Manan:To kill or not to kill{Mafia Love Story}

Chapter 13

Manik POV:

It was hell. Plain, and simple hell. The doctors said the bullet had grazed part of her liver, and that even if the surgery was successful, they'd have to keep her in the Intensive Care Unit for quite some time after.

My imagination was particularly active today, and I could see everything as it could (or would) happen. Nandini's cold, still, lifeless body being lowered into the earth. A varnished oak coffin with platinum handles (only the best for my Nandu). Me standing there, surrounded by my family yet never having felt so alone in my existence.

I could see it all playing out. After the funeral was done, I would first hunt down and kill Arya, and while carrying my gun, I would go over to the FBI department. I wouldn't clearly confess of course, I would just make it so they found exactly what they were looking for; Arya corpse in an almost-easy-to-find place. From there it would be the simple case of courts, trials, and eventually, prison.

With my connections, I could probably be out of there the next day, but why would I want to? Why would I want to continue a life without Nandu? I knew my family would object, but they didn't have to know anything until it was done.

I was brought out of my morbid thoughts by the appearance of a scrub-clad surgeon. I walked swiftly to him, but before I could say anything, his expression caused the words to get caught in my throat. I'd seen that expression before, it was the same one that people wore when they came to express their condolences when my parents died, and it scared the shit out of me.

"Mr Malhotra," the doctor said, talking in a sombre, firm tone. "We've removed the bullet surgically, but there was a lot of bleeding. She went under for a good few minutes, so I can't say with any certainty whether the blood loss will affect her mental functioning or not."

"What are you saying?" I asked, flatly. "Are you saying that she might have amnesia or that she might have personality changes?"

"It could most likely be amnesia," he said, surprised by the fact that I actually knew about the various possibilities in such cases. "If you would like, you can go see her. She's in room 408."

I didn't even thank him and ran past to see my Nandu. As I walked through the corridors, I thought about what the doctor had said. What if she didn't know me...what if she forgot that I even existed? It would be ironic, wouldn't it, if the reason for my existence forgot that I even existed? I smiled bitterly, and the phrase 'You reap what you sow' came to mind. Considering all the bad things I'd done, it would seem fitting that the person I loved the most would lose all the wonderful memories we shared.

I opened the door to her room and went in. There she was, white as a sheet, with tubes and needles all around her. The beeping of the heart monitor and the slight movement of her chest were the only proof that she was alive. Barely.

I sat down on an uncomfortable plastic chair next to her bed and stared at her, praying for the first time in my life.

Nandini POV:

I felt like I was swimming through treacle, or maple syrup. Funny that I was making analogies while I knew I was dying. It felt like years ago that I was standing with Manik in his room. The good thing was, I couldn't feel any pain; but that also meant that I was more on the 'dead' than 'alive' side.

Suddenly, I heard Manik's voice.

"Nandu...please wake up. I need you. I can't live in a world where you don't exist. And please, please, don't have amnesia!"

His words at my heart. I knew I had to wake up. I had to embrace the pain instead of fighting it. I tried to move, an arm, a finger, anything.

After what felt like hours, I managed to move my right index finger, and then I clenched and unclenched my entire hand.