were glazed with tears, and she looked up at Manik, her gaze distant and filled with unbearable sorrow. “No one loves me… I’m… alone…”

Manik’s heart shattered into pieces hearing those words. “No, Nandini! Don’t say that. I love you!” His voice was thick with emotion, his hands cupping her pale face gently. “I’m here, okay? I’m right here. You’re not alone, Nandini. I’m with you… always.”

Nandini’s lips trembled as she lifted a shaky hand to his face, cupping his cheek softly, her fingers weak against his skin. “I… love you… Manik,” she breathed, her words so faint they almost broke him completely. Then her eyes fluttered shut, and her hand fell limp from his cheek.

“NANDINI!” Manik screamed, his voice raw and filled with agony. He shook her lightly, his hands trembling violently. “Open your eyes, please! Nandini, don’t do this, please, wake up! Nandini!”

Vishakha was sobbing uncontrollably, holding Nandini’s other hand, and pressing kisses to her fingers. “No, no, no… Nandini, baby, please. I can’t lose you. Open your eyes, Nandini, please!” she cried, her voice breaking as she pleaded with her unconscious daughter.