Written in the stars

Sequel - Part 1

This story begins after a three year leap from the end of the original story.

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The sun has risen indicating the beginning of a new day to everyone. But Manik's day begins by hearing Nandu's voice.

Manik opens his eyes and looks at Nandini's photo. Her photo is placed in such a way that it is the first thing he sees when he wakes up. He switches off the alarm after sometime. The alarm was set to a song sung by Nandu, so that he can wake up listening to her voice.

Manik : "Good Morning Jaan!"

Manik : "How long are you going to make me wait? Please come back soon."

This is how his mornings have been from the past one year. Before that, it was Nandini who used to wake him up with her sweet voice every morning. But now, things have changed. She isn't with him anymore to wake him up.

Manik gets ready and goes downstairs. He has his breakfast though he doesn't feel like it because he doesn't want his family to be worried for him. He leaves to office. He keeps himself busy with work. His day to day activities have become more or less mechanical.

When he comes home in the evening,

Nyonika : "Manik, it is going to be a year since Nandini left us. The chances that she has survived is nil. If she would have survived, we should have heard from her by now."

Nyonika : "I was thinking that probably we should go ahead and arrange for rituals for her death anniversary. What do you say?"

Manik : "No mom, please don't do that. I don't know why she hasn't come back yet, but I still feel she is alive. I just don't know where to look for her."

Everyone thinks that Nandini is dead. Manik is the only one who is living with the hope that his Nandu won't leave him. He didn't let his family put a garland on her photo too.

Manik goes to his room after dinner. He is again talking to Nandu's photo.

Manik : "See Jaan, No one is ready to believe that you are alive."

Manik : "You ensured that you will be with me. I am living with the hope that you will be back to fulfill your words."

Manik's day usually ended talking to Nandu's photo and listening to the songs which he and Nandu had recorded together. It is only her memories and his hope that she will be back that has kept him going.

Manik was lying on his bed and thinking of the events which happened a year back.

Flashback

Manik was lying on the bed and Nandu was next to him leaning on him. She had placed her head on his chest. She was tracing something on his chest with her finger. Manik was caressing her hair. Manik sensed that Nandini wanted to ask him something and waited. But when she didn't speak anything,

Manik : "Jaan, do you want to ask something?"

Nandu tilted her head and rested her chin on Manik's chest.

Nandu : "How did you know?"

Manik : "You have been silent from the past fifteen minutes and you have been tracing something. You do that only when you have something on your mind and you are hesitating to ask or tell something."

Nandu : "Hmm...They are planning to go on an excursion from college. It is going to be the last trip from college. Everyone is going. Shall I go too?"

Nandu continued her studies in the same city. The reasons because of which she had decided to go abroad were no longer relevant. Also both Manik and Nandini didn't want to stay away from each other.

Manik : "How long is the excursion?"

Nandu : "A week."

Manik : "How am I going to stay away from you for that long?"

Nandu : "The same way I stay away from you, when you go on your business trips."

Manik : "I have no option. I ask you to join too, but you don't come with me. I also try to wrap up as early as possible and come back. But you are not going to take me with you, are you?"

Nandu : "How can I take you with me? It is a college trip not a family trip."

Manik : "I can come as your bodyguard."

Nandu : "As though I am a VIP to have a bodyguard."

Manik : "You are a VVIP for me."

Nandu : "Already my friends tease me that I always stick to you and don't go anywhere with them. They think that i am scared that some other girl will make you fall for her and snatch you away from me."

Manik : "Do you think that I will fall for someone else?"

Nandu : "I know you won't. But I also know there will be girls ogling at you. In spite of me being with you, there are girls eyeing on you. So imagine what will happen if I am not around you. "

Manik : "That isn't going to change a thing. Whether you are physically present with me or not, you are the only one in my heart and my mind always."

Manik : "If you don't want your friends to tease you, then you can tell them that it is the other way round. I am the one who is worried that someone or something might snatch you away from me."

Nandini : "You are worried? Why?"

Manik : "Think what would have happened if I wouldn't have realized my feelings for you and figured out your feelings for me in time. I would have lost you. Probably, you wouldn't have been with me here, now."

Nandini : "When we didn't have any intentions of being together itself, we managed to pave a way to each other's hearts and ended up staying together. My heart was then, is now and will always beat only for you as long as I am alive."

Nandini : "and I am not going to die so soon. I want to live with you for a very very long time. If someone or something does separate us, it will only be temporary. Now that we want to be together, I am sure we will find our way back to each other."

Manik reluctantly agreed to let Nandini go on the trip, he didn't want to disappoint her.

Note : Though the story gets off to a sad start, it will take a turn soon.