Threads of Friendship, Bonds of Marriage

Chapter: 36

Cabir arrived at the hospital and saw Manik standing there, drenched and motionless, looking completely shattered. The rain poured down, but it didn't seem to register with Manik, as if he couldn't feel anything anymore. Cabir, who had always known Manik to be everyone's strength, found it unbearable to see him like this—broken, lost, and defeated.

"Manik," Cabir called out softly, his voice filled with concern, but there was no response.

He walked closer, gently placing a hand on Manik's shoulder. "Let's get out of here," he said, his voice firmer now, trying to pull Manik out of whatever dark place he was in.

Manik didn't resist, but he didn't speak either. His eyes remained fixed ahead, distant and hollow, as if he were somewhere far away in his mind. Cabir felt a sharp pang in his chest seeing his friend like this. Manik, who had always been the unshakeable one, the one who held everyone else together, was now the one who needed saving.

Without another word, Cabir led him away from the hospital. The silence between them was thick and heavy, punctuated only by the sound of their footsteps splashing through puddles. Cabir kept glancing at Manik, hoping for even a flicker of life in his eyes, but there was nothing. It was as if Manik had shut down completely.

As they reached Cabir's car, he hesitated for a moment, looking at Manik's blank face. "What happened, Manik? Talk to me. Please."

But Manik remained silent, his lips pressed into a tight line, his jaw clenched. He slid into the passenger seat without a word, his soaked clothes sticking to him like the weight of the world on his shoulders. Cabir's heart sank even further. He knew Manik was hurting, but it was impossible to help him when he wouldn't say a word.

As Cabir started the car, he kept stealing worried glances at his friend. Manik's silence was louder than any words could be. The strong, fearless Manik Malhotra was gone, replaced by someone Cabir barely recognized—a man crushed under the weight of his pain.

And for the first time, Cabir didn't know how to fix it.

**************

The next morning, everything had changed in Manik's life. The carefree world of Fab 5 felt different now, burdened by the weight of Nandini's rejection and the sight of Manik in such a broken state. Word of what had happened between him and Nandini spread quickly among the group, and it hit them hard. Seeing their leader, the strongest among them, so defeated stirred emotions they weren't used to handling.

Mukti and Alya, both fiercely protective of Manik, were furious at Nandini. Their anger bubbled over at the thought of her being the reason behind his suffering. They were ready to confront her, to fight and demand answers. Alya clenched her fists, pacing back and forth, while Mukti's frustration was palpable, her eyes blazing with a need to fix things the only way she knew how—through confrontation.

"This is all her fault!" Mukti spat, standing up abruptly. "How dare she break him like this? We should go and—"

"No," Cabir interrupted, stepping in front of Mukti. His voice was calm but firm, the voice of reason when everyone else seemed to be spiraling. "That's not going to help anything."

Alya shot him a frustrated look. "And what do you expect us to do, Cabir? Just sit here while Manik falls apart?"

Dhruv, who had been quietly observing, spoke up. "Cabir's right. This needs to end here. Nandini's made her choice, and pushing things further is only going to make it worse—for Manik and for all of us."