In the Shadows.
"In the shadows, we find the parts of ourselves that we dare not show to the world."
- J.C. Hutchins
Happiness, Affection, Resentment, Melancholic, Yearning, and Hope - a compilation of one shots on Manik and Nandini exploring whirl...
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"A tragic loss for the music industry, Fab5's Manik Malhotra and Cabir Dhawan dead in a car bomb blast..."
Nandini gripped the remote a little tighter in her hand and pressed the next, then next, and then next - a diminishing hope shining amongst the small pearls in her eyes hoping to see a different news but alas - each and every news channel showcased the same news.
They were all different words but with same meaning.
She couldn't understand how could a mere set of words decide her fate in a matter of few seconds. How could a mere news channel tell her, her Manik was dead. Who were these people even? Did they know him? No, right?
Manik was supposed to come to pick her up along with Cabir and she was sure he was on his way. He might be cribbing right now to Cabir to let him call her but Cabir would have said no because he knew how difficult it would be to make them cut the call then. Manik was a leech when it came to her - Cabir had joked around a few days back.
Manik was coming to pick her. The shivering of her hands didn't help her cling to a false belief for a long time. Nandini's mind was torn - one part of it believed the news channel, another didn't.
"Found dead."
Another channel, and another - what was this even in the world? How could they show the same false news? Did they not know Manik was a Malhotra and lead member of Fab5? She would make sure he sued them all when he came to her.
But will he come to her? God, why was she asking? Ofcourse he would come to her. He has to, Nandini was waiting for him.
But betraying her, her knees buckled beneath and legs refused to support her as she sank down on the floor with a soft thud. Tears that brimmed in her eyes before now flowed down on their own.
The pain was like a heavy weight on her chest. Nandini couldn't breathe, she couldn't hear anything apart from the news ringing in her ears or head. She didn't even hear the knock on the main door.
She didn't hear her Chachi who came out from the kitchen with a tch,"Nandu, Kya kar rahi hai! Door bell bajh rahi hai kabse!" Chachi probably didn't hear the television on or she didn't see Nandini on the floor.
She walked to the main door and pulled it open only to find Mukti, Aliya and Dhruv - Her Manik's friends standing there.
"Arey bacho, tum sab," Chachi was a little shocked for it was only Cabir apart from Manik who came there a lot.
"Chachi, Nandini kahan hai?" Mukti asked.
"Nandu, Nandu pta nahi kya kar rahi hai yeh ladki, kabse awaz lga rahin hun," Chachi complained and with the way she talked, the three guessed Chachi still hasn't seen the news and they only hoped Nandini too was as unaware as Chachi.
