Manan: Together We Will survive This

Chapter 17

Manik: shona.... Please mujhe batao.... Aagey kya Hua???

Nandini lifted her head from the crook of his neck and looked at him...

Manik: batao mujhe....

Nandini: uske baad... Uske baad amms told me to leave the house....unhone Mere saath saare rishte khatam kar diye.... Maine unko bola ki mai aur rishabh yahan se Chale jayengey... Toh.. Toh unhone mujhe rishabh ko nhi lane diya..... She said voh unka grandchild hai... Voh Mere saath nhi ayega....

And then she told him everything about what amms told about his treatment and how keeping a stone on her heart she agreed because rishabh's treatment was important..... And then she told about how chachi came and all the money related conversation that happened...

Nandini: aur maine voh ghar chod diya Manik....

Her tears had again started flowing....

Nandini: 3 mahine ho gaye hai Manik.... 3 months.... I haven't seen rishabh... Pata nhi voh Kaise hoga... Theek toh hoga na voh Manik.... Pata nhi jab usko attack atey honge toh koi usse sambhal pata hoga ya nhi... Bola na Manik mera rishabh Theek hoga na... Uska treatment sahi se chal raha hoga na...
Bolo na...

With this she hugged him tightly crying hysterically remembering her baby brother....

While for Manik all he could do was to hold her tight....

Manik (self talk) - rishabh ko nandini ne ma banke paala hai..... Kaise rahi hogi voh 3 mahine uske bina...... Aur champ voh bhi toh nhi reh sakta nandini ke bina.... Mai soch bhi nhi sakti meri nandini par kya beeti hogi jab usse rishabh ko chodna pada hoga...... Yahan she was suffering so much and all that I was doing was resting on bed....
Bahot ro lei tum nandini.... Ab aur nhi I will bring back rishabh to you aur Yeh mera vada hai tumse meri jaan....

Manik: rishabh bilkul Theek hoga nandini...

Nandini looked at him with red swollen eyes....

Manik: hmm.... He will be okay.... Usko bilkul accha nhi lagega jab usko pata chalega ki uski nandini didi aise ro rahi thi.... Bolo will he like it....

Nandini nodded her head in no...

Manik: phir... Stop crying.... Aur tumhe rishabh se milna hai na...

Nandini nodded her in a yes....

Manik: then I promise mai tumhe... Rishabh se Mil wau ga.. Okay... You trust your manik right....

Nandini again nodded her head in yes...

Manik smiled seeing this...

Manik: toh bas... Trust me... And I promise hum Rishabh ko tumhare pass le aayengey.... Humesha ke liye... He will stay with us....

Nandini: lekin Kaise Manik.... Aur rishabh yahan Kaise reh sakta hai.... Aur phir uski treatment Manik...uska expense aur....

Manik: shh.... I will talk to dad..... Hum Rishabh ki custody ke liye fight karengey...

Nandini: lekin Manik.... I don't want ki amms aur chacha chachi usse dur ho jaye...

Manik: itna sab kara unhone tumhare saath.. You are still thinking about them....

Nandini: they are my family Manik... Mai manti Hun voh gussa hai naraz hai.... Par mujhe pala hai amms ne Manik..... Aur chacha chachi ne apni beti mana hai...
Please manik...

Manik: Theek hai... We will negotiate... They can meet rishabh.... Par sirf tumhari ya meri permission se... But rahega voh Hamare saath....

Nandini: ye...h...possible... Hai Manik??? ... Me..ra.   Mera.. Rishu.... V..oh Mere saath rahega...

Manik: ji meri jaan... Champ will stay with us.... Uski custody you leave it on me.... Aur jab Mere mom dad tumhare mom dad hai... Toh kya tumhara bhai mera bhai nhi hua...he will stay with us.... Aur uski treatment ki tum bilkul chinta mat karo.... We will get him treated with the best doctors in this world....

Nandini: lekin Manik... That will be very expensive.... Tum Kaise... I mean... It's your money aur.....

Manik: humare beech..mera tumhara kahan se aa gaya nandini..... Jab chot mujhe lagti thi aur dard tumhe hota tha tab toh mera tumhara nhi tha... Jab you fought with aryaman all alone to protect me tab toh mera tumhara nhi tha.... When I was in the hospital... Tum saara waqt Mere saath thi tab bhi mera tumhara kahan tha nandini... Aur when all these 3 months you alone were fighting to bring our child in the world tab bhi toh tum Hamare baache ke liye ladh rahi thi na.... Toh phir aaj Yeh paise Mere Kaise ho gaye nandini... Bolo....
Tum bilkul chinta mat karo..... We will bring rishabh back... Hamare pass and we will get him treated too.... Okay?????

Nandini: Okay....

Manik: all these 3 months where were you staying... Aur phir space ki fees.... Doctor ke expenses.... How did you manage everything.... Bolo jaan....

Nandini: voh mai.... Voh mai.... Mujhe... maine space... C..hod....diya.... I... Couldn't afford the fees....

And hearing this Manik's grip loosened on her.... This fell like a bomb on him.....

Manik: y...ou...sac....rificed..... Your... Career??

And a lone tear escaped his eye....

Manik: tumne space chod diya nandini.... To survive...

And another tear escaped his eye...

Nandini: Manik.... Tum ro kyu rahe ho... Why are you crying???
Maine jo kiya Hamare baache ke liye kiya Manik.... I don't regret the decision I took for my baby.... Yes.. I wanted to complete my studies... Become something... Be independent... To make amms proud.. Chacha chachi proud... You proud..... But manik tumse zyada koi important nhi hai Mere liye.... When I had no clue about you being alive... Your blood... Our blood in my womb..  Became my only reason of survival....

Manik: I am sorry nandini... Mujhe maaf kardo..... I wasn't there with you when you needed me the most.... Agar mai tumhare saath hota toh nothing of this sort would have happened..... Agar maine tumhe bata diya hota ki mai zinda Hun toh aaj situation Alag hoti.....sab kuch sirf meri zid ke karan Hua hai.... Dad told me ki tumhe bata dena Chahiye.... Par nhi... I thought I was protecting you from the pain.... Par yahan toh....

Nandini: please manik.... Don't blame yourself for this..... Yeh Hamari destiny mai likha tha manik...... Shayad space Mere liye kabhi tha hei nhi..... Tum khudh socho I wanted to join a science college when I came from mangalore... Aur yahan aake... I joined space because I got the scholarship.... Paise save hotey aur rishabh ka treatment aur acche se ho pata.... Toh I decided to join space.... Aur Ab destiny played it's another card and I had to leave space.... So maybe space was never for me.... Space happened to me only because we were supposed to meet Manik... Hamara milna likha tha...aur isliye na chahe tey Hua bhi I landed up in space... So see the positive side Manik...

Manik: Kaise... Matlab how do you do it.... How do you find positivity in the worst of situations.... Aur nandini tumhare space chodne mai kya positivity hai??

Nandini: manik... Music was never a career option for me.... It was always something I practiced because it gives me peace.... Maybe destiny has given me the chance to pursue my career in science once again....

Manik: I promise nandini..   Tumhara sapna to be successful and have a career mai pura karunga..... Tumne jitna sacrifice karna tha.....you have done it...  Ab aagey nhi....

So tell me what do you want to pursue as a career in science field???

Nandini: maine uske baare mai abhi socha nhi.... I will think and let you know....

Manik: Okay... Done.....just tell me as soon as you decide something....

Nandini: hmm