Tangled Beliefs

Chapter-53: Blame the Husband

Even the strongest souls need a place to fall. And if he ever falls again, I hope it's into my arms.

Nandini's POV,

His arms were still wrapped tightly around me, his breath uneven, warm tears soaking through the thin fabric of my shirt, staining my shoulder. I could feel every sob he had tried to hold back all these years now breaking free against me. His pain was raw. It wasn't just sadness-it was buried anguish, guilt, loss... all tangled together.

I held him as tightly, my fingers weaving into his hair, gently ruffling them in soft, slow strokes, trying to soothe a storm that had been left unspoken for too long. My heart was breaking for him. For the little boy who lost his best friend, for the man who never got to grieve properly, who carried all the blame like a silent punishment.

"Shh... It's okay," I whispered softly near his ear. "Let it out, Manik... I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere."

I couldn't believe how much he had suffered. All alone. This wasn't something small. This was everything. I knew what it felt like... to be blamed for something that wasn't your fault. Not to be trusted by your own. It rips you apart from the inside.

I tried to break the hug, just slightly, wanting to look into his eyes... to make sure he was okay. But the moment I shifted, he pulled me back with such desperation that my heart clenched.

"Manik," I whispered again. "Look at me... please."

His grip finally loosened.

I pulled back gently and cupped his face. His eyes were closed, his lashes wet, cheeks damp, and that same frown of pain still creased on his forehead. I couldn't take it anymore.

I rose a little on my toes and kissed both his eyelids gently. Soft, slow... reverent. My lips trembled as they touched his skin. This... this was the furthest I had gone. And I didn't care. He deserved every ounce of comfort.

He slowly opened his eyes, and the tears instantly flowed again. His voice cracked.

"I never thought... one mistake would take everything from me," he whispered. "He was my Dadu, Nandini. I could never... never think of hurting him. But I did. It's all my fault. I should have listened to Dadi. I should've-"

"Manik..." I placed my hand over his lips, trying to stop him. But he removed it gently and fell to the floor, his legs giving out under the weight of the memories.

"I'm his murderer," he sobbed, curling onto the floor. "I killed him, Nandini. I'm a criminal. I deserve this pain. I deserve all of it. I-"

"No!" I kneeled beside him, cupping his face again. "Stop. Just... stop."

But he kept going, his chest heaving as more guilt spilled out of him, words broken by gasps and pain. My eyes welled up. I had never seen Manik like this- so broken, so shattered.

I wrapped my arms around him tightly again, pulling his head against my chest and rubbing circles on his back as I whispered soothing words.

"You didn't kill him, Manik... please stop saying that," I whispered close to his ear. "You didn't know what was going to happen. You were just following your dream, doing what he taught you to do. He wanted you to sing. He loved your music. He loved you."

He cried harder, but his grip on me became desperate. I didn't pull away. I let him cry. He needed this. He needed someone to just be there.

"He'd be proud of you," I continued softly. "Even today. Especially today. Because no matter what you've told yourself, he never blamed you. The one who did this is in jail. But you... You've been in a prison of guilt for years."