A Part, Yet Apart

Chapter 84- Manik is Determined

''Why is it raining here?'' Manik thought as he felt droplets of water on his face. He woke up to the sound of tinkling bangles. Nandini sat in front of mirror and dried her hair. She wore the red saree gifted by Manik. He looked confused seeing her. ''Good morning Manik'' she wished him. ''Good morning'' Manik replied. ''These green bangles aren't matching na, how would I know that you'll get a red saree'' she said. ''Even green is good'' Manik said getting up from the bed. ''Jaldi se ready ho jao, we shouldn't let Mukti and Abhimanyu wait for us'' Nandini said putting on her jhumkas. ''Ok, tum bahar wait karo, ready ho ke aa jaunga'' Manik said. Nandini took his towel from his hand. ''Main baahar kyu karungi, I'll wait in the room'' she said. ''No, misunderstandings avoid karne ke liye, we should stay apart'' Manik said. ''Hum itne dino se saath mein hai, par kabhi aisa hua nahi na. Yesterday might just be a mistake'' Nandini convinced.

''Mistake! Mujhe isse pehle bhi aisa bahut baar feel hua'' Manik hesitated to admit in front of Nandini. ''Isse pehle bhi matlab?'' Nandini asked. ''I mean, I felt like this even before too. Ye pehli baar nahi tha. I'm sure you even know that wasn't our first kiss yesterday'' Manik said. ''Why didn't you tell me this before?'' it was Nandini's turn to get shocked. ''Don't act like you don't know about it, didn't you ogled at me'' Manik said. ''I never checked you out'' Nandini stammered. Manik stared at her blankly. ''I mean, sometimes it happened with me too'' she lowered her head. ''Matlab, ulta chor kotwal ko daant rahi hai'' Manik grabbed the towel from her hand. She stood close to him. ''Why did you stop me last night then?'' he asked as he encircled her with the towel. ''Because we're caught in this game Manik, the game is over'' Nandini said. Manik freed her instantly. ''Jaldi aa jao'' Nandini said. ''I can never understand you Nandini!'' Manik thought. 

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''Where are we going now?'' Manik asked as he sat in the driver's seat. ''Chamundeshwari devi temple'' Nandini said. ''Ok, tum log jao, I'll wait'' Manik said. ''No, you're coming with us'' Nandini said looking to his eyes. ''Nandini, now that you know I don't believe in God, don't force me to come with you'' Manik denied. ''You believe in humanity, you have faith in your human beings, that means you believe in God'' Nandini said. ''Our ways of worshipping might be different but our faiths and beliefs are same. You come with us, ek protocol samajke ye sab kar dena. Everyone goes to temple for peace'' Nandini said. ''Aa jao na Manik, maa bhi khush hogi agar tu humare saath aa jaye tho'' Mukti said. ''Ye Shaktipeeth hai Manik, you should definitely visit'' Nandini said. ''Ok! Ok! I'll come inside but only because you are asking me to!'' Manik said. ''Agar aa hi rahe hai tho Chamundeshwari devi ke liye hi aao na'' she said. They had darshan in peace. ''Mukti seems tired, can we just return to Bangalore, we'll take rest and we should fly back to Hyderabad'' Abhimanyu said. ''Sure'' Manik agreed.

The return journey didn't seem long or tired for Nandini. After Mukti and Abhimanyu had left for airport, Nandini and Manik locked themselves in their rooms till dinner time. ''Tired?'' Manik asked when she came out. ''No, I was just sitting idle in the room'' Nandini said. ''You should have come to my room'' Manik said. He took her to his room and showed her a painting. ''Were you painting all this while!'' she asked him. ''Ha, ye dekho'' he said. A cloudy night sky, the drizzle and the moon were painted as a background. A couple in their balcony, the man back hugged the woman. ''Is it us?'' she asked with a spark in her eyes. The admiration towards the painting was evident in her eyes. ''Hmm, kaisa hai?'' he asked. ''I didn't knew you would paint such a beautiful piece, sach mein bahut sundar hai, in fact it is way more beautiful than the actual situation se bhi zyada'' Nandini said. ''Hume mom ki baat sun ni chahiye thi'' Manik said. ''Kya'' she asked him. Manik took her hand and said, ''honeymoon pe jaana'' he said winking at her. 

