MaNan: Unadulterated Love|| Completed

40. Miss'Understanding'

~ Sometimes the cure to every problem is just an honest conversation~

Nandini was not only hurt at the sight but also felt like all her hard work in reviving him had went into gutter! She felt betrayed at that moment. Had not he promised her to leave all this and move on? Then why the hell did he break his promise, shattering her heart alongside? Tears rolled down her cheeks as she stared at the packet, she didn't think she had hated anything like she hated it's power over him!

Wait! Her sane mind chided her, Was it really his fault? He had promised her to move on in his life, leaving behind all these addictions only if he had her by his side, always. But she chose to leave him, without any explanation. She wrote that nonsense letter to him, without talking to him about her issues. So why could not he break his promise? He wasn't wrong then, she was!

But this time, she was not ready to let everything go. She would bring back him and their beautiful bond, whatsoever it took. She won't let Manik slip away, not with her alive. She wiped up her face, put on a bright smile and tried waking him up.

" Manik?", She softly shook him while he hummed and turned to the other side.

" Wake up na Manik, it's already 12...", She spoke again and this time he woke up with a jerk, at the mention of the time.

" Its 12? Shit! I forgot I had to pick up maa na!", He panicked all of a sudden realising he had to go to the hospital. Nandini, seeing him such anxious, held his hand tightly.

" Relax Manik, Kabir brought her home and she is sound asleep now. Also I sent Kabir and Navya on their honeymoon as per our plan. There is nothing to worry. Everything is under control", She explained softly, smiling and he was captivated with her innocent eyes.

Her eyes were the best part of her, he could be lost in them without a sense of time.

" Still, I don't know why I overslept!", He murmured, jerking off the duvet while Nandini's eyes were filled with tears at his words. She did not reply and stood up. Picking up the strip of sleeping pills she kept it in his cupboard, and took out fresh clothes from him.

" Freshen up and come down for lunch. I will just go and wake maa up. And yes, your medicine is in your cupboard", she said the last line without meeting his gaze and went out closing the door behind her.

Manik frowned at her words. But since he was still drowsy, he considered it better to freshen up first. So he went to take a bath and freshen up and as he came out, looking like a Greek god, water droplets sticking to his perfectly chiseled body, he rubbed his hairs with a towel and threw it on the bed. Opening the cupboard, he was looking for another towel, when his eyes caught the medicines kept in the front drawer that was a slight open. He took the packet out to see it was his pills and everything came back rushing to him.

How yesterday he had woken up abruptly, and was anxious! How he was about to pop a pill and how Nandini's pleading face came up in his mind requesting to not take the pills again! How he battled between his heart and mind again and again and how he chose her over everything throwing away the packet!

Oh my god! That meant Nandini had seen the packet and had misunderstood him and his sleep and that was why she was sounding so dull and low! This stupid girl! But a small smile made its way on his face thinking about how innocent his girl was! He quickly got ready and went down not before checking on his Maa first. As he made his way to the dining table, he saw Nandini setting the table. She passed a smile when she saw him approaching but he was so busy in reading his face that he did not smile back which did nothing but crumpled her face a little more! She quickly served him lunch and was about to go back into the kitchen when Manik held her hand. He said nothing but pulled her towards him and made her sit on the chair beside him. With every bite he ate, he made sure she also have one. And at the end it became he feeding her and she feeding him. No words spoken but still their care could be seen so easily!!

After they finished Manik not knowing what to say went to his maa's room while Nandini was busy in clearing the kitchen, then feeding veebha along with all medications, then preparing some healthy breakfast for everyone and so on. In short, they were avoiding being with each other and this was the same thing that was eating them from insides.

They wanted to spend every moment together, wiping every pain from their beloved's heart and giving them moments of joy. But the circumstances, their awkwardness and the guiltiness was ruining it all. By evening, Nandini could not take it anymore. She knew she needed to apologize for what she did, she needed to be there with him so that he did not fall back into that dark world again and this time,for a big change, she was ready to take the first step. Without a single more thought that could shake her thoughts, she ran to Manik's room panting heavily, when she opened the door. She saw him standing at the balcony, gazing out, the same way she saw him when she came here for the first time! But things had changed since then and changed for good.

" Manik...", She called out in a choking voice.

He turned back to look at her heavily breathing, nervous figure and he knew what he had to do!

Love is not about the outings or the intimacy. It's about caring for each other without showing. It's about making someone feel his/her worth without any benefit. It's about being there when no one else is. It's about being the star in the darkness!

Nandini was frozen seeing the look in his eyes, his intent gaze seeing through her soul! She wanted to tell him how much she was guilty of leaving him, or rather making the decision to leave him. She wanted to tell him how much she loved him, from the deepest corners of her love sick heart! How she felt that her soul was ripped apart when she saw him that day, broken and shattered! There were many things to tell him and yet not a single word came out. She was just looking at him dumbstruck and didn't even realized when he started moving towards her. In a flash of light, he pulled her close and she came out of her trance, looking at him again who was holding her by her waist now, and suddenly tears made their way out of her orbs.

" I am sorry....I am so sorry...", She broke down, sobbing into his chest while he held her close, feeling her again, assuring himself of her presence.

" I am sorry......I did not mean to leave you Manik...I can't...I can never leave you and go...I donot know what got into me that day...maa explained me something and I let my mind take the decision ignoring my screaming heart...I am sorry.... please forgive me.. please.. ", she kept on blabbering all her guilt, her fears out and he kept on running her back, stroking her hairs and kissing her head to calm her down. After a long crying session, she wiped off the tears and looked at him while he smiled at her- the smile she could die for!

"Nandini", he called her with all the love and she fought back the tears again. Almost 96 hours later she was hearing her most favourite endearment, a music to her ears! An involuntary upward curve made its way on her face while she looked into his eyes that depicted only love- pure love!

" Nandini! I love you and only you. You are like the breaths- something necessary to be alive. I do not even have the option to think about leaving you no matter what. I won't be able to live without you- seriously. Just trust me and my love sweetheart. I won't leave you ever. If I do, that would be the end of me forever. Believe me on this.", Manik explained her and all she could do was curse herself for behaving such recklessly. How could she think all that crap! Gosh!

" I know that. I know it from the moment I confessed my love to you...it's just that...like always I behaved dumb. I know everything but still I choose to be insecure about it, sulking myself and make you suffer too. But this time, i gave a huge cost for it and I am not going to repeat it....I promise", she said looking at him, silently begging him to trust her once more- just this one more time.
Manik smiled reading her eyes.

" I trust you, more than anything.. I really do...", He assured her and she hugged him tight. He let her do that as it pleasured him too. Feeling her close to him was enough to take away all his pain and suffering. She was like a gush of fresh air to him. She was the answer to all his prayers!

You never realise when someone become so important to you that a second without them looks like a century. Someone, who knows all your faults and still choose to be with you because they not only know your faults but also how to overcome them. Manik and Nandini were such soulmates. Issues, lack of trust and misunderstanding persist in every relation but how you choose to overcome that defines the essence of your love!