A Part, Yet Apart

Chapter 88- First, Yet Again

''Oh shit'' Manik reacted while Nandini put her hands on her mouth in shock. ''Why did you leave it?'' she asked taking the pieces in her hand. ''Slip ho gaya Nandini'' he said. ''Pehle se phone karaab tha, ab toot bhi gaya'' she looked dull. ''Then I'll get a new phone for you tomorrow, take it as a birthday gift'' Manik said relieved. ''Birthday gift! You've already given me this bracelet and I can't take a phone from you again'' she said. Manik took the parts of her phone from her and insisted that she should accept the phone as a gift. ''Nandini, you said you trust me. If you really trust me, you're taking this phone'' he said. ''Trust and phone! How do they relate?'' she asked. ''Ye sab faaltu ke questions mat pucho, you said you're tired, go and sleep'' he said. ''You're not coming?'' she asked him, but Manik said he would sleep in some time. The only thing which occupied his mind is her phone and Daksh.

''Breaking her phone was a bad idea, what was I thinking when I did that stupid thing'' Manik regretted his refluxes, but he felt he had no other option than to save himself. He is in a fix and called Inaya in confusion. "Manik, where did you leave all of a sudden?'' she asked. "Nandini's dad had a cardiac attack, so we'd come to Hyderabad" Manik said. "Oh, I'm sorry, how is he?'' Inaya asked formally. "He is fine, and I will return tomorrow night. But tell me how Daksh was today?" Manik asked eagerly. "You should have seen him today Manik, restless and worried. His face was pale. He was continuously checking his phone, maybe in anticipation of an answer from Nandini" Inaya said. "Yeah, he just called Nandini a few minutes back" Manik said. "What did she say? Yes or No!" Inaya's curiosity increased. "It was not Nandini, but I have picked the call and before I could give it to Nandini, the phone fell down and broke" Manik said.

"Nandini's phone broke!" Inaya asked with a hint of doubt in her voice. "Ha I said I will get her a new phone" Manik said. "But why did you break her phone Manik! Do you think they'll forget everything if they don't talk to each other" Inaya can't believe Manik would go to such lengths. "Phone galti se ghir gaya" Manik said plainly. "Nandini will believe your made-up stories, not me!'' Inaya said. "Inaya, I absolutely have no problem if Nandini and Daksh are together. I mean, besides our enmity with him, he is a good soul, the only-son to his parents, born with a silver-spoon, academics and career are top-notch, which girl wouldn't want a guy like Daksh that too if he proposes first!" Manik doubted his intentions as he said these words. "Pata nahi tum kya keh rahe ho Manik! I hope tum kuch gadbad na kiya ho'' she said.

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"Uncle is getting discharged today Nandini'' Manik said to Nandini as she got ready to go to hospital. "Itni jaldi?'' Nandini asked. "Normally aise discharge nahi karte but hospital mein kuch repair chal rahe hai and we felt its not safe to be there'' Manik said. Nandini's lips curved an O shape and said that she will clean her dad's room by the time he gets discharged. Manik said that he will go to hospital to get Mohan discharged. Hours later, Anitha and Mohan came back with Manik. He helped Anitha to take Mohan to his room and made him sat there. "Aap ko jo bhi chahiye hoga, Aryaman will be just a call away" Manik said. "I'll be leaving tonight uncle" Manik said and he nodded. "And I'll come again in a few days to take Nandini with me'' and turned to see Nandini. "Am I not coming to Bangalore with you?'' Nandini asked out of confusion. "Uncle isn't well, I think you should spend a few days with them" Manik said.

