The Forbidden Fruit (MaNan FF)

xiii.

"You're joking, right?" Manik managed to sputter in disbelief after some time. "You've got to be joking."

"I'm not joking, Manik," Nyonika said seriously. Her face was blank and her tone was calm. It took Manik some time to process her words and realize that his mother meant every bit of what she said.

"You can't throw me out of my own house," he stated.

"Your house?" Nyonika questioned instead. "This house is in my name, which makes it my house. How is it yours?"

"I-"

"I'll tell you how, Manik," Nyonika cut him off before he even started. "You live here because you're my son. But, as of this moment, I do not have a son anymore. He is dead to me, and I do not want a stranger in my house."

"I'm your son, you say? But when have you ever acted like a mother?"

"I don't have time for your nonsense."

"You're the one who's speaking nonsense!" Manik raised his voice, losing every bit of patience he had in him. "You're being illogical and impulsive and I will not agree to this."

"I'm not asking you to agree; I'm telling you my decision. Oh and, I'm the one who's being illogical and impulsive? What about you? Your decision to marry this girl; was that not illogical and impulsive?"

"Okay then, fine! I made a bad choice, but please don't do this," Manik had now started to plead. He hated pleading to his mother but now, he had to lose all his self-respect because he was truly helpless. "I don't have anywhere to go, Nyonika. Are you sure you want your son out on the streets?"

"I have no son," Nyonika repeated firmly as she got up to leave. Manik knew she had made her decision and at that moment, she seemed to be the most cruel person in the universe. For him, at least. "I'm leaving now," she said as she passed him while he stood there motionless, trying to let realization sink in. "When I come back in the evening, I want you and that piece of trash out of my house. If I don't, then I'll have the guards throw you out."

xx

"Are you kidding me?" Navya almost shouted, gaining the attention of bystanders. It was then that Nandini shot her a quick glare and Navya sat back down on the bench beside her friend, composing herself. Once they had seemingly less attention, Navya slowly whispered, "Nandini, what the hell are you thinking? Are you seriously going to trust this guy after all that he did?"

"I just want to know the truth, Navya," Nandini sighed.

"But this is a huge risk!" Navya reminded her. "He's not trustworthy, Nandu."

"I don't trust him," Nandini denied, "I trust myself to find out the truth and that's all there is to it."

"Yeah, right," Navya scoffed. "You left the hostel to go with him, back to his house, where you will live for a very long time before he tells you the truth. You didn't even think about your safety and why is that? Because you trust him."

"I don't."

"Nandini, you do."

"I don't!" she denied yet again. "I mean... I can't... not after all that he's-"

"That's what I'm saying, Nandu," Navya explained. "You can't trust him."

"I don't trust him, Navya. I'll be fine; I have you."

"So you're telling me that if he tries to rape you, he'll allow you to call and inform me first?" Navya argued.

"Don't say that."

"It's a possibility."

"You don't know that," Nandini retorted. "I've been with him for three days and honestly, I don't think he's that kind of a guy."