After two hours, Nandini finished her work and got up to sleep. Then she noticed Manik sleeping cutely in a running position under the crumbled comforter. She let out a silent chuckle, went to him and adjusted the comforter neatly. He felt that and adjusted himself more under it and gave a small smile.
She laid down on the couch and dozed off in a jiffy. It was around 3.30 AM that sudden beeping sound startled them. Both of them got up with a jerk and looked at each other. Manik noticed that Nandini was all panicked and was sweating terribly murmuring something. He got scared and got up to her. It was a fire alarm. So all started rushing out. Its winter time so they covered themselves up with jackets, grabbed some important stuff like passport, mobile and wallet and rushed out of the house. All the time Nandini was silent and scared. She was totally lost. Soon both reached downstairs and saw all the others grouped. They quickly joined them and suddenly a girl ran to Nandini and hugged her tightly and started to pacify her by rubbing her back. Nandini too hugged her back.
Manik was standing two steps behind her all the time and after the girls left she stepped back to reach him and held his hand. He was taken aback for a moment as he was not able to understand what was happening with her. "Manik, Can we please go for a walk? Lisa will let me know once this chaos is done. I don't want to stay here" she said looking down.
"Sure! Let's go" he said. He noticed that her grip on his hand became tight as they started walking. He wanted to ask what the problem was but waited for her to calm down. After sometime he noticed that she was better now and slowly started the conversation. "Does this happen frequently? I mean fire alarm in the midnight is something really irritating. I thought subah ke time pe hoga agar hoga bhi toh because that's the time when people cook or use the microwave and stuff. Raath ke 3 baje fire alarm is really weird", he said. But there was no answer from Nandini. Now his worries started to increase and he stopped walking. She looked at him questioningly as to why he stopped walking.
"Kya hua Nandini? I know we are still strangers humein mile sirf ek hi dhin hua hain. But you know you can trust me. Bathaao kya baath hain. I saw you were so panicked and then that hug from your friends. Hua kya hain? You can share it with me" he asked pleadingly. She couldn't hold herself anymore and thrusted herself into his chest. He hugged him so tightly that he almost lost his balance. He still held himself firm and hugged her back. There was a tear tsunami on his shirt. He just let her cry continuously patting her back.
"Mummy..pappa" she started murmuring something. He pulled her out of the hug and made her sit in the garden. "Bolo Nandini..mummy pappa ko kya hua? Are you missing them?" he asked which made her cry even more badly. "Manik! Mummy pappa accident..."she continued. "ssshhh...relax.. just breathe. I am right here.. pehle tum relax karo. Wait let me get water for you" he was about to get up. She held his hand and pulled him back. She nodded her head asking him not to go anywhere.
He sat back and put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her into a bear hug. She happily gave in. "I was 10. We were living in New jersey then. It was my mummy's birthday. Pappa and I were planning a surprise for her. Mummy and pappa were doctors. Mummy was a senior doctor to pappa. Because of an emergency, even on her birthday she had to go to the hospital so pappa and I started arranging the surprise. Uthne mein pappa got a call that the ward in which mummy was there caught fire due to short circuit. It was an Indian community. Pappa left me at neighbour's and went to the hospital to look for mummy and they never came back. They never came back Manik.
She stopped saying and started crying again. "I was waiting at the neighbor's place and it was only the next day that they brought the bodies home. I was not that old to even understand what happened to them. Lakshmi aunty who was our neighbor said that they went on a picnic to aiyappa's place and will take time to come back. I dint even know what they meant until I turned 15. I was at Lakshmi auntie's place until tenth grade. After that, I got to know that they were dead and will never come back to me. They became stars. Then I decided that I cannot stay there anymore. That place haunted me of their memories. The memories which were my only hope became a nightmare after I got to know the truth. I left that place and came to Wisconsin for high school. Lakshmi auntie left me with Judy. Since then, I just had Judy in my life. I was scared of making friends. After lots of counselling, I started thinking positive and live life on my terms again. Exactly how mummy pappa wanted. Since then, I have never left Wisconsin. This place is everything to me" she said hiding in his embrace.
"This fire alarm scares me Manik. Mujhe waapas peeche leke jaathi hain ye hamesha. The only thing that makes me weak is my parent's death. Badi mushkil se I started getting over it. Then I met Matt, Alice and Emily. They knew about me and they were there for me all the time. Neeche jisne mujhe hug kiya she was Matt's girlfriend. Even she knows about me. Matt told her to take care of me whenever I needed someone. She is a sweetheart. Whenever there is a fire signal she comes to my apartment and handles me to get out from there. But today, Matt must have told you that you were with me so she dint turn up when the alarm rang" Manik was completely lost in her words. He did not expect such a cheerful girl to face so much pain. He just hugged her tightly and let her be.
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Nandini was feeling so protective in his embrace. She never spoke up about her parents' death. Even her friends got to know about that from Judy. They always managed to keep that bitter truth of her life far away from her. But today, she said everything to Manik. She felt like she let out a heavy weight from her heart.
"Nandini! Now listen to me carefully. Never cry for someone's loss. That too of your parents. They never want their little daughter to cry remembering her. I am pretty sure you must have had wonderful time with them. So jab bhi un logon ki yaadh aathi hain, remember those happy moments and smile. Never cry Nandu. I am always there with you from now. I am glad you opened up to me, for trusting me." He said and hugged her back. She relaxed in his hug again losing all fears.
