Written in the stars

Part 21(Last part)

Manik : "From what I know of her, Nandini always puts others happiness before her own. If I tell her, she might agree to stay with me because she doesn't want to see me heartbroken. I don't know how I am going to manage without her, but I can't be selfish."

Manik : "Finally she is trying to do something for herself. I don't want her to be forced to stay with me if she doesn't want to. In the past she was forced by someone or the other to take decisions against her wishes, I don't want to do the same again with her. I just want her to be happy."

Mukti : "OMG!"

Manik : "What happened to you now?"

Mukti : "I knew that you have changed, but I didn't know that it would be to this extent. You were ready to get what you want by hook or crook in the past, but now, you are considering her happiness over yours. You are ready to let her go though you love her so that she will be happy."

Mukti : "So what are you planning to do now?"

Manik : "I want to find out what Nandini thinks of me. If she feels the same for me, then I will consider myself the luckiest person on earth. But how am I going to know what she really thinks, without pressurizing her, in such a short time is what I am worried about."

Mukti : "Maybe Nandini feels the same for you, but didn't tell you because you were with Alya. She might tell, if she knows that you broke up with Alya."

Manik : "Maybe, but she might think that she is the reason for it and take drastic steps so that I and Alya will get back together which I don't want her to do."

Mukti left from there after discussing with Manik for sometime.

In the recent past, sometimes when Alya complained, Mukti talked to Manik and convinced him to pacify Alya even though he didn't want to. Mukti felt that if she wouldn't have done that, maybe Manik would have broken up with Alya earlier. He might have realized he loved Nandini early enough to figure out if Nandini feels the same for him.

So Mukti thought over Manik's problem and came up with an idea, but didn't tell Manik about it . She knew Manik wouldn't let her implement it, but that is the only option which came to her mind in the current scenario.

One evening, when Manik and Nandini were in the living room, Mukti served them juice. Nandini drank the juice and it tasted different, but she didn't tell anything. After some time she felt something different, so she decided to retire to her room.

Mukti whispered in Manik's ears.

Mukti : "I have spiked Nandini's drink. This is your chance to figure out what she feels for you."

Manik : "But why did you spike her drink?"

Mukti : "You were still thinking what to do. This is the only option I could think of. You will get to know what she really thinks, but the chances that she will remember about it tomorrow is very less. So don't waste time and go now."

Mukti : "All the best!"

Nandini was trying to walk up the stairs very slowly. Manik came to her.

Manik : "What happened Nandini?"

Nandini : "I am seeing multiple images of the same thing, I am finding it difficult to figure out where to step next."

Manik figured out that the spiked drink had started taking effect, so he took her to their room and made her sit on the couch. Manik was talking to her something in general for sometime before he came to the point.

Manik : "Nandini, what do you think of me? What am I to you?"

Nandini : "Don't you know already? You are my very good friend."