MaNan: Unadulterated Love|| Completed

12. His despair!

~Sometimes it's important to let it all out, or it will get all toxic.~

A few more days passed by with Nandini's small efforts to make Manik realize his own value. She would sometimes just in her talks, appreciate him for his behaviour, sometimes she would make some employee praise him genuinely, or make Manik's old school and college friends call him and talk to him via Kabir's help and other simple but meaningful gestures like that. All she wanted was to bring him out of his silence, to make him speak whatever he was feeling at a particular instant. She had a little success at it here and there but then it was still a long way to go.

Their friendship blossomed with time too, Manik won't say it to her but she mattered to him, her opinion mattered to him and she knew it too.

One day Nandini took Manik to a nearby supermarket forcefully, to choose some curtains and such other items for his mansion. The old curtains looked like they had been there for ages now. They went to a shop and the shopkeeper showed them new designs and prints. Nandini liked a white coloured peach printed pattern while Manik had his eyes on a lavender coloured design.

" how is this one?", she said enthusiastically, showing the one she liked.

Manik did not want to decline her choice even though he liked the lavender one very much.

"It's preety but Nandini, we can have two sets too, right?", he said avoiding her eyes, while she looked at his hand placed over the other curtain and smiled.

"You can simply say you liked that one, Manik. It's about your house, so you are supposed to like them, not me.", Nandini answered and Manik didn't know what to say.

"Yeah, I just thought-",he stammered to answer.

" That I might feel bad?", Nandini answered for him and he nodded a little.

"See Manik, it's not a crime to express your choices, and especially when it's a thing like this curtain, it will be around you more. You are supposed to choose what you like", Nandini spoke softly.

Manik did not say anything. But seeing his expression she understood something was going on in his mind. She kept her hand over his and he looked at her. She asked him through eyes what was the matter. He could not understand how to explain his inner turmoil to her.

" No, nothing. It's just that-", he was fumbling.

"That?", Nandini pestered.

" I am not habituated to be aksed for my opinion, no one ever asked me before", he chuckled at the end, wanting to keep it light, but she could see the pain in his eyes.

"I am asking na, and I will always. Okay?", She pressed her palm over his and he nodded relieving her.

After some more shopping both returned for mansion. Nandini helped him and Kaka to arrange the stuffs properly and then ensuring Manik had his dinner, she left for her place.

On reaching home she freshened up and did some of her office work to pass time until her phone rang. At 12:05 am, her phone rang with caller Id of Manik. She smiled and picked up the phone, put it on speaker and started humming.

Baatein ye kabhi na tu bhulna
Koi tere khatir h jee rha
Jaye tu kahi bhi ye sochna
Koi tere khatir h jee rha

Tu jaha jaye...mehfooz ho..
Tu jaha jaye...mehfooz ho..
Dil mera maange bus ye dua...