Parineeta

Manik

Ohkay guys! I'm not so happy with your responses to my messages and announcements! Its disappointing to see how you guys only want to read stories that have characters of your choice! I haven't got a good response to the message that i put on the lovers to fight story! And still you guys want me to put stories that you wish for! Isn't that selfish on your part! But it's okay! If that's how you want it to be! But if i get such responses i would post stories even lesser or maybe won't! You've broken my heart!

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Manik:
Did she just say i should go to my sick 'girlfriend'. Oh god this girl! Why doesn't she listen to me ever! Aiyappa aapko toh pata hai na.. Its Medha!
I wanted to go after her,stop her, hold her tight, and tell her to listen to me! Listen to me carefully when i say i have no girlfriend! And that i only love her! But right now Medha was my priority, because after Nandini if i have loved someone so deeply, it was my daughter... Our daughter! I wanted to wipe Nandini's tears! I wanted to see her smile when i told her the girl, she'd got home a year back,is now home forever! I wanted to give her all the happiness in the world but right now i had to go to Medha!
I missed Nandini this once but the next time we meet i won't ever let her go! I'll hold her back forever! And i know and I believe, if we've met today we'll meet again, and again, and again, until she's mine!

Nandini:
I rushed out of the parking lot and out of his sight before he could say anything further but something inside me hurt! It hurt so much! But this time it didn't feel like it was Manik or our past hurting me but it felt like I hurt myself. There were tears in my eyes and it seemed like my pounding heart would come out of my chest. I was exhausted. I wanted to run, run away but i was tired. My legs pained as if I'd been walking for hours. My heart ached. It ached more than it had when i had left Manik a year ago! Something didn't feel right. My head was messed and i wanted to rest.
I looked for my phone only to realize that i had dropped it somewhere on my marathon out of Manik's sight. I was helpless. Why did Maddy have to leave like this! Why the hell did i have to be here. Why did i even think of coming here. Only to make sure that i was never Manik's choice but an option. Always.
"Nandini!" i heard someone call me. A familiar voice. A voice i never expected.
I turned to find Alya standing a few feet away, all dolled up. Had it been her engagement with Manik, would she still have looked so beautiful..
"Alya?" i looked at her questioningly. I've always hated her for being in the other woman between me and Manik but somehow i never had any hard feelings for her. And the invitation for her and Dhruv's engagement gave me a different kind of happiness. It wasn't the one you generally feel for someone who's getting married. It was something like what you feel when a burden is lifted off your heart.
"where you going?" she asked in her arrogant yet pleasing tone.
"i was just looking for Maddy! I need to get home."i said.
" hey missi! Don't you know nobody's allowed to leave Alya's ceremonies, not her friends atleast.. "i looked at her surprised.
" what? Aren't we friends Nandini!"she asked and i nodded slightly.
" cmon now come in!"she said coming closer," okay if not for me, come in for Dhruv!"
" Alya! It's not about you or Dhruv! I just need to rush home!"i said.
" why? What happened!"she asked holding my hand gently. I was quite taken aback at her sweetness but i realized things had really changed in this whole year. Alot had changed. But the only person I wanted to see changed was still the same.
"nothing!" i looked down.
"running away?" she asked and my head snapped at her.
"just like you did a year back!" she continued.
"i didn't run away!" i said. Anger from the past seeping slowly into my nerves. Why did she have to put this up.
"oh yes! Really Nandini?" she looked at me sarcasm dripping down her eyes.
"i left! I left Manik because he didn't  need me! He didn't love me! He loved you!" i said, my voice a little loud.
"yes Nandini you left! You ran away! You ran away from the thought that Manik didn't love you! But you know, for a fact, Manik didn't love me!" Alya said.
"but how would you know! You ran away! Thinking that leaving him would let you be in peace and let him stay in love... With me.. You thought leaving him would let him stay in a relationship that's good for him! Really? You know who was good for him? You! But no! You left rather than fighting for what you deserved, what had always been yours!"she went on like a bullet train. She had a lot to say, alot more i guess!
" why did you have to leave that day Nandini! Why couldn't you stay!"she said holding my hands tightly.
" Alya.. Really.. You're asking me why I couldn't stay! I couldn't stay because your ex boyfriend blamed me for your breakup. I don't know what made you break up with him but all he did was blame me. Blame me for being unworthy of him, even his friendship. He blamed me for being desperate. He blamed me for telling you something that didn't even happen! And you wanted me to stay back for a person like him. Who did not even trust me for once! I did everything I could for him. From letting him being in an extra marital affair to letting him take away all that he could from me, why? Only because i loved him. And it took him only a minute to call me selfish, and obsessed. He disgusts me!"i screamed in the open. My voice filled the entire emptiness of the night.
" why would he do that... How could you even be a reason for our breakup! Nandini i don't know whatever happened between you two but all i know is that there was some misunderstanding!" she said.
"yes! But Manik malhotra didn't care about whatever it was! For him only what he thought was correct and nothing else!" i turned away trying to hide my tears.
"Nandini! I broke up with Manik because I realized that i loved Dhruv and not Manik. I had never felt the love with Manik that i felt with Dhruv. I told him! I told Manik! But i guess all of us got late! That idiot he always knows how to mess things up! Nandini please! Just come with me! Ek baar uski baat sun lo!"Alya's voice lowered as she pleaded.
" Alya! Kya usne suni thi meri baat! Vo hoga ab sahi, tab galat par mujhe abhi kuch nhi sunna! Please! Mujhe ghar jaana hai... I need some time! Please!" i said finally as i spotted a taxi. I waved at the driver to get his attention as i heard Alya mutter,"Nandini ! Please mat jaao.. Please!"
I sat in the cab and looked at a guilty Alya as the driver drove past.