MaNan : Aching Smiles|| COMPLETED

5. Illusions!

~ sometimes your mind makes you see things you are comfortable with and that need not be the actual story. Learn the difference~

Nandini ran across the streets to reach the home that gave her relief, and comfort and everything else that was supposed to take her out of this panic state. She bang opened the door to his bedroom, to find him lying on his stomach, his fingers typing hurriedly on his laptop and his eyes fixed at the screen. Shoot! He had an assignment to submit before the final practicals. She stood still, a delimma in her heart whether to leave or enter but in that same moment he turned to find her in tears and his eyes dilated.

"Nandu!", He exclaimed pushing the laptop away, and jumping out of the bed to hold her as she melted in his arms.

"What's wrong nandu?", Manik was getting increasingly worried. One thing he absolutely detested was tears in his best friend's eyes.

"Manik!", She gasped as she spoke between her hiccups and looked at him with such innocence that it made him embrace her more securely, trying to protect her from everything bad.

"It's my mathematics pre board tomorrow, and I am getting panicked", she wiped her chubby cheeks with the back of her hand, but her eyes filled again in a second.

Manik had opted for commerce in standard 12th, since he wanted to do business while Nandini was a mathematics student. Their pre boards were on, and she had an exams the next day while he didn't.

Mnaik then spent the next four hours, sitting with her and helping her relax, even though he knew she had done all her course twice and would top the exam. Needless to say his assignment got delayed and he had to bear all the wrath of his accountancy teacher the next day but he didn't complain, nor did he let her know lest she would feel guilty. Five years later when she was in New York and met one of his classmates,he told her about that.

Nandini opened her eyes in a jerk as the realization came her way. She loved him. She loved Manik. Two fat tear drops rolled down her cheeks as her heart and mind finally beat in sync. But with that came another realization. She loved the earlier version of him. She loved the Manik she had left here ten years back. The Manik who would go to any extreme for her. The Manik who cared for her like nobody else. The manik she had started to feel suffocated with that time.

"Nandini!", Pakhi called her when she noticed her being lost in thoughts. Nandini turned ar her voice.

"Beta, draft whatever bill he was talking about. He would ask about it first thing in the morning!", Pakhi didn't meet her eyes as she said that and Nandini felt guilty. It was true that she lended Manik money for their MacD and pizza sessions, but it was also another side of the coin that it was only because he spent his entire pocket money on her tantrums apart from the old age home he visited weekly. She would force him to bring things half of which she threw away anyway but he would gladly go just for the sake of her smile. Later she would feel bad and take him to these expensive places and treat him trying to wipe off her guilt.

" Maa, it wasn't his fault, and money doesn't matter maa!", Nandini spoke in a timid voice, but Pakhi shook her head.

" It does when you mention it like that. He won't listen beta. Do as he says!", Pakhi spoke cupping her cheeks and Nandini started crying.

"What had happened to him maa? Why is he behaving like that? This is not my Manik maa. This is not him!",she started weeping and Pakhi held her close, her own heart conflicting with her mind. Truly, Manik was not like that. But Nandini's presence had triggered something in him, she could sense that, but couldn't pinpoint on what.

The door opened and Shiwali descended down, her face pained as she fiddled with her fingers. On spotting Pakhi and Nandini, she forced a smile on her face.

" Aunty, he had not have anything since morning. Do you mind if I take his dinner upstairs?", She asked formally and Pakhi shook her head. Avoiding meeting Nandini's eyes, she saw the dishes made for dinner and it was heavier a meal. She knew Manik had lost his appetite comparatively, and he won't be able to take spicy food as of now. So she cooked some porridge with vegetables, served it in a plate and was about to go upstairs when she stopped and turned.

"Aunty, if you notice you will realize Manik have lost his appetite, more in the last few months. Please make sure he has his breakfast and dinner at home everyday. I will take care of his lunch!", She spoke not wanting to hurt his mother but it was important. Pakhi nodded since it was the truth, and she had been negligent about it.

Soon Shiwali disappeared behind the closed door of his room, leaving an anxious Nandini behind. Pakhi forced her to eat and then tucked her in bed before going off to her own room. Nandini closed her eyes as images filled her canvas.

Nandini was jogging in the morning like every other day, rock music blasting through her head phones when she noticed her best friend standing in the corner, a little puppy in his arms. As her eyes fell on the little creature, she chortled her nose to see a dirty, wrapped in mud pup. Moreover, her big eyes dilated more when she saw Manik feeding it his everyday sandwich that he brought for his run. By that time, Manik had also noticed her and he walked towards her, his eyes still on the pup who was eating the sandwich fondly.

"Don't touch me!", Nandini took a few steps back as he came towards her.

"Wash your hands or better get a shower, then come near me. How can you tough such a dirty pup, manik? What if you get infected?", She burst on him while he laughed at her talks.

"It's alright yaar. He was hungry. And I am too", he cutely rubbed his stomach making her smile.

" Let's head home!", Manik said excitedly and Nandini followed him, still maintaining a safe distance and forced him to have a shower first and later watched him hog on five aaloo k parathe just because he had sacrificed one sandwich.

Nandini opened her eyes with a jerk. Her eyes started watering again.

" We were so happy together Manik. What happened to 'us' now?", She complained to herself as her mind flashed the image of another girl to her who was also in love with her Manik.

"You have always choosen me over everything Manik, over your studies, your friends and sometimes even your mother. Would you let me go that easily now?", Nandini cried as she recalled the love she had seen in Shiwali's eyes for him. Wiping her tears, she walked over to his room and was surprised to find the door ajar.

She peeked in and the sight broke her heart.

Manik was sitting on the floor, his head in her lap, as she sat on his bed. He was weeping so badly that it pinched her heart to see him shedding tears. What she heard next made her further ashen.

"I can't take her presence Shivi. It hurts me to see her in front of my eyes. I talked everything rubbish to hurt her, to make her go away but she is still here, tearing me apart every second. I can't take this Shivi. Please", he broke down yet again and Nandini felt like earth had been snatched from her feet. She saw Shivi softly ruffling his hairs as she whispered something in his ears softly and he tightened the grip around her waist. Her own face was wet with tears. Nandini could see she was feeling every once of the pain Manik was shedding from his eyes. 

Shivi raised her eyes and her gaze met Nandini's misty ones. Two women saw each other and both knew they were both in love with the same man. But Manik was unaware of both and Shiwali knew it was not the matter of concern now. What mattered to her was his health and happiness and she promised herself she would not let certain someone snatch it all from him, yet again.

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The part in italics is the flashback from ten years before.
I hope there is some clarity over Manik's character now.