TRUE LOVE NEVER GIVES UP

Chapter-75: The Weight of Betrayal

Manik entered the room, his vision clouded by tears, the sounds around him fading into an indistinct hum. He saw everyone standing around her, their faces full of relief and tears, but it was as if they were miles away. In his eyes, there was only Nandini. Everything else blurred into insignificance. His feet moved independently, taking him step by step toward her as if he were in a trance.

He reached her bedside, and Nandini, whose eyelids fluttered weakly, opened her eyes. She looked at him, her gaze soft yet filled with the same depth of love they had shared for years.

"Manik..." she whispered, her voice fragile and hoarse, barely more than a breath.

Manik's heart clenched at the sound of her voice. He knelt beside her, his face just inches from hers, his hands trembling as he reached for hers. Slowly, painfully, Nandini moved her hand towards his face, cupping his cheek with what little strength she had left. The simple touch broke him.

A single tear slid down his cheek as he rested his face against her hand, not daring to press too hard, afraid he might hurt her. The dam that he had been holding for all these weeks finally shattered. A soft sob escaped his lips, followed by another, and before he knew it, Manik was crying—deep, raw sobs, the kind that came from his soul, the kind that he had buried deep inside all these days.

Nandini's thumb gently brushed over his cheek, trying to soothe him, her fingers weak but warm.

"Shhh... Manik..." she whispered, her voice shaky, though her heart ached at the sight of him so broken. "I’m here... I’m here now..."

But her words only made him cry harder. He buried his face in her hand, his body trembling with emotion. "I... I thought I lost you," he sobbed. "You promised, Nandini... You promised you wouldn't leave me. And then... then you just... you just left me! You scared me... every single day, I thought you weren't going to wake up."

His voice cracked painfully as he let out all the anguish he'd held onto. He was speaking like a child, full of complaints, full of hurt. "You didn’t even fight. I kept waiting, waiting for you to open your eyes. Why didn’t you wake up sooner? I needed you, Nandini. I needed you every second, and you weren’t there."

Manik’s tears soaked her hand, but he didn’t care. He was no longer the composed Manik that everyone saw. He wasn’t the strong, stoic figure that had stayed beside her bed for all those days. He was just a broken man who needed her more than anything.

Nandini, despite her weakness, managed to gather the strength to ruffle his hair softly. She couldn’t bear seeing him like this, and she wanted to take all his pain away. "I’m so sorry, Manik," she whispered, her voice filled with love and guilt. "I’m so sorry. I didn’t want to leave you. I would never leave you. I fought... I fought for you... for us."

He kept shaking his head, his sobs quieter but still full of heartache. "You don’t know how much it hurt," he choked out, his hands clutching hers as if his life depended on it. "You don’t know how scared I was. I... I couldn’t even breathe without you."

Nandini, despite the exhaustion, smiled softly at him. "I’m here now," she whispered, her voice gentle but firm. "I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere. You’re never going to be without me, Manik. I’m right here. Always."

Manik finally looked up at her, his eyes red and swollen from crying. He gazed at her as if he couldn’t quite believe she was real. He reached out, tenderly brushing her hair away from her face. "You’re not allowed to leave me," he said, his voice shaky but filled with determination. "Not ever. You understand?"

"I understand," Nandini whispered, her heart swelling at the sight of him, at the depth of his love. "I’ll never leave you, I promise. I’m yours forever."