|| ENDLESS LOVE || -- A MaNan FF

|| Chapter Twenty Two ||

It was 10' O clock in the night and I was standing at the balcony looking out. To be honest, I just wanted to be away from everyone, because the damn tears wouldn't stop streaming out of my burning eyes. Where are you Manik?. What happened to you? Are you safe? Please come back to me.

 I couldn't move, I couldn't think since I heard the soul-crushing news. And now that I've managed to at least move, all I could think about is that you hadn't been making any of your decisions for yourself. You were doing everything for me, all along, for your family. And it occurred to me that we still had so much to learn about each other. Manik, I've learned about how wonderfully selfless, loving, strong man you are. Manik, I can't hear that you'll never come home again. That I'll never learn something new about you again. Never experience your selflessness, your love, your warm touch again. Manik Please.. Have we really had our last conversation? Our last kiss? I don't know what I'd do... Please...

Cabir, Mukthi, Dhruv and Alya had come back from India. Apparently, Mukthi wanted to see Manik desperately so they decided to pay us a quick visit. It was supposed to be a surprise for us and what do you know? They got the worst surprise of their life on landing here.

They had all rushed home on hearing the news - Manik's chopper has crashed in Ohio. There was a search team dispatched to find him and the pilot; but it has been six hours since the news came up and we have not received any update. Everyone is sitting before the television looking at the flashing news and the story being aired repeatedly - Manik Malhotra, the CEO of multi-billion empire - Malhotra Global, missing. They have been airing his photograph from a few years ago - a young and fresh Manik with a beautiful face and a gorgeous smile.

Navya and Alya are fighting with the kids to put them to sleep. They have been crying for their dad. Manik had promised to come back before their bedtime. They are uncontrollable. I should probably go to them and console them. But, I just did not have the strength in me, to answer their questions.

He hadn't called back after talking to the kids after today's crazy morning. I was repeatedly texting him to know what was going on - the fact that he went to meet Mr.Burns was eating me away. He did not get back to me even once.

Why did he go to meet him without any protection?

How can I not have asked him when he was leaving home?

He left Jo and Martin here with me. Not only that, today morning, three other security people showed up. Jo said this was just a precaution after the incident last night. Manik felt like I needed more protection!

"I will deal with the world, I will protect you until my last breath. I just want you to be carefree and happy, like before - not think about anything else. I want you to love life, love me, love writing. Be yourself again. Be my Nandini again. Manik's Nandini. Can you do that for me? Please."  His voice reverberates in my head.

"And who is going to protect you?"  I remember asking him one time.

"I am old and ugly enough to take care of myself baby."  He had replied.

He would have never left me after the happenings of yesterday. Why couldn't I think about why he was leaving all of a sudden, that too in the middle of night?

I suddenly see him standing in front of me, with a magical sweet smile "Ah, there you go...that beautiful smile. I am going to go happily now."  He says.

A piercing pain starts in the center of my heart and travels down my spine, ripping my body apart. No! Don't go there Nandini. Nothing can happen to him. God, please, there are just so many things we have to do together. You gave him back to me, after all these years. Is it only to take him back like this? It just cannot end like this. I will not be able to survive. Please god! I will do anything. Just make him come back home safely.