TRUE LOVE NEVER GIVES UP

Chapter-80: Reconcile

The hospital room grew quiet as everyone prepared to leave, gathering their things and murmuring goodbyes. The atmosphere had shifted, becoming more relaxed after the doctor’s positive update on Nandini’s health. Manik had been gently helping Nandini settle back into her bed when she suddenly stopped him, her voice soft but firm.

“Wait... don’t go yet,” she said, her voice catching everyone's attention. The room fell silent again as she looked around at the familiar faces, feeling a knot of nervousness tighten in her chest. Her eyes darted toward Vikrant and Soha, who were already heading for the door. “I want everyone to stay,” she added, her tone gaining strength. “I... I need to say something.”

Vikrant, surprised, glanced at Soha before both of them turned back and rejoined the group, unsure of what Nandini was about to say. The others, sensing the seriousness in her voice, stood quietly, all eyes on her.

Manik, noticing her hesitation, stepped closer and sat beside her on the edge of the bed. He gently placed his hand on her shoulder, his touch reassuring, and gave her a small nod, encouraging her to speak. “It’s okay,” he whispered. “You can do this. I’m right here.”

Drawing strength from his calm presence, Nandini looked around the room, her gaze finally settling on Vishakha, who had been standing a little away from the rest, her eyes cast downward as if avoiding Nandini’s gaze. The moment stretched, heavy with all the unsaid things between them. Everyone else watched in a quiet, almost expectant silence.

With a deep breath, Nandini finally broke the quiet. Her voice, though calm, was filled with the raw vulnerability she had been holding in. "I want to know the truth," she began, her words carrying the weight of her emotions. "Why did you hide everything from me? Why didn't you tell me the truth?"

The room fell utterly silent, the air thick with tension as all eyes turned to Vishakha. For a moment, she didn’t move, her hands trembling slightly at her sides. Slowly, she lifted her head, her eyes rimmed with unshed tears, meeting Nandini’s gaze. The guilt, the fear, the years of secrecy — it all seemed to pour out of her at once.

Vishakha took a shaky breath before speaking, her voice breaking slightly as she began. "I owe you the truth, Nandini… I should have told you a long time ago."

Everyone stood frozen, listening intently as Vishakha began to recount the painful past she had kept hidden for so long. "Vikrant… he left me," she said, her voice trembling as the memories came flooding back. "It was years ago. He left me a letter… a letter telling me he was leaving. He said it was my fault that our baby was born dead. I was heartbroken. I didn’t know what to do. My family cut all their ties with me because I married him against their will. So, I moved in with Bela and Mahir. They helped me pick up the pieces of my life, but I… I still felt empty." Her voice cracked, and tears began to stream down her cheeks.

Nandini’s heart clenched as she watched Vishakha struggle to continue. She had never seen her mother look so vulnerable, so broken.

Vishakha paused, wiping the tears from her eyes. "And then after two years, we went to visit an orphanage. It was the same day I found out about my baby’s death. I didn’t expect anything, I didn’t even want to go… but when I saw you, Nandini… you were five years old, and there was this spark in your eyes." Vishakha smiled through her tears as she recalled that day. "You were so full of life, so innocent, and for the first time in so long, I laughed. I smiled. It felt like I had found a part of myself that I had lost. I… I decided that day I would adopt you. You brought light back into my life."

Nandini’s eyes filled with tears as she listened, her heart aching with the raw emotion pouring out of Vishakha.

"I never wanted you to know, Nandini," Vishakha continued, her voice breaking again. "I never wanted you to feel like you didn’t have a family. I wanted you to feel loved, to feel like you belonged. And I loved you more than anything. I never once thought of you as someone else’s child. You were mine, Nandini, from the moment I laid eyes on you."