Tangled Beliefs

Chapter-52: Never Again

I've made mistakes. But hurting her? That wasn't a mistake. It was a failure.

Manik's POV,

I woke up to dull, filtered sunlight seeping through the curtains. The faint hum of the AC, the quiet clink of distant utensils from downstairs, but something felt off.

I turned to my side instinctively, expecting to find her there, quietly scrolling through her phone. But the bed was empty. It was cold. The sheets were crumpled, but not warm. She had been up for a while.

Nandini.

I rubbed my face and sat up, brushing off the remnants of sleep. Maybe she had gone downstairs. Or maybe she was still getting ready. She usually did come back to the room once before leaving-every single day since our marriage, even if we were barely speaking. She would still lay out my outfit for the day, mostly silently, sometimes with a short "this will look good." Today... nothing. My wardrobe doors were closed. No clothes placed on the edge of the bed. No scarf of hers left behind by mistake. No trace of her.

My heart sank just a little.

Something wasn't right.

I got ready quickly, trying to brush off the gnawing discomfort growing inside me. Maybe she didn't want to disturb me. Maybe...

No. That wasn't it.

As I descended the stairs, I saw Mom, Dad and Dadi already at the dining table. Dad was reading something on his iPad, and Dadi was ranting about how certain relatives didn't offer her proper chai at their place yesterday with Dad.

Mom looked up at me and smiled. "Good morning, Manik. Come sit."

I sat at the head of the table, still scanning the room. She wasn't there. "Where's Nandini?" I asked, casually, trying not to sound too concerned.

Neyonika poured tea into a cup and handed it to me. "Oh, she left about an hour ago."

I paused mid-reach for the toast.

"Already left?" I asked slowly. "Why?"

"She said there's some important meeting, and she had some pending files. Said she'd rather finish them early. Didn't she tell you?" Mom asked, brows raised slightly.

I hesitated-just for a second-then nodded. "Yeah... she did. I forgot."

Lie.

I hadn't forgotten.

Because she hadn't said a word.

I tried to eat, but the food felt tasteless, every bite growing heavier in my mouth. I barely touched anything after that.

She left without telling me. Without a single word.

She always came to the room-even if we didn't speak much, she came. She reminded me of my meetings. Teased me if my tie didn't match. Rolled her eyes if I didn't pick a blazer. And today... just silence.

I left soon after breakfast, unable to shake the weight inside my chest.

The drive to the office was quiet, but my mind was anything but. I kept replaying last night-her face, her flinch, her words. The fear. God, the fear in her eyes when I held her like that.

I had never hated myself more.

As I stepped into the lobby of Malhotra Industries on my floor, I saw her-Nandini.

Walking confidently, her ponytail swaying behind her and files in hand, dressed in soft grey and white, she looked... exhausted. Her eyes lacked the spark they usually had, and her smile-the one she reserved for others in the office-was missing.