MaNan: Unadulterated Love|| Completed

19. Accepting her flaws!

~Love comes in all colours, but the one in your eyes, is my favorite~

The sand was wet and walking on it were leaving foot impressions behind them. Some distance ahead, two kids were busy in making a sand castle with their parents watching them admiringly. Suddenly one of them ran to the father and pulled his trousers.

" Papa, why are we even making it? The waves will break it soon, right?", he asked innocently and his father smiled. His mother made him sit in her lap and ruffled his hair.

" So what baby? You never stop building something amazing just because it might get ruined in future." , She explained him lovingly. The boy smiled sheepishly nodding at her, and ran back to his baby sister busy in giving final touches to their glorious castle. Suddenly a gush of wave arised in water and both the kids closed their eyes in horror as they did not want to see their hard work dissolve in water. But to their extreme surprise, on opening their eyes they found their peice of art intact and both jumped in happiness.

" Maa, dad, see it's all okay, it didn't collapse!", The kids started clapping and jumping in excitement, and their parents gave a warm smile.

" I told you. Never fear the consequences of doinh something that makes you happy, atleast in the given moment", the mother kissed the cheeks of her children and the father bent to kiss his wife's hairs.

Both Manik and Nandini smiled at the antics of the family. While she was still busy admiring the duo, Manik held her hand in his.

Sun mere humsafar, kya tujhe itni si bhi kaabar?
Ki teri saanein chalti jidhar, rahunga bus whi umra bhar!

" We can't stop living because we are supposed to die one day, now, can we? Just like you didn't stop walking on the wet sand even though you knew the next wave is going to wipe away the footprints!", he said reflexively, raising the topic timidly and she looked back at him, trying to grasp what he said. Both kept on staring at each other for sometime, trying to communicate without words. One pair of eyes depicted the trust while the other one had fear in it. Their eyelock was interrupted by the giggles of the kids and both of them also smiled at them, seeing how they were busy enjoying small moments of life, without any tension.

Some time later, it was almost dusk and the beach was almost empty, and they were sitting by the shore. Nandini was playing with the water that swept her feet, lost, and Manik was just looking at the horizon, trying to understand life at her perspective.

Jitni haseen ye mulakatein hain,
Unse bhi pyari teri baatein hai.
Baaton me teri jo kho jate hai,
Aau na hosh me mai kabhi,
Babaon me hai teri zindagi!

" Manik, I am genuinely sorry. I ruined your moment", she spoke softly staring at him by the corner of her eyes while his lips just took a upward curve sensing her gaze.

" Isn't it good that you ruined it now? It will help me save my precious future moments", he replied to her still staring at the horizon and then suddenly turned to look at her while she, being caught at staring at him, looked down, a crimson hue swept across her cheeks.

"It's okay Nandini, whatever happened, but just remember, that I am going to be there with you, always and forever. I promise. You will never have to face a adversity alone", he said looking at her while she abruptly looked at him, overwhelmed by his sudden honest confession and tears welled up in her eyes. She did not know what to say or how to react. She just moved closer to him and kept her head on his chest while he kept an arm around her holding her in his protective embrace. She felt so secure in his arms that words cannot describe, like nothing could harm her, nothing could break her apart till he is there, till she lies in her heaven, in her most trusted place, in his arms.