"Nandu, this is the month of Aashadam, newly weds aren't supposed to stay together" Anitha's words had surprised and shocked her. Nandini didn't see this coming and the thought of staying away from Manik, terrified her. She felt Manik should have asked before deciding on her behalf. "I'll prepare lunch" Anitha said and they have asked Mohan to rest. Manik gave a phone to Nandini. "I've saved all the contacts in it Nandini" he said. "Contacts sync hoga na!'' she asked in doubt. "But your sim card is also destroyed and couldn't retrieve the old data. Everything is new, even the number is changed" Manik said. "Sim card wahi old number leni chahiye thi na" she asked. "Same number lene mein time lagega shayad, I'm leaving tonight so I thought you should get everything sorted today" Manik said. At the bottom of his heart, somewhere Manik knew that Nandini wouldn't have any way of contacting Daksh if he changes everything.

Plan B has popped in his head when Nandini's phone broke. He could break the contacts between Daksh and her if he can keep them away from meeting or contacting each other over the phone. His plan had become so seamless when Anitha asked Manik to let Nandini stay with them for a few days. Manik didn't wanted to let go off this golden opportunity to keep them apart. "Family ke sab log, tumhare friends saare contacts hai isme. Navya sent a few of the numbers" Manik said. They had lunch in peace and Manik went home to bid bye to his parents. While coming back Aryaman offered to drop Manik to the airport and went to Nandini's room to bid bye.

''Nandini" he called her. Her heartbeat raised as he took her name. "Nandini, tell Manik that you love him, usse aise hi jaane mat dena" her heart told her. He was the silence to her chaos. If someone had told her that she would love Manik head over heels, she wouldn't believe them. Just a few months back, she was busy plotting the reasons to stay back with her parents but when she really got one, her heart yearned to be with Manik. "Manik" she finally gathered her courage before he left. "Tumhe koi bhi problem ho tho mujhe phone kar dena" Manik's intentions weren't clear. He will miss her so much, yet he doesn't want her to come with him. He wished that Nandini shouldn't find a way to contact Daksh. He didn't know why he was so selfish and jealous. Is he jealous of Daksh or feared losing Nandini to Daksh. Well, he didn't figure it yet.

He felt Nandini wanted to say something to him and asked, "Kuch kehna hai?''. "Huh" Nandini is almost in a confusion and is tight-lipped. She closed her eyes to escape her reality and felt a gush of emotions explode within her. When the poets wrote that distance draws two lovers closer, she felt it for the first time. The growing distance between her and Manik made her realize that she can't live without him. "Why can't I gather myself to propose him" she thought and the very next moment, Manik bid bye and turned around to leave. "He will be gone if this moment is missed" she thought and turned him towards her holding his shoulder. "Manik" she held his collar with her trembling hands and closed her eyes. Before Manik could ask something, she slammed her lips against his. She didn't know what made her kiss him. It wasn't a deep kiss but a passionate one. She expressed her love and desire for him with that kiss but broke it when reality had hit her. "Manik Nandini jaldi neeche aao, Aryaman tumhara wait kar raha hai" Anitha's voice reached them.

As they broke the kiss, she quickly opened the door and began walking down. A confused Manik needed a closure before he leaves to Bangalore clueless on Nandini's behaviour. "Flight ka time ho raha hai" Aryaman reminded. Manik touched Mohan and Anitha's feet and took their blessings. "Once this Aashadam is over, tum apne family ko leke aana Nandini ko saath le jaane ke liye" Anitha said. "Main shayad apna phone upar bhool gaya, I'll go get it" Manik made an excuse and went upstairs again. Nandini looked at him and within a minute, he called her too. "Nandini, phone mil nahi raha, ek baar upar aaogi kya?'' he shouted from her room and Nandini went to see him. Everyone looked on as Manik lied to go upstairs. Manik's phone was with Aryaman, and he knew it too.

As soon as Nandini came, he pinned her to the door and started where she stopped. Manik's kiss was aggressive and fuelled her fire within. They lost each other in their kiss. Her happiness knew no boundaries and her tears ended on his cheek. He gently wiped her tears, and he eventually slowed down but didn't broke the kiss. He sucked on her lower lip caressing her hair. She ran her fingers in his hair. There was no rush while Manik leisurely explored her mouth. 

Every time they kissed each other, it would always feel like First Kiss.