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''Good morning Manik'' Inaya wished him in the office. ''Aaj kal tum dikh hi nahi rahi ho, na ghar mein na car mein, sirf office mein hi mil rahi ho mujhse'' Manik asked. ''I was li'l busy in the weekend'' Inaya said. ''Itna busy, Vicky ke saath?'' Manik asked. ''Ha, mom dad has agreed for our marriage'' Inaya broke the good news. ''What? Such a good news!'' Manik congratulated Inaya. ''Thank you, I never thought wo log itne easily maan jaayenge'' she said, still in a surprise. Manik stood from his work desk and hugged Inaya. ''Tho shaadi kab hai! Aur Vicky kaha hai?'' Manik asked. ''Vicky uske parents se baat karne gaya hai, he is on leave today'' she said. Both of them didn't notice their surroundings until they heard a scream. When Manik turned around he saw Daksh fell down and winced in pain. He offered to help Daksh and extended his hand to help him. But Daksh didn't take Manik's hand, instead he held his crutch and got up slowly. 

''I'm sorry, Daksh! How are you?'' Manik asked. ''Ye saare naatak bandh karo Manik, I know you're doing this intentionally'' Daksh said arrogantly as he stood up. The grudge he is holding against Manik is evident in his face. Everyone gathered together as Manik and Daksh had a tiff. ''I didn't mean to! I..'' Manik tried to speak but he knew Daksh wouldn't believe him. To avoid unnecessary drama, Manik simply apologized and asked Daksh to leave from there. He sat back in the chair. ''Why do you just avoid him? We don't mean any harm to him'' Inaya said. ''Daksh can never be good to me. Fighting with him is like trying to put sense in to a fool'' Manik said. 

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''Surprise!'' Nandini said as Daksh opened the door. ''Nandini?'' he looked surprised. ''I couldn't come home when you got discharged. I thought I should come to visit you'' she said. ''Khaali haath, aise dabba ke bina?'' he asked. ''I should have opened a dabba wala service, instead of that corporate gifting'' Nandini said. They both laughed aloud. ''Can I come in?'' she asked. ''Oh sorry, come in! have a seat'' Daksh said. ''I thought tum aaj office jao ge, so I came late? Waise bhi tumhare office hours mujhe pata hai'' Nandini said. ''Yes, I went to office today. But that idiot, he made fun of my situation'' Daksh said. ''I thought you'll be happy to return to your office'' Nandini said. ''No, I don't have any friends in the office, sirf kaam hi mera kaam hai'' Daksh said. ''Having no friends! How is that even possible?'' Nandini wondered.

''Wrong work culture?'' Nandini asked. ''Wrong colleagues'' he said. ''Ek do log aise ho sakta hai, saare colleagues aise kaise ho sakta hai'' she asked. ''You don't know Nandini! Wo log mere mazaak uda rahe the aaj'' Daksh said. ''Daksh, can I say something if you don't feel bad'' Nandini hesitated to speak. ''You are free to say anything'' he said. ''Your colleagues might not be good to you, but are you being good to them?'' she asked. ''How can I be not good to them?'' he said. Nandini smiled at him awkwardly. ''When you be nice to them, how can they not be good to you?'' she asked. ''Matlab main acha nahi hu kya?'' Daksh asked offended. ''Ok, do one thing! if someone is doing wrong with you, be patient tomorrow. Don't even react instead be good to them'' Nandini said. ''I can't be good with the ones who wronged with me'' Daksh said. ''Kya pata wo bhi tumhare baare mein aise hi soch raha hoga'' Nandini's words had hit him like a storm. ''Koi sawaal kisi se na pucho, sirf khud se hi'' Nandini said. Daksh got taken over by his thoughts when Nandini bid bye to him.

She came home back to be greeted by Manik at the dinner table. ''Ab tak gayi kaha?'' Manik asked. ''Daksh se milne uske ghar gayi thi'' Nandini said. ''Kaisa hai wo?'' Manik asked with a straight face. ''Theekh hi tha, main fresh ho ke wapas aaungi'' she said and went to her room. ''Manik, koi sawaal kyu nahi pucha? Why didn't he even react?'' she thought. As she got freshened up and came back, Manik served her dinner. ''Tum se bina pooche chali gayi thi main, sorry!'' she stammered. ''You are free to go anywhere Nandini. My only concern is your safety. Now that you're safe, koi problem hai hi nahi'' Manik said eating. Nandini is surprised as she heard him. ''Matlab, you don't have any problem meeting Daksh?'' she asked him. ''Absolutely not until you tell me what's going on! You must be familiar with the city too, just take care and stick around. Don't forget am just a call away, if you have any problem'' Manik assured her. Nandini found this as a good gesture from Manik.

''I wish Daksh acknowledge your efforts as a friend, he always took my efforts as my cunningness. I shall protect you from him Nandini'' Manik thought.